Boletus Edulis a couple of questions?

[Funky_Porcine]

To dry my Ceps for storage do I need to remove the pores on the larger specimens? Also once dried does anyone have any suggestions on how to use them? So far I've been eating the fresh ones lightly fried - yum

Then the next question, I found a fair few tiny ceps. How long will it take before they reach a decent size. They had a cap size of about 1-2cm. I left them 2 days and they only seem slightly bigger today maybe 3cm. Should I go back and pick them now before the squirrels/mice get to them or should I be patient?


Jon

[NickCantle]

I think it depends how you like them. I like them about the size of a tennis ball, but if I find one that's a good size then if it's in good nick, i'll have it.

Re: Drying ceps- I've just dried about a kilo of them and dried them in the boiler room. They have dried nicely but the same thing is happening as last time They get little tiny patches of blue/grey mould on them which in past experiences has spread throughout the catch

[Funky_Porcine]

Cheers Nick,
Is the blue grey mold forming as you dry them or afterwards - I will keep an eye out for it.

I've just stuck mine in the oven with the fan on (no heat as the element has gone) hope it works, have left the pores attached.

So how long do you reckon it takes them to reach tennis ball size from 3cm?

[NickCantle]

Depends on moisture levels I would assume.

[Funky_Porcine]

Cool, I thought that might have been the case. Keeping an eye on them will be the plan then. Watching them over a couple of days has certainly dispelled the myth that they just appear overnight.

[PeteS]

I have much experience of drying Boletus Edulis. Yes, leave the pores on - they add flavour. Also the big specimens that you might not want to cook from fresh often dry very well. I have never found a problem with mold as they dry and I dry mine in an airing cupboard. be careful if you dry them in an oven (even with a fan) as you can end up cooking them, which will spoil the flavour.

Drying intensifies the flavour and for some recipes they are better than fresh. For example, there is no decent mushroom risotto that does not use dried Cep's as a base, whether you are making a risotto with fresh Cep's, or another kind of fresh mushroom. There is a reason for this - it tastes superb. In fact you can make an excellent mushroom risotto with dried Cep's alone. For the various uses of dried Cep's, and great mushroom recipes I recomend Carluccio's 'Complete Mushroom Book' - there is some good stuff in there.

When you dehydrate your Cep's taste the soaking water (after it has cooled of course) - the flavour is gorgeous. I have soaked sliced Chicken of the Woods in the water from dried Cep's. COTW tends to act like a sponge and absorb flavours - the result is fresh Chicken of the Woods that tastes of Cep's

[Stewy]

Originally Posted by PeteS

be careful if you dry them in an oven (even with a fan) as you can end up cooking them, which will spoil the flavour.

Which is exactly what I done when I first had a go at drying them, even with the oven on the lowest heat and with the door ajar by the time they were dry they were sort of toasted, not very nice.

I use the airing cupboard too, I lay some newspaper on a baking sheet then cover that with a piece of baking parchment and then slices of ceps, I like them quite thick around the 5mm thickness, then pop them in the airing cupboard for a few days until they "snap" and then you know they are done.



Just noticed in the above pic that I haven't put a layer of newspaper and to be honest I'm not even sure why I do, I think it's out of one of my shroom books.

Edit: The newspaper thing is not out of one of my books but from an article by Cab Pete!!!

Downsizer: for a sustainable & ethical future - Preserving Mushrooms - or, what to do with a really big haul

[Funky_Porcine]

You've got my mouth watering now Ta for the advice.
They are in the oven as we speak but with no heat on (Just fan) They've been in since last night look forward to having a look at them when I get home.

Do any of you nibble the dried bits as they are or is that a bad idea?

Jon

[Stewy]

From this........



To this



5 days in the airing cupboard and the jobs a good 'un!

How did you get on with yours in the oven with just the fan on funky?

[sarah64]

Not fair, I haven't found any ceps yet.

The temperature in the morning here was 5 degrees, do you think that will have any adverse effects on the growth of ceps or will it encourage it? So long as we don't get any early frosts of course. Shhh did she say frost?