Parasol mushroom

Macrolepiota procera · Fungus

40 pairings

The parasol mushroom (Macrolepiota procera) is a large, prized edible fungus of grassland and woodland edges across the temperate Northern Hemisphere. Its broad, umbrella-shaped cap and nutty, faintly almond-like flavour make the cap a classic foraged delicacy — most often dredged in breadcrumbs and pan-fried like a schnitzel.

Picking a good onedrag

Firm, dry, nuttyLimp, slimy, sour

Stall freshThe all-rounder: fry the caps hard in butter, grill them, or slice them into a sauce. Cooked through, never raw.Everyday best

Cap surfaceDuller, a scale or two rubbed off

Under the capDry still, a little flattened and settled

In the handFirm; the thumb barely marks it

SmellMild, clean, plainly mushroomy

What to look for, from firm, dry, nutty to limp, slimy, sour.

Keeping ittap a band

A domestic fridge holds it about 2× longer than the counter.

Humidity

95%

Damp air, dry cap. Dry fridge air shrivels a thin parasol cap in hours, but free water sitting on it invites bacterial blotch.

Airflow

Paper bag, never sealed

Sealed plastic traps its own breath and the condensation slimes the cap; a paper bag lets that sweat out and still slows drying.

Browns beside ripening fruit

They make almost none themselves, but ethylene browns mushroom caps — keep them clear of ripening apples and pears, and of green onions, whose smell they take up.

Preparing