STORAGE
The best way to keep cultivated mushrooms like the ones we grow fresh is in a paper bag. If the bag is thin then double bag. In my experience, cultivated shrooms can last up to two weeks this way, but I prefer to use them within a week of harvest:
- Fill the bag no more than half full, fold the top over, and lay it in the crisper drawer of the fridge
- If there’s no room in the crisper, you can place the bag on a shelf, preferably in a small cardboard box
- Do not place the bag directly against the fridge wall
Long Term Storage
You can always dry or freeze cultivated mushies, and I prefer freezing to drying if I’m going to use them later in meals. I only utilize dry mushrooms as a breading, shroom salt, or flavor additive to a meal or mushroom stock.
- Place shrooms in a pan and tear apart the larger pieces
- Cook over medium heat until you sweat the moisture out of the mushrooms
- Once almost all moisture is gone, add just enough butter or oil (your preference) that the shrooms soak it up without swimming in it
- Cook them long enough for the butter or oil to replace the lost water content– you don’t want to overcook the shrooms since you’re going to use them later
- Place them in Ziplock bags, squeeze out all of the air or package in vacuum seal bags, and store in your freezer
Foraged Shrooms
Since there are so many varieties of foraged mushrooms in nature, you need to research storage by type. For instance, chanterelles don’t reconstitute well after dehydration but freeze well using the method described above. on the other hand, hen of the woods reconstitutes very well after drying and also freezes perfectly.
RECIPES
I mostly share recipe ideas on Instagram, but here are some that we made, enjoyed, and highly recommend.
If you want to discover a mushroom’s true flavor, then a good rule of thumb is to simply sauté it in a little butter. Personally I like to sauté until the edges are lightly browned and crispy. Some people like to add garlic (I don’t). After you take them out of the pan, sprinkle them with a little kosher salt to really make the shroomy flavor pop!
Chanterelle Recipes:
Chanterelle Cream Sauce With Bacon.
This recipe is so darn easy and absolutely divine! Using dill and sour cream might sound strange, but trust me, it works! You may find yourself making this dish quite few times if you discover sequential flushes. It’s so good that we made it a couple times in less than a week.
Lion’s Mane Recipes:
Lion’s Mane/Bear’s Head “Crab Cakes.
I am super picky and fanatical when it comes to crab cakes. My family is from Maryland, and a crab cake should be full of crab and not filler so that you actually taste the crab. Lion’s Mane is a very intriguing mushroom because it really does taste like and have a texture similar to that of crab or lobster. Make this recipe and tell your guest(s) that you are serving crab cakes. I bet they won’t believe you if you told them that it was actually a mushroom! If I hadn’t known myself I would have been convinced I was truly eating blue crab!
Broiled “Crab” and Shrimp Tartine with Microgreens
Here we introduce the idea of the Lion’s Mane mushroom as a flavor sponge. Once again, we use it as a substitute in a hot crab dip type recipe, but we add the twist of soaking up a seafood broth for more of a seafood flavor.
Beech/Buna Shimeji Recipes:
Seared Scallops in Spicy Cream Sauce With Buna Shimeji Mushrooms.
Take my advice, just go ahead and double the recipe. Yep, it is that good. Although I have only ever made it with beech mushrooms, I can easily see substituting oyster mushrooms as the texture and flavor profile would work well.
Oyster Mushroom Recipes:
Blooming Oysters.
You have heard of the Blooming Onion, right? This is the same idea except with an oyster mushroom cluster. I prefer to use blue oyster mushrooms for this since the caps tend to be smaller and more delicate. Simply dip the cluster in an egg wash (mixture of a beaten egg lightened with a little water) and then lightly dredge in a mixture of flour and old bay. Shake off the excess flour, and cook it in a fryer until golden brown. Lay it on a few layers of paper towels to absorb any excess oil.
You can serve them with a variety of sauces. A cocktail sauce makes the mushrooms truly taste like oysters– I guess the Old Bay helps. We also enjoy them with a Sriracha aioli; just mix Sriracha and mayo together to taste.
Marinated and Grilled Oyster Mushrooms.
Marinate oyster clusters for about 30 minutes to an hour in your choice of an oil and vinegar-based dressing (we use Italian). Cook low and slow on a grill until cooked through and lightly charred.
Pulled “BBQ” Sandwiches
Check out this article on how to create a tasty BBQ sandwich that even the most hardcore carnivore can enjoy!
