How to properly freeze porcini mushrooms for the winter
Today, fast freezing is one of the first places in the organization of product storage. Consider how to freeze porcini mushrooms. Housewives often choose this particular method, since long-term storage in frozen form allows preserving the natural taste, and all useful substances and trace elements remain practically unchanged.
Preparatory stage
Purchased or self-collected boletus is thoroughly cleaned from forest debris with a soft brush or a washcloth for dishes. Collecting them near the highway is not recommended, as mushrooms absorb harmful substances from engine exhaust.
It is advisable not to wash the gifts of the forest. You should resort to this procedure if there is too much dirt: the mushrooms are lightly rinsed under the tap or washed in water acidified with vinegar. Do not soak for a long time, as their structure resembles a sponge that quickly absorbs moisture. To freeze porcini mushrooms for the winter, the presence of liquid is extremely undesirable, therefore, the product must be dry before freezing.
Storing fresh frozen
You can freeze fresh porcini mushrooms. Sorting is carried out beforehand, large specimens are cut into several small slices. You can cook interesting festive dishes from the little ones, and add the divided ones to goulash or cook soup.
Ready boletus is placed in special containers or bags for freezing food. The plastic containers are thoroughly washed and kept over a saucepan with steam for 2 - 3 minutes.
If during the preparatory work the mushrooms were rinsed, it is better to spread them out at some distance from each other, otherwise they will freeze. It is advisable to sprinkle them with citric acid so that the boletus does not lose color.
After 12 hours of cooling in the refrigerating chamber, they can be transferred into bags of about 200 - 300 g, after squeezing out the air, and in this form they can be put into freezers for storage. Before preparing a dish with mushrooms, you do not need to defrost them: the blank is placed directly from the bag in a frying pan or in a saucepan for soup.
Frozen boletus is not recommended to be re-frozen. This not only reduces their taste, but in some cases leads to poisoning. If it is necessary to defrost one refrigerator compartment, the bags should be transferred to another for this time. Do not freeze raw mushrooms in case of frequent power outages.
Small pieces can be rinsed thoroughly, cut into small pieces of garlic, put in a plastic bag and sent to the freezer.
Methods for freezing cooked specimens
In response to the question of how to properly freeze porcini mushrooms for the winter, it is often advised to harvest them boiled. This method has an advantage over fresh frozen storage - such a blank takes up less space. This is especially true for families who have a small refrigerator in use. In addition, specimens after cutting out wormholes and those that have lost their attractive appearance are also suitable for this option.
Cut the mushrooms into large slices and boil for 5-10 minutes in slightly salted boiling water. It is not recommended to cook longer. After that, they are thrown into a colander to glass the liquid. The total volume should decrease by about 3 times.
After cooling down completely, you can fill special containers or plastic bags. Mushrooms frozen in this way are added to soups or gravies.
Freezing the broth
The water in which the boletus was boiled is used for cooking. It is pre-boiled to thicken the liquid, and then frozen in ice molds.
After cooking, the mushrooms are placed in jars and poured with broth. In this form, frozen porcini mushrooms are stored for about 1 year. When required, you can put the contents in a saucepan, and in 10 minutes you will have almost ready-made broth.
Cooking in your own juice
Mushrooms retain even more nutrients when they are boiled in their own juice. To do this, they are placed in a heavy-bottomed saucepan or deep frying pan and covered with a lid. When heated over low heat, the liquid will begin to evaporate after a few minutes. It is recommended not to heat the dishes too much, only up to +70 degrees.
Gradually, the volume of mushrooms will decrease by three times, which will be a signal of readiness. After cooling, the contents of the pan, along with the liquid, are poured into special plastic bags. You can also add chopped herbs, ground allspice there, and then close the containers tightly.
So that there are no problems, it is better to put in the bag when freezing as many mushrooms as it takes to prepare one dish so that you do not have to freeze them again.
Fried mushrooms
Before freezing porcini mushrooms for the winter, you can pre-fry them in a pan. The peeled mushrooms are cut into cubes and placed in a frying pan without a lid. Gradually, they begin to release liquid, and after about 20 to 30 minutes, the water should completely evaporate. After that, you can add vegetable oil.
Frying is carried out until a golden crust forms. Then they are laid out in a colander and allowed to drain off excess fat. The bags are placed only after cooling completely. They are packaged in portions, in an amount sufficient for cooking. Store in the freezer of a regular refrigerator.
Frozen boletus will not lose its taste for 1 year. The temperature at which they should be placed for long-term storage should be around -18 - 20 degrees.
For the preparation of frozen porcini mushrooms, preliminary defrosting is usually not required. But if necessary, they are first kept for 5 - 6 hours in the refrigerator, and then placed for further defrosting in a room with a temperature of +20 - 23 degrees.
How to use
Recipes for preparing freshly frozen boletus are recommended to boil them before frying. Those specimens that have been boiled before being placed in the freezer can be immediately thrown into a frying pan or into a saucepan for making soups.
If the mushrooms have been fried before freezing, they can be served with gravy. If cooking with vegetables, sauté the onions and carrots, chopped into strips.
Then add sour cream to the pan and stew the vegetables almost until tender, only then add the mushrooms. After a few minutes of braising, the mushroom gravy is ready.
