Freezing mushrooms

Freezing

You can save mushrooms by salting and preserving them. Combined with fried potatoes, they form a delicious dish. Therefore, if you managed to collect a considerable harvest, you can safely pickle the chanterelles. If you want to preserve the original appearance of this product, then it is recommended to freeze it.

In this case, you will receive the entire set of proteins, amino acids, vitamins in one dish. Freezing these mushrooms is not too difficult.

The mushroom must be processed immediately after harvest. If the temperature in the apartment is low, then these representatives of the mushroom kingdom can be stored for no more than 24 hours. Initially, it is necessary to carefully sort out the product, to exclude crumpled, old copies. Do not forget to remove any debris from the mushroom, such as sand or twigs, needles or leaves.

Storing such mushrooms is not at all troublesome.

Take a close look at the back of the chanterelle cap. Usually, this is where a lot of dirt accumulates. The product is washed with a stream of water, then spread on a towel to dry. Take your time at this stage, because excess moisture can only harm. After drying, arrange everything in containers (bags), and put them in the freezer.

Many housewives are interested in how to remove bitterness from chanterelles? This is very simple to do, you just need to boil them first. Pour the product into a saucepan, fill with cold water, wait until it boils. Do not forget to add salt and also remove the foam. Boil the product for no more than 20 minutes.

Then you need to fold the chanterelles in a colander, rinse, put on a towel. For freezing, plastic containers or bags are best. It is necessary to freeze mushrooms in small portions, because their repeated defrosting is not recommended. You can also freeze stewed or boiled chanterelles with the liquid. In the future, they will be the basis of hodgepodge, stew, soup.

Freezing rules for mushrooms of different types, freezing modes

Regardless of the type of mushroom, there are two basic rules for freezing:

Fresh and clean. Mushrooms are frozen on the day of harvest, or at most - yesterday. They must be cleaned of leaves, dirt and sand. The mushrooms must be solid and firm. Broken and soft ones should not be frozen, since after defrosting they will lose their visual appeal.
Young. Small elastic mushrooms are selected for freezing. They retain their shape best and do not lose their shape after thawing.

You can freeze mushrooms not only fresh, but also stewed, boiled and fried.

Fresh porcini mushrooms, boletus mushrooms, aspen mushrooms, mushrooms, champignons can be frozen.
Morels and lines should be frozen boiled. They contain poisonous Helvelic acid, which is removed only during cooking.
Ryzhiki, russula, milk mushrooms, volnushki can be frozen boiled, stewed or fried.
Chanterelles and honey mushrooms should be frozen as a ready-made semi-finished product. They can be boiled or fried. After heat treatment, chanterelles do not have bitterness, and honey mushrooms become softer.

Most often, whole mushrooms are used for freezing, but you can also freeze only caps or chopped mushrooms. It is recommended to freeze whole mushrooms at a temperature of -28 ° C, and semi-finished products at -18 - -20 ° C. Store frozen mushrooms and semi-finished products from them in freezers at a temperature of -18 ° C.

Freeze for the winter

Is it possible to freeze familiar chanterelles? Freezing is one of the oldest ways to keep food fresh so that it retains its taste and health properties for a long time. The advantage of this method is its simplicity - you just need a regular freezer in the refrigerator and a minimum of skill - and you're done! This method is perfectly applicable to various mushrooms, including chanterelles. If the mushrooms are properly frozen, they will be stored for a long time and retain their taste and useful qualities. Unlike salting and pickling, in which part of the vitamins is inevitably destroyed, freezing is very careful with the pulp of the mushrooms. So, freezing chanterelles is not only possible, but also necessary!

Freezing preparation

Frozen and dried chanterelles - how to make everything delicious and the mushrooms did not start to taste bitter

Chanterelles spoil very quickly, they should not be left lying in the baskets after harvesting, but it is better to pour them in a cool place on the floor on spread newspapers. It is better to process them in the next few hours, the deadline is a day.

In order for the mushrooms to be stored for a long time and successfully, it is necessary to properly prepare them for the freezing process.

Fruit bodies must be carefully sorted out, cleaned of forest debris and dirt, and specimens that are too old or damaged by rot and insects must be removed.

For the rest, carefully cut off the damaged fragments and cut off the very bottom of the legs.
Sorting - the largest specimens are best left for roast and soup, and small and medium-sized fruit bodies are more suitable for freezing.
The peeled fruiting bodies must be rinsed under running water, preferably not hot, and then blotted dry with paper towels. The mushrooms should be dry by the time they are frozen.

Freezing raw product

For this method, it is best to take the smallest fruiting bodies.
Fruiting bodies must be spread out in an even layer on a suitable surface, being careful not to touch each other - this way they will stick to each other less.
Freeze mushrooms in the freezer for 12 hours.
After the end of the process, pack the frozen chanterelles in plastic bags or plastic containers.

Freezing boiled chanterelles

This method is useful when you want to freeze larger chanterelles - boiling reduces the bitterness that appears in mature chanterelles.
Fruiting bodies should be chopped into pieces of equal size, and then placed in boiling water and cooked over medium heat for 20 minutes.
Dry the boiled mushrooms in a colander, and then blot with paper towels.
Freeze mushrooms in the freezer for 12 hours.
After the end of the process, arrange the frozen chanterelles in plastic bags or plastic containers.

Freezing fried chanterelles

Frozen and dried chanterelles - how to make everything delicious and the mushrooms did not start to taste bitter

This method is good because you get a ready-made frozen semi-finished product, which, after defrosting, requires a minimum of preliminary cooking.
Cut the mushrooms into equal sized pieces.
Chop the onions, at the rate of 200 gr. per kilogram of chanterelles.
Fry mushrooms and onions in oil in a pan until tender.
Divide the fried chanterelles into portions, pack them in plastic containers or plastic bags and freeze in the freezer for 12 hours.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Freezing

Freezing is the oldest way to preserve food. For a long time, it has been observed that exposure to cold prolongs their shelf life, leaving the appearance and taste practically unchanged. The positive aspects of deep freezing include:

Fast and easy processing.
Slight weight loss of raw materials.
Retention of taste, aroma, color and shape.
Unlimited cooking possibilities after defrosting.
Slight loss of nutritional value.

Of course, there are some negative points too:

High energy intensity.
The need for significant space for placement.
Constant temperature maintenance. Multiple defrosting is absolutely unacceptable.

Which mushrooms can be frozen raw?

It is known that according to their structure, mushrooms are divided into marsupials, tubular and lamellar. The first group is the smallest, and it includes the rarest mushrooms - truffles, along with morels. But the other two groups are very rich in their constituent species. The difference between them is in the structure of the bottom side of the cap, where the spore chambers are located. In tubular, they, respectively, have the appearance of a porous surface, which is why such mushrooms are also called spongy.

Marsupial Truffles

In lamellar ones, the lower part of the cap is folded, from many thin plates, between which there are spores. Why do we need these classifications? It's simple - only spongy mushrooms, for example, porcini, can be frozen raw. The fact is that the porous surface of the cap, which is the main edible part, absorbs water well during cooking and gives it away poorly. Therefore, if you first dip the boletus or boletus into boiling water, as well as porcini mushrooms, then they will have to be squeezed out so that they do not become watery, and this will not affect the quality of the product in the best way.

Freezing raw porcini mushrooms

But the lamellar species should be just boiled, and honey mushrooms should be boiled for at least half an hour, otherwise you will experience an upset stomach after defrosting and preparing a hot dish from them. Other mushrooms also need to be cooked for at least 10 minutes. All types of marsupial mushrooms must be boiled before freezing, and then squeezed out, and then rinsed in running water to get rid of harmful Helvelic acid.

How to freeze mushrooms for the winter?

Without knowledge of some subtleties at home, it will not be possible to properly freeze mushrooms:

To get a high-quality product at the exit, choose only fresh mushrooms collected no more than a day ago

It is important that they are strong. So, when thawed, they will keep their shape.
Depending on the future use in winter, freezing can be done fresh, boiled or toasted.
Immediately you need to decide how you will freeze the mushrooms - in whole or in pieces.
The preparation in containers will help to keep the shape of the mushrooms, and if the attractiveness of the appearance is not fundamental, a plastic bag will take up less space in the freezer.
It is better to put the product in the freezer in portions, so as not to defrost the mushrooms several times in winter.

The optimal shelf life of a frozen product is no more than a year in a freezer. At a lower temperature - no more than 3 months.

Freezing porcini mushrooms for the winter

This variety of mushrooms is prized for its snow-white pulp and firmness. And what can we say about its aroma!

To freeze porcini mushrooms at home, you need to lay them out neatly on a tray and send them to the freezer for quick freezing. If this function is not provided, then for a good effect you need to wait about 10 hours.

Ready mushrooms are laid out in bags or in containers and sent back to the freezer.

Home freezing chanterelles for the winter

Many people believe that chanterelles are not suitable for such a procedure. As it turned out in practice, they tolerate the freezing process no worse than porcini mushroom. They lend themselves easily to processing and rarely come across wormy specimens. So what to do:

Freezing of mushrooms can be carried out according to the white scheme.
Chanterelles are frozen both fresh and after preliminary roasting.
The main condition is the removal of light bitterness from the chanterelles. To do this, they are soaked in salt water (a spoonful of salt per liter).

Freezing boiled mushrooms for the winter

Every hostess who is afraid of freezing raw mushrooms can work with a pre-boiled product. This option of harvesting for the winter is very convenient. The main advantage is that when you take out the workpiece from the freezer, you can immediately use it, and this reduces the time for cooking.

Even broken but strong young mushrooms can be suitable for this freezing option. They are easily used as a semi-finished product, as well as an ingredient in minced meat and filling.

To prepare them, boil the mushrooms for about 5 minutes, drain the water and discard in a colander so that the water is completely glass. You cannot salt the water! Then the product is laid out in portions and placed in the freezer.

Freezing fried mushrooms

Mushrooms, pre-fried before freezing for the winter, look very appetizing. Chanterelles are best suited for this, with which you can then fry delicious potatoes in winter, add them as a filling for cutlets and to a warm salad.

For proper freezing, the mushrooms are fried in vegetable oil and wait until the liquid has completely boiled away. You cannot salt them!

Then they are cooled, packed in bags and put in the freezer.

The undoubted advantage of fried mushrooms is the absence of the need for preliminary defrosting before cooking.

Freezing mushrooms with broth for the winter

If it is a pity to pour out the broth left after boiling the mushrooms, you can prepare it too:

the mushrooms are boiled until tender and left to cool. Then they take the container and put a tight bag into it so that the edges go beyond the sides;
the broth is poured along with the product and sent to the freezer;
after freezing the workpiece, the bag is carefully removed from the container, and this even briquette is sent to the freezer. The base for the aromatic soup is ready!

Drying chanterelles

Frozen and dried chanterelles - how to make everything delicious and the mushrooms did not start to taste bitter

A great way to prepare chanterelles for future use is to dry them, which will also allow them to preserve their useful properties for a long time. Only freshly picked specimens of these mushrooms can be dried.

Preliminary preparation

Fruit bodies need to be cleaned of dirt and forest debris, cut off the lower parts of the legs and cut out damaged fragments of mushrooms.
It is impossible to wash the mushrooms before drying, therefore, especially stubborn dirt should be removed with a damp cloth.
If the chanterelles are planned to be dried on a string, then they can be left intact; for other methods of drying, the fruit bodies must be cut into pieces of equal size.

Air drying

There are three main natural drying methods:

A baking sheet is lined with paper, and chanterelles are laid out on it in an even thin layer. Then the baking sheet is exposed in a sunny place.
Fruit bodies are strung on a string and hung in a well-ventilated place.
Mushrooms are laid out on a flat, clean surface - for example, on a cabinet shelf covered with newspapers, and covered with napkins on top

For this method, it is important that there is good ventilation in the drying area and a low level of humidity.

With these drying methods, the process takes from one to two weeks.

Drying in the oven

Fruit bodies are cleaned in the usual way and then laid out on baking sheets lined with baking paper. The mushrooms must be laid in an even layer, being careful not to touch each other.
Preheat the oven to 45 degrees, place the mushrooms there and dry for 2 hours with the door ajar.
After two hours, raise the temperature to 60 grams, then dry for 8 - 10 hours, periodically turning each mushroom so that they dry evenly, and taking out the already sufficiently dried specimens.

Drying in an electric dryer

Spread the mushrooms evenly on a tray, and dry at 50 gr. within three hours, then increase the temperature to 60 grams. and dry until tender, periodically turning the fruit bodies.

Frozen and dried chanterelles - how to make everything delicious and the mushrooms did not start to taste bitter

Drying in an airfryer

The airfryer allows you to dry chanterelles in a very short period of time.

The maximum blowing power and a temperature of 60 grams are set in the device, the lid is left ajar for better air circulation. The drying procedure takes about 2 hours. After the first hour of drying, you can already check the degree of readiness and take out the already dried specimens.

Microwave drying

This method is good when the number of chanterelles is small, and you do not particularly mind the cost of electricity.

Fruiting bodies are laid out on a plate and dried in the microwave for 20 minutes at a power of 180 watts.
Then the mushrooms are cooled for 5 minutes, and the microwave is ventilated.
Procedure - 20 min. drying / 5 min. break, repeat until the mushrooms are completely dry.

Cold drying

This is the most radical and unusual way to dry mushrooms.

Fruit bodies are laid out in an even layer on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator, covering it with paper. The drying period takes from a week or more, depending on the size of the mushrooms.

How to know if mushrooms are properly dried

Frozen and dried chanterelles - how to make everything delicious and the mushrooms did not start to taste bitter

There are two easy ways:

On a break - a properly dried chanterelle is absolutely dry, but retains its flexibility and density. In order to break it, you need to make an effort, and the mushroom on the break does not crumble.
By weight - you can hang the chanterelles before and after drying. Dried fruit bodies weigh about 10 times less than raw ones.

If the chanterelles turned out to be overdried and began to crumble, this is not scary. You can grind them with a coffee grinder to a powder that can be used as a seasoning or for medicinal purposes. Store such a powder in hermetically sealed jars.

How to freeze mushrooms for the winter

You cannot do without knowing some of the nuances of the correct freezing of mushrooms for the winter at home, be sure to take them into account:

To get high-quality frozen mushrooms at the output, take fresh, harvested no more than a day ago, young mushrooms

It is important that the mushroom is strong - it will keep its shape when thawed.
Depending on the purpose of use, mushrooms are frozen raw, fresh - without boiling, pre-frying or boiling until tender.
First, decide in what form you will begin to freeze the mushrooms - whole or by cutting them into pieces.
Clean the mushrooms from adhered twigs and other dirt, process the legs - cut off the remaining mycelium and soil. Then wipe the caps with a damp cloth, and if possible, remove the top skin

Do not soak the mushroom, it absorbs moisture too quickly, which, when frozen, will become ice.
I read that before harvesting, many people wash mushrooms, but if you freeze fresh, without cooking, it is better not to make such a mistake. But if you decide to rinse, then spread them extremely well on a towel.
The mushrooms will keep their shape if you store them in a container. But if the question of maintaining an attractive appearance is not worth it, choose a plastic bag - it is more convenient and takes up less space in the freezer.
Put portioned bags in the freezer so as not to defrost excess - it is better not to freeze the mushrooms again.

The shelf life of a frozen product at a freezer temperature of at least 18 ° C is a year, no longer. With a lower temperature, it is advisable to use the workpiece within 3 months.

What mushrooms can be frozen

Mushrooms with a dense structure are suitable for freezing at home, for which soaking is not provided before cooking. Boletus, boletus, aspen, mushrooms, chanterelles, boletus, Polish. Volnushki and mushrooms for harvesting for this purpose will not work.

How to choose and prepare mushrooms correctly

When using frozen food, it is important to defrost it correctly. This process should take place gradually.

At the first stage, mushroom semi-finished products from the freezer are moved to the refrigerator shelf before thawing begins, and only then they can be transferred to the table.

After that, the mushrooms can be cooked. It is better not to allow the product to completely defrost, as the workpieces will lose their aesthetic appearance - they will darken and become unappetizing.

Frozen champignons are a good option to prepare a delicious and unusual dish for unexpected guests. Indeed, in every home there are classic companions of this product - potatoes, onions and cheese. In addition, having champignons on hand, you can always please your household with a delicious soup or mushroom pie.

The time allotted for boiling can be from five to ten minutes.Thus, the volume of the workpieces will decrease several times, however, not completely cooked pieces will have to be boiled for some time before cooking.

Freezing honey mushrooms

After collecting forest gifts, they should be thoroughly cleaned, get rid of rotten and unusable specimens. It is sorted by size. Smaller ones are put in bags whole, and large ones are cut into pieces.

Having got rid of small debris and insects from future workpieces, if necessary, they are wiped with a damp towel, after which the mushrooms are laid out on a pallet or cutting board wrapped in cling film in one layer.

Freezing boiled mushrooms

Pre-sorted and washed mushrooms are dipped in a boiled liquid and boiled for 10 minutes.

Next, the workpieces are dumped into a colander. Thus, they get rid of excess fluid. After the excess moisture has drained off, the pieces are packaged in separate bags. Each bag should be sized for one serving so as not to have to re-freeze.

A semi-finished product prepared in this way is completely ready for consumption. To make the mushrooms, they are placed in heated sunflower oil in a pan and fried for 20 minutes.

After heat treatment, the workpieces are poured into a sieve to remove excess oil. The cooled pieces are placed in sachets in portions. Air should be released from them. After all the work done, the products can be sent to storage in the freezer.

Only young, fresh and undamaged specimens are suitable for cold preservation. Recycling should be done within 24 hours after collection. In the old, overripe, an active process of protein decomposition takes place, which is comparable to decay.

Defrosting is a slow business. Raw mushrooms can be thawed in the refrigerator for 24 hours or at room temperature for about 3 hours. Those frozen after stewing, boiling and roasting can be defrosted in the microwave oven in the appropriate mode in several steps with breaks. In this case, the weight should be set to half the required one, maintaining an interval of 10 minutes between the defrosting stages. Then the effect of the device will be more uniform. You can cook mushrooms without defrosting by placing them in a saucepan with water and putting them directly on the fire.

During freezing, all biochemical processes are suspended that lead to spoilage of the product - the development of bacteria, mold and yeast microorganisms. Invisible companions of any product, they do not die at subzero temperatures and, after defrosting, continue their vital activity. Therefore, it is necessary to minimize the subsequent residence time of the product as much as possible. outdoors before cooking and eating.

Recommendations for choosing a method of freezing mushrooms for the winter

How do I prepare mushrooms for storage in the freezer? Fried mushrooms can be frozen in the same way. It is recommended to store frozen mushrooms for no more than three months. In winter, you can make stews, soup from frozen fried mushrooms, and also use as a filling in pies.

Fried mushrooms are least susceptible to storage; they can be kept in the refrigerator for no more than 4 months. Boiled blanks can be stored frozen for six months. In this case, the storage temperature should be -18 ... -16 ° C.

Freezing fresh mushrooms. Cleaned from litter, washed mushrooms can be thrown into a colander (allowed to drain) or dried on a towel. We cut large specimens, freeze miniature mushrooms whole. We pack mushrooms in packages or specials. containers and send to the freezer. We set the maximum cooling temperature in the freezer for 1.5-2 hours.

After 20 minutes we take out and shake the contents of the packages. The only drawback of this method is that freshly frozen mushrooms take up 2-4 times more space than those that have passed through heat treatment.It is acceptable to store such blanks for a year at an optimal temperature not higher than -18 degrees.

Freezing boiled mushrooms. Bring the prepared mushrooms to a boil in slightly salted water (a small spoonful of salt per liter of water) and boil for 10-15 minutes, removing the foam with a spoon. Drain the broth, cool and lay out in portioned bags (one bag for single defrosting). We put the bags in the freezer for storage. If desired, the broth can be frozen separately, pouring it into plastic containers, send it to the bags of boiled mushrooms in the freezer.

Simmer the boiled mushrooms in a skillet until all the moisture has evaporated from them.
Let cool and freeze in small portions.
We send the boiled mushrooms to a frying pan greased with vegetable oil and lightly fry. Add onions and your favorite spices if desired. Freeze in portions.

Freeze video

Boiled, stewed and fried mushrooms are perfect for vegetable and meat dishes. They are used as additives in sauces and soups, as a filling for pies and pizzas.

Forest products are more natural and aromatic than purchased products. Therefore, it is worth stocking up on these raw materials in advance, so that later all year round you can enjoy the extraordinary aroma and rich taste of the forest gifts of nature.

For these purposes, young specimens growing in the depths of the forest are selected. Roadside mushrooms absorb harmful toxic substances and can harm human health.

Freezing raw materials

All slices are spread out on a horizontal surface and stored in the freezer. Slightly frozen slices are sent to storage containers.

Boiled pieces for freezing

Raw materials are cut into cubes and placed in boiling water for 5-10 minutes, transferred to a colander to drain the liquid, after which they are divided into several bags in portions and frozen.

Baked forest products

To add a rich taste and aroma, the prepared slices are placed on a baking sheet and set for baking for 20 minutes. The cooled pieces are poured into containers and stored in the freezer.

Salted chanterelles

This method is suitable for pickling any mushrooms. And the marinade recipe is universal. If desired, use it to cold pickle mushrooms. To do this, you need to pour the washed mushrooms with cold marinade and put them in the cellar for a month under oppression.

Ingredients for hot pickling of chanterelles:

1.5 kg of chanterelles;
2 tbsp. l. salt;
4 cloves of garlic;
5 bay leaves;
6 carnation buds;
8 peas of black and allspice;
1 liter of water.

Rinse the chanterelles, cut the large mushrooms into several parts. Pour water into a saucepan, add all the spices, salt, peeled garlic. Bring to a boil, then add the mushrooms. Cook the chanterelles for 20 minutes over medium-low heat, skimming off the foam. Then arrange the chanterelles in sterilized jars, fill them with hot brine and tighten the lids. Or you can leave the chanterelles in a saucepan, pressing down with oppression, and put them in the cellar.