Mushroom picking is without question one of the most popular activities during the fall season. And while most are lookingfor porcini mushroomsdo, there are also connoisseurs for whom that is not enough. Chanterelles are also extremely tasty and ideal for great dishes. And we certainly don't need to mention that mushrooms are generally very healthy. Chanterelles are currently in season and some people are probably wondering how you can actually prepare chanterelles? How do you clean chanterelles, can they be eaten raw, fried and even grilled? Can you reheat and freeze chanterelles?
Today we would like to give you the answers to all of these questions by introducing you to the tasty mushrooms in more detail. And don't worry, if you want to prepare and snack on chanterelles, you don't necessarily have to spend hours searching for them. If you don't know much about mushrooms, you should avoid this anyway. Because chanterelles in particular can quicklybe confused. During the season you can easily buy chanterelles instead.
Preparing chanterelles – what are the nutritional values?
The chanterelle season begins around mid or at the latest at the end of June and lasts until late autumn. And once you discover them in the supermarket, you immediately want to prepare chanterelles. The mushrooms are healthy, but they aren't exactly fullvitamins and minerals, but rather contain them in smaller quantities. These include iron, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and sodium and vitamin B3, also known as niacin, vitamin B7 (biotin), vitamin B5, vitamin B2 and vitamin D as well as vegetable protein.
However, the mushrooms contain plenty of water (92%), which is why they are so low in calories. They are also low in fat and contain plenty of filling fiber, which makes them perfect if you want to lose a few extra pounds or pay attention to your figure and strive for a healthy diet.
Chanterelles nutritional values per 100 g:
Calories: 21
Protein: 2.4 g
Fett: 0,5 g
Carbohydrates: 0.2 g
Fiber: 3.3g
BUT!
As with all other mushrooms, the level of pollutants is relatively high. They contain higher amounts of cadmium, lead and mercury as well as radioactive substances. This doesn't mean that you can't prepare chanterelles, but according to the WHO you should reduce consumption to once a week and a maximum of 250 g. Chanterelles should be completely taboo during pregnancy, as well as for babies and toddlers and if you are breastfeeding.
These mushrooms are also quite difficult to digest due to the multiple sugars they contain. So if you have a sensitive stomach and/or intestines, you should also avoid the delicacies or at least enjoy them sparingly.
Preparing chanterelles – How do you clean them?
Before you prepare the chanterelles, you probably have the question “do you even have to clean the chanterelles”? Yes, and especially if you collected them yourself. Soil, needles and other dirt cling to the mushrooms and should first be roughly removed. But you are not allowed to wash the chanterelles, only give them a quick shower under water! They are very sensitive and in general bathing in water is taboo. How should you clean the chanterelles then? A simple kitchen brush is your best friend and helper. Kitchen paper is also suitable. Gently brush or scrub away any coarse dirt.
Cleaning also includes shortening the stems and removing bad spots. So when you clean the chanterelles, cut off the base of the stems. Then take a closer look at the mushrooms: areas that are dry, glassy or soft will also come off.
What to do if there is stubborn dirt?
A water bath is actually taboo, but if the dirt is particularly stubborn, you can't avoid it. In this case, the mushrooms go into a colander, which you then dip into cold water. Afterwards, the excess water on the mushrooms must be removed and for this purpose it is best to let them rest for a while on kitchen paper.
But you can also clean the chanterelles using the flour trick. You also use a water bath, but dust the mushrooms with flour first. If you then dip it into the water, the flour will dissolve again and any dirt will fall off with it. If you want to prepare a large quantity of chanterelles that would take too much time to clean by hand, this trick proves to be very practical.
And that's all you need to prepare! Now you can prepare the chanterelles. Or maybe you could even...
…eat the chanterelles raw?
Do you have to prepare and process the chanterelles? Couldn't you also enjoy them raw like mushrooms? No! As already mentioned, these mushrooms are quite difficult to digest even after processing. If you were to snack on them raw, it could even lead to indigestion. That's why you should always cook them for at least 15 minutes. And we will now explain exactly which cooking methods you can use to prepare the chanterelles:
Prepare chanterelles
How to prepare chanterelles – fry chanterelles
Fried chanterelles are particularly popular. This is also a great option if you want to prepare chanterelles particularly quickly. All you need is fat, which you heat up in a pan and then fry the mushrooms in. Both butter and oil or even bacon are suitable. After adding the mushrooms to the pan, let them fry for a few minutes before turning and stirring them for the first time. Only after a while and if desired, add more shallots. You can easily season fried chanterelles with pepper and salt. It is best to add salt before serving as it can produce a bitter taste if chanterelles are salted while frying.
Cook chanterelles
If you would rather cook the mushrooms instead, simply use a pot instead of the pan. “Cooking” is actually not quite right here, because the mushrooms are actually just steamed in their own steam. To do this, heat oil and onions in the pot, then add the mushrooms and simmer in their own juice for a few minutes. Then use white wine to deglaze and then continue cooking. If you want, you can continue to cook the mushrooms in broth or cream for a while. When steaming chanterelles, it is also advisable to add salt before serving.
Grill chanterelles
Grilling the chanterelles is highly recommended - not only because the aroma becomes particularly delicious, but also because the nutrient content hardly changes at all. To prepare them on the grill, simply skewer the chanterelles onto skewers. A grill basket is also well suited for this purpose. Have you caught any large specimens? Then you can easily prepare your chanterelles directly on the grill grate.
Important when grilling mushrooms:Salting is only done after grilling. Salt would remove the water from the mushrooms and make them dry or rubbery.
How to store chanterelles?
Especially if you have bought or collected large quantities of mushrooms and cannot or do not want to prepare all of the chanterelles straight away, the question arises as to how they can be stored. The first thing that probably comes to mind is freezing. But is that possible? And can you actually reheat prepared mushrooms?
Can you freeze chanterelles?
Yes, you can easily freeze these mushrooms if you don't want to prepare all the chanterelles right away or if you have prepared too many of them. However, it is important that you fry the chanterelles beforehand. Alternatively, you can also blanch them. This is necessary becauseChanterelles become bitter if they are put in the freezer raw. Prepared mushrooms (e.g. sauces or vegetables with mushrooms) can also be frozen. Chanterelles also become bitter if you store them in the freezer for too long. The rule is: no longer than 6 months.
If you store chanterelles frozen, you should also avoid thawing them before processing them, as the flavors are lost in the thawing water. Instead, process them directly while frozen.
Dry chanterelles
Another option for storing chanterelles is drying. However, there is a risk that they will lose their aroma and the whole thing will take significantly more time. You can get dried chanterelles either with a dehydrator, in the oven or threaded in the air. To avoid losing flavor in the oven or dehydrator, it is important to set a low temperature and dry the mushrooms gently.
Set the oven to 50 degrees, spread the mushrooms on a baking tray lined with baking paper and evenly distribute the chanterelles on top. During the baking time, the oven door should remain slightly open to allow moisture to escape. Allow at least 6 hours for drying time. This also applies if you prepare the dried chanterelles in the dehydrator.
The finished dried mushrooms are best stored in a dark, cool and dry place (not in the refrigerator). They last for several months like this. Depending on what you want to use the dried chanterelles for, either soak them in warm water for a while or add them directly to the boiling sauce, soup or whatever dish you want to prepare with chanterelles.
Tipp: Dried mushrooms can be made into powder and then used on their own or as an ingredient in delicious spice mixtures when you combine them with herbs.
Warm up chanterelles
Everyone has probably heard that reheating mushrooms in general is harmful to health. However, this is a misconception that dates back to times when kitchens had poorer hygienic conditions. However, it is important: after you prepare a dish with chanterelles and then no longer eat it, you should immediately put it in the refrigerator and not keep it at room temperature for an unnecessarily long time in order to avoid premature spoilage (and this applies to any type of dish, regardless of the ingredients). This means you can reheat your mushroom dish later without worry.
