![]() To rehydrate, the fungus should be soaked in water for at least half an hour. Outside of China, Wood Ear mushrooms are most commonly found in dried form and can easily be reconstituted. Wood ear mushrooms are commonly added to Chinese hot and sour soup and to Szechwan and Hunan cuisine to soak up the spicier flavors. Used for their chewy and toothsome texture, they can be added to soups, salads, or stir-fries and readily absorb accompanying flavors. Before cooking, the fungus should be rinsed, and any tough patches should be removed. ![]() Wood ear mushrooms are best suited for cooked applications such as boiling, stir-frying, and sautéing. Wood Ear mushrooms contain iron, protein, fiber, and vitamins B1 and B2 Wood Ear mushrooms are utilized for their chewy texture rather than their mild taste and are a popular textural element in many Asian soup dishes. Wood Ear mushrooms are also cultivated around the world on bags of sawdust and are dried and exported for commercial use. The mushrooms grow in groupings, predominately on elder trees, but they have also been found on dead and living trees such as ash, spindle, and beech. ![]() Also known as the Cloud Ear, Tree Ear, Black fungus, and Jelly Ear, Wood Ear mushrooms are found in humid, temperate forests. Wood Ear mushrooms, botanically classified as Auricularia auricula-judae, are an edible ear jelly fungus that is a member of the Auriculariaceae family. Wild Wood Ear mushrooms are available from early summer through early winter, while the cultivated versions are available year-round. When cooked, Wood Ear mushrooms are firm, crunchy, and toothsome with a mild, musty flavor. With age, the gill-less and stemless fungus darkens, and the spores range in color from yellow, cream, to white. The fruiting bodies are brown to dark brown with a slippery or gelatinous texture and can be made up of smooth, wavy edges or many folds and wrinkles with some veining. Wood Ear mushrooms are small to medium in size, averaging 3-8 centimeters in diameter, and are curved and wavy with an ear-like or cup-like shape. “Skin Wound-Healing Potential of Polysaccharides from Medicinal Mushroom Auricularia auricula-judae (Bull.▶Play Your browser does not support the audio element.More jelly ear fruiting bodiesįun fact: When jelly ear is fried, the heat can cause it to pop and fly through the air! It is cultivated for food, medicine and therapeutic treatments. In an attempt to cure different ailments, jelly ear was used in traditional medicine and is still used in East Asia today. Young and old fruiting bodies A close up of a couple of very ear-like fruiting bodies Jelly ear uses A few different species can be confused with jelly ear – a very similar look-alike is the bay cup ( Peziza badia). Jelly ear can be found throughout the year, but it’s most commonly found in autumn. As they age, they begin to take on the shape of an ear. When the fruiting bodies are young, they’re small and circular like the end of a balloon knot. Jelly ear fungus (Auricularia auricula-judae), also known as wood ear, is a bracket fungus which grows on living and dead wood, mostly elder. ![]() It was a windy day and as I held the branch in the air, I could see some of the ‘ears’ flapping in the wind – I wasn’t sure whether I should have been fascinated or horrified! The fruiting bodies grow facing downwards What is jelly ear fungus? It was jelly ear fungus! Jelly ear is known for its unusual fruiting bodies which can look a lot like human ears or even elf ears. I carefully flipped the branch over to reveal the ‘ears’. As I approached the branch, I immediately recognised the fungus and I knew I was in for a treat. Lying near a path in a shaded area of woodland, was a dead branch covered in a brown, rubbery fungus. ![]()
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