If you told me 10 years ago I'd be excited to write a blog post about mushrooms, I would have laughed in your face. I've mentioned before I was a picky eater growing up. Mushrooms were definitely on the "no" list, along with a whole host of other vegetables. I think like many items, if you have a slimy mushroom that is not well-cooked, you're not likely to give them a second try. Luckily at some point I opened my palate again. First to big meaty portabellas, then once I realized those could be quite delicious when prepared well, I allowed others on my plate.
Recently at my wonderful farmers market, I've been introduced to a whole host of mushrooms that you would rarely find at the big box grocery stores. Of course, you can't beat any food item freshly foraged or picked. I've fallen in love with golden oyster mushrooms, and really oyster mushrooms in general I quite enjoy. A year or so ago I tried Lion's Mane (Hericium erinaceus) for the first time when I saw one of my vendors had it. The fuzzy little puffball looked too fun not to try!
I don't think I cooked it very well the first time around, so I wasn't keen on giving it another try too quickly. They contain a lot of moisture and I believe I overcrowded my pan, resulting in a mushy outcome. Lately I thought about giving them a go again, but I've had to send the boyfriend to the market the last few weeks while I was working and didn't think to put it on his list. However, after getting home this past weekend from work on Saturday morning, he told me he spotted a few mushrooms growing on the fallen tree he cut up and moved to the back of the yard. When I walked back to check them out I was pleasantly surprised to see what we had!
A beautiful specimen growing right on top of the log! I was pretty sure right away what it was, and further investigation assured me my identification of our very own Lion's Mane mushroom was correct. Though many mushrooms look alike so that you have to carefully identify edible from not, this variety has nothing else that resembles the tell-tale "icicle" or "fur" growing down the sides. I am by no means a mushroom expert, so always make sure to properly identify your finds before even thinking about harvesting and eating them!
We harvested the big fella from the top, but there are a few more growing around the bottom that will hopefully get large enough to enjoy, as well. I was so excited I shared pictures on my social media right away and had a whole host of people comment on our find, further laying to rest any question at what great luck we had in our backyard foraging adventure.
Once we brought it inside I weighed it and gave it a light brushing off to clean off any debris from the tree log. This beauty weighed in at just under a pound! I decided to cook some that night to be able to enjoy it while totally fresh and newly plucked, but it was big enough to save some for the next day. I just kept the portion that I didn't cook in a paper bag in the refrigerator overnight.
I also knew I wanted to do a better job at cooking them this time around, so I opted to keep my preparation simple and give my shrooms plenty of space in the pan to sweat out some of the moisture and form a wonderful golden crust. I sliced the mushroom into "steaks" before cooking, then added to a hot, dry pan. I cooked the slices for about 5 minutes on the first side, then carefully flipped them over the the other side to brown both evenly. Since it was a Saturday, I also opted for a little treat and added some vegan butter to the pan once some of the moisture was released and I had the start to my crust going.
I also added freshly minced garlic and some fennel fronds to the pan when the mushrooms were just about done. Wow did they come out fantastic! So much better than my first attempt. They were nice and chewy, almost sweet in flavor but still hit that savory note with the fresh garlic. I also gave them a last squeeze of lemon before serving to brighten everything up. Some people say they have a slight flavor of lobster or crab, so they get used sometimes in crab-less cakes.
They made for a delicious Saturday evening meal with green beans and edamame with crushed red pepper and roasted Japanese sweet potatoes and fennel. Who needs restaurants when you can eat like this at home?
Besides feeling like such a fun treat to eat, H. erinaceous is one of the mushrooms that has been used in Chinese medicine for a very long time for its nootropic properties. Recently, many of these functional mushrooms are being studied even more for their possible neurological and nerve regenerating benefits (source). There is some evidence that consuming either fresh Lion's Mane or in supplement form can help with general age-related cognitive decline, but also with diseases like Alzheimer's or Parkinson's. There is also possible benefit for those dealing with depression and anxiety. The article I linked above really is fascinating, so anyone wanting to learn more I highly suggest giving it a look.
In addition to the mental benefits, the antioxidants, fiber and other components in the mushrooms also can be linked in some research to improved insulin response, reduction in cholesterol and cancer prevention. Of course much research still needs to be done, but the benefits seem to far outweigh any risks, especially when consuming moderate amounts of the mushrooms in your daily diet.
While there are many supplements out there which also seem to be beneficial for those who can't stomach eating the fuzzy little fungi, be wary of where you source your supplements. Especially here in the United States, there is really very little oversight into that industry so you don't always know what you are buying is what the label says it is. One of my wonderful mushroom ladies at the market makes her own tinctures, so I'd be more inclined to buy from her if I wanted a more potent "dosage" myself. Definitely consult your physician if you are currently taking any medications before adding any supplement to your daily health routine.
Generally, though, focusing on including whole mushrooms to your weekly menu should be enough to reap the benefits. There are so many "superfoods" that companies try to make money off of when really any nutrient-dense whole food can be super. And if you are like I used to be and have a fungi phobia, I implore you to give them a second chance! I promise, they'll grow on you. 😜
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This is so interesting. Besides the culinary, I mean. That article is enlightening and for two reasons for me: our neighbour has recently been diagnosed with Parkinson's. You wouldn't know unless you had been told. Secondly, I heard a report that the medical and pharmaceutical fraternities are beginning to look more favourably/formally at the use of "magic" mushrooms for the treatment of mental illnesses.
As we have often commented: how the wheel turns...
The possible uses really are quite interesting and exciting, especially when you look at the mechanism of how the compounds work on the body and brain. With all the advances in Western medicine, sometimes nature just does it best.
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Indeed
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Feeling your excitement on this one - you always know when anyone's excited when they tell you about it in the Natural Medicine discord before the post gets written!!!!
Haha, I'm just happy to have people to share with who get that same excitement! Of course it was nice to have one more confirmation just to make sure on the identification front, but more than anything I knew you all would understand my giddiness. 💚
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My God! I love mushrooms, A month ago I tried the gírgolas (I had never tried it before) accompanied with a stew sauce with tomatoes and parsley. It was too good. I have never tried the lion's mane, I am curious.
That sounds delicious! I'm very much appreciating mushrooms and their culinary (and health) uses more and more. I hope you can find some of these one day to try! They're definitely unique in flavor and texture.
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What a weird looking mushroom @plantstoplanks, I've never seen it in any of our green grocers! Your final dish looked really delicious though; what a difference the correct cooking method makes to a dish.
Isn't it neat? Nature never ceases to amaze me. I've only ever seen these at the farmers market, and even only then in the last few years. No telling if we'll get anymore on our fallen tree, so we enjoyed what we got for now!
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Aww, thanks a bunch @minismallholding! Always an pleasure and an honor to be included in the roundup.
Always a good idea to get rid of the moisture before adding your quality fat, especially those with a low smoking point. It looks mighty tasty, thank you for adding a reference to the health benefits.
I wish more research was done in nutrition to confirm all of these exciting preliminary findings as far as health benefits.
A good lesson to learn! I sometimes forget how much science is behind good culinary technique. :)
Seems like more and more research is being done, though it can be a double-edged sword. If enough gets known about it, then sometimes the pharmaceutical companies swoop in and try to make money off of something that should be common knowledge and easily accessible. Which is why it is always so important for us to do our own research when we can and stay empowered to take action for our own well-being! 💚
Great article @planttoplanks, so much good info. Several years ago we ran into this mushroom.
)
This was the first time I have ever seen a mushroom like this one, and I had no idea what the heck it was.
Needless to say, we just admired it and left it growing on the side of the tree. It was huge, it had to weigh several pounds.
(
Last year, while at a Farmer's marked there it was. I talked to the gal selling the Lion's Mane and realized that due to our ignorance I missed out on this prized fungi. Now, knowing what we had passed up, I needed to purchase one and give it a try. @farm-mom spent some time learning how to prepare it and she decided to make some Lion's Mane crab cakes.
What a treat.
We have been searching for them ever since, but with no luck.😢
Oh yes, I think I remember seeing the crab cake post on a FFF maybe? One of my friends suggested that, too, so maybe next time I get my hands on some I'll give a version a try. What a beauty that you found! If it makes you feel any better, I probably would have done the same thing a few years ago. At least now we both know if we come across them to snag that gem when we can! I hope you can find some again at some point. :)
I have not stopped looking since I found this one, but with no luck. 😢
This is very interesting! I never to see mushrooms like that before. It's very tasty, I like all kinds of mushrooms.
I bet you would come up with some delicious ways to enjoy eating this type!
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