How to freeze chanterelles for the winter at home

Mushroom pickers often face the question of preserving the rich harvest harvested in the summer. There are several ways to freeze chanterelles for the winter in the freezer, each of which has its own advantages and characteristics. A properly frozen product retains most of its nutrients for many months.

Is it possible to freeze chanterelles raw for the winter

Many mushroom pickers are aware of the unpleasant feature of this type of mushroom – they almost completely lose their great taste with such types of harvesting as salting or pickling. The only reasonable option for their use is direct fresh consumption. If the harvest turned out to be really rich, you can resort to freezing them. Freezing chanterelles for the winter allows you to use them to prepare a large number of complex recipes.

Most housewives recommend primary heat treatment of all collected mushrooms. So you can be sure of the complete safety of their use. Together with cooking, toxins and harmful substances accumulated during the growth period come out of the fruiting bodies.

Chanterelles are considered one of the safest representatives of their kingdom. It is customary not to subject them to heat treatment, immediately using them in the preparation of various dishes. This feature allows you to freeze them directly fresh, without fear of spoiling your health in the future. In addition, freezing allows you to remove some of the harmful substances from the fruiting bodies.

How best to freeze chanterelles – raw or boiled

There are two most popular ways to freeze chanterelles – raw and boiled. Each of these methods has its pros and cons. When cooking chanterelles, you can completely protect yourself from toxic compounds entering the body. The most popular such processing method is for mushrooms purchased locally from unverified mushroom pickers.

Freezing chanterelles for the winter at home guarantees the complete preservation of the taste and aromatic characteristics of the product. Another advantage when using this method is that the vitamins and nutrients that are destroyed when treated with boiling water will remain in the fruiting bodies. Also, chanterelles frozen for the winter without cooking are much better amenable to further defrosting, without changing their consistency.

How to prepare chanterelles for freezing

A feature of chanterelles is the need for speedy processing after collection. By their structure, chanterelles are quite fragile, so it is best to harvest them directly on the day of collection. It is best to refuse to freeze purchased specimens due to the uncertainty with the date of their collection.

One of the main preparatory procedures before freezing is the primary processing and sorting of the harvested crop. It is necessary to remove specimens damaged by insects and other pests. The product must not contain traces of rot and mechanical damage. It is also not recommended to freeze too old mushrooms – it is best to use young specimens with a dense structure.

To remove small insects and particles of earth and sand accumulated between the plates, chanterelles are placed in lightly salted water. After that, they are taken out and cleaned. With a sharp knife, the contaminated areas of the stem and cap are removed. The prepared product must be frozen as soon as possible.

How much to cook chanterelles before freezing for the winter

If it was decided to cook mushrooms before further freezing, it is important to approach this action as responsibly as possible. It is best to lower the mushrooms immediately into boiling water to avoid overheating for a longer time. To preserve the integrity of the mushrooms when they are stirred in boiling water, you can place them in a deep colander, which is simply lowered into the pan.

The maximum cooking time for chanterelles is 10 minutes. If you boil a little longer, then they can completely lose their taste and aroma. Considering that freezing also takes away a small part of the flavor and aroma characteristics of the product, it is better to cut the cooking time in half. Ideal – no more than 5 minutes on high heat.

How to freeze chanterelle mushrooms for the winter

One of the features of chanterelles during freezing is their preservation of a little bitterness. Although this feature is more common in older specimens, you can get around it using a few tricks. The most effective method is to soak them in cold water for a long time. Every two hours completely change the fluid.

In order for chanterelles to retain their taste, it is recommended to apply the shock freezing method to them. A freezer is best suited for this, allowing you to set a fairly low temperature. The faster the complete freezing occurs, the longer the shelf life of the product will be.

How to freeze fresh chanterelles for the winter

This recipe for freezing chanterelles for the winter is one of the simplest and most commonly used. It is best to select small mushrooms to avoid possible bitterness. To freeze fresh chanterelles for the winter using this method, the following sequence should be followed:

1. Pre-cleaned fruit bodies are wiped with a towel and laid out on a flat baking sheet, tray or large plate. It is important that the mushrooms do not overlap each other at the time of freezing.
2. In the freezer, the lowest possible temperature is set – it should not be higher than -24-26 degrees.
3. A tray with mushrooms is placed in a freezer and frozen for 12-16 hours.

The finished frozen product is taken out of the chamber and packaged. To do this, you can use plastic containers or standard plastic bags. After that, the mushrooms are returned to the freezer. Its temperature is set to standard values.

How to freeze boiled chanterelles for the winter in the freezer

This freezing method is great for harvesting medium and large specimens. During cooking, excess bitterness will come out of them. To cook chanterelles for freezing, they are first cleaned of dirt and washed under running water.

Pour water into a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Then salt is added at the rate of 1 tsp. per 1 liter of liquid. Mushrooms are thrown into boiling water and boiled for 10 minutes, periodically removing the scale that has formed. Longer cooking before freezing can destroy the integrity of the chanterelles.

Boiled mushrooms are discarded in a colander, then wiped with a paper towel from excess moisture. After that, they are laid out on a tray or cutting board and sent to the freezer. Chanterelle mushrooms are frozen from 10 to 15 hours. After that, the finished product is laid out in bags or containers and sent for further storage.

How to freeze fried chanterelle mushrooms

To freeze fried chanterelles for the winter in the refrigerator, specimens of any size will do. They are cleaned of dirt, washed, spread on a hot frying pan and fried until golden brown. It is important that as much water as possible comes out of them during the frying process – this guarantees a longer shelf life. Pre-cooking is not required in this case.

The finished dish is laid out on a paper towel to get rid of a large amount of oil or fat. The cooled mushrooms are transferred to a jar or plastic container and placed for further storage in the freezer.

How to freeze chanterelle mushrooms for the winter with broth

Freezing in the form of bouillon cubes is very convenient if in the future the finished product will be used as an addition to the preparation of soups or thick gravies. The initial preparation is similar to the rest of the recipes – it is necessary to remove dirt and damaged areas of the hat and legs. To freeze such a dish you will need:

• 1 kg of chanterelles;
• 1 L of water;
• salt and pepper to taste;
• dill or parsley.

Salt and ground pepper are added to boiling water, then chanterelles are laid out. Mushrooms are boiled for 10 minutes with constant stirring and descaling. Then they are discarded in a colander, while retaining the broth. Boiled chanterelles are laid out in small containers, sprinkled with chopped herbs and poured with cooled broth. The containers are placed in the freezer. After complete freezing, the cubes are taken out of the containers, transferred to bags and sent for further storage.

How to store chanterelles in the freezer

To maximize the shelf life of chanterelles frozen for the winter, you must follow a few simple rules. The most important rule for long-term storage is to maintain the optimum freezer temperature. The temperature should not rise above 18 degrees – this can lead to damage to the fruiting bodies.

When storing chanterelles, it is important to observe the tightness of the packaging. The smell of mushrooms can saturate nearby foods, so it’s important to seal containers or plastic bags tightly. If the volume of the freezer is large, it is best to allocate a separate shelf for them.

How long do chanterelles keep in the freezer

Freezing any product is a great way to extend its shelf life. Most mushroom preparations boast incredible shelf life in freezers. Some species can be stored up to 2-3 years after freezing without losing either taste or mushroom aroma.

Freezing chanterelles cannot give such a long shelf life. Despite fairly low temperatures, they lose their mushroom flavor over time. Lowering the temperature in the freezer does not increase the shelf life. Chanterelles frozen fresh can be stored the longest – all winter or 6-7 months. Freezing with boiling promises a shelf life of 4-5 months, frying and preparing the broth – 2-3 months.

Conclusion

Freezing chanterelles for the winter in the freezer is easy and simple. The preparation for a long time is able to retain nutrients, taste and mushroom aroma. A large number of freezing methods allows you to choose the most suitable option for each person.

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