The chanterelle mushroom is valued for its excellent taste, as well as for its powerful medicinal effect. He is not afraid of insects due to the content of chinomannose, which kills all helminth larvae. It is for this reason that chanterelles eaten by worms are almost never found.
In this article we will tell you how to distinguish these mushrooms from their false counterparts, where they grow, what types there are and how to properly prepare them for future use.
Varieties
There are several varieties of these wonderful gifts of the forest in the world: first of all, it is, of course, the common chanterelle, a photo of which you can see in the article. A little less common is velvety (bright orange), faceted, having a smooth hymenophore and brittle flesh, gray - black with snow-white spores.
Faceted chanterelle is often found in the forests of North America, gray - in the northern hemisphere, in the temperate zone, as well as in the tropics. Mushroom pickers avoided this variety for a long time - it was frightened away by its awesome black color and a shape resembling a pipe. In Germany, it was even called the "trumpet of death", believing that the mushroom is poisonous. In fact, the aroma and taste of this mushroom variety is much higher than that of its yellow relative.
Chanterelle ordinary: description
The cap of this pretty mushroom is 3 to 14 cm in diameter, yellow or orange and has an irregular shape. Can be convex or concave, prostrate or funnel-shaped.
Stem, 3 to 10 cm high, thick and solid, as a rule, grows together with the hat and has almost the same color. At the top it expands. The pulp is dense, fleshy, often fibrous, white. When pressed, it turns a little red.
Freshly cut mushroom has a slightly sour taste and aroma of dried fruit. Chanterelle ordinary - a mushroom with wavy edges, bent down. The peel is separated from the cap with difficulty. It is very smooth and pleasant to the touch.
Where does the chanterelle grow most often?
This fungus often forms mycorrhiza with various trees, but prefers pine, spruce, oak or beech most of all. Therefore, most often the common chanterelle is found in mixed or coniferous forests. These mushrooms are demanding on sunlight, so they prefer grassy or shady places.
At the same time, a large amount of moisture is required for the germination of fruiting bodies, so the fungus chooses glades where there is a large amount of moss or litter, which protect the soil from drying out.
When to collect chanterelles?
The common chanterelle begins to bear fruit en masse in the veryend of summer. True, in dry years this period may shift slightly until the beginning of autumn. Most often, these mushrooms can be found next to the pine tree. And the reason for this neighborhood is not only mycorrhiza.
The common chanterelle is not too picky in choosing a "partner", but it is more suitable for acidic soils, which, as a rule, form in pines due to coniferous litter, which reliably mulches the soil, protecting the mycelium from drying out.
Looking for mushrooms on the edges, clearings. Finding them due to the bright color is not at all difficult. Chanterelles do not hide under leaves. Fruiting bodies do not germinate singly. Chanterelles do not form grandiose heaped glades, but if you meet one mushroom, then there will certainly be others nearby.
Processing and storage
Chanterelles are very popular mushrooms, although they belong to the third category. The reason is that this type is a little heavy for the body, it can be eaten in not too large portions.
Before cooking, the mushrooms must be washed well. Most of it is usually cut off - the fibers that it contains will remain tough during cooking. These mushrooms can be boiled, fried, pickled, frozen. Before cooking, the pulp should be cut into small pieces - this will facilitate the process. Many mushroom pickers do not recommend drying them, believing that they become tough in this form. However, one can argue with this statement, the main thing is to learn some secrets that will allow you to cook fragrant and tender chanterelles.
How to dry mushrooms(chanterelle ordinary)?
You can use the old proven method: whole mushrooms must be strung on a thick thread and hung in a well-ventilated dry place. Such mushroom beads should be rotated periodically so that moisture leaves evenly from all sides.
This is an effective drying method, but it takes the longest: the mushrooms will dry out completely in at least seven to eight days. Chanterelles during drying must be protected from flies and other insects. Therefore, this method is most suitable for a country house, when such beauty can be hung on the street.
Cupboard drying
Another popular way to dry naturally is to spread the chanterelles on a horizontal surface. Usually a regular cabinet is used for this. First, the surface must be covered with paper. Raw materials should be laid out on it with a thin layer and covered with another sheet of paper on top, without pressing it. This is necessary to protect against insects.
Use the oven
Most often, chanterelles are dried in the oven at home. To do this, sliced \u200b\u200bpieces of mushrooms should be spread out in a thin layer on a baking sheet, placing parchment or foil. If there are a lot of mushrooms, you can use two baking sheets at the same time.
The oven is heated to 50 degrees and a baking sheet is placed in it. Cover the oven, leaving a small gap with an oven mitt or towel. Through this gap with steam, liquid will come out of the mushrooms. Two hours later, when the air in the kitchen is filled with the divine aroma of mushrooms,the temperature in the oven is increased to 60 degrees.
After an hour and a half, you can periodically open the oven, take out the baking sheet and turn the mushrooms over, take out the finished ones. If this is not done, then smaller pieces will dry out, and larger pieces will not give up all the moisture and may subsequently become moldy.
Microwave oven
This is the most modern way of drying, it is faster, but rather troublesome. In addition, it is suitable for a small amount of mushrooms. Spread the pieces in a thin layer on a plate, preferably flat, put them to evaporate for twenty minutes at a power of 180 watts. Then the plate must be removed and the released liquid drained. The door at this time should be left open for 5 minutes.
Set the plate again for another twenty minutes on the same mode, drain the liquid again and wait a while. Repeat this procedure as many times as necessary for the chanterelles to be fully cooked.
How to determine readiness?
The readiness of a piece of mushroom is easy to determine if you try to break it. It should not crumble in the hand. Properly dried chanterelles should bend between the fingers, and break only when a certain effort is applied. It is important to remember that the fracture site must be completely dry.
Another way to determine the readiness of mushrooms is by weighing. After drying, chanterelles become ten times lighter. If they have lost less weight, drying should continue.
Chanterelle extract
The common chanterelle has a number ofmedicinal properties. The most famous of them is the ability to combat human parasites. The ready-made pharmaceutical form of the extract, produced in granules, is most often part of an antiparasitic program.
This remedy is prescribed 2 capsules (for adults) twice a day. For children under 10 years of age, the dosage is halved. The course of treatment is 30 days.
Side effects
May cause mild dyspepsia with increased sensitivity to the drug. There have been cases of allergic reactions that can manifest as hives.
Contraindications
Chanterelle extract should not be taken:
- during pregnancy;
- when lactating;
- for hypotension;
- children under 3;
- with a tendency to bleed.
