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MUSHROOM
PRODUCTS
There
are thousands of things you can do with mushrooms from a culinary
perspective. A mushroom can be a blank canvas and take on the
flavors and character of it's co-ingredients, or it can be a featured
star all on its own. Fresh mushrooms are always a treat and if
you can get them, try new varieties.
It
is important to understand that mushrooms are a product of their
environment, moreso than with plants. In urban areas
mushrooms absorb and concentrate heavy metals such as
lead and mercury as well as any pesticide or
herbicide in the environment, so the location where the
mushroom was harvested matters. Some mushrooms coming from Europe
and China are known to have high levels of lead and mercury because
of decades of uncontrolled air and water pollution. The same is
true here in the states for example mushrooms growing along roadsides
may still contain traces of lead from the time prior to when we
had unleaded gasoline and the emissions from then may still remain
in the ground. That said, one could conclude that...
"country"
mushrooms are your safest choice & |
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All
of the land we harvest on is private and if it is not our farmland,
we have permission to harvest. We harvest responsibly and we take
care to not over harvest. If the the forest does not produce something
one year, we simply do without. We do not over harvest in years
of plenty either. We know what we need and we harvest only those
quantities. When we run out, we run out.
Mushrooms
are seasonal. You can read about the mushroom seasons here.
These are the culinary and medicinal mushroom
products we offer at Summer markets.
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(We
have inserted Amazon affiliate links in many places at this
website. Purchases made by using these links doesn't cost you
any extra but allows us to collect a small advertising percentage
of the sale from Amazon.)
FORAGED
WILD CULINARY MUSHROOMS
Currently
we offer these mushrom varieties at markets, fresh and/or dried.
Reconstituting
Dried Mushrooms
1
oz dried = about a 1/2 - 1 lb of fresh depends on
variety.
We recommend soaking mushrooms in hot water until
they appear full and fresh again. You can determine
this by squeezing them gently, if they are "squeezable",
they are ready to cook. Never eat a raw wild mushroom!
Always cook them. The water you used to reconstitute
makes a wonderful broth to add to your dish!
Drying
& Using Mushrooms
Mushrooms
are easily dried simply by placing them on drying
racks for a week or two keeping them in a dry environment.
In our humid environment it takes up to 2 weeks
to dry mushrooms in the sun. Before drying, use
a brush or your fingers to brush off any offensive
debris. Water destroys mushrooms, so avoid washing
them unless they are going right into the pot!
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MUSHROOM
SOUPS
Sun dried wild mushrooms, herbs grown at our farm, instructions
for a wonderful pot of mushroom soup for 2!
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CHANTERELLE
BISQUE
FRENCH
MIXED MUSHROOMS SOUP
DEUTSCHE
PILZSUPPE (GERMAN WILD MUSHROOM SOUP)
BLACK
TRUMPET MUSHROOM SOUP
HOT
& SOUR SOUP
OYSTER
BISQUE
MOREL
BISQUE
LIONS
MANE BISQUE
HEN
SOUP
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MUSHROOM
SAUCES
Sun dried wild mushrooms, herbs grown at our farm, instructions
for a wonderful mushroom sauce!
CHANTERELLE
SAUCE
POULTRY
MUSHROOM SAUCE
MIXED
MUSHROOM PASTA SAUCE
BLACK
TRUMPET STEAK SAUCE
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MEDICINAL
MUSHROOMS
Most
medicinal mushrooms are loaded with nutrients: B vitamins,
zinc, manganese, choline, dietary fiber, vitamin D, copper,
antioxidants, anti inflammatory compounds.
Medicinal
mushrooms are typically used in wellness tonics that are
either a decoction or a tincture or a mix of both methods.
TERMS
infusion
- steeped in hot water, usually for 15-30 minutes
before filtering.
decoction
- herbs are simmered in a pot on the stove, usually
for 20-40 minutes before filtering. This is best
for medicinal mushrooms and harder plant parts such
as roots, barks and some berries.
tincture
- ingredient infused into alcohol, sometimes diluted
with water or a decoction.
broth
or tea - typically used in culinary applications,
involves boiling mushrooms in a large amount of
water for a length of time to achieve a reduction
that intesifies flavor. |
We
offer these medicinal mushroom varieties whole, dried:
TURKEY
TAIL MUSHROOM
TURKEY
TAIL
(Trametes versicolor)
(YunZhi)
Known
to boost immunity & promote good health. Used
to prevent fatigue and boost immunity after chemotherapy.
Eases side effects of chemotherapy.
Prepared as a infusion, broth or tincture.
The
New Wildcrafted Cuisine: Exploring the Exotic Gastronomy
of Local Terroir
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REISHI
MUSHROOM
REISHI
(Ganoderma lucidum)
(ling zhi)
In
Traditional Chinese Medicine Reishi is used for
enhancing the immune system and revitalizing the
spirit.
Reishi
is considered to be one of the most important to
overall health, vitality, and quality of life. It
is known as the Mushroom of Immortality and Mushroom
of Spiritual Potency.
While
it is technically an edible mushroom, it’s
almost impossible to eat because it’s tough
like leathery wood. The taste is also very bitter.
Prepared
as a decoction, broth or tincture. Best ingested
in powder form. |
HEN
OF THE WOODS
MAITAKE
(Grifola frondosa)
In
Traditional Chinese Medicine Maitake is used for:
cancer prevention and high blood pressure control.
In general, maitake is said to boost the immune
system, improve brain health and to promote general
health and wellness.
Prepared
as a decoction, infusion, tea or tincture.
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LIONS
MANE
(Hericium
erinaceus)
(hou tou gu)
In
traditional medicine, Lions Mane is said to be nutritive
to the five internal organs (liver, lung, spleen,
heart and kidney). In general, lions mane promotes
good digestion, improves memory and concentration,
and can promote sleep in some people. Is showing
great promise for the treatment of Alzheimers and
Parkinsons.
Prepared
as a decoction, infusion, tea or tincture.
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MUSHROOM
COFFEE
Our
mushroom coffee powder is composed of adaptogenic
mushrooms, wildcrafted roasted chicory root,
Cacao powder and natural flavoring.
This
hot beverage tastes like coffee but is made of roasted
chicory root instead of coffee beans. Caffeine
free. You can brew it as is or mix it with your
favorite coffee grind. NOTE: This powder somewhat
reduces the acidic nature of coffee when added to
your caffeine brew.
Each
of the mushrooms in this powder has different benefits
and supports the body functions in different ways:
Reishi to stabilize the immune
system and revitalize the spirit, Maitake
to improve brain health and promote general wellness,
Lions Mane to improve memory and
concentration, stabilize organ function and digestive
health, Turkey Tail to boost immunity
& promote good health - prevents fatigue and
boosts immunity after chemotherapy (Eases side effects
of chemotherapy).
We
use wildcrafted roasted chicory root
which enhances the richness to the brew, but also
is high in antioxidants, is a prebiotic, and system
detoxifier.
Cacao
powder, a plant based superfood, high in
antioxidants, high in iron, magnesium, calcium and
is an anti-depressant. Cacao is different than cocoa.
Raw
cacao is made by cold-pressing un-roasted cacao
beans. The process keeps the living enzymes in the
cacao and removes the fat (cacao butter). Cocoa
looks the same but it's not. Cocoa powder is raw
cacao that's been roasted at high temperatures.
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RESHEI
WELLNESS TONIC
To tincture reishi properly, you need to extract
reishi in two different ways. Traditionally, this
is an alcohol extraction and a hot water extraction.
Fill
a quart mason jar with broken or ground reishi.
Pour 2 cups of vodka into the jar. Put the
lid on the jar. Let it sit for at least two
weeks, shake it everyday. Strain the mushroom
from the liquid. Keep the liquid this is the
tincture. Reserve the mushrooms.
Place
the reserved mushroom into a pot. Add a pint
of water. Boil to reduce to half a pint or
8 ounces. Strain the water into a clean quart
mason jar. When the water is cool, pour the
reishi tincture into the water. If you see
little solids form that’s okay, shake
to combine before using.
You
can take a dropperful to boost immunity. It’s
not an immediate fix because it’s not
fast acting. This is something that you take
small amounts of everyday as it helps you
not get sick in the first place!
BE
AWARE: there are some long term toxicity
results of reishi if taken regularly for more
than four months. Watch for rashes, dizziness,
or headaches. Reishi can also lower your blood
sugar and/or your blood pressure and thin
your blood. If you're taking blood thinners
or are diabetic, discuss with a health practitioner
before using reishi. |
REISHI MUSHROOM BROTH
1 ounce of mushroom pieces to 2 gallons of water.
Green onions & salt to taste. Reishi is bitter
so choose what you add carrefully!
Boil
on medium for as long as two hours, you're loking
to reduce liquid by half. You must heat the mushroom
up to a high temperature in order torelease the
phytonutrients and polysaccharides. Strain the mushrooms
out. Add other herbs after the heat is off.
TURKEY
TAIL MUSHROOM BROTH
1 ounce of mushroom pieces to 2 gallons of water.
Green onions & salt to taste. Turkey tails are
woodsy, not unpleasant like reishi!
Add your mushrooms to a large pot with the water.
To get the most flavor, bring the water to a boil
and then cook at a hot simmer for at least and hour.
You're looking to reduce liquid by half. Strain
the mushrooms out. Add other herbs after the heat
is off.
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