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Egyptians
once believed them to be the plant of immortality. Ancient
civilizations believed them to possess supernatural powers. Chefs today
consider them to be the “fifth taste,” offering a whole different taste
sensation.
Mushrooms,
once only fit for royalty, are now one of the most popular vegetables
on the market with consumption reaching close to four million pounds
each year. But while they may easily be one of the most popular
vegetables on the market, mushrooms are a complicated commodity.
Here’s the whole story.
The Varieties
There
are over 2,500 mushroom varieties available today, offering a myriad of
flavors and textures to choose from. Portabella (Portobello), Shiitake,
Crimini and White mushrooms (Agaricus) are the most commonly used
cultivated varieties, but the more exotic mushrooms - Morels, Oyster,
Beech, Enoki and Maitake mushrooms - are becoming increasingly popular.
The
fresh white mushroom, known as the Agaricus, is the most popular
variety of mushrooms, comprising 85 to 88 percent of the mushroom
industry, according to Marilyn Dompe, a consultant and food service
management representative at the Mushroom Council. The portabella and
shiitake mushrooms are also gaining interest recently in the industry,
Marilyn says.
The Purchasing and
Handling
When
buying mushrooms, look for smooth, firm caps, free from major
blemishes. The surfaces should not be slick. Freshly picked white
mushrooms have closed veils (meaning the membrane on the underside of
the cap is tightly attached to the stem and cap). If the membrane has
pulled away, the mushroom has lost some moisture, actually giving it a
somewhat richer flavor. Many people prefer open veiled mushrooms for
cooking.
Mushrooms
should always be refrigerated and used as soon as possible. They're
best when used within a few days of purchase but will keep up to a
week. To prolong storage, the Mushroom Council recommends removing the
outer plastic wrap and covering with a paper towel. If purchased in
bulk, place in a paper bag to reduce moisture buildup.
“We
get our mushrooms at a local produce distributor and prep about five
pounds a day,” says John Pontrelli of Pit Stop Pasta. “They are not the
most expensive perishable items so it’s definitely worth keeping them
on hand.”
Spoilage
can be an issue when dealing with mushrooms. “If the mushrooms come in
fresh, we don’t have any problems with going through the case before
they spoil,” John says.
Restaurateur
Stephen Izen receives his mushrooms at his restaurant Iven’s Bennett
Valley Pizza the day after they are picked. “Once they are delivered, I
keep them in my coldest reach-in refrigerator,” Stephen says. “I slice
them myself. Once sliced, I keep them in a large plastic cambro box and
cover them with paper towels.”
“I
have noticed that throughout the year, we get mushrooms with more or
less moisture,” Stephen says. “The mushrooms with more moisture last for less time because they are more susceptible to
browning.”
Fresh
mushrooms don't freeze well. But if it's necessary to freeze them, the
Mushroom Council recommends first sautéing them in butter or oil
or in
a non-stick skillet without fat, cooling slightly, then freezing in an
airtight container for up to one month.
The Preparation
Fresh mushrooms are truly
a cook's best friend, say the experts at the
Cleaning
mushrooms has been a topic of debate for many restaurants and chefs.
“Mushrooms are a fungus, and they grow in manure, for starters,” says
John Harvey, of Harvco Technologies, who deals with packaging for the
food and beverage industry. “Dirt is not processed; it contains untold
numbers of bacteria. Handling and storage conditions, along with time
and temperature, make big differences in fresh food.”
To
clean, remove any clinging particles with a damp cloth or a soft brush.
Or, place the mushrooms in a colander or strainer and rinse quickly;
immediately pat dry with paper towels. Never soak mushrooms because
they are porous and will absorb the water.
“When
cleaning, we rinse them in cool water, let them dry a bit, and then
slice them and place them in a container and refrigerate,” John says.
“I know that our health inspector insists on rinsing all produce that
comes in.”
Mushrooms
can be cooked many different ways. A short cooking time usually means a
more delicate mushroom and longer cooking time makes them denser and
chewier (the longer mushrooms cook, the more water they lose).
The Marketing
The
Mushroom Council, which represents cultivated mushrooms, warns the
restaurant industry of using the term “wild” when describing their
mushrooms. “The word ‘wild’ turns people off,” Marilyn says. “If a
restaurant is using cultivated mushrooms, we recommend using the name
itself. There have been cases where people have picked poisonous
mushrooms that were deadly,” she said. “Instead of ‘wild,’ use
‘specialty,’ ‘exotic,’ or the actual name.”
“As
far as marketing,” says Stephen, “we advertise that the mushrooms are
fresh. We tend to use a lot of mushrooms on our Take and Bake pizzas
and people are always impressed!”
Some
restaurants market mushrooms more than others. “We don’t use them as an
upsell item; I think the customer would be surprised
and puzzled if we asked each customer if they wanted to add
mushrooms to their pizza or pasta order,” John says.
For More
Information
The
Mushroom Council offers a culinary workshop on a complimentary CD for
anyone interested in learning more about cooking mushrooms. The
culinary workshop is available for individual chefs, corporate
training, or any individual wanting to learn more. E-mail mdompe@ainet.com at the Mushroom
Council for the free CD.