Porcini: useful properties and recipes for cooking

Porcini mushrooms are a great delicacy for any table. But in addition to its wonderful taste, it has a lot of useful properties.

What ceps look like and where they grow

Porcini (other names: boletus, wood grouse, cows) belongs to the boletus family. Its cap is beautiful - convex, although it becomes flat with age. Its diameter can reach thirty centimeters. The outside is usually smooth, occasionally there are wrinkles. If the temperature is high, the cap tends to crack.

The color of the cap can vary depending on where the mushroom grows:

1. In a pine forest, it is chocolate, sometimes with a pink border.
2. In spruce forests, the coloration is brown, with a green cast possible.
3. Among deciduous trees, the cap is light in color with yellow ochre.

The flesh of the cap is dense, with young mushrooms it is light, with older mushrooms - yellowing. When the mushroom is cut, the color does not change.

The taste and smell of raw ceps are poorly expressed. When it is boiled or dried, however, the flavor is very pronounced and pleasant.

The stalk can reach a height of 8-12 centimeters and a width of up to 7 centimeters. The surface of the stalk is brownish, with a white or red tint.

White mushroom can grow near a variety of trees, but most often it can be found in the pine forest, among birches, oaks, spruces.

Varieties

There are several varieties of porcini mushrooms. The main ones are:

1. Spruce - large specimens, reaching two kilograms. The cap is mostly chestnut brown, with a wrinkled top. These mushrooms should be collected from early summer through the fall month of October. They usually grow next to spruce trees.
2. Oak mushrooms are medium-sized mushrooms with a grayish cap, with light flecks. In high humidity, the surface of the mushroom is shiny and slightly slimy. They grow near oaks, and you can pick them from early May to October. They are distributed mainly in the southern part of Russia and in the Caucasus.
3. Birch mushrooms are large, and their cap can be up to 27 centimeters in diameter. The color of the mushroom is light, and sometimes the cap is wrinkled and cracked. It grows in all forests of the European part of the Russian Federation, in the Caucasus and in the tundra. The main thing is to have nearby birch or aspen trees, for example. The collection period is from June to October. Sometimes they can also be found at the end of autumn.
4. Pine - the description of these mushrooms is similar to the general description of white mushrooms. They grow near pines, prefer sandy soils.

Why is a cep called a white mushroom

This name seems strange to many people, because cep mushrooms very rarely have a white cap. The secret of this name is very simple: everything except the top part (cap) of this mushroom is white. And during cooking, the pulp of the white mushroom remains white.

How to distinguish a false ceps from a real one

People who like the taste of ceps must necessarily know how to distinguish them from false ones, so that gathering will not lead to negative health consequences.

Common qualities for all kinds of real porcini mushrooms:

1. The flesh of a true white mushroom either has a pleasant mushroom aroma or has no smell at all.
2. The white color of the pulp is unchanged after cutting, cooking, drying.
3. The tubular layer (located under the cap) can only be yellow, white or olive in color.

You can confuse a real porcini with a bile mushroom or satanic mushroom. Characteristics of the satanic mushroom:

• The stalk is barrel-shaped;
• The tubular layer of the cap can be reddish or orange in color;
• The flesh turns blue very quickly after cutting;
• Old mushrooms smell like rotten onions.

Signs of a gall mushroom:

• The tubular layer may be a dirty gray or pink color;
• The flesh becomes very pale pink after cutting;
• The taste of the mushroom is very bitter.

False mushrooms are very dangerous if eaten raw. If a person eats even 10 grams of satanic mushrooms, he quickly becomes paralyzed, and soon the person dies.

What is the difference between the ceps and the boletus mushroom?

Borovik is the name of a genus of mushrooms. And the porcini is a type of mushroom that belongs to this genus. There are, however, some differences between them:

1. Borovik (if it is not a ceps) can reach a huge size, up to three kilograms. However, unique specimens weighing up to 7 kilograms occasionally occur among ceps.
2. The raw boletus has the smell of carboxylic acid. The white mushroom has no odor, except for a pleasant mushroom aroma.
3. Sometimes the porcini mushroom is called a boletus. This is not an accurate name, as there are other mushrooms in this genus. But in general, the name is not a mistake.

Composition and calories

The composition of porcini mushrooms is very rich in vitamins, minerals and other useful substances:

1. Macronutrients present in the composition: potassium, calcium, magnesium, chlorine, phosphorus, sodium, sulfur, silicon, manganese.
2. Major trace elements: iron, rubidium, fluorine, chromium, cobalt.
3. The main vitamins: B1, B2, B5, B6, B9, C, E, PP, niacin.

The caloric value of ceps is low: only 30 kilocalories per 100 grams of product. Of course, it increases if the mushrooms roasted in vegetable or animal fats.

Useful properties of ceps

With a huge number of vitamins and other useful substances, ceps are one of the most desirable mushrooms in the baskets of people who collect.

The positive effects of ceps on the human body:

1. It can help the body quickly recover from various diseases, operations, anorexia. When using mushrooms increases muscle tone, stamina, which is very helpful for people who play sports.
2. Is an assistant for the stomach and intestines, so that the body quickly absorbs food and gets rid of harmful substances.
3. The metabolism is improved, so a person can lose weight quickly and easily.
4. Cepes have a favorable effect on brain activity, which makes it easier for people to engage in various intellectual work, as it relieves pain in the head and increases concentration.
5. The fact that ceps have a lot of amino acids and antioxidants, helps the body to quickly cleanse itself of toxins.

All the useful properties can manifest themselves only if the mushrooms are of high quality. So it is best to collect them in regions where the environment is not polluted. If porcini mushrooms are bought, it is necessarily necessary to pay attention to the appearance: whether there are damages, spots, incomprehensible streaks.

Can porcini mushrooms while breastfeeding

Nursing mothers during lactation often have to give up a variety of everyday and favorite products, so as not to harm the health of the baby. Porcini mushrooms are not suitable products during breastfeeding. They can cause allergies, and the body absorbs them with difficulty.

For the weak immune system of an infant, porcini mushrooms can bring such dangerous consequences:

1. They are hard for the body to digest because they contain chitin. Because of this, the baby may lose sleep, he may have colic, nausea.
2. A high probability of developing allergies.
3. While mushrooms are growing, they absorb various toxins and metals in large quantities. These substances can worsen the health of the baby.
4. A breastfeeding mother can be poisoned by mushrooms, and the infant will suffer because of the poisoning.
5. When picking mushrooms, they can be confused with their false counterparts, which can even be fatal.

Nevertheless, porcini mushrooms have a large number of vitamins that can help with the development of the child. They can strengthen the immune system, increase the body's resistance, eliminate harmful substances, and improve muscle tone. But you can use them in food only after consulting a pediatrician.

At what age are chanterelles allowed in children?

Doctors do not recommend feeding small children with mushrooms, because children's bodies are not yet strong and there are very few enzymes that can digest this heavy product.

Porcini mushrooms are no exception. Children's body can not cope with toxic substances, which during the growth of fungi accumulates quite a lot. Doctors believe that children can eat mushrooms only when they reach school age.

The benefits of dried ceps

Dried porcini mushrooms have no less benefits than fresh ones. They have a large amount of riboflavin, which is responsible for healthy hair, nails, skin and the whole body. The biggest positive effect of dried ceps has on the thyroid gland.

Dried porcini mushrooms are undoubtedly beneficial for angina, various lung and stomach diseases, especially for ulcers. They also contain substances that can fight various tumors, so they are often recommended for the prevention of cancer.

The use of ceps in medicine

Cepes mushrooms contain most of the Mendeleev's table, which is a real value. That is why they are often used in folk medicine.

Healing properties of ceps:

1. They can eliminate headaches, have a favorable effect on the heart, they have bactericidal properties.
2. They can protect against stroke, lower blood pressure.
3. They reduce joint pain and help in the treatment of gout.
4. Promotes this product to strengthen the immune system.
5. It can heal wounds and ulcers.
6. The product can have an anti-sclerotic effect.
7. They are used in any form for vascular disease, ischemia, to improve immunity.

Harm and contraindications

Porcini mushrooms can cause harm only because of human activity: in the process of growth, they absorb various toxins and heavy metals. Therefore, it is better to collect them in environmentally clean areas. They can also do harm if the conditions of their storage are wrong.

Contraindications to eating ceps:

• Diseases of the pancreas, kidneys and liver;
• various stomach disorders, constipation, bloating;
• stomach and intestinal diseases;
• high cholesterol;
• diseases of the musculoskeletal system.

Porcini mushrooms can poison children because of the large amount of chitin, poorly absorbed by the body of a child. They can lead to stomach upsets. After poisoning, you should immediately flush the stomach, and if there are any complications, you should immediately call an ambulance.

Can you be poisoned by porcini mushrooms

In addition to children, adults can be poisoned by porcini mushrooms. The main causes of poisoning:

1. Using spoiled, overripe or completely rotten mushrooms in food. They spoil very quickly, almost as well as meat.
2. Eating false ceps that look very much like the real thing.
3. Poor heat treatment. They need to be cooked very long and thoroughly.
4. If the mushrooms are cooked by people suffering from intestinal diseases, they can contaminate the food.
5. If mushrooms are collected in areas where factories, chemical plants, highways are located nearby.

With poisoning, symptoms appear as early as two hours after consumption. If the food was ingested false porcini mushrooms, the symptoms appear in half an hour. Typically, the clinical picture is as follows:

• malaise;
• weakness;
• dizziness;
• nausea;
• diarrhea;
• stomach pain;
• tachycardia.

How to choose and store ceps

Porcini mushrooms are a delicacy around the world. But it is necessary to know a few secrets of selecting ceps:

1. It is best, of course, to pick mushrooms yourself. The fresher the product, the better and healthier the prepared dish will be.
2. The best taste qualities have young mushrooms.
3. Do not buy ceps from unknown sellers. It is better to go to proven people, even if their price for mushrooms is higher than that of others.
4. Before buying the product, you should smell it well. Fresh mushroom has a fresh mushroom aroma. There may be hints of earth, pine, leaves. If you press on the cap, you can hear a faint crunch. If you buy mushrooms that have an unpleasant smell and a flabby appearance, you can not only not get a tasty dish, but also poison yourself.
5. It is best to cook the mushrooms immediately after purchase, as they can go bad quickly. Even if after buying immediately washed, dried, put the mushrooms in a good container, it is not recommended to store them more than a day.

Before you send porcini mushrooms for storage, they must necessarily be treated. To do this:

1. Mushrooms are carefully inspected: in case there is a false twin of a white mushroom in front of your eyes.
2. They are sorted out: all old, wormy, just not suggestive are removed.
3. Cleared of leaves, debris, needles and other unnecessary elements.
4. Dark, spoiled, someone's pitted spots are trimmed. The undersides are also trimmed.
5. Mushrooms are soaked in cold water for 15-20 minutes.
6. Rinse in running water.

Occasionally it is recommended to soak the mushrooms in water with salt for 6 to 24 hours, to get rid of unwanted insects and worms.

After that, the mushrooms are transferred to the prepared dish, covered with a napkin and placed on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. In this form you can not store them for a long time, best of all no more than 24 hours, but you can and up to three days.

Can I freeze?

It is possible to freeze mushrooms. To do this you need to sort them, clean them, wipe very well with a cloth or sponge. But it is strictly forbidden to wash boletus mushrooms before freezing. If they are very dirty, you can rinse them under running water, but do not soak.

It is best to freeze only young and fresh mushrooms. Wormy mushrooms better throw away immediately.

You can freeze raw, boiled and roasted mushrooms. Methods:

1. Raw mushrooms should be placed on a cutting board before freezing and then placed in the freezer. When they have frozen enough, take them out and put them in different dishes portion by portion. It is best to use specialized containers for this purpose.
2. Boiled mushrooms are easier to freeze. First boil, throw in a colander. When the moisture drains, you need to pack in specialized bags designed for freezing.
3. Roasting porcini mushrooms before freezing. After the standard cleaning of hogs, they need to be cut into large pieces and properly washed. Then they are placed in a frying pan and fried in oil, it is necessary to wait until the liquid evaporates. Wait for them to cool and put them into plastic bags.

Boroviks in the freezer store well at a temperature of at least minus 18 degrees Celsius. After defrosting them, you should not eat them right away. It is best to fry or boil them before eating.

How to dry ceps

There is a wonderful way to store your favorite boletus is by drying them. Dried mushrooms are even odorier and tastier than fresh ones. A good advantage is that when dried, they shrink in volume and take up less space.

In order to dry mushrooms, they must be carefully processed. Very important nuances:

1. Only very high quality, young mushrooms without damage are suitable for drying.
2. They should not be washed before drying, as they can absorb excessive amounts of moisture.
3. A cotton cloth should be used to clean them.
4. The lower part of the stalk is necessarily cut off.
5. Mushrooms should be sorted by size and caliber.
6. Metal knives should not be used, because the flesh of the mushroom tends to darken in contact with the metal.
7. Very large mushrooms should be cut into strips, the thickness of which is about 15 millimeters.

After preparation, you need to choose a drying method for yourself. There are three main methods:

1. The simplest folk method - drying on a string. You need to take whole or cut mushrooms, thread them so that they do not touch each other. Then they are hung up in places where there is sufficient sun and good ventilation. At night, threads with mushrooms should be removed indoors, so that excessive humidity does not spoil the product. Approximate time of drying - two weeks.
2. The second simple way - white mushrooms are placed on a flat surface (paper or, for example, newspaper), in the sun. To dry them evenly, you should periodically turn them over and at night bring them into the apartment. They also dry for two weeks.
3. The third method is also not complicated - drying in the oven. You need to place the mushroom on a baking tray, which is covered with parchment. The door of the oven should not be closed tightly, so that there was somewhere for the excess moisture to escape. The oven must be heated to no more than 70 degrees. Duration of drying depends on the quantity and quality of prepared mushrooms.

In today's world, there are already special appliances that help hostesses. So, for drying, you can also use an electric dryer.

After the mushrooms have dried, they should be well sorted and sorted. Dried mushrooms should be stored in cloth or paper bags. Sometimes you can also store in glass jars, only they need to be sterilized and dried beforehand.

How to cook porcini: Recipes

In the preparation of porcini mushrooms there are no difficulties. However, some secrets for getting a delicious and healthy dish still exist.

How to roast

There are several great recipes for cooking porcini mushrooms in the pan.

Cooking fresh porcini mushrooms
Need:

• fresh mushrooms - one kilogram;
• butter - one hundred grams;
• Onions - two hundred grams;
• Pepper - five peppercorns;
• bay leaf - two;
• salt to taste.

Preparation:

1. It is necessary to cut and boil white mushrooms in salted water for ten minutes. After that, throw the mushrooms in a colander, wait for the water to drain completely.
2. The butter should be completely melted in a frying pan. Then mushrooms are poured on it. It is required to fry for 20 minutes over medium heat. It is necessary to stir frequently.
3. Onions are peeled, cut in half rings and added to the mushrooms. With onions, mushrooms are fried for about five minutes, bay leaves and pepper are added.
4. The heat is reduced, the pan is covered with a lid, and everything is stewed for about 10 minutes more.

Roasted Dried Mushrooms
Required:

• 50 grams of dried porcini mushrooms;
• 50 milliliters of vegetable oil;
• 100 grams of onions;
• Salt added to taste.

Preparation:

1. Dried mushrooms are washed, poured a liter of water and left for six hours to have time to give the mushrooms their normal shape. After this, the mushrooms are washed again, and boiled for ten minutes. Then, you need to heat oil in a frying pan. Mushrooms are placed in oil and fried over high heat for 25 minutes.
2. Onions are cut in half rings and added to the mushrooms. All together are salted, stirred and fried for another ten minutes.
3. The fire is reduced, the pan is covered with a lid, and everything is simmered over low heat for about ten minutes.

Roasting salted porcini mushrooms
Required:

• One kilogram of salted porcini mushrooms;
• 100 milliliters of vegetable oil;
• 200 grams of onions.

Preparation:

1. You need to take the porcini mushrooms out of the brine and rinse them in running water. Then you need to pour ice water over the mushrooms and leave them like this for an hour and a half. After the required time, you need to rinse the mushrooms again and wait until all the water is gone from them.
2. Mushrooms are fried in oil in a frying pan, uncovered. Fry until the moisture disappears.
3. Onions are cut into small pieces, placed in a pan and fried together with the mushrooms until the onions have a golden hue.
4. Then everything is covered with a lid and stewed for 5 minutes.

How to marinate

There are many different recipes for marinating porcini mushrooms.

Marinating with vinegar
Required:

• Vinegar - 8 tablespoons (the vinegar should be 9%);
• dried cloves - 3 pieces;
• sugar - 2 tablespoons with a spoonful
• allspice - 4 peas;
• bay leaf - 2 leaves;
• black pepper - 4 peas;
• coarse salt - 1 tablespoon.

Preparation:

1. First you need to boil the prepared mushrooms for forty minutes. As soon as everything boils, you need to remove the foam with a slotted skimmer and add salt.
2. The pot is removed from the heat, the mushrooms are thrown on a colander. Then they are washed with running water.
3. Mushrooms are transferred to a bowl, and the preparation of marinade begins. Salt, sugar, pepper, bay leaf, cloves, vinegar are added to the water left after cooking the mushrooms. All this is brought to a boil. Then the washed mushrooms are added, and everything is boiled together for about 25 minutes more.
4. Then everything is poured into sterilized jars and gently sealed. The canning is inverted and wrapped in rags.
5. After 24 hours, you can put everything in the cellar.

No sterilization
There is a very easy and quick recipe for making pickled mushrooms.

It will take:

• one kilogram of porcini mushrooms;
• half a liter of water;
• 9% vinegar - 2 teaspoons;
• sugar - 1 teaspoon;
• mustard - a few grains;
• dried dill - to taste;
• coarse salt - 1.5-2 teaspoons;
• bay leaf - 2 leaves.

Preparation:

1. White mushrooms need to be put to boil on medium heat. It is impossible to tell the exact time - the cooked mushrooms sink to the bottom of the pan.
2. After that, the marinade is prepared. Water in the pot should be brought to a boil. Salt, sugar, vinegar, citric acid is added.
3. Dill, bay leaf, mustard, and mushrooms are placed in washed jars. All this is poured marinade and sealed with lids.

How to cook julienne

Recipe for julienne of ceps

Need:

• 500 grams of ceps;
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil;
• 50 grams of butter;
• 2 tablespoons of wheat flour;
• 1 cup of cream;
• 100 grams of hard cheese;
• Salt, pepper - to taste.

Preparation:

1. In a frying pan in vegetable oil fry the mushrooms. Then they should be put in a colander.
2. In a separate pan, a sauce is prepared: butter, flour, spices.
3. Mushrooms are put into cocktail woks, pour the sauce on them and put in the oven. After 20 minutes, you can take them out and eat them.

"Polevka" - soup made of dried porcini mushrooms

This soup used to be a common, everyday dish in the villages of Belarus. Everybody used to gather mushrooms back then. They were dried in large quantities. Then, when the Internet appeared and all kinds of recipes became available, "pole vole" was undeservedly forgotten. And in vain - the soup is really delicious.

No potatoes are added to "polevka". It is eaten in a snack with boiled "bulbaj" or black bread.

Ingredients
Number of products is approximate.

• Dried boletus - 1,5-2 cups.
• Sour cream - 1 cup.
• Onion - 2 pieces.
• Garlic - 2 large cloves.
• Flour - 2 tablespoons.
• ½ lemon or 2 spoons of apple cider vinegar.

Salt, black pepper, bay leaf, nutmeg and herbs to taste. Sunflower oil or finely chopped bacon (whatever you like).

Cooking procedure

1. Pour 3 liters of boiling water over the mushrooms, cover and leave until they cool down.
2. Wash the mushrooms with running water, strain the infusion through gauze.
3. Dip the boletus in the strained infusion, add lemon, pepper, salt, bay leaf, bring to a boil and simmer on low heat for about an hour.
4. Grate 2 onions on a coarse grater. Fry in melted, finely chopped lard or sunflower oil.
5. Add sour cream and nutmeg (on the tip of a knife).
6. Pour 2 ladles of boiling broth. Pour the flour.
7. Slowly, constantly stirring pour the sauce into the cooked mushroom broth.
8. We turn on the gas to full power and boil for 2-3 minutes.
9. Turn off, add the greens (dill, parsley), crushed garlic and leave to infuse for half an hour.

Important: The sauce in the pan must necessarily come to a boil. And only then it is turn to the flour. If you pour flour into the hot, but not boiling sauce, lumps can't be avoided!

How to peel ceps before cooking

Cleaning porcini mushrooms is not difficult. It takes:

1. The first thing to do is to clean the mushrooms of excess debris and needles.
2. Ceps should be thoroughly washed with water and dried.
3. The lower part of the stalk is cut off.
4. The cap and stem are wiped with a cloth.

After these manipulations you should rinse the mushrooms one more time and then cook them.

Can I eat porcini mushrooms raw

Without fear, you can eat many mushrooms in raw form. Ceps are no exception. The main thing is to clean them well beforehand.

Interesting facts about ceps

Porcini are very popular in Russia. There are a few interesting facts about them:

1. In the sixties of the last century, a mushroom find a huge white mushroom weighing 10 kilograms.
2. The porcini mushroom has substances that can resist cancer cells.
3. In the summertime, ceps live no more than a week. In the fall, they can live for more than two weeks.

Photo of porcini mushrooms