Perfect for pasta and risotto, main courses and side dishes, mushrooms, spontaneous fruits of the earth, born thanks to humidity and darkness, can give a very special flavor to lunches and dinners. Here are some curiosities and tips on how how to clean and cut champignon mushrooms.

What are champignon mushrooms

THE Champignon mushrooms, whose scientific name is Agaricus bisporus, is highly regarded and widely marketed throughout the world. The most common are i whites and i cremini, so called for their characteristic brown color. These are very cheap mushrooms, whose delicate flavor refines the dishes they are combined with. The French name with which they are known today comes directly from the late nineteenth century. A guy Monsieur Chambertywandering around an abandoned tunnel in the undergrounds of Paris, I find spontaneously grown mushrooms. From there the idea was born: the constant temperature, darkness and humidity of the underground created the ideal habitat for the cultivation of mushrooms, which were immediately labeled as "Champignon de Paris". Between the forties and fifties of the twentieth century there were about one hundred producers, capable of growing 2,000 tons of mushrooms per year. An underground producer in the French capital still resists today. Is called Angel Moioli and every year he places on the market about 300 kg of original Champignon de Paris, using the same method as his grandfather. Its cultivation is located a few kilometers from La Defense.

How to grow them at home

If you have always dreamed of having a complete vegetable garden at home, with the arrival of autumn you cannot miss the mushroom cultivation. You don't need to have your own tunnel to grow champignons at home: a ready-made substrate is enough, which can also be purchased via the internet. The substrate it is composed of organic materials such as straw, chaff, hay, bran and even vegetable flours. In these mixtures different types of mycelium, those microorganisms – real seeds – from which fungi arise. To grow champignon mushrooms at home you will need a place that is not very bright: a basement, a garage, a cellar will do perfectly, thanks also to the lower temperatures compared to the rest of the house. These mushrooms need an environment between 12 ° C and 18 ° C. Then you will need the substrate, which you can buy online. There are different types, natural and organic, free of pesticides and above all reusable. Once you have taken the package, place it in the chosen environment but do not open it. Let 4-5 days pass. Once opened, if the substrate shows a White color, the lid must be removed, otherwise you will have to leave the container closed and check it every two days to verify the whitish color. Only then should the lid be removed and the substrate should be wetted with a spray bottle 1-2 times a day for the former 10-15 days. The fruits of your work will already be seen after this period, it is the moment in which you can proceed with the first cut of your mushrooms. But keep wetting the substrate – you could get up to four collected. If your mushrooms have grown with a longer stem and an underdeveloped cap, it means that the room is poorly ventilated and too dark.

How to clean and wash them

First get a champignon mushroom at a time and detach the stem from the head with a slight twisting motion. Starting from the lower edge of the chapel, lift the film that covers the mushroom with the help of a small knife. Pull it towards the central part of the head: you will see that it will come off very easily. At this point take the stems, remove the earthy part and scrape off the remaining one. As you have completed this operation, dip the cleaned champignon mushrooms in a bowl with plenty of them very cold water and acidulated with lemon juice and slices: the first ingredient serves to keep the mushroom crunchy, while the second prevents it from blackening and oxidizing. If the mushrooms are very small, you can cook them whole, otherwise you can cut them into quarters. If they are large, you can slice them. To do this, place the chapel on the cutting board with the rounded part upwards and divide it into slices. For the stems just cut them into rings. At this point the next step is cooking. There are those who wonder if and how wash the mushrooms. But as with all mushrooms, these also don't get along very well with water. In the cleaning phase it is used only to preserve them while waiting to be cooked, but after having deprived them of any residue with the help of a knife for the film and a brush for the earth granules.

Why do they go black?

THE Champignon mushrooms, like many other foods, they undergo chemical and biological oxidation. The effect of these processes is theblackening food. Chemical oxidation is mainly caused by oxygen in the air, where both light and traces of metals act as catalysts. That chemical is caused by microbes or enzymes contained in the food itself: here it is water that plays a decisive role. For this reason, champignons should be eaten fresh and stored for a maximum of a few days in the refrigerator.

Raw can they hurt?

Champignon mushrooms are good both cooked and raw. If you don't want to cook them, you can use them, after cleaning, as an ingredient in rich salads, like this one with turnip, champignon and parmesan with yogurt dressing.

How they cook

THE Champignon mushrooms they are an ingredient capable of enriching the flavor of a dish. They adapt well to first courses, such as spaghetti carbonara with mushrooms or the spaghetti with rocket pesto and mushrooms. Also perfect as an ingredient for second courses, such as cheese donuts with champignons or the soufflé omelette with mushrooms. You can also try them in a risotto, like the one with gorgonzola and mushrooms.

How to understand when they are no longer good

THE Champignon mushrooms they are delicious, but if you buy them fresh they can go bad after just a few days. Eating champignons in bad conditions it can cause gastrointestinal pains and in the most serious cases, even cause intoxication. So understanding when and if they have gone bad is essential. First, see if they have any stains. If you notice areas with darker shades, it means that they cannot be consumed. Me too'smell can tell us a lot about the quality of mushrooms: if it is more sour than normal, with a hint of ammonia, it means that they are rotten. If I'm dry or shriveled, with wrinkles, it means that they are going bad. Even the color of the slats it is indicative: if they have a darker shade, it means that the putrefaction process has begun. Another sign that should not be underestimated is the presence of one soft and viscous layer: this is also a sign of rot.

How to freeze champignon mushrooms

Freeze the champignon mushrooms it's very simple. You can cook them by blanching them in a pan without adding liquids. Drain them and let them cool to room temperature. Get some freezing bags and distribute the mushrooms as needed you may need for your dishes. To defrost the mushrooms, arrange them on a plate, countertop or in the refrigerator. Alternatively, to speed up the time, place them under running warm running water. Or, pour the mushrooms directly into the pan with the other ingredients.