Luckily we live in an area (California), where many varieties of fresh mushrooms are available throughout the year. But I’m not sure if those living in the eastern parts of the U.S. have the same selections as we do here. I would assume they do, since all kinds of exotic produce is being shipped from around the world now.

When I am at the market, my first choice is always the crimini.  Crimini (also call baby Bella) are young versions of portabello.  And if I plan on picking some mushrooms up for Mom, I tend to look at the Oyster, Enoki, and Shitake.  But the simple white button mushroom is almost always past up.

Yet now I love the simple white button mushrooms. Especially since I found out about how nutritious and good they are in comparison to the other varieties. Not to mention they are much cheaper too!

A while back, a team of French researcher at the Institut National de la Recherche Agrinomique found that the free radical scavenging ability of the white button mushroom was equivalent, if not higher, than that of the other popular Japanese mushrooms.

The researchers also found that the body of the mushroom contained a higher concentration of anti-oxidants than the stalk.

Here is a photo of Enoki mushrooms. They are cute little mushrooms with long skinny stalks. Photo from Mushroom.net.

Dr. Jean-Michel Savoie noted,  “It can be reasonably assumed that white button mushrooms have as much, if not more, radical scavenging power as mushrooms currently touted for their health benefit. The good thing is button mushrooms are available all year round, are cheap and may be an excellent source of nutrition as part of a healthy diet.”

Or maybe you prefer to grow your own mushrooms from a log.  I remember Mom had one small mushroom log (Oyster mushrooms) when we were growing up.  It was a simple kit that required only water.  We got to collect fresh mushrooms from it a few times.  It was one of the most exciting project for kids to witness.

Blue Oyster Mushrooms.  Photo from Gourmet Mushrooms.

These are organic and very easy and neat!  I like to try out this kit someday soon.

“This mushroom will add a silky texture to your favorite dish. Enjoy it brushed with olive oil, sprinkled with herbs, and flash broiled for two to three minutes. It is delicious when lightly battered and done tempura style. The slight shell fish flavor is excellent with fish or poultry dishes.” - Gourmet Mushrooms in Sonoma County, California. $17.95 plus S/H.

And if you prefer to go wild mushroom hunting, here is a little more information about the dangerous kind.

Barbara Bassett (a naturalist) wrote a great article for the Missouri Department of Conservation on what are the common edible and poisonous mushrooms.

Barbara urges us to strictly avoid any mushroom that looks like an amanita (parasol-shaped mushrooms with white gills), all little brown mushrooms, and all false morels.

Here is a little excerpt from Barbara’s article:

“One of the deadliest poisons found in nature. One cap of a Destroying Angel (Amanita virosa) can kill a man. An amanita starts as an egg-shaped button which can resemble a small puffball. This breaks open as the mushroom grows. Fully developed amanitas are gilled mushrooms with parasol-shaped caps that may be white, yellow, red or brown.

There also are hundreds of other mushrooms that will cause anything from a mild stomachache to severe physical distress-including vomiting, diarrhea, cramps and loss of coordination.  Although the symptoms of poisoning from these mushrooms may be alarming, they usually pass in 24 hours or less with no lasting effects.”

More info on mushrooms:

Missouri Dept. of Conservation

The Great Morel

Tryout: Mushroom kits yield bumper crop