How to clean them up properly

The first cleaning takes place in the forest

Chanterelles prefer sunny places - and like to hide there in the middle of a damp cushion of moss, as they are often found along forest paths. Although the typical yellow hats of larger specimens can often be seen from a distance, they are a lot the more common small ones you have to look for in your bed of moss by gently pulling it apart with your fingers draw. Due to their hidden location, chanterelles that you have collected yourself often stick to a lot of dirt: earth, sand, Tree needles (the delicious mushrooms are often found near pine trees), moss scraps and sometimes also smaller ones Insects. This is not the only reason why the first cleaning takes place in the forest:

• Carefully turn mushrooms out of the ground or cut them off directly above the ground.
• Check chanterelles for "authenticity" and sort
• False chanterelles can be distinguished quite well, for example by the lack of smell
• Unsuitable resp. Simply leave false chanterelles on the forest floor
• so you can continue to multiply by falling out spores
• Check fungi for maggot infestation (cut larger specimens once lengthways)
• coarse dirt with a brush or similar ä. clean up

Never transport chanterelles or other wild mushrooms in a plastic container. a plastic bag, they really resent you. An airy basket lined with a cotton cloth or, in an emergency, a cotton or jute bag is best.

Clean chanterelles properly - this is how it's done

When you get home, you should clean the chanterelles immediately and prepare them for further use - like all mushrooms, these are also just mushrooms in the refrigerator good for a few days. If it is not possible to use it immediately, clean it at least roughly and then store it in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator. Do not leave fresh or already prepared mushrooms at room temperature for long periods of time - if you are unlucky you can quickly catch food poisoning this way.

Brush - do not wash!

Like almost all mushrooms - with the exception of species such as the Frizzy mother hen - If possible, you should not wash mushrooms to clean them. Mushrooms naturally contain a lot of water - and thanks to their special structure they absorb more moisture like a sponge. Incidentally, this is also the reason why they are known as “mushrooms”, especially in southern Germany and Austria. Instead of washing them, it is best to brush the chanterelles one by one with a mushroom brush and clean stubborn dirt by rubbing them with a clean kitchen towel. However, only exert light pressure - chanterelles are very sensitive and quickly get unattractive bruises. Cut away dry as well as muddy areas with a sharp paring knife.

Wash only in the case of very coarse soiling

The mushrooms should be very very dirty and / or if you have collected very large quantities, cleaning by hand can be very tedious. In this case, you can also wash the chanterelles, but never water the mushrooms. Only expose them to the water for a short time and then dry them thoroughly with a clean kitchen towel. Chanterelles are best washed this way: put the mushrooms in a colander, for example a pasta strainer, and rinse it thoroughly with a powerful stream Hand shower off.

Trick for large quantities: brush the chanterelles with flour

Especially with heavily soiled or The "flour trick" has proven itself in larger quantities of chanterelles:

• Always put smaller quantities of mushrooms in a freezer bag.
• Dust the mushrooms with one to two tablespoons of flour.
• Seal the bag and shake the contents vigorously.
• Now pour the floured mushrooms into a sieve and shake it.
• The flour binds the dirt that falls off when you shake it.
• Carefully rinse off the leftovers with the hand shower (for example in the shower).

Do not forget to dry the mushrooms carefully so that they do not soak up the moisture and thus lose their consistency and taste.

Cut the chanterelles correctly and process them further

When the chanterelles are clean, you can cut and cook them. Smaller specimens can be left entirely, only larger ones should be halved or even third. In contrast, cutting into slices is only necessary for certain applications (e.g. drying in the oven or on a string). Prepare the mushrooms as fresh as possible: If that is not possible, you can store them in the vegetable drawer of your refrigerator for three to four days.