Food

A Guide to Properly Cook your Shrooms

People find magic mushrooms appealing for several reasons. The first reason is their psychedelic properties. Next is its possible therapeutic uses. These happen to be two good reasons why people gravitate towards them. But among its different qualities, the taste is not an appealing characteristic.

You could say that the entire experience of eating a magic mushroom leaves much to be desired. This is because they don’t taste great at all. Among different descriptions, people who tried it have a consensus. They say and agree that it tastes like dirt or is very bitter.

When it comes to the whole magic mushroom experience, it must be as pleasant as it can be throughout. This helps ensure that you have as good of a trip as possible. So, it only makes sense that even your consumption experience is as pleasant as it can be for you. Otherwise, it could only negatively impact the way your trip will go.

However, there are still those who want to make it more palatable. Some have grown accustomed to its taste or don’t mind it at all. At times, people would even look for ways to make the eating experience more pleasant. That way, they can start their entire psychedelic trip on a good note. Fortunately, there are ways to do this for those looking to add a gastronomic touch to their shrooms.

You don’t have to settle for that unpleasant taste if you’re looking to trip. Instead, you need to be a little creative. Let’s tap into your inner gourmet and try cooking with magic mushrooms! You don’t only have to eat shrooms to trip! This will also give a different culinary experience!

Cooking the Mushrooms

The whole topic of whether you should cook your magic mushrooms is contentious. Some say that cooking shrooms would destroy the psilocybin in the mushrooms. This will make it less potent or even completely ineffective. But others would argue that cooking the mushrooms won’t affect their psilocybin content.

As of now, the claim that cooking shrooms will destroy their psilocybin is mainly anecdotal. But notable figures in the psilocybin world have spoken. They claimed that it wouldn’t affect potency much when shrooms are cooked. This means that there are still a lot of studies to be done to see if this is true.

With that in mind, the question shifts from “can you cook magic mushrooms” to “how do you cook magic mushrooms.” You’ll be surprised to know that there are a lot of ways you can do that.

What Do You Have In Mind?

chef looking at a pan

Considering your preferences is our first step. This is good before you think about cooking your shrooms. How do you want to prepare your shrooms? What kind of flavor are you going for? What’s your skill level when it comes to cooking? These are some questions you could ask yourself before you start. It will boil down to your answer. This will largely influence how you go about cooking your shrooms. 

While there is a right way to go about cooking things, there’s no one way to go about eating your shrooms. A big part of how you want to eat them would revolve around your food preferences. For example, some people love having savory dishes. Others, on the other hand, prefer to have sweet treats.

Aside from your preferences, you also have to consider your cook skill level. While there are several fantastic mushroom recipes out there, some might be hard for you to do. Some recipes require the appropriate skills to be accomplished. Of course, there’s always room to learn. But, if you aren’t that skilled and want to play it safe, there are also more straightforward and accessible recipes for you to try.

Once these details are sorted out, you are almost set. You are one step closer to getting started making a tasty shroom treat! 

Ingredients That Go Well With Mushrooms

You could first consider what ingredients go well with your mushrooms if you need a start. Let’s take risotto as an example. Portobello mushrooms can go well with some olive oil and sea salt. When it comes to magic mushrooms, they also have pairings. But magic mushrooms are a little more versatile, unlike your regular mushrooms.

fresh sliced lemons

Several great recipes that make use of magic mushrooms result from experimentation. This includes anecdotes recommending what goes with what. People have made all kinds of dishes. It ranges from risotto and pasta to desserts and smoothies. But there are a few common ingredients that compliment the taste of the shrooms. This is to say that there are many mushroom recipes available.

One good complement for the flavor of shrooms would be any citrus fruit, such as berries and lemons. The acidity of these citrusy ingredients can affect shrooms in two ways. Either it significantly reduces its earthy taste. The other one is that it would mask it completely. This alone can help make it more palatable. Along with that, adding some ginger can also help. This will reduce the possible upset stomach shrooms can cause.

Another ingredient you can pair up with shrooms is chocolate. It so happens that the flavor profile of chocolate complements that of shrooms very well. Dark chocolate is one perfect example. Its bold, earthy flavor works very well with the taste of shrooms. What’s more, you won’t notice the shroom taste with this combination! It will give you a delectable psychedelic treat!

Chocolate, citrus fruit, and ginger are three ingredients that can even go together. These three could give you an excellent place to start for making some shroom treats!

How do I prepare mushrooms for cooking?

Of course, one of the essential ingredients for any of these recipes would be your shrooms. But how does one prepare their mushrooms? So, it only fits that you prepare your mushrooms before you throw them into your dish.

dried shrooms in a jar
Image Source: reddit.com

If you need to forage for your mushrooms, several steps must be taken. This is to make sure your shrooms are ready for cooking. Not only does this mean they need to be clean, but they also have to be in a condition that will fit the needs of your recipe.

So, once you’ve come home from picking your mushrooms, you’ll have to wash off any residual dirt. After you’ve washed them, it’s time to leave them to dry. You can put them on a fresh paper towel and let them air dry. Be sure to check on them periodically to see if they’re dry to the touch.

After about a day or two, they’ll be bone dry. After they’ve dried, please put them in a dehydrator or a jar filled with desiccant. Then, you can either store them for later or prepare them for your recipe.

Recipes can call for different shroom preparations. Some of them would need whole shrooms, which can either be dried or fresh. But, if you don’t like having whole shrooms, you could also chop them up into smaller pieces. That way, you’ll still be able to have chunks of shrooms to chew on.

Then, there’s also the option of grinding them into powder. With this preparation, you can choose two ways. You can either sprinkle it over the dish or along with other ingredients.

Things to Remember When You Cook Mushrooms

Before diving into making your mushroom treats, it would be good to keep a few things in mind.

Dosage

You must be mindful of the amount you put in the food. This is still a psychedelic ingredient, after all. It’s only suitable if you have the amount that’s right for you. Having too much can be overwhelming and give you a bad trip.

If you’re unsure what amount would be good for you, starting with a small amount is always safer. That way, you’re at least safe from having a bad trip and its effects. Once you’ve figured that out, you can then increase your dosage little by little.

Cook Carefully

If you find a recipe that requires cooking your shrooms, make sure you cook it as any other dish. This means explicitly not to burn your ingredients, especially your shrooms.

Right now, it is still debatable whether heat destroys psilocybin. But it is still best to be cautious. So, be careful with the heat. If you need to, keep the heat to medium. Also, ensure you don’t keep it on the stove too long. If anything, you save yourself from a burnt dish and from wasting your mushrooms.

chocolate truffles

Start Simple

If you’re not that skilled in the kitchen, don’t worry. You can always start with more straightforward preparations. Chocolate truffles are an excellent place to start, as the recipe is simple and easy enough to do. Once you start getting the hang of being in the kitchen, you can begin branching out into other dishes.

Conclusion

Magic mushrooms aren’t the most pleasant thing to eat as they taste a lot like dirt. While some people don’t mind the taste, others think it just gives a bad start to your shroom trip. Fortunately, it doesn’t always have to be this way.

Because of how bad shrooms can taste, many people decided to try and get more creative with how to eat them. As a result, there are now several mushroom dishes and recipes people can follow. This is to enhance their entire shroom trip experience. These dishes not only make shrooms more palatable, but they also help you start your trip on a good note.

Take a look at some of the shroom recipes out there! You could find something you like! This will surely help you look in your shroom journey.

Show More

Related Articles

Back to top button