Oyster Mushrooms 101: Buying, Cleaning, and Best Recipes! (2024)

FAQs

What's the best way to clean oyster mushrooms? ›

The easiest of the bunch. Oyster mushrooms come bundled in a large group, all attached to the same central stem. To clean oyster mushrooms, just use the tip of a sharp knife to carefully cut around the firm central stem and watch as the individual caps fall away. Discard the stem or reserve it for adding to stock.

Identifying an oyster mushroom

They have a broad fan-shaped cap spanning 5-25 cm and come in a variety of colours. I've found them in grey, white, dusky pink and tan but the main identifier is that the gills are always white or cream coloured.

Like all mushrooms, they're full of umami, which means they don't need much seasoning. I think they're perfect to eat simply with just salt, pepper and garlic butter. They're also a natural pair with soy sauce in veggie stir-fries.

😅 For certain mushrooms, like Morels and Oysters, a *short* soak in water/saltwater is not going to harm their texture and will quickly draw out/kill bugs and larvae that may be inside. I would not suggest more than a couple tablespoons of salt per few cups of water, as the mushrooms may become too salty.

Place mushrooms in a colander. Quickly rinse with cold water; shake off excess water. Dry as much as possible with a paper towel.

The spaces in between an oyster mushroom's many gills should be rinsed thoroughly in order to flush out any dirt or insects. Once cleaned, it's time to get creative with the cooking. Oyster mushrooms are frequently stir-fried since their thin caps can be cooked through quickly.

Brown Oysters are a great mushroom to sauté, with a flavor that is easily enhanced. Brown Oysters have a beautiful anise, almond aroma when first picked. If cooked within a short time, the tempura will retain some of that character. They are fantastic in paste or as an accompaniment for meat dishes.

So are there any poisonous look-alikes? The poisonous Omphalotus nidiformis is sometimes mistaken for an oyster.

Get ready to relish the full mushroom experience! The stems of white button, crimini, portabella, oyster, and king oyster mushrooms are entirely edible and bursting with savoury goodness. These tasty stems add texture and depth to your dishes, allowing you to enjoy the whole mushroom with every delightful bite.

Additionally, do not consume an excessive amount of oyster mushrooms as it may cause an upset stomach and nausea. Sometimes, they may cause gas buildup in the intestines as some carbohydrates are difficult to digest. The recommended daily value of oyster mushrooms is one cup.

Should I wash oyster mushrooms before cooking? ›

We recommend cleaning them by rinsing them in cold running water to remove any debris that may be stuck to them. Cut the end and wipe it gently. For fresh oyster mushrooms, start by using a paper towel to lightly dust away dirt and loose dirt that may be stuck to the outside surface of your mushrooms.

Mushrooms may occasionally harbor parasites. To remove them, set the mushrooms head down on newspaper for a day and any worms will naturally tend to crawl up the stem. Then you can cut them away.

Sometimes when the conditions, temperature and humidity are favorable, the mushrooms release their spores, which rapidly grow into white fuzz called mycelium. Despite appearance, they are safe to eat. You can also wipe these “hairs” off with a wet cloth or paper towel.

Nematodes or eelworms find mushroom beds a favorable place to live. Nematodes are up to 1 mm in length and when swarming they can rope together, forming glistening white masses that wave and glisten in torchlight.

Rinse them just enough to wash off any dirt, if you need to use water to clean them, and never let them soak in water. Even rinsing mushrooms will cause them to absorb a little bit of water, but not enough to make any kind of a difference in cooking. Make sure they are completely dry before using them for cooking.

You'll typically notice upon harvest a slight 'fishy' smell to your oyster mushrooms and bugs go crazy for it. Take a look at the picture above, see all those bugs. Yeah, they love that shroom as much as we do. However, unless you are lacking in protein then you may want to wash those lil suckers off.

Get ready to relish the full mushroom experience! The stems of white button, crimini, portabella, oyster, and king oyster mushrooms are entirely edible and bursting with savoury goodness. These tasty stems add texture and depth to your dishes, allowing you to enjoy the whole mushroom with every delightful bite.