Is it possible to freeze champignons in a home freezer? Freezing champignons for the winter

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Can I freeze mushrooms at home? How to do it right? What is the secret to cooking mushrooms? Any housewife who grows these mushrooms on her own plot or collects them in the wild should know whether it is possible to freeze champignons. They are simply delicious when fresh, but can be a winter delicacy if stored properly.

Is everything safe?

Often the question of whether it is possible to freeze champignons arises from people who buy food in a supermarket. Indeed, these mushrooms are in almost any modern store in large quantities, but how safe are they? Do they accumulate components that are toxic to humans? However, there is nothing to fear. For a long time, people have found out whether it is possible to freeze champignons, and the answer is obvious and undeniable: yes, you can.

Freezing as a storage method

The richest crops of all kinds of gifts of nature, a person takes in the warm season. Of course, some mushrooms and berries can be picked before the first snow, sometimes even later, but mostly summer is the period of filling the bins. Traditional harvesting methods are the preparation of marinades, jams. Gathering champignon mushrooms,instead of specialized heat treatment, you should choose modern technology, fortunately, freezers make it possible to prepare and store any mushrooms for a long time period.

It is believed that freezing champignons is one of the safest ways to preserve mushrooms for the winter. It is also effective, helping to preserve nutrients. At the same time, you need to understand that freezing champignons will lead to the loss of some qualities. Mushrooms will not be crispy, appearance will change after defrosting. But the taste will remain the same, so many people prefer to keep champignons for the winter this way. Mushrooms must be harvested correctly, then the benefits and taste will be preserved.

How to do?

It is preferable to harvest personally picked mushrooms, as this allows you to be sure that they were taken in a clean place with untouched nature. Mushrooms growing along large roads cannot be eaten - harmful substances accumulate in them. Many people doubt whether it is possible to freeze champignons raw. Experts recommend doing it this way: as soon as the mushrooms are harvested, you need to clean them, steam them and freeze them. However, there are certain peculiarities in the process.

Cooking process

The answer to the question “is it possible to freeze champignons in the freezer” is positive, although it is mainly recommended to separate the hat from the stem - it will be more convenient to work this way. But this step is optional.

At the beginning of work withmushrooms are thoroughly washed in warm water. This will allow the mushrooms to steam out, and it will be easier to clean them. Then the fruiting bodies are dried on a towel, allowing excess moisture to escape, since mushrooms that are too wet are not stored for a long time, and as they are thawed, they will change color to an unsightly dark one. Drying time - a third of an hour or more. The next step is cleaning. The part of the stem that touched the earth during the growth of the fungus must be removed.

What's next?

Is it possible to freeze whole fresh champignons? Yes, of course, this is possible, but it is quite inconvenient both during the cleaning process and during subsequent processing and defrosting. If the product is pre-grinded, it will take much less time before cooking in the winter to acquire the desired state of aggregation.

Usually, mushrooms are cut into cubes, slices, focusing on the desired size - there are no clear rules. It must be remembered that thawed mushrooms cannot be cut, so it is better to do it right away, taking into account the needs of the cooking process of a particular dish.

Technical aspects

It is recommended to put chopped and prepared mushrooms in plastic containers, although you can use regular bags, removing excess air from them. The neck must be carefully tied up - this helps to protect the product from foreign odors. If it was decided to use a plastic container, you must first rinse it thoroughly so that there are no foreign objects, odors, food debris left, then wipe it dry, only after that store the mushrooms.

You should freeze the champignons in portions so that in the future you can easily separate the amount of product necessary for cooking the dish. It is impossible to freeze the entire mass of mushrooms at once, planning to then defrost, separate the required volume, and put the rest back into storage; when re-freezing, the smell, taste, and benefits of the product completely disappear. The shelf life of frozen mushrooms is about six months.

Important nuances

To make a dish with mushrooms tasty, you need to be able not only to properly prepare mushrooms for storage, but also to defrost them correctly. In general, products are defrosted in the refrigerator for several hours before cooking and used when they reach the desired state. Such a leisurely approach allows you to save taste, benefit, smell.

But with mushrooms, things are completely different. Gradual defrosting may cause the color to change to black and the taste to become empty. It is necessary to immediately pour a portion of the product into the pan or into the broth, continuing to cook the dish.

And if not fresh?

Champignons can be frozen not only immediately after harvest, but also during preliminary heat treatment. It is allowed to store pre-fried, boiled mushrooms in the freezer. This option allows you to use mushrooms for food immediately after defrosting, you will only need to warm them up.

How to prepare?

Cooking champignons is very simple - boil water, pour peeled mushrooms, cook for 10 minutes. Before being placed inthe container can be cut into mushrooms, let them cool, then put in the chamber.

Frying champignons is no different from cooking mushrooms of other types. Oil is added to the pan and the product is processed until all the liquid has evaporated.

Traditions and tastes

For our cuisine, mushrooms are considered as traditional as fried potatoes or pasta with minced meat. Many are accustomed to them since childhood, know and love. Of course, champignons are not as popular and loved as porcini or boletus mushrooms, nevertheless, mushrooms are tasty, and most importantly, their mycelium is very fertile. If the year turned out to be fruitful, you can collect with your own hands up to a centner of fruit, if you know good places away from well-trodden paths.

The process of cooking mushrooms has many different nuances, depending on the method of processing. Many people like pickled mushrooms, others make stuffed casseroles. It is also important that mushrooms are essentially free, and the costs are mainly associated with the road to a good place where you can collect a rich catch.

Why mushrooms?

With a low calorie content, the fruiting body of this variety of mushrooms is considered very nutritious. It has been scientifically proven that a constant intake of food allows you to normalize metabolism. Mushrooms are especially highly valued by people who are forced to adhere to a special diet to maintain weight.

Consumption of these mushrooms can reduce the concentration of cholesterol in the circulatory system. Also, the fruiting body is rich in protein, which is easily processed by the human body, and thisindispensable building material for bones, teeth, muscle tissue. Studies have shown that in terms of protein content, champignons are preferable to meat, eggs.

Micronutrients: what else?

The mushrooms in question are rich in potassium. This nutrient component has a positive effect on the cardiac system and vascular function. Champignon also contains elements that have a positive effect on the nervous system, making it easier to cope with obsessive thoughts, depression, and anxiety. The fruit body contains phosphorus, calcium, due to which the fungus can compete even with fish. Mushrooms are a source of folic acid, which is almost never found in most plant and animal products.

When dried, mushrooms can be used for poisoning - they help to remove toxins from the body. It is believed that champignon has a positive effect on the brain, increasing its activity, and also improves memory. For really tangible benefits, you need to eat dishes with mushrooms at least once a week. Therefore, it is so important to be able to freeze the gifts of nature - this will allow you to pamper yourself with a useful product all year round.