Hi all! Honey mushrooms are superior in fertility to all known mushrooms. In a good year, you can harvest from 1 hectare to 405 kg. In one place, mushroom pickers sometimes collect up to 10 kg. Honey mushrooms grow very quickly: approximately 5 mm per minute.
The mushrooms must first be cleaned and sorted. Choose only strong honey mushrooms, without defects.
Don't forget to soak fresh mushrooms in salted water, adding citric acid. The solution will drive out all the worms. And then follow the recommendations indicated in the recipes.
How to boil honey mushrooms before frying
How long to cook fresh honey mushrooms before frying and before freezing
The main rule is that when boiling honey mushrooms before frying, it is permissible to reduce the cooking time by about 10 minutes, thereby preserving more flavor and nutrients in the mushrooms.
- Bring water with salt and spices to a boil.
- Reduce heat intensity and place fruiting bodies in the pan.
- Boil for half an hour without covering the pan with a lid to ensure maximum evaporation of the liquid.
- Place the finished mushrooms in a colander to drain the water, after which they can be fried.
Is it possible to freeze raw honey mushrooms?
This mushroom is an edible mushroom; however, if it is not cooked enough, it can cause stomach upset. In addition, unwanted symptoms may appear in the form of vomiting and headaches. In this regard, the question arises whether raw honey fungus can be used for freezing. This variety can be frozen, but it should be understood that after defrosting it must be thermally treated. This can be roasting, stewing, cooking in an oven, salting, pickling.
Did you know? Today, a mushroom is known that can move, spreading from one side to the other - a plasmoid. This member of the fungal kingdom has no stem and looks like a small grey-green jellyfish.
Is it necessary to cook honey mushrooms before salting? Is it necessary to soak honey mushrooms before salting them at home?
It is worth saying that there are different ways to prepare honey mushrooms for the winter at home. It’s not difficult to prepare your favorite mushrooms for an appetizer, which can help out housewives more than once on any occasion. The most “tedious” and time-consuming process is to sort honey mushrooms by size and clean them. In particular, cleaning small fruiting bodies can be a hassle. However, soaking will make this process quick and even enjoyable.
How to soak honey mushrooms so that they do not lose their aesthetic appearance? If you have small, young and clean mushrooms in your basket, then you don’t need to soak the mushrooms. Simply rinse them under running water, cut off the ends of the legs and boil for 20-25 minutes in salted water. But here, too, the question arises: is it necessary to soak honey mushrooms before drying, pickling, salting or frying? Let’s look at this in detail so that our future mushroom preparations will delight us all winter with their amazing taste.
If the mushrooms are intended for pickling, then is it necessary to soak the mushrooms before pickling? So, if you suspect that there are worms in the mushrooms, then it is better to soak these fruiting bodies. For 2 liters of water take 1 tbsp. l. coarse table salt, stir and pour into mushrooms. If there are worms, then after a while they will begin to die and float up. To soak wormy mushrooms, no more than 1 hour is enough.
Sometimes insects and worms settle in honey mushrooms, which are so small that you cannot see them with the naked eye. What to do in this case - is it necessary to soak honey mushrooms before salting? The brine solution will kill all insects and worms and wash them out of the fruiting bodies. If your honey mushrooms are large, then the soaking time should be increased to 2 hours.
I would like to note one nuance: if the mushrooms are not severely damaged by worms, then the water when soaking may not be heavily salted. For this, 1 tsp is enough. coarse salt per 2 liters of cold water. After the soaking procedure, the mushrooms should be washed in warm water and placed in a colander to drain all the liquid thoroughly. Only after this can you begin to pickle honey mushrooms.
To carry out the soaking procedure, honey mushrooms must first be thoroughly cleaned of heavy contamination. Remove all forest debris from the caps, cut off the remains of the mycelium along with the lower part of the stem. Rinse in cold water to remove sand, then place in cold, salted water for 1 hour. You choose the soaking time yourself, it all depends on the degree of contamination of the mushrooms. However, never leave mushrooms in water for a long time, otherwise they will simply disappear and lose their appearance.
Mushrooms for pickling should be chosen that are strong in appearance, not old, and not wrinkled. Pickling honey mushrooms is considered one of the most common and simplest options for preparing for the winter. These mushrooms are perfect for making soups, marinades, side dishes and snacks. However, before preparing the dish, salted mushrooms will definitely need to be soaked from salt for about 2 hours. Small mushrooms do not need to be cut, but large specimens should be cut into several pieces.
How to wash fresh mushrooms
After this, the mushrooms are washed in a colander under running water.
A separate question always arises with the stem of the mushroom - they are often denser than the caps, and therefore require more thorough heat treatment, and are more difficult to digest in the stomach. The question of whether to leave the stem or not must be decided based on the specific type of mushrooms you are dealing with and your personal culinary preferences and capabilities.
How long to cook fresh honey mushrooms before frying and before freezing
If you want to boil dried honey mushrooms, you must first soak them briefly in warm water so that the fruiting bodies soften.
If you plan to boil frozen honey mushrooms, you need to remove them from the freezer and place them on a regular shelf in the refrigerator for 6 hours. This is necessary so that the product thaws without a sudden change in temperature, which can damage its internal structure.
What mushrooms are sold instead of honey mushrooms?
Nameko mushrooms are Chinese and Japanese mushrooms, very similar to our honey mushrooms, growing on stumps and trunks of fallen trees. Namekos are very tiny, their caps are orange or brown, not exceeding 2 cm in diameter, and look like shiny buttons (see photo).
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Freezing fried honey mushrooms
Using fried mushrooms to freeze for the winter is considered an unusual method.
Their advantage is that they can be immediately added to a ready-made culinary dish.
Enough to defrost and warm up a little.
- We sort freshly collected honey mushrooms, wash them, put them on a towel, and dry them.
- Place the frying pan on the stove, add the mushrooms and heat them over low heat until all the juice has evaporated from the mushrooms.
- Then add a little sunflower oil and fry until golden brown.
- Place the finished mushrooms in a colander and wait until all the oil has drained.
- Place in small plastic bags and place in the freezer.
Rules for collecting and preparing mushrooms
Collecting honey mushrooms near busy traffic and factories is prohibited, because mushrooms accumulate heavy metals. It is better to go for mushrooms 3-4 days after heavy rains. Remember the collection location, because mushrooms do not change their “place of residence.” In a year you will find honey mushrooms here again.
After collection, you should sort and clean the mushrooms. Honey mushrooms are not suitable for consumption:
- worms, eaten by insects (they can infect mushrooms with harmful microorganisms);
- with mechanical damage;
- overripe, wrinkled.
After the procedure, honey mushrooms can be used either for drying or for cooking. Store fresh mushrooms for no more than 24 hours.
When purchasing fresh honey mushrooms, pay attention to the date of collection. Mushrooms should not be stuck together. In frozen products, the presence of ice indicates repeated “refreezing.”
Boiling frozen mushrooms
If desired, or if you don’t have time, you can boil frozen honey mushrooms without first thawing them.
- Place the frozen honey mushrooms in a saucepan and add a small layer of water so that it only slightly covers the fruiting bodies.
- Add salt to the water at the rate of 1 tbsp. spoon per 1 kg. mushrooms
- Place on the fire, bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes, skimming off any foam that appears.
- The resulting broth can be used for mushroom sauce or broth.
How long to cook fresh honey mushrooms before frying and before freezing
Recipes from honey mushrooms
The valuable forest product is used for harvesting and preparing many dishes. Mushrooms are an excellent ingredient for salads, vegetable stews, soups and baked goods. They are used frozen, dried or pickled.
Preparation for the winter
Salted mushrooms in winter are a real storehouse of nutrients. And if the salting process is carried out correctly, you will get a delicious delicacy.
Clean and rinse honey mushrooms. Boil water, place mushrooms there, boil for 5 minutes with added salt. Then pour the mushrooms into a colander and rinse with cold water. Place dill umbrellas, garlic, and bay leaves in a saucepan. Place the mushrooms on top in a layer of about 3 cm. Season well with salt and cover with horseradish leaves. Place the pan in a cool place.
Stewed in sour cream
Boil mushrooms in the traditional way. While they are boiling, cut the onion into half rings and fry in a frying pan with butter. As soon as the onion becomes transparent, add honey mushrooms to it and fry for 15 minutes. Add sour cream of any fat content, pepper, salt and a little water. Simmer everything on the stove for about 5 – 7 minutes.
Pies with honey mushrooms
Prepare or buy yeast dough. Boil the mushrooms. Heat oil in a frying pan, add finely chopped onion, fry until golden. After this, add honey mushrooms, fry everything well, add salt and pepper. Cool the filling, then spread it onto the flat cakes formed from the dough. Fry the finished pies in a frying pan.
Pizza with pickled mushrooms
The following set of products will be required:
- Pickled honey mushrooms – 0.5 kg;
- Yeast dough – 0.5 kg;
- Bell pepper – 2 pcs.;
- Hard cheese – 200 grams;
- Mayonnaise and tomato paste – 200 ml each.
Wash the mushrooms from the marinade and set them aside to dry. Mix tomato paste and mayonnaise in a bowl. Roll out the dough base and coat with sauce. Place mushrooms, chopped peppers on top, sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake at 180 degrees for about 20 minutes.
Mushroom soup
Wash honey mushrooms and cut into strips. Boil water in a saucepan, add mushrooms, add salt, and cook for about 15 minutes. Then throw in the diced potatoes and cook for another 30 minutes. In a frying pan, fry chopped onion and grated carrots. Place the roast into the pan and cook for another 5 – 10 minutes.
Pickled
The classic recipe for pickling mushrooms for the winter involves cooking with vinegar.
Honey mushrooms should be washed and cleared of debris. Boil in salted water in the traditional way. Pour clean water into the pan, add bay leaf, peppercorns, garlic. Boil everything for 5 minutes, then add vinegar essence and salt. Add mushrooms to the prepared marinade and cook for 15 minutes. Place mushrooms in sterilized jars, pour marinade over them, and close with lids.
Fried in sour cream
Leave the mushrooms boiled in salted water in a colander to drain the water. At this time, peel the onion, cut into half rings, and fry in oil. Add the mushrooms to the onions, fry well, add sour cream, salt, pepper, mix everything. After 5 - 7 minutes the dish is ready!
Salad
Beautiful and varied salads are a necessary product on the holiday table. They are prepared from different ingredients, choosing the most delicious recipes for yourself. Mushrooms are used in many popular dishes
Merry honey mushrooms
The salad is laid out in layers, each layer needs to be greased with mayonnaise. First, place finely chopped boiled chicken breast on a dish, then boiled rice. The next layers are boiled carrots, finely chopped eggs, grated cheese, pickled honey mushrooms.
Mushroom glade
Grate the hard cheese and place in a bowl. Then chop a bunch of green onions, boiled eggs, add green peas and pickled honey mushrooms. Mix all ingredients, add salt and mayonnaise.
With fried mushrooms
Wash honey mushrooms and boil in water with salt for about 15 minutes. Fry onions and mushrooms in hot oil. In a separate bowl, mix fried mushrooms with onions, chopped eggs and pickles, salt and pepper. Season everything with mayonnaise.
With canned
Grate the boiled potatoes, place on a dish, coat with mayonnaise. Next, distribute the finely chopped onion and coat with mayonnaise. The third layer consists of chopped boiled chicken breast, again coated with mayonnaise.
Advice.
The top layer should consist of canned mushrooms.
With salty
Boil potatoes and carrots, cut into cubes. Also cut the bell pepper into cubes. In a salad bowl, mix salted honey mushrooms, peppers, carrots and potatoes, add salt and season with olive oil.
The vinaigrette
Boil carrots, beets and potatoes. Peel the vegetables and cut into cubes. Finely chop the onion and pickles. Cut large mushrooms into several parts. Place all ingredients in a bowl, mix, add salt and season with vegetable oil.
Finnish with ham
Cut boiled potatoes and pickled cucumbers into cubes. Cut the ham into strips and onion into half rings. Place the honey mushrooms in a salad bowl, add all the ingredients, season with mustard and sour cream, and add dill if desired.
Boiling process
How long to cook fresh honey mushrooms before frying and before freezing
To properly boil honey mushrooms you will need salt, black peppercorns and bay leaves.
As soon as the water boils, add salt to it at the rate of 10 - 20 g. per 1 liter. Then the mushrooms are placed in the pan, slightly reducing the intensity of the fire underneath. The ratio of water and mushrooms can be determined by eye - the water should completely cover the fruiting bodies by 4 cm.
Boiling time depends on the volume of mushrooms and the intensity of the fire. For 300 - 500 gr. Honey mushrooms usually take about 45 minutes. There is an opinion that honey mushrooms should not be boiled for more than half an hour so that their taste is not affected. About halfway through the process, you need to add black pepper - it will add spicy notes to the broth, and bay leaf, at the rate of 2 pcs. for 1 liter of water. The foam that appears during cooking must be periodically removed with a slotted spoon, and the mushrooms must be stirred to prevent them from burning to the bottom of the pan. At the beginning of the cooking process, the fruiting bodies float to the top, and when they are ready, they sink to the bottom - this is a signal that the mushrooms are cooked.
Well-boiled fruit bodies darken, acquire a velvety texture, and their aroma intensifies.
How long to cook fresh honey mushrooms before frying and before freezing
In the case where conditionally edible mushrooms are subjected to culinary processing, boiling is carried out twice:
- The first is to eliminate toxins or bitterness in the mushroom pulp. Here, simply salted water without spices is used, and the resulting broth must be drained - it cannot be used. The first boiling time depends on the type of mushroom - from 5 minutes to half an hour.
- The second is direct culinary boiling. Its duration directly depends on how long the first boiling lasted, and how much time is now required to bring the fruiting bodies to their finished form. You can now add spices and aromatic herbs to the water, as you wish. The broth after the second boil can be used to make soup or sauce.
Sometimes it is recommended to boil even completely edible types of honey mushrooms twice, since it is believed that they all taste bitter, and this procedure is necessary to destroy the bitterness. This strategy works like this:
- Place honey mushrooms in boiling water and cook for about 5 minutes until the first foam appears.
- After this, the first water is drained, a new one is brought to a boil, and the honey mushrooms are boiled for 20 to 40 minutes, depending on the size.
Another method of preparing mushrooms is blanching - treating the fruiting bodies with boiling salted water in order to sterilize them. For 1 liter of water use 10 grams. salt. The water is brought to a boil and the mushrooms are briefly placed in it. For honey mushrooms this time is about 6 minutes.
