How to quickly freeze oyster mushrooms for free at home and is it possible?

Freezing mushrooms is an easy and quick way to prepare semi-finished products, which can then be used in various dishes if necessary. However, not everyone knows that this procedure can be carried out not only with fresh oyster mushrooms, but also with boiled and even fried ones. But, of course, to freeze mushrooms in any form, you need to properly prepare them.

What's good about freezing?

Freezing is the most popular method of storing mushrooms for future use. It is with this method that they retain their original taste and smell. Raw frozen mushrooms of this type can be stored for about a year, and boiled or fried mushrooms for 6-7 months. From such preparations you can prepare any dish: from soups to pizza.

Freezing is also considered the fastest method, since, for example, canning oyster mushrooms takes much longer and takes a lot of effort.

Frozen mushrooms retain most of the vitamins and minerals found in fresh mushrooms. While canning takes away about 40% of the nutrients from mushrooms.

It is also very convenient that you can freeze the portion that is needed for one preparation of a dish, but in the case of canning, it is often impossible to calculate the required amount, and excess mushrooms remain. Mushrooms that have been stored frozen can be eaten even by children, while canned ones can be dangerous for them.

Drying

You can dry mushrooms in the fresh air, in the oven, or by combining both methods. It is better to dehydrate oyster mushrooms according to the scheme presented below.

• Place the washed and peeled mushrooms on a baking sheet and dry at a temperature not exceeding +50 °C for about 8 hours.
• After the specified period, place the dried preparations in a ventilated area for 1–2 days. Make sure that the mushrooms are well ventilated, otherwise they will spoil.
• Place the oyster mushrooms again in the oven to dry for 6 hours at +70 °C.
• Check the condition of the mushrooms. If they break, they are ready. If necessary, dry the workpieces at a temperature of +50 °C.

How to choose oyster mushrooms for freezing?

For frozen preparations, it is important to carefully select mushrooms. When purchasing or independently collecting in the forest, pay attention to the appearance of each mushroom:

• There should be no yellow spots or any damage on the caps of oyster mushrooms.
• Do not use mushrooms with a strong, unpleasant odor. It is not suitable for freezing or eating right away.
• There should be no cracks on the caps. They talk about staleness.
• When purchasing, pay attention that the mushrooms have almost no legs or are very short. When picking mushrooms yourself, cut them off at the cap, as the stems of oyster mushrooms are usually tasteless and tough.
• A mushroom with a cap that is too large means it is old. Such mushrooms are not so healthy and usually they are tasteless. While young oyster mushrooms contain many vitamins, minerals, micro- and macroelements, and they are also soft and tasty.
• All mushrooms should be a uniform blue-gray color.

Instructions

So, fresh oyster mushrooms lie in front of you. What to do with them next?

• You can cut the caps. This way they will take up less space. But it's better to leave them whole. Only large specimens need to be cut.
• Prepare trays on which you can lay out the fruiting bodies in a thin layer and send them to the chamber.
• The next day you can take out the mushrooms and package them in bags.

If you brought a lot of oyster mushrooms, the procedure can be repeated for several days in a row. The remaining mushrooms can be stored in the refrigerator. Don't forget to spray them with water.

Freezing

Fresh oyster mushrooms

If you decide to freeze this type of mushroom, but want to do it a few days after purchasing or picking, temporarily place the unwashed and uncut mushrooms in the refrigerator. And when you decide to freeze, check each mushroom again to make sure it is not rotten or damaged.

Rinse the oyster mushrooms with cool water and place on a paper towel to drain all the liquid. Then cut the mushrooms into small pieces or slices and place them again on a napkin or towel in an even layer to dry.

Transfer the oyster mushrooms to a board or tray and place in the freezer at -18 degrees for four hours. This must be done so that the mushrooms do not stick together into a continuous layer. After that, put them in bags or a container and place them in the freezer.

Boiled

You can also freeze boiled oyster mushrooms. To prepare them you will need:

• 2 kilograms of oyster mushrooms;
• 2 tablespoons salt;
• 5 bay leaves;
• half a teaspoon of citric acid;
• black pepper – 4 peas.

Boil water in a saucepan. Throw peeled and chopped mushrooms into boiling water. Let them simmer for another 15 minutes and then add all the spices. Stir and leave to simmer for another 15 minutes. When the mushrooms settle to the bottom of the pan, remove them from the heat and place them in a colander.

Be sure to wait until all the water has drained from them; to do this, it is better to transfer the mushrooms to a wooden cutting board. Then transfer the oyster mushrooms to a tray lined with parchment or cling film. In this form, place them in the freezer for 3 hours. After freezing, divide the mushrooms into portions of the size you need and place in bags or plastic containers and place in the freezer.

Fried oyster mushrooms

To freeze fried oyster mushrooms, they must be properly prepared:

1. Clean the oyster mushrooms, wash well and cut into pieces (use about 2 kg).
2. Heat a frying pan, previously greased with sunflower oil.
3. Place the oyster mushrooms on a hot frying pan.
4. Add salt and fry until all the water from the mushrooms has evaporated.
5. Wait for the oyster mushrooms to cool and divide them into portions into plastic containers. Place in the freezer.

You can see how to properly prepare mushrooms and freeze them in the following video:

How long to cook oyster mushrooms

Depending on the recipe you choose, the cooking time will vary. It also plays a big role where the fruits come from: collected in the forest or purchased in a store. Mushrooms grown in natural conditions require more cooking time.

When collecting or purchasing, be sure to pay attention to the freshness of the product, which is easily determined by color and aroma. The bunch is examined and smelled. The presence of an unpleasant pungent odor, as well as yellow spots on the cap, indicate staleness.

Small young specimens with smooth cap edges are best suited. If the fruit body is broken, the flesh will be white. At the same time, it should not crumble or crumble.

How long to cook oyster mushrooms before they are ready for soup

A delicious soup is prepared from the forest harvest. To do this, choose young fruits that are best suited for this purpose.

Since the mushrooms will subsequently be subjected to heat treatment, they are boiled for a quarter of an hour in salted water. If the product is purchased in a store, then before adding to the soup, you should cook them for no more than seven minutes.

Another option is also used. First, fresh prepared mushrooms are finely chopped along with onions. Place in a frying pan with oil and fry for five minutes. After this, transfer them to the broth with half-prepared vegetables and cook the oyster mushrooms directly in the soup for 10 minutes.

Salt is added at the beginning of cooking

How long to cook oyster mushrooms before they are ready for frying

Stores sell fruits grown in greenhouses, so it is not necessary to boil oyster mushrooms before frying. If the crop was harvested in the forest, then after cleaning it is worth pouring water over it and, when the liquid boils, simmer over low heat for five minutes.

After this, remove the product with a slotted spoon and place it in a hot frying pan with oil. During the frying process, the fruiting bodies will release a lot of juice, in which they will cook until the moisture has completely evaporated. Then spices, salt and all the ingredients necessary for the selected recipe are added to the pan.

Fry raw fruits over medium heat for 25 minutes. To make their taste more rich, add butter to vegetable oil.

If you boil the forest product before frying, the mushrooms will become more aromatic and softer

How long to cook oyster mushrooms for pickling

When pickled, mushrooms will perfectly complement a festive event and add variety to your daily diet. To make the appetizer tasty, you need to cook the wild oyster mushrooms correctly. To do this, the crop is sorted and washed. Then they are divided individually into two piles. Small specimens are left whole, while large ones are divided into parts. The base of the legs is always cut off.

Fill with water and place on medium heat. As soon as the liquid begins to boil, switch the burner mode to low and cook for 10 minutes.

Young fruits are best suited for pickling.

How long to cook oyster mushrooms until ready for salad

For the salad, it is important to cook the oyster mushrooms correctly, since they are immediately added to the dish. Follow the step-by-step description:

1. The fruits are cut into strips, but not too small.
2. Place in a pan filled with cold water. Turn on medium heat.
3. When the liquid boils, add salt. For a more pleasant taste, add garlic, any pepper and a few bay leaves.
4. Cook for 25 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a colander and wait until all the liquid has drained.

Ready mushrooms should be soft and tender to taste.

Advice! Boiled mushrooms do not need to be used immediately for further cooking. They retain their qualities well in the refrigerator compartment for 48 hours.

You can prepare forest fruits for salad in a slow cooker. They are first sorted, washed and cut into strips. Place on the bottom of the bowl and fill with cold water. Salt, then add spices. Set the “Soup” mode. Cook for 25 minutes.

There is no need to soak or remove the skin of oyster mushrooms.

How long to cook oyster mushrooms before freezing

The harvested crop quickly deteriorates, so it must be processed as early as possible. If you don’t like the taste of canned mushrooms, you can freeze them. In winter, it is convenient to get a batch of forest fruits, thaw them in the refrigerator compartment and use them for cooking. Thus, all year round you will be able to delight your loved ones with delicious, aromatic dishes with a natural mushroom taste.

Fresh oyster mushrooms must first be cooked before freezing. To do this, add water, add salt and put on medium heat. After the first bubbles appear on the surface, switch the flame to low and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Place in a colander and drain as much liquid as possible. Pack into bags or containers. Can be stored in the freezer for six months.

Advice! If there are yellow spots on the caps, then they are unsuitable for food. They will not cause harm to human health, but they will add an unpleasant bitterness to the finished dish, which cannot be overcome by anything.

You can save time on cooking by using a microwave. For this:

1. Place 30 g of butter at the bottom of a glass or plastic container. Melt on low power.
2. Place prepared mushrooms. Add water and salt.
3. Cook for three minutes at minimum power, then another seven minutes at maximum.

You can also use a pressure cooker. The forest product is poured with water and cooked for eight minutes.

Large specimens are cut into pieces

Freezing rules

Mushrooms retain all their beneficial properties when frozen if done correctly:

• It is important to understand that mushrooms cannot be re-frozen, so you should initially freeze them in portions. In this case, if you need to cook some dish with oyster mushrooms, you can immediately take how much you need and defrost.
• Mushrooms should be frozen in a freezer at -18 degrees.
• When freezing, write on the bag or container the date of freezing, and in what form the mushrooms were frozen (fried, boiled, cheese).

Optimal temperature and shelf life

To freeze oyster mushrooms, before putting them in the freezer, you need to stick a note with the date and name of the mushrooms. How long do oyster mushrooms last in the freezer? – this is the most important question.

Raw oyster mushrooms can be stored in the freezer for the winter for up to 6 months. Heat treated for up to 12 months. The optimal temperature is considered to be from 15 to 18 degrees below zero. However, there are exceptions. You can freeze for the following period:

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How to defrost oyster mushrooms?

The most useful method is slow defrosting. It takes longer, but retains all the beneficial properties of mushrooms.

To do this, transfer the mushrooms to the refrigerator for about 12 hours. Once completely defrosted, place them in a colander and place a bowl underneath to drain excess water.

Remember that you cannot store defrosted mushrooms in the refrigerator; they must be cooked immediately. Otherwise, dangerous bacteria appear in them, and you risk getting poisoned.

You can defrost oyster mushrooms in the microwave using auto defrost mode, but this method is not as useful.

If uncooked mushrooms are well cleaned before freezing, you can simply put them in boiling water and cook.

Freezing oyster mushrooms is not at all difficult; it does not require any special equipment or recipes. This method will make it possible to eat mushrooms at any time of the year, while preserving as much nutrients and vitamins as possible.

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Basic defrosting rules

Defrosting oyster mushrooms can also be of several types. The choice of option depends on the specific situation and time available.

1. Slow defrosting is the most correct and useful way. This, of course, takes a long time - but the method allows you to completely preserve the structure and taste of the product. You can leave the mushrooms at room temperature overnight. In the morning, place in a colander and leave for a few more hours to drain excess moisture.
2. A quick method involves using a microwave oven. You need to put mushrooms in it and set the defrosting mode.
3. If frozen mushrooms have been previously cleaned, you can immediately throw them into boiling water.

Important! Once the oyster mushrooms have been thawed, you should not leave them in the refrigerator for additional time, as they will very quickly become unusable. You need to start preparing them right away.

Prepared fresh fruit bodies are placed in one layer on trays or cutting boards covered with cling film or parchment paper. Small mushrooms are placed whole, large ones are cut in half or divided into four parts.

Having distributed the oyster mushrooms in this way, put them in the freezer and leave them there at a temperature of “-18 ºC” for 3 hours. Sometimes shock freezing is used: setting the maximum cold mode, the oyster mushrooms are sent to freeze for an hour.

Frozen fruiting bodies are quickly placed in plastic bags or containers and stored in the freezer.

Salting and marinating

If you like salted and pickled mushrooms, an excellent solution for long-term storage would be:

1. Salting.
2. Pickling.

Hot and cold method

You can pickle mushrooms using hot or cold methods. Cold salting involves soaking oyster mushrooms in cool, salted water for 6-7 days. The liquid should be changed every day to avoid the appearance of bitterness and an unpleasant odor. Many housewives prefer to add onion half rings or small fragments of vegetables to mushroom fruits - this makes the dish more flavorful and beautiful. The hot method involves boiling the product and then packaging it into jars, which must be sealed and left to “mature” in a cool basement or cellar.

If you decide to pickle your harvest, you should be patient - the process is similar to the procedure for seaming any other winter supplies. Mushrooms are mixed with a marinade consisting of table vinegar, salt, pepper and spices to taste. The resulting “mixture” is boiled and then rolled into pre-sterilized jars.

Since each housewife adheres to her own recipe, some prefer to boil the oyster mushrooms first and then add the marinade to them. If you wish, you can study all possible methods of marinating by asking the appropriate request to any search engine, where you will also get acquainted with the required ingredients and the necessary proportions of each product.

Features of preparing mushrooms for freezing

You can freeze oyster mushrooms fresh, but you need to remove excess moisture from them before the process. From the cold they will increase in volume, gain weight and become inedible.

Before the freezing process, you also need to clean the product from debris - to do this, just rinse them with running water and dry. Damaged ones are also sorted. Broken ones can be used.

Oyster mushrooms lose their taste due to repeated heat treatment. Therefore, it is advisable to prepare fresh mushrooms in portions so that if they defrost, not all of them will spoil. This method also makes it easier to further use fresh oyster mushrooms in cooking. Often they are frozen whole, cutting only the largest ones.

If it is not immediately possible to process fresh oyster mushrooms and freeze them, they should be placed in the refrigerator or any other cool place. You can also lay it out on a dry paper towel. Then they won't spoil. During this storage method, they cannot be washed or cut into pieces.