Recall sunny summer, you can enjoy your favorite mushroom dish even in cold weather, if you know how to freeze chanterelles for the winter. This method of preparation is quite popular: it is less labor-intensive than pickling or salting, mushrooms retain their properties well nutritional value, the range of dishes from frozen semi-finished products is not inferior to the menu from fresh mushrooms. And the methods for freezing chanterelles are quite varied.
The sooner the collected mushrooms are processed, the more beneficial and tasteful qualities they will retain. Therefore, chanterelles are sorted before freezing immediately after collection. Whatever freezing method is chosen, it is imperative to clean and sort the mushrooms.
After cleaning and sorting, the mushrooms should be washed in running water and placed in a colander or sieve, allowing excess moisture to drain.
Attention! If you are going to freeze raw fruit bodies without boiling, you do not need to wash them, just wipe them with a damp cloth.
Features of freezing chanterelles
Hinnomanosis, which makes the fruiting bodies of chanterelles invulnerable to pests, also manifests itself in collected mushrooms, especially after they are frozen. The older the specimens, the more bitter the chanterelles become. Is it possible to freeze large and very mature mushrooms? Yes, they also have their own way of freezing, so there is no need to throw them away.
On average, the shelf life of frozen chanterelles is three to four months. If deep freezing is possible, mushrooms can be stored in a refrigerator for more than long time, almost a year. But you need to know how to freeze chanterelles correctly.
There are several methods of freezing, each of them will provide the opportunity to prepare dishes from your favorite mushrooms for a long time later after their collection.
Method one: freezing raw mushrooms
This is the easiest option for freezing chanterelles. Small, young mushrooms are suitable for it. After the mushrooms have dried, they are laid out in one layer on a cutting board, tray or flat dish and placed in the freezer for 10-12 hours. After freezing, the mushrooms are quickly placed in clean plastic containers or plastic bags, not forgetting to label them with a date to monitor shelf life.
Method two: freezing boiled chanterelles
This method is suitable for large specimens: when boiling, it is possible to partially get rid of the bitter taste. Cleaned and washed mushrooms are cut into slices, placed in a pan, filled with water, and salt is added.
People often ask how long to cook chanterelles. After the water boils, the pan should be on the fire for no less than 15 and no more than 20 minutes: this time is enough for the bitterness to decrease, but the mushrooms do not boil, maintaining their appearance.
The finished chanterelles are placed in a colander and, after waiting until the liquid has drained from them, they are allowed to dry on a paper or waffle towel. Only after this they are placed in the freezer. The entire further process should proceed in the same way as described in the first method.
Method three: fried or stewed mushrooms
For this preparation option, you will additionally need vegetable oil and onions. Prepared (sorted, peeled and washed) mushrooms are placed in a dry frying pan and simmered over low heat until the moisture has completely evaporated from them. Salt the mushrooms, add oil and fry for about 5-7 minutes.
After the workpiece has cooled, it is portioned into containers and placed in the freezer.
Method four: “stock cube” for soups
You can make an excellent winter mushroom soup if you freeze chanterelles directly in their broth. They are prepared, boiled for 15-20 minutes in salted water, removed from the pan, allowed to cool and placed in containers lined with polyethylene.
As soon as the broth has cooled, pour it over the mushrooms and put the containers in the freezer. After the broth has hardened, the resulting slabs are removed from the containers and placed in plastic bags for storage in the freezer. So peculiar bouillon cube used, even without defrosting, for preparing gravy or soups: it is already boiled, so it is simply dipped in hot water and add the remaining ingredients according to the recipe.
How to cook frozen chanterelles
There is no need to defrost semi-finished mushroom products before cooking:
- frozen raw chanterelles, before stewing or frying, are briefly dipped in boiling water and then transferred to a colander;
- For first courses, use a “broth cube” or frozen boiled mushrooms.
Frozen chanterelles are used in cooking in the same way as fresh ones: they can be stewed, fried, boiled, used in sauces, salads, caviar, casseroles, fillings for pies, pancakes, dumplings.
What can be done to prevent frozen chanterelles from becoming bitter?
A few tips below will tell you how to cook chanterelles so that their inherent bitterness is almost not felt after defrosting:
- immediately before freezing, they are soaked for several hours, then boiled twice in salt water, with the first broth being poured out immediately after boiling;
- When preparing from chilled semi-finished products, chanterelles are washed in cold water and fried on vegetable oil with the addition of vinegar and spices;
- Thawed mushrooms are boiled two to three times, draining the water, then fried and then used as an ingredient for the main dish.
If the rules of freezing are observed, the bitter taste is felt mainly only by those who infrequently include these mushrooms in their diet.
Exactly how to freeze chanterelles is a matter of taste; each of them is good in its own way, convenient and will definitely give you pleasure in your favorite dishes.
Chanterelles are considered one of the most useful varieties of mushrooms. They got their name due to their characteristic red color. Chanterelles are predominantly forest mushrooms, famous for their unique taste and pleasant aroma. Mushrooms contain many nutrients and vitamins, while remaining low in calories.
Features of preparing chanterelles for freezing
- This type of mushroom loses its taste and aroma a little when pickled, so they should mainly be consumed fresh. Chanterelles are often frozen for the winter. different ways.
- To freeze mushrooms, you will need freshly picked specimens that are free of defects. Chanterelles are also famous for the fact that they cannot be wormy. Therefore, before freezing, you should pay attention to strong and whole fruits.
- It is better to consume the remaining mushrooms as soon as possible. You should not refrigerate freshly picked chanterelles, as after such manipulations they will become bitter. After collecting mushrooms, you need to prepare them for long-term storage as soon as possible.
- If you prepare the mushrooms quickly enough, you will retain the maximum properties of the chanterelles when you use them later. The shelf life of freshly picked mushrooms in the freezer is up to 5 months.
Method number 1. Freezing raw chanterelles
- If you are going to freeze mushrooms raw, you will need freshly picked specimens. There is a high probability that if the chanterelles are not given heat treatment, they may become bitter.
- To avoid such an oversight, culinary specialists recommend paying close attention to the sorting of mushrooms. To freeze fresh chanterelles, choose only dense specimens without any signs of damage. They also should not be large or dry.
- In any case, when freezing raw chanterelles, you run the risk of encountering a similar problem. Whether you store mushrooms in this form or not is up to you. After packaging, wipe each fruit with a paper towel; there is no need to wash the chanterelles.
- The manipulation carried out without water will help to better preserve the quality of the product. After processing, place the chanterelles in the freezer on a tray, laying them out in one layer. The freezing procedure lasts 12-15 hours.
- After the allotted time, the mushrooms can be poured into portioned bags or food containers. Next, place the chanterelles back in the freezer and store until use. The chamber temperature should be below -16 degrees.
Method number 2. Freezing fried chanterelles
- Take required amount mushrooms; almost any specimen is suitable for frying. All you have to do is get rid of the damaged ones. If you collected chanterelles yourself, it is not advisable to wash them.
- Carefully inspect the mushrooms, get rid of excess twigs, leaves and possible dirt. After this, place the chanterelles in a frying pan with a small amount of vegetable oil. The average preparation time for the product is 20 minutes.
- Make sure that excess liquid evaporates from the mushrooms and that the chanterelles themselves become covered with a golden brown crust. The product should be fried without adding any spices or ingredients other than the oil itself.
- Frying with animal fat is prohibited. IN otherwise mushrooms may develop vents and the shelf life will be reduced to 1 month. After frying in vegetable oil, place the chanterelles on paper towels, wait for it to cool completely.
- Next, package the mushrooms in a way convenient for you. Place in the freezer for long-term storage. An undoubted advantage of chanterelles is that they do not need to be boiled before frying.
Method No. 3. Freezing chanterelles as broth
- This option is considered ideal if you plan to cook soup. Prepare the chanterelles standard method, get rid of garbage and bad copies. Pour a sufficient amount of water into a heat-resistant container and wait until it boils.
- After the first bubbles appear, add salt and pepper to taste. You can also add fresh finely chopped herbs. Send mushrooms to total mass into the pan, stir the mixture thoroughly. Cook the chanterelles for about 7 minutes.
- Then drain them in a colander, reserving the broth. Wait until the mushrooms and liquid have cooled. Take a food container and place cling film or a plastic bag in it.
- Place the mushrooms in a container, pour the cooled broth over the chanterelles. Place the finished product in the freezer for a couple of hours. Once hardened, remove the compound from the container by pulling on the plastic.
- Place the resulting briquette in a bag, then return it to the freezer until the right time to use it. Based on the semi-finished product, you can prepare a delicious soup or main course.
Method number 4. Freezing boiled chanterelles
- The clear advantage of boiled chanterelles is that you do not risk leaving bitterness in the mushrooms. Carefully sort the product and get rid of any foreign debris. If necessary, cut large specimens in half.
- Pour water into the cooking vessel so that it turns out to be 2 times more than mushrooms. Wait until it boils, add 15-20 g. rock salt per 1 kg. product. Then add the required amount of chanterelles.
- The duration of cooking mushrooms is 6 minutes. If a film forms during the process, get rid of it immediately. Chanterelles can be cooked a little longer, but then you risk that the mushrooms will lose their former aroma and taste.
- After the main manipulation, place the chanterelles on a sieve or in a colander and wait until the liquid has completely drained. Next, place the mushrooms on a waffle towel and let the chanterelles dry.
- If you ignore the advice, excess moisture will be released and turn into ice. There is nothing wrong with this, only the aesthetic appearance of the product will deteriorate. Place the mushrooms on a tray and place them in the chamber for 12 hours. After this, place portions into containers and re-send them to the chamber for a long time.
How to defrost chanterelles correctly
- To defrost mushrooms properly, you need to divide the steps into stages. Remove the frozen product and place it on the coldest shelf of the refrigerator. Open the door periodically to monitor the process.
- Once the ice has thawed a little, place the mushrooms room temperature. It is forbidden to speed up the defrosting of chanterelles using microwave oven. Try to use the right amount of mushrooms in a short time.
- It is also prohibited to repeat the freezing procedure. Initially, calculate the approximate amount of mushrooms for preparing any dish.
- If you have frozen chanterelles in various ways, you should initially label the bags or containers. Explain exactly how you performed the procedure.
It is not difficult to prepare chanterelles for the winter if you follow simple tips. Almost all dishes can be prepared from defrosted chanterelles; there are no restrictions. Add mushrooms to basic ingredients, baked goods or salads. Choose the most suitable freezing method or use each of them.
Video: chanterelles for the winter in butter
Chanterelles can easily be called the most useful forest mushrooms. For the winter they are frozen, dried, and pickled.
Bright mushrooms are rich in amino acids, vitamins and minerals, improve vision, skin and hair condition, cleanse the liver, stimulate the immune system and increase the body's defenses.
Therefore, you must definitely use chanterelle mushrooms in the forest and prepare them for the winter in different ways:
Now you will learn how to freeze chanterelles in the freezer for winter storage in your refrigerator.
Frozen Chanterelles Recipe
Mushrooms brought from the forest must be processed as quickly as possible. After all, with every passing hour they lose quality and their beneficial properties.
Before freezing according to any recipe, chanterelles should be sorted, sorted and strong, young, not too large mushrooms should be selected for freezing.
Clean the selected mushrooms from twigs, soil and other forest debris. Rinse with water. The correct way to freeze chanterelles at home is without soaking them in water.
Place the washed forest products in a colander and let the water drain. Then spread in a single layer on a paper towel and let dry.
Now we offer a way to freeze chanterelles without cooking, that is, fresh.
You can freeze raw chanterelles, this way they will retain their beneficial properties, but they may taste bitter.
Place them in containers or freezer bags and place them in the freezer.
How to freeze chanterelles so they don't taste bitter
Sometimes after freezing, bitterness appears in the taste of chanterelle mushrooms. But there are tips on how to freeze chanterelles without bitterness.
There will be less benefit in them, but it tastes better.
“Adult” chanterelles can also taste bitter; also take this point into account when selecting mushrooms.
Fill the chanterelles cold water and bring to a boil. You can add salt to the boiling water during the cooking process. You need to boil for no more than 20 minutes.
After boiling, rinse the mushrooms under running water and place them on paper towels in one layer to dry off excess moisture.
Then place in trays or trays and place in the freezer. Place frozen chanterelles in bags and tie them tightly.
If you want to prepare mushrooms for soup, then freeze them directly in the broth.
Another very tasty way is. Try it!
Any frozen mushrooms cannot be thawed and re-frozen; they lose their taste and shape.
How to cook frozen chanterelles? There is no need to defrost the chanterelles before cooking.
Place them in the soup as soon as you take them out of the freezer, but for frying, place them in boiling water for a couple of minutes so that they completely thaw, and then drain in a colander.
How long can frozen chanterelles be stored? Ideally, no more than three months. But from experience, it takes longer, especially if you froze a lot of them for the winter.
The autumn mushroom season poses a question for avid mushroom pickers about which mushrooms are best to seal in jars and which to freeze. But the most current problem- how to do all this, especially since not everyone likes to tinker with mushrooms. The process is very labor-intensive. So, one of the questions that worries all lovers of delicious mushrooms is: “Can chanterelles be frozen?” Not only is it possible, but it is necessary!
Preparation
First of all, the mushrooms need to be sorted for worms, mold, etc. Although many mushroom pickers say that this type mushrooms do not require careful inspection, this must be done. Is it possible to freeze old and wrinkled chanterelles? No, that doesn't make any sense. It is better to immediately fry such a product with potatoes. But fresh mushrooms need to be cleaned of natural debris. All leaves, twigs and sticks are thrown away. Keep in mind right away that mushrooms need to be frozen in the first 24 hours after picking, and provided that they need to be kept at a low temperature all this time. For example, in the refrigerator. Before harvesting chanterelles, rinse them thoroughly under running water. Under the cap, due to its ribbing, up to 80% of all possible forest dirt accumulates. After washing, place the chanterelles on cheesecloth or a waffle towel to dry. When freezing, there is no need for excess moisture!
Freezing, method No. 1
Dry young mushrooms can be immediately placed in containers and placed in the freezer. without pre-cooking? Yes, yes, yes and yes again! But exclusively young people. Do you doubt the age of mushrooms? Then it’s better to boil it so it doesn’t become bitter later. By the way, can this be avoided if salt is added to dry mushrooms along with the liquid? It is necessary if you want to cook soup or stew from them later.
Freezing, method No. 2
Boiled mushrooms do not need to be dried! They can be cooled in the room together with the water in which they were boiled, and then placed in the freezer. This preparation will be a good basis for mushroom soup in winter. They need to be defrosted only at normal temperature, not in the microwave or water.
Freezing, method No. 3
Many, fearing for the condition of the mushrooms (so many people get poisoned later!), boil them first. And this is also correct. During boiling, be sure to remove the foam, add salt to the water, and ensure that the product is well cooked. 20-25 minutes of active boiling is enough for the mushrooms to fully cook. Then they need to be thoroughly dried on a towel, put into bags and put in the low-temperature compartment of the refrigerator.
Frozen chanterelles can be stored for 3-5 months. of these dishes always begin with defrosting the product naturally. Soup, stew, vegetables with chanterelles - there are a lot of options, choose to your taste! Remember, if there was pre-cooking, the mushrooms are stored slightly less. Is it possible to freeze chanterelles for a longer period? Not recommended, they lose their taste and become bitter.
Greetings, Dear friends! The mushroom season will begin very soon, and it’s time to talk about interesting and tasty mushroom preparations for the winter, in particular about chanterelles. If you want to enjoy delicious chanterelles all year round, then you simply must know how to freeze chanterelles for the winter at home.
In this article, I will tell you not only how to freeze chanterelles for the winter so that they do not become bitter, but I will also reveal the secrets of how to freeze chanterelles correctly so that the mushrooms in ready-made dishes are soft and juicy.
I hasten to “upset” you - you won’t be able to simply freeze chanterelle mushrooms raw. You will have to work a little, but as a result you will get delicious chanterelles, completely ready to eat.
These frozen chanterelles are ideal as a filling for puff pastries and fried potatoes. You only need to defrost the chanterelles at room temperature and add them to the dish. So, let's freeze chanterelles for the winter - a step-by-step recipe with photos at your service!
Ingredients:
- 1 kg. chanterelles
- 3 liters of water
- 1 tbsp. butter (or 25 ml vegetable)
- 1 onion
- salt and spices
Additionally:
- boxes with lids for freezing
- or vacuum bags for freezing
How to freeze chanterelles for the winter at home:
Small chanterelles, like cloves, are ideal for freezing - in ready-made dishes they are soft, juicy and non-fibrous. If you come across large chanterelles, then use only the caps for freezing, and use the legs for mushroom pate or mushroom caviar.
We wash the chanterelles in large quantities cold running water to get rid of branches, dry leaves and particles of soil. If necessary, rinse several times.
Next, lower the chanterelle mushrooms into boiling water along with the onion, cut in half. Constantly stirring the mushrooms with a slotted spoon, soak the chanterelles in boiling water for 15 minutes. My grandmother says that among chanterelles (especially purchased ones), there may be “false” poisonous chanterelles, which can be identified using an onion - if the onion turns blue during cooking, then poisonous mushrooms were present in the batch.
Place the chanterelle mushrooms in a colander and wait for them to cool a little.
Then, if desired, you can chop the chanterelles with a knife. It all depends on where you are going to use the frozen chanterelles next. If it is used as a filling for pizza, pies, or dumplings, it is better to grind it so that you can then use the finished product. And if you plan to cook or stew, then you can leave the mushrooms as is.
Melt butter in a frying pan. If you plan to use frozen chanterelles to prepare lean dishes, then replace the butter with vegetable oil. It is thanks to the oil that frozen chanterelles, after defrosting in ready-made dishes, will remain soft and juicy.
Fry the chanterelles in oil for 5-7 minutes, stirring constantly with a spatula.
Add salt and black pepper to taste, remove from heat, and let the chanterelles cool completely.
