Having a unique taste and aroma, frozen chanterelles are loved by many. They prepare preparations for the winter period, including resorting to freezing. There are several ways to freeze chanterelles for the winter, while maintaining nutritional benefits and gastronomic qualities.
Methods for preparing frozen chanterelles
Freezing Fresh Chanterelles
It is recommended to freeze chanterelles for the winter in raw form immediately after harvest. Before freezing, they are sorted: freshly collected, without mechanical damage and defects, strong and intact, are suitable for freezing.
Before laying in the freezer, the mushrooms are not washed, and wiped off dirt with a damp cloth, which avoids excessive moisture and maintain quality characteristics.
The freezing of raw chanterelles is often accompanied by their subsequent bitterness after defrosting.
Raw mushrooms are frozen in one layer, spreading on a tray or in another container. The duration of freezing is 12-15 hours. After this time, the frozen mushroom mixture is transferred to the packaging bags, distributing portionwise in the right amount, and sent for storage to the compartment of the freezer, where the temperature is maintained at a level not higher than -15 ° C. Frozen chanterelles retain food shelf life for up to 5 months.
Fried Mushroom Freeze
To freeze chanterelle mushrooms for the winter so that they do not bitter, it is permissible to roast. Any specimens are suitable for preliminary frying, including damaged ones, with the exception of spoiled and moldy ones.
If the mushroom crop is harvested independently in compliance with all hygiene rules, the product is not washed before frying, but only manually cleaned of leaves and branches.
For frying, vegetable or olive oil is suitable. Fry for 20 minutes, watching the complete evaporation of the produced fluid. No spices are added during cooking. Readiness is determined as a golden crust appears.
When pre-frying using animal fat, the shelf life of the product is reduced from 5 months to 30 days.
Fried mushrooms are laid out on a paper towel to drain excess oil and cool, then packaged in the amount necessary for single use, and sent for subsequent storage in the freezer.
Mushroom Broth Freezing
Heat treatment will get rid of bitterness in mushrooms
It is permissible to freeze chanterelles for the winter at home in mushroom broth. This method is especially good if you intend to subsequently use a mushroom preparation for preparing soups, and heat treatment allows you to make them not bitter.
The initial stage of purification for subsequent preparation is similar to that used in previous methods. Sorted specimens are placed in a container, filled with the right amount of water and brought to a boil. When boiling, add salt and spices to the mushroom broth. After - reduce the intensity of the fire and cook for 7-10 minutes.
In the process of preparing mushroom broth for freezing mushrooms for the winter, it is permissible to immediately add fresh herbs.
Boiled mushrooms are thrown into a colander, preserving the mushroom broth, and allowed to cool. For freezing, food containers are used, where polyethylene is lined, and then a layer of cooled mushrooms is laid out and filled with mushroom broth. The containers are placed in the freezer for 2-3 hours. After hardening, the mass is removed from the container by pulling over polyethylene, the briquette is placed in a bag for subsequent storage in the freezer.
If there is sufficient free space in the refrigerator, it is permissible to store the mushroom mixture in the broth directly in food containers.
Freezing boiled mushrooms
The technology for freezing boiled mushrooms is not much different from the process of freezing in broth. The advantage of this heat treatment method is the elimination of bitterness from mushrooms. To properly freeze the chanterelles for the winter in a boiled form:
- mushrooms are cleaned and boiled for 7-10 minutes. after boiling water,
- add rock salt at the rate of 15 g per 1 kg of chanterelles,
- put in a colander and let cool
- the cooled mass is laid out on a tray in an even layer and sent to the freezer for 12 hours.
Frozen chanterelles are portioned. If there is free space in the refrigerator, it is permissible to freeze boiled mushrooms in food containers without subsequent packaging.
Conclusion
Freezing chanterelle mushrooms for the winter at home is a way to preserve them for the winter. This is done by one of the available methods, by freezing with fresh, boiled or previously fried.
