Culinary experts have great respect for mushrooms. This product allows you to cook delicious dishes, it is nutritious and very well stored. Fresh mushrooms can be put in the freezer, where they lie for a long time. If necessary, they can be taken out and cooked. Mushrooms will not lose their taste and aroma, each time giving you memories of autumn. Young housewives sometimes ask if oyster mushrooms can be frozen. We answer with all responsibility: it is possible and necessary.
Why exactly oyster mushroom
Indeed, there is porcini mushroom, champignon and many others. These species are usually familiar to the hostesses. They are sold frozen, so there are no such issues. However, some do not perceive oyster mushroom as an edible mushroom. And completely in vain. This mushroom grows in large quantities in autumn. It can be collected quite a lot in any forest belt. And when you return home with prey, the reasonable question arises: is it possible to freeze oyster mushrooms? Sure. In this form, they are perfectly stored and retain all the nutrients, vitamins and trace elements.
Proper freezing
This is not the only way to save mushrooms. They can be dried, salted, pickled. But usually the question is a little different. Is it possible to freeze oyster mushrooms so that in winter they retain the taste of a fresh product? It is in this that frost has no competitors. In this form, the product can be stored for 12 months without changing the original properties. It turns out a wonderful semi-finished product for cooking first and second courses, pizza and pies, pancakes and pastes.
Method Advantages
All doubts as to whether oyster mushrooms can be frozen are dissolved at the moment when you try to cook potatoes with mushrooms in the winter. It’s like you just returned from the forest. Taste qualities do not differ at all. Let's take a quick look at the benefits of the freeze method:
- Unlike drying and pickling, this process is very fast. It does not require almost any labor. They simply spread the mushrooms in bags and put them in the freezer. The only problem is the small capacity of the freezer.
- Thanks to such methods, the color, taste, aroma and structure of the mushrooms are maximally preserved.
- Is it possible to freeze oyster mushrooms at home without using the shock freezing method ? Yes you can. In this case, the content of vitamins, sugars and minerals is almost the same as freshly picked mushrooms.
Choosing the right mushrooms
Before freezing, they must be carefully inspected. Not all production brought from the forest can be sent for storage.
- If there are yellow or brown spots on the hat, the mushroom must be set aside.
- If the hat is covered with cracks, there are dried edges - this indicates the freshness of the fruit body. It is not suitable for storage.
- Oyster mushroom legs are stiff and contain very few useful substances. Therefore, do not take their place in the freezer. Legs should be cut as high as possible to the hat.
- Since it is not difficult to freeze oyster mushrooms, even children can be entrusted with this task. But it’s better to sort by yourself. It must be remembered that the age of the fungus can be determined by the size of the cap. In young specimens, it is not too large. But the old, overgrown hats are not at all so tasty. Their pulp is fresh and fibrous, and after cooking it becomes rubber. And it contains much less useful substances.
Training
Mushroom freezing may be delayed if you do not have time to deal with it immediately upon returning from the forest. In this case, simply spray them from the spray bottle, put them in a bag and put them in the refrigerator. So they calmly endure for a day or two.
- Select quality mushrooms. They should not be too large and have a grayish-bluish tint.
- Before freezing, thoroughly rinse and clean the caps from debris. Then lay them out to dry. It is undesirable to freeze wet mushrooms, as this can damage their structure. Ultimately, this will affect the taste of the pulp.
Instruction manual
So, in front of you are fresh oyster mushrooms. What to do with them next?
- Caps can be cut. So they will take up less space. But it’s better to leave them whole. Only large pieces need to be cut.
- Prepare trays on which the fruit bodies can be laid out in a thin layer and sent to the chamber.
- The next day, you can get mushrooms and pack them in bags.
If you have brought a lot of oyster mushrooms, the procedure can be repeated for several days in a row. The remaining mushrooms can be stored in the refrigerator compartment. Do not forget to spray them with water.
Freezing cooked mushrooms
Some housewives note that this method of cooking greatly simplifies life in the winter. It is enough to fry the potatoes and shake a bag of pre-cooked mushrooms into it, and dinner is ready.
- Boiled mushrooms. This allows you to once again make sure that the product will be safe for you and family members. To do this, boil water, boil oyster mushrooms in it for 5 minutes and lay out to cool. After this, the mushrooms can be laid out in bags and put in the freezer.
- Fried mushrooms. They can also be frozen. To do this, they need to be cooked in the usual way, then cool and put into the freezer.
How to fry oyster mushrooms
At first glance, this is a very simple task. But sometimes the dish is not at all as tasty as we would like. So let's look at the intricacies of cooking. You will need:
- Oyster mushroom - 500 g.
- Potato - 1 kg.
- Onions - 1 pc.
Potatoes need to be cut into cubes. Rinse and chop mushrooms separately. Put them on a towel to glass water. Now cook two pans. On one of them you need to put the mushrooms and cover them with a lid. After 10 minutes, it must be removed so that they can be fried. Add a little oil and do not forget to stir. In a second pan, fry the potatoes until golden brown. It remains to combine the contents of both pans and darken for several minutes. Now you know how to fry oyster mushrooms.
Mushroom soup
The peculiarity of this recipe is that we will cook in the oven. To do this, you can use pots or cauldrons. You will need:
- Oyster mushroom - 250 g.
- Potato - 3 pcs.
- Onion - 1 pc.
- Butter - 2 tablespoons.
- Water - one and a half liters.
- Chicken fillet - 300 g.
- Carrots - 1 pc.
First of all, you need to chop the chicken fillet and boil for 15 minutes. Fry onions and carrots until transparent and add oyster mushrooms. Cook for 15 minutes. Cut the potatoes into strips. Now take the cauldron, put the prepared products in it and pour in the broth. Put in the oven for an hour. You can come up with dozens of options for what to cook from oyster mushrooms. The main thing is to have this product in the freezer.
Warm oyster mushroom salad
A great option for an evening feast. You will need:
- Oyster mushroom - 200 g.
- Potato - 2 pcs.
- Peking cabbage - 100 g.
- Onion - 1 pc.
- Butter - 1 tablespoon.
- Lemon juice - 1 teaspoon.
- Garlic - 1 clove.
Stuff the onions in a skillet until soft, add a clove of garlic, lemon juice and black pepper. This mass must be crushed in a blender and leave for now. Oyster mushrooms must be boiled until tender, and then fry in butter. Cut boiled potatoes into cubes and add to the mushrooms. Cabbage needs to be torn by hands and laid out along the edge of the dish. And in the middle will go potatoes with mushrooms. It remains to pour onion dressing and can be served. You can come up with dozens of options for what to cook from oyster mushrooms, it all depends on your imagination.