Boletus mushrooms are a true decoration of the mushroom basket and a source of justified pride for the picker. Light aromatic pulp of porcini mushrooms that does not change color when heat treatment, has excellent taste qualities, contains a lot of protein and biologically important microelements. So that these forest trophies have maximum nutritional value and appetizing appearance, you need to know how to peel porcini mushrooms carefully and correctly. It is best to prepare for this before going on a “quiet hunt” and clean the collected boletus mushrooms right in the forest.
Before a mushroom trip, you need to stock up on a knife, a small brush and, if you plan to collect for drying, a soft cloth or paper towel.
Large mature White mushroom immediately attracts attention and is especially pleasing to the eye. However, if the leg of such a beauty is completely eaten away by worms, the flesh has become loose, and the tubular layer of the cap has acquired a dark green color, it is unsuitable for collection. It is better to look nearby for young, strong relatives - after all, boletus mushrooms usually grow in families.
When collecting porcini mushrooms, you need to carefully unscrew them (by cutting, you will leave a fairly large part of the stem in the forest substrate) and immediately thoroughly clean them of forest debris - needles, fallen leaves and moss. Particular attention should be paid to the stem and its base, since this is where lumps of soil accumulate, in which dangerous bacteria nest.
Contaminated areas need to be scraped or cut off, and also checked for wormholes in the stem. If there are a few passages in the dense pulp, the affected areas must be cut out immediately so that the mushroom worms do not continue their feast and move to other mushrooms as they are collected.
Then the fruiting bodies are cleaned with the supplied brush. Porcini mushrooms intended for drying will need to be further cleaned after initial forest processing by wiping them with a cloth or paper towel. As a result, the most labor-intensive part of processing porcini mushrooms turns out to be done in the forest.
How to properly clean these mushrooms
If the boletus mushrooms are brought in already peeled, all that remains is to carefully sort them out and clean them a little, eliminating any remaining errors. If the primary processing has not been carried out in advance, you will have to do it at home, and no later than 5 hours after collection - discard old mushrooms worn out by worms, remove areas of pulp with small wormholes, shake off forest debris, scrape off soil contamination.
Further processing depends on what dish or preparation the forest harvest is intended for. Let's look at how to properly clean boletus mushrooms using different cooking methods:
- For soup, the fruiting bodies will need to be cut so that everything that goes into the pan is approximately the same size - then the pieces will cook evenly and ripen at the same time. The mushroom dressing prepared in this way is washed under running water and loaded into a pan with boiling water, which will turn into a rich broth with a magical aroma;
- For frying, boletus mushrooms are also cut evenly and, if they are perfectly cleaned, without washing, they are sent to a frying pan with heated vegetable oil. If there are still doubts about the quality of cleaning, the chopped mushrooms are quickly washed so that they do not have time to absorb a lot of water. Then dry it on a paper or regular towel and start frying;
- for pickling, in which it is especially important to completely remove the slightest traces of forest soil, the legs are treated especially carefully, scraping and brushing them under running cool water. Well-cleaned fruiting bodies are cut if necessary, washed and pickled according to the chosen recipe;
- To freeze boletus mushrooms, after thorough initial cleaning, just wipe them with a soft and slightly damp cloth. Excess water increases the weight and volume of the frozen product, and also worsens its taste;
- For drying, well-cleaned fruit bodies are only wiped, but in no case washed - moisture easily saturates the porous pulp, but leaves it with difficulty, so the prepared raw material will deteriorate and not dry. Peeled fruiting bodies, wiped with a soft cloth, are cut into layers about a centimeter thick and, under suitable conditions, dried until ready.
The texture of the legs and caps of porcini mushrooms differs markedly - the legs, as a rule, are denser and tougher. Therefore, when cleaning, the stem and cap parts are often separated, and then prepared separately.
If porcini mushrooms are collected soon after rain and are very dirty, they are briefly soaked in salted cold water and then washed. Do the same if there are still several wormholes left in the pulp. Soaked and then washed mushrooms can be used without hesitation for boiling and pickling; they are less suitable for frying, and they definitely should not be frozen or dried.
It is not for nothing that porcini mushrooms are considered a particularly valuable mushroom raw material - in their multicomponent composition, in addition to aromatic and nutritional ingredients, there are substances with antitumor and tonic properties. The safety of unique biological complexes largely depends on the careful, correct and timely cleaning of porcini mushrooms before cooking.
How to properly clean porcini mushrooms before cooking
The porcini mushroom (boletus) is one of the most delicious and aromatic. Therefore, every housewife happily prepares dishes from porcini mushrooms, dries them for the winter, freezes them and rolls them up. It is very important to process and clean porcini mushrooms as quickly as possible after harvesting. The ideal option is to do this within the first 5 hours, and as a last resort - within the first 24 hours.
If you have collected or purchased a large number of mushrooms, then while you are processing one part of the mushrooms, you can put the other in a bowl, cover with a wet towel and place it on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. It is not recommended to store porcini mushrooms for longer than a day, so they need to be cleaned and processed as quickly as possible.
Peeling porcini mushrooms at home is quite simple and quick. If you are responsible for picking mushrooms in the forest and each time, before putting the next mushroom find in the basket, shake off the pine needles, debris, grass from the mushroom and cut off the bottom of the mushroom, and clean off the dirt and moss, then cleaning mushrooms at home will go much faster.
If you are going to dry peeled porcini mushrooms in the future, then do not wash them after cleaning, but just wipe them well with a dry sponge or brush. If you cook them, then after cleaning, rinse the mushrooms well in water.
If your loved ones are mushroom pickers, then you have watched them clean the catch from their quiet hunt. And when necessary, do the same. But is what you know about cleaning porcini mushrooms true? Proper processing is more than half the success when preparing delicious and healthy dishes from noble porcini mushrooms. Boletus is a valuable mushroom, and we will tell you how to process it correctly so that all tasty pulp ended up in the plate, not in the trash.
How to collect porcini mushrooms
When picking porcini mushrooms, cut off the stem with a knife. This will prevent sand and soil contamination, which means the product quality will be high. In addition, mushroom pickers who twist the mushroom out of the ground damage the mycelium, and this can negatively affect the yield in the next season.
The most important rule mushroom picker - the processing of any mushrooms must begin immediately, while still in the forest, because this is a perishable product. Cut mushrooms release toxins during storage. If the fruiting body is infested with larvae, contaminated, or broken or bitten, the mushroom may not be edible when you are ready to process it. Even one spoiled copy in a basket can ruin everything you have collected!
Process your prey in the first 3-4 hours, otherwise all your search and collection efforts will go down the drain. Read on to learn how to peel mushrooms. First of all, sort your catch by type - what is suitable for canning, drying, and what for cooking right now. To clean whites, you will need several suitable containers: a bowl of warm water, a large container for suitable raw materials and a bag or basin for waste.
To preserve the mushrooms, do not expose them to unnecessary mechanical damage; handle them carefully; unnecessary touching and squeezing will cause dark spots to form on the fruiting body, and spoilage will be accelerated.
- First of all, boletus mushrooms clear forest debris, particles of earth, and clean damaged areas. Contaminated areas can be wiped with a damp cloth or brushed. A sharp stainless steel knife is suitable for this work to avoid oxidation. The cut made in the forest is removed along with particles of moss and sand. If there is too much debris and dirt on the mushrooms, they should be soaked in water to soak for about 20 minutes, no more. Press the mushrooms down by placing a lid or plate on top to submerge them completely.
- Slightly soaked foliage is easily separated from wet caps and stems. Make sure that the mushrooms do not sit in water for too long, otherwise they will absorb the water like a sponge and lose their taste. If the product is intended for drying or frying, they should not be soaked. Difficult-to-remove dust and dirt can be washed off with cool running water. Pay attention to the condition of the porous layer under the cap of the porcini mushroom; it can be contaminated with particles of earth, sand and dust. This is unacceptable during conservation, since any contamination can cause poisoning.
- The washed mushrooms should be allowed to dry. For drying, select specimens that are least contaminated; they cannot be washed or soaked.
Cleaning methods
For different types During processing, mushrooms are cleaned and prepared in different ways. For drying, the fruiting bodies are used whole or cut into pieces. For freezing, also cut into slices. White caps are suitable for pickling.
If you notice larvae, you need to soak the infected specimens in a salt solution for 2 minutes. Take 10 grams of salt per liter of water at room temperature, stir until the crystals are completely dissolved and drop the suspicious fruits.
Processing boletus mushrooms before drying
The simplest, most convenient and affordable way to prepare porcini mushrooms is drying. The product retains its noble taste and aroma if stored correctly. And you need to store it separately from strong-smelling products, in a fabric bag, in a warm and dry place. room temperature. See below for how to peel mushrooms.
Frozen porcini mushrooms are good for frying. The product retains its noble taste, aroma and beneficial properties. If possible, store the product frozen, you should use this method.
Preparing for frying
A product intended for frying should be treated in the same way as for drying. Excess moisture is not needed here at all; water can spoil the taste of the future dish. Therefore, we dry clean whites intended for frying only.
If the fruits are dusty or contaminated with sand and soil particles, wrap them in a damp cloth and shake lightly.
Boletuses are often called redheads for their bright red cap. This species is also a desirable and tasty prey. By preparing it correctly, you can get nutritious and tasty dish or preparation for the winter. Boletuses are also used for drying, freezing and fresh cooking.
You can also clean the boletus with a sharp knife. Separate the stems from the caps and carefully check them for worms. Clean damaged areas. If redheads are intended for direct consumption, place them in saline solution. To dry the product, wrap the redheads in a damp cloth and shake to remove dust and dirt.
Butter: nuances of cleaning
Butterfly is a small, commonly found species, tasty and valued by mushroom pickers. But it has a feature, which is why it was called an oil can. It's a slippery, mucus-covered cap. Not everyone likes it; the skin is usually peeled off during processing. Many inexperienced mushroom pickers have a question about how to clean and cook boletus, how to remove the film from them. To make it easier to remove, pour boiling water over the butter. Otherwise, clean as usual, remove forest debris and place in a salt solution for a few minutes to remove worms and larvae.
To work with oils, it is better to wear gloves, otherwise your fingers will quickly become dirty and blackened from the mucus, and it will be inconvenient to clean.
Source: mukhomor.com
Mushrooms, regardless of type, are perishable foods. After collection, they can be stored for no more than 5 hours without refrigeration and a maximum of 2 days in the cold. The longer they sit, the softer they become. Therefore, it is advisable to clean them as soon as possible.
Pre-cleaning in the forest
Experienced mushroom pickers advise pre-cleaning boletus mushrooms right in the forest. This will greatly facilitate further processing of the fruit. To clean, you need to have a small knife and an old toothbrush with you to brush off dirt from the caps.
Keep in mind that the structure of mushrooms is very soft and delicate, and if you scrape them too hard, they may simply fall apart into pieces and lose their taste.
Peeling porcini mushrooms is easier than others. They are large and their legs are fleshy and elastic.
When collecting boletus mushrooms in the forest, it is advisable to immediately remove adhering grass, pine needles, and remaining soil from them.
Cleaning porcini mushrooms at home
To clean porcini mushrooms at home, you will need a small sharp knife, a colander, and cloth or paper napkins.
The cleaning process is as follows:
- If you did not clean the boletus mushrooms when collecting them in the forest, then at home, brush off all the stuck particles from them with an old toothbrush.
- Take each mushroom and rinse it under water. Sometimes the dirt on the legs gets into the flesh and needs to be scraped off with a knife. The same brush or napkin will help remove difficult-to-wash dirt from the caps.
- Place the fruits in a colander to drain the water.
- Place wet mushrooms on a napkin to dry completely.
When you plan to start cooking porcini mushrooms immediately after cleaning, it is not necessary to dry them.
Boletus mushrooms collected for drying cannot be washed. The porous pulp of the fruit quickly absorbs water, which makes drying much more difficult. In such cases, the mushrooms are cleaned with a brush or napkins, then sent to dry.
Features of cleaning boletus caps
Porcini mushrooms can be quite large. Unlike butter mushrooms or champignons, the boletus cap is velvety, smooth and does not have a sticky film. But sometimes spots, stains, and damage appear on it.
If there is no severe rot on the cap, do not rush to throw away the slightly damaged mushroom. Using a knife, you can carefully cut out all the unsightly areas from the cap; the remaining part will be quite edible.
It happens that debris and dirt get clogged under the inside of the cap. In this case, you can clean the mushroom using a soft brush with long bristles.
These were the basic tips on how to peel porcini mushrooms. Next, all that remains is to prepare them in the chosen way and enjoy the excellent taste. Boletus mushrooms are delicious in any form - boiled, fried, pickled, salted. Slicing mushrooms does not in any way affect their taste.
Source: agroflora.ru
Basic rules for cleaning mushrooms
When cleaning dirt, debris and other things from mushrooms, we adhere to the following rules:
- We begin cleaning immediately upon arriving home. This will prevent the spread of worms from eaten mushrooms to whole ones, as well as the decomposition of proteins and fats in them, which can lead to poisoning. They begin to deteriorate within 6 hours of collection.
- Methods for cleaning mushrooms depend on their types, so before getting started, we sort them by variety. Unknown and questionable species are thrown away.
- Dry mushrooms are easier to clean. Therefore, we do not wet or wash them before cleansing, otherwise they will slip out, and some will even become heavy, loose and begin to fall apart. In addition, most representatives of the mushroom kingdom lose their taste when exposed to moisture.
After the mushrooms have been sorted out and sorted by type, we begin to clean them. To do this, we use stiff brushes, a dish sponge, a thick fabric towel and a small mushroom knife. We remove dirt, darkened parts and areas eaten by worms (if the mushroom cap is affected by them, throw it away). Next, wipe them with a damp cloth or quickly rinse them through a colander and dry them.
On a note!
Mushrooms intended for drying are not washed.
How to clean different types of mushrooms
Taking into account the characteristics of each type of mushroom, we clean and wash them differently, since some representatives of the mushroom kingdom need only be lightly rinsed under water, while others require thorough cleaning of film, dirt, debris, and other things.
When cleaning porcini mushrooms, wipe the cap with a damp sponge and cut off the lower edge of the stem to remove soil and other dirt. We also look at the cut to see if there are any traces of worms. Using a knife, carefully remove the stuck soil. Rinse through a colander and dry.
Valui (bulls)
Valui is classified as an inedible mushroom due to its bitter juice. But after getting rid of the bitterness, they are used for pickling and salting. We rinse them thoroughly and clean them of dirt, sand and debris. We inspect for damage and the presence of pests, and remove questionable areas. We throw away severely affected and old mushrooms. Next, fill them with water and cover them with light pressure so that they are completely covered with water, but do not get crushed. Soak for 2-3 days, changing the water 2 times/day. After all these procedures, they can be salted or pickled.
Oyster mushrooms
Oyster mushrooms sprout on trees, so they do not require much time and effort to clean. We sort them out and leave only young representatives with a cap up to 10 cm in diameter. Old mushrooms have an inedible stem and a tasteless cap, so we don’t use them for cooking and throw them away. Separate from each other, cut off the lower part of the leg and dark areas. Rinse with water.
Milk mushrooms and saffron milk caps
To wash sand from milk mushrooms and mushrooms, soak them for 1 day in cool water. This will also remove the bitterness from them.
On a note!
Do not leave mushrooms in water for more than 3 days.
Use a brush to clean off any remaining sand and dirt, and use a knife if necessary. Then rinse thoroughly with water.
Chanterelles
Thanks to the substance produced by the chanterelle, worms do not appear in it. We thoroughly wash the mushrooms from sand and dirt and cut off 1/3 of the stem with a knife.
Butter
It is recommended to use gloves when cleaning oils, as they get very dirty. Using the tip of a knife, we pick up the film at the edge of the cap and pull it off. Otherwise, during heat treatment it will become slippery, hard and bitter, which will ruin the taste of the dish. Next, remove the remaining dirt and cut it in half, checking for worms. We do not soak the mushrooms, as they strongly absorb moisture and lose their taste.
Honey mushrooms
Honey mushrooms are quite easy to clean. We cut off the hard part of the stem, wash the mushrooms from sand and dirt. We clean the legs from the skirt with a knife and rinse with water.
Boletus and boletus
When cleaning boletus and boletus mushrooms, we first separate the stem from the cap. Carefully scrape off the top layer of the stem with a knife and rinse. We wipe the caps with a damp sponge, cut them in half and check for worms. We remove the spongy part, since it is difficult for our body to digest and, in addition, becomes slimy when cooked.
Russula
We clean the russula from pine needles and dirt, soak for 15 minutes in cool water to wash the sand from the plates. Using a knife, remove the skin from the caps and wash away the remaining dirt with a brush.
Important!
Russulas with a red cap have an unpleasant bitter taste. To remove it, boil them for 20 minutes, drain the water and only then start cooking.
Champignon
It is not recommended to wet or rinse champignons with water. First we cut off the base of the leg. Next, we remove the skin from the cap of large representatives. To do this, pry it off from the edge with a knife and remove it towards the center. Carefully remove the dirt with a knife and cut off the weathered parts.
To make mushroom cleaning faster, you need to take into account some nuances:
- We remove forest debris from the mushrooms during their collection, this will reduce the time spent cleaning them at home.
- It’s much more convenient to remove the film from the oil if you lubricate your hands, knife and caps sunflower oil. So, it will not tear and will come off very quickly.
- During processing, honey mushrooms acquire a brown tint. Therefore, if you need to preserve their original color, during cleaning and slicing, put the mushrooms in salted or acidified water.
By adhering to the basic rules, methods and tips for cleaning mushrooms, you can significantly speed up the process of preparing them for cooking. In addition, the result will delight not only family members, but also guests who will not resist the temptation to enjoy a tasty, aromatic and appetizing dish.
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Source: hozsekretiki.ru
Boletus is called the real king of the forest, because it has a pronounced smell, extremely pleasant taste and contains many useful nutrients. Naturally, in order for this perishable product to retain all its properties, it must be properly prepared, and the very first stage of cooking is cleaning.
It is better to remove large pieces of earth, needles or leaves immediately in the forest, directly during collection. This will make your task easier when you get home. In fact, cleaning boletus mushrooms is not special difficulties, because they are large, with a fleshy leg and a large cap, from which it is easy to remove dirt (Figure 1).
To thoroughly clean your harvest, prepare a knife, large bowl, and paper towels ahead of time. You will also need an old dental rosary.
White cleaning looks like this:
- First, we clean the surface from large particles of debris: adhered leaves, pine needles or soil residues.
- We quickly rinse the mushrooms under running water and place them in a colander to drain. It is important that washing is not practiced if the mushrooms are intended for drying.
- Using a sharp knife, cut off the lower part of the leg. This will remove soil and dust particles from the surface.
- Gently wipe the cap and stem with a paper or cloth towel. This will help remove any water droplets or dust particles that may remain after washing.
- Next, you can rub the pulp with a toothbrush. It will help remove damaged pulp and even the smallest particles of debris.
Figure 1. Cleaning boletus mushrooms After this, you need to wash them again and start cooking them. In this case, it is advisable to cut the boletus along the length or cut its stem to check whether there are passages left by worms inside the fruiting body. Unfortunately, damaged mushrooms are not very tasty, so it is better to throw them away.
Cleaning porcini mushrooms after picking in the forest
“Silent hunting” is an activity that cannot be rushed. If you are already lucky enough to stumble upon a large family of boletus mushrooms, you should not headlong cut off all the mushrooms and immediately throw them into the basket. In the forest, immediately after collection, it is much easier to clean the legs and caps of large debris. This will make the job of returning home much easier.
After cutting, carefully inspect the mushroom. There should be no rotten pulp on it. If everything is in order with the boletus, proceed to preliminary cleaning. First, you need to cut off the bottom of the stem to check for worms in the flesh. If you find only one hole left by insects, you can simply cut it out and put the fungus in a basket. But, if there are two or more such moves, it is better to throw away the boletus.
Note: If you put a wormy specimen in a basket, the insect will not only continue to gnaw passages in it, but can also move onto other specimens, and part of the harvest will be spoiled.
After this, you can simply remove large debris from the stem and cap. Ideally, it is better to do this with an old toothbrush with soft bristles, but most mushroom pickers prefer to remove leaves and needles simply by hand, and do the final cleaning at home.
How to clean porcini mushroom at home
When you come from the forest, you need to immediately start cleaning, because over time they lose their elasticity and their taste.
If you have already pre-cleaned the boletus mushrooms in the forest, all you have to do is go over them with a brush or a damp towel, depending on what treatment you will be subjecting the crop to. For example, if you are going to fry, boil or pickle mushrooms, you need to not only peel them, but also rinse them thoroughly. But before drying, boletus mushrooms cannot be washed, as due to excess moisture they will not dry correctly.
Further manipulations with the harvest also depend on how you plan to cook. So, for heat treatment and freezing, both the cap and the stem must be cleaned, and large specimens must be cut into pieces of approximately the same size.
How to clean the cap of a porcini mushroom
Mushrooms spoil very quickly, so they need to be processed within 3-4 hours after collection. If you were unable to clean and prepare them for processing, simply transfer the harvest to an enamel container and place it in the refrigerator without covering it with a lid. This way, boletus mushrooms can be stored for another 1-2 days, but they should not be shaken or constantly moved, as this can damage the delicate pulp (Figure 2).
Figure 2. Cleaning the caps The boletus cap does not need very thorough cleaning. It is enough to remove large debris from its surface and lightly wipe it with a damp cloth or an old toothbrush to remove dust. Unlike boletus, which has a sticky film on its cap, the surface of the boletus skin is velvety and pleasant to the touch.
If you do not plan to dry the mushrooms, you can rinse them under running water. This will remove any remaining dust and debris not only from the cap, but also from the stem. You need to wash the inside of the cap especially carefully, since this is where the most dust and debris accumulates.
Do I need to peel the stem of porcini mushrooms?
The boletus leg needs more thorough cleaning. First of all, you need to update the cut in its lower part, even if you did it in the forest. You need to trim the bottom of the leg in such a way as to capture particles of pulp along its entire circumference (Figure 3).
Figure 3. Removing debris from legs Next, you need to lightly scrape the flesh of the leg. The movements should be light, since the main purpose of such peeling is to simply remove the skin without damaging the pulp. After this, simply wipe the crop with a damp towel or rinse under running water if you do not plan to dry the boletus mushrooms. At the final stage, the harvest should be placed in a colander and the remaining water should be allowed to drain.
How to clean porcini mushrooms before frying
Regardless of the amount of harvest, some of the mushrooms will in any case remain for frying, because it’s so nice to please your family with this delicious forest delicacy (Figure 4).
Figure 4. Preparing boletus mushrooms for frying In fact, cleaning boletus mushrooms before frying is no different from preparing boletus mushrooms for any other heat treatment. First you need to cut off the bottom of the leg and inspect whether there are passages left by worms in the pulp. The damaged parts are cut out, the cap is cleaned of dust and debris, and the outer skin of the stem is carefully peeled off. Next, the boletus mushrooms should be washed several times in running water. If you suspect that there may be worms in the pulp, briefly soak the boletus mushrooms in salted water. All the insects will crawl out and all you have to do is rinse them again under running water, cut them into arbitrary pieces and start frying.
How to wash and peel porcini mushrooms for freezing
Modern kitchen appliances, in particular freezers, allow you to enjoy boletus not only during the harvest season, but also in winter. Naturally, for this, the fruiting bodies need to be properly prepared and cleaned.
Unlike cleaning before salting or heat treatment, preparing boletus mushrooms for freezing includes mandatory washing and soaking in salted water. First, we carry out traditional activities: we clean the caps and stems from large debris, cut off the lower part of the stem and place the fruiting bodies in a large bowl or pan with salted water. The mushrooms should sit in this solution for about an hour. This will make it possible to remove insects, worms or insect larvae from the pulp that may be accidentally missed during the cleaning process (Figure 5).
Next, remove the boletus mushrooms from the salt water, rinse thoroughly and place in a colander. To make the frozen product truly tasty and aromatic, it is better to remove excess moisture from the surface. After this, it is enough to put them in bags or containers. Small specimens can be frozen whole, but large ones are better cut into several pieces.
Figure 5. Preparing porcini mushrooms for freezing If you want to make a preparation that will be almost ready to eat after defrosting, it is better to cut the boletus mushrooms into small pieces, lightly boil them in water and place them in portioned bags or containers. As a result, you will receive a ready-made preparation that will help you prepare delicious fried mushrooms at any time of the year.
During the process of drying, pickling, freezing or salting, it is advisable to sort boletus mushrooms by size, since small specimens cook much faster than large ones. Very large specimens are usually cut into one or several parts. It is better to do this along the cap and stem, then both after freezing and after drying, the product will look attractive (Figure 6).
Figure 6. Slicing boletus mushrooms You can marinate and salt porcini mushrooms whole, but some housewives prefer to separate the stems from the caps. In fact, the process of cutting boletus mushrooms does not affect their taste in any way. Its main purpose is to make the pieces more uniform in size or to finally check the pulp for worms.
If you plan to boil and freeze mushrooms, it is better to cut them into approximately equal pieces. For example, the leg is cut into thick slices, and the cap is simply divided into several parts.
The process of cleaning porcini mushrooms is shown in more detail in the video.
Porcini mushroom has an exceptional taste and smell, which is why it is actively used in cooking. It retains its original appearance during cooking and is often canned and added to various dishes.
This species has a fleshy cap and is low in calories. It contains vitamins such as A, B1, D, C. It should be taken into account that mushrooms that have grown next to busy roads should not be eaten.
White ones absorb toxic substances well, so eating them can be hazardous to health. Almost all people try to find as many porcini mushrooms as possible. Collecting them is interesting and simple, however, after that you will have to move on to cleaning, and this is not so exciting.
Cleaning whites is a must and should be taken seriously.
Firstly, the taste of the mushrooms depends on this - if leaves, needles or dirt remain on them, then the dish will be unpleasant.
Secondly, if the porcini mushroom is not cleaned well enough, a person may become poisoned, since not only poisonous varieties are dangerous to health.
If you wish, you can peel the porcini mushroom directly in the forest to save time. This is done in two stages, but only the first of them can be carried out outside the home. It's kind of Preliminary processing, and you can’t do it alone.
You will have to peel porcini mushrooms with your hands and a knife, which you should always have with you when going to the forest. As soon as the porcini mushroom has been picked, you should shake off pine twigs, leaves, adhering dirt, stones, sand and any foreign objects.
The stem can be trimmed a little before sending the basket. However, if the mushroom is wormy, then the damaged part should be cut off. If the worms have eaten almost the entire cap, it is better to throw away the porcini mushroom.
This concludes the preparation before the second stage of cleaning, since it will be difficult to carry out washing and other procedures in the forest.
Cleaning porcini mushrooms at home
As you know, porcini mushrooms grow on dry and practically uncontaminated surfaces, so many people wonder whether they really need to be cleaned before cooking or whether just rinsing them is enough.
Experts say that the porcini mushroom must be cleaned, since its stem may contain dangerous bacteria that can cause botulism. Even heat treatment will not help destroy it.
Before you start peeling mushrooms, you need to decide what they will be used for later. Eat different variants: drying, pickling, frying, salting. If you need to dry or fry them, it is not necessary to wash them.
Many people experienced in this matter strongly advise buying a special brush (sold in every household goods store) and brushing it over the entire surface of the ingredient.
You can even use a simple toothbrush with medium hardness if you cannot purchase a special one.
A knife is also useful, however, it can only eliminate wormholes and cut off darkened areas.
After this, you can start rinsing the ingredients. To do this, it is recommended to use cool tap water.
There is one caveat here - you need to rinse it quickly, since if the mushroom is in contact with water for a long time, it will lose a lot useful properties and may even lose its excellent taste. Then it won't be so pleasant to cook.
When washing, you must carefully inspect the cap from above and below. You can even cut it in half to make sure there is no darkening inside. The cap can even be torn off from the stem, since in most cases these parts are prepared separately.
After rinsing, place them on a sieve or sieve so that the remaining water can drain. You need to keep them until they become completely dry.
In the forest you may come across hard specimens that raise doubts about the quality. In this case, you can boil them for about 10 minutes in salted water if you need to freeze them afterwards.
If in plans, then you just need to scald it with boiling water. It should be remembered that mushrooms need to be cleaned immediately upon arriving home.
It is highly advisable that they be prepared 5 hours after collection. If it happens that you cannot peel the mushrooms right away, you can soak them in cold water, adding citric acid and a little salt. However, you cannot leave them in this state for a long time, for a maximum of one night.
Mushroom slicing and cooking
Since porcini mushrooms can be eaten together with the stem, they need to be cut completely, and it is recommended to cook the stems separately. To begin with, the cap is cut into approximately equal pieces - into 4 or 6 parts, depending on the size. Then they move on to the leg - it is recommended to cut it into thin slices.
White ones do not need heat treatment before cooking, as they are not poisonous and do not have a bitter taste. As a rule, russula, milk mushrooms and trumpet mushrooms are cooked.
However, if you want to play it safe, you can carry out this procedure. However, it should be borne in mind that processing will affect the quality of the product, and whites may lose some of their beneficial properties and become less tasty and aromatic.
There is no need to additionally prepare the product for heat treatment; simply cutting them is enough. Cook in plenty of salted water for 5 to 15 minutes, no more. If you increase the time to 30 minutes, the pleasant taste may completely disappear, and then you can simply throw away the mushrooms.
When cooking is finished, the broth can be poured out or frozen for future use.
Options for preparing porcini mushrooms
You can cook porcini mushrooms different ways, since they are perfect for canning, frying, drying, and soups. They are almost universal, however, according to some recipes, white ones turn out better and tastier.
Perhaps drying is the easiest option, since a person is required to do almost nothing. Before cooking, you just need to cut each porcini mushroom, put it on a sieve and place it in a sunny, well-ventilated place.
Also possible for the winter. Before cooking, you will need to wash all the ingredients, put them in a pan and cook for about half an hour. It is not recommended to salt them at this time. After cooking, place the mushrooms in a colander to drain all the liquid.
Then you need to pour water into the pan, add sea salt or plain, vinegar, pepper, cloves, a little sugar, cinnamon and a few bay leaves. The contents need to be brought to a boil, then put the mushrooms into it. It will take about 5 minutes to cook them.
After this, the mushrooms should be placed in sterilized jars and filled with broth. You also need to add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. You don’t need to prepare anything else, you just need to roll up the jars and leave them in a cool room for at least 2 months.
If everything is done correctly, the canned food will turn out incredibly tasty.
Have you returned from a forest hike and brought back full baskets of mushrooms? Don't count on a quick vacation! There is still a lot of work to be done, because cleaning mushrooms is not an easy task, and it cannot be put off for a long time. Otherwise, the prey brought from a quiet hunt may simply spoil. It would be especially a pity to lose real forest treasures - porcini mushrooms. How to clean, wash and prepare them for the cooking process? This is what we will talk about.
Important task
Surely anyone, even the most fanatical mushroom picker, will admit that he hates peeling mushrooms. Sometimes this task takes twice as long as the collection itself. Porcini mushrooms deserve special attention. Many people know how to clean them, but hardly anyone is ready to take on this job voluntarily.
And yet this labor-intensive process is of great importance. Not only the taste of the dish prepared from them, but also the health of all those who happen to enjoy them depends on how thoroughly the porcini mushrooms are cleaned.
Noble boletus
Leo is the king of beasts, even children know this. Who is the king of mushrooms? Of course, boletus! The handsome porcini mushroom is not only very tasty and healthy, but also requires much less fuss with preparation than all its other forest relatives.
The relatively large size and dense structure play into the hands of all lovers of quiet hunting. Therefore, to be honest, it’s not that difficult to cook porcini mushrooms...
How to clean a boletus mushroom in order to spend a minimum of time and effort on it? It's simple - you need to start this business in the forest.
First stage: leaving garbage in the homeland of the mushroom
A real mushroom picker is tough and prepared for anything. In one hand is his pocket (or kitchen) knife, and in the other is a basket. And why, one might ask, would a person with a knife and a basket drag home forest dirt? It's better to leave her where she belongs. Therefore, we boldly cut off with a knife and manually tear off everything unnecessary and suspicious; we won’t need it anyway. This description includes things such as dirt, stuck leaves, dry needles, and pieces gnawed by pests.
We can leave the cuttings right where they fell - this will not cause any harm to the forest (unlike plastic and pieces of paper!). Organic after all.
Home cleaning: getting rid of excess
Before cleaning porcini mushrooms at home, you do not need to wash them. Even the children of mushroom pickers know this rule. We sort through the boletus mushrooms we brought home, finding fault with each specimen. We put everything suspicious aside.
Now we proceed to mechanical cleaning. People a long time ago came up with the idea of using a toothbrush not only during bath procedures, but also at the moment when porcini mushrooms appear in the house. How to clean with a brush? Yes, very simple! You shouldn’t get it wet; it’s better to just brush the bristles over the entire surface of the mushroom. Of course, you should not use household brushes or your own for this task. It is better to have a special one on the farm, a mushroom one. By the way, some hardware stores sell just these. True, they are not very different from ordinary teeth.
By the way, you shouldn’t put the knife far away. There may still be many things at home that would be advisable to trim.
How it shouldn't be
Have you decided to seriously figure out how to peel porcini mushrooms? The photo below will help you understand what definitely should not happen:
If a family of forest worms walks on a mushroom, such a mushroom is doomed. It should not be eaten. The same rule applies to rotten boletus mushrooms. This rarely happens. Saving one or two mushrooms can turn into a big disappointment. And both literally and figuratively. Most likely, the dish will be hopelessly spoiled.
Bath procedures
Those who know how to properly peel porcini mushrooms will not pre-wet them. But after all the dirt has been removed, it’s time to give the boletus a bath. You need to wash each mushroom separately, under running water, looking carefully. By the way, a brush can come in handy here too.
Drying
Surely, before peeling porcini mushrooms, you decided what you would cook from them? Various recipes require different preparation of ingredients. Therefore, we lay out those mushrooms that were intended for freezing and drying on newspapers in one layer and let them dry completely. Only after this can further processing begin.
Those boletus mushrooms that are intended for boiling, of course, do not require any drying.
