Stalker was privy to a thread on a gardeners group recently when one gardener asked the group chat the following - should one expose mushrooms to 15 minutes of sun or daylight before cooking them?
The answer promptly came back:
Yes, exposing mushrooms to 1530 minutes of direct, midday sunlight (gill-side up) before cooking is highly recommended to significantly boost their vitamin D2 content. This process, acting like "sun-bathing," converts ergosterol in the mushrooms into Vitamin D2, which can provide 100% of your daily needs. Key Details on Sunlight Exposure for Mushrooms: Vitamin D Boost: Placing mushrooms in direct sunlight for 1015 minutes can create a significant amount of Vitamin D2. Method: Lay mushrooms with the gills facing upward in direct, midday sunlight. Effectiveness: Vitamin D2 from sun-exposed mushrooms improves vitamin D status as effectively as supplements. Nutrient Retention: The increased vitamin D is stable and can be retained in the refrigerator for up to 8 days. Cooking Tips: While cooking in water (boiling) retains 6267% of the Vitamin D2, pan-frying without oil can retain up to 88%. However, be aware that Vitamin D is fat-soluble, so cooking in large amounts of fat might cause some leaching. This simple step turns mushrooms into an excellent natural source of Vitamin D. Source -ARS, USDA (.gov) So there you have it - expose mushrooms to sunlight - if you happen to have any sunshine handy!
