Features of the mushroom
Honey mushrooms in nature
Fresh honey mushrooms are a mushroom with a wide cream or yellow cap on a thin stem. They have a subtle mushroom aroma, grow in groups and have several varieties that differ in taste.
The color of the mushroom cap directly depends on the location and environment where the honey fungus grows. The autumn variety of the mushroom is the most popular due to its characteristics. According to experts, they have an unsurpassed taste and aroma.
Microelements and beneficial substances, which are widely represented in this small mushroom, help in the functioning of most organs of the human body. Among the beneficial elements, vitamins, amino acids, fiber and other beneficial substances occupy a special place. Mushrooms are great as an original dish. It is only important to have an idea of how long to cook honey mushrooms before frying and to follow the basic rules.
Is it necessary to cut honey mushrooms before cooking?
Honey mushrooms can be cooked either whole or cut - it all depends on how you plan to use them in the future. It should be kept in mind that the larger the piece of mushroom, the more time it will take to prepare it. The main thing is that all the pieces of fruiting bodies are the same size, then they will cook evenly. If you have a solid division into larger and smaller pieces, it is better, in this case, to boil them not together, but separately. Otherwise, some of the fruiting bodies may not be properly cooked.
Preparing mushrooms
Washed mushrooms
Any mushroom is a heavy, high-calorie food for the stomach, difficult to digest. You need to cook them in advance, before frying, to facilitate the process of digesting food. The main thing is to know what rules to follow and how many minutes to cook the forest “harvest” so that it has the desired consistency.
Before the cooking procedure, it is necessary to sort through the collected “harvest” of mushrooms. It is necessary to completely remove all spoiled specimens, including those damaged by worms or rotten ones. It is also necessary to sort honey mushrooms before cooking, so as not to experience problems in the future in choosing the prepared product.
Experts and mushroom pickers note that minor areas of decay can be safely removed with a sharp knife, leaving the healthy part of the mushroom for food.
It is also recommended to shorten the mushroom stems that are too long and lightly clean them with a knife to remove dirt and dead particles. To remove dirt from the mushroom, the harvested “harvest” is placed under running water. Thorough washing will help remove stuck leaves, soil and branches. To carefully clean honey mushrooms, they are immersed in lightly salted water for literally half an hour. There is no point in keeping them any longer, especially since they tend to become saturated with water.
Edible and inedible honey mushrooms
It is important not to spoil the pleasure of consuming a tasty dish and to distinguish in time the edibility of honey mushrooms from their unsuitable for cooking counterparts.
In order to correctly distinguish between the varieties of edible and inedible honey mushrooms, you need to know that young edible mushrooms have a spherical cap, while adults have a flat cap with a tubercle in the middle. The cap itself is yellowish or dirty brown. In young mushrooms it occurs with scales. The plates fit tightly to a thin, long leg, slightly thicker at the bottom, on the upper part of which hangs a white ring. The legs are light, but can turn yellow. Old mushrooms have a coarse and fibrous taste, often unsuitable for food.
Boiling procedure
Boiling honey mushrooms
If further heat treatment is not intended, fresh honey mushrooms should be boiled until completely cooked. This usually takes about half an hour . To obtain the prepared product, you need to place the peeled mushrooms in boiling salted water and boil for about 5 minutes.
The cooked mushrooms are removed from one container, washed well in cold water and placed again in boiling water with salt. Cook honey mushrooms until fully cooked for 25 minutes. It is important to know that foam will form on the surface of the pan. It is removed with a spoon.
It is necessary to cook honey mushrooms in butter before frying. Inexperienced chefs regularly ask how long this process takes and what its nuances are. The main thing you need to know is that you can fry both fresh “harvest” and frozen mushrooms that were harvested in the fall or summer.
Cooking time for fresh mushrooms
Boiled honey mushrooms
So, before frying, the harvested honey mushrooms should be first prepared and boiled. The preparation rules are as follows:
- The film is removed from the inside of the cap, the mushrooms are also cleared of debris and damaged parts are cut off, the stems are separated from the caps;
- If the vital activity of bugs is visible, it is necessary to rinse the mushrooms under running water, peel them with a sharp knife and rinse thoroughly again; the mushrooms affected by worms are thrown away.
- Then two identical pots of water are placed on the stove, and salt is poured into them at the rate of 1 spoon per 2 liters of water. After boiling, the mushrooms are placed in one of the pans and boiled for 5 minutes. All this time you need to remove the foam from the surface.
- After this, the mushrooms are transferred to a second container and boiled for another quarter of an hour. You should also not forget about skimming the foam that constantly forms on the surface of the pan. The cooking procedure is completed by draining the mushrooms in a colander and waiting for all the water to drain.
It is important to know that mushrooms need to be processed within three days after collection or purchase. Subsequently, they can become dangerous to the body and unsuitable for food . Fully prepared honey mushrooms should settle at the bottom of the container in which they were cooked. If no further heat treatment is planned, it is better to freeze the boiled product.
Cooking time for frozen mushrooms
Frozen honey mushrooms
Many experienced housewives prepare large quantities of food by freezing. This is a very convenient method, since you can get the desired product and quickly prepare it at any time. Mushrooms are no exception, including honey mushrooms, which are often prepared for the winter by freezing in the refrigerator. Honey mushrooms can be boiled frozen before frying. To do this, you don’t even have to wait for them to completely defrost; you can lower them into a container with water directly as a single briquette.
Cooking a frozen product before placing it in a frying pan helps achieve the softest consistency and pleasant taste. Many housewives refuse this important stage, but experts advise spending a little time on this to properly prepare the dishes.
The rules of action are as follows:
- Place the briquette from the freezer in a suitable container and fill it with cold water, making sure that the water is at the level of the surface of the briquette or a couple of centimeters higher;
- Add salt at the rate of 1 tbsp. for 1 kg of product, mix;
- We place the container on the stove and wait for it to boil, from this moment 10 minutes count down, during this period you need to remove the foam with a slotted spoon;
- Once ready, drain the mushroom broth; it is necessary to drain all the liquid before sending the product to the pan for frying.
You can easily make a delicious soup or sauce from the remaining broth. Experienced housewives know that the product is good not only for frying, but also for preparing salads, pies, pickles for the winter and other dishes that the whole family loves.
How to pickle honey mushrooms
According to statistics, cold and hot salting methods are the most popular. Each has its pros and cons. Let's look at each marinating method step by step below.
Cold Ambassador
It involves pickling mushrooms raw without cooking. The result is a fragrant and rich product.
Important! Before salting, be sure to soak the mushrooms in salted water for 7-9 hours, and then rinse with water.
Ingredients:
- fresh honey mushrooms – 1 kg;
- salt – 50 g;
- black currant leaves – 3 pcs.;
- peppercorns – 2 pcs.;
- bay leaf – 1-2 pcs.;
- garlic - 2 teeth.
How to salt:
- Prepare a container (plastic or glass containers will do). You cannot use metallic ones, otherwise you will end up with a product with an iron taste.
- Wash the currant leaves, dry them and place them on the bottom in one layer.
- Place the fruiting bodies on top, caps down (up to a 5 cm layer), salt, pepper and add a bay leaf.
- Cover the layer with leaves.
- Then again a layer of mushrooms. Salt and pepper. Thus, lay out all the available mushrooms. The last layer on top is currant leaves.
- Cover the product prepared for pickling with a cloth and place a weight on top.
- Leave for a week. After removing the load, drain the brine.
- After a few days, the finished product must be transferred to jars, closed with nylon lids and stored in a cool room.
Hot Ambassador
Before salting, the fruiting bodies are subjected to heat treatment, which allows them to be rid of all kinds of harmful bacteria.
Ingredients:
- boiled honey mushrooms – 1 kg;
- salt – 40 g;
- fresh dill umbrellas – 2 pcs.;
- peppercorns – 2 pcs.;
- bay leaf – 1 pc.;
- garlic - 2 teeth.
Homemade hot salting method:
- Peel and boil the mushrooms.
- Prepare the container.
- Chop the garlic, prepare dill, black pepper and bay leaf. Cover the bottom of the dish with spices.
- Arrange the honey mushrooms in a layer (no more than 10 cm) and cover with salt.
- Repeat the processes until you run out of ingredients.
- Cover the top of the product prepared for salting with a cloth and press down with a weight.
- Place the container in a cool, dark place to salt for 30 days.
What harm?
So, in addition to the benefits, it should be noted that the mushroom can cause harm to the body. In this case, the first “suffering” organ is the pancreas. If consumed incorrectly or excessively, a person can develop pancreatitis. Moreover, this is far from the only disease.
Other gastrointestinal diseases may also occur, and the risk of being poisoned by toxic substances increases. Some honey mushrooms can poison a person. This will not cause death, as can be the case with some species of "forest dwellers", but it will cause diarrhea, which is clearly not a positive result. In other cases, a group of mushrooms does not pose a serious threat to the body, and therefore everyone can consume them. But there are limitations here too.
Who should not eat the product?
There are five categories of people who should stop using temporarily. For some, there are even contraindications that prohibit the use of “tree inhabitants” for health reasons, which is why they cannot be eaten at all.
The first category includes women who are pregnant . They are highly discouraged from using the product, since the child is not yet ready for such stress. This can also disrupt formation processes. Not recommended during breastfeeding.
The second type is people who suffer from diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (Gastrointestinal tract) . Diseases cause weakening of the body, decreased immunity, which is why you can get poisoned even with such a harmless product.
The third type is children . Particular attention should be paid to children who are between seven and ten years old. This type of product is completely contraindicated for them. If we are talking about a child from 12 to 13 years old, then he can limit himself to small portions. Thanks to a more mature body, the child can be satisfied with the product.
The fourth category is allergy sufferers . Allergies are a good reason to stop using. In addition, a person may have individual intolerance, which also serves as a compelling reason for refusing honey mushrooms.
The fifth category is hypertension . Here the category is divided into two types of people: hypertensive patients and those who suffer from heart disease. Mushrooms should be limited to people suffering from heart disease or a weak cardiovascular system.
You should also know a few simple rules before eating the product. Firstly, you can’t eat them raw. They must be prepared correctly. Secondly, people who have a weak stomach should limit their intake. Thirdly, honey mushrooms can be easily confused with honey mushrooms, so it is necessary to carefully select mushrooms. This will avoid unnecessary problems and save you from possible poisoning.
What can you serve with?
Fresh honey mushrooms fried with potatoes can be eaten without any side dishes. This dish is already very tasty. But if you want to make small additions, you can try the following.
Sour cream sauce
You will need half a glass of sour cream, one tablespoon of flour and a little salt. Turn on the stove and place a frying pan on it; no need to pour oil. Fry the flour a little, then add sour cream and salt. Mix everything. Cook for five minutes.
Vegetable salad
Anything you have at home will work here. Cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes and much more. Wash the vegetables thoroughly and then cut into small slices. You can season the salad with sunflower oil, sour cream or mayonnaise.
General rules
Beginning mushroom pickers should understand that mushrooms require careful and competent treatment. In order not to lose the taste and unique aroma of forest mushrooms, you need to know exactly how to prepare and process them further before directly cooking them in a frying pan.
You should also adhere to the general rules for handling mushrooms:
- The harvested “harvest” should be processed immediately; every day the mushrooms become toxic and can be harmful to health;
- the foam on the surface of the water must be removed during cooking, otherwise the taste of the finished dish will be spoiled; a slotted spoon is useful to help the cook, which is convenient for skimming the foam from the broth;
- Prepared and sorted mushrooms are placed in a container with boiling water; this will help prevent debris from getting into the final dish;
- All honey mushrooms that are in doubt, damaged by beetles, worms, or rotted, are thrown away.
If you follow the basic rules and recommendations of experts, you can get a delicious mushroom preparation that is perfect for frying and using in addition to a side dish. Honey mushrooms can be used as an independent dish, for example, for a festive table. Guests will definitely appreciate the efforts of the hosts.
How to cook mushrooms. How to cook fresh mushrooms
Boiled ones are an ideal option for preparations for the winter. How nice it is to cook mushroom soup in winter, or fry it with potatoes, or even make fresh mushroom hodgepodge. They should be stored in small portions in plastic bags - this way you will save space in the freezer.
Choose your recipe
Instructions
1
Cleaned mushrooms should be thoroughly washed to remove sand and remaining dirt. Then you need to take any suitable container (large pan, bucket or basin), put the mushrooms there and fill them with fresh running water. Press a little on top with a large plate so that the floating mushrooms are also under water. You need to soak the mushrooms for at least an hour and a half to soak off all the sand that hasn’t washed off.
2
Remove the mushrooms from the water and rinse them again in clean water. Cutting into small pieces or boiling them whole is a matter of taste. In a clean saucepan with a capacity of about 3 liters, boil 1.5 liters of water, add the mushrooms there and reduce the heat. Add a little salt, peppercorns, garlic (a whole head) and a blackcurrant leaf. Cook the mushrooms over low heat for 15-20 minutes.
3
Carefully remove the boiled mushrooms with a colander and let cool slightly.
4
Boiled mushrooms themselves are hardly a ready-made dish, most likely a stage before subsequent preparation: pickling, pickling, freezing for the winter. The easiest option is freezing. Having taken the product out of the freezer, they can also be prepared in any way. To freeze mushrooms, place them in small plastic bags, in medium portions - about half a kilo. Make sure there is no excess air left in the bags. Place the bags neatly in rows in the freezer. You can store the preparations in the freezer for no longer than a year. In this way, you can harvest many types of mushrooms: porcini mushrooms, boletus mushrooms, boletus mushrooms, honey mushrooms, moss mushrooms and oyster mushrooms. The only exception is pickles, since after boiling they cannot be eaten due to their bitter taste. Immediately after defrosting, boiled mushrooms can be prepared in any way: in the form of soup or for stir-fries with potatoes, as a filling for pies or pancakes.
5
Never throw away the broth after cooking mushrooms. With such a rich and rich broth you can cook a very tasty soup or make a sauce for meat or duck from it. You can also save the sauce for later by pouring it into a small plastic bottle, tightly capping it, and placing it in the freezer. After defrosting for a short time, it can be used immediately, so at any time of the year you will have fresh mushroom broth on hand.
Popular honey mushroom dishes
Frying honey mushrooms with onions
Honey mushrooms fried in butter are a very popular dish on the tables of our fellow citizens. However, inexperienced housewives often ask specialists questions about how best to prepare this dish to create an excellent treat. It should be noted that the preparation process is extremely simple and does not require much time.
To prepare, you need to prepare the following set:
- honey mushrooms (pre-boiled, without broth) – 700 g;
- white onion – 1 large onion;
- oil for frying;
- salt, spices.
The preliminary stage is the preparation of the “harvest” and cooking. If the mushrooms were taken from the freezer and were prepared fresh, frying is allowed immediately, without wasting time on boiling and straining the broth.
After this, the mushrooms are placed on a heated frying pan, pre-greased with oil. At the same time, finely chopped onion is fried in another frying pan until golden brown. After frying for five minutes, transfer the mushrooms to the fried onions and fry them together for 20 - 25 minutes until cooked. At the end of frying, add spices and salt to taste. You can also pour sour cream over the contents of the pan. The result is an original and incredibly nutritious dish, perfect for a simple lunch or dinner party.
Fried mushrooms are a great dish to accompany potatoes, pasta or rice. They go perfectly with our kitchen and complement it well. Mushrooms fried or stewed in sour cream are an excellent treat for the whole family. It is served as a separate dish or in addition to meat and vegetable snacks. Mushroom pickers regularly replenish their supplies of honey mushrooms, as it is a very tasty mushroom that benefits the body.
Fkusnofacts
— If the mushrooms are intended to be dried after cleaning, then rinsing with water is not necessary. A good quality dry cleaning is sufficient.
— Honey fungus got its name due to the fact that these mushrooms grow mainly on stumps. The most common types of edible honey mushrooms are: summer honey fungus and autumn honey mushroom. Summer honey fungus usually grows on old stumps and fallen trees, but autumn honey fungus can also settle on living trees, gradually destroying them. That is why it is called a “parasitic mushroom.”
— It’s better to collect honey mushrooms in a basket; in a bag they quickly get wet and lose their shape.
— Only an experienced mushroom picker can distinguish false honey mushrooms from edible ones, and they can grow on the same stump as real ones. That is why honey mushrooms grown industrially are the safest for consumption.
— Not only “autumn” honey mushrooms, but also “winter” ones (enokitake) are grown industrially. These mushrooms are grown indoors on bags of sawdust from hardwood trees. You can find Chinese enokitake in stores, similar to sprouted wheat. In terms of quality, they are not inferior to honey mushrooms with caps.
— The legs of mushrooms contain a large amount of fiber, which is necessary for proper digestion. These mushrooms contain flamulin, which counteracts the appearance of cancer such as sarcoma.
— Honey mushrooms brought home must be processed immediately, as they quickly darken. Clean and dried honey mushrooms can be stored in the freezer for one year.
— Honey mushrooms are salted for 20 days.
— Small young mushrooms are most suitable for pickling honey mushrooms.
— Ready-made salted mushrooms are served, mixed with vegetable oil and chopped onion in half rings, as an appetizer.
- If honey mushrooms lighten during pickling, you don’t need to do anything, this is normal.
— In order to be safe from poisoning, you can boil the mushrooms in one water for 10 minutes, then change the water and finish cooking the mushrooms in it.
— When is the season again?
The honey mushroom season usually begins in mid-August, the season itself is in September, and ends by mid-October or at the end of October if October was warm and rainy. In 2022, the honey mushroom season is early due to the humid climate - the first honey mushrooms appeared at the end of May. The rest of the time (excluding the snowy winter period) honey mushrooms grow, but in insignificant quantities.
— Honey mushrooms must be cleaned
, clearing the ground, dark and damaged places.
— Calorie content
boiled honey mushrooms - 17 kcal per 100 grams.
— Honey mushrooms contain
vitamins C (immunity), E (health of cell membranes), nicotinic acid (normal redox processes), group B (tissue health, energy production).