How to properly process ceps after harvest
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Methods for processing porcini mushrooms before cooking
In Russia, porcini is considered the most valuable in cooking. It is distinguished by a dense white pulp, which will not change color during the heat treatment. Dishes from fresh porcini mushrooms have a special taste, and dried mushrooms of this species, unlike all others, are 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 cooked. Only then they are cut into pieces and added to other ingredients.
There is a simple way of processing ceps, available to every hostess, it consists in the following operations. Processing of porcini mushrooms before cooking begins with the removal of debris (adhering blades of grass and insects), removing darkened or damaged areas. Mushroom caps are cleaned with a knife with a stainless steel blade or a soft cloth. The cut on the legs is updated, removing the most contaminated part. If mushrooms from the forest are heavily contaminated, they are soaked in water and crushed with a load for complete immersion. After 10–20 min, the hats are easily washed off from adhering grass and leaves. Do not leave the mushrooms in the water for a long time, as they will actively absorb it, which will negatively affect their taste and aroma, make the caps brittle. Then the mushrooms are washed with clean running water. Particular attention is paid to washing the bottom 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. To prepare dishes, mushrooms are cut in a variety of ways (slices, slices, straws, cubes, sticks) or chopped 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 learning 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 thorough look, as they can be very dirty and clogged with sand. Mushrooms should be processed only young, quite healthy, not wormy, with cut roots, without any debris, needles, leaves, earth, and only freshly picked. If there are few mushrooms, first of all, it is necessary to separate the mushrooms, which can be fried fresh, from mushrooms that require additional heat treatment.
It is even advisable to size the mushrooms. The needles, leaves, moss and other forest debris are cleaned with a wide soft brush, cotton swab or soft cloth. The garbage that pests to the smooth mushroom hat is scraped off with a knife. From mushrooms that do not require heat treatment, garbage is removed especially carefully, cleaning the folds with a brush. With a sharp stainless steel knife, all darkened and softened places are cut out, as well as those parts that are damaged by forest pests. In old mushrooms, the tubular part of the cap is cut out. The viscous leg is cut off as a whole. Wash and soak the mushrooms as little as possible. Mushrooms that are used for frying or drying do not wash.
The washed mushrooms are placed in cold water and usually soaked for 2-6 hours. Dried mushrooms are soaked to restore moisture in them. The water in which they were soaked is used as food. Washed larger mushrooms are cut into pieces. Ceps are consumed along with the legs. To make the cooked dish or canned food more beautiful, the mushroom legs are prepared separately.
The mushroom cap is carefully cut into several identical parts. The mushroom leg is cut into thin circles. The purpose of cooking mushrooms is to reduce or completely eliminate the bitter taste or toxicity. But it lowers the nutritional value of mushrooms and weakens their taste and aroma. Ceps are cooked for 15-30 minutes in a large amount of water. The broth is poured. There are two ways: bring the water to a boil (add 1 tablespoon of salt per 1 liter of water), dip the mushrooms in boiling water, stand for 5-15 minutes and transfer 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 allowed the mushrooms to cool in the same water or pour clean water. After the water is drained, the mushrooms are transferred to a cloth bag or to a sieve so that the glass is water. Do not dry by squeezing, many valuable substances are removed.
How to process ceps for freezing for the winter
Young, tender mushrooms are chosen for freezing. Before you process the white mushroom for the winter, it is cleaned with a stiff brush on the outside and between the plates. Hard and dark places of the legs are cut, mushrooms are cut in half along. Put 200 g of mushrooms and fry for 2 minutes in 1 teaspoon of oil in a pan with medium heating, turning to evaporate the juice. Boil mushrooms, cool quickly and freeze in bags. Store up to 12 months at a temperature of –18 ° C. Porcini mushrooms are best cut into raw slices and frozen, then pack and keep in the freezer for up to 4 months. Cook frozen mushrooms in the same way as fresh mushrooms, for example, quickly fry in butter preheated to brown color and add spices.
These are the main points of how to process ceps for freezing by the method of shock exposure to cold in a home freezer.
Processing mushrooms before drying
Mushrooms intended for drying must not be washed, first they need to be cleaned with a knife from dirt, moss and leaves, cut out damaged and wormy places and wiped with a clean, damp cotton towel. Then cut large mushrooms into several pieces, so that each such piece has a part of the hat and legs. For uniform drying, all pieces must be the same size. To process ceps before drying, they are strung on harsh strings and dried outdoors in the shade or in the sun.You can dry the mushrooms by spreading them in a thin layer on baking sheets, tables, trays, pre-lined with clean paper or a cotton cloth. Under natural conditions, mushrooms are usually dried for 2-3 days; they must be taken out into the room at night.
If during this time the mushrooms are still not dead, then they can be dried in ovens or ovens. In adverse weather, mushrooms can immediately be dried in ovens or ovens. At the same time, mushrooms should not come in contact with metal baking sheets, because from this they darken. Baking sheets must be lined with a 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 ready. Mushrooms are considered fully dried if, when pressed on the hats, they do not emit moisture, are elastic, do not crumble and do not break. Dried mushrooms can be used to make mushroom powder. Dry 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 them into cans for storage for several months. Meanwhile, at home, often, along with salting, pickling, pickling, mushrooms canned fried, stewed in their own juice, as well as boiled in slightly salted or acidified (citric acid, vinegar) water, after which the banks are rolled up. In such cases, it is necessary to sterilize the cans at least before rolling in boiling salted water (400 g of salt per 1 liter of water), since its boiling point is above 100 ° C.
Such canned food immediately before use must be boiled for at least 30 minutes, counting from the moment of boiling.
To do this, mushrooms, along with the broth, are laid out of the cans in a pan, a little cold water is poured (on boiling) and put on fire.
After 25 minutes boiling (not earlier), mushrooms and broth can be tasted. During this time, botulinum toxin, if any, is already being destroyed. With a lack of salt, the mushrooms are added, with an excess, water is added. If necessary, the broth is acidified and spices are added to it - bay leaves, dill, allspice. After boiling after this for another 5 minutes, the mushrooms are cooled and served on the table. 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, homemade hermetic capping of mushrooms is undesirable. It may be acceptable for pickled mushrooms, and in the only case: when the acidity of the marinade is not lower than 1.6%. In such an environment, there is no development of spores and reproduction of botulism rods, and, consequently, the formation of dangerous botulinum toxin. Salted mushrooms should be stored only in free air.
