These tasty, healthy mushrooms in natural conditions grow on trees, hemp, and deadwood. In order to grow oyster mushroom at home, mushroom pickers use blocks with a substrate of plant origin. It develops equally rapidly, the mycelium hangs as it were from their places of growth, as the name of the fungus directly indicates. The benefits and harms of oyster mushrooms are a factor that you must pay attention to, because with all its positive characteristics, this mushroom is a heavy product for the gastrointestinal tract.
Oyster mushrooms hats can be of different shades: pinkish, brown, white, gray, yellow. They are very fragile, so the collection, transportation of the crop requires accuracy, attention. The color of the fungus, its size directly depends on the place of growth, variety. Hats are used mainly for food, since the legs are stiffer, but they are also used in the manufacture of, for example, minced mushroom for pies.
A little distraction from the topic. People often ask how to speak or write correctly - “oyster mushroom” or “oyster mushroom”
The word has different cases, inclined as you like. Speaking of the name: correct spelling, pronunciation - just oyster mushroom, with the letter "ё". The widespread definition of “oyster mushroom” has become so firmly used in colloquial usage in our post-Soviet space that today no one is focusing on different letters. Thus, oyster mushroom and oyster mushroom are the same, the same designation of mushrooms of this variety.
Well, now about the benefits of these mushrooms.
She has more pluses than the so-called minuses. Here we will try to highlight all its qualities in detail.
Oyster mushrooms - benefit the body
Due to its high polysaccharide content, oyster mushroom is a very strong anti-cancer product. The immunomodulating properties of this fungus have a detrimental effect on the development of malignant or benign neoplasms. It is also useful, even recommended to use oyster mushroom after chemotherapy, radiation exposure - it helps to eliminate toxins from the human body. Today, based on oyster mushroom, many drugs have been developed that suppress cancer cells.
The benefit for humans is this: they contain almost all the vitamins of group B, nicotinic acid (vitamin PP), vitamins C, E, iron, iodine. The presence of easily digestible proteins, essential amino acids (tryptophan, threonine, phenylalanine, leucine, isoleucine), minerals, monounsaturated fats determines the benefits for the human body. Also, these mushrooms contain potassium, calcium, cobalt, copper, iron, phosphorus, zinc, selenium - minerals necessary for the normal functioning of all vital functions of a person.
From oyster mushroom the benefits for the body are truly wide:
- suppression of manifestations of hypotension and hypertension;
- prevention of gastrointestinal ulcer;
increased immunity, resistance to viruses; - fatal effects on E. coli;
- decrease in blood glucose (with diabetes);
- inhibition of the development of atherosclerosis;
- prevention of cholecystitis;
- excretion of cholesterol;
- cleansing the body of parasites (especially along with other anthelmintic products);
- with metabolic disorders;
- maintaining the normal functioning of the cardiovascular system.
Oyster mushroom is rich in chitin, mannitol (constituent fiber), a high protein content in the fruit body of the fungus equates it with the value of meat and dairy derivatives. Low fat content, high percentage of carbohydrates make these mushrooms an excellent dietary product.
Depending on the variety, its calorie content varies from 38 to 43 kcal per 100 g of product (fresh). For those who regularly use oyster mushrooms, the benefit will be expressed in a long feeling of satiety. This mushroom is digested for a long time, providing an inhibitory effect on appetite. Feeling full for a long time is a big plus for those who want to reduce body weight.
Oyster mushrooms - harm
With its high taste, healing characteristics, the use of oyster mushrooms can still be harmful. More often it is an individual intolerance to fungi by the body, an allergic reaction to them. The use of this mushroom in large quantities causes a feeling of heaviness in the stomach, can provoke diarrhea, bloating.
Due to the difficult digestion process, oyster mushroom should be carefully taken by the elderly, young children. For the same reason, you should not use it too often, two times a week will be enough to enjoy oyster mushroom without harm.
We should not forget that oyster mushroom is a fungus containing chitin, which is not digested by the body, so its heat treatment must be of high quality. Heat treatment is highly desirable before pickling, before pickling. Separately, it is worth mentioning drugs based on this fungus (tinctures, powders, extracts) - they no longer contain chitin, so the spectrum of their use is much wider.
If a person suffers from diseases of the liver or kidneys, digestive disorders, serious pancreatic gland dysfunctions, then oyster mushroom intake should be limited or completely abandoned.
How to cook oyster mushrooms?
Skillfully cooked oyster mushroom is not inferior in taste to its forest counterparts - birch boletus, boletus boletus, white. This mushroom is simply universal: it is stewed, fried, salted, boiled soups, marinated, added to sauces, salads. It perfectly sets off the individual taste of meat, combined with game or poultry.
It should be noted that oyster mushroom is not predisposed to long-term storage, however, it is quickly prepared, it does not need to be cleaned, like most mushrooms. As mentioned above, before cooking oyster mushrooms, they must be subjected to heat treatment, i.e. boil it.
A hat is used in food. Legs - less often, as they are more rigid, fibrous. If you decide to use legs for food, then you have to grind them well before cooking. Hats are preferable to cut into medium length or width strips or manually tear into small pieces.
If oyster mushroom is not an independent dish, but part of the recipe, then it must be added almost at the very end of cooking.
If the mushroom is cooked, then it is placed in already boiling salted water previously chopped. The cooking process lasts approximately 15-20 minutes. Cooking is not necessary before stewing. If the mushrooms are pickled, then they are boiled with spicy spices, vinegar for at least 25 minutes.
Like any mushroom, oyster mushroom loves the company of onions, they are fried in butter or vegetable oil for 8-10 minutes. For the preparation of salads or appetizers, mushrooms are pre-fried, boiled or extracted from the marinade, added to other ingredients. Mushrooms harmoniously fit into the dishes of traditional cuisine, worthy of itself in complex exotic recipes.
There is an opinion that oyster mushroom is not combined with fish.
Oyster mushrooms in batter - recipe
These delicious “chops” are prepared like this: carefully cut off the largest hats from a bunch of mushrooms. Wash thoroughly. Gently beat off with a wooden hammer, as if to align them.
Important: beat off from the side of the plates.
To salt.
Cook batter. I took 2 eggs, 2 tables. tablespoons grated hard cheese, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of cream, 2 tablespoons. tablespoons of flour, salt. Beat batter.
Carefully dip the oyster mushroom hats in batter, put in a preheated pan with vegetable oil, fry on low heat for about 10 minutes, then increase the heat, fry until golden brown.
Oyster mushroom bought or grown by hand will not be eaten by worms or slugs. Perhaps she will not have such a flavor as her forest counterparts, but it will definitely be cleaner, safer. Before harvesting and use, the benefits and harms of oyster mushrooms must be taken into account, since health, well-being are the most important thing for a person.