Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1921-06-24

at food by many people. The mn.
uitlSe value Of mushrooms Is low, but
they may be prepared In various ways
which render them delicious. More
people doubtless would seek Wild
mushrooms aud other fungi II they
were sufficiently informed to distin-
gulsh between the edible and the
deadly poisonous eruwths, Some very
erfntic and dangerous ideas eaneern.
ing ways of telling tho edible from
the poisonous growths ARE altogether
too commonly believed Mushrooms
are Frequently thought OF es edible
and teadsleols az poisonous. A
matter of faet. the United States De-
partment OF Agriculture states, the
words mushroom" and "toadstoot are
used tndlscrlmlnAtely and do NOT In
dieaie whether the plants nro edible
or poisonous.
Silver Coin Test Ia valueIess.
4 test for poisonous mushrooms
often recommended IL based on the
belief TINT II silver coin placed In
the utcnsil In which mushrooms are
cooked furnishes. the mushrooms are
poisonous Absolutely no reliance can
be placed on this test. as both poison
GUS and edible kinds may turn silver
dark. Equally baseless Is the belief
that n mushroom Ii shown 20 be edi-
Bile II the skin can be peeled from
the cap readily. because peellnT Ia
possible with many poisonous species.
The notion that soaking or boiling
poisonous mushrooms In salt water
will render them harmless has no
foundation. 10 fact Some people
have thought that the presence Of I'm
seets ON mushrooms Ii n proof Of their
edibility. This Is n dangerous suppo-
sition. because insects inf.st the most
poisonous ms well M the best edibl.
species of fungi
The collector OF mushrooms cannot
depend upon any simple test II he
intends 10 use them for food. ha must
kfsow what he Is gathering, IL la n
comparatively simple matter TO learn
to recognize few kinds of deadly
mushrooms and certain edible ones.
II he Will gnther only the kinds that
are we'll known TO him, a careful col
leetor need not be afraid to gather
Wild fungi for food lie should not
be nfsled by attractive colors or plens-
mt odors Ia Farmers bulletin 7lhl
Some Common and Poisonous Mush-
rooms. directions for identifying the
poisonous md edible kinds nre given.
Recipes for Cooking Mushrooms.
According To the views OF many per-
sons. mushrooms are best cooked sim.
ply. with no seasoning bur butter, pep
per. aud snit The addition Of snri-
Gus other seasonings lmpnirs the del
icafe mushroom flavor. However.
tastes differ, and the opportunity of
choice or experiment IL afforded by
the recipes which follow.
The caps should be carefully
washed, gill side down, but peeling
Is not always necessary and Involves
a considerable waste of time and loss
of flavor. Unless the stems are ex-
tremely tough they can be used after
being cut into small bits and stewed.
or, even II tough, after long boiling
they can be run through n sieve aud
made into n soup or sanee.
Wild mushrooms should be cooked
soon after collecting, as they are then
preserved much better than II Kept
uncooked. even IN a refrigerator.
Fried Mushrooms.
Beat the yolk Of aD egg with tabie-
spoonful Of water and season with
pepper and salt. Dip each cap In this
and then dip into fine cracker crumbs
or corn meal. Have butter or cooking
oil very hot In "A frying pan. Fry slow
~ on each side for five minutes. A
sauce can be made by thIekenlng with
-four and adding milk or cream. IL
desired, serve on toast. A smsoth
tomato sauce r. also excellent.
Mushrooms Baked With Tomatoes.
In baking dish arrange small round
slices of bnttered toast; upon each
piece place a rather thin slice Of peeled
tomato, saIted and peppered; upon
each slice OF tomato place a fine, thick
mushroom. gin side up; In the center
OF each mushroom put generous
piece Of butter; season with pepper
and salt. Cover the dish and bake In
hot sven for ten minutes; then UNI
cover and bake for an additional to
10 minutes, as the mushrooms appear
to require.
GRAINED Mushrooms
Cut the mushrooms into small pieces
stew slowly IN butter until tender. add
cream or milk. pepper. and salt. and
thicken with -four.
Peppers Stuffed With Mushrooms.
Cut The stern end Of the peppers and
carefully remove all seeds and the
white membrane; chop or break the
mushrooms into small pieces, season
with pepper and salt press firmly into
the peppers, and put good-slzed lump
~ butter on top Of each, The water
tdhering to the mushrooms after wash