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The “silent hunting” season should not pass by the freezer. To pamper your family with aromatic and tasty dishes even in the cold season, you need to freeze the umbrella mushroom. If done correctly, the fruiting body will retain its flavor throughout the winter.
Is it possible to freeze mushrooms and umbrellas?
In their raw form, it is optimal to freeze only a few types, which include umbrellas. If the size of the freezer allows, you can thus preserve the fruits for fresh use in winter.
How to prepare umbrella mushrooms for freezing
Fruits need to be prepared for freezing. They must be fresh, clean and, if possible, unbroken. The appearance of the product after removal from the freezer depends on this. Yesterday's build will do, but not a week's build.
The edible species must have a cap of at least 25 cm, not wormy, not pecked by birds
How to freeze correctly:
- Remove soil, leaves and twigs. Blow from the inside to remove debris.
- Rinse with water.Attention! Don't get it too wet. The mushroom absorbs water well, which will turn into ice in the freezer.
- Separate the cap from the stem. The top part is fried, cooked in batter or marinated. The legs are not suitable for use with this treatment, they are hard. The lower part is used for grinding.
For freezing it is better to take strong young fruits
To save space in the freezer, the small ones are left whole; they are used to decorate dishes; the large ones are cut into small pieces.
How to freeze umbrella mushrooms for the winter
There are several ways to freeze - fresh, boiled or fried. It is recommended to freeze it raw. Boiled or fried specimens lose their taste and become rubbery after cooking.
How to freeze fresh umbrellas
Peel with a knife and wipe each with a dry cloth. There is no need to soak them in water; a single rinse is enough.
Freezing method:
- peel, place in one layer on a tray;
- place in the freezer for 4 hours;
- Place in prepared containers or bags in such a way that only one of them is used during cooking.
Freezing in portions is the best option.
It is not recommended to re-freeze, otherwise they will turn into a tasteless, watery porridge. Therefore, portion freezing is convenient.
To freeze 1.5-2 kg it will take about 12-15 hours. The product can also be used fresh. This is the best way to freeze fruits. You can use them for preparing any dishes, stewing and frying, without the need to boil.
Before you cook a frozen product, you need to defrost it properly. Do not put in hot water or microwave. Defrosting proceeds in stages.First, you should put the bag in the refrigerator and then put it on the table. This way the fruiting bodies will not lose their aroma and will remain as fresh. You cannot leave them in the refrigerator after defrosting; you should cook them immediately.
How to freeze boiled umbrellas
To store it in this form, it is recommended to boil the fruiting bodies. The semi-finished product takes up less space. In addition, immediately after defrosting they can be placed in a frying pan.
Freezing process:
- Pour water into the pan. Add salt. Do not add other spices. Boil and add mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes.
Cook over low heat, the water should not boil
- Pour the brine into a colander and allow excess water to drain. Place the cooked fruits on a towel and leave to dry for 10-15 minutes. Try the brine. If it is very salty, rinse the fruits a little under running water.
- Place on a tray in one layer and place in the refrigerator. When the product has cooled, transfer the mushrooms to the freezer.
- When frozen, place the finished fruit bodies into portioned bags on a tray so that 1 container is enough for 1 preparation. Place in the freezer.
If you immediately put the boiled ones into bags, they will stick together.
Stewed fruits are frozen in a similar way. The method of stewing is simple: rinse, cut into strips and simmer in its own juice for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Freeze as you would with boiled fruit bodies.
You can store umbrella mushrooms in the freezer for the whole winter using steam treatment. To do this you will need a pan with a wire rack. Pour water into a container and boil. Place a wire rack on the pan, then the mushrooms. Steam for 3 minutes.If they are whole, they should be heat treated for 6 minutes. Do not keep it over steam for a long time so that the fruits do not absorb a lot of moisture.
Transfer to a clean tray. Cool at room temperature, then in the refrigerator. After which you can send it for freezing.
The use of steamed fruits is universal. This method of freezing will better preserve the taste.
How to freeze fried umbrellas
Fried mushrooms have a special, characteristic taste that is difficult to confuse. Fresh fruit bodies are used for frying.
Ingredients:
- 1 kg of hats;
- 2 onions;
- salt to taste;
- olive oil.
Preparation:
- Rinse the caps with water and cut into any shape.
When frying, the cap shrinks by 3 times, do not cut it too finely
- Stew in your own juice. Add chopped onion and vegetable oil. Add salt at the end, when the fruiting bodies are fried.
Fry until the moisture completely disappears from the pan, you can leave it a little for juiciness
- Cool. Transfer to bags and freeze.
Fried foods are easy to defrost. You can do this in the microwave or in a frying pan with a little olive oil. The taste and smell of fried fruit bodies is very pleasant and unique even after defrosting.
Terms and conditions of storage of frozen umbrellas
Fresh umbrella mushrooms should be stored at a temperature of 18-20 °C, boiled ones - at 28 °C. If this requirement is met, the mushrooms will be stored in the freezer all winter. The maximum period is 12 months.
Conclusion
You can freeze an umbrella mushroom in different ways. It is allowed to boil, stew, fry and prepare the dish in batter before putting it in the freezer. Freezing is the best way to store it for the winter.
