Bleu Foot Mushroom – Clitocybe Sordida Gourmet Mushroom

Bleu Foot Mushroom – Clitocybe Sordida Gourmet Mushroom Liquid Culture Syringe cc culture syringe.

Blue Foot mushrooms are available year-round, with a peak season in the late fall through winter.

Blue Foot mushrooms, botanically classified as Clitocybe nuda, though sometimes is referred to as Lepista nuda, are an edible variety that are members of the Cortinarius family. Also known as Pied bleu, Blue Foot mushrooms are the cultivated cousin of the wild wood blewit mushroom and grow in both deciduous and coniferous regions. Blue Foot mushrooms are not a true blue mushroom, like the blue entoloma, which is blue inside and out and can easily be mistaken for several mushrooms in the Cortinarius family which are toxic. Often favored as a meat substitute in vegetarian dishes, Blue Foot mushrooms are a versatile ingredient that holds its shape well when cooked while offering rich flavors and a tender texture.

Nutritional Value
Blue Foot mushrooms contain high amounts of thiamine, or vitamin B1, which helps support nervous system functions and blood sugar metabolism. The lilac-gilled mushrooms also contain large amounts of polysaccharides, better known as carbohydrates.

Applications
Blue Foot mushrooms must be cooked prior to consumption and are best suited for applications such as roasting, grilling, braising, stewing, and sautéing. When cooked, Blue Foot mushrooms do not retain their lilac hues, but they do hold their shape well allowing them to be used as a meat substitute. They can be used in recipes that call for button mushrooms and can be quartered and grilled to enhance their earthy flavor, chopped and mixed into an omelet, or sliced and mixed into barley soup. They can also be sautéed and used in a light sauce for meats, poultry, or seafood or cooked in heavy cream and poured over Italian or French bread. Blue Foot mushrooms pair well with lamb, veal chops, crab, prosciutto, dry-cured ham, eggs, sherry, dry marsala, heavy cream, onions, garlic, lemon juice, parsley, arugula, and risotto. They will keep 3-5 days when stored uncovered in paper towels on a plate or in a ventilated container in the refrigerator.

Ethnic/Cultural Info
Blue Foot mushrooms are known by many names across the world. In Hungary, Blue Foot mushrooms are called Lila Pereszke, while in France, they are sometimes referred to as Rhodopaxille Nu, which is a remnant from an older Latin designation for the Pied bleu fungus. Blue Foot mushrooms are also known as the Wood Blewit among the foragers and amateur mycologists in the United States.

Geography/History
Blue Foot mushrooms are native to Europe and thrive in woodland habitats, hedgerows, and even in urban parks and gardens, growing in fairy rings under hardwoods and conifers, among the pine needles and leaves. Today Blue Foot mushrooms can be found at local markets and specialty grocers and are cultivated in both the Pacific Northwest and in the Northeastern states in the United States and France, the Netherlands, and England.