All the right buttons

Little wonder we love mushrooms. They’re tactile and ornamental, their flavours clean and earthy, and, for versatility, they’re hard to cap!

TYPES

There are 17 styles of fresh mushrooms available in Australia, some more readily available than others. The most common are white mushrooms, labelled as button, cups and flats, which are all the same variety but vary in size; and brown mushrooms, labelled as portobello and Swiss brown. Specialty mushrooms, such as chestnut, enoki, king brown, oyster, shiitake and shimeji, are becoming more popular and are available from specialty grocers and some Asian supermarkets. Dried mushrooms are available year round, the common white variety and porcini being the most popular. All dried mushrooms need to be soaked in water before using.

CHOOSING

Choose mushrooms that are firm with a pleasant earthy aroma. Mushroom surfaces should be dry, but not dried out or wrinkly.

STORING

Mushrooms bruise easily, so handle with care. Store in a paper bag in the fridge for up to 5 days. But beware that they can absorb odours if stored close to pungent items. Mushrooms can be frozen whole for about a month if raw, or sauté in butter and freeze for about 3 months in an airtight container. They will go a little soggy once defrosted, so use in casseroles or soups.