How to freeze correctly and how long can mushrooms be stored in the freezer?
Fresh mushrooms are an aromatic and tasty product that has a very limited shelf life.
To prolong it, you can preserve the harvested crop, dry it or freeze it.
The latter option allows you to preserve the maximum amount of nutrients and use the preparation until the next mushroom season.
We’ll tell you in this article how long you can store mushrooms in the freezer.
Content
Should I keep it in the freezer?
In order to extend the shelf life of mushroom stocks, freezing is one of the convenient options. For preparation in the freezer, almost any fresh mushrooms, purchased in a store or collected independently, can be used.
For preparation in the freezer The following types are suitable:
- boletus;
- chanterelles;
- saffron milk caps;
- boletus;
- honey mushrooms;
- oyster mushrooms;
- champignons, etc.
You should not harvest and use mushrooms collected in environmentally polluted areas and along roads. This is due to the fact that they have the ability to actively absorb various substances from the environment, including harmful ones.
Shelf life of frozen products
Several methods can be used to freeze mushroom products. Each of them has its own characteristics, strengths and weaknesses.
When choosing any freezing option, you should consider how to optimally use the usable capacity of the freezer. You need to consider the type of packaging and size of the product.
Sliced mushrooms are not only more compact to store, but also convenient to use after defrosting.
Fresh
Mushrooms collected in the forest, growing in nature, and specially grown can be frozen fresh.
The processing process includes the following stages:
Sorting by product type.- Removal of debris, removal of damaged areas.
- Cut into pieces convenient for further use after defrosting.
- Place the pieces in a single layer on cutting boards or trays large enough to fit in the freezer.
- Place the product in the freezer for about 10 hours so that the product is set by frost and becomes hard.
- Remove the workpiece from the freezer and put it into tight zip-lock bags for long-term storage.
All packages must be hermetically sealed. For convenience, it is better to sign each one, indicating the date of freezing and the name of the mushrooms.
This harvesting method is simple and does not require complex organization.. Freezing a fresh product allows you to preserve all its qualities as much as possible. Since fresh mushrooms are quite bulky, even when chopped they will require a lot of space in the freezer.
Freezing fresh mushrooms, video instructions:
Boiled
Freezing boiled mushrooms saves space in the freezer. Honey mushrooms, morels, russula and other types are most often prepared in this way.After defrosting, the workpieces can be fried or cooked until fully cooked.
Procedure:
- Sort by type.
- Clear away debris and cut off wormy areas.
- Rinse.
- Cut the body of the mushroom into pieces.
- Boil water.
- Place the pieces in boiling water for 10 minutes.
- Remove the chopped pieces and place in a colander to drain.
- Dry completely by spreading it on a cloth. The drier they are, the better for freezing.
- Cool to room temperature.
- Transfer to packaging for storage in the freezer.
Boiling slightly reduces the nutritional value of mushrooms.
The video will show you how to boil mushrooms for subsequent freezing:
Fried
Roasting for long-term storage should be as gentle as possible in terms of processing. It is recommended not to use oil, but to carry out heat treatment in a dry frying pan.
Work order:
- sort through and sort the harvest;
- cut off damaged areas;
- Rinse;
- dry, allowing the water to drain;
- dry using a cotton towel;
- fry in a frying pan, stirring constantly, the mushrooms will release their juice;
- fry until the liquid has completely evaporated;
- remove from the stove;
- cool;
- transfer to packaging designated for long-term storage.
This video will tell you about freezing fried mushrooms:
Other options
In addition to the most popular methods of freezing fresh, fried and boiled mushrooms, non-standard preparations can also be made.
Sometimes even salted mushrooms are placed in the freezer. This method allows you to save the workpiece in the event that the open jar will not be used immediately.
Fully cooked boiled or stewed mushrooms can also be frozen. You can even freeze the broth. In the future, it will serve as the basis for preparing mushroom soup.
Five ways to freeze champignons are presented in the video:
Conditions of detention
Storage conditions directly affect the duration of mushroom stocks. Any frozen mushrooms cannot be stored longer than 10-12 months. The exact timing depends on the temperature in the freezer.
It is also important that the packaging is sealed and reliably protects the contents from contact with other products and prevents the exchange of odors.
If the mushroom harvest is large, it is recommended not to freeze all of it, but to use other types of preparations to diversify the table.
Possibility of re-freezing
The main rules for freezing mushrooms include ban on re-freezing.
To avoid this problem, you need to decide in advance on the size of the package to place the product in the freezer.
Mushrooms need to be packaged in small portions so that you don’t have to separate a small part from the hard frozen lump later.
Using one large package is possible only in the case when the mushrooms were frozen individually. In this case, each piece will lie separately, and it will be possible to easily separate the required amount of the workpiece.
Conclusion
Freezing mushrooms and further storing them in the freezer is one of the universal ways to prepare the product for future use.This kind of freezing can be used for a long time, and in different dishes.
It is only important to follow all the rules and not subject such a demanding product to re-freezing.
