Posts Tagged ‘a closer look at mushrooms’


Autumn if traditionally Fungi or Mushroom time, yet we can buy White mushrooms all year round, they may just be another item on your shopping list but take a closer look they are quite intriguing.

Their scientific name is Agaricus bisporus they can be white or brown, when immature and white they may be known as ‘common mushroom’, ‘cultivated mushroom’, ‘button mushroom’ or ‘white mushroom’, when immature and brown they may be known as ‘chestnut mushroom’, ‘brown cap mushroom’, ‘Italian brown’ or ‘brown cap mushroom’, when they are mature and the cap flatter they are known as ‘Portobello mushrooms’, they are one of the most widely eaten types of mushroom in the world.

Mushrooms, often wrongly grouped with vegetables, are very healthy, they are low in calories, fat-free, cholesterol free and very low in sodium yet they contain important nutrients such as Vitamin B (niacin, riboflavin), selenium, potassium and Vitamin D.

There are three main parts to the mushroom:

  1. The Cap or Pileus, which can grow to 5-10 centimetres in diameter, when it starts to grow it is like a small ball as it gets bigger it flattens out.
  2. Underneath the cap are the gills which are initially pink, they then turn red-brown and finally a dark brown this is where the spores are.
  3. The cylindrical stalk or stripe can grow up to 6cm tall and 1-2cm wide and has a ring around it.

Mushrooms grow from microscopic spores, each mushroom can have 16 million spores, although they are microscopic there is a way that you can see them with the naked eye by making a Mushroom Print.

What you will need

  • Some mature (flat) mushrooms
  • White paper
  • Cups/Glasses
  • Newspaper

What you need to do

  1. Place the white paper on top of the newspaper making sure that the newspaper is flat, (the brown colour of the mushrooms can go through the white paper and stain the surface underneath).
  2. Remove the stalk of the mushroom carefully and place the cap with the gills down on the white paper.
  3. Place a cup or glass over the cap to stop any air currents and leave for about 24 hours.
  4. Remove the cup/glass and carefully lift off the mushroom you should have a ‘print’ made from the spores, the print should look the same as the underside of the mushroom.



Why not discover mushrooms today?

Have fun


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