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Experienced mushroom pickers do not recommend cleaning porcini mushrooms. It is enough to remove dirt, adhering grass and foliage from the skin. Partial cleaning is performed if the crop was harvested by a barbaric method, or in the presence of obvious damage.
Do I need to peel porcini mushrooms
Mushroom pickers consider the white species to be noble. It is not necessary to remove the skin from it, remove the spore-bearing layer or film under the cap. There is no need to even clean the white leg. In such gifts of the forest everything is edible and contains nothing bitterness. In general terms, cleaning porcini mushrooms involves removing adhering grass, foliage, 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 correctly. The leg is cut off with a knife near the ground. After such an 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 the crops by the barbaric method, pulling the fruit bodies out of the ground with their hands. With this method, part of the mycelium with the ground is pulled out together with the leg. These examples will have to be cleaned. You need to cut off the ends of dirty legs with a knife.
The disadvantage of barbaric cleaning is not only the destruction of the mycelium, but also extra work for the mushroom picker himself. White specimens stacked in a basket are smeared on dirty feet. The crumbling remains of soil from the mycelium fall under the caps, stick to the body. At home, such mushrooms will have to be washed very carefully to get rid of the sand.
The main contamination of the collected mushrooms is the adhering grass on the legs.
How to peel porcini mushrooms before cooking
For each method of cooking porcini mushrooms, there are nuances of preparing the harvested crop. However, regardless of this, the main cleaning method is one, but it must be performed in compliance with a number of rules:
- It is important for a novice mushroom picker to learn the basic rule - you need to process porcini mushrooms immediately after collection. Despite the dense pulp, the process of its decomposition occurs according to the same pattern inherent in all species. After harvesting, the mushroom picker has 3 to 5 hours to rest and clean without losses.
- With a knife from the pulp, it is reasonable to scrape off only the affected areas and heavily ingrained dirt. It is more effective to wipe the entire surface from light dirt with a rag or a small brush with soft bristles.
- Scrape off heavy dirt with a knife and cut off the lower part of the leg if it was torn out of the mycelium
- Cleaning always starts with removing coarse debris. It is better to perform this procedure even in the forest, so that the harvested crop is less polluted 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 optimally in salted water for a maximum of 15 minutes. During this time, adhering insects, blades of grass, dust will be soaked from the surface of the fruit bodies. Soaking is more helpful in getting rid of grit that can cause unpleasant gritting in the finished product.
The fruit body has the ability to strongly absorb water. The pulp becomes loose, brittle, loses its taste and useful substances.
If, during washing, problem areas are found on the surface of the white fruiting body, they must be cleaned with a knife.
After soaking and the first washing of the crop, you will have to take the knife again in your hands. Now is the time to partially clean the legs of porcini mushrooms, in areas with visible damage. After washing, they appear well with darkened spots. Cut the pulp with the holes left by the worms. Typically, such areas are found at the bottom at the base of the leg.
After cleaning, you need to wipe the entire surface of the porcini with your hand. If the peel has peeled off, this indicates its spoilage. Such a skin and even part of the pulp is removed without regret.
After re-cleaning, the mushrooms are quickly washed under a strong stream of cold water, loaded into a colander for draining.
The video shows an example of an easy way to clean forest mushrooms:
How to peel porcini mushrooms before frying
Fried porcini mushrooms are considered one of the most popular and beloved by all mushroom pickers. After cooking, their flesh takes on the appearance of white meat. Preparation for frying takes place according to generally accepted rules:
- The harvested harvest at home is cleaned with a knife blade from large debris. Usually it is enough to scrape off strongly adhered grass, ingrained dirt, cut off 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 start washing. When the harvest was carried out after rain or on sandy areas, after cleaning the crop is soaked in salted water for 15 minutes. During this time, dirt will separate from them. However, the main thing is that soaking will help cleanse porcini mushrooms from sand - the most unpleasant and difficult to remove contaminant.
Cutting porcini mushrooms in two helps identify wormy specimens
- After primary processing, the fruiting bodies are washed under running water, loaded into a colander. While they are draining, they cut off the darkened and damaged areas of the pulp with a knife. Remove anything that flakes. 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 again put in a colander, poured over with boiling water, and left to drain. When water stops dripping from them, it is advisable to dry the mushrooms slightly in the air. They are now ready to fry.
How to peel porcini mushrooms before freezing
The processing of porcini mushrooms after collection for freezing takes place in a slightly different way. All cleaning actions take place in a similar sequence, only contact with water is inadmissible. Since the white pulp absorbs moisture well, it will become unusable after freezing and thawing. The sink is replaced by wiping the surface of each porcini with a damp cloth. Light moistening does not absorb moisture into the pulp, and dry dirt will slightly soak.
After wiping with a rag, start cleaning. The soaked large particles are cleaned off with a knife. Even if the leg was carefully cut from the mycelium with a knife, the cut site is updated. Cut off wormy, rotten and darkened areas. If necessary, the surface of the mushroom can be scraped again with a knife blade. Finish cleaning with another wipe with a damp cloth. Finished mushrooms are cut with a knife lengthwise into two halves. Instances with detected worm moves 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 peel a porcini mushroom before cooking
Young white mushrooms are delicious in soups and other dishes that require cooking of forest dwellers. Preparation is practically the same as before frying. A big plus is the ratio of porcini mushrooms to the highest category. They do not require pre-cooking.After all the stages of cleaning, it is enough to pour boiling water over the white fruit bodies. There is no need to leave them for a long time in a colander to drain and dry in the air, since they will still boil in water.
How to peel porcini mushrooms before canning
There are many different recipes for preserving the white gifts of the forest. They often do not involve cooking. In addition to cleaning, it is important to pay attention here to thorough washing. The process similarly begins with removing adhered debris. The surface is cleaned with a soft brush. The rubbed bodies are sent for soaking. It is important here to properly prepare porcini mushrooms for conservation. Soaking takes up to 20 minutes, but the water needs to be changed several times. In addition, in addition to salt, vinegar or citric acid powder is added. Action helps achieve two goals:
- The acidic salt enhances the crunchy properties of the white flesh, which is especially appreciated in canned or pickled varieties.
- Most recipes do not boil the white fruit bodies before preserving. Salt and acid kill bacteria that may not die during cold salting.
After soaking, all white fruiting bodies are subjected to final cleaning. Cut off the damaged areas with a knife. Each is cut into two halves, examined. Good specimens are sent for conservation.
Young fruiting bodies are better suited for conservation.
How to wash porcini mushrooms
Washing of forest fruit bodies is indispensable. Sand crunching on your teeth will make any dish inedible. If harvesting was carried out in sandy areas or after rain, flushing is best done under a constant stream of cold running water. A ten-minute procedure will not do any harm.
Before cooking, the fruiting bodies must be washed
After the first washing, the pulp of good fruit bodies will not have time to be saturated with water. If, when feeling with your hand, the mushroom falls apart, is loose, emits droplets of moisture, then it is better to throw it away. The result of the check helps to identify old species that are unsuitable for food. During the cooking process, poisonous substances can form inside such pulp.
The last step in washing is soaking. If in the future the processing of porcini mushrooms involves heat treatment, then one salt can be added to the water. When cold salting is envisaged, acid is needed to kill bacteria. Vinegar, citric acid are added to the water, you can squeeze a lemon. After soaking, the fruit bodies are washed under running water.
Conclusion
It is not difficult to peel porcini mushrooms and wash them before cooking. It is important to be careful and get rid of the wormy specimens. If you collect neatly young fruiting bodies, then there are practically no worries with them.
