How to Prepare and Harvest Polish Mushrooms for Winter (+19 photos)
For many, autumn holidays are inevitably associated with the forest and mushroom picking. If you're lucky enough to find a Polish mushroom (also known as a chestnut boletus, boletus, or lord's mushroom), it's important to know that it can be prepared either hot or cold. Both methods are safe and preserve the fruit's beneficial properties and exceptionally vibrant flavor.
Features of the species and useful properties
In appearance, the Polish boletus resembles a porcini mushroom. The cap varies in color from brown to chestnut, and is up to 15 centimeters in diameter. Its interior is porous and yellow-white or yellow-green. The main distinguishing feature is the bluish tint of the flesh when pressed or cut. The stem grows up to 14 centimeters in height and can be either cylindrical or barrel-shaped.
The mushroom grows primarily in coniferous forests. It can be harvested from August to November. It is prized not only for its taste but also for its beneficial properties:
- improves memory;
- serves as a preventative measure against atherosclerosis;
- has a beneficial effect on skin, hair and nails;
- renews nerve cells;
- increases mental activity.
Rules for processing and storing mushrooms after harvesting
It's best to process the mushrooms immediately after returning home. If this isn't possible, transfer them to the refrigerator, where they can be stored for up to 3 hours without losing quality. Storing them longer risks losing some of the product. Since processing will also take time, it's recommended to spread the mushrooms out in a single layer on a prepared surface. This will prevent them from overheating and will help keep them fresh.
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Primary cleaning involves removing debris. Both the cap and the underside of the stem should be cleaned. Old specimens should not be collected, but if they have already been collected, the spongy part of the cap should be removed during cleaning, as this contains spores.
The next step is soaking. You can use clean water or slightly salted water. The latter is preferable, as it will kill any worms that may be present. Soaking times vary from 20 minutes to 5 hours, after which the mushrooms should be rinsed thoroughly under running water. Once the mushrooms are removed from the water, it's best to begin cooking them as soon as possible.
Small mushrooms can be boiled whole, while larger ones can be cut into 2-4 pieces. The average cooking time is 10-15 minutes after boiling. Always discard the first bit of water. When choosing a pot, keep in mind that a lot of foam will form during cooking. Therefore, it's best to cook in batches in a free-flowing container. Once boiled, the porcini mushrooms are ready for further cooking or preserving.
Preparations for the winter
If you're lucky enough to harvest a large amount of forest delicacies, you can ensure you have aromatic and delicious dishes to last all winter long. It's important to know how to preserve them properly.
Pickled
Marinating can begin immediately after boiling the mushrooms. To do this, prepare the marinade in parallel with the cooking process. To prepare it, dilute two tablespoons of salt, one tablespoon of 9% vinegar, three allspice berries, three black peppercorns, one clove, and one bay leaf in one liter of water. Bring to a boil.
To preserve mushrooms for the winter, prepare the lids and jars using any sterilization method. Place the boiled boletus mushrooms into the jars, packing them lightly. Don't fill them all the way to the top; it's best to stop where the jars begin to narrow. Without removing the marinade from the stove, carefully pour it into the jars, filling them to the very top. Seal the lids, turn them upside down, and wrap them in a blanket.
Marinated products are left to marinate for about 40 days. To prepare them for consumption, simply season them with oil and garlic/onion.
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Chestnut boletus mushrooms are pickled using the hot method. Only young, firm specimens are used for this purpose, so that the caps retain their crispness during storage.
For hot pickling, immerse the mushrooms in a boiling brine (100 g of salt per 2 liters of water) and simmer for 15 minutes. After cooling, pack them into sterilized jars, sprinkle with salt and spices of your choice, pour in the brine in which the boletus mushrooms were cooked, and top with 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Seal the lids tightly and leave to pickle in a cool place for a month.
Frozen
To freeze porcini mushrooms, you need to let them drain well after cooking.
Then follow the recommendations:
- It is advisable to pack in such a volume that it is enough for one preparation;
- cannot be re-frozen;
Frozen mushrooms - at a temperature of -18°C they can be stored for up to a year, at a temperature of -10°C the shelf life is one month;
- Store in a separate compartment from products with a strong odor.
Dried
Drying is an ideal method for processing and storing mushrooms, as the volume is reduced by a factor of 10, while the aroma and flavor are enhanced. Furthermore, the shelf life is significantly longer than with other processing methods.
Only fresh, firm mushrooms without wormholes are suitable for drying. They should be brushed to remove dirt and pine needles, trimmed off any remaining mycelium, and sliced into 1-centimeter-thick slices. Drying can be done in the oven, in the sun, or in special dehydrators:
- For the oven, you need to spread the slices on baking sheets and leave them to dry for 2.5 hours at +50 degrees, then take them out, stir, raise the temperature to +70 degrees for 2 hours, then lower it to +60 degrees and leave for another 3 hours.
Drying mushrooms in the oven - In electric ovens, it's recommended to use the fan-forced mode. The oven door should be slightly ajar; you can insert a wooden spatula into the door to create a gap. Allow the dried mushrooms to cool and seal in an airtight container or moisture-proof bag.
- To sun-dry, thread the prepared slices on fishing line or string so they don't touch each other, cover with a thin layer of gauze to protect from dust, and hang under a canopy in full sun. Drying will take 5-7 days, but after 2 days, check any thin or small pieces to avoid overdrying. You can tell if the mushroom is ready by touch; it should be dry, slightly bendable, and breakable, but not crumbly.
Drying mushrooms on a string - In dehydrators, mushrooms are laid out in a single layer on special trays and dried for 2 to 6 hours, depending on the thickness of the slices.
You may be interested in:To make the mushrooms ready for consumption again, they must be soaked, changing the water several times, then thoroughly rinsed under running water and then used according to the recipe.
Popular and delicious dishes made with Polish mushrooms
Dishes prepared with wild mushrooms, especially freshly picked ones, will always be a highlight of the table. Although it takes time to create a culinary masterpiece, the result is well worth the effort.
Fried
Heat vegetable oil in a deep frying pan and add the mushrooms (you'll need 1-1.5 kg). They'll release juice, so stir until the liquid has evaporated completely. Next, add two onions, sliced into half rings, spices, and a bay leaf, and fry until golden brown.
Just before finishing, add finely chopped garlic cloves, parsley, and butter (30 g). Mix well, remove from heat, and cover with a lid.
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For this recipe, you'll need to fry a finely chopped head of garlic, an onion, and 50g of bacon. Add 500g of mushrooms and simmer for half an hour, adding more water if it evaporates. Then add finely chopped tomatoes or cherry tomatoes to taste and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Pour in 150 ml of dry white wine and 200 g of medium-fat sour cream. Add the spices and simmer for another 10 minutes. Remove from heat, sprinkle with herbs, and serve with any side dish.
Soups
Fry 150g of brisket in a dry frying pan until golden brown. You can substitute bacon in the same proportions. Remove the brisket and add finely chopped onion to the pan. Add vegetable oil and fry until translucent. Add mushrooms and simmer until golden brown.
Blend the prepared onion and mushroom mixture with vegetable broth in a blender, thinning it to a soup consistency. Simmer over low heat, add 200 g of cream, spices, and brisket, and bring the soup to a boil. Grate in 100 g of processed cheese, stir until melted, and turn off the heat.
For the bread bowl, cut off the top of a round loaf of bread and scoop out the inside. Brush the inside with vegetable oil and grill or bake until crispy. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve garnished with herbs.
Salads
To prepare a layered salad, place the following in layers in a prepared deep container:
- onion;
- mayonnaise;
- saltine crackers;
- hard cheese, grated on a coarse grater;
- fried mushrooms;
- finely chopped boiled eggs.
Let the salad marinate in the refrigerator for about 12 hours. The amount of ingredients needed depends on the size of the container and the desired thickness of the layers.
Answers to frequently asked questions
Despite the wealth of information available on how to prepare Polish mushrooms, there are still questions about how to prepare them:
The Polish mushroom is unique in its taste and health benefits. It has no poisonous clones and is easily recognizable by the flesh turning blue when pressed. The only thing to remember is to harvest the wild mushroom in forests far from cities and highways, and to follow all handling regulations.