The common chanterelle mushroom is appreciated for its excellent palatability, as well as for its powerful medicinal effect. He is not afraid of insects due to the content of quinomannose, which kills all helminth larvae. It is for this reason that the 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 kinds of mushrooms are and how to properly prepare them for the future.
Varieties
There are several varieties of these wonderful gifts of the forest in the world: first of all, of course, this is ordinary chanterelle, whose photo you can see in the article. A little less common is velvety (bright orange), faceted, with 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 for a long time avoided this variety - it was frightened by its awesome black color and shape resembling a pipe. In Germany, it was even called the "death pipe", believing that the fungus is poisonous. In fact, the aroma and taste of this variety of mushroom is much higher than that of its yellow relative.
Chanterelle vulgaris: description
The hat of this pretty mushroom with a diameter of 3 to 14 cm is colored yellow or orange and has an irregular shape. It can be convex or concave, prostrate or funnel-shaped.
The leg, from 3 to 10 cm high, thick and solid, usually grows together with a hat and has almost the same color. Up it expands. The pulp is dense, fleshy, often fibrous, white. When pressed, it blushes a little.
Freshly cut mushrooms have a slightly sour taste and aroma of dried fruit. Chanterelle vulgaris - a mushroom having wavy edges bent down. The peel is difficult to separate from the cap. It is very smooth and pleasant to the touch.
Where does the chanterelle grow most often?
This mushroom often forms mycorrhiza with different trees, but most of all it prefers pine, spruce, oak or beech. Therefore, chanterelle is most often found in mixed or coniferous forests. These mushrooms are demanding of sunlight, so they prefer grassy or shaded places.
However, for the germination of fruiting bodies, a large amount of moisture is required, so the mushroom 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 at the very end of summer. True, in dry years, this period may move slightly until the beginning of autumn. Most often, these mushrooms can be found next to the pine. And the reason for this neighborhood is not only mycorrhiza.
Chanterelle is not too picky in choosing a “partner”, but it is more suitable for acidic soils, which, as a rule, are formed in pine trees due to coniferous litter, which reliably mulches the soil, protecting the mycelium from drying out.
They are looking for mushrooms at the edges, clearing. Finding them thanks to the bright color is not at all difficult. Chanterelles do not hide under the leaves. Fruit bodies do not sprout alone. Chanterelles do not form grandiose heap glades, but if you meet one mushroom, then there will certainly be others nearby.
Processing and storage
Chanterelles - mushrooms are very popular, although they belong to the third category. The reason is that this species is a bit heavy for the body, it can be eaten in not too large portions.
Before cooking, the mushrooms must be washed well. Most are usually cut off - the fibers that it contains will remain stiff during cooking. These mushrooms can be cooked, 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 in this form they become stiff. However, one can argue with this statement, the main thing is to learn some secrets that will make it possible to prepare fragrant and tender chanterelles.
How to dry mushrooms (chanterelle vulgaris)?
You can use the old proven method: whole mushrooms must be strung on a thick thread and hang them in a well-ventilated, dry place. Such mushroom beads should be periodically rotated so that moisture escapes evenly from all sides.
This is an effective method of drying, but it is the longest: the mushrooms will completely dry 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.
Cabinet drying
Another popular way of drying naturally is to spread the chanterelles on a horizontal surface. Usually they use an ordinary cabinet. First, the surface must be covered with paper. The raw materials should be laid out on it with a thin layer and covered with another sheet of paper from above, without pressing it. This is necessary to protect against insects.
We use the oven
Most often, chanterelles are dried in the oven at home. To do this, cut the sliced mushrooms should be spread out in a thin layer on a baking sheet, placing parchment or foil. If there are a lot of mushrooms, two baking sheets can be used simultaneously.
The oven is heated to 50 degrees and put a baking sheet in it. Cover the oven, leaving a small gap with a tack or towel. Liquid will escape from the mushrooms through this slot with steam. 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 another hour and a half, you can periodically open the oven, take out a baking sheet and turn over the mushrooms, take out the finished ones. If this is not done, then the smaller pieces will dry out, and the larger pieces will not give up all the moisture and may subsequently become moldy.
Microwave
This is the most modern drying method, it is faster, but quite troublesome. In addition, it is suitable for a small number of fungi. Lay out the slices in a thin layer on a plate, preferably flat, set 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 must be left open for 5 minutes at this time.
Place the plate again for another twenty minutes in the same mode, drain the liquid again and wait a while. Repeat this procedure as many times as necessary for the complete readiness of the chanterelles.
How to determine readiness?
The readiness of a piece of mushroom is easy to determine if you try to break it. He should not crumble in his hand. Properly dried chanterelles must bend between the fingers, and break only when a certain effort is applied. It is important to remember that the fault location must be completely dry.
Another way to determine mushroom readiness is by weighing. After drying, the chanterelles become ten times lighter. If they have lost less weight, drying must be continued.
Chanterelle Extract
Chanterelle common has a number of medicinal properties. The most famous of them is the ability to combat human parasites. The finished pharmacy form of the extract, produced in granules, is most often part of the antiparasitic program.
This drug is prescribed in 2 capsules (for adults) twice a day. For children under 10 years old, the dosage is halved. The course of treatment is 30 days.
Side effects
Mild dyspepsia with increased sensitivity to the drug is possible. There are cases of allergic reactions that may occur in the form of urticaria.
Contraindications
Chanterelle extract should not be taken:
- during pregnancy;
- with lactation;
- with hypotension;
- children under 3 years old;
- with a tendency to bleeding.