portobello mushroom
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What is a portobello mushroom?
The portobello mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) is a widely cultivated, edible fungus commonly consumed worldwide. It is sold under various names and maturities in brown, white, and off-white forms and is found naturally in grasslands globally.
The colors and sizes of portobello mushrooms are enjoyed for their umami-rich flavor and agreeable texture. They can be eaten fresh on salads but are more commonly grilled or sautéed. They are also used in soups or as a pizza topping, and larger caps can be stuffed and cooked. Large portobellos can be served whole as steaks or burgers, and all forms of the mushroom are a common meat substitute in vegetarian dishes. They are sold fresh or canned, sliced or whole.
Portobello mushrooms are a source of B vitamins, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, and copper. Wild or cultivated mushrooms exposed to sunlight or ultraviolet light are a decent source of vitamin D.
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What does a portobello mushroom look like?
The culinary portobello mushroom is the largest cultivated mushroom, with a brown, slightly flaky cap that grows to 10–15 cm (4–6 inches) in diameter when fully mature. At full maturity, the cap is nearly flat, revealing fully developed dark brown gills underneath. Compared to other forms, mature portobello mushrooms have less water, a firmer, meatier texture, and a more developed flavor. They are sometimes marketed as giant cremini or ports.
Other forms of the mushroom are harvested when they are 2.5 to 7.5 cm (1 to 3 inches) across. These round mushrooms are generally tightly closed before the cap has flattened, though occasionally they have an open veil and some exposed gills on the underside. Brown mushrooms at this stage of maturity are milder and have a higher water content than culinary portobellos and are sold variously as cremini, baby bella mushrooms, Swiss brown mushrooms, or Italian mushrooms.
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How is a portobello mushroom different from a regular white mushroom?
The portobello mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) is the largest cultivated mushroom, harvested at full maturity when its cap measures 10–15 cm. At this stage, the cap is nearly flat with fully developed dark brown gills. Mature portobellos have less water content, a firm, meaty texture, and a more developed flavor.
The common white mushroom is the most immature form of the same species and has the mildest taste. Its cap is very round and almost always has a closed veil with no visible gills. The pure white form is a result of a chance mutation discovered in the 1920s.
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In what ways are portobello mushrooms commonly used in cooking?
Portobello mushrooms are popular for their rich umami flavor and texture and are used in various culinary applications. They can be eaten fresh in salads but are more often grilled or sautéed. Portobellos can also be added to soups or used as a pizza topping, and their large caps make them suitable for stuffing and cooking.
Large portobellos can be served as steaks or burgers, offering a vegetarian meat substitute. These mushrooms are sold fresh or canned, either sliced or whole. Mature portobello mushrooms have less water content than other forms and are slightly drier when cooked.
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What kind of nutrition do portobello mushrooms provide?
Portobello mushrooms are widely cultivated, edible fungi with an umami-rich flavor and agreeable texture. They are commonly consumed and can be eaten fresh, grilled, or sauteed. They are often used in soups, as pizza toppings, or as meat substitutes in vegetarian dishes.
Portobello mushrooms provide B vitamins, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, and copper. When exposed to ultraviolet light, they produce vitamin D2. Mushrooms are also free of cholesterol and contain small amounts of essential amino acids.
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How do growers cultivate portobello mushrooms?
Commercial portobello mushroom production occurs in rooms or warehouses that maintain a temperature between 15.5 and 21 °C (60 and 70 °F) and a humidity of 65 to 80 percent.
As saprotrophs, they require nutrient-rich substrates. Commercial composts often consist of straw, gypsum, horse manure, dried poultry litter, and canola meal, blended with water and pasteurized. Producers propagate specific strains using grain spawn, which are grains inoculated with the desired spores. These are mixed with the compost, and after several weeks, the mycelium is established.
After five or six weeks, the mycelium can be manipulated into producing mushrooms by adjusting the oxygen, temperature, and humidity levels, a process known as “pinning.” Tiny pinhead mushrooms become visible and double in size nearly every day. When they reach the proper size, they are harvested by hand and placed in shipping boxes to minimize handling. Each growing room typically produces three “breaks” of mushrooms over several weeks before it is reset for another production cycle.
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portobello mushroom, (Agaricus bisporus), widely cultivated edible mushroom. One of the most commonly consumed mushrooms in the world, the fungus is sold under a variety of names and at various stages of maturity in brown, white, and off-white forms. It is found naturally in grasslands around the world and is grown commercially in many countries.
The various colors and sizes of the portobello mushroom are enjoyed for their umami-rich flavor and agreeable texture. The fungi can be eaten fresh atop a salad but are more commonly grilled or sautéed. They are also used in soups or as a pizza topping, and larger caps can be stuffed and cooked. Large portobellos can be served whole as steaks or burgers, and all forms of the mushroom are a common meat substitute in vegetarian dishes. They are sold fresh or canned, sliced or whole.
Portobello mushrooms are a source of B vitamins, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, and copper. Wild mushrooms or cultivated mushrooms that have been exposed to sunlight or another source of ultraviolet light are a decent source of vitamin D; a substance in the mushrooms, known as ergosterol, produces vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) only when exposed to ultraviolet light.
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- Kingdom: Fungi
- Division: Basidiomycota
- Order: Agaricales
- Family: Agaricaceae
- Genus: Agaricus
See also list of fungi
Cultivation
Commercial production of portobello mushrooms is typically carried out in specially designed rooms or warehouses that maintain the temperature between 15.5 and 21 °C (60 and 70 °F) and keep the humidity between 65 and 80 percent. Historically, portobello mushroom cultivation was frequently carried out in caves, tunnels, or abandoned quarries with similar temperatures and humidity. As saprotrophs, the fungi require nutrient-rich substrates to meet their nutritional needs. Commercial composts vary but are often composed of straw, gypsum, horse manure, dried poultry litter, and canola meal, and these materials are then blended together with water and pasteurized. Producers typically propagate specific strains by using grain spawn, which are grains inoculated with the desired spores. These can be mixed directly with the prepared compost or first started on agar and then transferred. After several weeks the threadlike mycelium is established throughout the compost, at which point many growers then apply a layer of moisture-rich soil or peat moss on top.
After five or six weeks the mycelium can be manipulated into producing its fruiting bodies, the mushrooms, by adjusting the oxygen, temperature, and humidity levels in the room, a process known as “pinning.” After a few days of these altered conditions, tiny pinhead mushrooms become visible on the surface of the layer of soil and double in size nearly every day. When they reach the proper size for their type and form, they are harvested by hand and placed directly in the shipping boxes to minimize handling. Each growing room typically produces three “breaks” of mushrooms over several weeks before it is reset for another production cycle.
Types and forms
The largest of all cultivated mushrooms, the standard culinary portobello is harvested at full maturity when the brown, slightly flaky cap measures 10–15 cm (4–6 inches) across. At this point the cap is nearly flat, and its underside reveals fully developed dark brown gills. Mature portobello mushrooms have less water content than other forms and are slightly drier when cooked. They have a firm somewhat meaty texture and a more developed flavor. They are sometimes sold as giant cremini or ports (short for portobellos).
Other forms of the mushroom are harvested when they are 2.5 to 7.5 cm (1 to 3 inches) across. Selected before the cap has flattened, these round mushrooms are generally tightly closed, though occasionally they have an open veil and some exposed gills on the underside. Brown mushrooms at this stage of maturity are milder and have a higher water content than culinary portobellos and are sold variously as cremini, baby bella mushrooms, Swiss brown mushrooms, or Italian mushrooms.
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The common white mushroom, or button mushroom, is the most immature of the three forms and has the mildest taste. Like the brown cremini, the cap is very round and almost always has a closed veil with no visible gills. Some strains have a smooth cap while others are somewhat scaly. While the wild portobello mushroom is light brown at this stage of its life cycle, the pure white form is the result of a chance mutation. Louis Ferdinand Lambert discovered the pale aberration on his Pennsylvania mushroom farm in the 1920s. A skilled mycologist, he isolated and cultivated the white mushroom and soon found that it was well received as a novel food item. One of the first mass growers of mushrooms in the United States, Lambert had also created a method of propagating mushrooms from pure spore lines and was thus able to market his new strain to growers across the country. The common white mushroom remains the most popular mushroom in the United States.