What to ask a mushroom grower

Most mushroom growers are happy to talk about their crop, and the answers tell you how fresh it is, how to store it and how to cook it. These are the questions worth asking.

Ten questions for a mushroom grower

1. When was this picked? Mushrooms lose quality by the day. "This morning" or "yesterday" is what you want for delicate kinds like golden or pink oyster.
2. Did you grow it, or is it foraged or bought in? Some stands resell mushrooms from other farms or sell wild ones. Neither is wrong, but you should know which you're getting.
3. If it was foraged, who identified it? Wild mushrooms are only as safe as the person who picked and sorted them. Ask how they were checked, and buy from people who will stand behind what they sell. Never buy a wild mushroom from someone who can't answer this.
4. What did it grow on? Sawdust blocks, straw or outdoor logs. Log-grown shiitake, for example, is usually denser than block-grown.
5. Is it certified organic or Certified Naturally Grown? Some growers hold a certification; many use organic practices without one. Ask what they use on the crop and the substrate.
6. How should I store it, and how long will it keep? The grower knows their variety. King oysters last much longer than golden oysters, for example.
7. How do you like to cook it? You'll often get a better answer than any recipe site.
8. What's coming in next week? Useful for planning, and growers will sometimes set aside a variety if you ask.
9. Can I order ahead, and do you deliver or ship? Many farms take preorders for pickup; a few ship.
10. Do you sell to restaurants? If you're a chef, ask about standing orders and delivery days. If you're a home cook, it's a good sign of consistent quality.

Red flags

• Health claims. A seller who says a mushroom cures or treats a disease is telling you something research doesn't support. Medicinal mushroom research is real but limited; our species guides cover what it does and doesn't show.
• Vague answers about wild mushrooms. "Found them in the woods" isn't enough.
• Wet, slimy or sour-smelling product on the table. See how to tell fresh from old.

One answer that's always the same

Should you eat it raw? Cook it. That goes for every mushroom on this site. A 2023 outbreak in Montana was linked to raw and undercooked morels; the FDA's investigation found no contaminant to explain it. Some people also react to undercooked shiitake. See the morel and shiitake guides.