GROWING GOURMET - Anto2ni.it

Figure 380. An example of poor packaging. Note
mushrooms lie on Styrofoam base. They were covered
with plastic. This package was photographed
directly after purchase. This is the "sajor-caju"
strain of Pleurotus pulmonarius. Thousands of primordia
are forming on the adult mushrooms as they
rot. Mushrooms in this condition, if eaten, cause severe
cramping, diarrhea, and gastro-intestinal
discord.
loose, the gourmet mushrooms, being more
fragile, are best sold packaged.
Covered with clear, anti-condensate, breathable
plastic, mushrooms can be preserved for
extended periods of time. A patent was awarded
to Asahi-Dow Ltd. for a vapor-permeable film
specifically designed for extending the shelf of
Shiitake. (See Japanese Patent # 57,163,414
(82,163,414)). The rate of diffusion of carbon
dioxide giving the best results was within 5000-
40,000ml./sq. m. at atmospheric pressure over
24 hours. The optimal range of oxygen diffusion
was 2000-20,000 mi/rn2 at atmospheric
pressure in 24 hours. This new generation of
HARVESTING, STORING AND PACKING 427
anti-condensate, gas-permeable films must be
carefully matched with a cardboard base or
strawberry-like basket. Even with shelf life
being extended, mushrooms should be rotated
through stores at least twice weekly to ensure
the highest quality product. Oyster mushrooms
in particular are quick to spoil.
The greatest insult to marketing gourmet
mushrooms can be seen by vendors who buy
large quantities of Oyster mushrooms from production
factories whose main concern is yield,
not quality. Oyster, Enoki, and other mushrooms,
when they spoil, cause severe
abdominal cramping, nausea, and gastrointestinal
upset. (See Figure 380.) Once customers
have experienced these"gourmet" mushrooms,
they are unlikely to ever buy them again. Remember,
mushrooms are first suspected and
first blamed for any type of food poisoning,
whether they are at fault or not. (For more information
on the proper handling of
mushrooms after harvesting, please consult
Murr&Morris, 1975.)
Drying Mushrooms
By drying mushrooms, cultivators recapture
much of the revenue that would otherwise be
lost due to over-production. Most mushrooms
are approximately 90% water. Reishi mushrooms,
being woody in texture, are usually
between 70-80% water. When Shiitake are
grown outside, especially in the Donko
(cracked cap) form, moisture content is often
only 80%.When mushrooms are young, moisture
contents are usually higher than when they
are mature. Mature mushrooms, with their gills
exposed, dry faster than young, closed mushrooms.
Shiitake, Oyster, Morels, Reishi, and many
other mushrooms dry readily and can be stored for
many months. Mushrooms can be sold in their
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