Tips On How To Find And Cook Wild Oyster Mushrooms
When the fall season hits, those who enjoy to forage for their own foods get excited about mushrooms. Usually after the first few rains of the season, oyster mushrooms begin to pop up on trees. Since P. Ostreatus are saprotrophic — meaning they get their nutrition from trees by decomposing them — dense populations of these mushrooms can be spotted on the exterior of dead or unhealthy hardwood trees. They especially like to grow on beech and aspen trees.
Once you know what wild oyster mushrooms look like, there can be no mistaking them. These peculiar-looking fungi grow in shelf-like clusters. When you find one, chances are there are plenty of others around it. This makes foraging for them quite convenient.
Of course, looking in the woods isn’t the only way to get your hands on some fresh oyster mushrooms. They can also be found in many supermarkets and farmer’s markets, especially in autumn. Should you become fond of this particular kind of mushroom, it’s possible to begin growing them right in your backyard.
Those that do choose to take finding these mushrooms into their own hands, however, need to be very aware of how to do so safely. This includes accurate identification as well as proper sanitation. We recommend taking a class with an expert before heading out on your own. When you get home with your new healthy and delicious wild snack, it’s time to give the mushrooms a good cleaning. The bottom section of the stem should be cut off to rid the mushroom of any wood remnants. 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. With this in mind, if you choose to use these mushrooms in a dish that requires a long cooking time, the oyster mushrooms should definitely be added towards the end in order to avoid overcooking them.
Recipe For Pan Fried Oyster Mushrooms:
Ingredients
Start with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in the pan
Chop up 12 ounces of oyster mushrooms into relatively even pieces
3 garlic cloves smashed
5 sprigs of thyme
2 tablespoons of butter
Add salt and pepper to taste
Cooking Instructions:
At medium high heat, begin to heat the olive oil in a large skillet.
Lay the oyster mushrooms in one layer throughout the pan and let them sit for 3-5 minutes.
Next, stir them up and then leave them cooking for another 3-5 minutes. They should eventually be lightly browned all over.
Set the heat to low and add the garlic, butter, and thyme and cook for 5-6 minutes until they get slightly crispy.
Season your mushrooms with salt and pepper and eat up!
What you end up with should look something like this:
These pan fried oyster mushrooms can easily be enjoyed on their own or added to a number of different food dishes. Total time including food prep takes around 20-25 minutes.