Kira Stoletova
Collection of chanterelles
This species produces its best harvest in mid-summer and early autumn. It is better to look for them in coniferous forests, as well as in mixed and birch forests. The common chanterelle, or true chanterelle, is a mycorrhizal fungus that enters into symbiotic relationships most often with conifers with spruce and pine, and with deciduous trees with beech and oak.
Habitats of the species:
- in damp moss;
- under foliage;
- under the branches;
- in tall and thick grass.
The chanterelle can be slowly and carefully twisted out of the soil, holding the base of the legs, or cut off with a knife.
Drying
Drying chanterelles is one of the best ways to prepare them. The mushroom does not lose its beneficial properties and is a low-calorie product. It is contraindicated to consume them raw: they have an aggressive effect on the gastrointestinal tract.
To prepare dried chanterelles use:
- Sun;
- oven;
- air fryer;
- electric dryer;
- Russian stove;
- microwave.
Do not wash or soak mushrooms before drying. The product will absorb a large amount of moisture, which will make it impossible to cook properly.
It is better to dry at a temperature of +40...+45°C in several passes. The mushrooms are cleaned and cut into small plates. They are laid out on the surface in one layer and dried for several hours, then cooled and the procedure is repeated. The chanterelles are ready if they bend a little, but do not release moisture or crumble. After drying, a powder is prepared from them, which is taken as medicine.
Irina Selyutina (Biologist):
Treatment with chanterelles
Chanterelles can simply be dried, crushed and taken 1 tsp. every day for 2 months. A decoction is also prepared from the powder. The course of treatment lasts 3 weeks.
Chanterelle decoction:
- bring the water to a boil, then let it cool to room temperature;
- pour into a glass with 50 g of powder;
- leave for 1.5-2 hours;
- Drink the liquid before bed along with the sediment (after stirring).
Additional herbs are added to the decoction:
- sagebrush;
- chamomile;
- oak bark;
- sage;
- birch leaves;
- calendula;
- yarrow;
- peppermint;
- tansy;
- sumac.
These medicinal herbs enhance the healing effect of the decoction. They also have a positive effect on the functioning of internal organs, making treatment more effective.
Medications
Pharmacies sell products made from chanterelle powder. They are made as a highly concentrated extract. The medicine is 15 times stronger than the homemade version.
There is also a medicine called Fungo-Shi. The capsules contain dried chanterelle powder extract. They are taken 2 pieces per day.
Conclusion
Chanterelles have many beneficial properties. They strengthen the immune system, prevent the appearance of varicose veins, and improve the quality of the skin. They are also an antibacterial product.
Additionally, mushrooms improve vision and prevent inflammation of the cornea. They are also added to soups, sauces and side dishes as a seasoning.
Mushrooms are generally considered one of the most valuable foods, and chanterelles are used not only for cooking and treating various diseases. However, mushrooms do not grow all year round, so you should stock up on them in the off-season in advance. There are several ways to dry chanterelles at home so that they do not lose their beneficial properties. They are prepared in the dryer, on the cabinet, in the oven, in the microwave, on a thread - whatever you like, as long as you follow the rules for drying mushrooms. It should be remembered that these mushrooms become quite hard when dried, so you need to carefully follow the drying technology.
Experienced mushroom pickers know that chanterelles differ from other mushrooms not only in their bright orange color, but also in the complete absence of wormholes. Pests do not like them because they cannot tolerate the quinomannose contained in chanterelles. Thanks to this, the collected mushrooms do not suffer any damage. Is it possible to dry chanterelles so that they retain all their beneficial properties? It is possible, only without exceeding the temperature and following the preparation process:
- Cleaning from external contaminants – stuck leaves, litter, small blades of grass.
- You need to clean chanterelles without using water - the porous spongy structure quickly absorbs liquid, and the mushrooms become fragile.
- Heavily contaminated mushrooms are wiped with a damp, thoroughly wrung-out clean cloth.
- The chanterelles are carefully wiped and left whole if the mushrooms are dried according to the traditional method - on a harsh thread.
- For other drying methods, chanterelles are cut in the direction of the grain into two or four parts.
- The prepared mushroom raw materials are weighed. It is important that for harvesting, take recently picked mushrooms with dense, tight caps.
To dry chanterelles in the open air, the mushrooms are strung on a harsh thick thread. The drying process will take at least a week, provided there is good sunny weather. Otherwise, mushroom beads can be dried in a well-ventilated area with low humidity, periodically unfolding them in different directions. Many culinary recipes are based on the use of dry chanterelles.
Drying raw materials naturally
In addition to the traditional preparation on a thread, they use the method of laying out prepared mushroom raw materials on a spacious, flat surface - in a closet or on a floor covered with clean paper sheets:
- The wooden cabinet is emptied of its contents. The shelves are covered with clean paper (it is not advisable to use newspapers).
- The prepared chanterelles are laid out in one layer, evenly, so that there is natural access of air and the mushrooms do not become moldy.
- Dry until the product is thoroughly dry. It may take a week or ten days - it all depends on the temperature and humidity conditions in the room.
- In the same way, you can dry mushrooms on a laid floor, covering the top with paper. It’s good if you close the entrance to the room with a mosquito net.
Dried chanterelles, prepared naturally, perfectly retain all their beneficial properties. After this, they can be used to prepare very tasty dishes or used for treatment according to folk recipes of alternative medicine.
Household drying equipment
A popular way to dry chanterelles is to use the oven. This allows you to quickly prepare them for the winter, but the process must be performed correctly:
- Mushrooms are cleaned of contaminants and cut into pieces.
- The oven is heated to +50°C, a baking sheet with raw materials is placed in it.
- The oven door is left ajar to allow evaporating moisture to escape.
- After 1.5-2 hours, the temperature in the oven is increased to +60°C, but no more.
- After another two hours, take out the baking sheet and turn the pieces over.
- The procedure is repeated several times, all the time sorting the raw materials - the dry pieces are removed, and the rest are dried further.
This is the only way to carefully prepare dried chanterelles in the oven. In a similar way, mushrooms are dried in the microwave, but only in small batches. The raw materials are left at a power of 180 V for 20 minutes, the liquid is drained, the microwave is ventilated for 5 minutes, and the liquid formed from evaporation is drained again. The procedure is repeated until the mushrooms are completely ready, from which you can subsequently prepare a variety of dishes.
You can speed up the drying of chanterelles using a special device - a vegetable dryer. It will contain a large batch of raw materials. Many dryers have an automatic mode for harvesting mushrooms. If there is no such program, the raw materials are placed at +50°C for 3 hours, after which the pieces are laid out on the table and allowed to cool for 2 hours, the process is repeated until completely dry. In addition to drying, chanterelles can also be used to prepare delicious dishes.
Beneficial properties of dried mushroom
Harvested dried chanterelles are used to treat diseases at home. The product contains many useful substances and elements:
The use of chanterelles against worms
- Mushrooms are prepared using a natural drying method. In case of heat treatment in an oven or oven, the temperature should not exceed 50°C.
- The prepared raw materials are thoroughly ground. You can use a coffee grinder.
- Take 1 tsp. powder and add 100-150 ml of warm water. Infuse ground mushrooms for 30 minutes.
- Stir and immediately take orally, once or twice a day for a month. The medicine is taken on an empty stomach.
Dried chanterelles in cooking
A soup made from dried chanterelles, vegetables and cream is very tasty and healthy. The dish should be prepared from the following ingredients:
- 100 g of mushroom raw materials;
- 3 pcs. potatoes and 1 pc. carrots, onions;
- 200 ml of any cream;
- 2 tbsp. olive oil;
- 40 g butter;
- 2 liters of water;
- herbs, salt and pepper to taste.
To prepare the soup, dried chanterelles are soaked for 30 minutes. in cold water, then boil for 20 minutes. Prepare potatoes, onions and carrots. Remove the mushrooms from the broth and add chopped potatoes. Heat butter in a frying pan, combine with olive oil, add chopped onion and grated carrots. After five minutes, add the mushrooms, cover and steam for about 10 minutes. Fried vegetables and mushrooms are added to the broth, boiled for 5-7 minutes, and cream is added. After 5 min. The dish is ready, all that remains is to decorate it with herbs. The soup recipe is very simple, tasty and healthy.
The mushroom season goes by pretty quickly. During this time, you need to have time to make supplies for the winter in the form of frozen or dried mushrooms. Today we’ll talk about how you can dry such healthy and tasty mushrooms as chanterelles at home.
The harvested chanterelles must first be sorted. It is advisable to sort the mushrooms by size, since the drying time depends on this. Identical mushrooms will dry out more evenly.
There is no need to wash the chanterelles. It is better to simply wipe dirty areas with a damp and clean dishwashing sponge. The lower part of the legs is cut off with a sharp knife.
If the mushroom caps are very large, they will need to be cut in half.
How to dry chanterelles at home
Drying naturally
You can dry mushrooms in the sun without using additional equipment. To do this, the chanterelles are laid out in one layer on a flat surface covered with a sheet of paper and placed on a windowsill or balcony.
You can collect “beads” from mushrooms. To do this, the caps are strung on a thick thread and hung in a well-ventilated area.
Also, in a natural way, faces can dry on a regular cabinet. In this case, the surface of the cabinet is lined with paper, and the mushrooms are covered with napkins on top, without pressing them tightly.
Any of these methods are quite time-consuming. Drying time – 7 – 14 days. It will depend on the size of the mushrooms, the conditions of their collection and weather conditions.
The optimal option is when the mushrooms are dried in the sun for several days and then finally dried in the oven.
In the oven
Place the mushrooms on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, keeping a small distance between the caps. It is very convenient to use special grates, which are often included with the oven.
The stove is heated to a temperature of 40 - 45 degrees and the chanterelles are placed there. To ensure air flow, the oven door is left ajar. To do this, you can place a towel or oven mitt in the gap.
After 2 hours, the temperature is increased to 55 - 60 degrees. And the mushrooms periodically begin to be taken out and mixed. To make drying more even, it is recommended to rearrange the hats: those that were closer to the door should be moved deeper into the cabinet and vice versa.
Drying time varies depending on the size of the mushrooms. Those that are already ready should be removed, and the rest should be left to dry. Typically it takes 8-10 hours to dry one batch.
Watch the video from the “Useful Tips” channel - How to properly dry mushrooms for the winter in the oven
In an electric dryer
Typically, these units are equipped with a mode specializing in drying mushrooms. If there is one, then you just need to set the desired temperature and wait for the result. If there is no such mode, then the chanterelles need to be dried for the first 2 - 3 hours at a temperature of 50 degrees, and then switch the device to a temperature of 60 degrees, and dry the mushrooms until tender.
Products in trays should be distributed evenly in one layer, and trays should be swapped during the dehydration process.
The total time for drying chanterelles in an electric dryer will be approximately 9 – 10 hours.
A video from the MrGerVick channel will tell you how to properly dry chanterelle mushrooms
In a convection oven
Chanterelles dry very quickly in the air fryer, in just an hour and a half. For this method, set the temperature on the unit to 60 degrees and set the maximum blowing power. The lid should be kept slightly open to ensure good ventilation.
In the microwave
Disadvantages of this method:
- it is very energy-intensive;
- Only small batches of mushrooms can be dried.
The chanterelles are placed on a flat container or wire rack. The power of the unit is set to 180 W and the time is set to 20 minutes. After the signal, remove the mushrooms and allow to cool for 5 minutes. During this time, the oven should also be ventilated with the door open.
At the final stage, the container with mushrooms is placed in the microwave for another 20 minutes. If this time is not enough, then the procedure is repeated.
In a refrigerator
In order to dry the mushrooms by cold, they are laid out on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator in one layer. Before doing this, the shelf should be covered with a sheet of paper. Drying time – 1 – 2 weeks.
A video from the “Useful Tips” channel will tell you more about this method - How to dry mushrooms without an oven
How to store dry chanterelles
You can store dry mushrooms in pieces or in the form of mushroom powder. To do this, the drying powder is ground with a regular coffee grinder.
The powder is stored in glass jars, and whole mushrooms are stored in tin or wooden containers, as well as in cotton bags. The storage place should be dry and dark.
Mushrooms are valuable products, and chanterelles are used not only for cooking, but also for the treatment of various diseases. But they do not grow all year, so many people prefer to stock up on them for future use. There are different harvesting methods. How to dry chanterelles at home is described in the article.
The benefits of chanterelles
The fruits are valued for their rich vitamin and mineral composition. They contain many vitamins B, PP, C, E and A. Mushrooms contain iron, cobalt, fluorine, zinc, and calcium. They contain amino acids. Due to its vitamin composition, the product is considered a natural antibiotic. It improves defenses. Mushroom remedies are used to treat diseases.
Based on this type of fungus, preparations are made to eliminate worms in people and animals. They are also effective in treating the musculoskeletal system, diseases of the heart, blood vessels, and pancreas. The fruits are used to eliminate psoriasis and tuberculosis. The presence of the ergosterol component makes the product useful for people with liver diseases. Mushrooms are used in the treatment of sore throat, skin abscesses, and inflammation. Is it possible to dry chanterelles? How to dry chanterelles? These are the questions that arise for many young housewives.
Preparation
Experienced mushroom pickers know that chanterelles differ from other mushrooms in their deep orange color and the absence of wormholes. Pests do not prefer them because they do not like the quinomannose inside. Because of this, the fruits are without damage. Before you learn how to dry chanterelle mushrooms at home, you should prepare them for this procedure:
- Cleansing of contaminants - leaves, blades of grass.
- Do not use water for cleaning, as moisture makes the mushrooms brittle.
- Heavily soiled areas should be removed with a damp cloth, which should be thoroughly wrung out.
- The chanterelles must be wiped and left whole if drying is carried out in the classical way.
- When using other methods, you need to cut them in the direction of the grain into 2 or 4 parts.
- Raw materials need to be weighed. It is important to take recently collected chanterelles for harvesting.
Fruits can be harvested in different ways. How to dry chanterelles for the winter? The answer to this question is revealed by the information below.
Bead drying
How to dry chanterelles at home? The fruits must be strung whole on a thread and hung in a dry room, for example, near the stove. The beads need to be turned over regularly so that moisture evaporates from all sides. This harvesting method is considered the simplest, but time-consuming, it will take at least a week. The product must be protected from insects. It is advisable to choose such drying when you can hang mushroom beads on the street, and not at home.
In the closet
If the previous option is not suitable, then you can choose a blank in the closet. How to properly dry chanterelle mushrooms in this way? The pieces should be laid out on a horizontal surface, for example, in a closet. Just before this you need to lay down newspaper or paper.
The raw materials should be spread out evenly, covered with paper, but not pressed down. This will protect against insects. The room where drying is carried out should be thoroughly ventilated, and a mosquito net should be used.
In the oven
How to dry chanterelles at home using an oven? Pre-prepared pieces should be placed on a baking sheet. It is advisable to place baking paper or foil. If there are a lot of mushrooms, you need to take 2 baking sheets, and if there are a lot of mushrooms, then it is better to dry them in several stages.
The oven should be preheated to 50 degrees, place a baking sheet in it and clamp the door with an oven mitt or towel so that it is not completely closed. Steam will come out through the gap - this is the liquid from the mushrooms. If the door is closed completely, the water will again penetrate into the chanterelles and therefore they will not be able to dry.
After filling the kitchen with the aroma of dried mushrooms (usually this takes 1.5-2 hours), the temperature should be increased to 60 degrees, but no more. After another 1-1.5 hours, you need to periodically open the device, take out the baking tray to turn it over and remove the mushrooms. If this procedure is not followed, small pieces may dry out and burn, and larger pieces may become moldy. No one can say how long such drying lasts, since the duration depends on various factors - the number and size of the pieces, the age of the mushrooms and the harvesting conditions.
Microwave
This procedure is performed much faster compared to the oven. In addition, this method can be used for a small number of fruits. How to dry chanterelles at home if you have a microwave? First, the pieces should be laid out in a thin layer on a plate and left to evaporate at 180 W for 20 minutes.
Then you need to remove the dishes and pour out the liquid that appears. The microwave door should be left open for 5-10 minutes. Then you need to put it on again for 20 minutes with the same mode, drain the liquid and wait for a certain period. This is done several times until the mushrooms are ready.
Dryer
It is convenient to perform the procedure in a dryer designed for vegetables and fruits. It will fit a lot of mushrooms. How to properly dry chanterelles at home? The duration of the procedure depends on the type of device, but there are 2 options - if there is a “mushroom” mode or not. If it is, then you just need to turn it on and leave the fruits to dry for 7-8 hours.
If there are no special programs in the dryer, the mushrooms should be placed inside, and then turn on the device at 50 degrees for 3 hours. Then the fruits should be removed and let them lie on the table for several hours. Next, you need to dry them until completely ready at 60 degrees.
How to identify readiness?
Readiness is determined easily: you need to try to break the mushroom. It shouldn't crumble in your hand. Properly cooked chanterelles bend between your fingers, but they only break with effort. The fault area must be dry.
Another verification option is weighing. After drying, the fruits become lighter than they were before, about 9-10 times. If less weight loss is detected, then additional drying is required.
Storage
Would it be useful for housewives to know how to dry and store chanterelles at home? Everything about preparation is clear: you need to use any of the above methods. But how to store them? The pieces can be placed in a canvas bag, which must be tied.
Many people prepare powder from mushrooms. It is added to various dishes. Then the chanterelles need to be ground in a coffee grinder. The powder is stored in closed, ceramic containers.
The danger of mushrooms
Chanterelles, like other mushrooms, can cause harm. You should not collect them near industrial enterprises or highways, since many harmful components and heavy metals accumulate on the fruits there. There is no need to use them often or in large quantities during pregnancy and lactation. It is forbidden to feed mushroom dishes to children under 3 years of age. The restriction must be observed by people with kidney disease, gastritis, and ulcers.
Thus, chanterelles are healthy, but only in moderation and with proper preparation. Drying is the best harvesting method, since all valuable substances are preserved in the fruits. Which method to choose depends on your desire.
Chanterelles are tasty and healthy mushrooms. You can enjoy them not only during the mushroom season, but also when preparing for the winter. They can be salted and pickled, but dried mushrooms are more nutritious and digestible, and have high physiological and biological value. Dried mushrooms contain minerals, vitamins and essential acids. Chanterelles lend themselves perfectly to drying, while retaining their aroma, taste and beneficial properties. Therefore, drying chanterelles is the most preferred and common method of processing this type of mushroom.
During drying, the weight of mushrooms decreases tenfold, their durability increases, which greatly simplifies their storage. For drying, choose healthy, strong and fresh chanterelles, without wormholes. They remove soil, moss, leaves, sand from them, but do not wash them (they take a long time to dry after this, and they may even darken). Only the caps of chanterelles are dried, so the legs are separated with a stainless steel knife. To speed up drying, large caps are cut into several parts, small caps are processed entirely.
In ordinary household conditions, chanterelles are dried in the sun or in the open air, in Russian ovens, in special dryers or in a regular oven, on an electric or gas stove, or in a microwave oven, on batteries, and so on. With any drying, it is important that the mushrooms dry gradually and not cook. At the same time, they need to be dried quickly enough with constant air circulation and a relatively high temperature, because with slow drying the chanterelles can deteriorate.
Air travel is possible only on hot, sunny days. It lasts for at least a week. The chanterelles are strung on strong strong threads and hung in the sun, or placed on special devices: sieves, braids, grates, covering with gauze to prevent flies and making sure that they do not touch. The ideal way to dry chanterelles is to dry them in the sun, followed by drying them in an oven or Russian oven.
Chanterelles are considered properly dried if, when compressed, they bend and spring slightly, but do not break. Well-dried chanterelles resemble fresh ones in taste and aroma. The yield of dry mushrooms averages from 10 to 14% of the weight of the raw product. In other words, from 10 kg of fresh raw materials, 1 - 1.4 kilograms of dried product are obtained. Mushrooms should not be allowed to dry out, as they lose their taste and aroma, and during cooking they do not soften and are poorly cooked. In such cases, it is better to grind them into powder in a coffee grinder - when crushed, the films of coarse fibers will be destroyed and they will be easier to digest. But under-dried mushrooms quickly deteriorate: they begin to mold in the presence of the slightest dampness.
In the oven, the chanterelles are dried at a temperature of 60-65°C, spread out in one layer on a baking sheet or on special racks. To ensure air flow in it, the door must be kept ajar. To ensure uniform drying of the mushrooms, the sieves are periodically swapped.
It is impossible to determine the exact duration of drying and drying of chanterelles. If they are the same size, they dry at the same time. Dry mushrooms are removed, and the rest are dried, turning them over periodically.
Dried chanterelles should be stored in a dry, dark room in tightly closed metal or glass jars, or in moisture-proof bags. If these conditions are met, they can be stored for more than one year. If for any reason the mushrooms have absorbed moisture and become damp or moldy, they must be sorted out and dried.
Before preparing food from chanterelles, they are thoroughly washed to remove dust and dirt, soaked in water for several hours, and then boiled in it.