You can often hear them call porcini the queen of mushrooms. Undoubtedly, the fragrant mushroom is among the most sought after and liked ones, because they have an unique aroma that goes well with different types of meat. In addition, porcini have white flesh, which is easily processed, which allows gourmets to enjoy breaded porcini, mushroom soups with porcini and more.
In late spring, during the first summer days, when the typical spring rains have passed and the soil is well watered, it is time to pick porcini mushrooms. At that time fragrant mushrooms are in abundance and one can easily stock up on them. But then the question arises - how to store porcini mushrooms. Like other types of mushrooms, porcini should be stored in the refrigerator after picking and before they are used for cooking.
But what are the ways to store porcini for a longer period of time? Although freezing is usually the most natural and healthy way to preserve them, there are a number of opponents of this method, who claim that mushrooms contain a number of bacteria and parasites that can cause poisoning if they're not washed well and closed in jars.
Therefore, it is recommended that porcini are cut into pieces and sauteed or blanched for a few minutes before the actual freezing. In both cases, the porcini mushrooms must be cooled as quickly as possible to stop the cooking process and only then be placed in the freezer.
Another way to preserve the taste of porcini mushrooms for a long time is to preserve them in saline solution or cut them into thin slices and dry them. Porcini mushrooms can be dried by leaving them in a dry and ventilated place. Another option is to dry the porcini mushrooms for a few hours in a low heated oven.
See also how to freeze porcini mushrooms and how to preserve porcini mushrooms.
