Puffball mushrooms are a tasty, adaptable wild edible mushroom that is a true delicacy for food lovers, but have you ever wondered what to do with them?
If you’re lucky, you might be able to find these wild edible mushrooms at your neighborhood farmers market. They can grow to be quite large. You can find them in meadows, the edges of forests, and fields in the late summer or early fall.
They are wonderful thinly sliced and coated in egg mixture and panko and simply pan-fried, but you can easily use them in your favorite recipes that call for mushrooms. They have an earthy taste and firm texture.
Despite the fact that puffball mushrooms are relatively simple to identify, always be 100% certain about the mushrooms you are picking unless you have experience with mushroom foraging.
This chicken parmesan-inspired recipe, called Puffball Parmesan by Forager Chef, is made up of breaded, fried puffball mushrooms that are then topped with homemade tomato sauce, bechamel, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese.
These fried crispy Puffball Patties by Kitchen Frau are made with shredded puffball mushrooms, green peas, parsley, and spices and can be eaten as a mushroom burger or served with your favorite dipping sauce.
Using a 1 1/2 inch slice of puffball, brush liberally with a mixture of olive oil and fresh garlic. Place on the grill at medium heat and cook until golden brown and about 3/4 inches thick. You can cook it less or more but overcooking will result in a tough less palatable finished dish.
Grilled Puffball Mushroom [WHAT I THOUGHT] | The Green Acre
Puffball Mushroom Pizza 🔗
Giant puffball mushrooms are easily identifiable, widely distributed, and delicious. They pop up during late summer and early fall in timber, meadows, fields, and even yards across much of North America. If you find a large (anywhere from the size of a baseball to bigger than a basketball), white…
Ingredients:
- 1 giant puffball mushroom
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 cup pizza sauce (either homemade or store bought)
- 4 cups shredded mozzarella (more if you like your pizza cheesy)
- Pizza toppings of your choice
Instruction:
- Preheat oven or pellet grill to 425 degrees. Slice a large puffball mushroom into ¾-inch-thick rounds. Brush rounds on both sides with olive oil. Lightly coat the tops of rounds with pizza sauce, then sprinkle with shredded mozzarella.
- Add toppings of your choice. We used venison Italian sausage (fully cooked), chopped red peppers, and chopped red onion, but you can use any pizza toppings. Sprinkle with more shredded mozzarella.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and just starting to brown. Remove from oven or grill and let cool for 5-10 minutes.
FAQ
Are puffball mushroom healthy?
Recent studies have shown that puffball has a limiting effect on pain and inflammation, but the precise mechanism underlying this action is still unknown. Puffball is a common Chinese medicine of edible and medicinal fungus, which promotes hemostasis and muscle regeneration.
What does puffball mushroom taste like?
If you’re lucky enough to live in an area where they’re sold, you can pick up one at the store. Some say they have no real taste of their own and just absorb the flavors around them like tofu. Others have described their taste as rich, earthy, and nutty.
Do puffballs need to be peeled?
The interior tissue must be soft, bread-like, and uniformly white for a puffball to be edible; once the flesh changes color and/or becomes mushy, spores are present; the mushroom is past its prime, no longer edible, and can cause digestive issues.