Boletus Edulis
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Cep |  |
Cepe de Bordeaux |
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Steinpilz |  |
Porcino |
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Boned Touseg |  |
Spiselig Rorhat |
The Cep (Boletus Edulis) is the most exciting find (for me), in the forest. This is the one that all my neighbours will ask me about. This is the one that is the measure of my mushrooming skill or luck.
Even people who can’t cook will be able to make something delicious with this mushroom; selling at 25 euros a kilo in the supermarket (when they have got them), a few hours in the forest on an Autumn Sunday morning can be a really profitable exercise.
Those of my friends and neighbours who only go mushrooming once a year will be looking for this mushroom. And for 6 weeks or so, every Autumn, the bars will be full of gossip about who has found what and where, and who’s luck wasn’t so good.
Where and when to find them
| Season : | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
The first Ceps will usually start to appear at some point in August.
However, the really big appearances will be in September and October. Some years the arrival is early and some years it is late.
Ceps seem to be more abundant if a long, hot and dry summer is terminated with a sudden cold snap. It is not unusual to find a Cep or two in December.
Image © Jens H. Petersen/MycoKey
Locally, it is believed that it is best to hunt for Ceps 3 days after heavy rain and when the moon is full.
Occasionally, in dry years, Ceps pop up in late May or June. Strictly speaking, these early arrivals are Boletus Aestivalis (Summer Cep) but, locally, they are considered to be Ceps.
The Cep is generally found under broadleaved trees, either singly or in groups. Occasionally it will be found under conifers.
As with most mushrooms, it is best to go looking for Ceps as early in the morning as possible.
Specifically associated with Oak, Beech and Chestnut trees, the Cep seems to prefer airy and not too dark areas of the forest.
How to identify
Boletus edulis is a pretty easily recognized mushroom.
It has a characteristic shape (with a swollen base), reticulation on the stem, and its cap has a characteristic texture – like a very well buffed, soft, sticky leather.
Its white to olive yellow pores do not bruise blue when injured.
Image © Jens H. Petersen/MycoKey
Cap • The cap varies from 8 to 30 cm and is convex in the button stage, becoming broadly convex to nearly flat when mature. It is often tacky when wet but smooth, like well buffed leather when dry. Normally light brown to brown to dark brown (sometimes nearly red).
Pores • The pores are whitish at first, becoming yellow to olive.
Stem • The stems are from 8 to 20 cm long and 2 to -10 cm thick at apex. They are usually club-shaped to nearly club-shaped when young (rarely equal), club-shaped to equal; finely lined over at least the upper half; white, or white below and brownish above.
Flesh • The flesh is normally white, solid and unchanging. Sometimes tinged with rose shades near the cap surface and around worm holes and (unlike other members of the Boletus family), rarely discolouring slightly blue near the tubes.
Cooking
The Cep is one of the most delicous of all the Boletes (and certainly the most highly regarded), and one of the most useful in the kitchen.
As with many mushrooms, my inclination would be to do as little as possible to the Cep, during the preparation and cooking process, in order to Allow the Mushroom To Talk!
Image © Jens H. Petersen/MycoKey
Cleaning of the Ceps should be done as they are picked, before putting them in your basket (so as to keep the other mushrooms you have in there, nice and clean). You should use your knife to scrape (or shave) away any dirt, and then a quick brush to clean it up.
Ceps can be eaten raw (in a salad perhaps, dressed with a vinagarette.) The larger examples can be sliced and lightly smeared with oil or butter and grilled or, gently fried in a pan. Any seasoning should be added towards the end of the cooking process (and please, please don’t cook them for too long).
Storage
The primary method of storage is drying. This can be accomplished in a specialist drying machine, in the open air or in a warm oven.
Small and clean examples can be stored in olive oil for eating raw at a later date.
Finely chopped Ceps can also be warmed in butter which is then frozen to make a mushroom butter.
Image © Jens H. Petersen/MycoKey
Locally (in Brittany, France), it is usual to cook the sliced Ceps in butter and shallots and then freeze the result to be used later on as as sauce or, the start of a sauce.
All the best
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