Collect, prepare and dry porcini mushrooms

The warm, humid weather in late summer heralds the porcini mushroom season for many mushroom lovers. Many are now on the search for the popular edible mushrooms and strip off certain forest areas in an almost professional manner. However, if you are not familiar with mushroom hunting, you will not only search in vain, but you may also pick up the wrong mushroom. Here you can find out what you need to look out for when looking for mushrooms and how you can then prepare and preserve the noble mushroom!

When is the porcini mushroom season?

In principle, mushrooms can grow all year round. However, the best time to collect and therefore the season of the porcini mushroom is from late summer to autumn - more precisely from July to October. But this period alone is no guarantee for a successful mushroom search. Because experienced mushroom pickers know that the weather and the time of day also have a significant impact on the mushroom hunt. If you want to find as many mushrooms as possible, you should pay attention to the following:

• Mushrooms love warm, humid weather
• preferably rainy a few days before
• as early as possible in the morning
• It is best to be in the forest by sunrise

What is needed for mushroom picking?

If you want to go in search of the popular edible mushrooms, you should first equip yourself for this. Because the mushrooms should not only be picked professionally, but also transported afterwards. This is the only way to ensure that the mushrooms arrive safely at home and can be processed further without any problems. It is therefore advisable to equip yourself with the following for the mushroom hunt:

• basket or cloth bag
• not a plastic bag
• small knife or pocket knife
• sturdy shoes
• mobile
• emergency set
• If necessary, take the identification book with you

Where do porcini mushrooms grow?

The noble mushroom prefers to grow in forests, both in deciduous and coniferous forests. Of course, this results in a correspondingly large search area. However, if you want to find as many porcini mushrooms as possible, you have to look in certain places. Because many fungi live in close symbiosis with other plants, which gives them more minerals, for example. The noble mushroom also has preferred and unloved neighbors, so that mushroom pickers can search more specifically:

• common in spruces
• and on sandy soils
• on moss or heather
• not for balsam or stinging nettles

Identify porcini mushroom

The porcini mushroom is relatively well known, so that many mushroom lovers can also recognize it visually. However, even experienced mushroom pickers cannot always identify it at first glance. Because sometimes different types of mushrooms only differ on the basis of the smallest characteristics, which are only apparent at second glance. Whether the mushroom found is actually a porcini mushroom can be seen from the following characteristics:

• Hat: 5-25 cm wide
• white in young specimens, later light to dark brown
• Tubes: first white, then green-yellowish
• can be easily detached from the hat meat
• Stem: 7-15 cm high, 3-6 cm thick
• grey-white or grey-brownish
• Flesh: white and firm
• nutty, mild taste

Beware of confusion!

Some types of mushrooms look very similar to the noble mushroom, so it is quite possible that they are confused. If a chestnut boletus ends up in the basket instead of the supposed porcini mushroom, this is usually not a problem. Because the chestnut boletus is also one of the edible mushrooms and can be consumed without hesitation. This can also be seen directly when cutting, because the cutting point turns bluish.

However, the situation is different with the gall boletus, which not only tastes bitter, but is also inedible in large quantities. The reason for this is the hydrocyanic acid it contains, which can lead to stomach and intestinal problems. However, the gall boletus can be distinguished from the porcini mushroom by certain characteristics:

• light to dark brown
• very delicate
• Hat is spherical at first
• later bulging and fleshy
• recognizable web on the stem

Which porcini mushrooms to pick?

If the porcini mushroom is identified as such, this does not mean that it should also be picked. Because both the location and the age and condition of the mushroom play an important role. Ideally, the mushroom grows in a wooded area, is completely intact and middle-aged. However, if the mushroom has the following characteristics, then it is better to leave it in place:

• soggy and frozen mushrooms
• moldy specimens
• especially young ones: can only be determined with difficulty
• too old: are soft and spongy
• Roadside mushrooms: heavy metal pollution

Pick the boletus correctly

Anyone who has found a porcini mushroom should not simply rip it out of the ground with force. This could damage the fungus. However, how the noble mushroom is ultimately picked depends on various factors:

• Porcini mushrooms can be cut off
• preferably just below the style base
• Unscrewing the mushroom is also possible
• tapping the resulting hole afterwards

quality control

Before the picked porcini ends up in the basket, it should be subjected to a quality control. This ensures that the fungus is actually intact and healthy. For this purpose, the fungus is first cleaned of earth residues and then checked as follows:

• Check the sponge under the hat
• ideally it is solid and yellowish
• Remove brown-greenish sponge
• likewise if it is easily depressed
• Generously cut out any traces of feeding
• Slice the mushroom lengthwise
• check for maggots and other pests

How many porcini mushrooms to pick?

Basically, it is advisable to only collect mushrooms in quantities that can be consumed shortly after picking. Because they are not suitable for long-term freshness. In addition, the permitted amount is regulated by law and is even controlled in places! Anyone who has discovered a large number of the popular edible mushrooms should therefore not collect them all at once. Because the following guidelines apply by law:

• 2 kilograms of porcini mushrooms are permitted per day and per person
• A group of 4 people can therefore harvest a maximum of 8 kilograms

transport

Ideally, the porcini mushrooms are placed in a basket or cloth bag while collecting. It is important that the mushrooms are stored in an airy and cool place. Otherwise, it can happen that they spoil within a very short time. In order to ensure that the mushrooms survive the journey home safely, the following should therefore be observed:

• do not store in the overheated car
• keep as cool as possible
• get home as soon as possible

Clean porcini mushroom

Ideally, the mushrooms are freed from coarse dirt and cleaned immediately when they are picked. However, it is not a problem if they are only cleaned at home. Because the mushrooms have to be cleaned anyway before they end up in the saucepan or freezer. To clean them, proceed as follows:

• Cut off moss residue and forest floor at the end of the cut
• remove any needles
• Cut out damaged areas and signs of wear
• Wipe away residue with a kitchen towel
• Halve the mushrooms lengthwise and check for maggots or worms

Prepare porcini mushrooms

The edible mushrooms can be processed into a wide variety of dishes, such as simply frying. In combination with a few herbs and fried bacon cubes, a tasty dish can be conjured up that is also suitable for beginners. If you want to fry them, you need about 400 grams of firm porcini mushrooms, some parsley leaves, fresh herbs and some butter. Seasoning is optional, but seasoning with salt and pepper is usually sufficient. The edible mushrooms are prepared as follows:

• Cut the mushrooms into 0.5 cm thick slices
• Heat oil in pan
• Scatter mushroom slices in it
• Fry for about 2 minutes over medium heat
• season with salt and pepper
• Stir in the butter
• Sprinkle parsley on top
• Add fresh herbs if needed

Dry porcini mushrooms

The edible mushrooms are not suitable for keeping fresh for a long time, but they can be dried without any problems. As a result, they not only keep longer, but also taste more intense. There are different ways to dry the edible mushrooms. On the one hand, they can be dried in the oven at around 40 degrees. It is important to ensure that the oven is not completely closed. It is best to stick a wooden spoon in the door so that it is slightly ajar. As an alternative to the oven, drying in the fresh air is also an option:

• Mushrooms must not be wet - risk of mold
• Therefore, do not wash the mushrooms beforehand!
• then cut into slices about 3 mm thick
• preferably with an egg slicer
• Spread mushroom pieces on tray or gauze
• must not touch
• preferably dry, hot weather
• shady spot is ideal

Freeze porcini mushrooms

An alternative to drying is to freeze the mushrooms. The practical thing here is that both fresh and cooked mushrooms can be frozen. The latter are simply filled into a freezer-safe container and then placed in the freezer. The situation is different with fresh mushrooms, because they must first be prepared:

• clean mushrooms
• Put in boiling water for 2-3 minutes
• then add some lemon juice
• prevents discolouration

durability and storage

After picking, the edible mushrooms can easily be stored in the refrigerator for a few days. To do this, they are filled into an air-permeable container and placed in the vegetable compartment. If the mushrooms are frozen, they will keep for up to six months. Dried porcini mushrooms, on the other hand, can be enjoyed for even longer, provided they are stored properly. Because here the following must be observed:

• closed container
• ideally a darkened vessel
• dark, dry location

Learn more about mushrooms - types and varieties