Porcini Mushrooms

Storage and Shelf-Life

Porcini mushrooms are best dried, and their flavours are enhanced once dried. Dried Porcini mushrooms have a shelf-life of over one year.

If harvested wild, fresh Porcini mushrooms should always be stored in paper bags and will store for up to 2 weeks. It’s best to store mushrooms in the bottom of your fridge, in the vegetable drawer, where they are slightly warmer than the rest of the refrigerator. Place a damp paper towel in the paper bag with the mushrooms to stop your mushrooms from drying out.

Mushrooms should never be stored in plastic bags as the plastic can rapidly deteriorate the mushroom’s flesh.

Additional Info & External Resources

• Wikipedia – Boletus edulis on Wikipedia
• Wild Food UK – CEP – High-definition photos, video and mushroom breakdown.
• Crazy about Mushrooms, Porcini – General (but detailed) information on the Porcini Mushroom
• Dr Axe, Porcini Mushrooms – A detailed look at the medicinal qualities of Porcini mushrooms with links to various scientific studies

Common Names

King Bolete, Penny Bun, Cep, Wild Bolete.

Cèpe (French), Bolet Comestible (French), Porcino (Italian), Grzyby Borowik (Polish), Panza or Rodellon (Spanish), Steinpilz (German), Herrenpilz (Austrian), Eekhoorntjesbrood (Dutch), Belyy grib (Russian), Meiwei Niugan (Chinese), Hrib smrkovy (Czech).

Chef’s Quote

Italian chef and restaurateur Antonio Carluccio has described it as representing

the wild mushroom par excellence

…and hails it as the most rewarding fungi in the kitchen for its taste and versatility.