How and how long to soak honey mushrooms before cooking

Mushrooms

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Kira Stoletova

Honey mushrooms are one of the most common mushrooms. In our country they are loved, many recipes are invented with them, people willingly go into the forest for them. These mushrooms are quite unpretentious and can be used in many culinary operations to achieve a variety of flavors and textures. One of these operations - soaking honey mushrooms - is used for completely different purposes, but mainly before cooking.

Rules for soaking honey mushrooms before cooking

Features of the procedure

A frequent question: why do you need to soak honey mushrooms? Specifically, before cooking, this is done in order to get rid of toxic and, in general, not very useful substances for a living organism, which are contained even in all edible mushrooms.

There is a fairly common belief that only freshly picked mushrooms are soaked in order to clean them of traces of soil and other things.

However, honey mushrooms can be soaked in any form: both dry and fresh. Now let's take a closer look.

Dried: Quite often, in order to preserve mushrooms for a long time and use them in cooking for a long time, they are dried and then stored in dark rooms. When starting to cook soup, for example, honey mushrooms are mistakenly thrown into the pan in the hope that they will swell during the cooking process. This strategy is wrong. It is recommended to soak the mushrooms before placing them in the pan. This way they will definitely reach the peak of their readiness, they will be tasty and soft.
Fresh: they should be soaked after thorough cleaning and trimming of excess parts. This is done not only for additional cleaning, but also to prevent poisoning. Soaked fresh mushrooms can also be immediately added to dishes.
Fresh and dry: general soaking of such mushrooms is one of the little-known methods of preparing mushrooms. This option is beneficial if you don’t have enough fresh mushrooms to cook. A dish created from such a mixture will be healthier and tastier, because... when using only dry preparations, the food is unlikely to retain the rich mushroom flavor, and a large amount of fresh mushrooms can make the broth too concentrated.

Remember that you need to soak honey mushrooms correctly, no matter what condition they are in. When mushrooms are soaked incorrectly, it most likely simply will not give the desired result, but will only waste your time.

Is it necessary to soak honey mushrooms before boiling, marinating, frying and for how long to do this?

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Is it necessary to soak honey mushrooms before cooking and how long does this require? In this case, when preparing mushrooms, it is better to pay special attention to washing rather than soaking. If you soak mushrooms for a long time before cooking, they lose their properties, which will further affect the quality and taste of the finished dish. Is it necessary to soak honey mushrooms before boiling them? Let’s say right away that it’s better not to do this. It is advisable to clean them thoroughly, wash them and only then boil them for 25-30 minutes in salted water with the addition of citric acid. Even the washing time should be reduced to 10 minutes.

Next, we note the pickling process, during which the question again arises: is it necessary to soak honey mushrooms before pickling? The best option would be to rinse the mushrooms under the tap in a colander. But don’t overdo it here either, since staying honey mushrooms for a long time in water will lead to a deterioration in their consistency. How long can honey mushrooms be soaked in water? Some experienced mushroom pickers claim that it is better not to soak them at all, but to pour boiling water over them, which will make them soft and prevent them from crumbling when cutting. But if you still decide to soak the fruiting bodies, then carry out this procedure for 30 minutes.

Pickled honey mushrooms should be stored in glass jars and covered with polyethylene or glass lids. It is not recommended to use metal lids to cover pickled mushrooms, as they oxidize. Such lids are allowed only if they have a special coating that prevents this process.

Next, let's look at whether it is necessary to soak honey mushrooms before frying? Fresh honey mushrooms contain a lot of vitamins, beneficial enzymes, amino acids and essential oils. In terms of the presence of proteins, mushrooms can be compared to meat. Therefore, the richest and most aromatic dishes are prepared from them - broths, gravies, sauces. In addition, honey mushrooms go well with vegetables, seafood, fish and meat. Therefore, whether it is necessary to soak honey mushrooms will depend on you and your preferences. Before frying, honey mushrooms should be cleaned of dirt, sand, forest debris, cut off the lower part of the stem and rinsed in cold water for 10 minutes. Place the mushrooms in a colander to drain all the liquid and boil in salted water for 15-20 minutes until they settle to the bottom. After this, drain the water, place the mushrooms in a frying pan and fry until the liquid evaporates. Add oil and fry mushrooms until golden brown.

How to soak properly

Both dry and fresh mushrooms are soaked according to the same principle. They are immersed in a large tank with clean, and most importantly, cold water, having previously been cleared of any kind of contaminants.

It is very important to change the water in the vessel at least 2-3 times during the entire soaking process. This is of particular importance if the entire procedure occurs before cooking, because all harmful compounds must be removed from the mushrooms.

Soaking mushrooms releases toxins.

Honey mushrooms should be soaked with the expectation that dry specimens will increase sharply and several times. It is better to distribute the mushrooms so that there are a little more fresh ones in the vessel, for example, in a ratio of 2:3.

Recipes

Boiled honey mushrooms are good for preparing a variety of dishes. This treat is suitable for an everyday menu or will be a worthy and tasty treat on a holiday.

honey mushrooms – 0.5 kg;
onion – 1 pc.;
carrot – 1 pc.;
potatoes – 4 pcs.;
salt, pepper - to taste.

Boil the mushrooms in salted water.
Fry chopped onion and coarsely grated carrots in vegetable oil.
Cut the peeled potatoes into cubes.
Place all components of the dish into the broth, add salt and pepper to taste.
Cook for 15–20 minutes until done.
Pour the soup into bowls and garnish with chopped herbs.

Salad

fresh honey mushrooms – 250 g;
potatoes – 250 g;
tomatoes – 2 large;
chicken egg – 1 pc.;
olive or sunflower oil – 3 tbsp. l.;
greens – parsley, dill;
spices - to taste.

Peel the honey mushrooms, rinse them, and boil them in the classic way.
Cut the boiled egg and jacket potatoes into strips.
Cut the tomato into small slices.
Place the ingredients in a salad bowl, add salt and pepper.
Season the salad with oil and mix well.
Garnish with chopped herbs.

Pickle

honey mushrooms – 1 kg;
onion – 1 pc.;
garlic – 1 head;
spices: salt (2 tbsp.), pepper, bay leaf;
dill - 1 bunch.

Step-by-step cooking recipe:

Clean the honey mushrooms and wash them well. Cut the hats in half and cut the legs into thin slices.
Boil them in salted water.
Peel the garlic, cut in half. Cut the onion into half rings. Chop the dill.
Combine mushrooms, onions, garlic, herbs. Add salt, pepper, bay leaf. Mix everything.
Place the semi-finished product in a container and leave under pressure for 5 days.
Place the finished product in jars and cover with nylon lids.
Store pickled mushrooms in the refrigerator.

Cooking honey mushrooms is quite simple and quick. They retain aroma and taste and are suitable for preparing a variety of dishes, as well as for pickling. The main thing is to prepare the product correctly and observe the heat treatment time.

Peel the honey mushrooms, rinse them, and boil them in the classic way.
Cut the boiled egg and jacket potatoes into strips.
Cut the tomato into small slices.
Place the ingredients in a salad bowl, add salt and pepper.
Season the salad with oil and mix well.
Garnish with chopped herbs.

How long to keep mushrooms in water

The soaking time depends on the condition of the product: 1 hour is enough for freshly picked honey mushrooms, but with dry mushrooms the situation is a little more complicated:

if they were dried naturally, then they should swell quickly (in about 3-4 hours);
If an oven was used to dry the mushrooms, it is better to leave the mushrooms in water overnight, because The heat of the oven is able to bring the mushrooms to the most severe condition.

Irina Selyutina (Biologist):
Although dried mushrooms are usually soaked in water, it is often recommended to do so in milk. Soaking time is a relative concept. Normally, you need to soak until the mushrooms return the amount of water removed by drying and return to their “before drying” state. Of course, they won’t be the same, but if soaked correctly they will become soft.

Despite soaking, dried mushrooms will still retain some rigidity, which distinguishes them from fresh ones.

What to do if honey mushrooms turn sour when soaked

If on the second day fresh mushrooms turn sour when soaked, it means they were poorly cleaned. That is, the forest debris was not completely removed, and the tips of the legs were poorly trimmed. They are pruned only to remove the soil in which they grew, otherwise the fruiting bodies will quickly deteriorate.

If the mushrooms do not emit a strong rotten smell, select larger specimens, clean them of soil residues, and wash them separately under running water. Then they are boiled twice in salted water and salted using the hot method. If the smell is strong, get rid of the mushrooms.

There are several reasons why pre-soaked honey mushrooms begin to deteriorate:

Inadequate cleaning and rinsing of the product.
Failure to comply with salting rules. There was little salt or vinegar.
Mushrooms will turn sour if many other ingredients, such as onions, are added to them.
Lids and jars were not sterilized.
The technology for preparing honey mushrooms was violated. For example, mushrooms were boiled for less time, etc.
There were spoiled copies in the bank.

Attention! If a stain appears in the area under the mushroom cap, or the honey mushroom becomes excessively wet and brittle, it means it is starting to deteriorate.

In what other cases should you soak?

Mushrooms are soaked not only before cooking. Experts recommend carrying out this process in many other situations:

For thorough cleaning after forest. It is better to use slightly salted water - it will eliminate possible worms inside the mushrooms. To do this, take 1 tbsp per 2 liters of water. a spoonful of coarse salt (and definitely not iodized).
Before salting or pickling. Can be soaked for 30 minutes.
To protect against blackening. In this case, the mushrooms are immersed in water with a small amount of vinegar.
If you have purchased dried mushrooms and you are not sure about the quality of drying. In this case, soaking will help remove debris and prepare the mushrooms for subsequent cooking.

Why cook wild mushrooms?

The need for cooking is due to the fact that during growth, mushrooms absorb toxins from the soil. Large specimens in this regard are more dangerous than small ones. In addition, large mushrooms also accumulate their own waste products, which makes them hazardous to health.

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How to salt honey mushrooms with vinegar

Products

Honey mushrooms - 1 kilogram Water - 1.5 cups Salt - 3/4 tablespoon 10% vinegar (you can dilute the essence 1:7) - 1/4 cup Peppercorns - 3 pieces Cloves - 2 pieces Cinnamon - on the tip of a teaspoon Bay leaf - 2 pieces

Pickling honey mushrooms with vinegar

1. Place honey mushrooms in a saucepan, add water, and put on fire. 2. After boiling, skim off the foam and drain the water immediately. 3. Mix all other ingredients and add to honey mushrooms. 4. Boil everything together for another 30 minutes. 5. Place in sterilized jars, turn the lids down and leave until cool. 6. After a day, honey mushrooms are ready for use, but you can leave them for the winter. Cooking time: 1 hour. Mushrooms are ready in 1 day.

How to pickle honey mushrooms in a cold way

The time spent on preparing the mushrooms is 2 hours, the cooking time is 14 days.
Products
Fresh honey mushrooms - 1 kilogram Salt - 50 grams Garlic - 2-3 cloves Bay leaves - 1-2 pieces Dill umbrellas - 1-2 pieces Horseradish leaves - 2-3 pieces Black peppercorns - 2-3 pieces Currant and cherry leaves - to taste Oak leaves - 2-3 pieces

Cold method of pickling honey mushrooms

1. Wash and dry currant, horseradish, cherry, and oak leaves. 2. Take a clean and dry pan for pickling. Place horseradish leaves so that they completely cover the bottom. 3. Carefully place the prepared mushrooms on top, caps down, and add salt. 4. Place dill umbrellas, bay leaves, black peppercorns and chopped garlic cloves on top of the mushrooms. 5. Place cherry, currant and oak leaves on top. 6. Close with a lid smaller in diameter than the dish and press down on top with a weight. 7. Place the pan with honey mushrooms in a cool place. 8. After 4-5 days, drain the resulting brine and add a second layer of mushrooms. 9. Salt, add garlic, pepper and cover the layer of mushrooms with leaves and herbs. 10. Repeat the procedure until you run out of space or mushrooms. 11. After the juice appears from the mushrooms, put gauze folded in several layers into the pan under pressure. 12. Place the pan with mushrooms in a cool place for two weeks. After this, you can put it in jars and roll it up. 13. Store mushrooms in a saucepan at a temperature no higher than 10 degrees until seaming.

How to pickle honey mushrooms in cucumber brine

Products

Fresh honey mushrooms - 1 kilogram Cucumber pickle - half a liter Salt - 30 grams Garlic - 2-3 cloves Bay leaves - 1-2 pieces Dill umbrellas - 1-2 pieces Black peppercorns - 2-3 pieces Cloves - 2-3 pieces Currant leaves and cherries - to taste

Salting honey mushrooms in cucumber brine

1. Place the prepared honey mushrooms in a saucepan, pour in water, add salt (10 grams of salt per liter of water) and put on fire. 2. After boiling, drain the water along with the resulting foam, and rinse the mushrooms again. 3. Pour new cold water and cook the mushrooms in it for 40 minutes after boiling. 4. Drain the water through a colander and cool the mushrooms. 5. Place chopped garlic, bay leaf and other spices on the bottom of a dry and clean pan. 6. Then add the mushrooms and salt (30 grams of salt per 1 kilogram of honey mushrooms). 7. Pour cucumber brine over the mushrooms so that it completely covers the mushrooms. 8. Place the mushrooms under pressure and put them in a cool place for 5 days. 9. After this, put the mushrooms into jars and store in the refrigerator. Time spent on preparation is 1 hour, time for pickling mushrooms is 2-3 weeks.