Content
Experienced mushroom pickers do not recommend peeling porcini mushrooms. It is enough to remove dirt, adhering grass and leaves from the skin. Partial cleaning is performed if the crop was harvested using a barbaric method, or if there is obvious damage.
Do I need to peel porcini mushrooms?
Mushroom pickers consider the white species to be noble. There is no need to peel it, remove the spore-bearing layer or film under the cap. There is no need to even clean the white leg. With such gifts of the forest, everything is edible and nothing contains bitterness. In general terms, cleaning porcini mushrooms involves removing adhering grass, leaves, and dust. This can be done by wiping the surface with a soft brush.
White specimens are considered clean and do not require additional cleaning.
Real mushroom pickers harvest the crops correctly. The leg is cut off with a knife near the ground. After such assembly, the white gifts of the forest are perfectly clean. It is enough to rinse them with water before cooking. However, there are people who harvest crops using a barbaric method, pulling the fruiting bodies out of the ground with their hands. With this method, part of the mycelium along with the ground is pulled out along with the stem.These copies will have to be cleaned. Use a knife to cut off the ends of the dirty legs.
The downside of barbaric cleaning is not only the destruction of the mycelium, but also extra work for the mushroom picker himself. White specimens placed in a basket are smeared on dirty legs. The crumbling remains of soil from the mycelium fall under the caps and stick to the body. At home, such mushrooms will have to be washed very thoroughly to get rid of sand.
The main contamination of collected mushrooms is sticky grass on the stems.
How to clean porcini mushrooms before cooking
For each method of preparing porcini mushrooms, there are nuances of preparing the harvest. However, regardless of this, there is only one main cleaning method, and it must be done in compliance with a number of rules:
- It is important for a novice mushroom picker to learn the basic rule - porcini mushrooms must be processed immediately after picking. Despite the dense pulp, the process of its decomposition occurs according to one pattern inherent in all types. After harvesting, the mushroom picker has time from 3 to 5 hours to take a break and carry out cleaning without loss.
- Using a knife, it is wise to scrape off only the affected areas and heavily ingrained dirt from the pulp. It is more effective to wipe the entire surface from light contamination with a rag or a small brush with soft bristles.
- Use a knife to scrape off severe dirt and cut off the lower part of the leg if it has been torn out from the mycelium.
- Cleaning always begins with the removal of large debris. It is better to carry out this procedure in the forest so that the harvested crop is less contaminated in the basket.
- Further primary processing of porcini mushrooms combines washing in water and final cleaning. First, the crop is simply washed. The next step is to soak it in salted water for a maximum of 15 minutes. During this time, adhered insects, blades of grass, and dust will become wet from the surface of the fruiting bodies. Soaking helps to a greater extent to get rid of sand, which can squeak unpleasantly on the teeth in the finished product.
The fruiting body has the property of strongly absorbing water. The pulp becomes loose, brittle, and loses its taste and nutrients.
If during washing problem areas are found on the surface of the white fruiting body, they need to be cleaned off with a knife
After soaking and first washing the crop, you will have to take the knife in your hands again. Now is the time to partially clean the stems of porcini mushrooms, in areas with visible damage. After washing, they clearly appear as darkened spots. Trim off the flesh with holes left by the worms. Typically, such areas are found below at the base of the leg.
After cleaning, you need to wipe the entire surface of the porcini mushroom with your hand. If the skin peels off, this indicates its deterioration. Such skin and even part of the pulp are removed without regret.
After repeated cleaning, the mushrooms are quickly washed under a strong stream of cold water and placed in a colander to drain.
The video shows an example of an easy way to clean wild mushrooms:
How to clean porcini mushrooms before frying
Fried porcini mushrooms are considered one of the popular and favorite dishes of all mushroom pickers. After cooking, their flesh takes on the appearance of white meat. Preparation for frying occurs according to generally accepted rules:
- The harvested crop is cleaned at home from large debris using a knife blade. Usually it is enough to scrape off heavily adhered grass, ingrained dirt, and trim the bottom of the damaged leg.
- After the initial cleaning, the mushrooms are immersed in water. If the crop was harvested in the forest in dry weather, you can immediately begin washing. When harvesting was carried out after rain or in sandy areas, after cleaning, the crop was soaked in salted water for 15 minutes. During this time, dirt will separate from them. However, the main thing is that soaking will help clean porcini mushrooms from sand - the most unpleasant and difficult to remove pollutant.
Cutting porcini mushrooms into two parts helps identify wormy specimens
- After the initial treatment, the fruiting bodies are washed under running water and placed in a colander. While they are draining, the darkened and damaged areas of the pulp are cut off with a knife. Remove everything that flakes off. For frying, it is optimal to cut each mushroom lengthwise into two parts. The procedure will help identify wormy specimens. In addition, the halves will cook better.
After cutting, the porcini mushrooms are put back into a colander, poured over with boiling water, and left to drain. When water stops dripping from them, it is advisable to lightly air dry the mushrooms. Now they are ready to fry.
How to clean porcini mushrooms before freezing
Porcini mushrooms are processed a little differently after harvesting for freezing. All cleaning actions occur in a similar sequence, but contact with water is not allowed. Since the white pulp absorbs moisture well, after freezing and thawing it will become unsuitable for food. Washing is replaced by wiping the surface of each porcini mushroom with a damp cloth. Lightly moistening will prevent the pulp from being saturated with moisture, and the dry dirt will become slightly soaked.
After wiping with a rag, begin cleaning. Use a knife to clean off large, soaked particles. Even if the leg was carefully cut from the mycelium with a knife, the cut site is renewed. Wormy, rotten and darkened areas are trimmed off. If necessary, the surface of the mushroom can be scraped again with a knife blade. Finish cleaning with another wipe with a damp cloth. The finished mushrooms are cut lengthwise into two halves with a knife. Specimens with detected worm holes are discarded. Good white specimens are placed in plastic boxes or plastic bags and sent to the freezer.
Frozen mushrooms are best stored in plastic boxes
How to clean porcini mushroom before cooking
Young white mushrooms are tasty in soups and other dishes that require cooking forest creatures. Preparation is practically no different from the actions taken before frying. A big plus is the attitude of porcini mushrooms to the highest category. They do not require pre-cooking. After all stages of cleaning, it is enough to pour boiling water over the white fruiting bodies. There is no need to leave them in a colander for a long time to drain and air dry, since they will still boil in water.
How to clean porcini mushrooms before canning
There are many different recipes for canning white forest products. Often they do not involve cooking. In addition to cleaning, it is important to pay attention to thorough washing. The process similarly begins with removing adhered debris. Clean the surface with a soft brush. The wiped bodies are sent for soaking. It is important here to properly prepare porcini mushrooms for preservation. Soaking lasts up to 20 minutes, but the water needs to be changed several times.In addition, in addition to salt, add vinegar or citric acid powder. Action helps achieve two goals:
- The acidic salt enhances the crunchy properties of the white pulp, which is especially appreciated in canned or pickled specimens.
- Most recipes do not call for boiling the white fruiting bodies before canning. Salt and acid destroy bacteria that may not die during cold salting.
After soaking, all white fruit bodies are subjected to final cleaning. Trim the damaged areas with a knife. Each is cut into two halves and inspected. Good specimens are sent for conservation.
Young fruiting bodies are better suited for preservation.
How to wash porcini mushrooms
There is no way to do without washing forest fruiting bodies. Sand crunchy on the teeth will make any dish inedible. If the harvest was carried out in sandy areas or after rain, it is better to wash under a constant stream of cold running water. A ten-minute procedure will not cause any harm.
Be sure to wash the fruit bodies before cooking.
After the first washing, the pulp of good fruiting bodies will not have time to be saturated with water. If, when you touch it with your hand, the mushroom falls apart, is loose, and releases droplets of moisture, then it is better to throw it away. The test result helps to identify old species that are unsuitable for food. During the cooking process, toxic substances can form inside such pulp.
The last stage of washing is soaking. If further processing of porcini mushrooms involves heat treatment, then one salt can be added to the water. When cold salting is provided, acid is needed to kill bacteria. Vinegar and citric acid are added to the water, and you can squeeze out lemon.After soaking, the fruiting bodies are washed under running water.
Conclusion
Peeling and washing porcini mushrooms before cooking is easy. It is important to be careful and get rid of wormy specimens. If you carefully collect young fruiting bodies, then there are practically no worries with them.
