Summer to autumn
Field mushroom
Agaricus campestris
EdibilityGood edible mushroom
- Raw
- Do not eat raw
- Cooking
- Thorough cooking required, minimum time not established
- Review
- Review by an experienced specialist required before any consumption
A grassland Agaricus that must never be reduced to a white mushroom: the development of the gills, the complete base, yellow staining and smell are decisive.
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Guide contents
Guide contents
Season
From summer to autumn in Western Europe, often after rain.
Habitat
Meadows, pastures, lawns, parks or old orchards with short grass, sometimes in groups or rings.
Method
Check several visible features before retaining a species name.
Three features to check on the specimen.
White to cream cap
The dry cap is white to cream, convex with a rolled margin when young and then flatter, sometimes becoming slightly ochre with age.
Pink then chocolate gills
The true gills are free, clearly pink on fresh specimens and then chocolate brown to almost black at maturity, never remaining white.
Base without a volva
The white stem has a thin, fragile or fleeting ring. The complete base shows no volva or membranous sack.
Examine the specimen in this order.
- Follow the gill colour with age: clearly pink then chocolate brown, with a brown rather than white spore print.
- Expose the entire base to confirm the absence of a volva and look for any chrome-yellow staining.
- Exclude a specimen with a phenolic or inky smell, especially if the base stains bright yellow.
Features incompatible with this species.
- Agaricus xanthodermus stains bright yellow, especially at the base, and may have a phenolic or inky smell.
- Pale Amanita species retain white gills and may have a volva at the base: never cut the stem before examining it.
- A generic cultivated-mushroom appearance without readable gills or base supports no field conclusion.
From an inspected basket to the kitchen
From an inspected basket to the kitchenDrying, storage and two recipes for Field mushroom.
Two thoroughly cooked recipes for an inspected Field mushroom batch, with constant attention to yellow-staining Agaricus and pale Amanita species.
Field mushroom omelette
A family omelette in which the mushrooms are cooked separately before the eggs are added.
- Preparation
- 20 min
- Cooking
- 26 min
- Serves
- 4
View the complete recipe
Ingredients
- 400 gField mushrooms inspected by an expert
- 8Eggs
- 25 gButter
- 1Shallot, finely chopped
- 2 c. à soupeChives, chopped
- 1 pincéeSalt and pepper
Method
- Recheck the batchBefore cutting, confirm that the expert inspection covered every base and specimen in the batch. Exclude any damaged piece.
- Cook the mushroomsSlice and dry-fry the mushrooms for 12 minutes, then cook for another 8 minutes with 15 g of butter and the shallot.
- Add the eggsBeat the eggs with the seasoning, pour over the mushrooms and cook for 5 to 6 minutes with the remaining butter.
- FinishAdd the chives and serve the omelette immediately.
Expert inspection is essential because of toxic Agaricus and pale Amanita species. Cook the mushrooms for 20 minutes before adding the eggs and never taste the batch raw.
Field mushrooms simmered with mustard
A hot sauce for potatoes or a cooked grain, prepared only with an expert-inspected batch.
- Preparation
- 20 min
- Cooking
- 30 min
- Serves
- 4
View the complete recipe
Ingredients
- 500 gField mushrooms inspected by an expert
- 2Shallots, chopped
- 1 c. à soupeOil
- 20 gButter
- 15 clDouble cream
- 1 c. à soupeWholegrain mustard
- 10 clVegetable stock
- 1 pincéeSalt and pepper
Method
- Prepare after inspectionClean the inspected batch, quarter the mushrooms and keep any rejected specimen separate.
- SautéCook the mushrooms in the oil for 12 minutes, then add the butter and shallots for 8 minutes.
- SimmerAdd the stock, cream and mustard, then simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
- ServeSeason and serve piping hot over cooked potatoes or rice.
Use only Field mushrooms inspected by an expert. Cooking does not remove the toxins of a toxic Agaricus or misidentified Amanita species.
Documented limit
Drying Field mushroom: no retained protocol
This guide validates no species-specific drying time.This guide does not apply a generic drying time to Field mushroom. It recommends refrigeration in a breathable container so that the method remains documented and appropriate for the species.
- Keep the batch whole, identifiable and separate until the inspection required by the guide.
- Do not automatically apply the temperature or duration intended for another species.
- Use the “Refrigeration in a breathable container” method detailed in the Storage section instead.
- Read the general drying guide to understand equipment, checks and safety limits without inferring a protocol for this batch.
Recommended storage
Refrigeration in a breathable container
Preferably 24 hours, never more than 2 days at 4 °C or below after picking.The Field mushroom deteriorates quickly. Storage therefore remains short and begins only after every whole specimen has been inspected.
- Have the entire batch examined by an expert before any preparation or cutting.
- Remove damaged specimens without washing those that will be stored.
- Place the mushrooms in a clean paper bag, separated from other foods and other species.
- Refrigerate at 4 °C or below and ideally cook the following day.
- Discard any slimy, smelly or unreadable specimen. Do not home-can this wild mushroom.
