These are the types of mushrooms you can safely eat

Mushrooms, fungi and mushrooms are very healthy, although not in excess. They come in handy to offset some nutritional values. They are easy to eat and digest, although not everyone should eat this food. Mushrooms and fungus grow wild and are only recommended to be harvested by experts, as many toxic mushrooms look very similar to edible mushrooms.

What are mushrooms and what do they contribute

A mushroom is the visible part of the fungus, that is, the fruit, and also its form of reproduction. Just as it happens with the apple and the flower, for example. Fungi use mushrooms to spread their spores, and these are microscopic, have different sexes, travel through the air, and a single mushroom can produce millions of spores.

Only experts are capable of differentiating an edible mushroom from another that is not and can become toxic and lethal. In Europe there are more than 7,000 different types of mushrooms and only a very small percentage are toxic , even so, collecting them requires a lot of knowledge and experience.

Truffles are thought to be mushrooms, but they really fall outside the category. Truffles grow underground, unlike mushrooms and fungi.

Mushrooms, in general, are very nutritious, you just have to try not to eat them raw because they can be indigestible and do not subject them to high temperatures, because they lose properties. In general, this food usually provides important minerals such as phosphorus, iron, iodine, selenium. magnesium, calcium, potassium, zinc , among others. As well as vitamins A, group B, C and D.

How they are cooked and preserved

This food becomes popular in autumn with the first rains after summer, but it is an ingredient that we have available all year round in supermarkets, although not all types, just some mushrooms and a few mushrooms.

As a recommendation when buying them, avoid those that have drops like sweat, if they have stains, are blackened, etc. Buy only the best looking ones. Mushrooms and mushrooms do not last long in the fridge, at most about 6 days, and that is if they are not removed from their packaging where they have been packaged in a protective atmosphere, surely.

To preserve them, once we have opened the original packaging, the best thing that usually works is to put them in a glass or plastic container with an airtight seal . There they usually last up to 6 days and always at the bottom of the fridge so that they do not suffer temperature changes.

If we have bought mushrooms and we are not going to eat them in a few days, another option is to freeze them in individual bags that mark each portion. When defrosting them, you will have to put them in the fridge and then put them in water to rehydrate.

If we are going to cook them in the next few days, we can store them in the fridge. They are very sensitive and deteriorate quickly with changes in temperature. What we should avoid is washing them under the tap. If we want to remove the sand, it is best to wash them with a damp cloth or leave them to soak for a few minutes.

To cook them, there are many options, in cream, sauces, with meat, fish, scrambled vegetables, sautéed in oil, with a spicy touch, stewed, baked, with cream, on pizza, pasta, as a filling, battered, to wine etc.

Main species of mushrooms

As we have said before, in Europe alone there are more than 7,000 different types of mushrooms and only a small part of that number are toxic mushrooms. We are going to know all the types of edible mushrooms, so that when we go to make a recipe or something similar, we know beyond the classic mushrooms, boletus, shiitake or oyster mushrooms, among others.

boletus

Very common in Spain, it grows in pine forests and in some deciduous forests. It is characterized by having a wide and robust trunk and being big-headed, where its hat can reach up to 25 cm in diameter. The meat of this mushroom is firm, if it falls apart, is soft or releases broth, it is because it is in poor condition. The meat is firm in each bite and what characterizes it is its pleasant hazelnut flavor.

It is difficult for it to arrive in perfect condition on our plate, since this species tends to breed worms when it begins its putrefaction process, where its stem turns greenish. The most common is to see trays with boletus pinicola, which have a similar appearance and quality.

There is also the false boletus which is characterized by a very fat trunk and a very small head. The meat is fine, tender and has a pleasant flavor. The most common way is sliced grilled round and round with salt and pepper. They are the ones that are sometimes added to risotto.

portobello

A well-known mushroom, especially in Italian cuisine. It is a cultivated mushroom and has an intense and very delicious flavor, much more so than the normal white mushroom. The Portobello is very stubborn and has a toasty tone, it is not recommended to eat it raw . This is due to the fact that during cooking the hydrazines are eliminated, which are toxic and carcinogenic substances that this mushroom has in its natural state.

Do not confuse with the classic mushroom that is compact, white and with dark plates. The vast majority are usually crops, hence their economic price. If they are wild they are usually rich in organic matter and that increases the price.

Cappuccino

It is considered one of the best edible mushrooms in all of Spain, its flavor and versatility accompany it in many dishes and creams. It is characterized by having a hat that can reach 25 cm in diameter and is orange in color. It is the typical mushroom that, if we see in the field, we would believe that it is poisonous, in fact, there are species that are and they are very similar.

It usually appears in summer and autumn in holm oak, cork oak, calcareous, chestnut and oak forests. Inside it is yellow in thick slices with firm white flesh and a sweet touch and its flavor reminds us of walnuts or hazelnuts. It does not have any odor, however, if it stands out for its smell, it is not the right one and we should not eat it because it has begun its putrefaction process.

oyster mushrooms

They are very common and are one of the most consumed, they usually grow in Mediterranean meadows just above the root of the previous year’s thistle. Hence its name. They are small species, where their head does not exceed 9 or 10 cm in diameter and the edge is rolled up. The color is cream to brown, it has a spongy and elastic meat, perfect for pizzas, scrambled eggs, stuffed meats and other dishes.

The smell is usually mild, if the smell is unpleasant, like chemical, and the slices dissolve when touched, then we should know that we have bought mushrooms that are out of date and that it would be better not to consume them.

There is also the false thistle mushroom. It is one of the most common in supermarkets and is known as oyster mushroom. They are normally cultivated and are large, reaching 15 cm in diameter. They are gray to brown in color. Its flavor is very pleasant and goes perfectly with any dish.

Not forgetting the heather mushroom. Looking very similar to the oyster mushroom, this particular one has a darker skin tone and a slightly spicy flavor.

Mushrooms of Saint George

Among the edible mushrooms we have the so-called San Jorge that grow in limestone soils forming clusters of various mushrooms. They have a wide hat that reaches 12 cm in diameter, they are white in color, turning to cream when they mature.

Its meat is in sheets and consistent, the smell is weak and it tastes sweet . The most curious thing about this is that they are very similar to toxic mushrooms, so when in doubt, it is best not to collect them ourselves, but leave it to the experts.

Parasol

Its physical appearance gives it its name, and it is a long stem with a hat, hence it is called a parasol or parasol. We can see them very easily in meadows, forest clearings and grassland areas. It can reach over 40 cm in height and its hat 30 cm in diameter.

The meat is elastic and the stem is hollow , in addition, both parts have a pleasant taste and smell. If we notice any anomaly, it is a sign that it is in the process of putrefaction and we should not consume it. To make matters worse, when they are small (they are growing) it can be easy to confuse them with a species that is toxic.

robozuelo mushroom

A very common edible mushroom in the Iberian Peninsula, especially in autumn in oak, beech and pine forests. It is a mushroom with a very characteristic physical appearance, since it has a kind of orange funnel and if it is very ripe (close to rotting) green spots appear.

It has a flesh in the form of yellow folds and to eat it you have to separate the dry cuticle that it presents. It has a fruity flavor and combines perfectly with all kinds of dishes. If it has a bitter touch and is in good physical condition, we should not worry, as there are specimens that do not have that fruity flavor that is so famous in this mushroom.

fill gray

In the region of Catalonia it is known as scented mocosa and it grows in sandy soils and in pine forests. It has a short, stocky body and a large hat that is tucked inward with gray flesh in firm, thick sheets . Its smell and flavor will remind us of bitter almonds and it is mainly used to make the famous pepitoria sauce.

Senderuela

They usually grow in meadows and grassy areas and it is normal to see them in groups with several of their species. It is known by the name of nymph and bed, and it is a small mushroom with a flared brown cap. His cane is in slices, smells like hay or dry grass and tastes very delicious. It is very similar to other poisonous mushrooms, so you have to be careful when extracting it, since we could seriously poison ourselves.

Asian mushrooms

• Shiitake: very similar to oyster mushrooms and the like. It has an elastic and very tasty meat, in Asia it is very popular and medicinal properties are attributed to it. The most normal thing is to find it dried, and they are not cheap, compared to other edible mushrooms.
• Enoki: a mushroom with a very long and thin foot with a big head. They are very popular in Asian cuisine and it is normal to see them in soups and salads. They are often used for their elastic meat and exotic flavor.
• Shimeji: they are known as beech mushrooms and are usually sold by weight where we see a block of mushrooms very close together and still retaining the mycelium, which will make them last several more days in our fridge. In Asian food they are often used in miso soup or poultry soup.