Thursday 19 April 2018

The preservation of Mushrooms.


                            

I make three types of preserved mushrooms (exclusively Cepes, Boletus edulis). I bottle, I dry, and I freeze.

                             

The bottled Cepes (above, and below right) are blanched, cooled, and bottled in water; then sterilised for two hours. They need to be well fried before use, otherwise they can be a bit 'gooey'.


Drying (above, bottom) is very simple, but does require two or three consecutive hot sunny days. They are sliced thinly, then laid out on racks to dry. I usually give them a final blast of heat from whatever oven had been used, before being put away. These are mostly used for risottos.

Freezing (above, left), I have come to think, is my preferred method. They are roughly cut into cubes, lightly fried in olive oil and butter with garlic and parsley, then, when cool, frozen in cheap plastic cups (hence the shape of the block). These give the best flavour for omelets; one small pot, with two eggs, is enough for two!.

All three methods have their advantages, but freezing (from cooked) gives the 'freshest' taste. I recommend.


23 comments:

  1. On a walk if Mrs G sees a steinpilz her eyes light up and she falls to her knees and starts talking to the thing.

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    1. So she should! I live in a good spot for mushrooms, but even now every time I see one I feel the same as Mrs Gwil. It's a strange experience than non-mushroom-hunters could never understand.

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  2. The only one that we had here was the Cuillaceae,but no more since the pine trees had gone.

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    1. This is the problem when people chop down areas of woodland; the mushrooms disappear too.

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  3. Mushroom hunters have to have a licence here and each licence is only valied for a certain area. Hunters have secret spots which they jelously keep to thenselves.
    You are well organised with your preserving, each different one suitable for a different menu.
    Greetings Maria x

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    1. I think people would RIOT here if they introduced permits. We all have our 'secret spots', they are guarded religiously.

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  4. Not for those who don't know what they are doing, mushrooming, and preserving. I enjoy reading about it here. I would be a dangerous participant if I got involved.

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    1. No you wouldn't, you just have to learn what's what, one by one. If you stick to just a few varieties, that you recognise easily, there's no problem.

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    2. My mother taught me the names of wild flowers and always told me never to touch a mushroom. I suppose she didn't know them herself so it was good advice. If someone had been there to teach that would have been different.

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  5. Too scared to pick the mushrooms we see but do envy the wide variety you get in France, but as Snyder says..........

    So here's to the mushroom family,
    A far-flung friendly clan,
    For food, for fun, for poison
    They are a help to man...

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    1. I like your poem; especially the poison bit!

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  6. We have a lot of field mushrooms some years and other years not a sign. If it is a good year this year I shall try the freezing because drying is never a great success. As to other varieties - like Rachel - daren't pick them

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    1. I'm hoping we'll have a good year, this year; we had hardly any Cepes last year.

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  7. We used to collect field mushrooms at dawn from farmers fields in NZ and have them straight away for breakfast. Wonder if they are still as prolific.
    Love your store cupboard.

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    1. We had lots of field mushrooms last autumn, which was useful as we didn't have many other varieties.

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  8. There must be 101 ways to occupy time when you're old. Bothering with such a distasteful food is not in my old age planning. Mind, I don't mind a stroll in a paddock to pick them.

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    1. Distasteful food? Cepes are one of the world's great delicacies, and cost a fortune! Mine come free.

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  9. You must get a lot of cepes to have to resort to preserving them. Nice idea to freeze them ready-sautéed...So, my porcini by the inglenook story: sisters who were long-time girlfriends of my Italian boyfriend were hosting us for a night in their farmhouse. My Italian was pretty rubbish and these girls were old-school posh, and a little inscrutable in giving away just what they thought of me. I was served a huge grilled porcini on a plate and could see at a glance it was flecked rather charmingly with extra protein in the form of maggots. I didn't demur, wondering if this is an "honoured guest" thing or a challenge. I'll eat basically anything so just tucked in and will admit that it didn't taste any different! Nobody said a word and I never mentioned it to the boyfriend who hadn't noticed anyway.

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  10. I've just realised the mushroom wasn't porcini after all but portobello! The tasty extras were nestled in the gills, which of course the porcini doesn't have. Sorry about sullying the reputation of the cepe!!

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    1. Wash your typing fingers with carbolic! How could you have mistaken a very common Portabello for an aristocratic Cepe? I hope you enjoyed it anyway; maggots and all.

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    2. Haha! Shameful mistake, this gilding of the maggoty lily. But yes, can report back - still delicious.

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  11. I didn't know you could freeze mushrooms! Going to try your method. Thanks!

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    1. I used to freeze them without 'frying' first, and they were not good. Cooking first, then freezing, is certainly the best way. I do it with Girolles too, but not sure about other mushrooms.

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