Porcelain fungus / Porcelain mushrooms
Porcelain fungus (Oudemansiella mucida) grow on dead or dying beech wood, often shiny and slimy when wet — that’s the “porcelain” look.
They’re edible when cooked, but need special handling because of that slippery coating.
Let’s go through cleaning, preparation, cooking, and preservation carefully.
1. Cleaning Porcelain Fungus
They have a gelatinous slime layer on the cap which many people remove before cooking.
Steps:
- Rinse briefly under cold water to remove dirt, wood bits, and insects.
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Peel the slimy skin off the caps (optional but recommended):
- Brush the cap gently with mushroom brush. The skin will start to come off.
- Grip the edge of the cap and pull gently toward the centre.
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The slimy film comes off easily, leaving a firm white surface.
- Trim off the tough stem bases — the bottom can be fibrous and woody. I cut out the entire stem.
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Pat dry on a towel or leave on a rack to air-dry before cooking.
Tip: if you keep the slime, the mushrooms will stay slippery when cooked (some people like the texture in soups).
2. Cooking
Porcelain fungus have a delicate, mild flavour with a faint nutty sweetness.
They must be cooked — never eat raw.
Sautéing:
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Slice or leave whole if small.
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Fry gently in butter or oil for 5–8 minutes, until they release liquid and begin to colour.
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Season with salt and herbs (parsley, thyme).
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Excellent on toast, in omelettes, or with pasta.
Other uses:
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Add to stir-fries or miso soups near the end of cooking.
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Combine with other woodland mushrooms for mixed sauté.
3. Preserving
Because they’re high in water and delicate, drying isn’t ideal — they tend to go leathery.
Freezing
If you just want to store them:
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Parboil 5 minutes, drain, and cool.
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Lay on a tray to freeze individually, then bag them.
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Keeps up to 6 months.
→ When thawed, they’ll be soft, so best for soups or sauces.
⚠️ Notes and Safety
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Always pick Porcelain fungus from beech wood only — they’re safe when correctly identified.
(There are no seriously toxic lookalikes on beech logs, though other slimy white mushrooms exist on conifers.) -
Do not eat raw — the slime may cause mild stomach upset.
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Best eaten fresh or pickled rather than dried.