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High-quality processing of porcini mushrooms allows you to preserve the maximum amount of nutrients in them. It should be remembered that the heat treatment of porcini mushrooms is not always a mandatory procedure. You can saline them without exposure to high temperature conditions. Usually, fresh porcini mushrooms are processed immediately after returning home from the forest. First, the harvested crop is sorted, sorted and cleared of debris and earth. The subsequent processing of porcini mushrooms before cooking depends on what dishes will be prepared with them. For example, before processing porcini mushrooms after being harvested for salting in a dry way, they are cleaned and not washed, but only the most contaminated areas are cut off. And for pickling, they need to be thoroughly rinsed and boiled. Read about how to properly process porcini mushrooms on this page and apply the knowledge gained in practice during the "quiet hunting" season.

Methods for processing porcini mushrooms before cooking

In Russia, the white mushroom is considered the most valuable in cooking. It is distinguished by dense white pulp, which will not change color during heat treatment. Dishes made from fresh porcini mushrooms are distinguished by a special taste, and dried mushrooms of this type, unlike all others, are the most fragrant. They are recommended to be added to first courses, sauces and pie fillings. Before use, dried mushrooms are washed with water and soaked in clean cold water, and then boiled until tender. Only then are they cut into pieces and added to other ingredients.

There is a simple way of processing porcini mushroom, available to every housewife, it consists in the following operations. Before cooking, the processing of porcini mushrooms begins with cleaning from debris (adhered blades of grass and insects), removing darkened or damaged areas. The mushroom caps are cleaned with a knife with a stainless steel blade or a soft cloth. The cut on the legs is renewed, removing the most contaminated part. If mushrooms from the forest are heavily contaminated, they are soaked in water and pressed down with a load for complete immersion. After 10–20 minutes, the caps are easily washed from the adhering grass and leaves. You should not leave the mushrooms in the water for a long time, as they will actively absorb it, which ultimately will negatively affect their taste and aroma, and make the caps brittle. Then the mushrooms are washed with clean running water. Particular attention is paid to washing the lower surface of the mushroom caps, which is spongy or lamellar, and therefore most susceptible to contamination. Then the mushrooms are left in a colander or sieve to drain the liquid. For cooking, mushrooms are cut in a variety of ways (slices, wedges, straws, cubes, cubes) or ground into minced meat using a meat grinder or blender. By the way, dishes with chopped mushrooms are better absorbed.

How to process porcini mushrooms before frying

We suggest you learn how to process porcini mushrooms before frying and during the preparation of other dishes without boiling. The first and foremost requirement when processing mushrooms is a careful inspection, as they can be heavily soiled and clogged with sand. Mushrooms should be processed only young, completely healthy, not wormy, with trimmed roots, without any debris, needles, leaves, earth, and only freshly harvested. If there are few mushrooms, then the first step is to separate mushrooms that can be fried fresh from mushrooms that require additional heat treatment.

It is even desirable to distribute the mushrooms by size. Pine needles, leaves, moss and other forest debris are cleaned with a wide soft brush, cotton swab or soft cloth.Garbage adhering to the smooth mushroom cap is scraped off with a knife. From mushrooms that do not require heat treatment, debris is removed especially carefully, cleaning the folds with a brush. With a sharp stainless steel knife, they cut out all darkened and softened places, as well as those parts that are damaged by forest pests. In old mushrooms, the tubular part of the cap is cut out. The whole viscous leg is cut off. The mushrooms should be washed and soaked as little as possible. Mushrooms that are used for frying or drying are not washed.

The washed mushrooms are placed in cold water and soaked, usually for 2–6 hours. Dried mushrooms are soaked to restore moisture in them. The water in which they are soaked is used for food. Washed mushrooms of larger sizes are cut into pieces. Porcini mushrooms are eaten with legs. To make the prepared dish or canned food look more beautiful, the legs of the mushrooms are prepared separately.

The mushroom cap is carefully cut into several identical parts. The leg of the mushroom is cut into thin slices. The purpose of cooking mushrooms is to reduce or eliminate bitter taste or toxicity altogether. But it lowers the nutritional value of the mushrooms and weakens their taste and aroma. Boil porcini mushrooms for 15-30 minutes in plenty of water. The broth is poured. There are two ways: bring the water to a boil (1/2 tablespoon of salt is added to 1 liter of water), the mushrooms are dipped in boiling water, kept for 5-15 minutes and transferred to cold water. Or the mushrooms are dipped in cold salted water, quickly brought to a boil. After boiling, the dishes are removed from the heat and the mushrooms are allowed to cool in the same water or filled with clean water. After the water is drained, the mushrooms are transferred to a cloth bag or on a sieve to glass the water. Do not dry by pressing firmly, many valuable substances are removed.

How to process porcini mushrooms for freezing for the winter

Young, tender mushrooms are chosen for freezing. Before processing the porcini mushroom for the winter, clean it with a hard brush outside and between the plates. The hard and dark places of the legs are cut off, the mushrooms are cut in half lengthwise. Put 200 g of mushrooms and fry for 2 minutes in 1 teaspoon of oil in a pan with medium heat, turning to evaporate the juice. Mushrooms are boiled, quickly cooled and frozen in bags. Store up to 12 months at –18 ° C. It is better to cut the porcini mushrooms raw into slices and freeze, then pack and keep in the freezer for up to 4 months. Cook frozen mushrooms in the same way as fresh ones, for example, quickly fry in preheated brown butter and add spices.

These are the highlights of how to shock freeze porcini mushrooms in your home freezer.

Processing of porcini mushrooms before drying

Mushrooms intended for drying must not be washed, they must first be cleaned with a knife from dirt, moss and leaves, cut out damaged and wormy places and wipe with a clean, damp cotton cloth. Then cut the large mushrooms into several pieces, so that each such piece has a part of a cap and a leg. All pieces must be the same size to dry evenly. To process porcini mushrooms, before drying, they are strung on harsh threads and dried outdoors in the shade or in the sun. You can dry mushrooms by spreading them in a thin layer on baking sheets, tables, trays, previously covered with clean paper or cotton cloth. Under natural conditions, mushrooms are usually dried for 2-3 days; they must be removed indoors at night.

If during this time the mushrooms are still not dry enough, then they can be dried in ovens or ovens. In unfavorable weather, mushrooms can be dried immediately in ovens or ovens. In this case, the mushrooms should not come into contact with metal baking sheets, since this makes them darker. Baking trays must be lined with cotton cloth or clean paper.Mushrooms are placed in an oven or oven heated to a temperature of 40–45 degrees, and dried for 3-4 hours, slightly opening the door. Then the temperature is raised to 70 degrees and dried until tender. Mushrooms are considered completely dried if, when pressed on the caps, they do not release moisture, are elastic, do not crumble or break. Over-dried mushrooms can be used to make mushroom powder. Dried mushrooms are very hygroscopic, so they are best stored in glass, hermetically sealed jars in dark, dry rooms.

How to process porcini mushrooms for frying

The following describes how to process porcini mushrooms before frying and then rolling in jars for storage for several months. Meanwhile, at home, often, along with salting, pickling, pickling, mushrooms are canned fried, stewed in their own juice, as well as boiled in slightly salted or acidified (citric acid, vinegar) water, after which the jars are rolled up. In such cases, it is necessary, at least before rolling, to sterilize the jars in boiling salted water (400 g of salt per 1 liter of water), since its boiling point is above 100 ° C.

Immediately before use, such canned food must be boiled for at least 30 minutes, counting from the moment of boiling.

To do this, the mushrooms, along with the broth, are laid out from the jars into a saucepan, a little cold water is poured in (for boiling) and put on fire.

After boiling for 25 minutes (not earlier), the mushrooms and broth can be tasted. During this time, botulinum toxin, if any, is already destroyed. With a lack of salt, the mushrooms are salted, with an excess, water is added. If necessary, the broth is acidified and spices are added to it at will - bay leaf, dill, allspice. After boiling for another 5 minutes, the mushrooms are cooled and served. They can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than 2 days. This method of processing canned mushrooms is approved by microbiologists and sanitary doctors. Nevertheless, home hermetic sealing of mushrooms is undesirable. It can be acceptable for pickled mushrooms, and in the only case: when the acidity of the marinade is at least 1.6%. In such an environment, the development of spores and reproduction of botulism rods does not occur, and, consequently, the formation of a dangerous botulinum toxin. Salted mushrooms should be stored only in conditions of free air access.