It is important to learn how to freeze champignons for those housewives who manage to do everything at work, and whose home is clean, comfortable, and whose kitchen always smells delicious of freshly prepared food. For such housewives, everything works out precisely because they always spend their time correctly. I spent time freezing champignons for the winter, and then saved it 10 times when preparing sauces, pureed soups, and mushroom pies. There are at least four freezing methods. We will evaluate them all now. But first, let’s learn how to properly prepare mushrooms.
Preparing mushrooms for freezing
Before sending mushrooms for long-term storage, you must first sort them out. Cut out all darkened areas of the caps and legs. Trim off the lowest parts of the legs. They may be in the ground, it is difficult to wash it off.
We will not soak the mushrooms; there is no need for excess liquid when sending them to the freezer shelf. You just need to rinse them with warm water and wash off the dirt from the legs and caps. Spread a paper towel folded in several layers on the table and spread all the mushrooms on it in a thin layer.
The purpose of this action is to rid the product for freezing of excess moisture.
Preparing containers
Let’s figure out which container is best for storing mushrooms in the freezer before we learn how to properly freeze champignons. The main storage condition is that the packaging is sealed and the volume of one serving is reasonable.
Re-freezing is prohibited. The defrosted product should be consumed in one go. We select storage containers according to this requirement. You can store frozen product in the following containers:
- Thick freezer bags with a zipper.
- Containers made of soft plastic.
- Used sour cream jars.
- Containers of small volume, disposable use.
I freeze in small rectangular containers. To seal it, I place the container in a regular plastic bag. I tie the bag tightly. This method is convenient for three reasons:
- Space saving, the container can be placed tightly to the very top of the shelf.
- The sticker with the packaging date is clearly visible. I place it at the end of the container.
- Convenient to take out and defrost.
Freezing methods
How best to freeze fresh champignons is a reasonable question that arises for any housewife.I was also interested in whether it is possible to freeze mushrooms that have not been subjected to heat treatment, but it turns out that it is possible. Now I have successfully mastered the possible methods, I use all the options in life, I use mushrooms: raw, boiled, fried.
Now I’ll tell you how easier it is to freeze fresh champignons in two ways.
How to Freeze Whole Raw Mushrooms
Not every mushroom can be frozen. First, let's decide on the size of the champignons. The large size does not fit exactly; only small and medium hats will suit you. For mushrooms with a large cap, you should choose another storage option - sliced.
Above, I already told you how to prepare the raw materials: wash, dry. Now I’ll share my freezing method. I use steamer baskets. I have an excellent steamer made of soft plastic. Soft plastic baskets can be used for freezing food in the refrigerator, cooking and thawing it in the microwave, and for its intended purpose - steaming.
I place the mushrooms strictly in one layer at the bottom of the container. I place the container in the upper chamber. I read that you need to freeze champignons from 4 to 12 days, so I keep them in the quick-freezing chamber for 5-7 days, then put them in bags or containers and send the whole frozen mushrooms to the bottom shelf of the freezer. Remember: fresh frozen champignons can be stored for no more than a year at a temperature of -18 °C.
Proper freezing of sliced champignons
We know how to freeze whole champignons for the winter; it’s time to deal with cut mushrooms. Sliced, frozen champignons are easier to use; without thawing, they can be used in soup, sauce, or in potatoes when frying (stewing). Preparing cut tomatoes for the winter using the quick freezing method consists of 4 stages:
- Primary preparation of raw materials.
- The process of slicing mushrooms.
- Freezing process.
- Packaging.
We carry out the primary preparation of raw materials using the method described above. We select whole specimens, preferably large ones. Cut into slices 3-4 cm thick. Place the slices on a tray, cutting board or silicone baking sheet. The surface can be lightly greased with vegetable oil. Frozen food comes off the oiled surface more easily. That's it, the frozen product is ready, you can put it in the freezer. Pack after 4-5 days. Chopped, fresh champignons can be stored frozen for about a year.
Freezing fried champignons
It is better to fry all substandard mushrooms and freeze them. Substandard mushrooms include raw materials that have lost their shape, are broken, or are large in size. Before frying, I cut all the specimens into arbitrary pieces of approximately the same size.
For frying I take a saucepan. I have it with a large diameter, all the mushrooms fit into it at once. I grease the bottom of the saucepan with oil (any kind). I fry the raw material until the liquid has completely evaporated. I take the pan out of the stove, let the mushrooms cool naturally, and pack them. I pack the fried champignons in durable bags, forming a layer of no more than 2 cm. Be sure to include a piece of paper with the date of preparation. You need to remember that fried champignons can be stored for no more than 6 months.
Boil champignons to freeze for the winter
There is another way to freeze champignons at home. Champignons can be boiled and only then frozen. Let's look at the cooking features. The first condition is to fill the prepared raw materials with cold water.
The second condition is to salt the water. There are no other conditions. After the water boils, cook the champignons for 15 minutes, put them in a colander, cool, and scatter them into containers.We put a piece of paper with the packing date in the container and send it to the upper compartment of the freezer. After a few days, the container can be lowered into the lower compartment, the boiled champignons are frozen, ready to eat within 6 months.
Make your life easier. Prepare high-quality frozen mushrooms; they will speed up the process of preparing delicious dishes with the addition of champignons.
