Mushroom freezing manual. Properly frozen and stored mushrooms will last a long time

Fresh mushrooms bought in a store or mushrooms you picked in the wild, or even crops you have grown in your garden will last you for many months, providing that you have stored them properly. There are many different types of mushrooms and many different ways to preserve them but to find the perfect method that works best for you will include some trial and error, but the basic methods outlined here should work for the majority of mushrooms or crops you bought in regular stores.

Mushroom preparation

You must wash and clean mushrooms before freezing. First, cut them into slices or quarters.

Freezing cooked mushrooms

Decide whether you want to steam or fry mushrooms. Before you decide know that stewed mushrooms we last you about three months longer than mushrooms cooked in fat.

• Steaming or cooking mushrooms: Steamed mushrooms will retain their original colour longer if you use the so-called anti-darkening treatment. Immerse mushrooms for 5 minutes in a solution containing 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, or 1 1/2 teaspoons of citric acid mixed in a half litter of water. Then stew or boil whole mushrooms for 5 minutes. If you cut mushrooms into quarters, cook them for 3.5 minutes, and if you have slices cook them approximately 3 minutes. Remove mushrooms from the steam and cool them down immediately. Place them in a bag and immediately in your freezer. This way your mushrooms should last for up to one year.
• Mushroom frying: Simmer a small amount of mushrooms in margarine or butter on a pan until almost cooked. Then cool them slowly in open air or simply put the pan in cold water. Place in a bag and in your freezer.>This way you should be able to store mushrooms for up to nine months.

Foto: Radek Štěpán

Freezing raw mushrooms

Unfortunately, some mushrooms will turn into a wet mush if preserved in the manner described above. For example, if you want to preserve morels (and other mushrooms that have a denser and coarser texture), it is better if you do not cook them first and do the following instead. Wash fresh mushrooms under running water. Cut them (or you may even use whole mushrooms), add a teaspoon of vegetable oil and mix well. Put well-oiled mushrooms in a bag and then in your freezer. Mushrooms preserved in this way can last up to three months.

Photo: Pixabay