Oyster Mshrooms – Be Brave! Give Them A Try!

When it comes to mushrooms most people use button mushrooms in the majority of their recipes. Some try the large, meaty portabella, and some even use the baby bellas, which are most often actually porcini mushrooms. Once in a great while a person may experiment with shiitakes, usually dried and rehydrated. All mushrooms are not created equally and each variety adds different flavors and textures to your food. Few everyday cooks, like me, try oyster mushrooms. Recently at an indoor winter market I came upon a vendor who actually grew and sold oyster mushrooms locally. I purchased a large bunch. I was so happy have them put in a brown paper bag!  (Check out my post: Keep Your Mushrooms Fresh!) My oyster mushrooms were a beautiful brown and some were a brilliant yellow/gold and reminded me of the color of spring daffodils! The bag was full and cost $5.00. A bargain for sure! Oyster mushrooms should not be insanely priced, as they are one of the easiest species to cultivate. Oyster mushrooms are rich in protein and B vitamins. Oyster mushroom have no cholesterol themselves, but do have significant levels of the cholesterol-lowering molecule lovastatin. Oyster mushrooms should always be eaten cooked, never raw. Purchase oyster mushrooms that have large caps as small oysters do not have the same, delicate flavor of large oyster mushrooms. When cooking oyster mushrooms discard tough stems. Brush dirt off oyster mushrooms with a damp paper towel, and only wash if absolutely needed right before using. Oyster mushrooms are delicious sliced thin and sauted and added to any food where  you would normally use button mushrooms. Give them a try – I think you will like them!