In the summer, the housewives begin the hot season for processing the harvest of a wide variety of mushrooms. They are boiled, fried, stewed, soups, gravy, etc. are prepared from them. But then the autumn begins and the time comes to think about how to save them until the winter. There are many ways to do this. One of them is to salt forest harvest. This is one of the common and easy ways to harvest it for the winter. Cold salting of honey mushrooms (canning in a strong saline solution) is available to everyone. On it we will stop.
General principles of mushroom salting. Preparatory stage
Salted mushrooms, like fresh ones, can be used for stewing and marinades, for soups, snacks and side dishes. How to make them in order to please their loved ones with delicious dishes in winter? First you need to choose the right one. In order to get high-quality salting of honey mushrooms in a cold way, they must be strong, fresh, not wormy, not overripe and not wrinkled. It is very important. Next, you need to sort them by size and trim the legs. Before salting, laying in a colander, wash the mushrooms well.
We do this as follows: take a bucket of cold water and repeatedly immerse a colander into it, each time giving the water to drain well. It is not recommended to keep mushrooms in the water for a long time, since the caps absorb it very well. Then, after washing, honey agarics are cleaned of leaves, adhering to them, earth, coniferous needles, sand, cut out damaged areas and the lower part of the legs. Large mushrooms are cut into pieces of the same size. Small can not be touched, leaving intact.
Cold salted mushrooms in barrels: a universal recipe. Preparation
In fact, there are several options for salting mushrooms (like other mushrooms): dry, hot and cold. In this article we will consider only the latter. It is not used for the entire crop, but only for those mushrooms that do not need preliminary cooking. Including for honey mushrooms. This method consists in soaking washed and peeled mushrooms for one to two days in frequently replaced or running water.
You can also soak in salted water, based on the following calculation: per liter of water - two grams of citric acid and ten grams of salt. This should be done in a cool room, changing the solution itself at least twice a day. You can not soak the mushrooms and blanch in boiling water. To do this, dissolve ten grams of salt in a liter of water. The duration of the process is 15-20 minutes. Then we cool the mushrooms in cold water and let it drain.
The second (main) stage of salting
We cook as our grandmothers and great-grandmothers did. Consider an old recipe for pickling mushrooms. We lay the mushrooms in a barrel in layers, after pouring salt into the bottom. Each layer is also sprinkled with salt, at the rate of three to four percent of the total weight of prepared mushrooms, dill, chopped garlic, horseradish leaves, currants and cherries, caraway seeds. The layer should be no more than six centimeters, and the mushrooms - down with their hats.
Filling the barrel to the top, cover it with canvas, put the oppression on top and take it out to a cold place in a couple of days. After some time, honey agarics will give juice and settle, at this point you need to add new ones, previously prepared either from another barrel. Each time, do not forget to put a circle with oppression. Then we send for storage to the cellar or basement. After filling the barrels, about five to six days later, we check the brine level. If it is not enough, add salt solution (per liter of water - 20 grams of salt) or increase the load. The whole process lasts up to one and a half months. At this,
mushroom pickling will be completed. They need to be stored at a temperature of one to seven degrees.
Fill mushrooms for subsequent preservation in banks
As we already know, this method requires a long time so that mushrooms can be eaten. But the result is worth it. We need a bucket of honey mushrooms, one and a half glasses of table salt, a head of garlic and fresh dill. Next is the salting of honey mushrooms. We will put already salted mushrooms in banks. Carefully, you can even use a toothbrush to wash mushrooms and cut off damaged areas. To carry out the recipe, we use enameled dishes, for example, a bucket with a lid or a large pan. As in the previous version, pour salt on the bottom and lay mushrooms in layers, pouring them with salt as well. You can add the cloves of garlic, chopped into slices, and sprigs of dill. We cover with a plate of a smaller diameter and put the load. After a maximum of three days, the mushrooms will settle, letting the juice go. Immediately after that we shift them into glass jars and close them with lids.
The brine should completely cover the honey agaric. Put the peeled and well-washed horseradish roots as a seal under the cover. We put containers with them for aging for a standard month and a half. The recipe for pickling mushrooms in jars is done. Keep them in a cool and dark place.
Little conclusion
Of course, the process of preparing mushrooms according to such recipes is very long, quite complicated, but once you work hard, and your whole family will be provided with incredibly tasty, crispy and healthy snack for several months. And you will understand that pickling mushrooms in a cold way is one of the best ways to stock them all winter. In order to serve them on the table, including the festive season, rinse the mushrooms well with water, add vegetable oil, onions and enjoy. Enjoy your meal!