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mushroom base and soup

Real mushrooms, real mushroom flavor.

mushroom base

2014-06-10 a.o.

Mushrooms are used in many recipes and it's always useful to have some on hand without having to cook mushrooms first. Mushroom base can be used as an ingredient for a multitude of vegetable recipes, soups and sauces.

Here in the Deming, a NM food desert, it's just about impossible to get white button mushrooms. By the time they arrive at the store, they are usually already severely bruised and brown in those bruises. I considered myself so lucky when I found some mostly white ones that I bought 10 lbs. of them to make this mushroom base.

Even when made with lesser-quality mushrooms, this is a lot better than canned cream of mushroom soup.
Plain mushroom base looks dirty-brown. Compared to the bright white of canned cream of mushroom, some might feel that doesn't look very appetizing. Regardless what kind of mushrooms are used, cooking will turn even the whitest mushrooms brown. Simmering or braising mushrooms at lower temperatures leaves them a lighter color than sautéing or pan-frying. Adding cream will lighten the color.  

• If you are going to use them for sauces, the white button mushrooms aka Champignon de Paris should not be washed. They'll absorb too much water and make the sauce too runny. For soups, it doesn't matter.
• Baby Portobello mushrooms should always  be washed. Unless you want the soup or sauce to turn an ugly purplish-black. remove the gills on the inside of the cap.

Stock up while the fresh mushrooms are on sale, it will make it worth your while. It doesn’t take that much more time to prepare 10 pounds than just the one, so go ahead. Mushroom base freezes well for later use, both for soups and sauces.

UPDATE:
Since I started doing this, I discovered that blending the mushrooms before cooking them greatly enhances the mushroom flavor compared to when cooked first.

INGREDIENTS

This is what you need for 6 quarts:

• 10 lb. white button mushrooms
• S&P

Pic1: pureed mushroom base

Directions

• Clean the mushrooms by rubbing or cutting away all dirt and damaged parts.
  If feasible at all, do not wash. The mushrooms will absorb a lot of water.
  
• Slice the mushrooms.
• Transfer to a medium skillet with 1 cup of water.
  Alternatively, stew in butter for a richer flavor and creamier texture.
• Heat and simmer 15 minutes.
• The mushrooms will shrink to half their sizes and release a large volume of liquid. (= mushroom liquor)
• Optional:
  • Puree part or all of the mushrooms. (Pic1)
• Sauces prepared with a blended mushroom base often do not require further thickening.
• Add S&P to taste if for immediate use.
  For long-term storage I do not add seasoning, to avoid potential double-dipping.

These creamed ( = pureed) mushrooms is the base that you can use as starter for many mushroom recipes.

• Freeze in 1 lb. portions for soups.
  Unblended mushrooms seem to get chewy when cooked again after freezing.
• Pour the liquor or the blended mushrooms in ice cube freezer forms.
• Store the frozen cubes in Ziploc bags, good for small quantities for sauces or just to add some mushroom flavor to a dish.

 

• For mushroom base:
  • Optional:
    •  brown the onion in butter and olive oil.
    • Sauté the mushrooms in a medium skillet.
  • Alternatively: cook the mushrooms in a small amount of water for a lighter color.
    
  • Simmer for 15 minutes.
    The mushrooms will shrink, turn dark and will release a lot of liquid ( = mushroom liquor)  which can also be used to flavor soups and sauces.
  • Optional:
    •  Use a blender to liquefy part or all of the mushrooms. (Pic3)
      It takes a while to get very smoothly creamed mushrooms.
• For sauces:
  • After blending, simmer over low heat to dry the mixture until very thick.

•  

  Pic2: load the pot
  Pic3: simmer
  Pic4: mushroom base
• For freezing:
  • Pack this concentrated mushroom base in freeze-proof containers, freeze, then repackage, vacuum-seal when frozen. Mark the bags with date and content. (Pic3)

 

 

storage

Pic5: strain = mushroom liquor, very good for soups and sauces
Pic6: ready for storage
Pic7: partially blended

 

Pic8: fully blended
Pic9: for the freezer
Pic10: pickled mushrooms

 

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mushroom soup

Any soup that has mushrooms as a main ingredient can be called mushroom soup.

INGREDIENTS

This is what you need for 4 servings:

• 1 lb. button mushrooms, cleaned, sliced
• 1 onion, chopped fine
• 1 tbsp. each butter and olive oil
• S&P
• Optional:
  • 1 onion, chopped fine
  • 1 cup heavy cream

Pic1: mushrooms darken when cooked

Directions

2016-04-07

Pic2: champignons de Paris
Pic3: sliced
Pic4: stewed

• For soup:
  • Add up to double the amount of water or stock, S&P to taste.
  • Bring to near-boil.
  • Option #1:
    • Add other vegetables. Do not blend
  • Option #2:
    •  Use a stick blender to liquefy part or all of the mushrooms. (Pic1)
      It takes a while to get a very smooth creamed mushroom soup.
    • Stir heavy cream to taste into each bowl.
  • Serve immediately.

 

Mushroom base for freezing:

• Pack the concentrated mushroom base in freeze-proof containers, freeze, then repackage, vacuum-seal when frozen. Mark the bags with date and content.
• I do not add S&P when I make mushroom base for freezing.
  Adding salt now makes freezing more difficult, and increases the chance of double-dosing when using it later.
• Do not freeze whole or sliced mushrooms. They tend to get rubbery chewy.

 

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