Do your chanterelles, oyster mushrooms or shiitake taste bitter? Find out why and how to remove the bitterness from your mushrooms!
Here we go!
The Bitterness Of Mushrooms, What A Pity!
Coming back from the forest and enjoying freshly picked mushrooms is a real pleasure! But the party is sometimes spoiled by mushrooms with a bitter taste! Disappointment often occurs with the same mushrooms: chanterelle, shiitake, bolete mushrooms or oyster mushrooms…
By the way, we offer maps to know where to find them. These maps let you know where to find the best spots for these mushrooms and many others, near you! Explore our Mushroom Maps and go on an adventure!
So how do you make sure you don’t have bitter-tasting mushrooms anymore? First try to understand the reasons for their bitterness!
Why Are My Mushrooms Bitter?
There are several possible reasons for your bitter mushrooms!
Reason #1: You Picked The Wrong Mushrooms!
When you’re new to picking or when you’re not sure of yourself, you can make mistakes and pick up mushrooms that aren’t the ones you thought you picked!
For example, it is quite common for the chanterelle to be confused with the false chanterelle (Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca). Unlike the chanterelle, the false chanterelle has an insipid and bitter taste.
Similarly, King boletes can be confused with the Bitter Bolete (Tylopilus felleus), and as its name suggests, the latter has a very bitter taste!
So basically, the first reason for a bitter taste in your mushrooms can come from an identification error on the species picked!
Reason #2: Your Mushrooms Are Too Old!
Indeed, mushrooms that are too advanced often have a bitter taste and can completely ruin your dish!
So be careful not to pick up subjects that are too old and leave them where they are to ensure the longevity of the spot.
Reason 3: Poorly Prepared Mushrooms
Failing to properly prepare your mushrooms can also make your dish taste bitter!
If your mushrooms are dirty, they can give your preparation a very unpleasant bitter taste! But that’s not the only reason why your mushrooms are bitter.
Indeed, some mushroom parts can give a bitter taste! This is the case with the spikes under Hedgehog mushrooms. It is strongly recommended to remove these before starting to cook them. Indeed, the spikes have a particularly bitter taste.
It’s the same with porcini mushrooms. If the tubes are too old (greenish appearance) then it may have a bitter taste and make your King Bolete taste bad. It is therefore important to remove it before starting to cook your porcini mushrooms.
How Do I Remove The Bitterness From My Mushrooms?
As we just saw, the right way to remove the bitterness from your mushrooms is
- To correctly identify them beforehand! Be sure of what you pick!
- Do not pick mushrooms that are too old.
- Finally, remember to prepare your mushrooms well by cleaning them carefully and removing any parts that may have a pronounced bitter taste (spikes, tubes, base of the stem…)
Go On An Adventure And Collect Only The Best Mushrooms!
Would you like to go mushroom alone or with friends? But you don’t know where to look for them? (Chanterelle, Oyster mushroom, Morel, Black trumpet…)
Check out our Mushroom Maps here! With our maps, you will know where are the most favorable areas in your state! Treat yourself!
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