You can freeze both raw and thermally processed mushrooms. If you do it according to the rules, in winter you can make a fragrant mushroom stew, a fragrant soup, a spicy pot roast, and a delicate Spanish omelet from them.
General recommendations
The most important rule is that mushrooms must be fresh for freezing! Young boletus and porcini mushrooms, as well as russula, pigs, mushrooms and volushki are suitable for freezing during the day. Butter and boletus mushrooms need to be processed immediately after collection.
For freezing, it is better to take small, strong and young specimens, preferably unbroken ones. A lot depends on the last two parameters - the appearance of the mushrooms after defrosting and their taste, in particular, the aroma. It is not recommended to wash them beforehand. You can only shake off leaves, earth and other rubbish from them. Mushrooms easily absorb water, which, when frozen, turns into ice.
How to freeze raw mushrooms
The easiest way to freeze mushrooms is fresh and whole. Mushrooms with a sponge under the cap should be frozen only fresh. These include boletus, white and boletus. When cooked, they will become too watery and lose much of their taste after defrosting.
To save space in the freezer, the mushrooms must be pre-cut. At the same time, the smallest specimens can be frozen whole, they will serve as a good decoration for many dishes. True, initially they must be strong, otherwise the mushrooms after defrosting will not keep their shape.
Spread the prepared mushrooms on a tray in a thin layer and place in the freezer for 12-15 hours. During this time, they should have time to freeze. The temperature in the chamber should be maximum. Place the frozen mushrooms in a plastic bag and return to the freezer at normal temperature.
Ideal mushrooms for freezing in this way are mushrooms, boletus mushrooms, forest mushrooms, boletus mushrooms, chanterelles.
How to freeze boiled mushrooms
This freezing method is suitable for broken mushrooms that have lost their presentation, but tasty and fresh mushrooms. Boil them, not for long - about 5 minutes. Place the mushrooms in a colander and let the water drain for 30-50 minutes. After that, the mushrooms can be squeezed out a little by hand to remove unnecessary moisture. After that, they must be placed in a clean container or tight bag and put into the freezer.
Calculate the number of mushrooms in a container so that you can use one bag or container to prepare one dish.
You can also freeze fried mushrooms. To do this, fry the pure mushrooms in a small amount of vegetable oil for 15-20 minutes, until the excess moisture evaporates. Arrange completely cooled mushrooms in bags and freeze. So that they do not lose their incomparable aroma and sweet taste when frying, mushrooms can be fried on a baking sheet in the oven. For such a frying, you don't even need oil, since the mushrooms will be cooked in their own juice.
Mushrooms frozen using this method are ideal as a filling for pies, pies, chicken.
How long can frozen mushrooms be stored
Frozen mushrooms should be stored at -18 ° C for the winter. Their shelf life is no more than a year. After completely defrosting, use the mushrooms immediately, and in no case leave them for "later" in the refrigerator.
How to properly defrost mushrooms
Keep in mind that mushrooms, like any other product, must not be re-frozen. Otherwise, you will end up with a watery, tasteless porridge.
Defrost mushrooms slowly. To do this, simply transfer them to the bottom shelf of the refrigerator and leave for 12-20 hours.
