MUSHROOMS ■ 7 



Effect of Cooking on Vitamin Content of Fresh Mushrooms 



Filios and Esselen (6) found that in general the B vitamins are well retained 

 when fresh mushrooms are cooked. Fresh mushrooms were cooked by five 

 different methods: (1) boiled whole, (2) boiled sliced, (3) broiled whole, (4) 

 broiled sliced, and (5) sauteed. The results are summarized in table 3. The 

 vitamin content of the cooking liquor, as well as that of the cooked solids was 

 determined, in order to calculate the total vitamin retention. 



There was little loss of riboflavin in most cases. The broiled sliced mushrooms 

 suffered most, retaining but 65.8 percent of the riboflavin. The nicotinic acid 

 losses were in approximately the same range, with 77.6 to 91.3 percent retained 

 during cooking. The percentage retention of pantothenic acid ranged from 74.6 

 to 100 percent. The biotin values obtained were somewhat lower, ranging from 

 42.2 to 62.8 percent retention. The relatively low retention of biotin is probably 

 apparent rather than actual, owing to the difficulty in extracting biotin from the 

 samples for assay. It was concluded that in general, riboflavin, nicotinic acid, 

 pantothenic acid, and biotin are well retained when fresh mushroonis are cooked 

 by various methods. 



Table 3. — Effect of Cooking Methods on Retention of B Vitamins 

 IN Fresh Mushrooms. 



Effect of Canning on Vitamin Content of Mushiooms 



Investigations on the stability of B vitamins in mushrooms during canning 

 and storage and on the B vitaniin content of commercially canned mushrooms 

 have been reported by Filios and Esselen (6). 



Fresh mushrooms were secured from a nearby grower and experimental packs 

 were prepared in the laboratory to study the vitamin stability during canning 

 and storage. The riboflavin, nicotinic acid, pantothenic acid, and biotin content 

 of the mushrooms was determined by microbiological methods. Determinations 

 were made on the fresh mushroom, the blanched mushroom, and the canned 

 product immediately after canning and at intervals of 2, 6, and 12 months during 

 storage at room temperature (70°-80°F.) 



The mushrooms were washed and trimmed, blanched tor seven minutes in 

 boiling water, packed into No. 2 size (307 x 409) tin cans with a standardized 

 fill-in weight, and brined. The cans were then sealed and processed in a retort 

 for 25 minutes at 240°F. (116°C.). A summary of the data is presented in table 

 4. There was a small loss of riboflavin, nicotinic acid, panthothenic acid, and 

 biotin during the canning process and a further loss during storage for twelve 

 months. Despite these losses canned mushrooms are excellent sources of ribo- 

 flavin, nicotinic acid, pantothenic acid, and biotin, even after storage tor one 

 year. 



