Whether you use them in a stir fry, on a pizza, or with a meat entree, mushrooms are a terrific way to add extra flavor and nutrients to a dish. And you don’t have to go far to find them — mushrooms are a CT Grown crop whose harvest season never ends!
Mushrooms thrive in indoor growing environments, allowing farmers—and consumers—to constantly be collecting them. Read on to find out where you can find CT Grown mushrooms and how you can add them to your dinner plan.
Popular CT Grown mushroom varieties
Indoor farming allows for the production of numerous varieties of mushrooms. Here’s a look at some of the most popular options, and how you can prepare them.
Lion’s mane: A favorite in gourmet cooking, lion’s mane mushroom has a tender texture and juicy flavor that is often compared to seafood. Naturally, this makes it a good choice to accompany dishes like lobster, crab, and scallops — or to serve as a non-meat alternative to these choices in vegetable dishes.
Maitake: Offers a rich taste described as earthy and peppery. It pairs well with vegetable dishes, and is also a good choice for savory entrees like steak.
Morel: With a nutty, earthy flavor, morel mushrooms are a great side dish on their own. They also do an excellent job strengthening the flavors in pasta dishes.
Oysters: A common mushroom with a mild flavor, oyster mushrooms are an easy way to add more nutrients to a meal. There are several different varieties of this mushroom, such as blue oyster and golden oyster, offering subtle differences in flavor.
Shiitake: One of the most popular types of mushroom, shiitake is intensely flavorful with an earthy, buttery taste. It works well as its own dish, on pizza, or with meat or fish.
Explore Connecticut’s mushroom farms
Mushrooms are a fast-growing industry in Connecticut, with USDA statistics showing the number of mushroom farms in the state tripling between 2012 and 2017. Some CT Grown mushroom farms include: