Basic Mushroom Preparation

CONTRIBUTED BY: Dodie Anderson

“This is a fiber staple for me, so I prepare six (6) 8 oz boxes at a time.  You can adjust the quantity of product to give you the correct yield for your needs.  I use organic WHOLE WHITE OR BROWN BUTTON MUSHROOMS.”  Dodie

EQUIPMENT
Food Processor/chopping knife
Large pot (enamel or stainless steel) with cover
Strainer
Stirring spoon
Storage containers

INGREDIENTS

Six 8 oz boxes of preferably organic white or brown button mushrooms
8 cups of purified or filtered water
Additional water as needed

Salt to taste

PREPARATION AND COOKING TIME:
Prep time:  15-45 minutes, depending on the number of mushrooms you are cooking. 

Cooking time: Mushrooms need at least 2 ½ - 3 hours of simmer-boil cooking time in water to remove most of the toxins. Undercooked mushrooms may cause stomach aches and headaches.

METHOD

1. Fill a bowl with water, add mushrooms and clean them with your hands and drain.  Then refill the bowl with fresh water and rinse the mushrooms again.  Repeat with fresh water and rinse until mushrooms are clean.  Use a paring knife to cut out any blemishes or damaged areas that remain.

2. Cut off ends of stems if needed and cut mushrooms in quarters.  Fill the Cuisinart bowl half full and pulse rapidly about six times. Adding a little water here is optional.  Transfer chopped mushrooms to a large pot. Repeat until all mushrooms are chopped.  The size of the chopped mushrooms may be a personal preference from “very fine” to “chunky”.

3. Add two quarts (8 cups) of water for 48 oz of mushrooms.  Adjust water for the amount of mushrooms you are cooking.  

4. Cook at a low boil or simmer for around three hours with cover on, stirring occasionally.

5. Remove cover and boil off remaining liquid if desired.  Stir and watch carefully to avoid burning, especially if you are cooking a smaller amount of mushrooms.  Or, you may also save the broth and enjoy it in a variety of ways listed below.

6. Turn off the burner and let sit until cooled. 

7. When cooled, drain remaining liquid and place mushrooms in a storage container in the fridge.

SOME TIPS AND COMMENTS

Each person needs to determine the exact amount of cooking time to suit their digestion. Any reaction is a sign that you need to cook them longer--2-½ to 3 hours of cooking time is optimal. The longer they are cooked, the more effective they are as fiber in your diet.   We recommend eating them almost daily to fill your body’s need for fiber.

SERVING SUGGESTION

Sauté mushrooms in butter, salt lightly and enjoy as a side vegetable. They can also be added to meat, soups, nixtamalized tortillas with cheese and egg dishes. Mushroom broth can be added to soups and stocks and can be drunk as a tea.  Simply salt to taste.

STORAGE SUGGESTION  

Consume mushrooms and/or broth within a week if stored in the fridge.  You can freeze the broth but mushrooms do not freeze well.

“I tried freezing cooked mushrooms and they tasted like rubbery cardboard.”

Louise Dorian