Like all mushrooms, oyster mushrooms do not have a long shelf life; the high proportion of water and protein ensures rapid decomposition. For this reason, they should always be used fresh, ideally immediately after harvesting, collecting or purchasing. Fresh mushrooms should not be left outside a refrigerator for more than half a day!
How do you process oyster mushrooms correctly?
To process oyster mushrooms, you should first clean them by cutting off any bad spots and cleaning the mushrooms with a knife, brush or kitchen towel. Then cut the mushrooms into thin slices and fry them in butter before seasoning them with spices.
Preparation and cleaning
Immediately after shopping or collecting, it's time to go to the kitchen with the fresh mushrooms. You can simply cut off bad spots, snails or maggots with a vegetable knife. In general, you should not wash the mushrooms before preparing them, as they would soak up a lot of water. Therefore, clean them only with the help of a knife and a brush before use. If this is not enough, you can also use a kitchen towel. After cleaning, cut the mushrooms into thin slices.
Preparing oyster mushrooms
Since oyster mushrooms are poisonous when raw - like most mushrooms - you should always boil or fry them. Any fox tapeworm eggs that may be present are also reliably killed at a temperature of around 70 °C. Pan-fried oyster mushrooms are a classic. Simply fry the mushrooms in butter and only season them with s alt and pepper after preparing them: Since s alting them ahead of time makes the mushrooms tough, it is best to taste the finished dish first. Even mixed - for example with chanterelles or mushrooms - oyster mushrooms taste very hearty together with other ingredients - such as diced bacon and onions. It is important that the pieces are not cut too large and are cooked well in the pan.
Tips for preparing oyster mushrooms
When fried, oyster mushrooms release a very aromatic gravy, which is why they can be easily deglazed with sweet cream or milk. Additionally seasoned with tomato paste and Mediterranean spices or fresh parsley, you get a delicious sliced mushroom in a creamy sauce. This goes wonderfully with dumplings or can simply be dipped into bread.
Tip
You can freeze the cleaned oyster mushrooms, but also the freshly prepared dish, and preserve them in this way. Fresh oyster mushrooms are also ideal for drying, which can best be done in a dehydrator or alternatively in the oven.
