Due to their high taste and useful properties, mushrooms are used for any culinary purposes. They are especially loved in salted and pickled form. I must say that mushrooms are considered the only mushrooms that can be tasted after salting in one and a half to two weeks.

Most housewives are very fond of canning mushrooms, as well as preparing first and second courses from them. Any food made from these mushrooms will certainly conquer even the most capricious gourmet. However, in the process of processing, one unpleasant feature may be revealed: the mushrooms turn black. Most often this happens when salting, cooking or soaking. This unpleasant picture immediately sows panic among the housewives, as it suggests that the product has become unusable. But is the situation as hopeless as it seems at first glance? If the mushrooms have turned black, can they be eaten?

Interestingly, mushrooms are the only fruiting bodies that have a thick and sweet milky juice. This suggests that such mushrooms do not need to be steeped like other milkers. In addition, eating saffron milk caps does not cause a feeling of heaviness in the stomach. These gifts of nature can rightfully be considered one of the best candidates for salting, pickling, frying, etc.

So, is it dangerous to eat mushrooms that have darkened? No, it is not dangerous, because such a feature can appear for various reasons, absolutely not related to possible poisoning. To understand why the mushrooms turn black after salting, cooking and other processes, you must first take into account various factors, which will be discussed in this article. Knowing about them, each housewife will be able to correctly determine the degree of darkening of the fruit bodies, as well as provide "first aid", if necessary. In addition, this article provides practical tips on what you can do to prevent mushrooms from turning black.

Why did the mushrooms turn black during salting and photos of blackened mushrooms

As already noted, salting saffron milk caps is the most popular processing method. By nature, these fruiting bodies have a pleasant orange color. However, after salting, they can turn black, which can completely ruin their appetizing appearance. Sometimes such a problem may appear within a couple of days after the start of salting, or it may take a month or two before it happens. But if the blackened saffron milk caps have no unpleasant odor and no mold, then, as a rule, there is nothing wrong with that. Just darkened salty fruiting bodies are not a pleasant sight. So, why then do mushrooms turn black when salted, if there are no obvious signs of spoilage? There are several reasons for this:

• The mushrooms were not completely immersed in the brine. Upon contact with air, the pulp of the mushroom turns black, but this is an absolutely safe phenomenon, which is not a sign of inedibility and does not affect the taste. If there is no desire to eat such mushrooms as an independent snack, then they can be fried or added to the soup.
• Were collected different types of saffron milk caps, for example, spruce. It is known that this type of fruit bodies can turn black with various types of processing.
• A lot of spices were added during the salting. So, mushrooms do not need a lot of spices, often just one salt is enough. For example, dill seeds can cause blackness in mushrooms.

Some of the reasons mentioned why the mushrooms turned black during salting are shown in the photo:

Reasons why mushrooms turn black when cold salted

Interestingly, but most often mushrooms turn black when cold salted, why is this happening? As with hot salting, the following reasons can be added to all of the above:

• The mushrooms were in the fresh air for a long time before salting. This often happens with purchased fruit bodies. The longer fresh mushrooms wait for processing, the more likely they will turn black after salting.
• Mushrooms were collected in polluted places, near industrial enterprises and highways.
• In the process of collecting the mushrooms could be very wrinkled. If you press on the pulp of a fresh mushroom, then this area darkens, and when salted, it turns black.
• When storing saffron milk caps, improper conditions were observed, for example, in warmth or in the sun.
• Ready-made mushrooms were kept in an open jar for a long time. Even the first discovery of conservation disrupts its environment, so the oxidation process starts to go faster.

What to do if salted mushrooms turn black and how to salt mushrooms correctly?

What to do if salted mushrooms have turned black, can they be eaten and subjected to further culinary manipulations? Yes, you can, if the conditions for pre-processing and storage of the finished product were correctly followed. In this case, the color change is absolutely normal for this type of fruit body. If blackened mushrooms don't make you hungry, use them in first and second courses, as well as in salads and sauces.

And what is the best way to salt the mushrooms so that they do not turn black? Here are some tips:

• Carry out neat transportation so that the mushrooms do not wrinkle.
• Mushrooms must be processed immediately after harvest.
• Limit yourself to the minimum amount of spices and herbs.
• Make sure that the mushrooms are completely immersed in the brine.
• Close salted mushrooms in jars of no more than 1 liter.
• Store the preservation in a dark and cool room, the temperature of which does not exceed + 10 °.
• Collect mushrooms only in proven environmentally friendly places.

Why did the brine turn black when salting saffron milk caps and what to do if the surface turns black?

Many housewives are interested in why the brine turned black when salting saffron milk caps. This does not happen often, and as a result, it can be very scary. Sometimes such an unpleasant feature can really be a cause for concern. But if there is no unpleasant smell in the brine, as well as black mold, then nothing terrible has happened. They can be safely eaten after rinsing in water. Otherwise, if black mold is visible on the darkened brine, then the mushrooms should be thrown away, not sparing the time and effort spent.

So, why can pickle in salted mushrooms turn black? It should be noted that the brine of salted saffron milk caps should have a rich dark brown color, which indicates its high-quality condition. So, if the mushrooms were crumpled during the collection process, were poorly processed, stored improperly, and also often came into contact with air, then this may affect the color of the brine. The same can be said about when the brine of salted mushrooms turns black only on the surface.

What to do if brine has turned black in the mushrooms, what are the recommendations for this? It is necessary to remove the top layer of mushrooms, and drain the liquid. Then rinse the mushrooms, sprinkle them with salt again and fill them with new brine. In addition, if you want to play it safe, then boil the mushrooms for 10 minutes and salt them hot.

The reasons why mushrooms turn black when soaked

As already mentioned, mushrooms do not need soaking, as they belong to the 1st category of edibility. However, some housewives still consider it necessary to soak these fruiting bodies for several hours. Often this process helps with severe fungi contamination. But sometimes when soaking, it turns out that the mushrooms turn black, why is this happening?

• The main reason for the blackening of saffron milk caps when soaking is their contact with air. Perhaps at that time not all mushrooms were in the water. This is a natural reaction and there is nothing wrong with it. It must be ensured that the product has been completely submerged in water. It is also best to add some salt to the water.
• In addition, if mushrooms are soaked in metal containers, this can also lead to oxidation and the product will turn black. Therefore, it is necessary to use any non-metallic container.

What needs to be done to prevent boiled mushrooms from turning black?

Sometimes mushrooms turn black during cooking, why does this happen? And although black mushrooms do not get the most appetizing look, it is still absolutely safe. There are also several reasons for this:

• Almost all mushrooms react with air and turn black, and mushrooms are no exception. Heat treatment accelerates this reaction significantly.
• As in the case of soaking, mushrooms oxidize during cooking if metal dishes are selected.

But what can be done to prevent boiled mushrooms from turning black?

• When cooking, add salt and citric acid to the water, which will help keep the mushrooms attractive.
• Carry out heat treatment exclusively in enameled dishes, without chips or damage.
• Rinse the mushrooms thoroughly before cooking in ice water with the addition of vinegar.

Few people know how to identify poisonous mushrooms when cooking.

In addition, few people know that they cannot be 100% attributed to plants, since they contain signs of the animal world too. In nature, there are about 1.5 million species, subspecies and varieties of mushrooms. This figure is a bit approximate, as scientists and avid mushroom pickers discover new specimens. In science, there is no exact figure for edible and poisonous mushrooms. It is believed that their percentage is 50 to 50, that is, they are equally divided.

Determination of poisonous mushrooms is also possible at the cooking stage.

This product is a common and favorite dish of many. In some national cuisines, this product occupies a special, privileged place. Mushrooms can be pickled, salted, dried, served fried or boiled. There are a lot of recipes for this delicacy. Food with them acquires an extraordinary, unforgettable taste, and dishes decorated with this dish delight the eye on any festive table.

How not to get poisoned by mushrooms and recognize poisonous among all?

This question is asked not only by amateurs and beginners, but also by avid mushroom pickers.

Of course, mushrooms purchased in the supermarket, raw or canned, are 99% free of toxic substances. The only nonsense is incorrect storage. Such a dish can cause frustration or slight discomfort. But what about the products that are collected with your own hands? How to recognize poisonous among them? After all, poisoning with poisonous mushrooms is equated with poisoning from the poison of a snake. The consequences can be detrimental to human health, and sometimes even cause death.

There are many misconceptions about recognizing or identifying edible mushrooms.

You do not need to neglect any of these points, and then you will be more likely to enjoy a delicious dish made from edible products without harming your health.

Types of poisonous mushrooms.

1. First, there is a big and widespread misconception of many novice mushroom pickers that young mushrooms, despite the variety and variety, are always edible. For example, a toadstool is pale, even at a very early age, it already contains a sufficient amount of phalloidin poison. With a single use of 20 mg, you can die. There were even cases that a very small dose of this substance, which got into the human body, led to serious complications associated with the gastrointestinal tract, and to problems with the body as a whole. Of course, when picking mushrooms, it is better to avoid old and loose ones, but this does not mean that all young should go to the basket. The best method is to study the species and characteristics of the edible mushrooms and only collect those that you know for sure.
2. Secondly, a misconception about the bad and pungent smell of poisonous mushrooms. It is not necessary that a mushroom with poison should smell bad, its smell may be no different from champignons that are grown artificially. Do not forget that everyone's sense of smell is different, so you should not start from mushroom smells when determining edibility.
3. Thirdly, there is another widespread opinion that insects do not eat poisonous mushrooms. Mushroom pickers take mushrooms slightly spoiled by worms or snails into a basket, concluding that there is no poison in them. This is a wrong opinion. Dangerous poisonous mushrooms can be spoiled by insects, while edible ones, on the contrary, can remain completely intact. Mushroom pickers do not take wormy specimens only because they are difficult to process for cooking and most often there is little left of the cut part.
4. Fourthly, another misconception is that milk sour from spoiled or poisonous mushrooms. Pepsin, the enzyme that makes milk sour, can be found in both edible and poisonous mushrooms. All of them contain a lot of organic acids, which also affect the oxidation of the dairy product.
5. Fifthly, it is widely believed that drinking alcohol with mushrooms, in case of contact with poison, is neutralized. This is the most false and especially dangerous delusion, because alcohol, on the contrary, enhances and exacerbates the effect of the poison on the human body. According to statistics, people who drink alcohol intoxicated food are more likely to die.
6. Sixth, there is a misconception that any mushroom, if boiled thoroughly, will become non-toxic, all poisons will come out of it. This works for some, but there are also such poisons that are resistant even to the highest temperatures. Therefore, even one mushroom can cause severe poisoning.

How, then, can you tell if mushrooms are poisonous or edible? It is better for beginners to get a textbook and when collecting, be sure to look in and compare the picture with the type of mushroom that they found. Do not take suspicious or similar to edible only for a few reasons. Do not pick up dry and old mushrooms. If doubts crept in about the correctness of the choice of this or that mushroom, then it is better not to take it into the basket. The harvested crop should be processed and sorted out as soon as possible. At home, with good lighting, you need to revise the collected mushrooms again. All suspicious specimens, without hesitation, send to the trash bin.

To identify poisonous mushrooms, add onion and garlic during cooking.

There is step by step instructions on how to identify poisonous mushrooms when cooking. It is worth noting that these are folk recipes that do not give one hundred percent guarantee in the recognition of poisonous mushrooms.

1. Well-sorted and familiar products must be rinsed in running cold water. Water will not wash away the poison, but if any of the mushrooms is in doubt or its appearance is unfamiliar, then it is better to get rid of it right away.
2. If the mushrooms were collected near megacities, highways, roadsides, then it is better to soak them for a while, let the water settle and drain it. And when cooking such specimens, the broth must be drained, changing the water to a new one several times. This method will not help to detect a poisonous mushroom, it will only clear the collection of dust and dirt.
3. There is an interesting fact: when cooking mushrooms, you need to add a couple of heads of white onions and garlic. If the onion or garlic has changed its color to blue, brown or darkened, then most likely there are poisonous mushrooms in the collected mushrooms. The enzyme tyrosinase, which colors garlic and onions, is often found in poisonous mushrooms. But there are exceptions when this very enzyme can contain edible mushrooms, and some poisonous specimens, on the contrary, do not contain it. Vinegar can also be an indicator of this enzyme. When boiled, it is added to water, and if it darkens, then it contains tyrosinase.
4. Silver can be an indicator of poisonous mushrooms. It oxidizes and darkens due to the amino acids that contain sulfur. That is, if you put a coin or a silver spoon in a decoction with poisonous mushrooms, it will darken. But scientists have proven that there are edible species in which there are sulfur-containing amino acids, and, on the contrary, there are poisonous specimens in which these acids are not at all. Therefore, this recipe for identifying toadstools is not 100% effective.

It turns out that there is no universal way to check poisonous mushrooms during cooking. Therefore, with the slightest doubt about the correctness of the choice, it is better to discard such a mushroom or not cut it at all.

If poisoning occurs, then you need to see a doctor as soon as possible. Before the ambulance arrives, it is recommended to drink more liquid, milk, water with a small amount of potassium permanganate or salted will do. You can wash the stomach and induce artificial vomiting several times. Better to take a horizontal position. You can put a bandage soaked in cold water on your forehead, but you can warm your legs and stomach with a heating pad or blanket. Near the victim, there must be someone who has not eaten mushrooms, so that in case the patient loses consciousness, give him a sniff of ammonia. In a state of poisoning, the victim should not be unconscious for a long time, otherwise he may fall into a coma.

You should not go to the forest for mushrooms without knowing their classification and what edible and poisonous specimens look like. In no case should you take children with you on a quiet hunt, because they can not only pick up a poisonous mushroom, but also have time to lick it or bite off a little. Edible mushrooms have counterparts, toadstools, which have small differences, without knowing which, you can easily make a mistake in your choice.

What is nice, mushroom dishes are low in calories (in 1 kg - only 300-500 kcal) and healthy - there is almost as much calcium in the caps as in fish. They also contain a lot of potassium, phosphorus, iodine and B vitamins (especially in chanterelles and whites). These biologically active substances are mainly concentrated in the cap, because it is there that spores form in the hymenophore. There are 2-3 times less useful elements in the leg - it performs a conductive function, so do not regret cutting off the lower part of the forest dweller and try to prepare more hats. However, mushrooms are by no means perfect. Their wonderful protein, which contains essential amino acids, is difficult to dissolve and hardly absorbed by our body. Poor digestion of the product is also facilitated by especially strong chitinous fiber, which not only itself passes through the body, but also interferes with the work of digestive juices. Therefore, nutritionists do not advise giving mushrooms to children under three years old, and adults are advised to consume at the same time no more than 300 g boiled or fried and 100 g salted or pickled.

Sponge

Tubular - boil and fry

Going for mushrooms, the main thing is not to bring poisonous specimens home: on the "quiet hunt" and in the grandmother's market, you can easily run into a dangerous mushroom, which alone will make the entire contents of your frying pan deadly. Therefore, go to the forest with a reference book and never put unfamiliar specimens in the basket. You should also not collect caps near the road, landfills, and even more so in areas with high radiation, because the mushroom is an excellent absorbent that absorbs all the surrounding filth. Avoid the giant "oldies" too. The older the mushroom, the more active the processes of decomposition and accumulation of toxins are in it. If you buy frozen food, choose cut pieces - only then you will see whether they are wormy or not. However, in order for even a high-quality mushroom to become edible, it must be properly prepared. It is customary to salt lamellar (under the cap - plates), and tubular (from the bottom, the cap looks like a porous sponge) - to boil, fry, dry or pickle. But these are only general rules, because each mushroom requires an individual culinary approach.

White - Tsar Borovichok

In Russia, France and Poland, porcini mushroom, or boletus, is most valued. He is praised, called the king and belongs to the first category quite deservedly - it has more nutrients than the rest of the caps, it has a strong structure that does not fall apart in a frying pan, it does not darken when dried and has a very pleasant taste and aroma. In 1961, near Vladimir, a white one was found weighing more than 10 kg and with a hat diameter of 58 cm, however, the best representatives of this species are small, strong specimens from 3 to 15 cm in diameter with a brownish hat and a massive leg. By the way, domestic porcini mushrooms have antitumor properties, but for this they do not need to be fried or boiled, but dried and turned into a powder that can be added to different dishes. In the processed form, the boletus loses its anti-cancer qualities, but how tasty they are! The best dish is white, fried with onions and potatoes. Just keep in mind that all mushrooms love not vegetable, but butter, and put them in a hot frying pan so that a crust forms on the pulp and the product retains its shape. You can make soup out of whites - they give a rich transparent broth, cook Italian pasta, minced meat for pies, meat, peppers, or create a gourmet dish - the most delicate mousse or soufflé. In the marinade, boletus mushrooms are also beautiful - their brown caps become lighter, the legs remain white, and the mushrooms look as if they have just come from the forest.

Prepare cannelloni with porcini mushrooms. Boil 200 g of fresh boletus, cool and cut into strips. Then fry together with chopped onion and 200 g of ham. Then add the grated carrots and cook for another 5 minutes. Cannelloni (250 g) boil, cool, fill with minced meat and place in a baking dish. Top with the remaining filling, grated Parmesan and bake for 5 minutes. at 180 ° C.

Under the birch, under the aspen

Boletus and aspen mushrooms, although they belong to the second category in terms of nutritional value, but mushroom pickers respect them very much. The mushroom legs are distinguished by dark specks, which are best cleaned with a knife before cooking. The boletus has a grayish or reddish-brown cap, while the boletus has a dark red or orange-red cap - for this it is even called a Krasnogolovets. In taste and strength, such spectacular mushrooms are only slightly inferior to white ones, but they have serious disadvantages - boletus mushrooms are more watery, and boletus mushrooms quickly turn blue on the cut and do not look very presentable when pickled or fried, so it is better to make various fillings from them.

Make stuffed cabbage rolls with mushrooms. Hold 0.5 kg of cabbage leaves for 5 minutes. in boiling water. Rinse 300 g of fresh boletus and boletus boletus, boil for 10 minutes, chop finely, mix with 2 sautéed onion heads, salt and fry. Put the resulting minced meat on cabbage leaves, wrapping them in the form of envelopes. Fry stuffed cabbage rolls, put in a duck, pour a glass of sour cream, add 2 tbsp. tablespoons of tomato paste, cover and mascara 30 min.

Oilless oils without skin

Butters are good because they grow in large companies, they are easy to assemble and taste very pleasant. Unlike other spongy caps, they have a slimy, sticky and easily removable cap - it must be removed before cooking, otherwise the dish will taste bitter. Just be careful - the mushroom releases coloring matter, and you can ruin your manicure. First of all, boletus is good fried - they are very tender, fragrant and have a classic mushroom aroma. They cannot be salted, but stew, boil or pickle - please.

Prepare pickled boletus for the winter. Small mushrooms are cooked whole, for large ones, the caps are separated from the legs, cut into pieces and pickled separately. Put the prepared boletus in a colander, dip it several times in cold water, let it drain and throw it into boiling salted water. Cook for 10 minutes. Then discard in a colander and rinse with hot water. Then fill them with hot marinade (for 1 liter of water, take 2 tablespoons of salt, 1/2 cup of sugar, a glass of 5% table vinegar or apple cider, 6 allspice peas, bay leaf, 1 g of cinnamon) and cook until then until the mushrooms settle to the bottom. Then transfer the butter into a sterilized jar, fill it with marinade, cool and close the lid.

Expert opinion

Natalya Devochkina, Head of the Laboratory of Industrial Mushroom Growing, All-Russian Research Institute of Vegetable Growing, Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Doctor of Agricultural Sciences

Along with champignons in our country, Chinese shiitake mushrooms are grown in small quantities and oyster mushrooms (lamellar mushrooms of light beige) are grown in large quantities. When buying the latter, make sure that their hat is uncracked, with small curved edges and no more than 7-8 cm in diameter. Oyster mushrooms taste a little like chicken. Try pouring boiling water over the hat, then bread and fry it - you get a dish that looks like white meat.

Plate

Lamellar - salt!

If you turn over a representative of lamellar mushrooms, on the underside of the cap you will see not a spongy structure, but rays radiating from the middle to the edges. This group gathered such mushrooms as mushrooms, milk mushrooms, volushki, chanterelles, honey mushrooms, russula, champignons, oyster mushrooms.

Chanterelles are the cleanest

Prepare chanterelle soup according to an old Russian recipe. First, finely chop 100 g of bacon and fry the chopped onion on it for 10 minutes. Then add 500 g of mushrooms and carcass for another 45 minutes. After that, fill the chanterelles with 3 liters of boiling water, salt and boil for 30 minutes. At the end of cooking, dissolve 1 teaspoon of flour with 1/2 cup of sour cream and season the dish.

Urine milk mushrooms!

Milk mushrooms, along with white and mushrooms, are included in the highest mushroom category. True, we are talking only about a real white mushroom (there are 16 types of them in total), characterized by a milky or dirty white cap, along the edges with a pubescent fringe. Do not even try to fry or boil these mushrooms - they secrete a bitter juice. Milk mushrooms are amazing only when salted. But first, they must be soaked for at least a day (black milk mushrooms, valui, bitters, waves - 48 hours), periodically changing the water. After that, you can salt them in a cold way. Place the mushrooms in a colander and rinse with water. Then spread the caps down in 5-7 cm layers in a non-oxidizable dish and each time sprinkle them with fine salt at the rate of 1 tbsp. spoon for 1 kg of mushrooms. For flavor, add dill, garlic, bay leaves, cloves and currant leaves and close the lid with oppression. Milk mushrooms will get rid of bitterness only 1-1.5 months after salting.

Make a salted milk mushroom salad. To do this, mix 250 g of canned mushrooms, 1/2 boiled chicken fillet, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of grated cheese, a handful of grated celery root, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of capers and season with mayonnaise.

Ginger loves salt

You can easily recognize the redhead by the fleshy and concave orange hat with dark concentric circles. If you press on the inside, it will turn green when touched. By the way, this is the only lamellar mushroom that can be salted without soaking. You don't even need to wash them - you just need to remove the blades of grass and wipe them. Then lay out in layers 6 cm thick and caps down, each time sprinkling with salt (1 tablespoon per 1 kg of mushrooms), cover with gauze and a lid with oppression. When the mushrooms give juice, count down 10 days and enjoy the mushrooms. Only do not put spices in them, otherwise the mushrooms will darken.

Cook salted mushroom soup. First, soak 400 g of mushrooms (overnight), then stew together with onions (2 pcs.) And parsley. Cook broth from 400 g of meat and 200 g of ham. At the end, add 1/2 cup flour, 2 tbsp. tablespoons of chopped pickled cucumbers, stewed mushrooms, pour in 1 teaspoon of wine vinegar, bring the soup to a boil.

Safe mushrooms

In some European countries, wild mushrooms are not harvested at all, but only cultivated mushrooms are purchased - primarily champignons. The French began to grow them several centuries ago, then fashion came to Tsarist Russia, and the industrial harvesting of mushrooms in our country began in the late 70s of the last century. Now champignons can be bought fresh all year round and made from them any dish - julienne, soup, stew, pies. These mushrooms have a dense rounded cap, so it is customary to stuff it. Mushrooms are cooked in just 10 minutes. Only buy high-quality mushrooms without signs of disease, blackheads and rot. The hat should be no more than 4-5 cm in diameter, unopened and with a whole “blanket” at the leg. The plates of such specimens are light - if they have darkened, it means that the mushroom is overripe and the aging process has begun in it. True, in Europe, sometimes huge mushrooms (up to 15 cm in diameter) with open straight caps are grown and they are called beautifully - "portobello". But mycologists (experts on mushrooms) say that the fashion for such mushrooms was initiated by the manufacturers themselves and there is nothing good (except for a lot of weight) in them.

Prepare stuffed mushrooms. First, wash and dry the mushrooms (12 pcs.), Then remove the legs from them and salt from the inside. For the filling, fry the onion, a clove of garlic and chopped champignon legs for 5 minutes. Then cool the mixture, add a little basil, salt and pepper, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of bread crumbs, 100 g

grated cheese, mix everything and fill the caps with the prepared minced meat. Sprinkle with cheese on top and bake for 10 minutes. at 200 ° C.

Morels are not entirely edible?

In order for toxins (supposed) to come out of wild mushrooms, it is recommended to boil them first, and only then fry or make julienne. But there are caps for which such a procedure is mandatory. This applies to conditionally edible mushrooms that contain toxins from the group of hydrazines - morels, stitches, some lactarius and russula. All of them become usable only after preliminary processing - first you boil for 15-20 minutes, then rinse thoroughly with cold water and only then start culinary experiments. If you do not do this and immediately throw the mushrooms into the pan, they will cause severe poisoning.

Make morel sauce. Finely chop 600 g of boiled mushrooms, add 2 chopped onions, salt, pepper and fry. Then 1 tbsp. Mix a spoonful of flour with 50 g of butter, dilute with 2 cups of meat broth and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Then add fried morels, a glass of sour cream and simmer for 2 minutes. Sprinkle the finished sauce with nutmeg and dill.

Expert opinion

Maxim Tarusin, member of the Association of Professional Chefs of Russia, chef of restaurants of the Tsaritsyno Museum Estate

It is very simple to make mushroom soup-puree - save the onion with garlic in vegetable oil, then add butter and fry white, boletus or mushrooms until crusty (the rest of the tubular will not work). Do this in small batches and on a hot skillet so that the mushroom protein "grabs" and the structure of the product is not disturbed. Then add cream, salt, freshly ground pepper, grind everything in a blender, and the most delicate puree soup is ready.

Grandma's secrets

• Mushrooms spoil quickly, so they must be cleaned and cooked on the day of harvest. If there is no time for processing, put them unwashed and uncleaned in the refrigerator.
• With the exception of milk mushrooms, volvushki, morels and other caustic mushrooms that must be soaked, the rest cannot be kept in water for a long time - quickly rinse them in a colander and dry with a napkin.
• For boiling mushrooms, do not use cast iron, copper or pewter dishes.
• Ready-made mushroom dishes can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than 30 hours. It is better to eat treats with potatoes earlier.
• To prevent the mushrooms from turning black during cleaning, periodically immerse them in cold, salted water with a little vinegar.
• The soup is best cooked from porcini mushrooms (the broth is transparent), boletus and aspen mushrooms.
• it is necessary to rinse thoroughly in the evening and soak in milk, and cook in the morning.
• According to sanitary rules, it is recommended to dry only white, aspen, boletus, boletus, moss, Polish mushroom, goat and morels.
• Mushrooms are good with herbs like thyme, marjoram, juniper, rosemary, garlic, and ginger.
• Mushrooms are combined with almost any food - vegetables, rice, fish, seafood. Do not use them only with fatty meat, nuts, milk.
• During the "quiet hunt", do not cut off the mushrooms, but twist them out of the mycelium, otherwise you will leave a breeding ground for microbes in the forest.

Mushroom Stars

	Masha Tsigal
	Natalia Gulkina - I'm not a mushroom picker - I don't like walking in the woods. In addition, mushrooms must be collected only by knowing them, otherwise they can be poisoned. But I adore shop pickled pickles, especially boletus. By the way, this is the safest type of preparation, because all microbes die with vinegar. I can also eat fried mushrooms and potatoes. In Spain, for example, fried chanterelles with garlic are often served as a hot snack - very tasty!
	Alexander Peskov - I have a very cautious attitude towards mushrooms, since when I was a child I was poisoned with soup made from them. My mom bought dried whites from the same woman in the market and everything was always good. Except for the only time: two hours later after lunch, my stomach ached and I had a feeling that instead of a stomach there was a boiling cauldron. I WAS VERY ILL. Since then, I can safely eat only mushrooms.

Poisonous mushrooms

Do not believe it when they say that insect larvae do not eat a poisonous mushroom and in its presence the onion and a silver spoon turn black in the broth. An inedible specimen can be distinguished only by its appearance - as a rule, it has a fringe on the leg in the form of a ring and a tuberous thickening at the base. Many poisonous mushrooms have a pungent unpleasant odor; in some, the flesh changes color when cut. Moreover, most of the dangerous specimens are found among the lamellar ones - these are fly agarics, pale grebe, false mushrooms and chanterelles. Among the tubular, only one representative is poisonous - the satanic one. In total, there are about 80 species of deadly mushrooms in our country.

Mushrooms such as champignons are the most popular in the world and one of the first to learn to grow on a farm. They make great aromatic soups, marinades or salads, some of them are stewed and baked on the barbecue, others are used in pizza, and some even prefer to eat them raw. However, in most cases, this product requires careful processing before use, and therefore you should figure out how to cook champignons.

First of all, it should be said about the beneficial properties of these mushrooms. By the way, in terms of the presence of useful substances, these representatives of eukaryotic organisms are superior to all known mushrooms. They contain minerals such as iron, phosphorus, carbohydrates, calcium, potassium and others. Besides, mushrooms contain a lot of protein, carbohydrates, organic acids. This composition allows you to maintain skin, hair and nails in perfect condition. Moreover, this product can be used in dietary nutrition and is useful for every person who cares about their health. On the advice of nutritionists, to preserve the entire unique complex of vitamins and minerals, these mushrooms should not be cooked for a long time. True, they are not recommended to be eaten raw, since the protein in the mushrooms is difficult to digest.

Currently, you can buy ready-made, canned or pickled products in supermarkets. In this case, of course, you do not need to cook them. But fresh mushrooms for cooking should be strong and young, with an unopened cap. Before cooking, they must be cleaned, cut off the contaminated part of the stalk and rinsed thoroughly with cold water. Tough dirt can be washed off with a soft sponge. But you should not soak the mushrooms in water, as in this case they may lose their taste.

Putting a pot of water on the fire, you need to lower the mushrooms into it so that the water covers them completely. Moreover, small champignons can be cooked whole, while large ones must be cut into slices or chopped into even slices. The water needs to be slightly salted, and so that the mushrooms do not darken, but retain their gray-white color, you can add 5 g of citric acid to the pan. As soon as the water boils, you need to reduce the heat and cook them for at least 5 minutes, until the mushrooms become soft. Ready mushrooms need to be thrown into a colander and rinsed with running water, then put on a plate.

In some publications, you can find tips on boiling mushrooms, where it is recommended after the first five minutes to drain the water and pour in a new one to boil for another 10 minutes. In fact, the described mushrooms grown in greenhouse conditions do not need such processing. On the contrary, a long boil will destroy all the nutrients of this product. Only those mushrooms that were collected in the forest need to be boiled twice.

It should be added that to prepare a rich soup with champignons, the mushrooms should be thrown into a colander after boiling for 5 minutes, and add all the necessary ingredients to the remaining broth and continue cooking. The boiled mushrooms should be returned to the soup before the end of cooking.

Knowing how to cook champignons and what wonderful dishes can be prepared from this product, do not forget that mushrooms are a difficult product for digestion, and therefore, when using them, you should know when to stop. Good appetite!

Since ancient times, they have firmly entered Russian cuisine. Our ancestors not only prepared dishes based on them, but also stocked up on mushrooms for future use. In other cuisines, mushrooms have always been given pride of place. French julienne, fragrant European chanterelles with vegetables, expensive truffles - a huge variety of options, among which you can find something of your own.

A little about the benefits and disadvantages of mushrooms

As for vitamins, there are some more in mushrooms than in cereals - for example, vitamins PP, D, A. There are a lot of sulfur and polysaccharides in mushrooms, so they are useful for preventing cancer. Dried porcini mushrooms are believed to be a reliable cancer prevention. Oil contains a substance that relieves the symptoms of gout.

Any mushrooms are rich in extractive substances, from which the most aromatic and rich in taste broths, sauces, gravies are obtained. Their taste allows you to combine mushrooms with many other products - meat, fish, vegetables, seafood.

Dry mushrooms, ground into flour, are best absorbed. That is, if you are a big lover of mushrooms and cannot live without them, then you can use them a little more often in the form of pancakes.

Dry mushrooms contain a substance called fungin, which gives an additional load on the liver. Nutritionists advise eating mushrooms no more than 2 times a week. Pediatricians recommend giving mushrooms to children no earlier than 7 years old.

Mushrooms accumulate nitrates and harmful substances in the area in which they grow. Therefore, it is important to collect them in ecologically clean areas and, when buying from the market, ask where they are from.

People with chronic gastritis, ulcers, liver disease, duodenal ulcer and kidney disease, it is better to consult with your doctor about the systematic use of mushrooms. You shouldn't eat overripe, old and soft mushrooms.

Each dish has its own mushroom

Broths, sauces are prepared from porcini mushrooms, they are fried, pickled and salted. Boletus and boletus mushrooms are never used for making soups and broths. It is better to fry, simmer, pickle them.

The oil can be dried, boiled, pickled. They should not be fried and stewed, as they emit a slippery specific juice. Chanterelles are great for frying. They can also be pickled, although they are not very elastic. They are also used for open pies, quiches. But we do not recommend drying or boiling chanterelles. They are bitter, and dried are generally almost tasteless.

Champignons and oyster mushrooms can be cooked as you like. Grilled champignon caps, lightly drizzled with olive oil and salt, are very tasty.

Black and white milk mushrooms are ideal for salting, they are prepared only in this way. These are noble and very tasty mushrooms that are used exclusively in Russian cuisine.

For juliens, porcini mushrooms and honey mushrooms are a good choice. Champignons are also used in julienne, but their taste is quite neutral. Dried mushrooms make very aromatic soups and broths, gravies for meat and vegetables.

Mushroom preparation

In old mushrooms, it is recommended to cut the tubular layer under the cap, since spores form there. It is important to cook peeled mushrooms immediately, as mushroom fibers absorb odors very quickly.

It is not recommended to wash the mushrooms before drying, it is enough to clean them of debris, cut the roots, separate the caps from the legs and cut too large parts in half.

Preparation of dried mushrooms is that they are washed, poured over with boiling water and soaked in cold water for 4 hours. Such mushrooms are boiled in the future in this water in which they were lying.

General rules cooking

Champignons very easily change the taste and smell, so we do not recommend adding pungent-smelling spices to them. Salted or pickled mushrooms should be rinsed with cold water before adding to salad to remove excess salt and acid.

You can freeze any mushrooms. In this form, they are stored for a long time and are easy to prepare. Moreover, they do not need to be defrosted, it is enough to put them in the cooking dish at the right time.

From salted and pickled mushrooms, you can prepare a hot dish or use in salads, if you boil them in water for 5-7 minutes to release excess salt and acid. If you are using salted mushrooms, they can be soaked in cold water for about 5 hours.

Sour cream, onions, garlic, dill, parsley, and apples are most often used for dressing mushroom dishes. We recommend adding nutmeg, cloves, and allspice in minimal quantities. Especially few spices are required for mushrooms, milk mushrooms, chanterelles and whites.

We advise you not to use vinegar when cooking, but replace it with lemon juice. It is not recommended to mix different types of mushrooms during cooking, it is better to cook each type separately. An exception is frying.

Frying and stewing mushrooms

It is very tasty to stew mushrooms in sour cream, rabbit broth or white wine. Such stewed mushrooms can be used as an independent side dish, or as part of a complex dish.

Boiling mushrooms and broths

Any mushrooms are boiled no more than 20 minutes after boiling. Milk mushrooms and russula are boiled for 5 minutes, butter mushrooms - 7 minutes, white and aspen mushrooms - 10 minutes. Morels are boiled in salted water for 15 minutes. Chanterelles and Valui - 20 minutes. After boiling, the mushrooms must be washed with cold boiled water. Large mushrooms cook faster than small ones.

Dried chanterelles will boil better if you add a pinch of baking soda to the water. Peeled boletus legs will not darken during cooking if they are cooked without cutting. To prevent mushrooms from losing their taste and aroma during cooking, we advise you to cook them only over medium heat. When boiling mushrooms and boletus mushrooms, try adding bay leaf to boiling water, the aroma will become more pleasant.

It is easy to check the readiness of mushrooms - raw mushrooms float, and ready-made ones settle to the bottom.

Salting and pickling mushrooms

If you salt or pickle mushrooms yourself, do not use metal lids. It is best to cover the jar with several layers of waxed paper, tie it tightly with string, and put it in a cool place. When pickling, try adding a little clove, star anise and cinnamon to the marinade for a spicy, original flavor.