Mushrooms

Commodity Overview

The mushroom category offers a wide variety of choices for shoppers. Mushrooms work as a topping on steaks as well as a meat replacement, making them easy to promote to a broad section of shoppers. Place mushrooms next to bagged salads to boost sales.

PLUs

4645 small
4085 large
4646 black forest
4647 chanterelle
4648 crimini/brown
3103 enoki
3102 morel
4649 oyster
4650 portabella
4651 shiitake
4652 wood ear

Varieties

White/Button Mushrooms

Crimini Mushrooms

Enoki Mushrooms

Morel Mushrooms

Oyster Mushrooms

Portabella Mushrooms

Shiitake Mushrooms

Black Chanterelle Mushrooms

Hedgehog Mushrooms

Hon Shimeji Mushrooms

Lobster Mushrooms

Maitake Mushrooms

Porcini Mushrooms

White Trumpet Mushrooms

Wood Ear Mushrooms

Chanterelle Mushrooms

Matsutake Mushrooms

Retail Price Data is based on USDA Specialty Crops Market News surveys. Data collection ends on the report date and encompasses ad pricing good from the Saturday before the report release date through the following Friday. Weekly data - from over 400 retailers, comprising more than 30,000 individual stores with online weekly advertised features - covers over 250 produce items. Registered (logged-in) users, can access weekly reports and additional market information.

USDA Specialty Crops Market News publishes FOB and Movement data on a daily and weekly basis. Pricing and volume information is aggregated by commodity and published weekly, subject to any source-data adjustments. Commodity data is further processed based on origin (domestic vs imports) and type (regular vs. organic). Registered (logged-in) users, can access weekly reports and additional market information.

Facts

Mushrooms contain potassium and riboflavin. Potassium can help control blood pressure, and riboflavin keeps red blood cells healthy. Selenium is also found in mushrooms and can help prevent heart disease. Some mushroom shippers use low-level ultraviolet light postharvest to increase the vitamin D content to a full day’s worth in 3 ounces.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the following nutrient content descriptors for white mushrooms: fat-free, saturated fat-free, cholesterol-free and low in calories.

Sales Strategies

Mushrooms are a versatile vegetable, which offers up a host of cross-merchandising opportunities, including meat, tofu, sandwich fixings and bagged salads.
Many mushroom varieties are available year-round. Keep them at the top of the consumer’s mind by promoting them frequently.
Fall: Promote mushrooms as an addition to game-day party platters as a topping for sandwiches.
Winter: Include mushrooms in holiday promotions as an ingredient in salad. Promote mushrooms as a great addition to hearty winter casseroles.
Spring: Promote mushrooms, especially portobellas, as a meat replacement during Lent.
Summer: Mushrooms taste great when grilled, so include them in Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day promotions.

Dynamic Displays

The more variety your store offers, the more likely you are to tap into some extra mushroom dollars. Include white button mushrooms, portobellas and shiitake mushrooms in your display.
Add sliced mushrooms to your mushroom display to appeal to time-strapped consumers.
Keep mushrooms away from misters.
Don’t stack mushrooms as they bruise and squish easily.
Offer both packaged and bulk mushrooms to appeal to different types of consumers.
Include different sizes in your display to encourage consumers to use them for everything from a salad to a side dish. Small mushrooms are ¾ to 1¼ inches, medium mushrooms are 1¼ to 1¾ inches, large mushrooms are 1¾ to 2¾ inches and jumbo are 3 inches and larger.
Place mushrooms next to bagged salads to boost sales.

Food Service

Only prepare what you will use as mushrooms spoil quickly.
Include mushrooms in soups and stews.
Mushrooms make a tasty addition to salads and sauces.
Appeal to vegetarian consumers by making mushrooms the center of a vegetarian dish.
Sautee mushrooms and top steak with them.

In the Backroom

Shipping
12-lb. cartons, 12 1-lb. trays 10-lb. cartons 8-lb. cartons, 16 8-oz. or 8 1-lb. trays 6-lb. cartons, 12 8-oz. trays 5-lb. cartons 3-lb. 4-quart baskets RPC 6411, 6413, 6416, 6419, 6420 Consumer packs: whole 4-, 7-, 8-, 10- and 12-oz. packages 1-, 2- and 2.5-lb. packages (The 8-oz. package is generally the most popular.) Consumer packs: sliced 4-, 6-, 8-, 9-, 12- and 20-oz. packages 1- and 1.5, 5 and 10-lb. packages Value-added packs The industry has developed flash-blanched mushrooms. Unlike canned mushrooms, these are quickly cooked and cooled to help retain texture and taste.

Grades
U.S. No. 1 U.S. No. 2

Handling
Temperature: most varieties, 34 F, 1 C; shiitake, enoki 34 to 36 F, 1 to 2.8 C; oyster 36 to 38 F, 2.8 to 3.3 C; fresh-cut 34 to 36 F, 1 to 2.8 C Relative humidity: 85-90% Mist: no Typical shelf life: most varieties 5 to 7 days; shiitake/enoki, up to 14 days; portabella, 10 to 14 days; fresh-cut 4 to 6 days Odor-sensitive (Do not store or transport odor-sensitive items with commodities that produce odors. Mushrooms will absorb odors produced by green onions.) Because of a high respiration rate, the button variety requires plenty of air. Mushrooms are sensitive to water. If wet, they will develop wrinkles or brown spots or deteriorate prematurely. Store in original containers. Do not store in non-porous plastic bags as they will accelerate mushroom deterioration. Do not store mushrooms on wet storeroom floors, but rather on a pallet or shelf. Open veils are not a sign of poor quality, but the shelf life will be shorter.