"Fungus: On what trees does wood ear mushroom grow? Is it a "stimulating food"? How long after soaking does it become toxic? What symptoms appear after eating it?

Wood ear mushroom has a delicious flavor, can be eaten as a vegetarian or meat dish, and is rich in nutrients. Wood ear mushroom is sweet in taste and neutral in nature, and has many medicinal effects. So, on what trees does wood ear mushroom grow? Is it a "stimulating food"? How long after soaking does it become toxic? What symptoms appear after eating it?

1. On what trees does wood ear mushroom grow?

Wood ear mushroom parasitizes on damp, shady, decaying tree trunks, growing on the decaying wood of more than 120 kinds of broadleaf trees such as oak, poplar, banyan, and pagoda tree, either singly or in clusters. Artificial cultivation is mainly based on basswood logs and bag-cultivated substrate; artificial cultivation uses basswood and bags as the base, and it grows relatively abundantly in damp areas.

2. Is wood ear mushroom a "stimulating food"?

Wood ear mushroom is a "stimulating food"; it belongs to the wind-stirring "stimulating foods": most have the properties of rising and dispersing, scattering qi, and heat, and can cause pathogenic toxins to move about, such as eggplant, wood ear mushroom, pig head meat, eggs, mushrooms, and so on. People with hives, eczema, stroke, diarrhea, and other diseases should not eat it.

3. How long after soaking does it become toxic?

Black wood ear mushroom produces toxic substances after being soaked for a long time. The reason lies in the soaking process; soaking black wood ear mushroom should not be too long, because prolonged soaking leads to the reproduction of a large amount of bacteria, and at this point eating this black wood ear mushroom means it has already become spoiled and deteriorated, which will naturally cause food poisoning. After consumption, mild cases involve vomiting and diarrhea, while severe cases can cause multiple organ failure. Therefore, when people eat black wood ear mushroom, they should soak only as much as they will eat, not soak a lot at once; if the soaking time is relatively long, the water should be changed several times in between. After eating black wood ear mushroom, if there is any discomfort, one should seek medical attention in time and should not take chances.

★ How long does black wood ear mushroom need to be soaked before it becomes toxic

Wood ear mushroom produces toxins after being soaked for a long time, so how long does it need to be soaked before it becomes toxic? You should know that different soaking methods require different amounts of time.

Generally, if the soaking time of wood ear mushroom exceeds 8 hours, the bacteria it contains are already far more than the original number of bacteria, and at this point you should consider avoiding eating this wood ear mushroom.

In fact, although the wood ear mushroom commonly eaten at home is dried, it is also very convenient to soak. Under normal circumstances, soaking in room-temperature water can be completed in at most 1 hour. Of course, if you forget about it while soaking and only remember to eat it a few days later, then that is extremely harmful to your health, and it is best not to eat it to avoid poisoning. It is now summer with high temperatures, and wood ear mushroom spoils very quickly; when the soaking time exceeds 8 hours, the bacteria caused by spoilage will rise to more than ten times or even dozens of times, and toxins are very likely to be produced.

To better soak black wood ear mushroom, take a fresh-keeping box, put an appropriate amount of black wood ear mushroom in it, then pour in an appropriate amount of warm boiled water, cover and seal it, and after 3-5 minutes this way, the wood ear mushroom can be ready. When soaking, you can also pour in some starch, which can help wash away dirt on the wood ear mushroom during cleaning. If it is summer, this time should be shortened even more, because summer is favorable for the reproduction of bacteria and the production of toxins.

4. What symptoms appear after eating wood ear mushroom that has been soaked for too long?

If you accidentally eat wood ear mushroom that has already been soaked for a long time and your body does not show discomfort such as vomiting, abdominal pain, or diarrhea, then generally there is no need to worry too much; on the contrary, if discomfort such as vomiting or diarrhea appears, you must seek medical attention in time for treatment, and you should know that severe cases may cause organ failure and threaten life safety.