October is the month of mushrooms. Many go out into the forest to collect them, of course with knowledge of which are edible and which are poisonous. But what if you want to eat mushrooms all year round? Then you have to know how to preserve mushrooms.
You may not be worried, since in supermarkets there are practically always. However, what if you wanted to eat the ones you collect? For that, here we are going to tell you how to preserve them, not only the mushrooms, but also the properties and the flavor. There are many ways to do it, so take note.
The keys to keeping mushrooms in the fridge
As you know, mushrooms grow in places where good humidity is preserved, since this is perfect to reproduce. However, that same humidity that they can have after plucking is fatal for them.
Experts recommend that when you have mushrooms, You should always keep them in the fridge and protected from both moisture and light. To do this, you have to try to keep them fresh, that they do not look limp or have mold. If so, it is best to discard it.
You have to clean them well, especially if you have caught them in the forest, since you have to remove dirt, earth, etc. Now, a fatal mistake we make is putting them in the sink and pouring tap water on them. Never do it because that water will eventually absorb it and, when you cook them, they will release it, so they will not taste good. The best way to clean them is always with a damp cloth so that you can lightly rub all over their surface.
When it comes to storing them, if you buy them at the supermarket, you know that they come with a plastic container. Well, take it off as soon as possible, but it's bad for them. It is better to put them in an opaque paper bag (the kind that does not allow light to enter. Another option is lunch boxes, but placing a napkin as a base and covering the walls. And another on top before closing it.
In this way they will last you much longer to consume them. It is not true that they last a year, but for that we give you options below.
How to keep mushrooms all year round
If you are one of those who wants the mushroom harvest to last until the following year that you go to collect more, and thus save at the supermarket, or simply eat those foods naturally, here are several ways to preserve mushrooms. All of them allow to keep the mushrooms in good condition, as well as to maintain their properties.
Mushroom powder
To make powdered mushrooms, the first thing you need to do is dry them. The process is similar to drying red peppers, that is, they must be threaded with a string to be able to hang them in a cool, dry place.
After a while you have to remove them from the thread and crush them and then put them in a jar with airtight seal.
This type of presentation can be used to make soups, sauces, creams, etc. or even to sprinkle them on food as a sprinkle.
Freeze mushrooms
The next option that we propose is to freeze them. Now, do not think of doing it directly, that is, collected and frozen. The reason is simple: mushrooms are 94% water, so when frozen, it increases its volume and that causes the fibers to break and lose all properties.
The proper way to freeze mushrooms is cooking them previously. To do this you have to clean them with a damp cloth (don't ever put them in water). Here we have several options:
- We can cut them into slices and blanch them for two minutes in boiling water. Then you have to drain, dry with a cloth and freeze.
- You can cut them into slices and, being like this, and fresh, freeze them (there you would not have that problem that we have mentioned before).
- Fry them in extra virgin olive oil at a temperature between 60 and 90º to transfer them to vacuum bags.
- In jars with sunflower oil. The trick is to laminate the mushrooms and put them in a clean jar, adding 125cl of sunflower oil for every half a kilo of mushrooms. Then you must remove everything very well and put it in the freezer.
- Put them in quick freezing trays. Not all freezers have this, but if you have it, you could make them extremely cold for 24 hours, and then lower the temperature to -18º.
- Put them in a vacuum. For this you need a vacuum machine and have clean and raw mushrooms. You add oil to the bag and vacuum pack.
Of course, keep in mind that frozen they will last you about 6 months. Beyond that time it is possible that they lose properties or that they are no longer good.
Dehydrated mushrooms
Another option to preserve mushrooms all year round is to dehydrate them. Once they are clean, you must cut them in thin slices and put them on a tray with kitchen paper. Put them all there and cover with a gauze cloth. You have to let them dry in a cool place that does not have humidity. Or, if you have a dehydrator, do it using the machine.
After dehydration you just have to put them in glass jars and close well. And, to consume them, once you take them out, leave them in water for an hour and you will see how they are hydrated again.
Another option is the same as we have explained the powdered mushrooms, hang them strung on a thread until they dry. Then they are put into jars and, when we want to use them, we just have to hydrate them.
Canned mushrooms
In this case, the canning of mushrooms is very wide, since they can be preserved in multiple ways: oil, salt, vinegar, pickle, brine ...
This form of Preserving the mushrooms can last between 6 and 12 months.
To do this, first of all is to clean the mushrooms and then:
- If you want them in oil, you can laminate them or leave them whole and fry at low temperature for 15-20 minutes. Then you let them cool and put them in jars with the oil. If you see that you need to cover them, add more oil. Close well to boil the jars in a water bath for 20 minutes.
- If you want them in vinegar, you have to mix white wine vinegar with water in equal parts. Add black pepper, a clove of garlic, bay leaf and salt and boil the mushrooms (whole they keep better) for 2-3 minutes. Transfer them to a pot, pouring that sauce over it and close the pot to boil it in a double boiler for 20 minutes.
- In case you prefer to preserve the mushrooms in salt, you have to alternate the jars with a layer of salt and another of mushrooms. Calculate that you will need 50 grams of coarse salt for one kilo of mushrooms. Of course, it will last only 3 months.
- Pickled, using any way of doing it, but reducing the liquid as otherwise the mushrooms will lose flavor. In addition, you must bear in mind that you have to keep it cold and that it only lasts 2 months like that.
- If you want to make them in brine, they will only last three months. To do this you have to blanch the mushrooms in water and remove them to a sterilized pot. Then you have to prepare a mixture of 75 grams of salt for every half liter of water and cover the mushroom cans with it. Add a finger of olive oil and close the jar.
As you can see, there are many ways to preserve mushrooms. Do you know more methods?