In our forests, you can often find mushrooms umbrellas. Many bypass them, being afraid to confuse with inedible doubles. But they are absolutely safe. The taste of the umbrella is very reminiscent of tender chicken meat, so the chefs have come up with many ways to cook it. Soup is prepared from mushrooms, salted, pickled, added to salads, and you can also fry umbrellas in a pan.
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Features of the view and useful properties
Most umbrella species are edible and delicious mushrooms. Inexperienced mushroom pickers often confuse these species with poisonous representatives. For a correct definition, you should familiarize yourself with the distinctive features of the edible species:
- The edible section does not darken; it has a pleasant aroma reminiscent of the smell of a nut.
- On the leg you can see the ring, which consists of three layers, and sits like a skirt. This ring can be easily moved along the leg, while in the case of poisonous relatives it holds tightly in one place or does not exist at all.
- A good umbrella grows to 30 cm, and the diameter of the hat open can reach 40 cm. The doubles are much smaller: the height of the legs is up to 13 cm, the diameter of the hat is not more than 14 cm.
- As they grow older, flakes appear on the edges of the hat.
Umbrellas contain a large number of vitamins and useful elements that help cleanse blood vessels, lower cholesterol, strengthen the endocrine and nervous systems. The use of this product has an antibacterial and antitumor effect on the body.
Popular and delicious parasol dishes
From these mushrooms, you can cook a variety of dishes that differ in an unforgettable taste.
Preparing umbrellas for cooking
After harvesting, the forest harvest should be properly prepared before preparation. Preparation depends on the species, but the basic manipulations remain unchanged:
- The legs of most varieties are stiff and excessive fibrous, so they must be removed. The legs are not cut, but “twisted” from the hats. They should not be thrown away, because you can dry, grind and use the legs as a seasoning for dishes. Hats, on which there are few scales, are simply washed in running water. More "shaggy" hats should first be scraped off with a sharp knife, and then washed well.
- Umbrella mushrooms do not need preliminary heat treatment, like most relatives, but for safety reasons, it is better to boil them before any preparation - 10-30 minutes, depending on further processing.
Fried
The most popular and easiest way to prepare umbrellas is to fry in batter. For this, you should take only hats that have white flesh. Mushrooms should not be wormy and young (hats of old specimens are painted in a brownish tint). Prepare them as follows:
- Washed in water from dirt and dust, salt on both sides and left to dry for several minutes.
- At this time, you can begin to prepare the batter: eggs are beaten in one bowl, and flour or breadcrumbs are poured into another.
- The pan with vegetable oil is well heated.
- If the hats are too large, they can be cut into several parts, but you can fry the whole.
- Each piece is dipped in an egg, and then in breadcrumbs.
Mushrooms umbrellas should be fried for several minutes on each side until golden brown.
Braised
To prepare this dish you will need the following ingredients:
- 400 g of umbrellas;
- two eggs;
- 2 tbsp flour;
- 100 g of cheese;
- 50 g of vegetable oil;
- herbs and spices are added to taste.
Well-washed hats are cut lengthwise into two parts. Then beat the eggs with flour and spices. The hats are rolled in batter and placed on a preheated pan (it is better to use a pan with a thick bottom). On low heat they are put out until cooked, after which they are covered with a layer of grated cheese. You can add a little onion, which is desirable to marinate a few hours before stewing. When the cheese melts, the stewed umbrellas are ready.
Soups
You can cook a delicious and fragrant soup from this product. To do this, take the following components:
- 0.5 kg of umbrellas;
- 2 l of water;
- 4 medium potatoes;
- 4 pcs. carrots and onions;
- 50 g of oil;
- allspice peas, salt, bay leaves add to taste.
Hats are cut into medium pieces and placed in a pot of water. Boil over medium heat for about 20 minutes. Potatoes are cut and added to the pan. After 10 minutes, pour the frying of carrots and onions. Along with frying, salt and spices are thrown into the container to taste, after which the soup should be cooked on low heat for another five minutes.
Salads
For this mushroom, you can use all recipes for salads with mushrooms. The simplest and most delicious salad can be prepared as follows:
- legs and hats are well washed and boiled for about 20 minutes;
- several eggs are boiled hard-boiled;
- pickles, hard cheese, mushrooms and eggs are cut into small cubes;
- the resulting mixture is mixed well with mayonnaise.
In this salad, you can add greens and experiment with the ingredients.
Harvesting for the winter
Umbrellas are well stored, so they can be prepared for the winter in various ways. But in order to extend their shelf life, it is necessary to adhere to certain rules for the processing and preparation of fruits.
Salted
For pickles, you need to take enameled dishes, the bottom of which is covered with horseradish leaves. Peas are spread on top, a few cloves of finely chopped garlic and all this is salted. Well-washed mushrooms are placed in a bowl with the plates up, after which they are salted, garlic, pepper and horseradish leaves are added. And such manipulations are done for each layer.
After filling the dishes, cover the pickle with a plate on which oppression is placed on top. The container should be placed in a cool place for two weeks. For this purpose, a balcony, cellar or refrigerator is suitable.
Pickled
For this method of harvesting for the winter, both young specimens and more mature individuals are suitable, from which hard legs should be removed. For a marinade for 2 kg of umbrellas, you need such components:
- 2.5 liters of water;
- 150 g of salt;
- 10 g of citric acid;
- 20 g of sugar;
- two teaspoons of allspice;
- 5 tbsp 6% table vinegar;
- two pinches of cloves and cinnamon.
Prepared mushrooms are boiled in brine, which consists of two liters of water, 100 g of salt and several grams of citric acid. Cook should be before lowering all the umbrellas to the bottom of the tank. The resulting mass is thrown into a colander and left for some time, after which it is laid out in banks.
Marinade is made from the remains of salt, water, sugar and spices, and vinegar is added after boiling. This liquid is added to the mushroom mass in jars. After that, pickled mushrooms must be sterilized for 40 minutes. Then you can start rolling up.
Dry salted
For harvesting in this way, fruit bodies should be thoroughly cleaned with a soft sponge, but not washed. Put the caps in the enameled container with the plates facing up. Each layer must be sprinkled with salt. The last layer is covered with a cloth, on which a plate is placed, and pressed down with jars of water as oppression. After 4 days, the hats will start juice, after which they are transferred to small jars and put in the refrigerator.
If the saline will be stored in a residential environment, pour the cans with brine and sterilize them for 30 minutes.
Frozen
These fruits are perfectly stored and frozen. To do this, fresh fruit bodies are washed well and left for some time so that the moisture evaporates completely. In the freezer, they are laid out in one layer, and after freezing they are transferred to a sealed bag.
You can freeze already cooked specimens, which should be cut into small pieces.
Dried
The most common way to dry fruiting bodies is by drying in the oven. Such a blank can be stored for a very long time in vacuum bags. Drying should be protected from odors and moisture.
Umbrellas should be washed and dried well. If possible, they are dried with the help of sunlight. Parchment is covered on a baking sheet, then mushrooms are laid out. The baking sheet is placed in the oven, preheated to 50 ° C. If drying takes place in the appliance without a fan, open the door slightly. Drying time depends on several factors: the size of the product and the capabilities of the oven. Therefore, readiness should be determined independently.
Answers to Common Questions
Umbrella mushrooms have excellent taste. They can be cooked even by a beginner in the culinary business. Having familiarized with the recipes and the intricacies of cooking, you can please loved ones with delicious mushroom dishes.