Mushrooms on your plate – what to look out for

Boletus, aspen bolete, chanterelles – mushrooms are thriving during the summer. All it takes is a little rain and they grow like crazy! If you or your loved ones are enthusiastic mushroom pickers, you often find a basket full of mushrooms in your kitchen to process. First and foremost, they should be inspected by an experienced mushroom picker who can sort through your basket and leave only the truly 100% edible pieces. When it comes to mushrooms, safety is the top priority. And that applies not only to picking, but also to processing and serving. Do you know how to clean mushrooms, how to process them, and what to keep in mind when serving them?

Proper Cleaning

Even the picking of mushrooms should be done correctly. Never pull mushrooms out; instead, gently cut them with a mushroom knife. The more thoroughly you clean them at the picking site, the less they will be damaged in the basket, and the less work you'll have to do at home. After cutting, gently brush off leaves, moss, and dirt. You can trim the end of the stem as if you were sharpening a pencil. Most importantly, do not destroy the mycelium so that more beautiful mushroom trophies can grow in the same spot in the future. After you get home, do not wash the mushrooms under running water, as they are like sponges and easily soak up water. Instead, gently clean them with a damp cloth or a brush. If the stem is hard, worm-eaten, or otherwise dirty, cut it off completely. If the mushrooms have a slimy top skin (e.g., bay boletes, aspen boletes), peel it off.

How to Serve Them

You can prepare delicious meals from mushrooms in various ways. Probably the most common method is sautéing. Slice the mushrooms and sauté them in a pan without fat until they release their water, which then evaporates. After that, you just need to add spices, and if you want to make scrambled eggs with mushrooms, just add eggs. Larger mushroom caps, such as those from field mushrooms or parasol mushrooms, can be filled with cheese, herbs, and so on and then baked. Mushrooms are also great for various soups and sauces, for example, the Eastern Slovak "mačanka" tastes amazing! Mushrooms combine well with garlic, marjoram, or dill. Creamy mushroom soups, mushroom goulash or paprikash, or mushroom risotto taste excellent. Dried mushrooms are great in sauerkraut soup or mačanka, and when ground, they make an excellent seasoning for dishes. You can easily dry mushrooms with the help of clever kitchen appliances, such as our new product – the Orava SU-106 food dehydrator. Just slice them thinly and dry at a temperature of 50-55 °C; at a higher temperature, they may lose their aroma and turn brown. The drying time is 6 to 12 hours, depending on the thickness of the slices and the type of mushrooms. You can preserve mushrooms for later not only by drying, but also by canning (for example, pickled ones are excellent) or freezing. However, you should briefly blanch or stew them before freezing.

Not for Everyone

You either love mushrooms or you're definitely not a fan; there's no in-between. Since mushrooms are harder to digest, they are not an ideal food for small children, the elderly, and people suffering from digestive problems. For example, parasol mushrooms or slippery jacks must be thoroughly cooked, as they can irritate the stomach when raw. Be careful, mushrooms spoil quickly, so you should process and consume them immediately after picking. You definitely should not store them raw for more than 24 hours.

Cook a delicious mushroom paprikash with us - a creamy and fragrant delicacy served with dumplings, bread dumplings, or pasta.

Mushroom Paprikash (4 servings)

Ingredients: 500 g fresh mushrooms (boletus, slippery jacks, oyster mushrooms, button mushrooms – or a mix), 1 large onion, 2 cloves of garlic, 2 tbsp oil or butter, 1 tsp sweet ground paprika, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika (optional, for a stronger flavour), 1 tsp salt (to taste), a pinch of black pepper, 1/2 tsp caraway seeds, 200 ml cooking cream (or sour cream), 1 tbsp all-purpose flour (for thickening), 200 ml water or vegetable broth, chopped parsley or chives (for garnish)

Directions:

1. Clean the mushrooms and chop them into larger pieces.
2. Sauté the finely chopped onion in oil or butter until golden. Add the caraway seeds.
3. Add the mushrooms, sauté them briefly until they release their juice and reduce in volume.
4. Add the ground paprika (sweet and smoked), stir, and immediately add a little water or broth to prevent the paprika from becoming bitter.
5. Season with salt and pepper, add the pressed garlic, cover with a lid, and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the mushrooms are soft.
6. In a bowl, mix the cream with the flour, stirring well to prevent lumps.
7. Pour the mixture into the pot, stir, and cook for another 5-10 minutes until the sauce thickens.
8. Adjust the seasoning as needed. Finally, sprinkle with parsley and serve to hungry diners, both young and old, with dumplings, pasta, or bread dumplings.

If you haven't tried it yet, cook with us the famous regional delicacy – Eastern Slovak "mačanka"! You won't regret it...

Mushroom Mačanka (4-6 servings)

Ingredients: 50 g dried mushrooms (or 300-400 g fresh), 1 large onion, 2-3 cloves of garlic, 2 tbsp all-purpose flour, 2 tbsp oil or lard, 750 ml water or vegetable broth, 1 bay leaf, 5 whole black peppercorns, 1 tsp ground red paprika, 150 ml sour cream (or plant-based cream – for a dairy-free version), salt, marjoram, caraway seeds, a little sauerkraut juice or sauerkraut (optional)

Directions:

1. If you are using dried mushrooms, soak them in water for at least 1 hour (preferably overnight). Then cook them in the same water for about 20 minutes.
2. Dice the onion and sauté it in oil/lard until translucent.
3. Add the pressed garlic and ground paprika, stir briefly, then add the flour and make a light roux.
4. Pour in the broth or water from the mushrooms, stir, add the cooked mushrooms, bay leaf, pepper, salt, a little caraway, and marjoram.
5. Cook together for another 15-20 minutes, until the flavours combine.
6. Finally, add the sour cream (or plant-based cream), mix well, and let it heat through (do not boil).
7. Adjust the seasoning as needed – some people add a spoonful of sauerkraut juice, which adds a tangy kick.
8. Serve with bread, potatoes, "lokše" (potato pancakes), or most traditionally with "pampúchy" (steamed buns). In some regions, a little smoked meat or sauerkraut is also added to the mačanka.

We wish you wonderful experiences while mushroom picking, and when you have them on your plate – bon appétit!

Photos: Orava, pexels.com, coolinari.sk, tripadvisor.com </o'p>