Mushrooms

[JAZ]

2 hours ago, TicTac said:

Toasting before adding fat is fine (I agree, butter is better).  However; if you do not crowd the pan, you do not need to blanch them first.

 

You will, if said pan is hot enough, negate and expelled moisture.

 

But then you have to cook small batches and watch them carefully. I also find that depending on the mushrooms, they can soak up all the cooking fat before they cook, and they never really get rid of it. We're lazy and use a variation of the Cooking Issues "wet crowded method" -- pile a pound or more of quartered mushrooms  in a pan and add enough water until they just float. Add salt and enough butter to coat the bottom of the pan and bring them to a boil. They'll lose much of their moisture, which evaporates along with the starting water. Then when all that's left is butter and mushrooms, you can brown them beautifully, after having ignored them for most of the cooking time. We do this with button or creminis, although I have tried it with a mixture of oyster and shitake mushrooms as well.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

7 hours ago, JAZ said:

 

But then you have to cook small batches and watch them carefully. I also find that depending on the mushrooms, they can soak up all the cooking fat before they cook, and they never really get rid of it. We're lazy and use a variation of the Cooking Issues "wet crowded method" -- pile a pound or more of quartered mushrooms  in a pan and add enough water until they just float. Add salt and enough butter to coat the bottom of the pan and bring them to a boil. They'll lose much of their moisture, which evaporates along with the starting water. Then when all that's left is butter and mushrooms, you can brown them beautifully, after having ignored them for most of the cooking time. We do this with button or creminis, although I have tried it with a mixture of oyster and shitake mushrooms as well.

 

This reminds me of the Joy of Cooking method.

 

[TicTac]

I do something similar with stock for instances when I am looking to achieve a sauce with the final product.  I often prefer my mushrooms simply utilizing the highest heat sear (often dry) - with a bit of butter and thyme/shallots (and sometimes white wine) at the very end - a bit of crusty bread, un poco de vino and I am happy.

 

 

[Nancy in Pátzcuaro]

When I cook chanterelles I put them in a dry pan at fairly high heat. Liquid comes out in great quantity, and I cook them until the moisture is pulled back into the mushroom. No fat, no salt, no herbs--at least before I use them in the final dish. This is how I prepare them for freezing.

 

Nancy in Pátzcuaro

[SLB]

Great thread!  I do the wet-crowded thing, but will try the toasting.  I admit flabby and greasy doesn't bother me too much, but no reason not to up my game. 

 

I do worry sometimes that literally everything I cook has mushrooms as the dominant flavor note.  Which I don't mind myself, but sometimes there are other people involved . . . .

 

Anyway, I wanted to share a podcast episode I heard recently (from a great podcast on the natural world out of New Hampshire called Outside/In) on the Delicious Death Cap:  http://outsideinradio.org/shows/ep48?rq=mushrooms

 

And finally, amid the talk of the mushroom logs out back, beware of what an entrepreneurial 7-year old cub scout might do with a mushroom kit in your basement:  

 

 

[suzilightning]

Picked up about 6 oz of cremini and a package of mixed mushrooms - oyster, shitake, and hen of the woods.  Vegetarian mushroom soup coming up tomorrow.

[quiet1]

I'm feeling rather pleased that my method for cooking mushrooms (which I do not recall ever learning, but I don't imagine I made it up?) is rather close to what seems recommended often. I do a dry-ish sear (just enough fat to coat the hot surface of the pan with a nice sheen, no puddles) until the mushrooms have gotten a bit carmelized at the edges, amount determined by what I feel like at the time - then I add liquid (usually just water) and make sure any traces of mushroomy goodness is up off the pan surface, then cook until the moisture is gone again. Add cream or what have you, or set aside to cool if I'm freezing them for quick use later. (Housemates like to have cooked mushrooms in their morning eggs and it's much faster if the mushrooms are pre-cooked. Or they toss them with pasta and some butter and grated cheese, etc.)

 

I don't even like mushrooms so I'm glad I managed to come up with a decent cooking method anyway.

 

We used to be able to get a box of variety mushrooms (some foraged) from a local farmer's market kind of thing, but they've stopped doing it. Even though I don't care for mushrooms myself that was quite interesting to see different types and find recipes to use.

[gfweb]

I live in the heart of mushroom farming/industry near Kennett Square, PA; which claims to be the producer of more mushrooms than anywhere in the universe.

Its a different kind of farming, taking place all indoors and it goes on all year round, harvesting daily except Christmas, 364 days a year.

 

They are grown in sheds made of cinderblock that are climate controlled and contain shelf upon shelf of trays of growing spawn.

 

One of the reasons for the concentration around KS is that t he support industries are all right there and can cheaply service multiple operations. Biggest of them are the companies who make mushroom soil which is a mixture of various plants and a bit of manure that get composted for months. Before mushrooms see it it is pasteurized to remove any remnants of poo bacteria. The result is a black loamy product that the fungi adore, but is too rich for many plants. If you want to spread spent mushroom soil on your lawn it must age for a few months in the rain to cool it down lest it burn your grass.

 

The composting used to smell horrible if the wind blew the wrong way, but they've gotten the stink out of it somehow.

 

Besides the growers and suppliers there are the packers, like this place who kindly has a fridge full of ultra fresh fungi for sale to civilians at great prices.

Edited October 29, 2017 by gfweb (log)

[liuzhou]

53 minutes ago, gfweb said:

 

I live in the heart of mushroom farming/industry near Kennett Square, PA; which claims to be the producer of more mushrooms than anywhere in the universe.

 

 

While it is probably the biggest producer in the USA, I doubt it is the biggest in the world. I can't speak for the universe.

 

I  do know that China is by far the world's largest producer (eighteen times more than the USA) and largest consumer and have seen gigantic mushroom growing facilities. Even tiny Italy grows more than the USA. Poland is the largest producer in Europe.

[gfweb]

1 hour ago, liuzhou said:

 

While it is probably the biggest producer in the USA, I doubt it is the biggest in the world. I can't speak for the universe.

 

I  do know that China is by far the world's largest producer (eighteen times more than the USA) and largest consumer and have seen gigantic mushroom growing facilities. Even tiny Italy grows more than the USA. Poland is the largest producer in Europe.

 

You will note I said "claims"

[liuzhou]

9 minutes ago, gfweb said:

 

You will note I said "claims"

 

Yes, I noted it wasn't your claim, but theirs.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

2 hours ago, gfweb said:

I live in the heart of mushroom farming/industry near Kennett Square, PA; which claims to be the producer of more mushrooms than anywhere in the universe.

 

Ah, yes, Kennett Square.  Brings back olfactory memories,  My late, long ex parents-in-law had a farm there in the '60's and '70's.

 

@liuzhou are all China's mushrooms grown in a town that's one square mile (259 hectares)?

 

[liuzhou]

Not as such, but that is not the point.  They are claiming to be the largest in the world. They aren't. That they supply 47% of the US mushrooms (not all) is irrelevant to their world size ranking.

 

There are several mushroom production places a lot bigger than one square mile. Think more like ten.

[quiet1]

56 minutes ago, liuzhou said:

 

Yes, I noted it wasn't your claim, but theirs.

 

Guessing based on general PA experience, but it seems most likely there isn't much going on to be proud of other than mushroom creation, so they inflate their importance a little to try for some tourist dollars and so the place feels more interesting to live. There's plenty of small towns in PA like that, especially if they previously lost some other big industry like steel or coal.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

14 minutes ago, liuzhou said:

Not as such, but that is not the point.  They are claiming to be the largest in the world. They aren't. That they supply 47% of the US mushrooms (not all) is irrelevant to their world size ranking.

 

There are several mushroom production places a lot bigger than one square mile. Think more like ten.

 

Yes, but they are claiming to be the largest mushroom producing town, not the largest mushroom producing country.

 

[liuzhou]

5 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

Yes, but they are claiming to be the largest mushroom producing town, not the largest mushroom producing country.

 

 

Yes, but they aren't the largest! There are several towns in China producing many more mushrooms. One supplies 10% of the world's supply.

Edited October 29, 2017 by liuzhou
typo (log)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

13 minutes ago, quiet1 said:

 

Guessing based on general PA experience, but it seems most likely there isn't much going on to be proud of other than mushroom creation, so they inflate their importance a little to try for some tourist dollars and so the place feels more interesting to live. There's plenty of small towns in PA like that, especially if they previously lost some other big industry like steel or coal.

 

Believe me, this is not a tourist area.  And there never was any steel or coal.

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

1 minute ago, liuzhou said:

 

Yes, but they larger aren't! There are several towns in China producing many more mushrooms. One supplies 120% of the world's supply.

 

Where does the surplus 20% go?

 

[quiet1]

1 minute ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

Believe me, this is not a tourist area.  And there never was any steel or coal.

 

 

I think that tends to make it worse. Ex-steel towns at least like to brag about "we made the steel for Cool Thing." We've run into a variety of interesting claims on road trips, I usually don't stress about accuracy and figure whatever helps people feel better about where they live.

 

Do they have a Mushroom Festival? It rather seems like they should.

[liuzhou]

1 minute ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

Where does the surplus 20% go?

 

 

Obviously a typo. Edited. 10%

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

6 minutes ago, quiet1 said:

 

I think that tends to make it worse. Ex-steel towns at least like to brag about "we made the steel for Cool Thing." We've run into a variety of interesting claims on road trips, I usually don't stress about accuracy and figure whatever helps people feel better about where they live.

 

Do they have a Mushroom Festival? It rather seems like they should.

 

Don't know.  Haven't been down there in many, many years.  I do know that where I live in central New Jersey most if not all mushrooms come from Kennett Square.

 

All I really know is that they produce a lot of mushrooms and in the last century the whole place smelled of manure.

 

[liuzhou]

44 minutes ago, quiet1 said:

Do they have a Mushroom Festival? It rather seems like they should.

 

It rather seems that they do. But you just missed it.

[TicTac]

Back on track...

 

I picked about 3lbs of Elm Oyster mushrooms and now that we have had our first frost, the little critters don't appear to be getting to them as quickly (less stock, more eating!) which is great.

 

Prepared as noted above and CONVERTED a few of those in the 'dry sear' camp as they tasted these 1/3 inch thick sliced beauties, comments like 'this is luscious, almost has the consistency of a rare steak!' were heard. 

 

I challenge any other cooking method to produce as flavorful a shroom to be had!

 

 

[gfweb]

@TicTac  Just to be clear, you were converted to the blanch first method?

[TicTac]

Most certainly not, kind sir/ma'am.

 

I was taught by one of the better chef's in Toronto many moons ago re: the low volume of fat & high heat sear method.  I explained in slight more detail previously in the thread.

 

The mushrooms come out toasted brown on both sides, with a soft, meaty interior.  It didn't hurt that the mushrooms were picked not 3 hours prior.