Griffin's Studios
Vegetable of the Month:

Mushrooms, crimini

Coffee colored and richer in flavor and nutrients than the more common white button mushroom, crimini mushrooms are available throughout the year.Mushrooms are as mysteriously unique as they are delicious. While often thought of as a vegetable and prepared like one, mushrooms are actually fungi, a special type of living organism that has no roots, leaves, flowers or seeds. While they can be cultivated, they easily grow wild in many regions of the world. Button mushrooms generally look like little cartoon umbrellas, having a dense parasol-like cap attached to a stem that can be short and thick or thin and slightly curvy. There are three different types of button mushrooms-white mushrooms, crimini mushrooms and portabello mushrooms. The white mushroom is the most common type and is the cream colored mushroom that often adorns salads. The crimini mushroom, which looks just like the button but is coffee colored, actually features a more distinctive flavor. The portabello mushroom whose large size and meaty flavor make it a wonderful vegetarian entrée, is actually an overgrown crimini mushroom. The scientific name for these mushrooms is Agaricus bisporus. Crimini mushrooms are known by a variety of other names. These include cremini, baby bellas, and Portabellini.
History
Button mushrooms have grown wild since prehistoric times, having been consumed as food by the early hunter-gatherers. Since ancient times, mushrooms have been thought to have special powers. The Egyptians thought that they granted immortality, and since only the pharaohs were felt to be worthy of this gift, the common people were not even allowed to touch mushrooms, let alone eat them. In ancient Rome, people oftentimes referred to mushrooms as cibus diorum-food for the gods. The folklore of many cultures, including Russia, China and Mexico held that eating mushrooms could give someone superhuman strength.

Although button mushrooms have been enjoyed by people around the world for millennia, it was not until the 17th century that they began to be cultivated. The first attempts at cultivation began near Paris, a city that still has hundreds of miles of underground caves and tunnels where mushrooms are grown. Cultivation of button mushrooms began in the United States in the late 19th century. Button mushrooms are grown throughout many regions of the world, especially countries in the Northern Hemisphere. The United States is one of the leading commercial producers of button mushrooms with the majority being produced in Pennsylvania .
How to Select and Store
Look for mushrooms that are firm, plump and clean. Those that are wrinkled or have wet slimy spots should be avoided. Since mushrooms darken as they age, choose those that are either creamy white or tan, depending upon whether you are purchasing white or Crimini mushrooms. If your recipe calls for caps only, choose mushrooms that have short stems to avoid waste. Fresh and dried button mushrooms are available throughout the year.

The best way to store loose button mushrooms is to keep them in the refrigerator either placed in a loosely closed paper bag, wrapped in a damp cloth or laid out in a glass dish that is covered with a moist cloth. These methods will help them to preserve their moisture without becoming soggy and will keep them fresh for several days. Mushrooms that are purchased prepackaged can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week in their original container. Dried mushrooms should be stored in a tightly sealed container in either the refrigerator or freezer, where they will stay fresh for six months to one year.
Health Benefits
For the past twenty years, phytonutrients found in mushrooms have been the object of anti-cancer research. Most of this research has centered on carbohydrate-related parts of mushrooms, including their polysaccharide and beta-glucan components. In addition, most of this research has focused on the "specialty" mushrooms, including Shiitake, Maitake, and Reishi. More recently, however, the common button mushrooms, including crimini, have been shown to have anticancer properties as well. In particular, adding these mushrooms to the diet may help protect against the development of breast cancer by preventing circulating levels of estrogen in the body from becoming excessive. (Excessive estrogen, or hyperestrogenemia, has been repeatedly linked to increased risk of breast cancer). This effect appears to be accomplished through inhibition of an enzyme in the body called aromatase (estrogen synthase) that is necessary for the production of estrogen.
The range of traditional nutrients found in crimini mushrooms is equally impressive. Our food ranking system showed crimini mushrooms to be an excellent source of selenium, riboflavin (vitamin B2), pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), copper, niacin (vitamin B3), potassium and phosphorus. Selenium is needed for the proper function of the antioxidant system, which works to reduce the levels of damaging free radicals in the body. Selenium is a necessary cofactor of one of the body's most important internally produced antioxidants, glutathione peroxidase, and also works with vitamin E in numerous vital antioxidant systems throughout the body. These powerful antioxidant actions make selenium helpful not only against colon cancer by protecting colon cells from cancer-causing toxins, but in decreasing asthma and arthritis symptoms and in the prevention of heart disease. In addition, selenium is involved in DNA repair, yet another way in which adequate intake of this mineral is associated with a reduced risk for cancer. Five ounces of raw crimini mushrooms provide 52.6% of the daily value (DV) for selenium.
Copper is another trace mineral that may be helpful in reducing the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. Copper, along with manganese (yet another trace mineral for which crimini mushrooms is a very good source), is an essential cofactor of a key oxidative enzyme called superoxide dismutase. Superoxide dismutase disarms free radicals produced within the mitochondria (the energy production factories within our cells). Copper is also necessary for the activity of lysyl oxidase, an enzyme involved in cross-linking collagen and elastin, both of which provide the ground substance and flexibility in blood vessels, bones and joints. Low dietary intake of copper may also be associated with increased fecal free radical production and fecal water alkaline phosphatase activity, risk factors for colon cancer. Five ounces of raw crimini mushrooms supply 35.5% of the DV for copper and 10.0% of the DV for manganese. Crimini mushrooms are also a good source of iron, which is primarily used as part of hemoglobin, the molecule responsible for transporting and releasing oxygen throughout the body. But hemoglobin synthesis also relies on copper. Without copper, iron cannot be properly utilized in red blood cells. Fortunately, Mother Nature supplies both minerals in crimini mushrooms.  

Griffins Studios
Fruit of the Month:

Blueberries

Blueberries abound in anthocyanins and protocatechuic acid which offer outstanding health benefits to prevent high blood pressure and ease visual fatigue. They also have unique properties in maintaining brain’s health, preventing nerve’s aging, strengthening heart and fighting against cancers system.

Researchers discovered that blueberries are the top among the 40 fruits investigated because of their antioxidant properties. These antioxidants can neutralize the free radicals produced during metabolism, protect the body against the damaging effects of free radicals and other chronic diseases associated with the aging process.