Content
The end of spring or the beginning of summer is the time to collect the first wave of oilseeds. Mushrooms grow near pine trees. Their caps are covered on top with a slippery shell, to which fragments of dry grass, pine needles, and small insects stick. Before using these gifts of the forest, the surface must be cleared of debris. It is recommended to soak boletus under certain conditions, which depend on the direction of processing.
Is it necessary to soak the butter?
Some mushroom pickers recommend soaking boletus after picking, but this is only necessary for mushrooms that secrete a bitter milky juice. These types include milk mushrooms; preparing them without preliminary processing is impossible. Butternuts do not have this property; they do not taste bitter, so there is no need to soak them. Prolonged exposure to a wet environment will only harm both the appearance and quality of the original product.
If the purpose of processing is drying, the fruit body cannot be soaked or washed. The debris is carefully removed, and the film is also left on the cap.During thermal processing, moisture is partially removed from the fruiting body; during frying, the liquid evaporates completely. Soaking only prolongs the cooking time. Butterfish have a tubular structure; when left in water for a long time, they quickly absorb moisture. Young specimens will retain their shape, but older specimens will become brittle and lose their elasticity.
There is no need to soak the butter before removing the protective film. The longer the cap is in the water, the more difficult it is for the film to separate. In this case, it will be enough to simply rinse the fruiting body under running water.
Is it possible to soak boletus overnight?
You can put mushrooms in water only after removing the protective shell. You can’t soak boletus overnight. If you leave the harvested crop in water overnight for better cleaning, you will get the opposite effect of the desired one. The hat will become saturated with water and become brittle, slippery, and difficult to hold in your hands.
Before freezing, mushrooms are simply cleaned and washed according to the stowing technology. There is no need to soak overnight; the fruit body will increase in volume and take up more space in the freezer. After processing, the yield of the finished product will be significantly less if dry raw materials are added. It is not recommended to leave boletus in water overnight. At best, they will lose part of their chemical composition and presentation; at worst, they will become unusable.
In this state, they can maintain their weight and appearance throughout the day.
How long to soak the butter
If the surface is dry, particles of debris or insects are difficult to separate from it, and the goal is to leave a protective film on the cap, then you can soak the boletus in water for several minutes.
If mushrooms are collected in an ecologically clean area, experienced mushroom pickers do not recommend removing the film. It contains a high concentration of amino acids and microelements that are beneficial to humans. Butterfly is the only mushroom that contains an enzyme that is involved in the production of bifidobacteria. In this case, it is better to simply rinse the surface and remove the debris.
Before cleaning
To better remove small particles stuck to the surface, you can soak the oil before cleaning for 5 minutes, but no more. Prolonged exposure to water makes cleaning more difficult:
- the surface will become more slippery;
- the protective layer will not separate from the cap;
- elasticity will remain only in the fruit stem.
Such mushrooms cannot be processed. Ideally, clean the oiler dry with a toothbrush. Then they are immersed in water for a few minutes to allow the sand and remaining dirt to settle.
Before cooking
When preparing soup, butter is added last. To prevent the fruiting body from losing most of its beneficial chemical composition, boil for no more than 10 minutes. After cleaning, small specimens are left whole, large specimens are cut into pieces. In this case, you need to soak the butter before cooking. Even if they are well washed, small insects may remain in them, which, when soaked, will leave the fruiting body and remain in the water.
If the boletus is not immediately placed in boiling water, it is recommended to soak it for a short period of time. When exposed to oxygen, sections oxidize and darken.Butterflies do not look very aesthetically pleasing. To get rid of sand, mushrooms are briefly soaked before cooking. Parts of the fruiting body will have time to absorb moisture, but not critically; during heat treatment, the mushroom will release it into the broth, the taste and shape will not change.
Before salting
It is not recommended to soak boletus before salting. Classic cooking methods do not even require intensive rinsing. In most recipes, the film is not removed from the cap. Mushrooms are cleaned dry. If they are too clogged, they are washed and dried thoroughly.
Salt in large containers without heat treatment, sprinkle the layers with salt, and place the mass under pressure. The boletus releases juice and reaches the desired condition. If you soak it first, the procedure will add liquid to the fruiting body, which is extremely undesirable in recipes.
Before marinating
Marinating the product involves heat treatment, adding preservatives, flavorings, sugar and salt, and spices. According to the recipe, the butter should be soaked before marinating. The marinade in which the mushrooms were cooked will become the basis for homemade preparations, so it must be clean. After preparation, the fruiting body is immersed in water for a while to prevent sand and debris from getting into the liquid. If you leave the cut parts without water, they will darken and the product will look worse.
How to soak boletus correctly
We prepare boletus correctly - if you need to soak it, then the solution is prepared based on the situation:
- To remove sand and debris, use ordinary water.
- If you suspect that there are insects or slugs in the fruiting body, place the product in salted water, 2 tbsp is enough. l per 2 l, lower for 5 minutes, then rinse.
- To prevent the chopped particles from darkening, they are dipped in water with the addition of vinegar or citric acid; salt is not used in this solution. Vinegar is added to taste. Even with a slight concentration of acid, the fruiting body will not darken.
Then the workpiece is taken out, washed and dried. The following processing is carried out according to the selected recipe.
Conclusion
You can soak the boletus for a short time before cooking or pickling. In recipes for salting and drying, there is no need to soak the raw materials. Before cleaning, you should also not leave the harvested crop in water for a long time - this will complicate further processing. The product cannot be soaked overnight, as it will become unusable.
