What’s in Season

A mushroom is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or on its food source. Today there are thousands of mushroom varieties in the world of which only 25 are cultivated. The rest are not palatable.

What to Look for
A good mushroom will have dry, delicate flesh. You want stems that are firm and have a uniform color.

What to Avoid
Avoid mushrooms with "bruises" or ones that are shriveling. Avoid any mushroom that feels slimy. If a mushroom is just beginning to feel slimy cook it immediately to extend it’s shelf life.

How are they grown?

Mushrooms grow from spores -- not seeds -- that are so tiny you can't see individual spores with the naked eye. Because the spores don't contain chlorophyll to begin germinating (as seeds do), they rely on substances such as sawdust, grain, wooden plugs, straw, wood chips, or liquid for nourishment. Small
mushrooms can grow in the span of a day where as larger mushrooms can take 4-5 days to reach maturity.

Did you know?

Mushrooms are a fungus, and unlike plants, mushrooms do not require sunlight to make energy for
themselves.

There is a 2400 year old giant “honey mushroom” in Oregon, covering 2200 acres, slowly killing off the trees in the forest. It is the largest living organism on the planet.

In a 2004 study, Chinese women who ate mushrooms and drank green tea reduced their risk of breast cancer by nearly 90%

A “fairy ring” is a naturally occurring mushroom formation which causes the mushrooms to form an outline of a perfect circle

The most expensive single food ingredient sold was a 3.3lb white truffle, a subterranean mushroom that sold for $330,000