Oyster mushrooms are prized by amateur mushroom enthusiasts not only for their taste but also for the numerous beneficial micronutrients they contain. To consume this mushroom wisely and use it in folk medicine, it's important to understand the health benefits of oyster mushrooms, as well as their potential for harm.
Characteristic features of the species
Oyster mushrooms are edible mushrooms that grow wild on dead wood. They are also widely cultivated commercially and even at home, as they are quite undemanding. This genus contains many species, but the most popular is the common oyster mushroom, also known as the oyster mushroom.
You may be interested in:The fruits have a pleasant flavor with a slight aniseed hint. The mushroom's external characteristics are described in the table.
| Structure | Description |
|---|---|
| hat | Large and fleshy, with a diameter of 5 to 30 cm. In young specimens, it is convex, with a curled edge; in mature specimens, it is flat, shaped like a wide funnel with wavy edges. |
| Cap color | Changes as the fruiting body matures from grey to white or yellow. |
| Surface of mushrooms | Smooth, quite often wavy. |
| Leg | The stem is small, can be inconspicuous, dense in texture, and curved. It is no more than 5 cm long and 3 cm wide. It is white in color and can be brownish and felted at the base. |
| Pulp | White in color, soft and juicy. |
The benefits of oyster mushrooms for humans and their use in medicine
Oyster mushrooms are considered a dietary product due to their low calorie content (38-41 kcal), but this is far from their only advantage. They contain numerous substances beneficial for the human body.
100 g of raw product contains:
- 3.31 g – proteins;
- 0.41 g – fat;
- 6.1 g – carbohydrates;
- 2.3 g – dietary fiber;
- 89 g – water.
Oyster mushroom fruiting bodies are rich in vitamins (E, D3, H, PP, C, and B vitamins), amino acids (valine, lysine, leucine, etc.), polysaccharides, and trace elements (zinc, cobalt, copper, iron, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and selenium). Oyster mushrooms are widely popular among traditional medicine practitioners.
Oyster mushrooms are used in the following cases:
- For the treatment of purulent wounds. Due to their unique composition, mushrooms have an antiseptic effect. Therefore, oyster mushroom tincture is widely used to treat wounds that have already become infected.
- As a sedative. They have a beneficial effect on the nervous system, toning it and relieving excess tension and some psycho-emotional agitation. Wine with oyster mushrooms is also used as a sedative.
- To boost immunity. The fruiting body contains β-glucan and a large number of vitamins, which together provide an immune-boosting effect. To boost immunity, mushroom powder is typically taken.
Medicinal properties of beta-glucan - For atherosclerosis. Due to the presence of lovostatin, oyster mushrooms help remove "bad" cholesterol from the body, making them recommended for patients with atherosclerosis. A decoction of the mushrooms is used to treat the disease.
- For hypertension. The substances contained in the product not only cleanse blood vessels of cholesterol but also help normalize blood pressure.
You may be interested in:Contraindications and possible harm
Although oyster mushrooms are a healthy food and are easily digested, they should not be eaten raw. This restriction is due to the presence of chitin in raw mushrooms, which is practically indigestible and can cause flatulence, nausea, and heartburn.
However, like any other mushrooms, oyster mushrooms take a long time to digest for children, so children under 12 years of age and pregnant women should avoid eating them, as their bodies are already overloaded.
Patients with the following conditions should consume mushrooms with caution:
- Allergies, since oyster mushrooms are a strong allergen and can cause coughing and runny nose.
- Bronchial asthma.
- Tuberculosis (ingestion of oyster mushroom spores causes coughing with sputum).
- Vascular and heart diseases (the product contains a large amount of water, which in case of cardiovascular pathologies will lead to swelling).
- Kidney dysfunction.
- Upset stomach.
- Diseases of the liver and gallbladder.
When consuming any mushrooms, it is important to observe moderation, otherwise you cannot avoid feeling heaviness in the stomach, and oyster mushrooms are no exception.
Collection and storage of raw materials
The oyster mushroom season begins in September and lasts until December. It's best to pick young mushrooms, as they are softer and juicier than older ones. Oyster mushrooms are quite fragile, so special care must be taken during transportation and storage.
Drying
Fresh mushrooms can be dried after removing debris. To clean the mushrooms, you don't need to wash them; simply wipe them with a damp towel. You can dry them in the oven or in the sun. When sun-drying, thread a string through them so the caps don't touch each other. Properly dried mushrooms will bend and snap easily.
Dried mushrooms can be stored in a glass jar in a ventilated, odor-free area. Drying preserves all the nutritional properties of the mushrooms.
You may be interested in:Freezing
Before freezing, the fruit should be washed and boiled until semi-cooked. The cooked product is placed in plastic containers and sealed hermetically.
After this, the containers can be placed in the freezer. The optimal freezing temperature is -18°C (-64°F). The product can be stored in the freezer for approximately 12 months.
Conservation
Canning is a great way to preserve mushrooms for the winter. To do this, you'll need:
- Boiled oyster mushrooms – 0.5 kg.
- Onion – 1 pc.
- Garlic – 3 cloves.
- Bay leaf – 3 pcs.
- Peppercorns – 8 pcs.
- Salt – 2-3 tbsp.
- Sugar – 1 tsp.
- Vinegar – 1 tbsp.
Before you begin canning, sterilize a half-liter jar and lid. Place chopped onion, garlic, bay leaf, and black pepper in the bottom of the jar, and only then add the mushrooms. Sprinkle sugar, salt, and vinegar on top of the mushrooms. Next, pour cooled boiled water into the jar, filling it to the brim. The final step is sealing the jars.
Recipes of traditional and modern medicine
Oyster mushrooms are widely used in folk medicine, where they are used to prepare alcoholic tinctures, powders, extracts, decoctions, and are even added to wine.
Oyster mushroom tincture
An alcohol tincture is used to treat purulent skin wounds. To make it, you'll need:
- mushrooms – 150 g;
- vodka – 1 glass.
Finely chop the mushrooms and soak them in vodka. Place the mixture in a dark place for 10 days. Shake occasionally during the infusion. Before use, strain the tincture and dilute it with water 2:1. Use a gauze bandage soaked in the alcohol solution to treat wounds three times a day.
Powder
To remove debris from oyster mushrooms, simply wipe them thoroughly with a cloth dampened with water. After processing, chop the mushrooms finely and place them in an oven preheated to 40-45 degrees Celsius (104-113 degrees Fahrenheit). Drying time is 10 hours, but the oven should be ventilated periodically. The dried mushrooms are ground into powder using a coffee grinder.
Mushroom powder is best taken three times daily, 30 minutes before meals. A single dose is 1/2 tablespoon. The course of treatment is two weeks and can be repeated twice a year if necessary.
Extract
Clean and wash the oyster mushrooms and grind them into a paste using a meat grinder or blender. Boil the resulting paste in its own juice for 30 minutes. Strain the resulting juice through cheesecloth. Afterward, boil the paste again, but add water to extract all the mushroom juice. Strain this juice and combine it with the previous one.
The juice should be salted (20 g salt/1 l) and simmered uncovered to allow excess moisture to evaporate. The resulting syrup is thick and poured into sterilized jars, sealed, and cooled.
Decoction
The decoction is most often used to treat atherosclerosis. To prepare the decoction, add 1 kg of washed oyster mushrooms to a boil with water.
The decoction should be consumed twice daily, 30 minutes before meals. A single dose is ½ teaspoon. Duration of use is 4 weeks.
Wine
To make mushroom wine, you'll need one bottle of red wine or Cahors and 50 grams of raw mushrooms. Chop the oyster mushrooms into crumbs and pour the wine over them.
The resulting mixture should be tightly sealed and stored in a cool, dark place for 7 days. There is no need to strain the wine. It is recommended to take 1-2 tablespoons of the product before bed for a month.
You may be interested in:Answers to frequently asked questions
The benefits of oyster mushrooms include their low calorie content, ability to cleanse the intestines, and the presence of vitamins essential for patients with metabolic disorders. The presence of bioactive substances in mushrooms makes them a valuable product used not only in the food industry but also for medicinal purposes.
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