Content
Chanterelle mushrooms are a dietary product rich in vitamins and minerals that are essential for the human body. The article discusses in detail ways to preserve chanterelles for the winter in the refrigerator and freezer, as well as the intricacies of storing raw, boiled, fried or dried chanterelles.
Features of storing chanterelle mushrooms
You should take care of the subsequent storage of mushrooms in advance, when you are just getting ready for a quiet hunt, and then they will not only retain their attractive appearance, but also all their nutrients. Basic rules to follow when storing mushrooms:
- Chanterelles will stay fresh longer and will not turn black if you cut them with a knife with a stainless steel blade.
- The optimal duration for collecting mushrooms is 4 hours, after which they must be processed so that they do not spoil.
- Mushrooms collected in the rain need to be cleaned and processed immediately, but those collected in dry weather can sit without refrigeration for 6 hours.
- If you cannot meet the recommended deadlines, then the chanterelles need to be spread out so that they do not touch each other and try to process them within 16-18 hours.
How to preserve chanterelle mushrooms for several days
All mushrooms are perishable, even chanterelles, which cannot spoil in principle. They contain a special substance that neither worms, nor larvae, nor other pests and parasites can tolerate, so while the mushroom is in the mycelium, they will not damage it. But once you pick it, you will have to put in a lot of effort to preserve it.
How to store fresh chanterelles
The optimal storage temperature for mushrooms is from 0ºС to +2ºС degrees. At this temperature, you can store chanterelles in the refrigerator. The sequence of actions on how to store fresh chanterelles in the refrigerator will be as follows:
- Sort through, discarding damaged and old copies.
- Remove debris and dirt by brushing it off with a brush.
- Dry if damp or collected in damp weather.
- Transfer to the refrigerator, placing it in a low layer in a tray.
To prevent the chanterelles from softening and becoming watery, they are not washed before putting them in the refrigerator, but only immediately before cooking.
How to store boiled chanterelles
Boiled chanterelles can also be stored in the refrigerator: up to 5 days in the refrigerator and up to 6 months in the freezer.To do this, prepared and carefully washed mushrooms are placed in boiling salted water and cooked after boiling for about 20 minutes until they all sink to the bottom of the pan.
The boiled product is cooled under running cool water, then transferred to a container and put in the refrigerator.
How to store fried chanterelles
To prepare fried chanterelles for further storage:
- Prepare the mushrooms (clean, wash) and boil in salted water.
- Next, fry until done in a large amount of vegetable oil.
- The finished dish is laid out in small trays or jars, and the oil in which everything was fried is poured on top.
- Put away in the cold.
The shelf life of fried chanterelles in the refrigerator is 4 days. In the freezer - up to six months.
How to preserve chanterelle mushrooms for the winter
Long-term storage of chanterelles for the winter is possible only by freezing, canning or drying.
How to preserve fresh chanterelles for the winter in the freezer
Freezing is the only way to preserve a product without changing its taste, as happens when canning or drying. To store in the freezer, you will need:
- freshly picked mushrooms;
- colander;
- a towel that absorbs moisture well;
- trays or pallets;
- plastic bags.
Sequencing:
- Immediately after harvesting, the chanterelles need to be sorted and sorted. Strong young specimens that have not yet opened their caps are suitable for freezing.
- Selected mushrooms should be cleaned of debris, cut off the lower part of the stem and washed under running water.
- Lay everything out on a towel and let dry well. Next, place in a tray or on a pallet in one layer.
- Place the tray in the freezer.
- Place the frozen product in a freezer bag and leave it in the freezer for further storage.
How to store heat-treated chanterelle mushrooms in the freezer
Large specimens may acquire a bitter taste after freezing, but this does not mean that they cannot be preserved for the winter in this way. In this case, they must be boiled first.
The process of freezing heat-treated chanterelles will be as follows:
- Sort the mushrooms, peel and rinse under running water. Cut large ones into several pieces.
- Place the prepared mushrooms in a saucepan of suitable capacity, add water and put on fire.
- After boiling, add salt to the water and cook for a quarter of an hour, skimming off the foam.
- Place the boiled mixture in a colander and quickly cool under running cold water.
- Place on a towel to dry the chanterelles, then transfer to a container and put in the freezer.
How to store dried chanterelles for the winter
Despite the appearance of a huge number of freezers with different types of freezing (dry, shock), housewives still prepare dried mushrooms for the winter. To dry you need:
- Select young and elastic specimens, which should be sorted and cleaned of debris and dirt. Can be wiped with a clean damp cloth, but should not be washed in water.
- Cut off the caps (the stems are not dried) and string them on a thick thread. Dry the mushrooms prepared in this way slightly in direct sunlight.
- Then dry in an oven or electric vegetable dryer at 60°C. The product is ready when the caps bend well but do not break.
The product prepared in this way for the winter is stored in paper or fabric bags in a dark, dry and well-ventilated place. Since dried mushrooms are capable of absorbing third-party odors, there should be nothing nearby with a strong or persistent aroma.
To preserve the taste as much as possible, it can be stored in a tightly closed glass container. To do this, fill a sterile jar with mushrooms, smear the lid on the back with alcohol, set it on fire and quickly screw it on. This procedure allows you to get rid of air in the jar and preserve the workpiece longer. Dried chanterelles can be stored in such conditions for one to three years.
How to preserve chanterelles for the winter in jars
A popular way to properly preserve chanterelles for the winter in jars is pickling. Every housewife has her own favorite recipe for pickled mushrooms for the winter: without vinegar, with oil and garlic, in a spicy marinade and others.
For those who will pickle for the first time, it is better to start with a proven classic recipe:
- 2 kg of fresh chanterelles;
- 1.5 liters of water;
- 50 g salt;
- 100 g sugar;
- 60 ml table vinegar;
- 10 buds of cloves;
- 15 peas of black allspice.
How to cook:
- The mushrooms are pre-soaked in a large amount of salted and acidified water (10 g of salt and 2 g of citric acid per 1 liter) for an hour. Then large specimens are sorted, washed and cut into pieces.
- Pour the prepared chanterelles with the prescribed amount of water and cook over moderate heat until they sink to the bottom.
- Drain the mushrooms in a colander, straining the broth into a separate container. Cool under running cool water, add salt, sugar, spices to the broth and put on fire.
- When the marinade boils, return the mushrooms to it and simmer for 7 minutes. Then add vinegar and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Distribute the mushrooms into sterile glass jars, pour boiling marinade over them and roll up the lids. After cooling, remove the workpiece to a cool, dark place for further storage. Pickled mushrooms will be completely ready in a month.
Shelf life of chanterelles
It’s not enough just to properly prepare and store the mushrooms in the refrigerator or freezer, you also need to adhere to the shelf life. A product that has spent a lot of time even in proper conditions loses its beneficial properties and can become hazardous to health.
How long can fresh chanterelles be stored in the refrigerator?
Chanterelles can be stored fresh in the refrigerator for only one day. For long-term storage, it is better to cook or simply boil mushrooms.
How long can you store boiled chanterelles in the refrigerator?
If you immediately sort fresh mushrooms and boil them in boiling water, their shelf life will increase five times. Instead of a day for raw ones, the shelf life of boiled chanterelles will be five days.
How long can frozen chanterelles be stored in the freezer?
The shelf life of frozen mushrooms is up to four months.In order not to forget when the product was frozen, for convenience, a sticker with the date of freezing should be placed on the tray or bag.
Conclusion
The methods available to modern housewives to preserve chanterelles for the winter have their pros and cons. So, for freezing you need a spacious freezer, and for pickled mushrooms you will need to find a recipe that will appeal to all family members. But such diversity allows every mushroom picker to find the method that will suit his needs.
