Boletus and boletus boletus belong to spongy mushrooms and, along with white ones, are elite. They are actively used in dried, stewed and pickled form, and used to prepare various dishes. But, before processing the harvest, you should know how to clean the boletus and boletus, and whether it is worth it.

Do I need to clean the boletus and boletus

Experienced mushroom pickers are advised to always clean these varieties of mushrooms. Moreover, the initial cleaning is carried out during the harvest.

Important! Fresh boletus and boletus can not be stored without access to fresh air, so packages and containers with them should be left open.

Hats

Hats must be removed with a rag without a lint or sponge. And also remove the sponge undermined by pests. The skin of mushrooms is usually not removed. The only exception is if the boletus is fried, because with this treatment the skin becomes too stiff.

Legs

The legs of the boletus must also be cleaned from the ground, garbage and other litter. Moreover, in the process of development, fungi actively accumulate various harmful substances from the environment. In addition, cooking water may become too dark and cloudy due to dirty feet.

How to process after collection

Having plucked a mushroom, it is necessary to remove from it the remains of soil, adhering leaves and pieces of branches, and only then put it in a basket. Wormy areas should also be cut so that pests do not spoil neighboring healthy specimens. In addition, you need to immediately sort the crop, discarding overripe and rotten specimens that can turn into a single slippery mass on the road.

The main fruit cleaning is carried out already at home for no more than 6 hours after harvest. If they will be cooked a little later, you need to send the mushrooms to a refrigerator or a room with a temperature not exceeding + 4 ° С.

Also read our electronic magazine about growing mushrooms at home.

How to clean boletus

Boletus and boletus are cleaned in a dry or wet way. The choice depends on how they will be further processed. So, for boiled and fried mushrooms, the wet method is used, and for drying or freezing, dry is more suitable. However, if boiled fruits are sent to the freezer, they are also cleaned in a wet manner.

To begin with, the crop should be sorted, separating young specimens from old ones. Next, cut off the legs, while checking for damage and wormholes. Then cut off the base, remove dirt and cut off damaged areas. The next step is to remove the top layer of the leg with a knife or brush. Many mushroom pickers prefer not to peel their legs, especially if there are too many mushrooms. In this case, they are processed, washing well and cutting damage.

Video: how to clean boletus

Hats of boletus and boletus are cleaned with a dry cloth without lint, the skin is not removed. During harvesting, the loose spongy layer under the hat is removed from mature mushrooms. This is necessary so that in the future it does not contaminate the remaining fungi. Also, the sponge is often damaged by insects and contains spores that are difficult to digest. Large specimens should be cut into two parts and evaluate the type of pulp. Wormy fruits should be thrown away immediately. Did you know? In the middle of the XIX century, a fossil mushroom was found, located in rocks over 400 million years old. This proves that mushrooms appeared on Earth much earlier than, for example, dinosaurs.

Wet method

Step-by-step process of cleaning mushrooms, if you plan to cook and fry them:

1. Sort the mushrooms, separate the legs and hats, soak slightly wormy specimens for 1 hour (2 tbsp. L. Salt in 1 l. Of water).
2. Scrape the legs with a knife, removing the outer fibers.
3. Cut off damaged and darkened areas of pulp.
4. Use a sponge or a damp cloth to remove dirt from the hats.
5. Cut the spongy layer of mature specimens.
6. Cut the cleaned boletus into pieces and rinse with running water.
7. The fruits are ready to cook or fry.

During the collection of mushrooms, they should be carefully examined and dubious specimens must be thrown away. It is better to accidentally lose a good mushroom than to cook and eat a bad one.

Dry way

Step-by-step cleaning process if the mushrooms are dried or frozen:

1. Select high-quality, young mushrooms with elastic flesh.
2. With a dry sponge or brush, clean off any adhering dirt - earth, leaves, sticks, etc.
3. Remove remaining dirt with a knife.
4. Scrape off the top layer of the mushroom leg.
5. Cut off damaged areas.
6. Too large fruits cut into pieces.
7. Mushrooms are ready for further processing.

Do you need to soak the boletus

So that the mushrooms do not darken, you can put them in salted water. Also slightly wormy boletus and boletus are often steeped. To do this, 50 g of table salt should be dissolved in 1 liter of water, pour the peeled fruits over the brine and let stand for 1 hour. This time is enough for the pests to leave the mushroom pulp. Did you know? Each mushroom contains millions of spores that fly around at speeds up to 100 km / h. And some species additionally throw trickles of water vapor that help spores travel long distances. Also, before cleaning in a wet way, young specimens can be soaked in cold water for 30-60 minutes, after which the dirt will easily leave them. It is better not to do this with the old ones, because they are too saturated with water and become sour.

It should be noted that you can only soak those mushrooms that will not be dried and frozen raw. Otherwise, do not even rinse the boletus, as they can quickly deteriorate and rot. Since the flesh of these mushroom varieties is not bitter, young, undamaged and harvested in a clean place fruits can not be soaked.

Possible damage due to improper cleaning and handling

For the proper processing of mushrooms, it is recommended:

• remove wormy areas even during harvesting so that pests do not infect healthy fungi;
• process the crop in time so that the darkened and spoiled mushrooms do not cause poisoning;
• clean the mushroom caps before frying, because during processing their peel becomes too stiff;
• Do not clean the mushrooms wet before drying or freezing them fresh so that they are not saturated with water and spoiled;
• Do not soak the fruits for a long time, because due to the spongy structure they lose their density and their high taste.

We recommend learning how to cook boletus and boletus. And the main condition is to pick mushrooms away from busy roads and enterprises and take only those in which you are absolutely sure. Properly harvested and processed mushrooms will add variety to the menu and become a source of many beneficial substances in the body.