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Ryzhik is harvested in coniferous forests in late summer or early autumn. These mushrooms are known for their unique appearance and taste. Another feature of them is that they quickly deteriorate. Therefore, you need to know about ways to save mushrooms for the winter.
Features of storage of mushrooms
There are 2 main storage methods. You can keep mushrooms fresh after harvesting. However, the shelf life is short. Another option is to make blanks for the winter.
First you need to clean the harvested crop from contamination. The procedure should be carried out with caution, since the mushrooms are very sensitive to mechanical stress, and they are easy to damage. Therefore, they must be collected, transported and washed very carefully.
Any container can be used for storage. It is best to choose a low container, as it will be more convenient to remove mushrooms from it, and the likelihood of damage is reduced.
How to save mushrooms for a day
It is recommended to process the harvested crop immediately after returning from the forest. But if there is no opportunity to immediately start harvesting, you can save mushrooms until the morning of the next day.
To keep mushrooms fresh for a day, they do not need to be washed first. It is only necessary to clean it of dirt, then place it in a non-metallic container and cover with cling film. This prevents the absorption of foreign odors. The container is placed in the refrigerator. At the same time, it is not recommended to put mushrooms in the immediate vicinity of herbs, onions, garlic or other products with a pungent odor.
Another method of preservation involves the thermal treatment of mushrooms.
Stages of preparation:
- Clean the mushrooms from contamination.
- Place them in a container (whole or chopped).
- Bring to a boil in salted water.
- Boil for 5-10 minutes, adding a pinch of citric acid to the water.
- Drain the water through a colander and leave to drain.
After cooking, mushrooms can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. But it should be borne in mind that heat treatment affects the taste and may adversely affect them.
How to save mushrooms for the winter
It can be preserved for a long time only in the form of various blanks. There are a lot of preservation recipes, so you can choose the most suitable way to save mushrooms for the winter.
The classic version involves cooking by frying. After heat treatment, the finished dish is rolled up in jars, and it is stored for many months.
To prepare you will need:
- mushrooms – 1 kg;
- vegetable oil – 2 tbsp. l .;
- salt – 2 tsp.
Mushrooms are pre-washed and crushed to the sizes necessary for comfortable storage in a jar. After washing, be sure to let the liquid drain so that water does not get into the pan.
Stages of preparation:
- Ryzhik lay out on a dry heated frying pan.
- You need to fry for 3-5 minutes, allowing the released liquid to evaporate.
- Then vegetable oil is added and fried for 10 minutes.
- Cover the pan with a lid and turn off the heat.
- Simmer for 30 minutes, add salt and cook for another 5-7 minutes.
The finished dish is placed in pre-prepared jars. 2-3 cm should remain to the top. This space is filled with oil left after frying. If it is not enough, you should heat an additional portion in a pan.
A proven method of sterilization is steam treatment.
Filled jars are rolled up with lids and left to cool. It is recommended to cover them with a blanket or cloth so that the heat does not escape too quickly. After cooling, preservation can be moved to a basement or other place where it is convenient to store fried mushrooms for the winter.
An alternative option is stewing with tomato paste and vinegar. The recipe for such an appetizer is very popular, including because it allows you to preserve the original taste for a long time.
List of ingredients:
- mushrooms – 1 kg;
- tomato paste – 200 g;
- water – 1 glass;
- sugar – 1 st. l .;
- bay leaf – 3 pieces;
- vegetable oil – 4 tbsp. l .;
- vinegar – 2 st. l .;
- change – 1-1,5 h. l;
- black pepper – 3-5 peas.
Previously, the fruits are boiled in water for 10 minutes. Then the water is drained, and the mushrooms are placed in a pan with vegetable oil.
Stages of preparation:
- Roast for 10 minutes.
- Add water mixed with tomato paste.
- Cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Salt, vinegar, sugar, pepper and bay leaf are added to the dish.
- Stew for another 10 minutes, then pour into jars and close.
Another option involves salting. It is necessary to rinse the mushrooms, place them in a non-metallic container with caps down. They are sprinkled with edible salt in layers. You can put something heavy on top to compress them. Then more mushrooms will fit into the container.
Primary salting lasts 14 days at a temperature of 10-20 degrees. After that, the container is taken out for a month and a half to the cellar, where the temperature is up to 5 degrees. This method allows you to store mushrooms in the refrigerator or basement for up to 1 year. You can also see another recipe for pickled mushrooms for the winter
Freezing is considered a universal method of harvesting. Any modern refrigerator is equipped with freezers, in which it is very convenient to store mushrooms. The harvesting process is very simple. It is enough to place the pre-peeled mushrooms on the pallet. It is placed in the freezer for 10-12 hours, and then the frozen product is transferred to a bag or container. The packaging indicates the date of preparation.
Also, mushrooms can be frozen boiled. They are placed in a pot of boiling water for a few minutes. The readiness is indicated by the fact that the mushrooms settle to the bottom. Then they are removed from the water, cooled, laid out in bags or containers and frozen.
If you need to keep mushrooms until the next day, they should be placed in the refrigerator raw or boiled. However, if you want to save for a long time, then drying is one of the solutions.
Small specimens can be harvested whole, while large ones are recommended to be chopped into several parts. It is impossible to dry large and small mushrooms together, otherwise they will dry unevenly.
It is necessary to preheat the oven to 45-50 degrees. Mushrooms spread on a baking sheet in a thin layer. When the mushrooms stop sticking, you can raise the temperature to 80 degrees. At the same time, it is recommended not to close the oven door completely so that the fruits evaporate. Periodically, you need to turn the mushrooms so that they retain their natural color and do not burn out.
Dry mushrooms are not fragile, but slightly elastic, which is noticeable when bent. If they stretch a lot, this indicates that it is not dry. The fact that the camelina is overdried is indicated by its fragility and hardness. Such a product will not last long and may soon become moldy.
How much mushrooms are stored
The shelf life of mushrooms depends on many factors. The main among them are the methods of harvesting and compliance with the recipe.
The best way to preserve mushrooms for the winter is conservation. This is due to the fact that this method retains taste. Methods such as salting, drying and freezing make it possible to obtain long-term stored mushrooms.
They can be stored for up to 2-3 years, depending on climatic conditions. But the taste will be very different from fresh or canned mushrooms. Therefore, it is recommended to use fresh mushrooms, and, if necessary, to make preserves.
Conclusion
After a successful trip to the forest, any mushroom picker has a question about how to save mushrooms for the winter. They can be stored fresh for no longer than 1 day, as they quickly begin to deteriorate. Therefore, it is recommended to make conservation from such mushrooms. They can also be salted, frozen or dried. These methods allow you to save the harvest for a long time at home.