Mushrooms, Stalk and

Unit 7 Miscellaneous Vegetables

 Unit 7 Learning Objectives
Fungi, Stalks, Misc. Vegetables
• Based upon lectures and assigned readings, you should,
by the end of this class, be able to…

• visually recognize and use proper terms to refer to

cultivated mushrooms, stalks and misc. vegetables as
presented in lab sessions;
• list and explain the selection factors when purchasing
fungi, according to information given in the course guide;
• identify wild mushrooms based on seasonal availability;
• compare and contrast within the members of the
cultivated mushrooms, stalks and misc. vegetables
based on potential culinary use.
• Focus on similarities and/or differences in terms of
identity, texture, flavor and suitability for use in a variety
of applications;
 Key Terms
• fungi • gills
• cultivated mushroom • veil
• dried mushroom • foraging
• wild mushroom • chitin
• spores • fern
• bracts • oxalic acid
 Fungi
• White* Wild
• Cremini* • Morels
• Portobella* • Chanterelles
(agaricus bisporus*) • Cepes(Porcini)
• Shiitake • Truffles
• Oyster • Lobster
• Enoki • Chicken-of-the-Woods
• Maitake • Hen-of-the-Woods
 General Selection Factors for Fungi
• Young mushrooms that are small to medium size should be
either closed around the stem or show slightly opened veils
with pink or light tan gills, caps white or creamy white to tan
or light brown
• Open veiled mushrooms are not a sign of poor quality yet
are more mature and result in a more pungent flavor
• The surface or cap of a mushroom should be smooth, dry
and firm with an earthy aroma
• Over mature mushrooms exhibit wide-open caps, very dark
or discolored gills and caps
• Serious pitting, emitting a slight musty or foul odor, and
damp or slimy caps indicate poor care and handling
 Cultivated (white) Mushroom
Size
• Common sizes (cap diameter) are:
button (small) ½ to 1 ½ inches
fancy (medium) 1 ½ to 2 ½ inches
special (large) 3 inches or larger
• Sizing of mushrooms should be
determined by culinary use.
White
Cremini
Portobella
Shiitake
Oyster
Enoki
Maitake
Morels
Truffles
Chanterelle
Cepes (Porcini)
Black Trumpet
Lobster Mushrooms
Chicken of the Woods
Hen-of-the-Woods Mushrooms
 Stalks and Miscellaneous
Stalks Miscellaneous
• Celery • White Asparagus
• Fennel • Green Asparagus
• Rhubarb • Artichoke
• Fiddlehead Ferns
 General Selection Factors
For Stalks
• stalks should be solid, rigid and firm with a
smooth, glossy surface; crisp
• no wilted, flabby, dehydrated or blemished
surfaces
• no pithy interiors or tough, fibrous strands
• color should be bright in accordance to
variety
• Leaves, fronds or tips should be healthy,
intact and of the appropriate coloration
Celery
• light to medium
green, graduating to a
light yellow interior
with mostly green
leaves
• no dry papery or
brown leaves
• to fully evaluate
celery for quality
celery must be tasted
for bitterness
Fennel/Anise
• firm, white bulbs
• healthy green fronds
• no browning, bruising,
shriveling, cracks or
splits
 Artichokes
• Plump, heavy for size
• Even, soft, olive green color
• Globe-shaped in winter and spring
with tight compact bracts
• Conical-shaped in summer and fall,
with slightly flared bracts
• Purple coloration at the base,
appearing during summer, is
acceptable
• “Bronzing”, due to frost blisters does
not effect quality
• No wilted, woody, bruised or
discoloration on the stem or bracts
• No mold on surface or between bracts
 Artichoke Sizing Examples
Count/23# Carton

small 60 count (2” or less in diameter)

medium 36, 48 count (8-10 oz. each)
large 18, 24 count (15-20 oz. each)
 Asparagus

• Green asparagus should exhibit

bright green, firm, round straight
stalks and compact tips.
• Some varieties may include
shades of purple along with green
• No broken or decaying tips, dry
butt ends, shriveling stalks or pale
green discoloration
 Asparagus Sizing Examples
Size: Count/# Approx. base diameter

pencil 14 to 16#
small 12 to 14/# ( 3/16” and larger)
medium/ 10 to 12/# (5/16” and larger)
standard
large 9 to 10/# (7/16” and larger)
extra lg./ (10/16” and larger)
jumbo 8 to 9/# (13/16” and larger)
 White Asparagus

• White asparagus is more brittle in texture and

requires proper handling
• Since it is grown in darkness and does not
develop chlorophyll, it must be peeled from the
tip down
• The flavor is more mild than green varieties
and usually more costly
 Study Questions
1. Celery stalks in good condition should be ?
2. How is quality of celery evaluated?
3. What is the difference between anise and
fennel?
4. Describe quality factors for asparagus and
artichoke.
5. Agaricus mushrooms are strongest in flavor
when the veils are ?
 Unit 8
Tubers and Onions
 Unit 8 Tubers and Onions
Objectives
• Based upon lectures and assigned
readings, you should, by the end of this
class, be able to…
• Visually recognize and use proper terms to
refer to tubers and onions as presented
lab sessions;
• List and explain the selection factors when
purchasing tubers and onions ;
 Unit 8 Tubers and Onions
Objectives

• Compare and contrast within the members

of the tuber and onion groups based on
potential culinary use. Focus on
similarities and/or differences in terms of
identity, texture, flavor and suitability for
use in a variety of applications.
 Key Terms
• Greening • Solanine

• Starch cells • Sweet potato

• Sweet onions • Yam

• Moisture content • Tubers

 Unit 8 Onions
Dry Types Green Types
• Yellow Onions • Scallions
• White Onions • Leek
• Spring Onions
• Red Onions
• Green Garlic
• Shallots
• Ramps
• Garlic
• Scapes
• Sweet Types
 Dry Type Onions
Selection Factors
• Very firm to hard, dry, uniform in shape and size
with small, tight necks and papery outer scales
• Reasonably free from sunburn spots, insect
damage or any other surface blemishes
• No thick, hollow woody centers
• No soft necks, strong onion aroma, bruising,
sprouting, mold, water soaked spots, or
translucent, slippery layers (freezing injury)
 Selection Factors for
Green Type Onions
• Tender, crisp, vibrant green tops with firm,
white shanks or bulbs
• Uniform in size and shape, well formed, (high
ratio of white shank to green top) free from
excessive roots that are relatively clean and
moist
• No crushed or broken leaves
• No cracked, dehydrated root ends or soft bulb
or shank ends
• Free from slime, wilt, mold, discoloration or
yellowing tops
 Sizes

pearl less than ¾”

pickler less than 1½”
boiler 1½ to 2½”
large/jumbo 3” and up
(Spanish)
collosal 3 to 3¾” and up
super collosal 4 to 4½” and up

*Courtesy National Onion Association

Yellow Onion
White Onion
Red Onion
Shallots
Garlic
Pearl Onions
Cippolini
Sweet Onions
• Vidalia
• Walla Walla
• Texas 1015
Scallions
Leek
Spring Onion
Garlic Scapes
 Unit 8 –Tubers
Potatoes Other Tubers

• Chef • Sweet Potato

• Russet • Jicama
• Red • Sunchoke /Jerusalem
• Yellow Artichoke
• White • Ginger
• Fingerling
• Blue/Purple
 Selection Factors for Potatoes
• Firm, uniform in size and shape
• Shallow eyes, no sprouting, with relatively smooth
skins
• Free from fungal or insect damage and surface
mold
• No cuts, bruising, softening or shriveling of the
surface
• No greening of the skin or internal discoloration
• Potatoes if stored below 40°F will darken and
change in flavor when cooked
 Potato Sizes
Russet ct./50# carton
40, 50,60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 120

Common Red/White/Yellow
A) 2 ⅛ - 3” and larger
B) 1 ½ - 2 ¼ ”
C) Less than 1 ¼ ”
 Potato Texture
“Mealy” “Waxy”
• Russet • Common US Red and
• Yukon Gold white-skinned varieties

Waxy type potatoes contain

Mealy type starch cells tend to
cells that cohere together even
swell and separate when
when cooked, resulting in a
cooked, producing a dry, fluffy,
more solid, dense, moist
fine texture best for fried, baked
texture. These are preferably
or mashed potatoes.
used for salads, roasting and
boiling.
 Chef Potatoes

These were initially graded out by size;

the smaller potatoes were bagged into
10# bags for the retail market and the
remaining large potatoes were bagged
into 50# sacks for food service. These
potatoes are often, but not limited to,
Eastern white fleshed types used as an
all purpose potato. Check with supplier
for potato variety.
Russet Potato
Red Potatoes
Yellow Potatoes
Purple Potatoes
Fingerling Potatoes
Sweet Potato
Jicama
Sunchokes/Jerusalem Artichokes
 Ginger
Old

Galangal Young
 Study Questions
1. What causes greening on potatoes?
2. What types of potatoes are best suited for
baking and frying?
3. What types of potatoes are best suited for
steaming and boiling?
4. Dry onions of good quality and acceptable
condition should be_________.
5. Leeks should yield a high ratio of _______
to leaves.
Unit 9 Roots and Pods
 Unit 9
Roots and Pods
• Based upon lectures and assigned
readings, you should, by the end of this
class, be able to…
• Visually recognize and use proper terms
to refer to roots and pods as presented in
lab sessions;
• List and explain the selection factors
when purchasing roots and pods;
 Unit 9
Roots and Pods
• Compare and contrast within the
members of the root and pod groups
based on potential culinary use. Focus
on similarities and/or differences in
terms of identity, texture, flavor and
suitability for use in a variety of
applications.
 Key Terms

• Roots • Pods

• Mature • Plant Mucilage

• Growth Cracks • Sunburn

 Unit 9 Roots

• Beets • Radishes
Red, Gold, Candy- Round Red, Daikon
Striped/Chioggia
• Yellow Turnip/
• Carrots
Horse, Cello, Rutabaga
Bunched, Baby • White Turnip/
• Celeriac/Celery Purple Top
Root
• Parsnips
• Salsify
• Horseradish
 Roots-Selection Factors
• Well formed, firm, with a deep, rich color and
smooth outer surface, heavy in relation to size
• Uniform in shape and size, according to variety
• Healthy, vibrant green tops if bunched
• No pithy, woody or fibrous interiors
• No growth cracks
• No wilted, decayed tops or signs of mold
• No soft, flabby roots
• No sprouting, skin punctures, excessive leaf
scars or scaling
Beets, Red with Tops
Beets, Gold
Beets, Candy Striped/Chioggia
Carrots, Horse
Carrots, Bunched
Carrots, Baby
Celeriac/Celery Root
Salsify
Horseradish
Radishes, Round Red with Tops
Radish, Daikon
Yellow Turnip/Rutabaga
White Turnip/Purple Top
Parsnip
 Unit 9 Pods

• Green Beans • English Peas

• Wax Beans • Fava Beans
• French Beans/ • Lima Beans
Haricots Verts • Cranberry Beans
• Snow Peas • Black-Eyed Peas
• Sugar Snap Peas • Edamame Beans
• Corn
• Okra
• Chinese Long Beans
• Romano Beans
Green, Yellow
 Pods-Selection Factors
Edible pod* and Shelling type**
• Firm, smooth pods, bright in appearance, free of
surface scars and blemishes
• Tender pods, with small, delicate seeds*
• No tough, bulging or fibrous pods*
• No pitting, russeting or loss of color*
• No wilting, shriveling, flabby, rotted or moldy pods
• Shelling type pods should appear plump and
bulging distinguishable by fully developed, mature
seeds**
• No yellowing or soft spots of the pods**
Green Beans
Wax Beans
Haricots Verts
Snow Peas
Sugar Snap Peas
Sweet Corn

• Characterized by brightly
colored, full ears with plump,
even rows of kernels
• Moist silk and medium green,
tight, succulent husks
• No dried out or shriveled
kernels, silk, husks or stem ends
• Sugar content begins to rapidly
decrease once harvested and
should be used immediately
upon receipt
Okra
Chinese Long Beans
Romano Beans
English Peas
Fava Beans
Lima Beans
Cranberry Beans
Black-Eyed Peas
Edamame Beans
 Study Questions

1. Acceptable quality in green beans and

other edible pods is shown by what
characteristics?
2. What are special considerations when
storing fresh corn?
3. List important selection factors for carrots
and other root vegetables.