How to choose, store and eat shiitake mushrooms

Today I will introduce to you how to choose and buy shiitake mushrooms, how to store them, and how to eat them:

How to choose shiitake mushrooms

Good quality mushrooms are characterized by strong aroma, thick meat, smooth surface, uniform size, yellow-brown or dark-brown color, slightly white frost on the surface, tight and fine white folds, short and strong stems, dry, not moldy or broken. Do not eat particularly large fresh shiitake mushrooms, because they are mostly fattened with hormones, and eating a large amount can have adverse effects on the body. Some mushrooms have cracked surfaces, so when purchasing, you should identify whether the cracks are naturally generated. If they are artificially cut, they are counterfeit.

Storage of Shiitake Mushrooms

Fresh shiitake mushrooms can be packaged with breathable film and placed in the refrigerator to keep fresh for about a week, or directly frozen. Dried shiitake mushrooms should be stored in sealed cans and preferably taken out once a month and exposed to the sun. They can be kept for more than half a year. They can also be directly refrigerated or frozen to avoid corruption or insects.

How to eat shiitake mushrooms

1. The soaked mushrooms should be refrigerated in the refrigerator to avoid loss of nutrients.

2. Rinse the surface of the mushrooms with cold water first. For mushrooms with stems, remove the roots and place them in a basin of warm water with the gills facing downwards. When the mushrooms become soft and the gills open, gently stir them in one direction to let the mud and sand slowly sink to the bottom of the basin, or tap them gently with chopsticks and the mud and sand will fall into the water.

3. Do not discard the water used to soak the mushrooms, as many nutrients are dissolved in the water. As long as the dried mushrooms are cleaned before soaking, the soaking water can be reused.

4. If the mushrooms are relatively clean, just rinse them with clean water, which can preserve the freshness of the mushrooms.

5. Try to avoid soaking the mushrooms in very hot water or adding sugar in order to make them swell as quickly as possible. This will cause the water-soluble ingredients in the mushrooms, such as precious polysaccharides and excellent amino acids, to dissolve in the water in large quantities, destroying the nutrition of the mushrooms.