Oyster mushrooms: how to peel before eating and freezing

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Prepared by: Kurzyupa

08/22/2013 Cooking time: 1 hour 0 min

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Tender, aromatic, rich in proteins and other useful substances, fried oyster mushrooms are wonderfully good! I offer you a simple recipe for fried oyster mushrooms with garlic and herbs.

Where can I get these mushrooms?

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The best option is to get them yourself in the forest. Their locations are drying trees. Fallen trunks. These mushrooms begin to germinate right on the bark.

Do you like to experiment and grow your own mushrooms? Nothing could be simpler. In the conditions of a summer cottage, they grow well on straw from cereal crops and in sunflower husks.

But if you cannot be classified as an avid mushroom picker, then in this case you can simply purchase them in a large supermarket. Today, it is easy to find oyster mushrooms on sale in fresh or frozen form.

Product usefulness

Before purchasing and cleaning oyster mushrooms to prepare a delicious dish, let’s get acquainted with their positive and negative sides. Good moments:

Mushrooms are low in calories, but can dull the feeling of hunger.
The composition is replete with mineral components such as calcium, iodine, iron.
Vitamins: C, B, E, PP – are found in large quantities in mushrooms.
Remove radiation from the human body.

Advantages and disadvantages of oyster mushrooms

This type of mushroom contains a lot of useful substances for the human body. That is why they are very often eaten.

Let's look at the main advantages of this product:

They have very low calorie content. But if consumed in large quantities, they can satisfy hunger.
They contain minerals such as potassium, iron, calcium and iodine.
Promotes the breakdown of fats.
Enriched with vitamins: C, D2, B, E and PP. Thanks to them, the product is very similar to meat.
Remove radioactive substances from the body.
Reduces cholesterol levels.

Important! As a result of using this product in food, the development of E. coli in the human body is prevented. The human body's resistance to radiation also increases.

When preparing such a product, it is definitely recommended to process it, since it contains chitin, which humans cannot digest. In order to remove chitin, the mushrooms need to be cut very finely and fried well.

Important! One of the most important disadvantages is the not very pronounced mushroom smell. In addition, this type of vegetable products is not resistant to infection by viral diseases. In addition, they are quite difficult to transport, since the fruiting body is very fragile and unstable.

Nuances are not disadvantages

There is a drawback to such mushrooms. You need to know this before cleaning oyster mushrooms. Mushrooms do not have a strong aroma. In general, when these gifts of nature are prepared, you, without a very sensitive sense of smell, can only barely catch their aroma. Some tasters don't like it.

But there is one more nuance that you need to remember before peeling oyster mushrooms. It is not classified as negative or positive. It is worth accepting it as a fact. The mushrooms are covered with a thin chitinous layer. But the human body cannot cope with the digestion of the chitinous layer. But this does not mean that you need to put off the idea of preparing a mushroom delicacy. At the end of cooking, it is enough to fry the finely chopped mushrooms well and the cut itself will collapse.

Oyster mushrooms fried with garlic. Stunning oyster mushrooms fried with onions - a simple recipe

Oyster mushrooms are modest mushrooms at first glance, but they have nothing to do with porcini mushrooms or truffles! But experienced mushroom pickers and professional chefs can tell you that if handled skillfully, not a single “trophy” obtained on a quiet hunt can compare with oyster mushrooms!

And of course, fried oyster mushrooms are incredibly appetizing. You need to spend very little time preparing them - literally 20-25 minutes, but those who try them will remember the result for a long time!

You can use fresh or frozen oyster mushrooms. And it is important to note that experts recommend buying oyster mushrooms in large stores from well-known companies or collecting them yourself.

In the second case, it is necessary to take into account that oyster mushrooms (like almost all edible mushrooms in general) have dangerous doubles. Therefore, it is wise to have a well-illustrated guide on hand.

And mushrooms collected along roadsides and near industrial facilities are also unsuitable for food.

Mushrooms brought home should be sorted and processed into preparations/sent for drying/cooked and eaten within literally 6-8 hours - because this is a very perishable product.

So, you can quickly and tasty fry oyster mushrooms as follows.

Recipe for fried oyster mushrooms with onions

Ingredients:

500 g oyster mushrooms;
4 tbsp. l. vegetable oil;
salt;
ground black pepper;
dry ground paprika;
fresh dill.

Cooking method:

Place the pan on the stove. The best choice, of course, would be cast iron cookware. But in its absence, you can simply use the one with a thick bottom and walls.
Add oil to the pan and leave over high heat to heat thoroughly. The oil can be refined or unrefined. The latter is distinguished by a high content of vitamins, Omega-3 acids, as well as an expressive aroma, which many find charming. It is better to take unrefined sunflower oil, and only refined olive oil - otherwise the mushrooms will taste bitter.
Peel the onion and chop into crumbs or cut into transparent half rings - the format in this case is a matter of taste. Place the onion from the cutting board into the pan and, stirring with a spatula, fry until golden brown, this will take 3-5 minutes.
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Wash the oyster mushrooms thoroughly and dry with paper kitchen towels. Ideally, for frying, you should select small and medium-sized mushrooms, and from large ones, you can only take the caps, because their legs are a bit harsh after heat treatment. Chop the oyster mushrooms. Place in the pan with the onions.
Fry the oyster mushrooms, stirring every now and then with a spatula, until all the liquid released by the mushrooms during frying has evaporated from the pan.
When the oyster mushrooms become noticeably drier, add salt, paprika and pepper to taste. Continue to fry the mushrooms until they take on a noticeable brown color. Reduce the temperature a little - it’s good to fry oyster mushrooms at maximum power on the stove, but it’s important not to overdo it so that they don’t become like rubber.
Wash fresh dill, shake dry and chop finely. Add a generous handful to the pan with the mushrooms and onions, stir everything quickly and remove from the heat.

Cleaning rules: dry, preliminary method

Do I need to clean oyster mushrooms purchased at the market or collected independently in the forest? Certainly! But before the procedure itself, it is important to remember these rules:

Don't let laziness overcome you. After arriving from the forest (or from the market), from where you delivered a certain amount of these mushrooms to your home, you do not need to forget about them for a long time. Having rested a little, you need to immediately begin freeing them from debris, sand and other inedible inclusions.
How to clean fresh oyster mushrooms from the forest? Place it on a dry surface and first remove dry, well-disposable debris: twigs, scraps of leaves, straw or grass.

Do I need to boil oyster mushrooms before frying?

Boiling oyster mushrooms before frying

Many housewives are interested in whether it is worth boiling oyster mushrooms before frying them in a frying pan. Even professional chefs with extensive experience differ in their opinions on this issue.

Some believe that it is better to boil the mushrooms before frying, but no more than five minutes.
Others are confident that oyster mushrooms do not need to be pre-boiled, since they are completely safe for human health, they contain enough moisture for a full cooking cycle, and they will not dry out in a frying pan.

Let's find out how long to cook tender mushrooms if you decide to boil them before frying, and what are the methods of preliminary heat treatment.

How and how long to cook oyster mushrooms for frying

Boiling oyster mushrooms

Boil water, add some salt and add whole oyster mushrooms or sliced oyster mushrooms (cut them large or medium).
Cook over moderate heat for five minutes and turn off the stove.
Place the mushrooms in a colander, removing unnecessary moisture from the product.

After boiling, a fragrant broth remains, on the basis of which an excellent mushroom soup or puree soup is obtained.

Boiling

Pour cold water into the pan and add the oyster mushrooms.
We wait for it to boil and add some salt to the broth.
How long should oyster mushrooms be boiled before further frying in this case? Boil mushrooms for 15 minutes. and drain in a colander.

Finally, rinse the mushrooms with cold water, remove excess moisture again and proceed to frying.

Do I need to boil oyster mushrooms before frying?

Blanching

Place the oyster mushrooms in a sieve and pour over boiling water.
We hold them over the steam for 10 seconds.
Dry the mushrooms and start frying.

After blanching, they cease to be brittle and brittle and retain their integrity when fried. By the way, such processing is usually carried out before salting oyster mushrooms. This method is the best solution to answer the question of whether it is necessary to boil oyster mushrooms before frying, because heat treatment is minimal.

Now it’s clear how to clean dirt from mushrooms and rinse them, avoiding damage to the fragile fruiting bodies. Having found out whether oyster mushrooms need to be washed before frying, all that remains is to decide whether to boil them. When you don’t have time to cook, you can blanch the mushrooms or fry them right away: both boiled and fresh oyster mushrooms are completely safe for life and health.

Cleaning water

After dry cleaning, you can proceed to more radical measures:

Fill with water (cold and clean) for twenty minutes to remove any remaining debris. We remove what does not come away from the mushroom with our hands. You can use sponges made of small foam rubber; they will help to delicately remove dirt from the caps.

Cut off the tip of the mushroom stem. After all, there is, as a rule, an area that is difficult to completely clean from inclusions of dust and bark.

Now rinse all the mushrooms under the tap. Pour in clean cold water again. Add salt and, having dissolved it, place the peeled oyster mushrooms in the water. The procedure is aimed at preventing darkening of the flesh of peeled mushrooms.

Now we take them out of the water and prepare them as you please, based on the recipe.

An important condition when cleaning oyster mushrooms is to act gently and slowly. The fact is that any careless movement can destroy the integrity of the mushroom cap. Oyster mushrooms are a very fragile gift of nature.

How to properly clean oyster mushrooms?

If the mushrooms have not accumulated a huge amount of dirt and debris, they will still have to be washed. A huge number of microbes accumulate under the mushroom cap, which adversely affect the human body.

If you have collected them or bought a large quantity, then you need to clean the oyster mushrooms as follows:

Pour cold water over the mushrooms.
We leave them in this state for half an hour.
Mix with your hands and remove large debris.
We wash the mushrooms under running water.

Important! If you decide to cook a small amount of mushrooms, then you need to wash them in portions. Place the oyster mushrooms in a colander and rinse them with cold running water. This method will rid your products of debris and dust.

The process of processing mushrooms involves not only washing with water, but also cutting off inedible, spoiled parts. The dried areas are cut off with a knife, and the cut area is wiped with a dry cloth.

Important! Dry cleaning is a must. Especially if you plan to freeze oyster mushrooms.

Step-by-step instructions for cleaning oyster mushrooms

Since this type of mushroom grows only on tree trunks and old stumps, the risk of contamination is low. But still, you should play it safe and properly clean the oyster mushrooms.

Important! They can be pickled, salted, fried, or added to meat or vegetable dishes.

Let's look at a few simple steps for cleaning oyster mushrooms:

For processing you will need a sieve or colander, a foam sponge and a knife.
We wipe the stem and cap of the mushroom with a foam sponge, carefully removing small debris and dust.
Trim off the contaminated bottom of the stem and cut off any damaged or dry areas.
Rinse the mushrooms under running cold water, after placing them in a strainer or colander.
Pat the mushrooms dry on a paper towel.

Important! All manipulations must be done very carefully, since oyster mushrooms are a rather fragile product. The slightest sudden movement can damage the mushroom cap.

By following this simple algorithm of actions, you will be able to properly prepare mushrooms for cooking.