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It is necessary to freeze the porcini mushroom for the winter using a certain technology. This will help preserve the characteristic flavor and useful properties of the product. This method of preparation is simple and fast. Particular attention should be paid to the collection and preparation of raw materials before freezing.
Do porcini mushrooms freeze
Porcini mushrooms are found in forest areas from June to October. They can be found in large numbers in mixed forests. For harvesting for the winter, mushroom pickers prefer to collect them in early August. It was during this period that they come across in glades and groves in large families.
The most important thing that housewives are interested in is whether it is better to dry or freeze porcini mushrooms. There can be no single-valued option suitable for everyone. It all depends on the purpose of preparing the product. It is best to use dried boletus for cooking, as they retain the forest aroma for a long time. But frozen mycelium contains more nutrients.
To preserve the product for the winter, preservation is most often practiced. But not everyone loves pickled or salted forest fruits. Porcini mushrooms are also great for stir-frying, roasting, and stewing. It is impossible to get them fresh in winter. Therefore, the best option for preserving beneficial properties is freezing. Under the influence of high temperatures, the composition of boletus does not change. Freezing can be carried out not only fresh, but also boiled. The main thing is to follow the basic principles of preparation for freezing. If you violate the technology, you can face the fact that forest fruits will taste bitter or lose their shape.
How to freeze porcini mushrooms at home
The food sections offer a huge amount of frozen berries and mushrooms. But their cost is far from the most democratic. It is much more profitable to prepare the product for future use yourself. It will not take much time, but it will delight you in winter. Frozen porcini mushrooms can be used to prepare absolutely any dish. Frozen taste does not deteriorate.
Particular attention should be paid to the selection of boletus for freezing. It is advisable to collect them with your own hands. In grocery stores, fresh specimens are often mixed together with stale ones. If the boletus is old, its cap will be wrinkled and covered with dark spots. To check the quality of the product, press on the surface. The lack of elasticity suggests that it is not suitable for consumption.
There are several options for freezing. Sometimes the product is thoroughly ground before being placed in the freezer. But most often it is frozen whole. The state of the specimens sent to the refrigerator also differs. They are boiled, fried and stewed. In addition, deformed fruits can be used for freezing.
Initially, you should prepare the porcini mushrooms for freezing for the winter. They are examined, throwing out spoiled and wormy specimens. Then they are thoroughly cleaned of dust and adhering leaves.If necessary, cut them into small pieces before final freezing.
Is it possible to freeze porcini mushrooms fresh
Heat treatment of porcini mushrooms before freezing is optional. You can prepare them fresh. But in this case, they will take up too much space in the freezer. This method of freezing for the winter is practiced when the product is presented in small quantities. Under the influence of temperature, boletus mushrooms are significantly reduced in size. This makes it easier to store them. The disadvantages of freezing fresh boletus for the winter include the need for heat treatment after defrosting.
Are porcini mushrooms washed before freezing
Boletus just collected for freezing is covered with dust, sand and forest debris. In some cases, insects can also be found on them. Therefore, they must be thoroughly rinsed before freezing for the winter. The most convenient way is to pour water into the basin and dip the porcini mushrooms. They are easily damaged under running water, especially if they are small. After washing, you need to rid them of excess moisture. To do this, porcini mushrooms are placed in a colander, and the liquid is allowed to drain into the sink. The second method of cleaning involves scraping off the dirt with a knife. In this case, you can do without washing.
How to cut porcini mushrooms for freezing
Experienced housewives prefer to chop mushrooms before freezing for the winter. Firstly, this way they will take up much less space in the freezer. Secondly, it will be possible to make sure that there are no worms. Most often, the product is cut in half or into quarters. In the second case, there is no need to grind the product before cooking. The whole boletus is left to be added to certain dishes. But it should be remembered that when frozen for the winter, they may deform a little.
Freezing porcini mushrooms recipes
When choosing a method of freezing porcini mushroom for the winter, it is necessary to build on the purpose for which it will be used in the future. There is a huge variety of simple recipes. For soups, not only boletus mushrooms are frozen, but also the broth prepared on their basis. Mushrooms frozen after frying in a pan are suitable for stewing and baking. Boiled copies are suitable for second courses.
Freezing porcini mushrooms without boiling
Fresh boletus is considered a versatile ingredient. You can cook a lot of different dishes from them. In addition, the less heat treatment, the more nutrients are retained. To freeze fresh porcini mushrooms you will need:
- 400 g of product.
- 1 tsp lemon juice.
Cooking process:
- Boletus is cleaned in any convenient way and chopped into small plates.
- The mushrooms are laid out on a cutting board in one layer.
- Sprinkle them with lemon juice on top. In its absence, acetic acid is used.
- The product is covered with plastic wrap and sent to the freezer for two hours.
- After complete freezing, everything is placed in a bag, and compactly put into the freezer.
You can freeze porcini mushrooms without cooking for the winter in another way. It involves prolonged soaking of the product in salted water. After two hours, the boletus gets rid of excess liquid by placing it in a colander. After that, they are cut into small plates. The resulting raw materials are put in plastic bags and put into the freezer for the whole winter.
Freezing boiled porcini mushrooms
Freezing boiled porcini mushrooms for the winter makes cooking easier. It will be enough to add the thawed semi-finished product to the main ingredients 10-15 minutes before cooking. The important advantages of this freezing method include saving space in the freezer. The process of freezing mushrooms for the winter includes the following steps:
- Boletus is peeled and cut into slices.
- Boil them for 5-10 minutes after boiling in slightly salted water.
- The boiled product is thrown into a colander to get rid of excess liquid.
- Mushrooms are laid out in portioned bags and placed in the refrigerator.
Freezing fried porcini mushrooms
Before freezing for the winter, boletus mushrooms can not only be boiled, but also fried. The portions of the finished dish will turn out to be very small. In the future, they can be used for baking, making soup and roast. The process of frying boletus is carried out in vegetable oil until the liquid disappears completely. Adding salt and spices is optional. This can also be done after defrosting the food. Before freezing for the winter, the mushrooms are left for 20-25 minutes until they cool completely.
Freezing mushrooms stewed in their own juice
Forest fruits, frozen for the winter in a stew, are juicy and retain their taste to the maximum. They are used to prepare sauces, main courses, salads and various casseroles.
Components;
- 400 g boletus;
- salt to taste;
- vegetable oil.
Recipe:
- Sorted and washed mushrooms are cut into small cubes and placed in a frying pan with the addition of oil.
- They are lightly fried, salted and removed from heat.
- Small portions of boletus are sealed in food foil and placed on a baking sheet in the oven.
- Mushrooms are baked in their own juice for 10-15 minutes.
- After cooling, the product is packed in bags and sent to freeze in the refrigerator.
Freezing porcini mushroom broth
To prepare a rich mushroom soup, you need to take care of preparing broth for the winter in advance. It can be stored in the freezer for several months. The broth is used as a base for soup or stir-fry.
Components:
- 300 g boletus;
- salt, pepper - to taste.
Cooking process:
- Porcini mushrooms are boiled in lightly salted water for 15 minutes. Pepper can be added five minutes before cooking.
- The finished mushrooms are transferred to a separate container, and the broth is filtered and again poured into a saucepan.
- The broth continues to cook until 1/3 of the total has evaporated.
- The resulting liquid is poured into ice molds or glasses, and put into the refrigerator. As a container, you can use plastic containers and ordinary bags.
How much porcini mushrooms can be stored in the freezer
To ensure the long-term preservation of porcini mushrooms, you need to properly freeze them for the winter. At a temperature not lower than -18 ° C, the shelf life will be one year. If the temperature in the freezer drops to -14-18 ° C, then the storage time is reduced to six months. Expired product is strictly prohibited to eat. It can provoke food poisoning with severe complications.
How to defrost porcini mushrooms
Freezing fresh porcini mushrooms for the winter is not the most difficult thing. Pay close attention to defrosting the food. In order for the taste to be fully preserved, sharp temperature changes should be avoided. It is advisable to transfer the boletus from the freezer to the refrigerator shelf in advance. After 1-2 hours the product can be taken out. Further defrosting of porcini mushrooms is carried out in a small container or colander. It is not recommended to defrost boletus with a microwave or oven. This will spoil the structure of the porcini mushrooms and remove their characteristic aroma.
Conclusion
Freezing a porcini mushroom for the winter is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. Most of the time is spent preparing the mycelium for freezing. If all actions are performed correctly, the product will delight you with a unique taste and rich forest aroma for a long time.
