Sunset and Shaggy Mane Mushrooms
I had a great surprise a couple of nights ago. There was a beautiful sunset, so I went out into the road to get a picture.
There at the base of our big elm tree was a huge mound of shaggy mane mushrooms. It was nearly dark, but I got a picture of them anyway.
Shaggy Manes in the Twilight
I was really excited that we found them at that stage. The recent heavy rain and hot temperatures that followed brought them up thick and meaty. Shaggy manes are inky cap mushrooms. Inky caps disintegrate quickly into black liquid, so they're really only good to eat for a short time after they come up.
Shaggy Mane Mushrooms Ready for Cooking
We sliced about a quart of mushrooms from the center of the mound. Just enough for two people (there's a lot of shrinkage), and plenty of mushrooms left to produce spores.
We tossed them in flour and fried them (what else? It was nine o'clock at night). They have so much moisture in them that we had to cook the first side for a good 10 minutes or more for it to crisp. The second side cooked faster, since most of the water had already evaporated.
No pictures of the finished product since we consumed them almost as soon as they came out of the pan! I burnt my mouth just like I always do in that situation. You'd think I would learn.
I think shaggy manes would be good in a recipe with cream sauce. You just have to be ready to make your recipe when you find them. I'm not sure they can be stored for any length of time.
Has anyone else had any success storing shaggy mane mushrooms?
10 comments:
Thanks for stopping by and sympathizing. We've had some right nice weather the last few days...only about 80 degrees with a bit of a breeze. Lovely. Hope we get some of your big rains!
We never get to storing any mushrooms. Like you they are consumed immediately. Haven't found Shaggy Mane's yet either!
I am sooo jealous! I have looking and looking for mushrooms all spring and have only come up with a handful of oysters(which is better than nothing I know)
Thanks everyone. We've been unusually lucky this year. Most times it's more like what you're describing. It's been very dry the last few years, last year I found one tiny morel, and no mushrooms the year before.
Believe me when I tell you that I'm truly and humbly appreciating the abundance this year!
Becca, I'm sending some big rain thoughts your way.
Here's how you can prepare shaggy manes if you aren't able to eat them immediately. Get them all cleaned, then put about 1" of water in a pan large enough to hold the mushrooms in one layer (or, do in batches). Bring water to a boil on med/high heat, add mushrooms, and boil for 12 minutes (set a timer!). Transfer to a container for storing (my grandmother would put these into old mayonnaise jars to keep, tupperware works too) and put in the refrigerator. Mmmmm!
uhh lucky!!! i want some! i have been looking for them!
When in doubt, saute in butter, then freeze. Alternatively, stew them in a little broth or stock. (Vegetable, beef, chicken, whatever you have lying around) Portion the simple soup into quart containers (Or bags, to save space) And freeze the whole business. When the time comes you only have to defrost your manes & Broth & season for a quickie soup!
Just found a motherload of manes m'self and I'm delighted! We're using some frozen meadows and chicken mushrooms from spring and making "Cream of Toadstool Soup" for my Dad's birthday! Good Luck, and Happy Hunting!
I am from the interior of Alaska. Shaggymanes were the mushroom to get in the fall. I picked them by the big,brown grocery bagfulls, took them home, cleaned them, then dried them over our stove on baking racks. Great in soups, stews and could be stored in glass jars or freezer bags out on the entryway (below freezing most of the time) for the winter and used as needed.
Yummy! I love shags & mushrooms aren't bad either. :D
You can store them upside down in the fridge for a few days. Egg cartons are really good for this.
Hey, I'm experimenting with storing these, too, since they are so easy to find in large numbers and really tasty. My approach has been to get only the ones that are still tightly closed. Once there is any color on the gills at all, the autodigestion process has started and you'll be dealing with the mushroom's own decomposing enzymes. When they're still white, you can clean them and microwave for about 4 minutes for a large plate of them, just to where they are steaming when you pull them out. This stops the biological process of autodigestion. Check again after you pull them out--if there is any color visible on the edges of the cap, throw them out. Since they're so plentiful you can afford to be picky. Then drain and lay on tin foil on a flat pan in the freezer. That way they all freeze individually instead of in a large clump and you can easily use them in other dishes.
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