Contents
How long morels to cook?
Peel, rinse, and soak morels in cold water for 1 hour.
In a saucepan: Put morels in boiling water and cook for 20-25 minutes in fresh salted water without a lid.
In a double boiler: Cook morels after soaking for 30 minutes, placing no more than 3 layers of mushrooms on a steamer tray.
How to cook morels
Need – morels, water
1. To clean morels from large forest debris, rinse under cold water in a colander and transfer to a saucepan.
2. Cover the morels with water so that they are completely submerged in the water.
3. Rinse the morels again by placing the mushrooms in a colander.
4. Drain, fill with clean water and put on fire.
5. Salt the mushrooms, wait for a simmer and reduce the heat.
6. After boiling, cook the mushrooms for 20 minutes.
7. Put the mushrooms in a colander – the morels are cooked and ready to eat.
Delicious facts
Morel Boiling Tips
– Morels are conditionally edible mushrooms, so it is recommended to boil them twice before cooking. The first time in the water in which they were soaked. Morels must first be salted. The cooking time is 7 minutes from the moment of boiling. The resulting broth must be drained, and each mushroom must be thoroughly rinsed under running water. Then put the pure mushrooms all together again in a saucepan, pour cold water and put on the fire again. Once the water boils, cook for about 20 minutes.
– The morel cap is considered the most tasty morsel; it is appreciated for its high taste and pleasant aroma. Legs, on the contrary, are very hard, so they are usually removed before the second cooking.
– In order to remove adhering sand from the morels as much as possible and get rid of snails and other unwanted inhabitants, it is recommended to pre-soak the mushrooms in a large saucepan with cold water for at least an hour. In this case, they must be laid out in the dishes with their legs up. This will allow not only to better preserve the shape of the mushroom, but also to facilitate the process of removing insects.
– Morels must be soaked and boiled before frying. This is due to the fact that these mushrooms contain Helwellic acid, which is a poison. This acid, when boiling mushrooms, goes into water without being destroyed.
– Store boiled morels in the refrigerator for no more than 3 days.
How to grow morels
If you wish, you can harvest morels from your summer cottage. The main thing is that apple trees grow on it. For sowing, you will need mature morels – ordinary or conical. Freshly picked mushrooms must first be washed in a saucepan with cold water. At the same time, the water should not be poured out, since mushroom spores have got into it.
Exist two main ways cultivation of morels in the garden – German and French. In the first case, morels need to be scattered under the apple trees, poured with water from under the mushrooms, and then powder this place with ash. For the winter, crops need to be well covered with leaves (for example, the same apple tree) or straw. In the spring, as soon as the snow comes off the site, the shelter must be removed, leaving only a few leaves to prevent the soil from drying out.
The second method is similar to the first, the only difference is that you need to sow the mycelium on previously prepared beds under the trees. Before sheltering, they must be loosened and scattered on top of the apple pulp (pomace, waste from apples in the canning process). Subject to agricultural technology, the first mushrooms can please two weeks after the snow melts.
– Morels collect in April-May, these are spring mushrooms. Morels are considered conditionally edible mushrooms.
– Morels helpful for health, contain vitamin A (responsible for the growth of bones and skin health, support of vision), niacin (saturation of cells with oxygen and metabolism at the cellular level), as well as substances such as phosphorus (health of bones and teeth, transmission of the genetic code) and calcium (tissue growth). Morel decoction is recommended for gastric disorders: 50 milliliters of a weak decoction 4 times a day before eating.
– For a long time, morels have been used for vision problems – hyperopia, myopia and other eye diseases. Morel helps to strengthen the eye muscle, reduces the risk of cataracts, and with prolonged regular use (up to six months) brightens the lens of the eye.
– Morels are also prized for their excellent antiviral properties. Thanks to their active substances, mushrooms strengthen the human immune system, which is especially important during a flu epidemic. In addition, morels are useful in food to remove toxins from the body, purify blood and lymph. It is recommended for women during breastfeeding if there is a lack of milk. It is noted that morel infusions stimulate the mammary glands.
– The age of the mushrooms can be determined by the color. Young morel is distinguished by a white or beige leg. A middle-aged mushroom has a slightly yellowish leg, and a very old one has a brown tint.
– Morels appear in spring, in April-May, immediately after the snow melts in the forest. Morel caps are wrinkled and look like walnut kernels. Such mushrooms grow in ravines, pine or mixed forests. Morels love to grow in groups on forest edges, glades, glades. They can also be found in thickets and bushes. Burners are no exception. as a rule, large families of morels can be found in forest fires.
– There are three types of morels: common morel, conical morel and morel cap.
How to marinate morels
Products
Morel mushrooms – 1 kilogram
Salt – 1 teaspoon
Peppercorns – 30 peas
Bay leaf – 6 sheets
Citric acid – a third of a teaspoon
Vinegar 6% – 3 tablespoons
Cinnamon, cloves – to taste
How to marinate morels
Soak morels, boil, pass through a colander. Boil the morels again in salted water for 10 minutes.
While the morels are boiling, prepare a marinade for pickling morels: add salt and all the seasonings, citric acid to a saucepan with 2 glasses of water. The marinade is boiled over low heat for half an hour, then cooled. and add vinegar.
Arrange the mushrooms in jars, pour over the marinade, cover and store in a dry, cold place.
How to dry morels
Only fresh mushrooms with a good smell and firmness are suitable for drying. Dry morels whole without chopping. Clean morels from forest debris and wipe with a damp cloth.
Spread the mushrooms on a baking sheet covered with baking paper, dry at 70 degrees with the door open, turning the mushrooms regularly – they burn very quickly. Morels can only be eaten after 3 months of storage. Store dried mushrooms in a dry place; moisture can spoil the mushrooms.
Ready-made dried morels – slightly bend, but do not crumble, dry and light to the touch.
Morel soup recipe
Products
Morels – 500 grams,
Rice – 300 grams,
Butter – 100 grams,
Chicken eggs – 2 pieces,
Salt and herbs to taste
Making morel soup
To clean the caps of morels from dirt, rinse, fill with cold water. 3 times, every 15 minutes, change the water and rinse the morels. Cut the soaked morels into pieces, put them in salted boiling water and cook for 20 minutes. Cook the rice in a separate saucepan. Boil the eggs in another saucepan, cut into pieces.
Add boiled rice and eggs to morel soup, stir. Add butter, finely chopped herbs and salt, leave for 5 minutes, serve with fresh white bread.
Morel sauce
Products
Morels – half a kilo
Butter – 60 grams for thick sauce and 120 grams for a liquid consistency
Flour – 3 tablespoons
Sour cream – 0,5 cups
Garlic – 6 teeth
Onion – 1 small onion
Nutmeg – half a teaspoon
Salt and black pepper to taste
Cream 10% or mushroom broth (you can use wild mushroom broth) 150 ml for thick sauce and 400 ml for a liquid consistency
Parsley – a few twigs for decoration
How to make morel sauce
1. Rinse and dry morels, chop finely.
2. Peel the onions and garlic and chop very finely.
3. Put the butter in a warm skillet and melt.
4. Put onion and garlic, fry for 7 minutes over medium heat until the onion is golden brown.
5. Put the mushrooms, fry for 15 minutes until the excess liquid evaporates, season with salt and pepper.
6. Pour flour on top of the mushrooms, stir, pour in cream or broth.
7. Wait for the cream to boil and turn off the heat.
When serving, garnish the morel sauce with parsley.
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