FoodGrandma’s secret tip: How to easily clean chanterelles

Grandma’s secret tip: How to easily clean chanterelles

The season for chanterelles is approaching rapidly, and baskets of these mushrooms are already appearing in stores. While finding a place for them in the home menu is not a problem, cleaning them can be quite challenging. However, my grandmother has a tried-and-true method for doing this without much effort.

Chanterelles - Delicacies
Chanterelles - Delicacies
Images source: © Adobe Stock

8:19 PM EDT, July 17, 2024

They taste great in a creamy sauce, enhance scrambled eggs, or elevate risotto to a new level. These versatile mushrooms have quickly gained a following and have been known for generations. They are pretty easy to find in the forest and even easier to buy in the store, but the problem arises when cleaning them. They are often filthy from sand and forest debris, and the characteristic crunch under your teeth is unpleasant. So, how do you clean chanterelles easily?

Patent for cleaning chanterelles

At first glance, it might seem that there's nothing complicated about it—after all, you need to rinse them thoroughly. However, intense soaking will remove all the flavor, and the mushrooms will become watery. Chanterelles act like a sponge and absorb water, losing their aroma.

Cleaning chanterelles dry is a great option when you have a small amount of mushrooms or want to remove only minor impurities. However, this is tiring and time-consuming for larger quantities, especially when the chanterelles are very small and heavily soiled.

My grandmother, a family mushroom picker and chanterelle master, has a patent for removing impurities with minimal effort. To do this, sprinkle the mushrooms with plain wheat flour, mix, and rinse under cold water. This procedure will remove all impurities, and the chanterelles will retain their aroma and firmness.

Chanterelles
Chanterelles© Adobe Stock

How to clean chanterelles?

The flour acts like a magnet for small impurities that adhere to its surface, making them easy to remove during rinsing. Using cold water ensures that the mushrooms do not soften and do not absorb water.

What to use chanterelles for?

Chanterelles are perfect for creamy soups, adding a forest flavor. They can also make an aromatic chanterelle sauce, which pairs excellently with pasta, grains, or meats. Chanterelles are also great for risotto, casseroles, omelets, and even as a stuffing for pierogis. These mushrooms are a true treasure of various cuisines.

Proper cleaning of chanterelles is very important.
Proper cleaning of chanterelles is very important.© Adobe Stock
© essanews.com
·

Downloading, reproduction, storage, or any other use of content available on this website—regardless of its nature and form of expression (in particular, but not limited to verbal, verbal-musical, musical, audiovisual, audio, textual, graphic, and the data and information contained therein, databases and the data contained therein) and its form (e.g., literary, journalistic, scientific, cartographic, computer programs, visual arts, photographic)—requires prior and explicit consent from Wirtualna Polska Media Spółka Akcyjna, headquartered in Warsaw, the owner of this website, regardless of the method of exploration and the technique used (manual or automated, including the use of machine learning or artificial intelligence programs). The above restriction does not apply solely to facilitate their search by internet search engines and uses within contractual relations or permitted use as specified by applicable law.Detailed information regarding this notice can be found  here.