When the warm season slowly comes to an end and the first leaves turn autumnal colors, mushroom lovers are back in the woods. From August to October, the mushroom season is in full swing – even though some varieties, such as porcini and chanterelles, can already be found in summer. Picking mushrooms is not only fun, but also healthy due to the exercise in the fresh air. But to ensure that the mushrooms taste good and are edible at the end of the day, you should be careful when looking for them and learn to identify mushrooms correctly – because some mushrooms are highly poisonous. What mushrooms do for our health and what you should consider when picking and preparing them, read here.
How healthy are mushrooms?
Mushrooms are one of the very healthy foods. They consist of about 90 percent water and contain hardly any fat. They are extremely low in calories – depending on the variety, mushrooms have about 20 kilocalories (kcal) per 100 grams. They also contain a large amount of essential vitamins and minerals. First and foremost are the B vitamins, which are important for nerves and muscles, the immune-boosting vitamin C, and vitamin D, which is good for bone formation. Mushrooms also provide potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, copper and selenium. In addition, there are valuable dietary fibers: the substance chitin is particularly worth mentioning here. Dietary fiber keeps you full for a long time and aids digestion. However, chitin can also cause mushrooms to be heavy in the stomach, which is why it is better to cook them thoroughly before eating them. Furthermore, mushrooms contain high-quality protein for muscle building. In terms of carbohydrates, mushrooms also contain mannitol, a sugar that is particularly suitable for diabetics. 10 foods with mineral power
Mycotherapy: mushrooms as a remedy
But mushrooms are not only popular as food. In folk medicine, they have always been considered a remedy, and modern medicine is also increasingly devoted to the study of a possible healing effect of mushrooms. In the so-called mycotherapy, mushrooms are already used as a remedy. Powders and extracts of certain types of mushrooms are said to help strengthen the immune system, regulate blood lipid levels or cholesterol, or lower blood pressure. Mushrooms are even used in the production of antibiotics. Mushrooms that are inedible as edible mushrooms are also used. One should be aware, however, that the medicinal effects of mushrooms have not yet been fully researched. Many of the effects suspected so far have only been proven in the laboratory or in animal experiments. Nevertheless, the market in so-called medicinal mushrooms or vital mushrooms is already booming. Experts such as the consumer advice center warn against false promises, fraud and products contaminated with harmful substances. Such means should therefore only be used after consultation with a doctor and can not replace a medical therapy.
What are mushrooms from a botanical point of view?
Fungi used to be assigned to plants, but today they occupy an independent, equal rank with plants and animals. The actual fungal plant lives underground, hidden in the substrate. It consists of a fine branched filamentous network – the mycelium – that settles just below the surface of the earth, in snags and in trees. What we call mushrooms are the fruits of underground microorganisms that ripen in the fall. Every year, when the warm days are over, it is time – the “Schwammerlsuche” begins. At the same time, each mushroom year is different, as the occurrence of each species varies from year to year, and even the places where they grow can change.
Collect mushrooms: determine edible mushrooms
There are a variety of different types of mushrooms, which sometimes look quite similar. Therefore, if you want to collect edible mushrooms, you should be able to correctly identify the different mushroom varieties to avoid confusion. Only pick mushrooms that you are sure you can correctly identify the variety. Edible varieties include porcini, chanterelle, woodland mushroom, chestnut button mushroom, hollyhock, butter mushroom, or Hallimasch. To learn how to properly identify mushrooms, there are numerous books and pamphlets that explain the characteristics and should be carried with you when picking. Thoroughly compare the pictures to identify the variety in question without a doubt.There are also corresponding offers on the Internet, which help with the determination like a “mushroom search engine”. However, it is even better and safer to learn from an expert. In mushroom hikes and courses, beginners learn where to look for mushrooms and how to distinguish edible species from inedible ones.
Mushroom poisoning from poisonous mushrooms
Of the more than 5,000 known Central European species, only about 150 are identified as poisonous mushrooms. The green button mushroom (Amanita phalloides), which resembles the forest mushroom, is the most dangerous mushroom and is responsible for 90 percent of mushroom poisonings resulting in death. As little as 60 grams of the fresh mushroom is fatal to an adult. The poisonous carbolic gerbils are also easily mistaken for the mushroom. Be sure to note that many mushroom poisons are tasteless: So a mushroom dish containing a poisoned mushroom may not be recognizable by taste. As a rule of thumb, poisoning with tubular mushrooms (recognizable by the spongy underside of the cap) is usually milder than mushroom poisoning from lamellar mushrooms. Therefore, it is especially important to eat lamellar mushrooms only if you are absolutely sure that they are edible. However, not only poisonous mushrooms can cause mushroom poisoning, but also the wrong preparation or storage. Often the mushrooms are rotten when eaten or mushrooms are eaten raw, which are difficult to digest uncooked. Therefore, find out exactly how to properly prepare each variety and use only fresh mushrooms.
Symptoms of mushroom poisoning
The symptoms of mushroom poisoning from poisonous mushrooms can be quite different. Some show up after only a few hours, others after days. Especially in severe poisoning, signs usually do not show until after twelve to sixteen hours. Violent vomiting, diarrhea, fever or severe abdominal pain are common. Heart palpitations, muscle twitching, restlessness, drowsiness and dizziness or hallucinations are also possible consequences of mushroom poisoning. Important: In case of poisoning, it is imperative to call an emergency doctor immediately! Also the poison control center can advise in case of doubt and give tips on proper behavior.
What a mushroom picker should pay attention to: 10 tips.
In addition to suitable footwear, a mushroom picker needs a basket, a knife and a good knowledge of the tasty forest dwellers. The following tips will help you when picking mushrooms:
- Mushrooms grow where the soil is moist and they find a mild climate. The best time to collect mushrooms is when it has rained for only a few days and temperatures are subsequently mild.
- Look for them in the immediate vicinity of trees, for example, under poplars or birch trees. Popular varieties are also often found in mossy spruce forests or beech forests.
- Collect best young and firm-fleshed mushrooms – but not so young that the species can not be clearly determined. Do not take soggy mushrooms, as they have a short shelf life and rot quickly.
- Mushrooms are best picked by twisting them out of the ground with a slight bend. Only on wood growing mushrooms or tufted mushrooms such as Hallimasch or stick sponges are cut off. The stem should be harvested especially beginners, because it can be important for a subsequent determination of the variety.
- If you find several mushrooms of one species in one place, leave some specimens so that new ones can grow in the future.
- Find out in advance how many mushrooms you are allowed to collect. In the individual states apply different maximum amounts allowed per day.
- When collecting mushrooms, the foliage and moss cover should not be stirred up or destroyed, so that the mushroom plant is not damaged.
- Edible mushrooms are best cleaned at the place of discovery, then they remain appetizing.
- For transport, you need a basket that offers enough space so that pressure points are avoided. Plastic bags are unsuitable for mushroom picking.
- Spread the mushrooms out well at home so that they can air out. They should be cleaned and processed within a day.
For mushrooms intended for consumption, you must be one hundred percent sure what species it is. If there is even the slightest doubt, you should keep the corresponding mushroom separately and let mushroom connoisseurs, such as at a mushroom advisory center, determine.Under no circumstances should you take advice from strangers who supposedly know all the mushrooms. This advice can end fatally.
Store mushrooms properly
Mushrooms spoil quite quickly and should therefore always be prepared as fresh as possible. You should not store wild mushrooms for longer than two to three days. It is best to store them in a cool, airy place protected from light or pressure, for example in the cellar or the vegetable compartment in the refrigerator. If mushrooms become rotten, toxins can form, so they should never be eaten. If you want to preserve mushrooms longer, you can dry them. If you do not have a drying oven, you can dry the washed mushroom slices in the oven at a maximum of 40 degrees Celsius for about five hours, turning several times.
Is it possible to freeze mushrooms?
If you wash wild mushrooms thoroughly and drain them well, you can freeze them afterwards. It may also help to blanch the mushrooms for a few minutes before freezing. They can then be kept in the freezer for up to eight months. Frozen mushrooms can be put directly into the pot or pan without thawing first and processed further.
Preparing mushrooms: What to consider?
Self-collected mushrooms are roughly cleaned in the forest and thoroughly cleaned at home. Cut away tough spots or those that have been nibbled by animals. Cut the mushroom in half lengthwise to see if the inside is in good condition and not riddled with maggots, for example. Then cut the mushrooms into slices about an inch thick and wash them thoroughly with cold water if necessary. Then cook the mushrooms. For some varieties, such as the Hallimasch, it is recommended to pour away the cooking water after five minutes and renew. Although a few types of mushrooms, such as button mushrooms, can be eaten raw, wild mushrooms you collect yourself should always be boiled, fried or otherwise heated, as they may be contaminated with the eggs of the fox tapeworm.
Is it okay to reheat mushrooms?
The advice not to reheat mushrooms is, in principle, outdated. It dates back to a time when there were no refrigerators and mushroom dishes spoiled quickly. Today, leftover mushroom dishes can be reheated a second time without worry, as long as they were stored in the refrigerator as soon as possible after the first meal and are heated to more than 70 degrees Celsius when reheated. Under no circumstances should mushroom dishes be kept warm for a long time or left at room temperature. However, reheating changes the protein structures in the mushrooms. This may possibly cause digestive problems in sensitive people.
How contaminated are mushrooms with harmful substances?
Wild mushrooms from the forest may contain heavy metals and/or radioactive radiation:
- Especially mushrooms near industrial areas or busy roads often pick up heavy metals such as lead, mercury or cadmium. Too much cadmium and lead damage the liver and kidneys, mercury affects the nervous system.
- Increased radiation exposure in fungi as a result of the reactor disaster in Chernobyl is still found today, especially in southern Germany.
For healthy people, however, wild mushrooms in moderation enjoyed harmless. To be on the safe side, the German Society for Nutrition recommends eating no more than 200 to 250 g of wild mushrooms per week. Young children, pregnant women and nursing mothers should eliminate them from their diet altogether. Cultivated mushrooms, on the other hand, can be consumed safely, as they have the advantage over wild mushrooms of not being exposed to harmful substances or radioactive radiation during production. Cultivated mushrooms are usually grown indoors on special substrates. Therefore, exposure to heavy metals and other pollutants is extremely low.
