The first thing that you should know about button mushrooms is that you can usually find button mushrooms at a variety of grocery stores. Button mushrooms are classified as part of the Agaricus Bisporus mushroom species, but not all members of this species are called button mushrooms. If you find a small and white Agaricus Bisporus mushroom, then you have found a button mushroom. The best way to get button mushrooms is to pick them when the mushroom is still quite young. The cap of the mushroom should still be closed at this point. One more thing that makes button mushrooms different is that they are the most commonly grown mushroom in the United States.
Characteristics of Button Mushrooms
The button mushroom should have no marks or discolorations. The stems on their bottoms should not be hard, either. You have likely heard that cremini, button, and portobello mushrooms are all different types of mushrooms at some point. However, this is not actually the case. Cremini, button, and portobello mushrooms are actually all the same type of mushroom. Button mushrooms are simply the youngest version of this type of mushroom, which then develops into a cremini mushroom and eventually matures into a portobello mushroom. Button mushrooms get their name because of their size.
How Are Button Mushrooms Used?
The first step in using button mushrooms for any purpose is to either wipe any dirt off of them or simply wash them. If you are planning on washing button mushrooms before you use them, you should wash them right before you are going to cook or serve the button mushrooms. Another thing that you should know about using button mushrooms in any dish is that you should slice them right before you are planning on using them. One common use of button mushrooms is to can them in water or pack or pickle them using oil and vinegar.
Another use of button mushrooms that is quite common is to use them as a topping on individual pizzas. It is easy to use button mushrooms as a pizza topping thanks to their smaller size. You could also add the button mushrooms to a salad for more flavor or even use them to complement a stir-fried dish if you so wish. One more way that you could use mushrooms is with rice-based dishes to add some extra flavor.
If you're a big fan of Italian food, you might like to use button mushrooms alongside whichever pasta dish is your favorite. You could even combine button mushrooms with steamed vegetables if you are looking to eat only vegetables at a certain time or make a vegetable-based dish. You could use button mushrooms in a delicious roast, too, that includes both meat and vegetables.
If you like to make stews or casseroles on a regular basis, button mushrooms are a great addition to any stew or casserole. You could use button mushrooms in a soup, too. Add flavor to your barbecue or grill recipe with button mushrooms, as well.
