How to cook tinder fungus: tea, pickling, the best dishes

The tinder fungus is a fungus that can be seen growing on old trees or stumps. At first glance, it is difficult to believe that it can be eaten. However, despite the unsightly appearance, this species is used for medicinal and culinary purposes. Cooking tinder fungus is very simple – there are many recipes for tea, salads and first courses. But first you need to decide which varieties can be eaten.

What tinder fungus can be eaten

There are many varieties of tinder fungi. They are divided into inedible, conditionally edible, medicinal and edible.

For cooking, you can use the following varieties:

1. sulfur yellow. It belongs to the category of conditionally edible, since only young specimens that do not have dark spots can be eaten.
2. Scaly. Used in medicine, dried, pickled and added to sauces and soups. This species grows predominantly on elms.
3. Liver. It grows on oaks, young mushrooms are pickled or salted.
4. Umbrella. Looking like large bouquets, mushrooms of this variety are popular in China as one of the main dishes.
5. Winter. It grows on the trunks of alder, birch or willow. The pulp is suitable for human consumption.
6. Sheep. The only variety that is similar in appearance to a “normal” mushroom. It is used as a base for water and alcohol infusions. It can also be dried, pickled or salted.

Scaled tinder fungus can be dried, pickled and added to sauces and first courses

What can be made from tinder

Edible varieties can be eaten in a variety of ways. For example, make the following tinder dishes:

1. Dry, salt or marinate tin foil.
2. Prepare a tincture.
3. Make a salad.
4. Cook the soup.
5. Make tea from tinder fungus.
6. Boil a side dish or fry a second dish.

How to cook tinder fungus

Before you start cooking the tinder fungus, it needs primary heat treatment for 40-45 minutes. After that, you can start the cooking process:

1. Cooking. The most important manipulation before further actions. Mushrooms are boiled in lightly salted water for about an hour, after which the liquid is drained.
2. Frying. Boiled tinder fungi are fried in sunflower oil for 10 minutes. If necessary, add sauce or spices, and all this languishes under the lid for another 10-15 minutes.

These are the main preparation steps – the rest of the steps will depend on the recipe chosen.

Recipes for tinder mushrooms

For the use of freshly harvested mushrooms, you can use the basic cooking recipes. From them you can cook the first and second courses. True, it is worth remembering that when cooking the mushroom, a not very pleasant smell may be emitted.

Cutlets from tinder scaly

This option will require the following ingredients:

• fresh mushrooms – 1,5 kg;
• three cloves of garlic;
• white bread – 200 g;
• salt, spices – to taste;
• one chicken egg;
• flour – 200

You can add cheese or meat to minced meat, and use breading instead of flour

The cooking process looks like this:

1. Mushrooms are cleaned and soaked in warm water for 3 hours.
2. The product must be boiled for 20 minutes, then drained, washed with cold water and allowed to cool.
3. Mushrooms are scrolled in a meat grinder in several passes. For the rest of the ingredients, once is enough.
4. Salt, pepper, egg are added to the resulting minced meat and mixed.
5. Cutlets are formed, rolled in flour and fried over low heat until tender.

Trutovik with sour cream

The dish can be served with boiled potatoes or buckwheat.

For preparation you will need:

• fresh mushrooms – 300 g;
• onions – 1 pcs.;
• vegetable oil – 90 g;
• sour cream 30% – 150 g;
• a bunch of dill;
• salt and pepper – to taste.

When all the ingredients are prepared, you can start cooking:

1. Mushrooms are cleaned, dipped in boiling water and boiled for 5 minutes.
2. The onion is cut into strips and fried in vegetable oil.
3. Finely chop the mushrooms, add to the pan and fry for 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper if necessary.
4. Sour cream is added to the mixture, the products are mixed and stewed for 10 minutes.
5. Top everything with dill and cook for another 5 minutes.

The finished dish is recommended to be served hot.

Collection and preparation of mushrooms:

mushroom pate

For this simple recipe, you will need a few ingredients:

• fresh mushrooms – 1 kg;
• onion – 600 g;
• sunflower oil – 200 g;
• salt and pepper to taste.

The pâté is perfect for breakfast sandwiches.

Step-by-step cooking:

1. Mushrooms are washed, cut, peeled and boiled in boiling water for 40 minutes.
2. The broth is drained, and the tinder fungus is left to cool.
3. Finely chop the onion and mix it with mushrooms, salt and pepper.
4. The resulting mass is fried in a large amount of sunflower oil until cooked (about 15 minutes).
5. Then cover the pan with a lid and simmer for another 5 minutes.
6. The cooled mixture is stirred until smooth with a blender.

How to prepare tinder mushrooms for the winter

To cook dishes from tinder fungus in winter, it must be preserved in advance. To do this, hot pickled mushrooms are laid out in jars, 70% vinegar is added (1 tablespoon per liter). After that, the product is hermetically sealed with a metal lid.

Mushrooms can also be pickled. To do this, they are pre-boiled and placed in a jar, alternating layers with bay leaves, garlic and pepper. Filled jars are tightly closed and cleaned in a dark place.

It is very easy to dry tinder fungus. They are cut into small pieces, strung on a strong thread so that they do not touch each other and hung to dry in the open air.

Terms and conditions of storage of tinder fungi

Tinder fungi are ideal for all methods of harvesting for the winter, as they do not lose their beneficial properties for several years under the right storage conditions in the refrigerator.

So that dried blanks do not deteriorate, they must be kept in a room with low humidity and the absence of insects. If all conditions are met, blanks can be stored for a very long time.

Conclusion

Despite the small popularity and lack of awareness, it is not difficult to cook a tinder fungus. Almost any dish can be made from it: cook the first, fry the second, add to the filling of pies. Some lovers even brew tinder fungus. It has many healing and beneficial properties, the main thing is not to make a mistake with the choice of an edible species and not to forget that it needs primary processing. A ready-made delicacy can please guests or household members.