10 foods you don't have to wash before cooking (2024)

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Washing mushrooms can seriously harm their flavor.

Mushrooms are super absorbent and almost impossible to dry after they've been wet. Bon Appetit cautioned that washing mushrooms would allow them to suck up large amounts of water (and potentially soap), leading to a soggy, unappetizing dish.

If your shrooms are looking a bit dusty, wipe them with a dry paper towel and shake off any loose dirt or debris.

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You can skip rinsing prewashed salads.

If the label on your package of leafy greens says they were washed, you can go ahead and save time and water by not dousing them again.

"Prewashed greens are treated with a mix of water and a food-grade sanitizing agent, like hydrogen peroxide or chlorine," Randy Worobo, associate professor of food science at Cornell University, told Real Simple.

This chemical bath prevents the growth and spread of bacteria on the greens, so you're unlikely to get sick from eating them straight out of the bag. Of course, if you don't like the idea of eating the residue of these sanitizers, go ahead and give your greens an extra wash.

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Eggs in the US have already received a very intense scrubbing.

Eggs in the United States have already been through a very thorough scrub-down before they hit your breakfast table, according to NPR.

Chicken eggs naturally have a nearly visible protective coating. This coating is a very effective guard against bacteria. In the US, eggs are washed using a machine that shampoos them with soap and water. This removes the protective coating along with salmonella bacteria, which means that US eggs need to be refrigerated to keep them fresh.

Most European countries skip washing their eggs in favor of vaccinating chickens against salmonella. This means that European eggs are usually stored at room temperature and keep fresh much longer.

If you live in Europe, rinsing your eggs before you eat them might remove traces of dirt and debris. In the US, however, it's an unnecessary step.

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Washing chicken can actually increase your risk of food poisoning.

Contrary to what you might assume, giving your poultry a thorough wash in the sink can actually up your chances of getting sick.

"By washing raw chicken in the sink, you are likely to spread the bacteria all over your kitchen, including clean surfaces like countertops, through splashing and dripping," Eric Sieden, director of nutrition and food services for Glen Cove, Plainview, and Syosset Hospitals told Reader's Digest.

Sieden also emphasized that the only way to truly kill bacteria on raw chicken is to cook it.

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You should never wash raw fish in your sink, either.

Washing raw fish carries the same risks as washing poultry — by attempting to clean your seafood in the sink, you're actually spreading harmful bacteria to surfaces that likely won't be sanitized by heat or disinfectants before they come into contact with other food, according to Reader's Digest. Remove the scales from fish if a recipe calls for it, but leave your fish unrinsed to prevent your kitchen from becoming a breeding ground for germs.

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Keep red meat away from water before cooking.

Besides being just as risky as washing chicken or fish, washing red meat can actually impact the quality of your meal.

"The added moisture during washing will create steam that will also affect taste," Sieden warned in Reader's Digest.

Pat down your red meat with a paper towel to remove excess moisture before cooking and always keep marinating meat in the fridge to prevent the marinade liquid from splashing onto countertops or food.

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Turkey shouldn't be washed — with one exception.

According to the USDA, you should wash your turkey in only one situation.

"The only reason a whole turkey (or any meat or poultry for that matter) should be washed is if it was brined. Thanksgiving cooks who are purchasing a brined turkey, or brining their turkeys at home, must rinse the brine off before the turkey goes into the oven," USDA advised.

Avoid rinsing your bird if it isn't brined, as that can spread germs around your kitchen and sink.

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Most packaged quinoa is ready to cook without rinsing.

If you've ever bought quinoa in bulk, you might have been turned off by the slightly bitter taste this grain can have if you don't wash it before cooking.

That taste is caused by saponin, a natural compound meant to prevent birds and insects from snacking on the plant in the wild.

However, Southern Living pointed out that most packaged quinoa has been prerinsed. This means that the saponins have been removed and the grain is ready to cook.

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Don't rinse your pasta before or after cooking.

Some people rinse their pasta before cooking in order to clean it. Reader's Digest, however, revealed that what you're actually doing is removing the starches from the outside of the pasta. These starches help the sauce stick to your noodles and provide flavor.

Packaged pasta is a dry product and is very unlikely to be harboring any bacteria that can cause foodborne illness. Keep your pasta delicious by skipping the rinse.

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You don't have to wash all types of rice before cooking.

Rice enthusiasts will probably tell you that it's sacrilege to cook rice without giving it a few good rinses. But whether or not you should rinse rice before cooking actually depends on a variety of factors.

According to Chowhound, it was once common practice for manufacturers to add talc to rice in order to give it a whiter appearance. Rinsing the rice was then required to remove the residue. Talc is no longer added to rice in the US, but some imported rice may still be processed with talc or rice powder.

Washing rice before you cook it also removes some of the natural starches that coat its surface. This reduces the stickiness of the cooked rice and results in a lighter, fluffier grain. Chowhound reported that if you're cooking short-grain rice to make a dish like risotto, rinsing will actually negatively affect the creaminess of the finished dish.

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