Common Store Mushroom Recipe - Cooking Index
Common Store Mushroom Recipe - Cooking Index
| Agaricus Bisporus |
We admire the common mushroom sold in groceries as a fine food product. It has a strong and individual flavor. It keeps well in the refrigerator. It combines with almost everything. It is available even in the worst weather, and all year long.
The common store mushroom, Agaricus bisporus, (also known as "commercial mushroom" and "button mushroom") was first cultivated on horse manure heaps in France in the 1700s. It is still grown this way. Until recently it was the main mushroom cultivated in the United States.
The commercial variety of A. bisporus was originally brown in color. In 1926, a Pennsylvania mushroom farmer found a clump of Agaricus with white caps in his mushroom bed. As was done with the navel orange, cultures were grown from the mutant individuals, and most of the cream-colored store mushrooms we see today are products of this chance observation.
At times mushroom growers cultivate A. bitorquis instead of A. bisporus. This is a more robust mushroom, but is otherwise difficult to distinguish from the A. bisporus we usually find in the marketplace.
Whole unopened buttons taste best. Once the partial veil protecting the gills has broken and the cap expands, the flesh becomes softer, cooks darker, and has a stronger taste. These more mature mushrooms do not keep as well as buttons.
A large Agaricus variety called "portobello" is sold in markets. They look like an umbrella with dark underparts. Use to complement soups and stews.
There are many kinds of wild Agaricus. Most resemble the cultivated species in being fleshy mushrooms that at maturity bear purple to almost black gills and a ring around the stem. Three of the most common and choice edible species are A. campestris, the field mushroom; A . arvensis, the horse mushroom; and A. augustus, the "prince."
A. campestris is found in pastures and grasslands soon after the autumn rains. Whitish caps appear in arcs and rings as a sign of the changing season. Many people gather this more delicate mushroom as a substitute for A. bisporus. Beware of A. californicus, an upsetting look-alike for A. campestris.
A. campestris is especially good with eggs, most vegetables, meats, and stuffings. Pile this mushroom on top of your mozzarella-cheese pizza and bake in a hot oven, allowing the juices to flavor the cheese.
A. arvensis, the horse mushroom, is larger and more robust than the field mushroom. It also appears in grasslands, and sometimes the two species can be collected together. This mushroom is cream colored, becoming faintly yellowish in age. The smooth caps are fleshy, more than an inch thick, and stain yellow when bruised. It has a pleasant anise or almond odor when fresh.
A. augustus, "the prince," is one of the meatiest and sweetest of mushrooms. The tawny brown caps may expand to a foot or more in diameter, have golden-brown scales, and smell of anise or almonds. It is equally at home in city parks and gardens or in the wild. This much-sought-after mushroom usually fruits in clumps even during the warm months. The "prince" can fruit several times a year and in the same location each time. A. augustus is more abundant in the west than on the East Coast.
You will never forget your introduction to A. augustus and A. arvensis for, raw or cooked, their odors, flavors, and textures are special. Try placing pizza ingredients inside the inverted cap of one of these mushrooms to surprise your friends. Or smother steaks or chops with thick slabs of mushrooms sauteed in butter and freshly ground pepper. The caps are thick enough to be sliced and baked with olive oil and your favorite herbs.
A Word about Purchasing Commercial Store Mushrooms
Check newspapers for sales of fresh mushrooms. Select those in prime condition, with closed caps. Some markets have large mushrooms especially selected for stuffing.
Cleaning: Little water is required for the cleaning of store-bought mushrooms or of field specimens if gathered carefully. Older ones may be fragile and difficult to clean without cracking. A soft brush is useful. Avoid soaking, for the gills retain water and they will cook poorly. For best results, let them drain in a colander 15 to 30 minutes before cooking. Prepare all species of Agaricus in the same manner.
Cooking: A. bisporus is thought of as the universal mushroom. It may be substituted for almost any recipe in this or any other cookbook. This is one of the few mushrooms that can be eaten raw in a salad or for dips. Thickly sliced pieces, when sauteed, may be savored as delicate hor d' oeuvres. Added to vegetarian casseroles or stews, they may simulate hunks of meat.
Preserving: You may store fresh Agaricus in the refrigerator for a week in an open bowl covered with waxed paper, but avoid plastic. They may also be sauteed in butter and frozen. They are surprisingly good when cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch slices and dried at home for later rehydration. Buttons may be pickled, spiced, or canned. Use a pressure cooker, applying fully adequate time, heat, and pressure, when canning them. Botulism is a serious risk when mushrooms are canned at home.
Source:
""Wild About Mushrooms" by Louise Freedman"
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