Crimini Mushrooms

Move over white button, there’s a new mushroom in town! Crimini mushrooms are often overshadowed by the other mushrooms in the Agaricus Bisporus family – white button and portabella – but are quickly emerging as the mushroom of choice among chefs and foodies.

This up-and-coming mushroom is an easy transition into experimenting with other mushroom varieties. Its size and shape are familiar to those who love white button mushrooms, however, their flavor is slightly deeper, so they can easily be used in any recipe that calls for white buttons. Their firmer texture also holds up well to cooking making them an excellent choice for mushroom-blended dishes. No sacrifices need to be made when crimini mushrooms are blended into classic dishes like meatloaf, chili, pasta sauce, and burgers.

The crimini mushroom is actually a smaller, less mature version of the portabella mushroom, which is why it has been nicknamed baby portabella, baby bella, or mini bella. Its name also varies depending on the region, also being called cremini, café mushrooms, swiss brown, and chestnut mushrooms.

The best way to store crimini mushrooms is to refrigerate them in their original packaging. If the package has been opened, place the remaining mushrooms in a brown paper bag in the refrigerator to help preserve them. Before consuming a crimini mushroom raw or integrating it into a cooked meal, wipe them gently with a damp paper towel and rinse them in a colander under cold water. It’s important to not wash mushrooms until you are ready to use them.