Porcini mushrooms from Corrèze
Porcini mushrooms, boletes, yellow boletes, Boletus… Do you feel a little lost? Don't panic, we'll explain everything to you!
The porcini mushroom is a champignon which is part of the large boletus family but be careful not all boletus are porcini mushrooms, are you following us?
In fact, only four types of boletus are varieties of porcini mushrooms, they are a bit like the “Rolls” of boletus. We therefore have: the pine cep, the bronze cep, the summer cep and finally the Bordeaux cep.
Everyone wants it, everyone is looking for it… and for good reason! Their taste is truly delicious and you are lucky because you can find them on our lands.
How to recognize porcini mushrooms?
Although there are 4 different species, common characteristics exist: their flesh is white and only turns blue when cut, if you find bluish mushrooms be careful there is a risk of toxicity.
Their foot is swollen as if the porcini mushroom had a big belly. If you pay attention, you will see small white pores that turn yellow as you age.
Their hat is convex. Below, there are tubes of varying colors depending on the species. Porcini mushrooms never have blades.
Be careful, there are inedible porcini mushrooms that do not have an alarming appearance. If you have the slightest doubt, do not collect them or seek advice from a pharmacy.
In what season should you pick mushrooms?
It all depends on the variety... They are picked from June to November.
The summer boletus is found from June to September while the bronze boletus is found from July to September, the pine boletus grows from August to November; and the Bordeaux cep from July to November.
In all cases, porcini mushrooms reach maturity in at least 5-6 days.
In any case, if you don't know where to look for them, go to the local markets : as soon as they come out, we find them on the stalls.
How to prepare porcini mushrooms?
First of all, it is necessary to clean your porcini mushrooms well when they are fresh. But be careful, these mushrooms are particularly spongy and therefore absorb water or any other liquid. Therefore, you should definitely not put them under water as there is a risk that they will lose all their flavor.
Step 1: Using a knife, gently remove the tip of the stem which is often too hard and covered in soil.
Step 2: Using a small brush, completely brush your porcini mushroom. There must be no more soil.
Step 3: Not a very exciting phase, you must now remove the worms present in the hat. Put the porcini mushrooms in a salad bowl then trap them with cling film. The worms will run out of air and will stick to the plastic film, so simply throw them away.
How to cook your porcini mushrooms?
Do not cook them too slowly as there is a risk that they release too much water and bathe in it during cooking. Season them with olive oil. Butter is not recommended as it burns more quickly. However, you can add some at the end for flavor.
How to keep them?
Was your harvest successful? You haven't managed to sell your stock? Above all, no waste! Porcini mushrooms keep very well and in a variety of ways! Here are two:
- There is a traditional method which is certainly a little fatty, but which wins all the votes: porcini mushrooms preserved in fat. Preferably use goose fat which is a must! After cleaning them, cut your mushrooms into pieces. Heat the fat, once hot, add the porcini mushrooms to brown them until they are crispy. Don't wait for them to cool, fill your jars in successive layers.
- You can also freeze them but be careful, do not put them directly in the freezer as is. You must first clean them as usual and cook them quickly so that they release their water (do not cook them completely). Place them on a cloth to dry them. You can now put them in several food bags, be sure to evacuate all the air present in these bags before closing them permanently.
Some recipe ideas:
Nothing beats a good porcini mushroom parsley with garlic and parsley... but you can also use your mushrooms in omelettes, in risotto, in stuffing or even in sauce. Use your imagination and your porcini mushrooms will return it to you in a delicious way.
We offer you many recipes based on porcini mushrooms in our dedicated section: fun recipes
Beyond its taste qualities, porcini mushrooms are very important for us since they create jobs. Indeed, we are in a region where life is good for these mushrooms. Depending on the year, we find more of them. So much so that two companies have specialized in the export, packaging and processing of porcini mushrooms: we therefore have the company Monteil et fils established for three generations in Brive la Gaillarde as well as Francep located in Saint Viance.
