If you bought a box of mushrooms wrapped in cellophane from a grocery store sometime in the past few decades, you probably tasted Kennett Square, a small town in southeastern Pennsylvania.
From 2019 to 2020, Pennsylvania sold 526,336,000 pounds of mushrooms, accounting for about two-thirds of the total mushroom sales in the United States, most of which are located in Chester County near Kennett Square. The town’s water tower is painted with mushrooms, the annual mushroom festival, and a gift shop called The Mushroom Cap, where lovers can buy a variety of mushroom utensils, including handmade mushroom cleaning brushes and the words " "Shiitake mushrooms happen" socks. In this way, on an unexpectedly hot day in March, I found myself on the Laurel Valley Farm in Chester County, overlooking the vast and fragrant compost field on the roof. This is the birthplace of mushrooms.
Related: Yes, you can freeze mushrooms-this is the way
The first thing you should know about farming mushrooms is that they do not grow in places that are politely called "feces." In fact, mushrooms grow in a so-called matrix—a carefully prepared, pasteurized compost mixture (which may include excrement as an ingredient). Unlike plants, fungi cannot perform photosynthesis and must obtain nutrients from the substances they grow, so this substrate mixture is very important. Each mushroom farm has its own substrate formula and its own regulations on how to mix and then inoculate mushroom strains. Due to humidity and temperature control, these strains turn the fruit into fungi, which are packaged and shipped to the surrounding supermarkets. nation.
Covering the mushrooms for the first few minutes will help them release liquid faster and turn brown. These mushrooms are versatile, rich in flavor, and can be used as a side dish; they can also be scooped on steaks or stirred into hot pasta for a simple dinner.
Get the recipe: Stir-fried Mushrooms with Butter and Fresh Herbs
Laurel Valley is the largest mushroom composting facility in the United States and is a cooperative owned by the five main mushroom farms in the area. Jim Angelucci, the general manager of Phillips Mushroom Farm, one of the co-owners of Laurel Valley, was showing me around the operation and pointed out the various elements of the substrate when the afternoon sun hits the 58 acres of compost. Angelucci said that the piles in the distance were a combination of corn cobs, poultry bedding, mulch hay, stable bedding, wheat straw, plaster, and nearby Hershey's cocoa husks. "It brings the aroma of chocolate to the compost," Angelucci joked. After mixing, pasteurizing, and optimizing the temperature and pH, the compost will be inoculated with each farm’s proprietary mycelium supplement — a fungal culture for mushroom growth — and distributed to the farm’s planting facilities to extend the life cycle. Laurel Valley produces approximately 3,700 to 3,900 tons of inoculated compost per week.
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"The quality of mushrooms depends on three things," Angelucci told me. "The quality of the genus, the substrate, and the art of the grower." Phillips is a fourth-generation mushroom farm that sells more than 57 million pounds of mushrooms each year. This art is fully demonstrated in Phillips. So far, the most popular mushrooms they have grown are the white button mushrooms, followed by the "brown mushrooms" Angelucci calls cremini and portobellos; the latter two are the same kind of mushrooms, picked at different points of maturity. All three grow in the same environment-long, short, dimly lit white warehouses, piled on both sides of compost beds. The bed is 5 1/2 feet wide, 60 feet long, and stacked 6 feet high and 24 feet wide. They look like buckets of crushed Oreos. You can't see the peat bulbous mushroom heads from the scattered peat until you get closer. Substrates emerged from the moss, like strings of opaque light bulbs in a mess.
The feathers and dramatic hen mushrooms (also called maitake mushrooms) become very crispy when fried. You know, when the sizzling oil starts to fade, they are almost ready. Here, the prepared marinade and freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese give these crispy mushrooms an Italian-American flavor.
Get the recipe: Crispy Hen Mushrooms with Marinara and Palmigiano Reggiano
Phillips is also the largest grower of specialty mushrooms, such as hen, shiitake, lion's mane, trumpet and oyster mushrooms. Angelucci took me to the warehouse to see their different planting methods-shiitake mushrooms protruding from artificial logs; gerbil-like lion mane protruding from a plastic bag filled with a base material; a furry head; blue, Yellow and gray oyster mushrooms grow from a matrix tower like an alien cactus. Although these mushrooms account for only a small part of the farm’s business and pale in comparison to the number of white and brown mushrooms, consumer interest in them has risen in the past few years-this is a broad embrace of all mycology things a part of. (In addition to the craze for cooking "mushrooms," interest in medicinal and functional mushrooms for health and well-being has also soared. "These mushrooms have always existed, so as the overall demand for mushrooms continues to grow, the The interest is also growing. Varieties,” explains Eric Davis of the Mushroom Council. "The boat is rising-it's not like shiitake mushrooms surpassing white buttons, just like honey crisp apples surpassing red deliciousness." (For a guide to growing specialty mushrooms, please refer to the "Mushroom Glossary")
"For me, mushrooms are about texture," said James Wayman, chef and owner of Grass & Bone and Nana's Bakery & Pizza in Mystic, Connecticut, who cooks with farmed and foraged mushrooms. "What will the texture look like when cooked? The more common buttons, portobello, cream-they are more watery. Shiitake mushrooms will be denser, so they work well in the soup. Think about what cooking method would be appropriate." Wayman Explain that the taste of farmed mushrooms tends to be more delicate than that of wild mushrooms. When dealing with varieties he is not familiar with, he usually uses a fail-safe method-frying mushrooms with butter and a little olive, adding garlic and parsley, and splashing them with acids such as sherry vinegar. end. "You can use this method for anything; it's very versatile."
The thick-stemmed king horn mushrooms are tender and grilled, while the feathered oyster mushrooms are fragrant and crisp-both are great options for these quick-cooking kebabs. Stack this dish in warm pita bread, coat it with a rich rabni, and drizzle it with a thick herb salsa. This dish is a fun and fresh way to enjoy mushrooms.
Get the recipe: Smoked Mushroom Skewers with Labneh and Salsa Verde
I even developed a new appreciation for the humble white mushrooms.
When I left Phillips Mushroom Farms, it is conservatively estimated that I carried about 20 pounds of freshly harvested mushrooms with me. Each specialty species was secured to the back seat with a seat belt. Over the next week, I fried, fried, grilled, grilled and crushed them in various combinations, trying to understand their texture elements. I found that hen mushrooms, also called maitake mushrooms, are great for grilling or grilling whole. The leaf-like tendrils are as crisp as the outer leaves of Brussels sprouts, and the bottom becomes soft and fleshy, which is the perfect carrier for the sauce. (See the Crispy Hen Mushroom Recipe with Marinara and Parmigiano-Reggiano) Lion's Mane Mushrooms are best sliced and sautéed, which enhances their delicate, slightly ribbed interior, similar to the meat in crab claws. Oyster mushrooms, chewy and almost chicken-like in texture, stand well on the grill and are a great addition to pasta or rice. I even developed a new appreciation for the humble white mushrooms. I ate them raw, tasting their mild creamy flavor and the slight squeaking noise when you bite them, just like cheese curds.
Although most of the cultivated mushrooms in the United States come from large companies such as Phillips, there are still a large number of small growers that sell them to farmers’ markets. Mushroom cultivation requires a controlled environment and fungal expertise, but the barriers to entry may be low, as self-taught mushroom grower, citizen scientist and entrepreneur William Padilla-Brown can tell you . Padilla-Brown was fascinated by mushrooms as a teenager. "I want to know where things came from. Around that time, I was a vegetarian and I wanted to eat more protein-rich foods," Padilla-Brown explained. "I tried to find someone who could teach me how to grow them. No one around me taught me, so I did a lot of research and started growing them at home."
Düsseldorf mushrooms prepared in advance provide rich fillings for these soft and satisfying dumplings. The broth of roasted ginger and garlic is added to obtain an extra layer of rich mushroom flavor from the dried white flower shiitake mushrooms, which is richer than ordinary dried shiitake mushrooms. This is a good substitute.
Get the recipe: Mushroom Dumplings in Ginger Garlic Soup
At the age of 18, Padilla-Brown planted his first oyster mushroom in an environment where he pieced together coffee grounds and cardboard. These initial experiments developed into MycoSymbiotics, an ecological research company where Padilla-Brown grows and studies several lesser-known medicinal and culinary mushrooms, which he sells in the local market. He also held an annual mushroom festival and wrote two books about his discovery of cultivating Cordyceps mushrooms, which is a typical bright orange variety that looks like a version of Cheetos. He is a bit like a mushroom influencer, and he has never stopped expanding his knowledge on this subject.
Padilla-Brown said: "I am trying to understand the terroir of mushrooms." "When you first touch it, it is all'soil', until you can describe the subtle notes in them, your sense of taste will learn. "
Mushroom cultivation is not just a business-it is a potentially revolutionary act.
When he took his crops to the farmers’ market, Padilla-Brown met some customers who were confused by the oysters, lion’s mane and cordyceps mushrooms he sold, which did not look like standard white buttons. He used this as an opportunity to educate people. "Mycophobia is a very common thing," Padilla-Brown said. "People think that because they didn't like mushrooms on pizza when they were young, all mushrooms are disgusting. But mushrooms have a lot of texture and flavor."
Marinated with champagne vinegar, olive oil, roasted fennel seeds, garlic and thyme, these tender mushrooms are an appetizer waiting to appear. Scoop them on toast with ricotta cheese or gooey grilled brie, or add them to a cheese board with plenty of crusty bread for soaking.
Get the recipe: Mushroom Conservatives
For Padilla-Brown, mushroom cultivation is more than just a business-it is a potentially revolutionary activity. His focus is to make it easier for everyone to grow mushrooms, especially communities of color, and to encourage the creation of what he calls sustainable micro-industry for ecological regeneration. Part of his task is to share the knowledge behind mushroom cultivation for future DIY mycologists, hoping that mushroom cultivation can be a way to fight against food segregation. At MycoSymbiotics, he sells materials for growing Cordyceps mushrooms. He hosts lectures and seminars on getting into mushroom cultivation and foraging. He has audiences on YouTube and Instagram, where he explained his methods and pointed out low-tech, low-cost solutions to common growing problems. If you want to grow mushrooms, no matter your space or budget is limited, Padilla-Brown has suggestions.
"You don't need millions of dollars of investment and venture capital to start. Once you start playing mushrooms, you will realize that you can do it too," Padilla Brown said. "I am a young black child who dropped out of high school. I should fail; there is no role model for me. I live a successful life and can feed my children. I think this is the power of mushrooms."
Mushrooms like wine. They lack the compounds found in certain vegetables—the sharp sulfur compounds in cruciferous vegetables, the distorted cynar in artichokes—meaning, at least, they are friendly to almost all wines. (Yes, fungus is not strictly a vegetable, but mushrooms are closer to potatoes than cows.) For some wines, the salty, earthy taste of mushrooms accentuates these same flavors; it's like being in an echo chamber of umami .
Older Pinot Noir, earthy and autumn, is the best choice for mushroom dishes. Similarly, aged Rioja also has the aroma and taste of dried cherries and leather. But most of us don't have a wine cellar. Happily, Chiantis, like the Castello di Volpaia Chianti Classico ($22) in 2018, has the characteristics of gooseberry cherries and forest floors, and is similar to Crispy Hen-of-the- with Marinara and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Dishes such as Woods Mushrooms are perfectly matched. Peppery Syrahs also pair perfectly with mushrooms-try king trumpet and oyster mushrooms, skewers with salsa, and Rhône Crozes-Hermitage ($28) like the 2018 Delas Les Launes Rouge. Spain’s sparkling Cavas naturally tends to be earthy; try the non-old-fashioned Segura Viudas Brut Reserva Heredad ($22) and our Mushroom Dumplings in Dried Mushroom Broth. Finally, lovers of natural red wines — many of which exhibit salty and even fashionable flavors — should look for Loire wines, such as the 2018 Pierre-Olivier Bonhomme Le Telquel ($22), which is a very Good choices, such as cheese dishes such as mushroom protected cheese with ricotta toast. ——Ray Island