Freckled Chestnut

Summary

The Freckled Chestnut Mushroom is an established favourite amongst chefs all around the world. Known botanically as Pholiota aurivella, the Freckled Chestnut mushroom is named because of the white ‘freckles’ on the brown cap.

As well as being super delicious, the freckled chestnut mushroom is packed full of nutrients and is definitely one of the easier mushrooms to grow at home.

The Freckled Chestnut Mushroom Description and Taste

The Freckled Chestnut Mushroom grows in clusters with brownish-yellow caps around 5 to 10 cm in diameter with denser brown scales towards the centre. 

Younger freckled chestnut mushrooms have frilly white veil fragments attached to the scales. The stems, which can also be eaten, can grow up to 6 cm tall.

When cooked correctly, the Freckled Chestnut mushrooms maintain a lovely firm and crunchy texture in both the cap and stem. They also hold their shape remarkably well, with minimal shrinkage, which makes them a firm favourite among chefs looking to add something special to the presentation.

Famed for its delicious earthy and nutty flavour, the freckled chestnut mushroom has a taste quite similar to the Shiitake mushroom, if only a little milder and a little nuttier.

What are the uses of the Freckled Chestnut mushroom?

As well as being a rock star mushroom in the kitchen, the Freckled chestnut mushroom has been used for centuries in Asia for its healing qualities. 

The Freckled chestnut mushroom has shown its value in fighting heart disease, boosting the immune system, lowering cholesterol and blood pressure, and containing anti-inflammatory and ant-bacterial properties. 

In the kitchen, the freckled chestnut mushroom is great in stews, soups, pastas, salads, risottos or just as a standalone side dish.

Nutritional Value

The freckled chestnut mushroom is highly nutritious. It is packed full of Fibre, copper, Vitamins B2, B5 and B7, Niacin and Selenium.

How to Store Freckled Chestnut Mushrooms?

The Freckled Chestnut mushroom is best stored by wiping down with a damp towel and placed into a paper bag or paper towel, whole, at the back of your refrigerator for a maximum of 5 days.

It is recommended not to slice or rinse your chestnut mushrooms before storing them in the fridge, as this will make them go bad faster. 

You can also dry these mushrooms out (3 to 5 days) and put into an airtight container and placed somewhere cool and dark. This will see the Freckled Chestnut mushroom last comfortably up to 6 months. They are also great frozen.

Out in the Wild

The Freckled chestnut mushrooms are very hardy mushrooms found all over Asia, central Europe and increasingly more so in the UK and Ireland. They can grow on both living and dead trees as they’re both saprotrophic and parasitic. However,  they seem to grow better on dead wood and dead leaves.