Cleaning oyster mushrooms
Oyster mushrooms are one of the most popular types of mushrooms among consumers. They are unpretentious in cultivation and care, suitable for the preparation of many dishes. They are bred at home or harvested in the forest. Cleaning oyster mushrooms is a process that takes little time.
Cleaning oyster mushrooms
Features of cleaning oyster mushrooms
If the oyster mushroom was purchased in a store, it was grown in artificial conditions, so it is not necessary to cut the skin. Fruit bodies collected in the forest should be cleaned.
There are basic rules for cleaning oyster mushrooms:
- It is impossible for the mushrooms to lie for a long time after collection or purchase. The longer this happens, the higher the risk of poisoning.
- Oyster mushrooms should not be immediately immersed in water. First, all dirt is removed with a brush or dry sponge.
- To prevent browning, the product is left in salted water for 15-20 minutes. The procedure is also necessary for store-bought mushrooms: they can also contain pests.
Irina Selyutina (Biologist):
Yes, even oyster mushrooms bought in a supermarket require cleaning, because on the surface of fruit bodies there may be dark spots that need to be removed. Although this group of fungi is rarely infested with worms, cleaning is a must. Of course, spoiled specimens will not bring harm to health, but the appearance of the dishes, and perhaps also the mood, will spoil.
Do not forget: oyster mushrooms of good quality, must necessarily have a gray-bluish color of the caps without admixtures of other shades and, accordingly, various spots.
By the way. After removing the damaged parts, the oyster mushrooms are washed again, but only under a weak stream of water.
Cleaning oyster mushrooms in the forest
Primary cleaning of oyster mushrooms should be carried out in the forest. This mushroom grows on tree stumps and trunks. Before putting it in the basket, you need to remove the remnants of foliage and twigs that may be on it.
It is convenient to remove adhering debris with a knife. Places with wormholes are immediately cut off. Oyster mushrooms are cleaned more thoroughly at home.
Cleaning oyster mushrooms at home
Mushrooms of this group spoil quickly. Before peeling oyster mushrooms, perform the following actions:
- they are sorted, mushrooms are separately distributed for cooking options: conservation and for frying;
- washed thoroughly and left in water for 30 minutes;
- after the mushrooms lie soaked, worms begin to emerge from them;
- dust and dirt often accumulate under the caps, so they are washed with a soft brush;
- if the dirt is not washed off, they are carefully cut out with a knife;
- dried on a soft towel or paper towels;
- mushrooms to be dried are not washed.
Mushrooms spoil quickly
To clean the mushrooms, take a thin sharp knife, a clean and dry sponge (a soft rag is suitable), and a colander. Next, the end of the leg is cut off from each mushroom. The longer you plan to store the product in the refrigerator, the larger part is removed. This is necessary so that the mushrooms do not lose their taste and begin to deteriorate.
Irina Selyutina (Biologist):
If you use a small amount of oyster mushrooms for harvesting, then it is best to rinse them in portions under running water using a colander.All manipulations must be carried out very carefully, because these mushrooms are particularly fragile and the slightest awkward movement can damage the mushroom cap.
Many housewives prefer cleaning oyster mushroom fruiting bodies with running water, which takes little time.
Additional cleaning
There are several simple ways to do additional cleaning:
- Blanching: fresh mushrooms are placed in a container and poured over with boiling water, then left in the same hot water for a few seconds. This treatment helps to make them more elastic. Usually this manipulation is carried out before pickling.
- Boiling: mushrooms are placed in a saucepan and brought to a boil over high heat. When the water boils, it is turned off and allowed to cool.
- Boiling: mushrooms are placed in a container with cold salted water, brought to a boil. Allow to cool for 15 minutes and rinse with cold water in a colander.
For your information. Before drying, oyster mushrooms, like other mushrooms, are not washed or boiled. All preparatory manipulations are carried out only on dry mushrooms.
Before freezing, oyster mushrooms are only wiped with a dry cloth. Do not get them wet: because of this, they will absorb excess moisture and lose their taste. Then they are divided into small portions and put into containers. Additional prevention against pests will be cooking and soaking mushrooms in a solution of vinegar or citric acid.
Method of cleaning from earth and sand
There is a simple way to quickly clean oyster mushrooms from contamination. To do this, wipe the caps with a damp cloth, cut off the wormholes. Mushrooms heavily affected by pests are thrown away.
Then, using a brush or dry sponge, they clean the product from dust and debris. Wet adhering soil on the legs is cut with a knife. Then the oyster mushrooms are washed under running water.
Conclusion
Oyster mushrooms are one of our favorite mushrooms. They are easy to prepare, often found in the forest, and can be grown at home or purchased from the store.
It is a healthy mushroom, but sometimes worms grow in it. To get rid of pests, the product is soaked in water before cooking, cleaned and thermally processed.
