Mushroom mushrooms are a true decoration of a mushroom basket and a source of justified pride for the picker. The light, fragrant pulp of porcini mushrooms, which does not change color during heat treatment, has excellent taste, contains a lot of protein and biologically important trace elements. In order for these forest trophies to have maximum nutritional value and appetizing appearance, you need to know how to clean porcini mushrooms carefully and correctly. It is best to prepare for this before going on a “quiet hunt” and clean the collected mushrooms right in the forest.

Before a mushroom trip, you need to stock up on a knife, a small brush and, if you plan to collect for drying, a soft cloth or paper towel.

A large mature porcini mushroom immediately attracts attention and is especially pleasing to the eye. However, if the leg of such a handsome man is thoroughly eaten away by worms, the flesh has become loose, and the tubular layer of the cap has acquired a dark green color, it is unsuitable for collection. It is better to look for young strong relatives nearby - after all, mushrooms usually grow in families.

When collecting porcini mushrooms, they must be carefully unscrewed (cutting off, you will leave a fairly large part of the stem in the forest substrate) and immediately thoroughly clean them from forest debris - needles, fallen leaves and moss. Particular attention should be paid to the stem and its base, since it is here that lumps of soil accumulate, in which dangerous bacteria nest.

Contaminated places need to be scraped off or cut off, and also checked for wormholes in the leg. If there are few passages in the dense pulp, the affected areas must be immediately cut out so that the mushroom worms do not continue their feast and move to other mushrooms as they are collected.

Then the fruiting bodies are cleaned with a stocked brush. Porcini mushrooms intended for drying, after the initial forest processing, will need to be further cleaned by wiping with a cloth or paper towel. As a result, the most time-consuming part of the processing of porcini mushrooms turns out to be done in the forest.

How to properly clean these mushrooms

If mushrooms are brought already peeled, it remains to carefully sort them out and clean them a little, eliminating the remaining errors. In the event that the primary processing has not been carried out in advance, you will have to do it at home, and no later than 5 hours after harvesting - discard old mushrooms eaten by worms, remove areas of pulp with small wormholes, shake off forest litter, scrape off soil pollution.

Further processing depends on what dish or preparation the forest production is intended for. Consider how to properly clean mushrooms with different cooking methods:

• for soup, fruiting bodies will need to be cut so that everything that goes into the pan is approximately the same size - then the pieces will boil evenly and ripen at the same time. The mushroom dressing prepared in this way is washed under running water and loaded into a saucepan with boiling water, which will turn into a rich broth with a magical aroma;
• for frying, mushrooms are also cut evenly and, if they are perfectly cleaned without rinsing, they are sent to a pan with heated vegetable oil. If there are still doubts about the quality of cleaning, chopped mushrooms are washed quickly so that they do not have time to absorb a lot of water. Then they dry it on a paper or regular towel and start frying;
• for pickling, in which it is especially important to completely remove the slightest traces of forest soil, the legs are treated especially carefully, scraping and brushing them under a stream of cool water. Well-peeled fruiting bodies are cut if necessary, washed and marinated according to the chosen recipe;
• for freezing mushrooms, after a thorough primary cleaning, they only wipe it with a soft and slightly damp cloth. Excess water increases the weight and volume of the frozen workpiece, and also worsens its taste;
• for drying, well-cleaned fruit bodies are only rubbed, but in no case washed - moisture easily saturates the porous pulp, but leaves it with difficulty, so that the prepared raw material will deteriorate and not dry. Peeled fruit bodies, wiped with a soft cloth, are cut into layers about a centimeter thick and, under suitable conditions, dried until tender.

The texture of the legs and caps of porcini mushrooms varies markedly - the legs, as a rule, are denser and tougher. Therefore, when cleaning, the leg and hat parts are often separated, and then they are prepared separately.

If porcini mushrooms are harvested shortly after rain and are heavily soiled, they are briefly soaked in salted cold water and then washed. They do the same if a few wormholes still remain in the pulp. Soaked and then washed mushrooms can be used without hesitation for boiling and pickling, they are less suitable for frying, and they definitely should not be frozen and dried.

Porcini mushrooms are not without reason considered a particularly valuable mushroom raw material - in their multicomponent composition, in addition to aromatic and nutritious ingredients, there are substances with antitumor and tonic properties. The safety of unique biological complexes largely depends on the thorough, correct and timely cleaning of porcini mushrooms before cooking.

Cleaning ceps, and indeed any other mushrooms collected in the forest, is a matter of incredible urgency, because over time their fruiting bodies lose moisture and taste. Ideally, it is better to carry out a preliminary cleaning right in the forest, and upon arrival home, finally clean the crop from dust, earth and debris.

At first glance, cleaning does not present any particular difficulties, because it is enough just to scrape the leg and hat with a knife. But in fact, this process has several important nuances that will help not only preserve the freshness of the crop, but also its taste. In this article, we will look at the basic information regarding cleaning mushrooms in the forest and at home before cooking.

How to clean porcini mushrooms

Boletus is called the real king of the forest, because it has a pronounced smell, an extremely pleasant taste and contains many useful nutrients. Naturally, in order for this perishable product to retain all its properties, it must be properly prepared, and the very first stage of cooking is cleaning.

It is better to remove large pieces of earth, needles or leaves immediately in the forest, directly at the time of collection. This will make things easier for you when you get home. In fact, cleaning mushrooms is not particularly difficult, because they are large, with a fleshy leg and a large hat, from which it is easy to remove dirt (Figure 1).

To thoroughly clean your crop, prepare a knife, large bowl, and paper towels ahead of time. You will also need an old rosary.

White purge looks like this:

1. First, we clean the surface of large particles of debris: adhering leaves, pine needles or remnants of the earth.
2. Mushroom mushrooms are quickly washed under running water and put in a colander to glass the water. It is important that washing is not practiced if mushrooms are intended for drying.
3. Cut off the bottom of the leg with a sharp knife. So you remove particles of earth and dust from the surface.
4. Gently wipe the hat and leg with a paper or cloth towel. This will help remove water droplets or dust particles that may have remained after washing.
5. Next, you can rub the pulp with a toothbrush. It will help remove damaged pulp and even the smallest particles of debris.

After that, you need to wash them again and start cooking them. In this case, it is advisable to cut the boletus along the length or cut its leg in order to check if there are any passages left by worms inside the fruiting body. Unfortunately, damaged mushrooms do not have a high taste, so it is better to throw them away.

We clean porcini mushrooms after harvesting in the forest

"Silent hunting" is an activity that does not tolerate haste. If you are already lucky enough to stumble upon a large family of mushrooms, you should not cut off all the mushrooms headlong and immediately throw them into the basket. In the forest, immediately after collection, it is much easier to clean the legs and hats from large debris. So you will greatly facilitate the work of returning home.

After cutting, carefully inspect the mushroom. It should not have rotten pulp. If everything is in order with the boletus, proceed with the preliminary cleaning. First you need to cut off the bottom of the leg to check if there are any worms in the pulp. If you find only one passage left by insects, you can simply cut it out and put the fungus in a basket. But, if there are two or more such moves, it is better to throw out the boletus.

Note: If you put a wormy specimen in a basket, the insect will not only gnaw further in it, but may also move to other specimens, and part of the crop will be spoiled.

After that, you can simply remove large debris from the legs and hat. Ideally, this is best done with an old soft-bristled toothbrush, but most mushroom pickers prefer to remove leaves and needles simply by hand, and do the final cleaning at home.

How to clean white mushroom at home

When you come from the forest, you should immediately start cleaning, because over time they lose their elasticity and their taste.

If you have already pre-cleaned the mushrooms in the forest, you will only have to go over them with a brush or a damp towel, depending on what treatment you will be subjecting the crop to. For example, if you are going to fry, boil or pickle mushrooms, you need to not only clean them, but also rinse them thoroughly. But mushrooms cannot be washed before drying, because due to excess moisture they will not dry properly.

Further manipulations with the harvest also depend on how you plan to cook. So, for heat treatment and freezing, it is necessary to clean both the hat and the leg, and large specimens must be cut into pieces of approximately the same size.

How to clean a white mushroom cap

Mushrooms spoil very quickly, so they must be processed within 3-4 hours after harvest. If you were unable to clean and prepare them for processing, simply transfer the crop to an enameled container and refrigerate without covering with a lid. So mushrooms can be stored for another 1-2 days, but they cannot be shaken or constantly shifted, as this can damage the delicate pulp (Figure 2).

The hat of mushrooms does not need very thorough cleaning. It is enough to remove large debris from its surface and lightly wipe it with a damp cloth or an old toothbrush to brush off the dust. Unlike butter, on the cap of which there is a sticky film, the surface of the skin of mushrooms is velvety and pleasant to the touch.

If you do not plan to dry the mushrooms, you can rinse them under running water. This will remove the remnants of dust and debris not only from the hat, but also from the legs. It is especially necessary to rinse the inside of the hat, since it is here that the most dust and debris accumulate.

Do I need to clean the leg of porcini mushrooms

The leg of the boletus needs more thorough cleaning. First of all, be sure to update the slice at its bottom, even if you did it in the forest. Cut off the bottom of the leg in such a way as to capture the particles of pulp along its entire circumference (Figure 3).

Next, you need to slightly scrape the pulp of the leg. The movements should be light, as the main purpose of such peeling is simply to remove the skin without damaging the flesh. After that, just wipe the crop with a damp towel or rinse under running water if you do not plan to dry the mushrooms. At the final stage, the crop must be put in a colander and allowed to drain the remaining water.

How to clean porcini mushrooms before frying

Regardless of the amount of the harvest, some of the mushrooms will in any case remain for frying, because it is so nice to please your family with this delicious forest delicacy (Figure 4).

In fact, cleaning mushrooms before frying is no different from preparing mushrooms for any other heat treatment. First you need to cut off the bottom of the leg and inspect if there are any passages left by the worms in the pulp. The damaged parts are cut out, the hat is cleaned of dust and debris, and the outer skin is carefully peeled off at the leg. Next, mushrooms should be washed several times in running water. If you suspect that worms may have remained in the pulp, soak the mushrooms briefly in salted water. All insects will crawl out and it will be enough for you to re-rinse them under running water, cut into arbitrary pieces and start frying.

How to wash and clean porcini mushrooms for freezing

Modern kitchen appliances, in particular freezers, allow you to enjoy mushrooms not only in the harvest season, but also in winter. Naturally, for this fruiting bodies need to be properly prepared and cleaned.

Unlike cleaning before salting or heat treatment, preparing mushrooms for freezing includes mandatory washing and soaking in salted water. First, we carry out traditional events: we clean the hats and legs from large debris, cut off the lower part of the leg and place the fruiting bodies in a large bowl or saucepan with salted water. In this solution, the mushrooms should lie down for about an hour. This will make it possible to remove insects, worms or insect larvae from the pulp, which can be accidentally missed in the cleaning process (Figure 5).

Next, we take out the mushrooms from salt water, rinse thoroughly and put them in a colander. To make the frozen billet truly tasty and fragrant, it is better to remove excess moisture from the surface. After that, it is enough to decompose them into packages or containers. Small specimens can be frozen whole, but large ones are best cut into several parts.

If you want to make a preparation that will be almost ready to eat after defrosting, it is better to cut the mushrooms into small pieces, lightly boil them in water and arrange them in portioned bags or containers. As a result, you will get a ready-made blank that will help you cook delicious fried mushrooms at any time of the year.

In the process of drying, pickling, freezing or salting, it is advisable to sort mushrooms by size, since small specimens are cooked much faster than large ones. Very large specimens are usually cut into one or more parts. It is better to do this along the cap and stem, then both after freezing and after drying, the product will look attractive (Figure 6).

You can pickle and salt porcini mushrooms whole, but some housewives prefer to separate the legs from the caps. In fact, the process of cutting mushrooms does not affect their taste in any way. Its main purpose is to make the pieces more uniform in size, or to finally test the pulp for worms.

If you plan to boil and freeze mushrooms, it is better to cut them into approximately the same pieces. For example, the leg is cut into thick circles, and the hat is simply divided into several parts.

The process of cleaning porcini mushrooms is shown in more detail in the video.

Usually, future housewives receive knowledge on how to clean porcini mushrooms from their grandmothers and mothers. And not always the information is correct and reliable. Therefore, we propose to learn how to properly clean porcini mushrooms in accordance with the canons of culinary technology. This information will allow you to get the right idea on how to clean the white mushroom at home in such a way that there is as little waste as possible and as much recyclable raw materials as possible. The first thing to remember is that the processing of mushrooms should begin immediately after they are collected in the forest. Before peeling fresh porcini mushrooms, prepare several bowls. Fill one of them with warm water. Another should be adapted for cutting mushrooms. The third one is for waste.

Fresh mushrooms are stored for a short time, therefore, within 3-4 hours after picking, they must be processed - sorted and prepared for canning or used for cooking mushroom dishes. If it is not possible to process the mushrooms right away, transfer them to an enamel bowl without a lid and store in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. At the same time, they should be shaken and shifted as little as possible and picked up carefully so as not to leave dark spots and dents. Preparation of mushrooms for culinary processing consists in cleaning from debris (adhering blades of grass and insects), removing darkened or damaged areas.

Before cleaning the cap of the porcini mushroom, it is cleaned with a knife with a stainless steel blade or a soft cloth. The cut on the legs is updated by removing the most contaminated part. If the mushrooms from the forest are heavily polluted, they are soaked in water and pressed down with a weight for complete immersion. After 10–20 minutes, the caps are already easily washed from adhering grass and leaves. You should not leave the mushrooms in the water for a long time, as they will actively absorb it, which will eventually negatively affect their taste and aroma, and make the caps brittle. Then the mushrooms are washed with clean running water. Particular attention is paid to washing the lower surface of the mushroom caps, which is spongy or lamellar, and therefore most susceptible to contamination. Then the mushrooms are left in a colander or sieve to drain the liquid. The exception is mushrooms intended for drying and sometimes freezing. They are only cleaned, but not washed with water, much less soaked.

See how to clean the porcini mushroom in the photo, which shows the whole process step by step.

How to clean white mushroom

An important step is sorting and cleaning. For pickling in a hermetically sealed container, only a mushroom cap is taken.

Porcini mushrooms intended for canning in hermetically sealed containers are also sorted by color or by place of growth: spruce, pine, oak, birch mushrooms. In accordance with the distribution by variety, the leg is also cut. The skin from the remaining stump at the cap is scraped off with a knife. In addition, mushrooms are thoroughly cleaned of adhering debris, needles, twigs, particles of earth, and all wormy specimens are discarded. Wormholes are cut out of less wormy ones. Mushrooms intended for drying are finally cleaned with a wet cloth, and the rest are washed.

How to clean porcini mushrooms before freezing

Washing is the most important preparatory process. The quality of finished products depends on its thoroughness. Therefore, special attention should be paid to washing, taking into account at the same time that a loss of aromatic and soluble solids occurs during prolonged washing. Therefore, the washing time must be limited.

You can wash the mushrooms well without loss for 10 minutes, while changing the water several times. It is best to wash the mushrooms in running and continuously changing water, especially with a pressure jet. Before peeling porcini mushrooms before freezing, note that if mushrooms are excessively soaked in water, this indicates that they are overgrown or damaged. During the decay process, harmful substances can be formed, such as the poison neurin, as a result of which edible mushrooms can become poisonous. It is impossible to pull mushrooms out of the ground, because in this case the structure of the mycelium is disturbed, after which the threads of the mushroom mycelium die off and do not bear fruit. Mushrooms must be carefully cut with a knife.

After cutting the mushroom, check if it is wormy. In addition, by cutting the mushrooms with a knife, we reduce the possibility of their contamination with adhering earth. The collected mushrooms are immediately cleaned of the earth adhering to them, leaves, needles, grass and other debris; remove parts affected by insect larvae. Heavily contaminated lower parts of the legs are cut off. It is more correct to put the mushrooms in the basket with the hats down - this way they are better preserved.

See how to clean porcini mushrooms before cooking in the photo showing the intricacies of this process.




Cleaning porcini mushrooms before drying.

Drying is one of the simplest mushroom processing methods. Ceps (porcini mushrooms) are most suitable for drying. Mushrooms are carefully examined, cleaned with a knife from moss, leaves, needles and other forest debris. They discard randomly collected inedible and wormy ones, cut out the damaged parts, separate the caps from the legs, if the skin is easily separated from the pulp, it is removed. Wipe mushrooms with a dry or damp cloth. They don't wash. After that, thick legs are cut across into circles up to 3 centimeters thick, and thin ones along, into two or four parts.

White fungus is valued all over the world, it is even ranked among the noble types of forest delicacies. To cook this product deliciously, you need to be able to properly process and clean it. This will be discussed in the article.

White mushrooms

A mature specimen is distinguished by a large plate-shaped hat with a convex top. It can reach a diameter of 30 cm. The surface of the cap can be wrinkled, with cracks. The skin does not separate from the pulp and has a dark yellow, red-brown or brown color. After rain, the skin is shiny, and in dry weather it is matte.

The leg of the mushroom is thick, has the shape of a cylinder or a club, and reaches 10 cm in girth. It has a white surface with reddish patches. The pulp of the mushroom is juicy, the fibrous structure does not darken on the cut. Raw, it does not have a strong aroma, but when cooked, it smells strong and pleasant. The taste of the pulp is rich, mushroomy, with pronounced nutty notes.

Did you know? Biologists have determined that porcini mushrooms contain antibiotics that can be processed and effectively used to treat tuberculosis.

Where and at what time do they grow

The distribution area of ​​​​boletus is quite wide: it covers almost all continents, with the exception of Australia and Antarctica. This type of mushroom is harvested even in South Africa and cold Iceland. White fungus is unpretentious in choosing a partner for mycorrhiza: the list includes both deciduous trees (alder, oak, birch) and conifers (spruce, pine).

The fungus likes to settle in wet mosses and lichens, dense thickets of grass, as well as on sandy, sandy and loamy lands.

The fruiting period is stretched from June to September inclusive. In the southern warm and humid climate, the harvest season begins in May and ends in October. White fungus grows both in large groups and singly.

How to collect and clean mushrooms in the forest

Proper collection of mushrooms begins with choosing a place away from roads, industrial enterprises, farms where chemicals that are hazardous to health can be used. Mushrooms have a large mycelium, stretching for tens of meters, with a good ability to absorb toxins. Therefore, it is necessary to go far into the forest from settlements.

Important! The porcini mushroom has several twins, when collecting, you need to pay attention to the cut of the pulp. In a good edible fruit, it does not darken.

It is important to collect the product correctly, without harming nature:

According to one version, this mushroom is called white, because it does not need to be scrupulously cleaned.

Raw materials collected according to all the rules of the mushroom picker are directly inspected and initially processed: adhering particles of soil, vegetation and dirt are removed. The rest of the preparation for cooking is done at home.

Processing at home

Depending on which dish will be prepared from the mushroom product, it is prepared accordingly. This is a fairly simple process, but it requires accuracy and concentration.

For cooking

If it is supposed to boil, fry or stew them, then you need to not only remove large debris, but carefully clean the mushrooms with a knife. On different parts of the fruiting body there may be withered areas, traces of a slug or a worm. They need to be cut and carefully scraped out.

After processing, the purified product must be washed. It is also advisable to soak the mushrooms, since small dust particles and insects accumulate in the tubular layer. If you put the raw materials in salted water, after 10-15 minutes the garbage will float.

After that, the water is drained, and the mushrooms are rinsed well. If darkening is found on the leg or hat, this area must be processed again with a knife. Only after that the mushrooms are cut for further cooking.

Important! It is necessary to clean the collected mushrooms no later than 5 hours after collection: the raw pulp quickly collapses and loses its beneficial properties.

Before freezing

Before freezing, the raw materials are also thoroughly cleaned, but not washed, because the pulp has the property of a sponge.. If you wash the mushroom, the water under the influence of low temperatures will turn into ice and destroy the tissue of the product. Such a mushroom becomes not tasty, brittle and loses most of its useful properties. The hat and stem are best cleaned with a soft-bristled brush and a damp cloth.

Video: how to freeze porcini mushrooms

Before drying

Drying mushrooms at home and pampering yourself with your favorite dishes all winter is the task of every mushroom picker. Dry raw materials have all the useful qualities of a fresh product, and also do not lose their taste and aroma. You can use dried mushrooms in soup or stew, as well as when frying, stewing or baking.

Some mushrooms can be ground into powder and used as a seasoning for vegetables, meat, poultry or side dishes. Before drying, only dry processing of raw materials is carried out without water and even wet wipes. The main task is to get rid of moisture, and not add it to the pulp.

Borovik is a delicacy product that belongs to the first taste category of mushrooms. The quality of dishes prepared with it is very high, but it largely depends on the correct preparation of the product.

Processing mushrooms brought from a successful "hunt" is a very urgent matter. Fresh mushrooms are not stored for a long time, so it is very important to bring them into a long-term form as soon as possible. But for this you need to have some experience and knowledge. The problem of how to properly clean porcini mushrooms arises quite often. And to solve it means to partly save the crop.

How to properly clean porcini mushrooms?

What is needed for cleaning?

Before proceeding directly to the processing of the porcini fungus, some preparations should be made. Otherwise, there will simply be no point in cleaning it - it is necessary that the working field be absolutely clean. That is, before cleaning, mushrooms should be washed, and preferably very quickly, cleaned of everything adhering to them. After washing, put them on a sieve or sieve and wait until they dry. But if the mushrooms are planned to be dried, then they cannot be wetted. You have to work hard.

You will also need to collect the necessary tools for the procedure:

• bowl
• sharp knife;
• an unnecessary toothbrush;
• any towel.

This will be enough to completely clean the mushrooms of dirt and everything superfluous. However, you will have to try.

How to clean white mushroom?

In order for the mushroom harvest to be clean and healthy, they need to be properly cleaned. All the tools are already there, it remains only to proceed with the operation.

• First you need to take a washed mushroom and carefully cut off its leg from below, cleaning off the remnants of everything superfluous along with the top contaminated layer.
• Then, with a towel, wipe the hat and leg to avoid excess moisture and dust particles.
• If the mushrooms are not planned to be dried, then you can throw them in a bowl of water for 15 minutes, after salting this water.
• They will soak in the water - and then they can be thoroughly cleaned with a brush.
• With a brush it is easy to clean off all the dirt and flaking pulp, which does not have anything good.
• You just need to rub them well.
• After cleaning, rinse each mushroom again under running water.

After that, you need to cut off a small piece of the mushroom leg from the bottom with a clean knife and see if there are any moves left by the worms. Worm mushroom should not be spared. It is also necessary to cut off any darkened places and throw them away. As soon as the mushrooms dry on a sieve or wire rack - that's it, you can cook the dish further. They are ready to use. How to clean the porcini mushroom, the video will be able to show in more detail and more clearly. It is better to see once than to read a hundred times.