Culinary Techniques

Wild mushrooms possess an amazing range of flavors and aromas! Beautiful packages of umami, they can be rich and meaty, subtle and delicate, and redolent of almonds and spice. Learn how to properly clean, preserve and prepare your foraged finds to make the most of those flavors.

Matsutakes (Albion). Photo by Katherine Elvin

Generally speaking, the best mushrooms are fresh mushrooms.

If you're not cooking your mushrooms in the field:

Don't clean them (aside from removing larger dirt chunks) until you're ready to prepare or process them.
Store them in the fridge in paper or waxed paper bags--never plastic, as mushrooms need to breathe. Plastic bags will yield mush rather than mushrooms.

Preserving the balance for future enjoyment is rewarding, and the method chosen will vary with different mushrooms and your personal preferences. Explore some ideas below!

When you're ready to cook them, check out these Recipes!

To Brush or to Wash?

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Generally speaking, the best mushrooms are fresh mushrooms. Refrigerate as soon as you get home, and don’t wash until you’re ready to prepare or process them.

Freezing Mushrooms

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Cooking and then freezing works well for certain types of mushrooms. You should either sauté or microwave the sliced-up mushrooms before freezing them, depending on how you plan to use them.

Member drying freshly picked wild mushrooms while camping. Photo by Katherine Elvin

Drying Mushrooms

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Did you know that mature boletes, craterellus, candy caps, morels, and several other mushrooms can actually taste even better after being dried and then reconstituted?

Salt Pickled Mushrooms

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We are fortunate to have the following instructions for salt-preserving mushrooms come from Galina Plizga, a talented and experienced mushroom preserver.

Vinegar Pickled Mushrooms

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Mushrooms that have been properly pickled in vinegar can last for years. They be eaten as an appetizer, or incorporated into other recipes.

Pressure Canning Mushrooms

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Pressure canning is a process for canning mushrooms while not utilizing vinegar to create an acid environment.

Wine glasses at the Wine & Mushroom dinner. Photo by Katherine Elvin

Pairing and Cooking Mushrooms with Wine

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Everyone knows drinking wine with wild mushroom dishes is a delight beyond compare. Can we go a step further and think about pairing styles of wine with a particular mushroom genus?