I was fascinated to read that you can get your picked mushrooms to produce vitamin D by simply putting them in the sun! How amazing is that? A study by the University of Sydney in July 2013 determined that 100g of button mushrooms exposed to direct midday sunlight for 1 hour generates about 10 mcg of vitamin D, while it takes 2 hours for big brown mushrooms to do the same. (10 mcg of vitamin D is the daily amount recommended for active adults, important for immune function and fights everything from osteoporosis and arthritis, to high blood pressure and infectious diseases.) So take your white buttons, portabellas and portabellinis out of their wrapping and place them outdoors for a little sunning – it doesn’t matter which way up they are. Just make sure the birds can’t get at them! Or maybe just leave them inside on a sunny windowsill for a few extra hours – it works just as well!