Why can't you eat raw mushrooms ?

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Lol - ah, if it were only that easy!! I have several books on mushroom & mushroom cooking, coming from a Czech background where spring & fall mushroom picking was common. They've always interested me.

Since we're in the process of "fixing upping" our fixer upper house, most of my books are still packed away in boxes. The two that I have immediately at hand are Mushroom Magic - "100 Fabulous Feasts with Wild and Cultivated Mushrooms", by Steven Wheeler - but except for the Japanese enoki, which I mentioned in an earlier post here on this thread, all of the recipes are cooked. Enoki are usually served raw as a garnish on Japanese dishes, particularly clear soups.

My other favorite book, Mushrooms of North America, by Orson K. Miller, Jr., lists & describes 422 species of mushroom, noting each one's edibility (or not), level of toxicity (if any), & in some cases, how best to prepare it for eating. In the case of toxicity, this guide goes into extreme detail as to toxicity levels, whether or not cooking affects it via the toxins it carries, & the symptoms of poisoning. But this is definitely more of a field guide than one geared to dining advice.

If I can dig up any of my other books with more general info as to cooked via raw, I'll definitely post it.

Obviously it's impossible to advise you on the toxicity of every mushroom you might come across, & I would never EVER even THINK of trying to identify a wild-picked mushroom without the assistance of a true expert, but if there are any in particular that you're interested in, give me the name(s) & I'll be more than happy to look them up.

Personally, I only like the common white button mushroom & enoki raw, regardless of whether or not others might not kill me if I tried them that way. I do enjoy a number of others cooked in many, many different dishes.
 
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Oh, & just for the heck of it, here's one of my most favorite mushroom recipes, adapted from a favorite vegetarian cookbook. I've served it as the main course to the most ardent meat lovers, who have all raved about it.

Mushroom Stroganoff (adapted from "The Vegetarian Epicure, Book Two")

1/4# fresh Shitake mushrooms
1/4# fresh Oyster mushrooms
1/4# fresh Cremini mushrooms
1/2# fresh White Button mushrooms
1/2 medium onion, chopped
4 tablespoons butter
Pinch of dried thyme
Salt to taste
Fresh-ground black pepper
1-1/4 cup chicken broth
8-ounce container sour cream
2 tablespoons brandy
1/4-cup dry sherry
1# or so package of wide egg noodles
2-3 teaspoons poppy seeds
Butter to toss with egg noodles

Cook noodles according to package directions, drain, & toss with a few tablespoons of butter & the poppyseeds. Cover & set aside.

Wash the mushrooms thoroughly under running water, trim, (removing any tough stems), & slice thickly. In a large skillet, saute onion in the 4 tablespoons butter until transparent, then add mushrooms & continue cooking until they have released their excess moisture & it's starting to evaporate. Add thyme, chicken broth, & 3 tablespoons of the sour cream, lower heat, & simmer gently for 15 minutes, stirring often. Add brandy, sherry, salt & pepper to taste, & the rest of the sour cream, stirring gently just until sour cream is heated thru. Do not overheat or sauce will curdle, but this is just an appearance issue & won't affect the taste. Taste & correct seasoning if necessary.

Serve over noodles with a green salad on the side. Although the sour cream "might" curdle a little, leftovers are just as tasty nuked in the microwave for lunch the next day.
 
Breezy - I bow to your mushroom knowledge. And I want to learn more. Thanks for filling in the gaps.

I'd like to hunt for my own, but I know I'd probably kill myself :)

Casper
 
knorrepoes said:
I have often heard, and also the Dutch Nutrition Council (I am Dutch) states that raw mushrooms are toxic. Is this true ???? And so, why ??

Knorrepoes - do you have a link to that Dutch Nutrition Council report? I would be interested in reading it. I don't doubt you - I would just like to see what else it said.

The main thing I am interested in is if this relates back to the problem that cropped up in Ireland just a few years ago with cultivated mushrooms being contaminated with Salmonella and/or Escherichia coli (E. Coli) bacteria.

I frequently eat the common white button mushrooms raw in salads ... but whenever I use other mushrooms - they are always in cooked dishes.
 
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