Cep is considered the most popular and useful variety. Therefore, many mushroom pickers try to dry it in order to enjoy aromatic and tasty fruiting bodies in winter. Mushrooms need to be dried correctly, because the preservation of aroma, taste and nutrients depends on technology.
Mushroom preparation
Proper preparation of mushrooms begins during the harvest season. Large fruiting bodies are not suitable for drying; they contain more pulp, which significantly increases the time of their complete drying. Mushrooms should be collected in warm weather, when there is no precipitation. Otherwise, the fruiting bodies will be too moist, which will negatively affect the drying process. Ceps need to be dried on the harvest day.
Did you know? In 1961, in a forest near Moscow, a porcini mushroom weighing about 10 kg was discovered. The diameter of the cap was 60 cm.
Do not soak them beforehand, because excess moisture will slow down the drying process. Before drying porcini mushrooms, it is necessary to conduct thorough preparation. First sort fruit bodies by size. After that, conduct a thorough check of the mushrooms for spoilage and worms. Such need to immediately throw away.
Further actions are as follows:
- wipe each mushroom with a damp cloth. Just try not to wet it so that it does not absorb moisture;
- remove all dirt, sand and grass;
- large fruiting bodies must be cut in half so that they dry faster;
- chop large legs in circles, and small ones - leave whole.
Important! If you want to make drying, which will be stored longer, then you need to cut fruit bodies in the form of "noodles". It will also allow you to dry products faster.
Drying methods
There are several drying methods. All of them are characterized by their own characteristics. It is important to carefully follow the instructions in order to qualitatively dry the fruit bodies of mushrooms. Each mushroom picker will be able to choose the method that suits him in a given situation.
In the oven
To quickly and efficiently dry mushrooms, you can use the oven. Place chopped fruit bodies on a baking sheet, which is covered with parchment paper in advance. Instead of a baking sheet, you can use a stainless wire rack. It will provide an even supply of hot air to ceps.
The oven must be preheated to a temperature of + 70 ° C. Inside, place a pan with spread mushrooms and leave for 2 hours. Do not close the oven door tightly to circulate moist and dry air. If this is not done, the mushrooms will dry very poorly.
Important! To preserve the pleasant color of the mushrooms after 3 hours, remove the pan from the oven. This is necessary for ventilation of the plates.
When the plates begin to adhere to the parchment, it is necessary to increase the temperature regime to + 80 ° C. Under such conditions, they should be dried for another 1-1.5 hours. After that, lower the temperature to + 50 ° C and hold for 1 hour.
On a thread
Most often, mushroom pickers dry mushrooms at home in the old proven way - using a thread. To do this, fruit bodies are strung on it and hang in a dry place. It is important to carry out the procedure so that they do not touch each other.
The stringing procedure is as follows:
- Put the tight thread on the needle.
- Puncture it with each mushroom or leg (in the case of large mushrooms).
- Hang a thread with mushrooms on the street or in the house near the ventilation holes. You can also hang a "garland" near the gas stove.
If you are going to dry boletus on the street, then there must be suitable conditions for this. Perform the procedure only in hot and dry weather. Quite often, fruit bodies on knitting needles are dried.
In this case, they should be installed on wooden stands. As a protection against parasites (moths, flies, etc.), use gauze to cover the ceps. Natural drying is carried out within a week.
In the microwave
To dry the fruiting bodies in the microwave, just cut them into thin identical plates. This will allow them to evenly decrease in size and lose moisture. After that, place the plates on a glass flat plate and place in the microwave. With a power of 120 watts, it should be there for 15–20 minutes.
Closely monitor the condition of the mushrooms. With the right process, they should give off juice that needs to be drained periodically. At this point, keep the oven door open so that all the moist air comes out. Continue the cycle of actions 2-3 times (depending on the condition of the fruiting bodies).
Did you know? On the territory of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 2002, ceps were discovered. They not only did not die, but also multiplied.
Terms and conditions of storage
To determine the readiness of mushrooms, it is necessary to carry out some actions. Click on the pulp. It should be elastic, bend, but not wrinkled. If you dry the porcini mushrooms poorly, this will lead to rapid mold damage, which reduces shelf life. If you accidentally overdried fruiting bodies, you can beat them in a fragrant seasoning. To do this, you can use a blender or meat grinder.
Dried mushrooms can be stored in paper bags that are hermetically sealed. It is also allowed to stack them in boxes that are pre-stacked with paper. To keep mushrooms longer, use sterilized glass jars. For greater sealing, lubricate the edges of the container with alcohol, set fire and immediately close the lid. Thanks to such actions, a vacuum is maintained inside the can, which does not allow drying to deteriorate.
Dry boletus mushrooms are best stored in dry and well-ventilated areas. There should be no odors in them. In humid rooms, along the entire perimeter, lay the plates with salt. It will absorb excess moisture and preserve the freshness of dried mushrooms. The shelf life of such products is 12-18 months.
So, now you know the most common drying methods for boletus. You can use the option that allows you to harvest dried mushrooms in the conditions of your home. Remember that for such actions you will need a large number of collected products. From 10 kg of fresh fruiting bodies you will receive only 1.2 kg of the workpiece.
