There are no non-poisonous mushrooms in the biological classification, but edible representatives of the mushroom kingdom are present. Before eating, mushrooms must be sterilized, which consists in a special heat treatment.
In the process of growth, fungi abundantly absorb moisture and accumulate it in the cavities of cells with chitinous walls. It is noteworthy that the organism of the fungus does not know how to filter the absorbed water, and therefore contains many impurities and microorganisms that can harm humans. For this reason, mushrooms are heat treated and sterilized before conservation.
Selection of mushrooms before sterilization
For preservation, select only whole, undamaged mushrooms with a dense head and stem. Each mushroom should be inspected for mold and wormholes. Such mushrooms can be cut and cooked for human consumption, but after long storage they can cause severe poisoning. Small types of mushrooms need to be sorted, selecting for closing those that have a growth of no more than 5-6 centimeters. Large mushrooms can be cut, but it is not recommended to keep them in the air for a long time: on the cuts, the pulp quickly turns black and deteriorates.
Mushroom preparation
After selection and sorting, the mushrooms are immersed in water for several hours, in which a small amount of sodium chloride and citric acid is dissolved. After the first soaking, the liquid is drained and the mushrooms are again poured with water, this time clean. You can drown mushrooms using a slight pressure: small lids or a plywood disc. The soaked mushrooms are placed in a sieve and washed with running water several times, washing away the dissolved dirt and dead microbes.
Sterilization and preservation of whole mushrooms
Whole mushrooms need to be put in jars, add spices: garlic, carrots, onions, allspice and black pepper, bay leaf and mustard seeds. It is necessary to lay the mushrooms in such a way that 3-4 centimeters of free space remains at the neck of the jar. After that, the mushrooms are poured with brine, consisting of water, for each liter of which 20-30 grams of salt and a liter of 8% vinegar are added. The resulting solution is poured into jars of mushrooms, which are sent for sterilization. You can sterilize mushrooms either in a water bath, after placing the jars on a wooden substrate, or in the oven at a temperature of 130-140 degrees. Mushrooms are usually sterilized for no more than an hour, periodically removing the brown foam, adding the filling and achieving the transparency of the brine.
Mushroom caviar conservation
Before sterilization, the caps and legs of the mushrooms are boiled separately, while the latter are boiled for 10 minutes longer. Boiled mushrooms are thrown through a sieve and allowed to drain, after which they are passed through a meat grinder. Well-fried onions and carrots, chopped garlic, herbs and spices are added to the chopped mushrooms. The caviar is laid out in jars and sterilized for 20-35 minutes. After sterilization, jars of caviar, as with whole mushrooms, should be slowly cooled by wrapping them in a blanket.
