Chanterelles have long been in demand among mushroom pickers. They do not belong to the most popular types of this food product, but despite this, you can cook excellent dishes from them.
Why do chanterelles bitter
The chemical composition per 100 g of product is as follows:
- water - 88.5 g;
- dietary fiber - 7 g;
- carbohydrates - 1 g;
- fats - 1 g;
- proteins - 1.5 g;
- ash - 1 g.
Starch, cholesterol and trans fats are absent in the product. The special chemical composition of chanterelles also includes certain polysaccharides and the substance of quinomannose, due to which the taste of bitterness is present in the pulp. It is worth noting that because of this, these mushrooms are never worms.
Pests do not tolerate the above components, as a result of which they do not affect the fruiting bodies. This problem can be easily corrected if you follow certain rules for collecting and processing mushrooms. You will learn more about this later in the article.Did you know? In California, competitions are held annually on these mushrooms. Chefs from different cities come to the festival to demonstrate original cooking methods.
Collection rules
If you want to get a good mushroom crop, then during the collection you must adhere to certain rules. The first thing you need to pay attention to is the place where the chanterelles grow. Do not look for them near the road. It is also not recommended to collect fruiting bodies in industrial areas.
This type of mushroom has the ability to absorb toxic substances and accumulate them. They are especially sensitive to exhaust fumes and all kinds of poisons. This affects not only the taste of the product, but also the safety of its use.
In addition, the taste of chanterelles is influenced by weather conditions and the time of harvest. Mushrooms do not tolerate prolonged drought, it is because of this that bitterness appears in them. It is also worth noting that they do not like to grow near conifers and moss. Experienced mushroom pickers noticed that such a neighborhood can spoil the taste of the product.Processing Rules
There are two main reasons that cause a bitter taste in mushrooms:
- improper harvesting;
- non-compliance with the rules for further storage and use in cooking.
The processing rules will be discussed in more detail below.
Important! Harvest should be processed immediately after harvest. If you leave it for more than a day, it is saturated with toxic substances and spoil its taste.
After collecting
Proper processing of mushrooms immediately after harvest includes the following actions:
- it is necessary to thoroughly clean the chanterelles from the garbage that has fallen along with the crop;
- Rinse 2-3 times under running water;
- saline (2 tsp. to 2 l. of water) pour the chanterelles for 50-60 minutes. (this soaking helps very well);
- mushrooms must be dried well after you add salt water.
The product is ready for future use.
After defrosting
In order for the mushrooms to not be bitter, it is important to properly process them before freezing. This is an important and necessary process. Boiling chanterelles helps a lot. Heat treatment will eliminate bad taste.
Important! It is permissible to store frozen chanterelles for no more than 3 months. If this time is exceeded, then they begin to accumulate a dangerous amount of toxins.
Also, before freezing a product, it is recommended to sort out the crop and choose the smallest and youngest fruiting bodies. As practice shows, they are more suitable for this type of storage and better retain taste.
If you put raw mushrooms in the refrigerator, the first thing you need to do with them after defrosting is to rinse well under running water. Chanterelles need to be thermally processed. The question is how long they should boil. Boil them for at least 15 minutes. Water needs to be slightly salted and a couple of pinches of citric acid added. After the above procedure, various dishes can be prepared from the product.
Dried
By their specificity, chanterelles have a slight bitterness, and dried mushrooms are no exception.
The following are options to eliminate this taste:
- Soak the product for several hours in warm milk. Mushrooms should be fully coated with it.
- Pour with cold saline for 6-8 hours, while the water needs to be changed 2-3 times, as the mushrooms can become acidic in this form.
- Boil the product in water with citric acid. You can also add spices to taste. Well neutralize bitterness: cloves, bay leaf or dill.
How to remove bitterness after cooking
Many mushrooms are prepared from these mushrooms. They can be cooked, fried, baked, pickled, dried, added to various salads and other dishes. Cooking does not take much time.With chanterelles, you get a delicious soup.. Many housewives prefer to freeze fruiting bodies in the broth. It is very comfortable. At any time, you can get the workpiece from the refrigerator and quickly cook a delicious soup.
Fried mushrooms will be a great addition to any side dish. In our country, such a dish has always been loved, especially if you cook chanterelles with potatoes. It is frying the product that removes bitterness well.Boiled fruit bodies are an excellent ingredient for various salads. You can solve the problem of bitterness after cooking with the help of vinegar, it not only eliminates the unpleasant taste, but also gives the product spicy notes.Sour cream, cheese, spices and onions with chanterelles are perfectly combined and absorb a small disadvantage of this product. The taste of mushrooms will be excellent and interesting.With regular use of chanterelles, as a rule, bitterness becomes invisible. Many mushroom pickers even like it. If you do not have this product often, then such a taste can scare you. But do not give up this dish, because it does not harm your health.
It is difficult to imagine the harvested mushroom crop from the forest without chanterelles. Their appearance and taste are special. Fruit bodies are nutritious and healthy. They do not occupy a leading position among these products in terms of taste, but if you put a dish of chanterelles on the table, then everyone will definitely like it.Did you know? Chanterelles contain the largest amount of nutrients among all mushrooms. For example, there is significantly more vitamin A in the product than in carrots.