What To Look For When Shopping For Wild Mushrooms

Mushrooms are a tough purchase. When reaching the mushroom section of a grocery store, shoppers are often met with many variations — and variations of those variations. Though choosing different kinds of mushrooms can significantly alter the taste and texture of a given dish they're added to, picking the best quality bunch of mushrooms is arguably more important. You don't want to slice slimy fungi, nor sauté dried-out mushrooms.

Chef Rob Rubba, named James Beard Foundation's 2023 Outstanding Chef, leads the Michelin-starred Oyster Oyster which was named Restaurant of the Year in 2022 by Food & Wine, BNC, & Esquire. Rubba gave us his tips for how to select the perfect mushrooms. "I make sure the mushrooms are not too dry (woody) or too wet," he told The Takeout. Mushrooms should be dry to the touch but not brittle, retaining their somewhat bouncy and rubbery texture. If you haven't used your mushrooms in time before they've dried out, there are still useful ways to not waste an old mushroom.

Rubba relies on a close relationship with local foragers to source wild mushrooms for the recipes at his restaurant. He also said a batch of wild mushrooms' quality can reflect recent weather patterns — if an area has received sufficient rain, the foraged mushrooms will be top-tier. Because of a mushroom's dependence on weather, it may be best to avoid purchasing fresh mushrooms during a dry period, as they may not match the desired quality.

While foraging ingredients can play a role for those with time and access, consumers who don't live in or near areas where wild mushrooms thrive must seek other means of acquiring fresh ones. And you don't want to wander into the woods wantonly, without having done plenty of research as foraged ingredients, wild mushrooms especially, can pose a poison risk.

To purchase fresh mushrooms, specialty grocery stores — organic or natural grocery stores — and farmer's markets may be your best bet. The best season for mushrooms is from spring to late summer, so prioritize making your mushroom-packed dishes during that time of year. In specific cases, some distributors that forage wild mushrooms for restaurants or grocery stores may be able to deliver their product to your house.

For store-bought mushrooms, high-end grocery stores tend to provide a wide variety of options, including more than the typical portobello and button mushrooms. In large grocery stores, however, shoppers should be hyper-vigilant about the quality of the fungi. Farmer's markets are also a viable option for purchasing fresh mushrooms — you can rely on local sources for producing premier produce.