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These mushrooms are not found in the forest very often. But if you’re lucky enough to find them, the mushroom picker will fill the basket very quickly. We are talking about oyster mushrooms. This mushroom has many varieties that grow in temperate climate zones. Most of them choose dead wood for their habitat, from which they absorb the cellulose they need. They can also settle on weakened, dying trees.
Description of oyster mushroom
This lamellar mushroom most likes to grow on deciduous trees: willow, birch, aspen, oak, rowan. It resembles an oyster in shape, so one of its varieties has another name - oyster mushroom. It can grow in large colonies, reaching 30 cm in diameter by old age.
You can determine the age of an oyster mushroom by the color of its cap: the older it is, the lighter it is. This applies to the most common oyster mushroom, which has a dark brown color. Its relative, the late oyster mushroom, has a lighter cap.
There are oyster mushrooms with very extreme colors: lemon or elm ones live in the Far East, and pink ones live only in humid and hot climates. In temperate climates, in addition to oyster and late oyster mushrooms, you can find pulmonary mushrooms, which grow only on larch. Her hat is very light. Steppe oyster mushroom grows in the south. She, in the absence of trees, settles on the roots and stems of umbrella plants.
In most oyster mushrooms, the stem and cap are fused so that it is difficult to determine where one ends and the other begins. Sometimes the stem is completely absent, and the cap is attached directly to the tree, and very firmly. The only exception is the royal oyster mushroom, which has a thick, rather long stem and a cap up to 12 cm in diameter.
By the way, this is the most delicious variety of all mushrooms of this species. The flesh of all oyster mushrooms is white, as are the spore plates.
Several species are classified as conditionally edible, but after a short boiling they are quite edible.
They can be used for all types of culinary processing: boiling, frying, pickling and salting.
These mushrooms can be collected in spring, and they bear fruit until December.
When the temperature in winter is above plus five degrees, oyster mushrooms begin to grow, so during a strong thaw it is quite possible to go into the forest to pick mushrooms.
This mushroom is easy to grow even at home, its industrial production is widely developed, and it is almost always on sale.
This circumstance should be used and more often included in the menu of dishes from it, since the mushroom has considerable benefits. It is due to the composition of oyster mushrooms.
What beneficial nutrients are contained in oyster mushrooms?
- It contains 3.3% protein, which includes 10 essential amino acids.
- Dietary fiber contained in 100 g of oyster mushrooms is 0.1 of a person’s daily requirement.
- Varied vitamin composition. Vitamins of group B and PP are present in quantities significant for health. Oyster mushrooms contain ergocalciferol, or vitamin D2, which is rarely found in foods, as well as vitamin D.
- Rich mineral composition. It contains especially a lot of potassium, phosphorus and copper, and there are quite rare selenium and zinc.
- Unsaturated Omega-6 fatty acid and saturated fatty acids are vital for humans.
- It contains the antibiotic plurotin, which has an antitumor and anti-inflammatory effect.
- This mushroom contains the antiallergen lovastatin.
Benefits of oyster mushrooms
Such a rich composition allows these mushrooms to be used not only as a valuable food product, but also as a medicinal product. Here is a list of health problems for which oyster mushroom will provide invaluable help.
- Problems with bowel cleansing.
- Hypertension and problems with the cardiovascular system.
- Atherosclerosis.
- Myopia or farsightedness.
- Oncological diseases.
- Allergy.
- Infestation by round helminths.
Due to the presence of many healing substances in oyster mushroom, it helps in the following cases.
- Removes salts of heavy metals and radionuclides. Therefore, it is included in the menu of people receiving radiation courses for the treatment of cancer.
- Breaks down cholesterol plaques and normalizes lipid metabolism.
- Frees the body from toxins by absorbing and removing them.
- It is a good prophylactic for the prevention of liver diseases, gastritis and ulcers in various parts of the digestive system. Oyster mushroom can cure them at an early stage.
- Calorie content of only 33 kcal per 100 g of product allows it to be used as food for those who want to reduce their weight.
- It is able to fight bacteria, including E. coli, not only due to the antibiotic content, but also benzaldehyde, which is known for its antibacterial properties.
- Oyster mushrooms contain a unique antioxidant, ergothianeine, which has not yet been found in other foods. Therefore, the mushroom increases immunity, improves the functioning of all organs and systems, and reduces the risk of cancer. Polysaccharides contained in mushrooms also increase immunity. They stimulate the thymus gland, which is responsible for the state of the human immune system.
- A considerable amount of phosphorus helps normalize calcium metabolism, improves the condition of nails, hair and joints.
- Strengthens the nervous system, improves sleep quality.
- Tincture of oyster mushrooms with alcohol heals even old ulcers.
- The antiallergen lovastatin not only relieves allergic reactions. Recent studies have shown that it is effective in the treatment of serious diseases such as multiple sclerosis and traumatic brain injuries.
- Vitamin D, of which these mushrooms contain double the daily requirement, prevents tooth decay and normalizes blood sugar, preventing the development of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
But even such a truly medicinal mushroom cannot be eaten by everyone.
Harm and contraindications of oyster mushrooms
Oyster mushroom, like all mushrooms, contains chitin, which is harmful to humans in large quantities.
Mushrooms are necessarily subjected to heat treatment, which increases their absorption by 70%.
There are other reasons that limit the use of this mushroom. This is a heavy food for the stomach; its consumption should be limited to older people and completely excluded from the menu for young children and pregnant women. Those who have serious problems with the kidneys, liver and gastrointestinal tract should not get carried away with oyster mushroom dishes. And they are absolutely contraindicated for persons with individual intolerance to this product.
It is clear that we are talking only about benign mushrooms collected in accordance with all the rules. They should not be stored longer than expected - no more than five days in the refrigerator. They also need to be prepared correctly. First, the mushrooms are boiled for 15 minutes, and then any dishes are prepared from them. You need to boil oyster mushrooms if you decide to pickle them. These mushrooms cannot be salted raw.
Everything should be done in moderation. In order for these medicinal mushrooms to bring only benefits, they must be consumed in compliance with all the rules and in accordance with the recommendations of doctors.
