DRIED WILD WOOD EAR MUSHROOMS

Each order of these Dried Wild Wood Ear Mushrooms will provide up to 1/2 pound of mushrooms (when rehydrated to their maximum potential)!  You’re not going to believe this when you receive your tiny bag weighing only 0.175oz, but I promise it’s true! 😂😂😂  My tests (weighing before and after dehydration) revealed that these suckers can absorb more than 45.7 times their dry weight!!!  

Assuming you’re not already familiar with these little treasures, there are three important things you need to know.  First and foremost: These are the mushrooms for people who HATE all mushrooms!!!  I can tell you this with 100% confidence, because I’m one of those people!  (Which is ALSO why I consider this to be the most important factor. 😂)  Wood Ears don’t have any of the normal mushroom smell or flavor.  When eaten plain, I’d liken them to eating a rice cake:  You know what you’re eating because it has a distinct texture in your mouth, NOT because there’s a distinct flavor. 😂  Instead, they absorb the flavor of whatever they happen to be cooked with.

The second important thing to know about these mushrooms is that you need to be prepared for a texture that’s unlike any other vegetable.  Wood Ears are a member of the “Jelly Fungus” family.  Their texture is somewhere between “slightly rubbery” and “Jello Jigglers”. 😬  I’m personally obsessed with the texture, but there are plenty of people out there who aren’t.  They choose to slice the mushrooms into thin strips or small bits before adding them into dishes.  (You can also break/crumble the dried mushrooms before rehydrating to avoid the cutting step—-just remember dried pieces will grow to nearly 70 times their size!)  A small amount of rehydrated mushrooms can even be blended into smoothies without affecting the flavor at all!  Just remember that it doesn’t take much for them to make smoothies impressively thick—-more like a mousse than a drink!

The third important thing to know is that THERE REALLY IS A REASON TO EAT THESE THINGS!  😂  I mean, if you’re like me being a weird, wild, food is reason enough.  But for everyone ELSE out there you’ll be interested to know that wild Wood Ear Mushrooms are exceptionally nutritious!

EACH 3.5 OUNCES OF HYDRATED MUSHROOMS CONTAINS APPROXIMATELY:

• 25 calories
• 7 grams carbohydrates
• 0.5 grams protein
• 7% of the DV for Vitamin B1 (thiamine)
• 16% of the DV for Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
• 40% of the DV for Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)
• 6% of the DV for Vitamin B6
• 5% of the DV for Vitamin B9 (folate)
• 8% of the DV for Magnesium
• 6% of the DV for Zinc
• 56% of the DV for Copper
• 4% of the DV for Manganese
• 20% of the DV for Selenium
• 5% of the DV for Iron
• Small amounts of Calcium, Phosphorus, & Potassium

Wood ear mushrooms are also a good source of soluble fiber, omega fatty acids, and antioxidants!  And while consuming them whole is different from taking extracts, it’s noteworthy to mention that studies have shown Wood Ear Mushroom extract to hold great promise in killing certain cancerous tumor cells and in preventing chronic conditions such as heart disease and rheumatoid arthritis!