Who, if not an inveterate mushroom picker, should not make great efforts to rise with the first rays of the sun in order to go on a "quiet hunt" in the woods. Such a pastime can give real pleasure to those who like to join nature and pamper themselves with the variety of its gifts.
For the edification of culinary gourmets
If you come home with a basket full of freshly picked or even purchased mushrooms, you can hardly resist the temptation to arrange a culinary tasting. You are free to choose any recipes for which you only have enough imagination, but you must not forget about caution. One has only to treat mushrooms carelessly, as they can turn from a delicacy into a potential source of threat to health.
There are different opinions as to whether mushrooms should always be cooked. Many people neglect this unspoken rule, because it is so nice to enjoy their natural taste and aroma. Despite the fact that most housewives use mushrooms raw or exclusively fried for cooking, you should not risk your life.
Is it really necessary to give up most delicious dishes for the sake of notorious safety? Of course, this is not required, you just need to remember about elementary accuracy. First of all, clean the mushrooms from dirt, moss and soil; rinse them thoroughly in water, if necessary, leave to soak for several hours; boil the mushrooms, while waiting for the water to boil, then drain it. This is a necessary measure to protect the body from the possibility of the penetration of toxins. Boil the mushrooms a second time until tender, determining the right moment by the time they settle at the bottom of the pan. Only after these steps is it recommended to proceed with the subsequent frying of the mushrooms.
The time it takes to cook is different for different types of mushrooms. On average, this takes from fifteen minutes to an hour. Boletus mushrooms need about fifty minutes, porcini mushrooms and chanterelles take twenty, and mushrooms will keep within five minutes. The longest heat treatment should be used for mushrooms of the most dubious food origin. So, almost immediately all the same mushrooms and chanterelles are considered ready for use; pigs and morels must be boiled for a longer period - at least an hour.
Silent Hunt
If you have the slightest doubt whether the mushroom is edible, it is better to refuse to use it. For example, no heat treatment will save the fly agaric, and one pale toadstool is enough for a lethal outcome. An involuntary threat is represented by mushrooms, visually similar to their edible counterparts. The gall mushroom can be easily confused with white, and false mushrooms can be mistaken for real ones. No less reckless is the decision to taste diseased, rotten or spoiled mushrooms, as well as those that grew near roads, railways and industrial structures.
Mushroom poisoning causes one of the most severe forms of intoxication in the body, requiring medical supervision and numerous unpleasant procedures, such as gastric lavage. That is why protect yourself from the temptation to feast on the first gifts of nature that you meet.
