The morels, morchelas or morels, are one of the varieties of mushrooms most appreciated by mushroom seekers, as well as by gourmets, where they appreciate from their beautiful reticulated external appearance (as with cells), to their fine and elegant flavor, but intense at the same time.
With morels, these little gnome houses, there are countless recipes that can be made, but without a doubt one of the most spectacular, is the one that combines this sauteed mushroom, stuffed with vegetables and accompanied by a duck foie sauce cool.
Everything seems to be looking good for these mushrooms ... the look, the taste, a real pleasure. But… why the title of this article…? What dangers can a mushroom so appreciated for those who do not know how to handle it….?
Morels consumed raw have long been known to be toxic; To prevent this toxicity, they have been cooked, eliminating the water generated, and then they have been cooked again for human consumption, but now it is also known that although they are cooked at a high temperature and residual water is eliminated, sometimes can become toxic, sometimes producing the so-called cerebellar syndrome which basically consists of:
Hypotonia, ataxia, or incoordination of voluntary movements
Impaired balance and gait
Muscle weakness and fatigue
What is the reason for this toxicity ..? The answer is in the TLH:
Thermolabile hemolysins, proteins that break down the cell membranes of erythrocytes, leukocytes and platelets, and that are altered or decomposed by the action of heat, and the desiccation of the mushroom.
How to eliminate this toxicity and make the consumption of morels completely safe?
With fully desiccated morels there has never been a toxoinfection
Thus: You always have to dry the morels !!!, and for total safety, drying and cooking must be combined; If the morels are fresh, they must first be completely dried in a cool and dry place, then to use them, they must be rehydrated, discarding the used water and then cooked to taste (sautéed, cooked, in a little rice ...)
Information extracted from various sources.
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