How to freeze mushrooms for the winter: simple rules and instructions

Fresh mushrooms do not last long, only a couple of weeks in the refrigerator. Not everyone likes to pickle them for the winter, so why not freeze the mushrooms for the winter? The “quiet hunting” season can be perfectly completed with a simple and healthy preparation of fresh honey mushrooms, champignons, oyster mushrooms and other mushrooms.

What mushrooms are frozen

Both hand-picked and store-bought mushrooms, both wild and grown on mushroom farms, are well stored in the freezer. In any case, try to have time to freeze fresh samples within the first day after collection.

For chanterelles, boletus, boletus and other mushrooms, the principles of freezing are almost the same. It is worth distinguishing them by their shape:

1. Tubular ones with a porous cap (boletus, etc.) are frozen raw.
2. It is better to boil honey mushrooms, oyster mushrooms and other lamellar species before freezing.
3. Marsupials, such as truffles, must be cooked and squeezed thoroughly before being sent to the freezer.

note
To store the product, the temperature in the chamber should not be higher than the standard -18 degrees. Below is possible if the device allows it. You also need to make sure that the device does not turn off even for several hours.

Blast freezing would be optimal - for this, set the temperature in the freezer to the lowest possible temperature for 2-3 hours, keep the mushrooms there, and then return to standard settings.With this method, the maximum vitamins are preserved, the products remain tasty and aromatic, very similar to fresh ones.

Preparing for freezing: all stages

All collected or purchased mushrooms are carefully sorted. Only whole, healthy and moderately large samples are selected for freezing.

How to clean:

1. Use a special stiff brush or knife to remove small debris.
2. Cut off the bottom of the leg.
3. Remove the skirts from mushrooms.
4. Remove the films from the butter caps.

How to wash:

1. If the mushrooms are too dirty, rinse them.
2. And then dry thoroughly. Dry all parts with a paper towel to ensure no drips remain.

If you can avoid washing mushrooms, don’t! They become saturated with moisture and, after defrosting, lose a lot of flavor.

It is also impossible to soak the product for a long time; it is already watery and releases a lot of juice when cooked. After defrosting, this property worsens. That is why samples that are too wet are lightly boiled and squeezed.

Advice
Mushrooms with minor damage from worms can be soaked in salt water for 20 minutes. The insects will float up.

How to boil before freezing:

1. Cut everything into small convenient pieces, as if into a dish. Anyway, after defrosting, the product will be used in soup, pizza, etc. By the way, after defrosting, mushrooms are more difficult to cut, as they lose their shape and release a lot of moisture.
2. Boil water in a saucepan.
3. Place everything in boiling water and boil for 5-10 minutes. There is no need to cook longer to prevent the pieces from becoming rubbery.
4. Place the finished mushrooms in a colander and shake, letting the water drain.
5. The product must be freed from moisture as much as possible (you can even gently squeeze it out).
6. Once the pieces have cooled completely, you can start freezing.

Mushrooms can not only be boiled, but also fried:

1. Cut the product into small pieces.
2. Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan.
3. Place the pieces in the oil and fry for 20 minutes, stirring constantly with a spatula.
4. Drain off excess juice.
5. Cool the mushrooms and place everything in the freezer in small portions.

Important
There is no need to add salt when cooking or frying! Salt promotes the release of moisture.

Other pre-heat treatment methods:

1. Double boiler: Place the product on a wire rack and keep it over steam for at least 5 minutes.
2. Blanching: Add a little salt to a pan of boiling water, put the mushrooms in there, let sit for 2-3 minutes, then transfer everything into ice water.
3. Oven: bake fresh mushrooms on a baking sheet with foil for about 20 minutes to get the most flavorful semi-finished product.

Freezing: rules

Freezing raw mushrooms:

1. White and other large species are best cut into slices; smaller ones can be frozen whole. It is very convenient to separate mushrooms into caps and stems.
2. First, freeze the slices in separate pieces so that they do not stick together during storage. Place everything in an even layer on a tray or flat dish. Just cover the container with cling film, otherwise the mushrooms will stick to the bottom. Now put it in the freezer and wait a few hours for everything to freeze thoroughly.
3. When the mushrooms are firm, transfer them to containers or freezer bags. Package the product so that one serving is enough for one use. This will be convenient and quick, and you won’t have to defrost the workpiece again.
4. Do not re-freeze!

How to properly freeze mushrooms after boiling:

1. The process for packing boiled pieces is exactly the same as for fresh ones.Prepare convenient small containers and distribute the pieces in portions. It is convenient to freeze 100-300 g, depending on the dish in which these mushrooms will be useful later.
2. Boiled mushrooms take up less space.
3. It's a good idea to freeze the product in a container directly in the mushroom broth, so the pieces are less likely to lose shape and taste after thawing.

The magazine purity-en.htgetrid.com strongly recommends that you sign all containers: type of mushrooms, method of freezing (fresh or after cooking), date of packaging and expiration date. This way you will remember to use the workpiece in a timely manner and for its intended purpose.

Shelf life and defrosting, how to use the product

The shelf life of frozen mushrooms is 5-7, maximum 12 months. Try to eat them before spring to get more benefits. The longer foods are stored, the less tasty and nutritious they become.

The way the mushrooms are thawed also plays a role in the final result. In the case of mushrooms, the temperature increases gradually:

1. First, move the bag or container to the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. There it should stand for 7-10 hours. Very convenient to defrost overnight.
2. After this, one hour at room temperature is enough for the mushrooms to become suitable for further cooking.

Thawed mushrooms, which have previously been boiled, fried or baked, are added to soups, fried potatoes, cereals for a hearty side dish, in pies fillings, etc. It is recommended to cook raw mushrooms separately from the dish. Methods of cooking/stewing, etc. are the same as in the case of fresh products.

The taste of defrosting, of course, cannot be compared with fresh food, but it is much better than what stores offer in winter.After thawing, eat the gifts of the forest immediately: they spoil very quickly.