Fungi have been around for millions of years and were probably foraged in pre-historical times. Mushrooms were used in many cultures as medicine and in healing rituals. The first cultivated mushrooms were grown in China and Japan. Used to flavor meats, stews, sauces, and soups, or eaten fresh in salads, mushrooms are a highly prized addition to any meal. Wild mushrooms are mostly foraged in fall and spring. The most popular cultivated mushroom variety grown in the U.S. is the white button, followed by the cremini or baby portobello, portobellos, enoki, oyster, maitake, and shiitake. Mushrooms are grown and harvested year-round.
Peak Time: Year-round
Average Price: $3.98 per pound
Tips for Selection and Storage: When buying mushrooms there are three main points to consider: freshness, color, and shape. Choose mushrooms that are plump, round, and firm to the touch. Avoid bruises, rot, signs of withering, and mushrooms with open caps and gills showing. These are all signs of age.
Mushrooms should be of good color, usually white to off-white for button variety with few speckles. For brown or cremini mushrooms the color should be uniform with no bruising.
The size of the mushroom is not an indicator of quality; small or large can be used depending on personal preference or the type of dish prepared. Brown mushrooms usually have more taste than white. Cremini or baby portobellas are a great all-around mushroom and have less of an intense taste than portabella. Fresh mushrooms don’t hold up well in storage, depending on the variety. Most mushrooms can be stored in a paper bag in the crisper drawer for three to four days. Dried mushrooms can be stored and sealed in a dry place for a year or more.
Tips for Preparation: The best way to clean mushrooms is to brush them with a soft brush or a damp paper towel. If they are very dirty, you can also rinse them quickly under cold water and dry them with a paper towel just before using. Once they are clean, trim off the very bottom of the stem if it is tough or brown. Mushrooms can be cooked any way you like — fried, braised, roasted, grilled, steamed, sautéed. You can even enjoy them raw.
They are used in cuisines all over the world. Eastern Europe and Russia are regions famous for their mushroom dishes and foraging is an important part of the cultural heritage in these places. A variety of mushrooms also play a big part in Chinese cuisine as well as Italian and French.
Any type of mushroom will shrink a lot while cooking, so don’t cut them too thin unless the recipe calls for it. Mushrooms also act like a sponge and will soak up most liquids. Mushrooms should be cooked briefly — no more than 4 to 5 minutes. When used in other dishes mushrooms can be added during the last 4 to 5 minutes of cooking if you want to retain texture and flavor, or they can be added at the beginning of cooking if you want the mushroom flavor to mingle with the other foods.
Nutritional Highlights: Mushrooms have several bioactive compounds that act as prebiotics to promote the growth of healthy intestinal bacteria. Mushrooms also contain phytonutrients that have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer effects. This is in addition to B vitamins, phosphorus, selenium, copper, potassium, and even vitamin D if they are grown in UV light.
For a recipe for mushroom and green bean casserole, click here.
