New instant mushrooms sprouting up in stores<\/p>\n
By Joko Sarwono<\/p>\n
BOGOR (JP): Instant noodles are nothing new, but what about
\ninstant mushrooms? Hold onto your saucepan, as they are set to
\nappear at a supermarket near you anytime now.<\/p>\n
The producer of this unlikely food guarantees it is properly
\npreserved and retains its nutrient content for a long time, just
\nlike instant noodles.<\/p>\n
Instant mushrooms have been developed by a group of young
\npeople at the Supa Fajar Mas cooperative. They have discovered a
\nmethod to produce instant mushrooms using a simple technique and
\nbasic equipment.<\/p>\n
"The main problem was obtaining dried mushrooms with a soft
\ntexture," said Endhi Pujosanyoto, the manager of the cooperative.<\/p>\n
"After six months of experimentation, we finally discovered
\nhow to get dried mushrooms with a soft texture. The secret lies
\nin the frying of the mushrooms," he said.<\/p>\n
To make instant mushrooms requires only manual equipment. The
\nprocess, lasting about 24 hours, consists of 4 stages (slicing of
\nfresh mushrooms, drying, frying and packing).<\/p>\n
"Though manually produced, we can give our assurance that the
\nproduct has good quality and is hygienic," said Endhi, a graduate
\nof the Agricultural Industrial Technology School, Bogor Institute
\nof Agriculture (IPB).<\/p>\n
The quality of the product is taken into account from the
\nfirst time the fresh, white edible mushrooms (Pleurotus
\nostreatus) are supplied by the farmers. There are four criteria
\nconcerning the quality of the mushrooms: water content, the
\nhygiene aspect, variety and harvest age.<\/p>\n
It is necessary to subject the mushrooms to tight evaluation
\nbecause the quality of the raw material will affect the quality
\nof the instant mushrooms, Endhi said, adding that if the four
\ncriteria were not met, the product would easily rot.<\/p>\n
Quality control is also exercised during the production
\nprocess. Because mushrooms have a high protein content, efforts
\nare made to maintain the quality of the protein.<\/p>\n
"This is important because selling instant mushrooms actually
\nmeans selling their protein," he added.<\/p>\n
At the drying stage, fresh mushrooms are put into a low-
\ntemperature oven, ranging from 30 degrees Celsius to 45 degrees
\nCelsius for 18 hours. "A higher temperature, such as 55 degrees
\nCelsius to 60 degrees Celsius, will damage the protein content of
\nmushrooms," he said.<\/p>\n
At the frying stage, efforts are made to ensure that the
\nmushrooms will have an attractive appearance and a better taste.
\nThe mushrooms are fried until they turn to the desired color. At
\nthis stage, it is also guaranteed that the protein remains
\nintact.<\/p>\n
Then the mushrooms are packed, along with fried onions,
\nnoodles, dehydrated vegetables and instant seasoning (herbs,
\nsalt, shallots, garlic, vegetable oil, sugar, spices, yeast
\nextract and tocopherol).<\/p>\n
"During the packing, it is the spices that can easily get
\ndamaged. As the packing equipment is still simple, spices get
\ndouble packing. This means spending more money but it is
\nnecessary to ensure that the quality of the spices will remain
\ngood," he said.<\/p>\n
Then the packaged instant mushrooms, weighing 39 grams net,
\nare ready to be sold. The producer claims that the quality
\nremains good for three and a half months.<\/p>\n
The mushrooms are sold under the Sayurmas brand and are
\ndistributed to supermarkets in Bogor and Depok. During the first
\nmonth of sales, they were to be found in 44 supermarkets. Now,
\nowing to greater capital, the cooperative can produce seven boxes
\n(48 packages in a box) a day.<\/p>\n
He also said that only 49 percent of that amount had been sold
\nto consumers. "This is good enough, considering that this is a
\nnew product, which is made in a simple way and sold to the public
\nwithout any promotion," he said.<\/p>\n
Sayurmas instant mushrooms costs Rp 1,650 per pack. In the
\nfuture, the price will be cut to Rp 1,250. "Our production
\nprocess is not efficient because our production equipment is
\nstill simple," he said.<\/p>\n
Endhi says the cooperative now needs investors to improve
\nproduct quality, including the packaging.<\/p>\n
Commenting on the mushrooms, housewife Ani Sumarni said they
\nwere as delicious as chicken meat. "They taste better when served
\nwith fried potatoes," she added.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, she said, the packaging was not attractive.
\n"They are unattractive as they are packed like Indomie instant
\nnoodles," she added.<\/p>\n
A mushroom expert from IPB, Agustin Wydia Gunawan, said that
\nthis product could be the first of its kind in the world. "Once,
\nwhen I was in Europe, I came across dried mushrooms, but only now
\nhave I heard of packaged instant mushrooms," she noted.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/new-instant-mushrooms-sprouting-up-in-stores-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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