Welcome to The Italian Dream, the Porcini!
We took a little artistic liberty in calling the Porcini the Italian Dream as it is found in the wild all over the Northern Hemisphere and in a variety of cuisines. They are eaten and sautéed with butter, ground into pasta, in soups, and in many other dishes. They are found in many Italian pasta dishes, and carrettiera pasta sauce and porcini risotto are both staples of autumn Italian dining. The porcini is known for it's large protein punch, from a texture and nutrition aspect the porcini makes a great meat replacement.
Tech specs: Approximately 5 Pounds As Picked, 8.0-8.5 Ounces Dried, One Full 80 Ounce (volume) Jar, Porcini (Boletus Edulis).
Like our other products our Porcini are wild picked right here in America in the Pacific Northwest. The American picked Porcini are a little more expensive as they can also be imported from China and other areas where prices tend to be lower.
Our resident "mushroom guy" Adam tried these and here's what he had to say:
"They are very similar in aroma to the morel. Nothing quite has that distinctive morel aroma but the porcini are close. I'd say they have a deeper earthier smell then our other mushrooms. From a texture standpoint these are the closest of our mushrooms to meat. They have a nice crisp outer layer then a soft, smooth and buttery inside. Taste wise they have a flavor similar to morels, slightly less pronounced with a bit of a subtle nutty taste. These are very close to a thick morel in many ways."
Here's some notes from the Wikipedia page on Porcini:
"Prized as an ingredient in various culinary dishes, B. edulis is an edible mushroom held in high regard in many cuisines, and is commonly prepared and eaten in soups, pasta, or risotto. The mushroom is low in fat and digestible carbohydrates, and high in protein, vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre. Although it is sold commercially, it is very difficult to cultivate. Available fresh in autumn in Central, Southern and Northern Europe, it is most often dried, packaged and distributed worldwide. It keeps its flavour after drying, and it is then reconstituted and used in cooking. B. edulis is one of the few fungi sold pickled.
Boletus edulis is well suited to drying—its flavour intensifies, it is easily reconstituted, and its resulting texture is pleasant. Reconstitution is done by soaking in hot, but not boiling, water for about twenty minutes; the water used is infused with the mushroom aroma and it too can be used in subsequent cooking. Dried porcini have more protein than most other commonly consumed vegetables apart from soybeans."
Like our morels, these are wild picked in 2022. We take the same care when sorting and packaging them. Our pricing is as good as, or usually better than, what you will find on Amazon and physical retailers. Note that you can get slightly less expensive Porcini from China and other sources. We use American wild picked porcini mushrooms.
One of the owners of Forest Glory, Adam Schultz, is a Certified Wild Mushroom Expert (see images) so you know our products are inspected so that you only receive high quality matsutake. Additionally Forest Glory is licensed by the Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development Food and Dairy Division (see images). Forest Glory is also BBB Accredited with an A+ rating.
Shipping is FREE if you spend more than $20! We ship via USPS only. If the package is under 1 pound it goes First Class, otherwise it goes Priority Mail. Shipping time itself takes 2-4 days. Packaging time is typically one to two business days. Generally packages arrive much more quickly than this, but in case "delays happen" 5-6 business days would be in the high end.
If you haven't had dried morel porcini before here are some common questions with the answers:
How do you prepare them?
You simply put them in water for about 20 minutes. They will rehydrate and look and taste just like they were fresh picked from the ground. Note that we sell the porcini sliced for better dehydration and rehydration. In most dishes they are sliced before use. We've done that for you.
Do they taste the same?
Yes they taste exactly the same! The porcini flavor is actually said to intensify when dried. The only thing removed during drying is water, so no flavor is removed.
How many servings is this?
You get 5 pounds as picked, the jar is 80 ounces in volume. We have prepared these, and the dream jar easily contains 8-10 servings, probably more. 5 Pounds is generally considered to be a very large amount of porcini as you can imagine.
Is this a fair price?
Yes it definitely is. These are a delicacy and can actually command much more than this depending on the season and availability. These are wild, American, hand picked mushrooms and they are very rare. Anything that is rare is expensive. We save money by buying them in bulk. By buying from us you are buying from a very reputable company with over 200,000 Facebook fans. You know they are picked in America in 2022 and they are of high quality, and you are buying from a family owned company that is here to help you 24/7. One of our owners, Adam Schultz, is also certified as a Wild Mushroom Expert so you know the porcini are pure and of a high quality. Finally, our facility is licensed by the State of Michigan. If you buy elsewhere you don't have that assurance. On top of that, we comparison shopped and our prices are right in line with, or lower than, what you would find from other source.
Why dry Porcini?
Porcini with water in them are a very perishable item. They only last about 7 days, so they have to be processed and shipped quickly, which is very expensive (time is money). If you remove the water then the porcini can keep up to 36 months. They can also then be shipped using standard methods. The end result is that a pound of fresh porcini delivered is at least $50.00, you get 5 pounds for that much when they are dried.
Is it common to dry porcini?
Yes! Porcini are one of the most commonly dried mushrooms because they rehydrate so well. Dried porcini are eaten all year round, while fresh porcini are only available in season. Most recipes will call for dried porcini.
Are dried porcini good for you?
Absolutely! Nothing is better for you or the environment then a product harvested in the wild. This is an unprocessed, unaltered, natural product that comes right from the forest into your home. Our owner, Adam Schultz, is a certified Wild Mushroom Expert (see images) so you know that when you buy from us you get safe mushrooms that are 100% porcini. Our facility is also licensed so you know we follow clean health standards and your mushrooms are processed and packaged in a safe and clean way.
When were they picked?
We have verified that all of our dried porcini were wild picked in AMERICA in the fall of 2022!
