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There may be several reasons why boletus turned purple after cooking. To understand what the color change means and whether something can be done, you need to understand the characteristics of these mushrooms.
Why do boletus turn purple when cooked?
Every mushroom picker should know that this variety of mushrooms usually does not change color after heat treatment. During the boiling process, it is not characterized by the appearance of blue, lilac, or brown shades.
If the butter dish turns purple during cooking, this indicates that the cooking method was incorrectly chosen. The stems and caps darken from too much heat treatment. When heated for a long time together with water, vegetable protein is destroyed, and boiled mushroom raw materials develop an unusual blue color. Such a change may also depend on the area of growth, when the composition of the soil and illumination can affect the course of chemical reactions during heat treatment.
Pickled boletus turns purple when cooked due to numerous additives in the form of spices, garlic, onion, and pepper. To avoid this, you need to boil the product several times, and be sure to drain the first water. It is recommended to add vinegar and a pinch of citric acid to the marinade.
Other mushrooms are the first reason why boletus darkens during heat treatment
The main reason for the sudden change in color of mushrooms to dark or purple after cooking is the inclusion of other species in the basket that are similar in appearance to boletus. Among the doppelgängers we can distinguish kids (goats, or reshetniks), which are easily confused when collected. This is also an edible variety, which tastes almost no different from the “original”.
Other forest plants also have the ability to change color, including:
- Mosswort
- Grabovik
False boletus turns black already at the cleaning stage. They differ from real representatives by a different structure of the cap: under it there is not a sponge, but plates.
Violation of cooking rules is the second reason why the butter turned purple
The oiler turns purple due to improper processing technology. In order for the product to retain its original appearance after boiling, you need to prepare it following simple rules:
- large ripe fruits are cleared of film;
- legs and caps are brought to a boil in clean water;
- boil for no more than 5 - 10 minutes;
- Drain the mushroom mass in a colander;
- pour salted water, after boiling, cook for 15 - 25 minutes, depending on the size of the fruit.
During the cooking process, a film may appear on the surface, which must be removed with a slotted spoon. The recommendation to change the water is due to the fact that, as decomposers, boletus absorbs radiation and heavy metals, but during the first boiling they are destroyed.
Should I worry if the butter turns purple during cooking?
Inexperienced mushroom pickers are alarmed by the fact that the collected prey changes its color to purple when the dishes are cooked. This may well happen to edible specimens if you cook them for more than a quarter of an hour. Do not worry if the selected product has all the varietal characteristics. Purple butter, obtained after cooking, does not threaten human health and retains its usual taste.
What to do to prevent boletus from turning black
It is especially unpleasant when the mushroom mass darkens in the jar after salting. The finished product does not look aesthetically pleasing, and the appearance of the dish is not appetizing. Experienced foresters advise adding a little citric acid and vinegar to the marinade. Before serving the roast, sprinkle the dish with lemon juice. This will add a subtle sour taste and preserve the beautiful appearance of the butter.
How to cook butter without turning brown
It is recommended to boil the product before any further use:
- before frying;
- freezing;
- slicing for salads;
- for soup.
To prevent the butter from darkening during cooking, there are several tips for the housewife:
- Mushroom raw materials should be kept in boiling water for no more than 30 minutes.
- Before frying, boiling time should be reduced to 15 minutes.
- It is important to first defrost the frozen preparation, and then cook it in the same way as fresh mushrooms.
- Before freezing, the butter must be boiled a little, dried, and put into bags. It is permissible to harvest raw fruits.
- When preparing soup, the first water must be drained, and the base of the dish will be the following broth. Boiling time should not exceed 30 minutes.
- When cooking, add 1 tsp. citric acid.
- It is recommended to simmer butter in a slow cooker for about 40 minutes.
There is no need to worry if the butter mushrooms turn purple after cooking: all the taste characteristics of the mushrooms will remain unchanged, and the dish will turn out just as appetizing as usual.
Conclusion
The phenomenon when boletus turned purple after cooking occurs among this type of mushroom for a number of reasons, including violation of the rules of heat treatment, characteristics of the places where they grow and other factors. If you are confident in the varietal characteristics, you should not be afraid in this case, since the change in color does not affect the taste and does not indicate the toxicity of the mushrooms. To avoid annoying blue stains, it is important to know the rules for cooking the product.
