Butterflies are distributed throughout almost the entire northern hemisphere of the planet. They are known and loved in many countries around the world. However, this popular love is quite understandable - delicious mushrooms with fleshy pulp do not leave anyone indifferent. And the fact that butterfish have virtually no poisonous imitators makes them also attractive in terms of safety. Perhaps, people are so fond of this fungus because it can easily be prepared for future use. In order to enjoy potatoes with mushrooms, butter pies and pickles in winter, housewives dry, freeze, and roll the butter into jars. They dry perfectly - just hang them on a strong thread in a draft. You can pre-cut it, or you can dry it whole. It is better to freeze boiled mushrooms - this way they will take up less space in the freezer. But we can argue about how to pickle boletus mushrooms. After all, every housewife has her own favorite recipe.
Where do boletus live?
Butterflies prefer to live where there are pine trees. Most of all they like young pine groves. Experienced mushroom pickers know that these mushrooms do not like too much shading. And boletus does not like to grow among mosses. They prefer to hide among tall grass and fallen pine needles, but enjoy the sun's rays. Therefore, those who come for a quiet hunt in a thinned pine forest with grass, and not where there is moss underfoot, have the greatest chance of leaving with full baskets.
Fungus with an oily cap
The mushroom owes its name to its oily cap. In most languages, his name is associated with oil. The Czechs say “butter”, the Germans “butterpilz” (butter mushroom). And the British call this mushroom “slippery Jack”. It is the oil cap that is a special sign. But in fact, there is no connection with fat - it looks like the mushrooms are doused in oil, but they feel sticky and dry to the touch. The lower surface of the cap is like a sponge. It is usually yellow in color. But there are also varieties of oilseed in which it is almost white or even dirty gray. The stem of the fungus is fleshy and yellowish. And the oily cap can be from yellow to deep brown and even burgundy. Butterflies grow in heaps. Usually, its relatives also hide near one mushroom. The mushroom cannot be picked with your hands; it is better to trim it with a knife.
How to clean mushrooms?
Before pickling boletus mushrooms, they need to be sorted and cleaned. The beautiful skin from the cap needs to be removed. The cleaning process is a controversial issue. Some advise pre-soaking the mushrooms in water, while others claim that it is easier to peel a dry mushroom. One thing is certain - it is advisable to start cleaning on the day of collection. Among the mushrooms that have lain overnight there will be too many unusable ones that will have to be thrown away in the morning.
The cleaning scheme is as follows: first, remove the skin from the cap, then rinse the sponge with a brush. If necessary, a thin layer of skin is also cut off from the leg. The oily skin comes off easily - just hook it with a knife and pull. Such an amount of sand, as, for example, in milk mushrooms, is rare in boletus. In general, both cleaning and preparing pickled butter does not require any special labor. It is better to wash mushrooms in running water. If this is not possible, then a filled basin will do. You just need to change the water more often.
Preparing mushrooms
Almost all butters are suitable for pickling. Both large, fleshy ones, and very small ones. Before pickling boletus for the winter, they need to be chopped into equal pieces. Large mushrooms need to be cut. On average, the pieces should be about the size of a quail egg. Many housewives close small mushrooms separately and save such jars for major holidays.
Cook-steam
Wild mushrooms, unlike the champignons and oyster mushrooms familiar to city dwellers, require pre-cooking. You need to cook them for at least forty minutes! It is better to immerse the pieces in cold water. When cooking, you need to stir them constantly and it is better not to go far from the stove, otherwise the boiled broth may escape. Soon after boiling, the broth will become almost black, but do not be alarmed.
The broth from the first cooking of wild mushrooms should absolutely not be eaten! You cannot cook any soups or stews with it. It needs to be poured out, and nothing else. All toxins and harmful substances that mushrooms actively absorb from the environment are immediately released into the broth, so it can be called poisonous. Many people recommend throwing an onion into the broth. Allegedly, if it changes color to blue or black, this will be a signal that an inedible one is hiding among the edible mushrooms. However, the scientific nature of the method is questionable. But there will be no harm from this bulb. Therefore, you can safely throw it into the pan. There is absolutely no need to add any seasonings or even salt at this stage. After 40-60 minutes of gentle boiling, the broth should be drained, and the mushrooms should be placed in a colander and rinsed with copious amounts of water.
Preparing the marinade
There are a lot of marinade recipes. Butternuts are very tasty in a sweet and sour marinade, in a spicy sauce, or in spices. It is advisable to prepare the marinade before marinating the mushrooms. The butter will be cooked, and the marinade will be infused. The classic recipe assumes the following proportions: to 3 liters of water add 50 grams of table vinegar, 1 teaspoon of salt, 0.5 tablespoons of sugar, bay leaf and 3 peppercorns. All ingredients are added to boiling water, after which the mushrooms are also added. The boiled brew is poured into jars, rolled up and wrapped until it cools completely. But there are many alternatives to the classics. The recipe can be supplemented with one or two cloves, a few cumin seeds, a sprig of rosemary, and mustard seeds. The main rule is no extremes. The rich and self-sufficient taste of butter does not require an abundance of spices. Marinated boletus, even with a minimal set of seasonings, is very tasty.
Is there a need for sterilization?
If you are afraid that one night you will wake up from a cannonade of bursting cans, then you definitely need to sterilize the mushrooms. However, wild mushrooms store well. The main condition is absolute sterility when rolling and proper storage. You need to put the boletus in a thoroughly washed container, treated with steam. You need to wash jars with regular soda - this method has been proven for decades. And for sterilization, a simple system of a saucepan with boiling water and a metal stand is suitable. Owners of steamers and dishwashers solve the problem of sterilization in a modern way - with the help of technology. It is better to store rolled up jars in a cellar or basement. It’s quite normal to store pickled boletus without sterilization in city apartments. The main thing is that the place is cool and dark.
Boiling for an hour disinfects perfectly. Moreover, even vinegar in this recipe is needed only for taste. It is quite possible to roll butter into jars, simply adding salt to them. Even such mushrooms feel great until the winter holidays.
Serving
Every housewife who knows how to pickle boletus mushrooms probably has many recipes using them. A real culinary hit is a salad of pickled mushrooms, green onions and homemade sunflower oil. This dish will turn any family dinner into a real celebration. It’s just for evenings like these that it’s worth marinating boletus in the fall! This recipe is far from the only one. Such mushrooms can be added, for example, to a vinaigrette. They go well with pickles and sauerkraut. They can be added to pizza and pie fillings.
