The oyster mushroom or oyster mushroom is one of the most popular edible mushrooms. It can be found in the forest between December and March, primarily on beech and oak trees, but you can also cultivate it yourself at home. Before preparation, you should clean the fresh mushrooms thoroughly.
How do you clean oyster mushrooms correctly?
Oyster mushrooms should be cleaned dry by cleaning them with kitchen paper, a knife or your fingers and removing any dirt or critters with a mushroom brush or a fine brush. In addition, the mushrooms should be cut lengthwise and checked for maggot damage.
Clean and process oyster mushrooms freshly
Mushrooms collected in the forest are roughly pre-cleaned on site. If you have a very slimy hat, you should carefully peel off the hat skin. You can even cut away tough stems. At home, the mushrooms should be cleaned on the same day if possible to avoid any later surprises. The next day everything is often eaten by maggots, which can also affect the seemingly good mushrooms. If everything has been cleaned and the mushrooms are stored in a cool place, subsequent processing can be postponed until the next day.
Always clean dry and do not wash
Oyster mushrooms should always be cleaned dry, i.e. never washed, otherwise they will absorb an unnecessary amount of moisture and lose a lot of their aroma. To clean you will need a wooden or plastic board, a sharp vegetable knife and a mushroom brush ora round brush. You should also have kitchen paper, a sieve for the cleaned mushrooms and an old newspaper for the waste. First, the mushrooms are cleaned with kitchen paper or by scraping with a knife. Sometimes just rubbing the hat with your fingers is enough. Once the hat and stem are clean, tap the top of the hat with the palm of your hand or a knife to clean the fins. Carefully remove any remaining dirt or small animals with the mushroom brush or a fine brush.
What you need to pay special attention to when cleaning wild mushrooms
Don't forget to cut the mushrooms lengthways and check for maggots. Maggot areas can simply be cut away or scratched out. If the mushrooms only have individual worm burrows, they can still be easily sliced and dried.
Store prepared mushrooms properly
Mushrooms, like meat and fish, are quickly perishable foods. The mushroom protein decomposes quickly and can cause serious food poisoning. Carefully cleaned, unchopped mushrooms and leftover mushroom dishes should therefore only be kept refrigerated for about half a day to a day.
Tip
Never store or prepare oyster mushrooms or other mushrooms in aluminum containers.
