Get to know your mushrooms

Maybe the two most important things you need to know about your mushrooms

They need to be refrigerated and then they need to be cooked. Keep ’em cold, then get ’em hot.

Our recommendation for storing your mushrooms is in a paper bag in the fridge; that should regulate their moisture and keep them good for a week or so.

And you shouldn’t eat any of the mushrooms we grow raw. Our understanding is that button mushrooms are fine to eat raw—you’ve probably had them on a salad a million times and never had an issue. But the varieties we grow are much more fibrous and could be rough on your tummy if you don’t cook them.

A few other tidbits

Raw mushrooms act like sponges (or eggplant), if you give them any kind of liquid, they’ll soak it up. If you give them water, it’s not a big deal, since you can then cook the water out of them. Or if you give them a little soy sauce or something else tasty, it helps build flavor. A little added fat can be very tasty, help seasoning cling to the shrooms, and make cooking easier, but be careful not to overdo it early in a recipe. The scenario you want to avoid is you’ve got a pan of raw mushrooms, you add oil to the pan, the mushrooms soak it up, the pan is dry, you add more oil, the mushrooms soak it up, etc., until you’ve got plump little oil drums instead of shiitakes.

You don’t need to clean our mushrooms much before cooking them. For shiitakes, the stems are very fibrous, so you should remove them (and maybe reserve them for stock), and then the caps are ready to cook. For all of our other varieties, the whole mushrooms are edible. You just need to remove any of the substrate that they grow out of from the base of the stem (if there is any). Otherwise, don’t wash your mushrooms, they’ll just end up getting soggy in that much water.

When you’re winging a recipe, we find that alliums, herbs, and dairy tend to pair beautifully with shrooms. Saute them with onions or garlic, toss in some thyme or parsley, grate in a little cheddar or gruyere. Easy peasy, super tasty stuff.

The mushrooms we grow

The mushrooms we grow can vary pretty widely in flavor and texture. So here’s a little info on all our varieties:

  • Strong earthy flavor.

    Firm texture, easy to slice.

    Versatile. Great in stir-fries. Pairs well with meat.

    Stems are too fibrous to eat, so we recommend reserving them to use in stock.

  • Classic mushroomy flavor.

    Can shred by tearing them along the gills.

    Delicious paired with eggs, fish, or on its own as a main. It’s a go-to for any recipe that just calls for “mushrooms.”

  • Delicate texture.

    Similar to blue oyster, but more mild in flavor.

    Cooks quickly, so works great in a stir fry.

  • A fluffy outside and texture that’s similar to crab meat.

    Flavor is a little sweet and some say reminiscent of seafood. Often prepared as a faux crab cakes. Also great in anything creamy, like a pasta sauce or a curry.

  • Strong flavor, a hint of nuttiness.

    Soft cap and a crunchy stem.

    Great in brothy soups. Wonderful roasted to a crisp.

    Also, gorgeous!

  • Mild flavor with a hint of sweetness.

    Soft, pillowy texture.

    Hybrid between king trumpet and pearl oyster mushrooms. Popularly used as a substitute for scallops. Great mixed with pioppino for a blend of textures!

  • Similarly to chestnut mushrooms, these are earthy-nutty with soft caps and crunchy stems, but pioppino tend to grow larger and are great in pastas and rice dishes.