Content
The mushroom season is short, and you want to enjoy it not only in summer. But do not despair, as mushrooms, including russula, can be prepared for future use. Experienced housewives use recipes for preparing frozen russula for the winter to diversify the family's diet. You can also dry these mushrooms. In dried and frozen form, hats and legs can be stored for a long time, they do not lose their taste and useful properties.
How to keep russula for the winter
Inexperienced mushroom pickers, hearing the name "russula", believe that they can be eaten raw. But this is not the case. It's just that they are ready for consumption faster than other forest delicacies after processing. Russula are rich in protein, various vitamins and minerals, and have a low calorie content. In 100 g, only 12 kcal. The collected mushroom raw materials must be frozen or dried no later than 12 hours.
Can russula be dried
Not only novice housewives are interested in drying fruit bodies. To preserve russula, it is not necessary to pickle or salt them. Drying is also a great way to enjoy mushroom-flavored dishes in winter.
It is important to understand that only small mushrooms without wormholes can be dried. Before the process, it is not recommended to soak the fruit bodies, since they quickly absorb water, and this significantly prolongs drying.
It is best to wipe the caps with a damp cloth or sponge to remove soil, grass, and moss. After that, you need to remove the skin from the cap. This will give the russula an aesthetic look. You can dry not only the hats, but also the legs. To speed up the process, large russula are recommended to be cut into plates, small russules are dried whole.
Do russula freeze
The russula can not only be dried, but also frozen. This storage method allows the workpiece to be stored longer. Useful properties and vitamins remain in them to the fullest.
Freezing a product for the winter is easy. You need to spend a little time, but you can cook delicious meals throughout the year. It is enough to remove containers or bags from the freezer so that a unique mushroom aroma appears in the apartment even in winter.
How to freeze russula for the winter
There are two ways to freeze hats and legs: fresh or boiled. To freeze russula raw or after preliminary heat treatment, they must be specially prepared.
It is advisable to start processing immediately after collection. The raw material must be carefully sorted out, even specimens with small wormholes and damage must be removed. After the skin is removed from the caps, soak them in cold water for 1-2 hours. This is a mandatory procedure. It will remove dirt and debris. All that remains is to choose a method and freeze the raw materials for the winter.
How to freeze russula fresh for the winter
The easiest way is to freeze russula fresh, without resorting to heat treatment. After thorough rinsing, separate the legs and caps.The work takes a minimum of time, especially since the raw materials are always sorted home upon arrival from the forest.
To freeze fresh russula, they need to be blanched to reduce their mass. After that, put them in a colander and wait for the water to drain. For maximum moisture removal, it is recommended to spread everything on a cloth and cover it on top. This procedure is necessary for high-quality freezing.
You can freeze the caps and legs directly in containers or special bags. Their volume should be such that the product can be used immediately after defrosting in one go. You need to fill the containers in such a way that as little air as possible remains in them. Freeze immediately in the chamber.
To preserve the shape of the caps, you can freeze the russula on a sheet. They are laid out in one layer. When the plates are frozen, they can be put in any portion containers.
How to freeze boiled russula mushrooms
You can freeze the caps and legs after heat treatment. Pre-cooking russula is much more convenient. Reduced in size, mushrooms take up a minimum of space in the freezer. In addition, this semi-finished product then needs to be boiled less in order to prepare various mushroom dishes.
How to freeze correctly:
- Fruit bodies, after careful sorting, are cleaned of needles, dry leaves and earth with a brush or knife. Then peel off.
- Soak for an hour in cold water to wash out the grains of sand.
- Large specimens are cut into pieces, and small ones are left intact.
- Transfer the russula to a saucepan and pour in plenty of water so that the caps and legs float.
- You can add spices and salt to the pot if you like.
- The container is placed on the stove, a strong fire is turned on. As soon as boiling begins, the temperature is reduced to a minimum and cooked for 30-35 minutes. The resulting foam is removed.
- It is easy to understand that the pan can be removed easily: the caps and legs sink to the bottom.
- Place the russula in a colander before freezing to remove the liquid.
- When cold, place in portioned containers. These can be special freezer bags or disposable containers. The main thing is that they are portioned and do not allow air to pass through. Otherwise, the product will pick up odors from the refrigerator during storage.
How to dry russula at home
There is not always enough space in the refrigerator to freeze russula for the winter. For storage, you can use the traditional method, which has been proven for centuries. Dried mushrooms do not lose their beneficial properties, vitamins and minerals.
In the old days, hats and legs were dried in the open air. Modern housewives have alternative ways:
- in the oven;
- in a special dryer;
- in the microwave.
How to dry russula for the winter in the oven
One of the most common ways to prepare fresh mushrooms for the winter is to dry them in the oven. So in an urban setting, you can provide a family for the winter with delicious gifts from the forest. The procedure for all types of mushrooms, including russula, is the same.
You can dry both the hats and the legs. Peeled and sorted russula are laid out on a wire rack or on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. The oven is set to the minimum temperature (45 degrees) and the sheet is placed in it. The oven door does not need to be closed to help the moisture evaporate.
After 1.5 hours, the russula is removed from the oven and left in the open air. Then drying is continued again for the same time. The procedure is repeated three times. If the russula is not completely dry, the sheet does not need to be placed in the oven, the raw material will be dried in the air.
Finished hats and legs are tapped while stirring. They are stored in paper bags or linen bags.
How to dry russula in an electric dryer
Modern housewives can use a quick method of drying russula in an electric dryer. Fresh mushrooms are sized to dry evenly. Small specimens are laid out in the upper pallets, large ones in the lower part of the electric dryer.
The temperature regime for drying mushrooms is not higher than 35 degrees. Of course, it all depends on the type of equipment. After half an hour, you need to check how the process is going. As a rule, russules are ready in 4-5 hours. After complete cooling, the raw materials are put into bags and left in a dry ventilated room.
How to dry russula outdoors
And now a few words about the traditional way of harvesting mushrooms for the winter. Large specimens are cut into pieces, small ones are left intact. For drying, you will need a long harsh string or fishing line. Raw materials are pierced and strung like beads.
For drying, you can use the attic room, balcony. The main thing is that the air circulates well and does not get moisture. Of course, the process takes much longer than drying in an oven or electric dryer.
When the mushrooms are well dry, they are removed from the thread and stored in a closet in the kitchen or in the pantry.
How to store russula
In order for russula to be useful, optimal conditions must be created for their storage. Frozen mushrooms should be kept in a freezer at a constant temperature of at least 18 degrees.
It is not recommended to defrost and re-freeze raw materials, as this makes the mushrooms unusable. If it was decided to freeze russula for the winter, then it should be remembered that they can be stored for two years. Taste and useful properties do not disappear.
Dried russula are best kept in containers that breathe. In addition to paper bags and a canvas bag, you can use a cardboard box with a lid. If there are a lot of dried raw materials, then a pillowcase will do. This is how the ancestors kept the preparations for the winter.
Dried mushrooms keep excellent throughout the year if kept in a cool, dry place without access to light.
Conclusion
Recipes for making frozen russula for the winter are a great option for a variety of family rations. Not a single gourmet will refuse mushroom dishes, which, thanks to the gifts of the forest, contain vitamins B2 and PP, as well as useful microelements.
