How to dry and cook summer porcini

The summer bolete (Boletus reticulatus, in our catalog the summer bolete) is good in any form. Fresh, it makes a clear, fragrant broth; dried, it becomes even more aromatic; frozen, it keeps its flavor until winter. The key is to prepare the mushroom properly right after the forest.

This bolete doesn't darken when cut and holds its shape during cooking, so it's easy to work with even for a beginner. Let's go through the whole process, from cleaning to the finished dish.

Prep right after the forest

Mushrooms spoil quickly, so deal with them the same day. Rule number one: boletes are hardly ever washed, because they soak up water and turn soggy.

Instead of washing, clean the mushroom dry. Use a knife to remove stuck-on soil and needles, trim the dirty base of the stem, and wipe the cap with a damp cloth. Cut each mushroom in half lengthwise and check for worms: young, clean specimens go into the dish, and worm-eaten ones are better set aside.

If you plan to dry them, don't wash them at all. For fresh dishes a quick rinse is fine, but don't soak them.

How to dry porcini

Drying is the best way to preserve porcini, because that's how its aroma becomes richest. Dry young, firm mushrooms with a white or pale yellow sponge.

The steps are simple:

1. slice the mushrooms 5–7 millimeters thick;
2. spread them in a single layer or thread them on a string so the pieces don't touch;
3. dry them at a low temperature, around 50 degrees, in an oven with the door ajar, in an electric dehydrator, or in a warm, well-ventilated attic;
4. stop when a slice bends but still snaps; don't overdry them to a crisp.

Store the dried mushrooms in a tightly closed jar or a cloth bag in a dry place. Before cooking, soak them in warm water for 20–30 minutes, and don't pour that soaking water away: it's a ready-made fragrant broth.

Freezing and fresh storage

If you don't have time to dry them, porcini freeze easily. Portion clean, sliced mushrooms into bags and put them in the freezer, where they'll keep for up to six months.

You can also freeze them cooked: boil for 10–15 minutes, drain, cool and freeze with a little of the cooking liquid. Fresh mushrooms don't keep long; in the fridge, use them within a day, two at most.

Simple porcini dishes

Porcini don't need complicated recipes: their flavor stands on its own. Here are three tried-and-true ways that show it off best.

• Fried with onion. Slice the porcini and cook them in a pan until the moisture evaporates, then add onion and a little oil or butter, and salt at the end. A simple and most honest dish.
• Mushroom soup. A handful of dried porcini, soaked in advance, makes a clear, fragrant broth. Add potatoes, carrots and onion, and the soup is ready.
• Mushroom sauce for meat or pasta. Sautéed mushrooms with cream and a pinch of garlic turn into a thick, fragrant sauce.

From experience: salt mushrooms at the end, because salt draws out the juices too early and makes them tough. And don't drown porcini in strong spices; salt, pepper and onion are enough to keep the nutty flavor front and center.

And finally, the most important thing. Any dish is only as good as the mushrooms that went into it. Pick young, clean porcini from clean deciduous and mixed forests, and for when to go, check the mushroom radar.

Sources

• "Field Guide to the Fungi of Ukraine" (Kyiv, Naukova Dumka publishing house).
• Boletus reticulatus on GBIF, the global biodiversity database.
• Boletus reticulatus on MycoBank, the international fungal nomenclature database.
• Boletus reticulatus on Wikipedia.