From: riburr@shentel.net   
      
   Dave Bell wrote:   
      
   > ~.^.~ wrote:   
   >   
   >> Frederick Burroughs wrote:   
   >>   
   >>> Low temperature dehydration of raw mushrooms   
   >>> might *concentrate* toxins that would normally be destroyed by cooking.   
   >>   
   >> Please pardon my stupidity on this issue !   
   >> USDA seems to totally ignore mushrooms   
   >> I understand the temperatures for meat born  'bad stuff'...   
   >> But exactly what is it that makes an uncooked wild mushroom unsafe?   
   >> Natural chemical compounds that change with temperature?   
   >> Or is it natural bacterial residents that need to be killed?   
   >   
   >   
   > Probably both, but to me, the bigger concern is naturally occurring   
   > nasties. For example, Gyromitra esculenta, the (a?) false morel,   
   > contains hydrazine analogs. The toxins are driven out in cooking, making   
   > the mushroom edible - but you don't want to stand over the stove without   
   > an exhaust fan going. Some articles indicate that the common commercial   
   > button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus, also contains hydrazine. So much for   
   > all those raw mushrooms in the salad bar...   
   >   
      
   Many mushrooms contain toxins that are heat labile; the toxins are   
   rendered safe by cooking. My concern is with raw, dehydrated species   
   that are known to contain heat labile toxins, but are *never* cooked.   
   Such would be the case if you include, say ground, raw, dehydrated   
   Lepista nuda in a hummus recipe.   
      
   I found an article that specifically discusses dried G. esculenta, and   
   how to prepare it safely for consumption; See:   
   http://www.saunalahti.fi/~marian1/gourmet/morel.htm   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)