How to Select Tea Tree Mushrooms? A Few Practical Selection Tips
Everyone loves fresh, tender mushrooms; besides being delicious, they are also highly nutritious. But when it comes to picking mushrooms, people often find themselves at a loss, because mushrooms all look pretty much the same, and it is really hard to tell which ones have the best texture. Below, let us take a look at how to select tea tree mushrooms!
How to Select Tea Tree Mushrooms
1. Thick caps: this refers to the caps of tea tree mushrooms. Good caps are not only intact but also suitably thick, similar in size to a small button or an index finger.
2. Thin, short stems: the stems of tea tree mushrooms. Good tea tree mushrooms have stems only about one third to one fourth the size of an index finger; the larger they are, the poorer the quality, and the older they are!
3. Caps that have not opened: this mainly means the cap is round, small and thick, with a white membrane underneath. Caps that have opened are large and flat, with no white membrane underneath!
4. Color: tea tree mushroom, tea tree mushroom, so a tea-brown color is best.
How to Store Tea Tree Mushrooms
First wrap them in a layer of paper, then put them in a plastic bag, and store them in a cool, ventilated, dry place. If refrigerating, be sure to take them out regularly to air them, otherwise they easily become moldy. If they are dried tea tree mushrooms, they can be kept for several months.
How to Eat Tea Tree Mushrooms
1. Tea Tree Mushroom and Old Duck Soup
[Ingredients] 20 grams tea tree mushrooms, 10 grams dried mushrooms, 1 old duck, 2 sections spring bamboo shoots, 20 grams ham, 2 small teaspoons fine salt, 1 small teaspoon monosodium glutamate, an appropriate amount of chopped scallions.
[Method] (1) Soak the tea tree mushrooms and mushrooms in warm water until softened, then remove and wash them, and strain the soaking water for later use. (2) Peel off the outer hard shell of the spring bamboo shoots, cut off the old roots, smash them loose with the back of a knife, and cut into sections. (3) Remove the head, tail, feet and innards of the old duck, wash it clean, and chop it into large pieces. Pour clear water into a pot, bring to a boil over high heat, add the duck pieces and cook for 5 minutes, then remove once the surface changes color. Wash the scallions and cut into sections. Wash the ginger and smash it loose with a knife. (4) Pour the strained mushroom soaking water into a clay pot, add enough clear water again, bring to a boil over high heat, then add the duck pieces, ham slices, scallion sections, ginger pieces, tea tree mushrooms and mushrooms, cover and turn to low heat to simmer for 3 hours. (5) After 3 hours, add the bamboo shoot sections and continue simmering for 20 minutes. Add a little salt before serving to adjust the flavor.
2. Braised Pork with Tea Tree Mushrooms
[Ingredients] pork belly, tea tree mushrooms, rock sugar, soy sauce, cooking wine, salt, star anise, cassia bark, scallions, ginger, dried chili peppers, bay leaves.
[Method] (1) Cut the pork belly into 2-cm cubes. Pour an appropriate amount of oil into a pot and heat to 30% hot, add the rock sugar and stir-fry with a spatula. At this point, turn the heat to medium-low so the rock sugar does not burn. (2) When the rock sugar melts and begins to turn golden yellow, turn the heat to the lowest setting and keep stirring the syrup until the rock sugar is completely melted. When a brownish-red syrup appears in the pot, add the pork belly and keep stir-frying until it takes on color. (3) Add 2 sections of scallion and 2 slices of ginger, drizzle in the cooking wine and soy sauce, and stir-fry the pork belly evenly until fragrant, until the pork belly releases no excess water and the color becomes slightly darker. (4) Add the remaining scallions and ginger, add the dried chili peppers, star anise, cassia bark, bay leaves and other spices, pour in boiling water to cover the pork pieces, bring the liquid to a boil over high heat, then turn to medium-low heat, cover and simmer slowly for 35 minutes, until the pork pieces are done. (5) Add the tea tree mushrooms, mix well, cover and continue to braise for 10 minutes, until the tea tree mushrooms are soft and tender. When the pork pieces are tender and falling apart, turn to high heat and reduce the remaining liquid until dry.
3. Tea Tree Mushrooms with Salted Egg Yolk
[Ingredients] salted egg yolks, eggs, salt, white sugar, starch.
[Method] (1) Wash the tea tree mushrooms, put them in boiling water with salt and cook for 3-5 minutes, remove and drain well, put them in a bowl, add the eggs and mix evenly, then sprinkle with starch and mix well. (2) Set a wok over heat and pour in oil. When the oil is hot, add the coated tea tree mushrooms and deep-fry until golden brown, then remove and drain the oil. Leave a little oil in the wok, add the salted egg yolks with salt and white sugar and stir-fry until broken up, then add the fried tea tree mushrooms, stir-fry evenly and serve.
4. Tea Tree Mushroom and Chicken Soup
[Ingredients] 50 grams dried tea tree mushrooms, cut into short sections, rinsed briefly, and soaked in clear water for about 35 minutes. 400 grams chicken, chopped into small pieces, 10 pitted red dates, 1 candied date, 1 slice ginger.
[Method] Wait until the water in the pot boils, put all the ingredients into the boiling water, cook over high heat for 15 minutes, then over medium heat for 30 minutes.
[Benefits] Reduces fat, clears the stomach and intestines, and has a slimming effect.