One of the challenges of being single is getting all the produce cooked while it’s still fresh. I’ve finally come to accept that simply isn’t going to happen until a fresh produce market opens within comfortable walking distance of my home so I can shop every day. Meanwhile, I keep working at ways to reduce waste.
Some strategies have worked and some haven’t. One recent one that definitely has worked is moving to dried mushrooms. They’re available in small packages in the grocery stores and I recommend starting with those while you experiment with different types. There are an amazing variety of dried mushrooms available, even at the grocery–far more dried varieties than fresh varieties.
But, once you’ve experimented some, you’ll probably want to start ordering online because you can order in larger quantities and for a better price.
Google “mushroom farm” and you’ll be surprised at the number of hits you get. Here’s just a few:
- Oregon Mushrooms
- Phillips Mushroom Farms
- Lost Creek Shiitake Mushroom Farm
- Sher-Rockee Mushroom Farm
- Fungus Among Us
(I absolutely love that last farm name!)
But, the place I order from (no, I don’t get a kickback for mentioning them) is JR Mushrooms & Specialties. I picked them on the basis of consumer reviews on Amazon. They have consistently high reviews from a large number of reviewers, some who have bought from that company for years. My own experience confirms their high opinions.
I bought a couple pounds of dried shiitake mushrooms and one pound of dried porcini mushrooms, Grade Extra AB. I just soak the mushrooms in water in the fridge overnight, but it doesn’t have to be that long–a few hours will do it. However, never eat dried mushrooms without reconstituting them first because of chocking dangers. Fully reconstituted, there’s no issues, of course.
The photo at the top of this post is of some reconstituted mushrooms. The photo immediately above is what a pound of dried shiitake mushrooms looks like. The photo below is this morning’s breakfast: a mix of some those reconstituted shiitake and porcini mushrooms, with minced garlic, okra, ginger, and eggs, scrambled in olive oil and topped with a generous dash of salsa, a low-carb, whole-wheat tortilla to the side.
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Hilton
Nice mushroom column. One thing to consider is the leftover “juice” after you have soaked your mushrooms. It is loaded with flavor, and you can use it to make mushroom soup (or to make rice or almost anything in which you might use water or chicken stock). Or use it to reconstitute more mushrooms, thereby concentrating the flavor in both the new ‘shrooms and the stock. Then freeze the stock for later.
Newt
PS: try adding a little wine to the water before you soak.
Thanks, Newt. I love the idea of using the juice to reconstitute more mushrooms, maybe adding a bit of wine. That really sounds good! I will definitely try that.