Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 91F. Winds light and variable..

Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 70F. Winds light and variable.

Q Should I wash my mushrooms? It seems to make them slimy. — BB, Greenville

A I am a great mushroom fan. I think I have mentioned before that my favorite Polish cookbook has detailed information about different mushrooms. And, yes. According to the FDA, you should “wash all produce thoroughly under running water before preparing and/or eating, including produce grown at home or bought from a grocery store or farmers’ market.”

A great site to visit for information about mushrooms is mushroomcouncil.com, sponsored by the Mushroom Council. Although this council, just like the National Potato Board, the Beef Board, the National Dairy Council and other food commodity boards are funded to promote their products, they are supervised by the Agricultural Marketing Service of USDA. That means you can reasonably trust the nutrition and health information.

There may be some bias as these types of industry programs are requested and funded by the industry groups that they serve. You probably know that few foods are good sources of vitamin D unless, like many dairy products, they are fortified with added D. Growers of mushrooms have the ability to increase the vitamin D content of the fungus through exposure to UV light or sunlight.

The amounts do vary depending on the type of mushroom, but the light exposure can raise the levels to 100 percent of your daily need in 1 cup of raw of a half cup of cooked mushrooms. Unfortunately, if you look at the Nutrition Facts of a canned mushroom product you will find it has less than 5 percent of daily need.

I looked for “official” recommendations on how to wash your mushroom but didn’t find a “best” way. The typical advice is to put them in a colander or strainer, run water over them and then rub the dirt off. Some people soak them and hope the dirt will go to the bottom of the bowl. Some people use a mushroom brush (bought at a place that sells kitchen tools) or rub them with a paper towel.

Some people, including me, use as little water as possible to rub the dirt off with their fingers. If there is a lot of dirt on the end of the stem or it is stubborn and won’t come off, just cut that part off. If your mushrooms are slimy, it may be they are a bit on the old side. Then I don’t use them as fresh mushrooms but sauté them and freeze any excess.

Q Are canned foods filled with preservatives? — GJ, Greenville

A The process of canning fruits and vegetables does NOT need added preservatives to kill potentially harmful bacteria. I love the graphic on the Canned Food Alliance website (mealtime.org) showing the six steps. The produce is washed with water, then peeled, trimmed, cored, sliced or chopped and quickly blanched — which helps preserve the color. The can is filled with liquid and any additives like seasonings that add interest or flavor.

It’s at this step that the canned product can remain as healthy as possible or can increase in calories or sodium depending on what the food processor thinks people would enjoy eating. The can is closed and then heated quickly to the right temperature for the product and cooled quickly. It is true that salt can be used as a preservative — think of country ham or salted dried fish. Sugar too can provide a bit of preservation — think of jams and jellies.

But the role of salt and sugar in the canning process is all about flavor and texture. The Canned Food Alliance is not like the boards I described above. Instead, it is a consortium of co-ops, food processors, grower groups and affiliate members that have joined together to communicate the many benefits of canned foods, including nutrition, food safety, convenience, affordability, year-round availability and sustainability. Several years ago I did a consultation with them and found them to provide accurate information.

Professor emeritus Kathy Kolasa, a registered dietitian nutritionist and Ph.D., is an affiliate professor in the Brody School of Medicine at ECU. Contact her at kolasaka@ecu.edu.

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