PRODUCT INFO
Puffball mushrooms range from small to very large in size, averaging 10-70 centimeters in diameter, and are round, oblong, to oval in shape. Some species are small, golf-ball sized, while others can grow as large as soccer balls. The white fruiting body can be smooth or bear some small scales, warts, or spines and is firm, airy, and spongy. There is also a protective coating that helps keep debris and dirt from entering the flesh. When sliced, the flesh should be pure white and never have any color. Puffball mushrooms are white when young and transition to a yellow-brown when mature and are rendered inedible when they reach this state. There are little to non-existent stems, and the spores are produced internally in the fruiting body. When young, Puffball mushrooms have a mild, nutty, and earthy flavor. Puffball mushrooms contain some phosphorus, manganese, selenium, and clavacin.
USES
Puffball mushrooms are best suited for cooked applications such as sauteing, pan-frying, and baking. Referred to as the �¢??breakfast mushroom" Puffball mushrooms pair well with egg dishes and are enhanced when sauteing and browned in simple ingredients such as garlic and butter. They can be sliced thinly and rolled with meat and vegetables, chopped into stir-fries, or grilled with marinades. They can also be cut into slices, battered, and fried, sliced and used as noodles in lasagna or ravioli, used as the dough in pizza, chopped into croquettes, blended into hummus, pureed into gravies, or dried and ground into a powder to use as a flavoring agent. The rotund mushrooms can be substituted for tofu or eggplant in many recipes. The flesh readily absorbs accompanying flavors so oil should be used sparingly. Puffball mushrooms pair well with tomatoes, broccoli, beets, rutabagas, radishes, turnips, parmesan cheese, garlic, poultry, scallops, crab meat, and tuna. They do not store well and should be used immediately after harvest. They can also be frozen between sheets of plastic and stored for extended use.
Season
Puffball mushrooms are available in the late summer through fall.
PRODUCT INFO
Golden Mushroom are very small in size and grow in bouquets of tightly packed, long stems topped with petite, convex caps. The snow-white caps are tender, smooth, delicate, and are connected to matching white stems that are thin and can grow up to twelve centimeters in length. Golden Mushroom are crisp and firm with a crunchy bite and a mild, fruity flavor.
Golden Mushroom contain dietary fiber, niacin, calcium, potassium, selenium, copper, phosphorus, and iron. They are also known to have anti-inflammatory properties and are excellent immune system boosters.
USES
Golden Mushroom are best suited for both raw and cooked applications such as simmering, blanching, and boiling. Before consuming, the ends should be trimmed, the mushrooms should be washed, and any slimy stems should be discarded. The delicate, crunchy texture of Golden Mushroom can be served fresh in salads, lightly sauteed and added into stir-fries and noodle dishes, mixed into omelets, risottos, curries, sushi, or even in spring rolls. They are most commonly used in hot pot soups, added in for texture, but they can also be blanched in a soy sauce-based mixture and served as a main dish. Golden Mushroom pair well with soba noodles, vermicelli, soy sauce, miso, garlic, onion, scallions, seaweed, kale, ginger, bacon, seafood such as crab, lobster, or shrimp, lemongrass, fresh herbs, long beans, carrots, celery, snap peas, bell pepper, and water chestnuts. They will keep up to one week when stored in a paper bag in the refrigerator.
