Wine Caps - aka Stropharia rugosoannulata

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Found in Franklin NH, we are currently testing our first wild wine cap strain! The parent specimen (above, center) was the biggest wine cap we have ever seen and will be the strain in our gardens going forward. 

• Store in fridge 3 to 7 days - young buttons may remain fresh longer - always refrigerate and thoroughly cook all varieties of fresh mushrooms
•  Can be frozen after par cooking
•  Can be sliced thinly and dehydrated until cracker crisp, then stored up to 1 year in an airtight container - always review food safety guidelines when preparing food for long term storage!
• Wipe debris from outdoor grown mushrooms with a damp cloth - rinse and pat or spin dry only if necessary

• Medium density flesh 
• Mild earthy taste reminiscent of potato
• Substitute for white button mushrooms in any recipe
• A superior choice for serving pan seared and deglazed with meats
• Holds up well to stewing, pickling or canning

• Habitat - Grows from the ground in wood chips or mulched, grassy areas
• Large caps start out deep red-brown and lighten with sun exposure to rusty orange then tan when aged 
• Thick creamy white stem with a ragged ring or margin, stem may become hollow with age, bulbous base retains soil and may have rootlike mycelium
• Gills are white in young button stage but rapidly change to grayish purple
• Inner flesh is white when cut
• Spore print is dark purple-brown
• Season - May-September, sporadically unless cultivated, dependent on adequate rainfall

• Cultivation difficulty - easy, great for beginners
• Grown outdoors in wood chip beds
• Partially sun tolerant
• Season - May to September
• Perennial in good conditions and may spread to nearby mulched areas