Use
Finding and correctly identifying an edible mushroom is only half the job. The other, equally important half is cooking it properly or preserving it for winter.
In mycology and in cooking, there's no single preservation method that suits every mushroom. What makes one mushroom a delicacy can turn another into poison or inedible rubber.
Cook fresh
221 mushrooms in the database
Culinary
15 mushrooms in the database
Drying
96 mushrooms in the database
Freezing
9 mushrooms in the database
.webp)
Medicinal
8 mushrooms in the database
Not eaten
106 mushrooms in the database
Pickling
121 mushrooms in the database
Salting
41 mushrooms in the database
Why does the method matter?
M.Ya. Zerova always emphasized in her works that the choice of preservation method (drying, salting, pickling) is dictated by the chemical composition and physical structure of the mushroom's flesh:
1. Water-soluble toxins and bitter compounds: If a mushroom contains acrid milk (like milk caps), it must not be dried or fried fresh. The bitterness won't go anywhere. The only way is prolonged soaking and salting (fermentation).
2. Aromatic compounds: Porcini contain complex proteins that release their incredible aroma precisely during dehydration (drying). If you simply pickle porcini in vinegar, they lose half their culinary potential.
3. Texture: Slippery jacks and honey fungus have a firm, "crunchy" or slimy texture that's ideal for pickling in jars, but when dried they often become tough or lose their shape.
Medicinal use
On top of that, there's a huge category of fungi that aren't used in cooking at all but are enormously important to pharmaceuticals (as a source of antibiotics, immunomodulators or antitumor substances). Such fungi (chaga, reishi, bracket fungi) are collected solely for medicinal use.
When choosing a preservation method, always consider the specifics of the particular species, to bring out its best qualities and keep your family safe.
Sources
- 1.Зерова М.Я. та ін. Визначник грибів України. 1979
- 2.Roger Phillips. Mushrooms (Roger Phillips)
- 3.David Arora. Mushrooms Demystified
- 4.Index Fungorum