How to Handle Mushrooms Properly After Picking - Tips and Tricks for Handling Mushrooms

What should you know about mushrooms before going on a "hunt" for them for food purposes? In order for your collected mushrooms to be embodied in delicious dishes at the table, you need to be able to pick mushrooms, process them after picking and cook! We will talk about this today.

In order for the collected mushrooms to be not only a valuable trophy, but also turned into delicious dishes, you need to know the rules and sequence of processing mushrooms.

• First, you need to learn to distinguish edible mushrooms from inedible ones, and especially from poisonous ones.
• Secondly, it is important to have a clear idea of ​​​​how to cook this or that “trophy”, because, for example, mushrooms belonging to the so-called conditionally edible species can be eaten only after special and very thorough processing.
• Thirdly, in order to successfully complete the work you have begun and please your family with a delicious dinner, you need to be able to cook mushrooms correctly, for which you should first study which type of mushrooms is best to fry, and from which to cook soup, etc.

The sequence of processing mushrooms after harvest

Sorting mushrooms after picking. Do not mix mushrooms of different types together. It is advisable to sort them and use them separately.

Mushroom debris removal. Garbage, needles, leaves from mushrooms can be carefully removed with a soft brush, brush, sponge or cloth.

Washing mushrooms. Wash the mushrooms with cold running water.

How to process and conditionally edible mushrooms after harvest

How to distinguish conditionally edible mushrooms

Is there a difference between poisonous and inedible mushrooms? Isn't it one and the same? No. The fact is that inedible mushrooms are not eaten in most cases, not because they can cause great harm to the body, but because of:

• unpleasant taste or smell;
• small fruit bodies;
• pulp stiffness;
• growths on the fruiting body (scales, spikes, etc.);
• specificity of the place of growth;
• rarity.

In addition to the listed parameters, the inedibility of mushrooms can also be expressed in the content of a certain amount of hazardous substances in them. The use of such mushrooms will not lead to a fatal outcome, but it can cause poisoning. Poisonous mushrooms should never be consumed, under any circumstances! Even in the process of cooking and drying, hazardous substances do not evaporate from them, and poisoning with them can lead to death. The most poisonous mushroom is currently the pale grebe.

This memo will help inexperienced or insecure mushroom pickers to distinguish conditionally edible mushrooms from poisonous ones. Use it when picking mushrooms!

There are various ways to cook mushrooms. They are boiled, fried, stewed, dried, baked, canned, sauces are prepared from them. Whatever you are going to do with them, do not forget about the pre-treatment of mushrooms - sorting, cleaning, washing, which we talked about above.

Rules for collecting conditionally edible mushrooms

• never pick old, wormy, diseased mushrooms;
• never take mushrooms that have grown on the edge or near a highway, railway, factory, etc. The fact is that these gifts of nature, like sponges, absorb all harmful substances from the environment, therefore, in some places, even edible mushrooms, "saturated" with toxins and other dangerous substances, can become poisonous;
• never pick suspicious mushrooms. If there is even the slightest doubt about the edibility of the mushroom, it is better to throw it away;
• do not store mushrooms for a long time! The sooner you use them for their intended purpose, the less likely they are to go bad and harm your body.

Features of the processing of conditionally edible mushrooms after harvest

You should not deny yourself the pleasure of eating mushrooms that ended up in the column under the heading "Conditionally edible." This name literally means: "edible, but subject to certain conditions." Usually this is a special preparatory treatment, i.e., before preparing a certain dish from mushrooms, they should be boiled, soaked or dried. These methods are presented in strict sequence: as the time for pre-treatment of mushrooms increases.

Pre-boiling mushrooms for processing. Cut the carefully selected, washed and peeled mushrooms into pieces and boil for 20 minutes, then drain the water, wash them thoroughly with cold water and boil again for 20 minutes. Be sure to drain the water again, wash the mushrooms with cold water, put them in a colander and you can safely use them for cooking any dishes.

Soaking mushrooms for processing. Pour the mushrooms with plenty of cold water and leave for two days. Then drain the water. This must be done without fail, because it takes into itself all the toxic and poisonous substances contained in conditionally edible mushrooms. Wash the mushrooms thoroughly with running water and use as directed.

Drying mushrooms for processing. Hazardous substances can not only be boiled and soaked, but also dried from mushrooms. Why should they be dried outdoors under direct sunlight or in a well-ventilated area directly near a heat source. After reaching full readiness, the mushrooms should be removed in a dark place for 2-3 months. You can cook food from them only after such a period.

If you correctly understood how to process mushrooms after harvest and used our tips to distinguish conditionally edible mushrooms, you can not only prepare mushrooms for the winter, but also benefit from mushroom dishes.