How to properly boil and fry boletus and aspen mushrooms (+17 photos)?

There are countless ways to prepare mushrooms—boiled, fried, salted, pickled, and dried—all of which are delicious. Tubular mushrooms, popular in our country, are particularly nutritious. Most dishes using them are based on boiled mushrooms, so it's important to know how long to cook birch and aspen mushrooms to preserve their nutritional properties.

Features of the species

Fragrant and delicious, birch and aspen boletuses have always been an integral part of the Russian diet. Although the two species are similar, they also have significant differences.

Boletus mushrooms

While strolling through a birch grove, especially in areas where the sun warms the ground, you can often spot a birch bolete—a tall, slender mushroom with a long stem and a beautiful, convex cap that, over time, takes on the appearance of a pillow. Its diameter can reach 15 cm. In appearance, the birch bolete resembles a porcini mushroom, but unlike the latter, the stem is covered with small gray or black scales.

The color of the fruit varies depending on the growing location and can range from light beige to black and brown. There are several varieties of birch bolete: Common, Marsh (or White), Black, Pinking, Tundra, Stiff, Gray, and Multicolored.

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The most common boletus is the common birch boletus. It's recognizable by its uniform coloring and stem, which thickens at the base. It's loved for more than just its taste. The birch boletus detoxifies the body, has a positive effect on nervous system, regulates blood sugar, helps with kidney problems, and is beneficial for the skin. It's also incredibly low in calories (only 20 kcal per 100 g) and rich in various essential micronutrients.

Aspen mushrooms

In mixed forests and aspen groves, you can find mushrooms with bright red caps and scaly, stocky stems. These are aspen mushrooms. They get their name from their color, which closely resembles the autumn leaves of aspen trees.

But contrary to popular belief that these mushrooms grow only near aspen trees, they can be seen under oaks, lindens, poplars, willows, and other trees. They also enjoy living in damp environments among moss, blueberry bushes, grass, and ferns.

There are several varieties of aspen mushrooms. The most well-known are: Red, Painted-Legged, White, and Oak. Aspen mushrooms are highly valued for their medicinal properties. They are believed to purify the blood, help reduce cholesterol, remove heavy metals, toxins, and radionuclides, have anti-tumor properties, promote normal intestinal microflora, and boost immunity.

Preparing for cooking

The same preparation recommendations apply to aspen and birch boletes. To ensure maximum benefit and prevent harm, mushrooms must be properly prepared. Upon returning from the forest, carefully inspect your harvest. Remove any debris, grass, or leaves that may have fallen into the basket, and trim off any mycelium or soil.

For processing, select only good-quality, young, and healthy fruits. Be aware that they may contain worms. To check for this, simply cut them open and thoroughly inspect both the stems and the cap. If there is even the slightest doubt about the safety of a mushroom, it is better to throw it away.

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After harvesting, the wild mushrooms should be thoroughly rinsed under running water. Then, carefully peel the berries with a knife, removing the membrane. Soaking them in cold water is a good idea. This is not only to remove bitterness, but also to avoid poisoning, as mushrooms easily absorb toxic substances from the air and soil.

Differences in heat treatment of both types of mushrooms

Despite their similarities, aspen mushrooms and birch boletes are still different, and therefore there are differences in their preparation.

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How to cook birch and aspen mushrooms correctly?

Clean aspen mushrooms, preferably freshly picked, are covered with cold water, heated, salted, and brought to a boil, stirring gradually. A foam will form during cooking; skim it off. A slotted spoon is helpful for this.

Once the broth comes to a boil, simmer for another 20 minutes over low heat. Experienced mushroom pickers recommend changing the water and simmering for another 5 minutes over low heat after boiling.

Boletus mushrooms take a little longer to cook, typically taking about 40 minutes. It's believed that all toxins and toxic substances should be released during this time.

People say they should be boiled in two waters, not just one. Some cooks add an onion to the pot—if it turns blue, the mushrooms are poisonous. They should never be eaten. If the boletus mushrooms sink to the bottom, they've been cooked properly.

Boiling before frying

It's important to note that mushrooms should be boiled before frying, due to the unfavorable environmental conditions. However, overcooking them is not recommended, as the cooking process will cause the loss of their beneficial properties.

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To preserve the unique, incomparable flavor of this delicacy, you can boil them for 10-15 minutes, but be sure to fry them thoroughly afterward. To achieve a golden color, drain the mushrooms in a colander to remove excess water.

How long to cook boletus mushrooms before frying depends on many factors, but generally, 10-15 minutes after boiling is sufficient. After that, drain them in a colander until the water has evaporated, and then fry them.

Cooking before freezing

Modern technologies allow for a wide variety of food preservation methods. One of them, of course, is freezing. This allows you to enjoy fresh berries, fruits, and vegetables throughout the winter. However, unlike freezing, wild mushrooms are recommended to be boiled before freezing. This should be done until tender.

There are several reasons for this:

1. Firstly, they can be eaten immediately after defrosting.
2. The second reason is that they are smaller in size, which will save space in the freezer.
3. And most importantly, the destruction of toxins.

Cooking before salting

Both birch and aspen boletes must be cooked before pickling—they cannot be pickled raw. To do this, peel, wash, and immerse the boletes in boiling brine for 15-25 minutes. However, as mentioned above, it's best to boil them twice—the second time for 5 minutes after changing the water.

Cooking dried mushrooms

Dried mushrooms can also make a wonderful and delicious dish. To do this, first soak the mushrooms for a few hours to soften them.

Now you can start cooking. Rinse the mushrooms thoroughly, change the water, and place them on the stove. Cooking these mushrooms will take quite a long time—at least two hours.

Answers to frequently asked questions

Even the most experienced housewives still have questions about proper cooking:

Aspen and birch boletes are undoubtedly a frequent guest in Russian kitchens. But when preparing culinary masterpieces from them, it's always important to keep safety in mind. Upon returning from the forest, the first thing you should do is thoroughly inspect your "catch," removing any spoiled fruit and debris. Before frying, pickling, or preparing any other dish, they must be boiled.