How to store mushrooms: 100 photos and videos tips for storing mushrooms

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Since ancient times, people have not only eaten mushrooms, but also been treated with them. True, this happened rather on a subconscious, intuitive level; it was only in the last century that they began to more scrupulously study their beneficial properties. Researchers today are still finding new evidence of the beneficial and healing properties of these amazing and unique organisms.

Mushrooms are a source of protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and microelements, vegetable fats and antioxidants. The complete absence of cholesterol and animal saturated fat makes this food a healthy alternative to meat. Keep them in your diet even after the mushroom season ends.

Mushrooms are perishable products, so let’s pay a little attention to the question of how and for how long they can be stored.

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How to preserve freshly picked mushrooms

There are many ways to preserve this unique forest gift. First of all, remember - mushrooms have the ability to actively absorb surrounding odors. Therefore, they are stored separately from other products.

It is better to process fresh mushrooms immediately and eat them. In the case when you have to use them in a day (maximum, in three), use a capacitor.

Where to buy fresh and wild mushrooms

Every day, mushrooms are becoming more popular in the food world.
Every day, mushrooms are becoming more popular in the food world. Nowadays, farm-to-table cuisine is growing very quickly. The best places to buy fresh wild mushrooms are local, such as a farmer's market or a specialty store with a nature's gifts section. However, when this is not possible, there are several online mushroom sellers that offer quality products for your mushroom purchases.

If you're not sure which mushrooms you should buy, it's always a good idea to speak directly to the farmer or retailer for local recommendations. Feel free to share recipes or personal taste preferences with the farmer or retailer. This information will influence what mushrooms they may recommend based on your taste preferences or recipe. Wild mushrooms are seasonal, which affects both their availability and price, so be prepared for some sellers to not sell certain varieties at certain times. Whenever possible, it's best to eat what's in season, as it will taste best and will likely be the most affordable option.

Some mushrooms are highly toxic, so wherever you choose to shop, always check the retailer's credentials when purchasing wild mushrooms. Do not pick wild mushrooms unless you are with someone who can confidently recognize the difference between safe and poisonous mushrooms.

If you can't find fresh mushrooms at your local market, many online stores sell and ship local mushrooms. Another option is to buy dried mushrooms, which are easy to rehydrate and can be used in many delicious recipes.

Necessary canons

Freshly picked mushrooms do not last long in the refrigerator. Products purchased in the store are already packaged properly (vacuum packaging) with expiration dates indicated.

So, how to properly store them?

Select intact specimens without any damage. To do this, when picking, do not pull out the mushroom, but cut off the stem with a knife.
They should not be washed. Place them in a container (preferably enameled) and cover with a clean towel.
Do you decide to wash the mushrooms? Don't get carried away, because they absorb moisture very much. After washing, dry them thoroughly.
To clean the harvested crop from unwanted worms, you need to immerse it in salt water for about ten minutes, then dry it.
Storage containers should facilitate ventilation of the product. Paper bags and enamel containers are suitable. The dish with mushrooms placed in it is covered with a cotton towel or paper.
Plastic bags are strictly contraindicated - mushrooms spoil faster in them.

Having fulfilled all the instructions, we will be able to preserve mushrooms for a short period of time, but we want this nutritious and healthy product to always be at hand. Therefore, you can freeze, pickle or preserve mushrooms and dry them. Consider each published option.

How to process crops on the go

There are mushroom pickers who go into the forest for more than one day in order to collect enough crops to prepare for the year during the mushroom season. When traveling, the best way to preserve mushrooms is drying.

To do this you need:

Clean mushrooms from twigs and leaves.
Unscrew the caps.
Large fruits can be cut in half and the stems lengthwise so that they dry faster and do not rot.
Place the mushrooms in a well-ventilated place to reduce moisture in the product.
Thread each mushroom onto a string.
Hang over the fire to dry rather than fry.
When they dry, put them in a container that is closed with a tight lid to protect drying from moisture.

These mushrooms can be stored at home, and before cooking, soak them in water for a while.

You can use another method in field conditions, but it is more labor-intensive. To do this, you need to dig a hole and line the walls with stones. Light a fire inside and wait for the stones to heat up.

Place the prepared mushrooms strung on branches or skewers in a hole. Cover the hole with plastic and leave the mushrooms there to dry overnight. In the morning, you can sort the already dried fruits, and those that have not had time to dry can be immersed in the hole again after the fire has heated the stones. Dried mushrooms can be placed in cheesecloth or a cloth bag to ventilate.

Drying at home can be done in the oven. How to store dried mushrooms is also a question that concerns many lovers of this useful product. Therefore, we clarify this issue.

Dried mushrooms are stored in a closed container in a place that is dry and dark. Use for food after soaking them in water for several hours and preparing them in the usual way.

If mushroom pickers are experienced and have been collecting mushrooms for many years, then they know every variety of forest fruit, but if you doubt your collection, then you need to boil the mushrooms in water with the addition of an onion. If it has not darkened, then all the mushrooms are edible.

Frozen mushrooms

Today, freezing vegetables, fruits and berries for the winter has become popular. Fortunately, this is facilitated by the latest refrigeration chambers. Mushrooms were not spared from this method of storage.

By resorting to this method, you can preserve the product for a long time without losing its positive properties. This is not difficult, but following certain rules will help achieve the desired result:

Young, freshly picked, unspoiled and undamaged mushrooms are suitable for freezing. The less time passes from the moment of collection to loading into the freezer, the better.
The mushrooms are lightly washed and dried until completely dry.
Place the product on a baking sheet in one row and freeze, then place in prepared containers. Should be stored in the freezer.
For greater safety, many mushrooms are boiled before freezing. Cook for a short time, about five minutes. If the fruit is large, it is divided into pieces. Cooked mushrooms are cooled well and dried thoroughly.
To defrost the mushrooms, remove them from the freezer but leave them in the refrigerator for several hours.
These products are not subject to secondary freezing.

Frozen mushrooms do not spoil for up to twelve months.

There are many ways to store mushrooms at home. And it's quite simple. It’s a completely different matter if you want to bring home mushrooms from a hike. There is no way to deliver them fresh, but there is a way out, although you will have to work hard.

Conditions for storing pickled mushrooms

As you know, mushrooms can be pickled and enjoy the taste of the product. We’ll talk about how long you can preserve pickled mushrooms in this part of the article.

You cannot use iron containers for pickling, because the marinade contains vinegar, and it can cause oxidation of the container.
Do not place mushrooms in jars in direct sunlight to avoid decomposition.
It is best to store pickled mushrooms in ceramic, clay and dark glass containers. You can use enamel pans with tight-fitting lids.
You can store pickled mushrooms in the basement or in the refrigerator.
The shelf life depends on the temperature. If the room temperature does not rise above 8 degrees, then you can store mushrooms in brine for two years.

How to preserve porcini mushroom

The king of mushrooms is the boletus (ceps), which is strikingly different from its fellows. This applies to size, taste, and nutritional properties. Boletus is rich in protein, a large number of microelements and amino acids that affect digestion.

There is an assumption by medical researchers about the property of this fungus, which protects the body from the occurrence of malignant tumors.

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Therefore, the question of whether porcini mushrooms can be stored does not even arise. This unique mushroom is perfect for various types of preparations and storage.

Preparation of mushroom extracts and powders

Properly dried product is an excellent raw material for preparing a very aromatic mushroom powder. As a rule, mushroom powders are prepared from porcini mushrooms, boletus, umbrellas, morels, saffron milk caps, chanterelles, truffles, as well as boletus and red cap mushrooms. Mushroom powder, prepared from several types of mushrooms with a moisture content not exceeding twelve percent, has a particularly pronounced aroma. You can grind dried raw materials either in mortars or in special pepper mills or coffee grinders. Store ready-made mushroom powder in the same way as dry mushrooms.

Mushroom extracts are best obtained from species that have a very distinct aroma, including honey mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, saffron caps, boletus and boletus mushrooms, as well as white mushrooms. The fruit bodies must be pre-processed in the form of cleaning and washing, then crushed in a meat grinder and boiled over low heat. It is best to use an enamel pan for boiling. The resulting mushroom juice should be filtered, the mushroom mass should be boiled with a small amount of water again and also drained. All the resulting mushroom juice must be salted at the rate of 10 g per 500 ml and cooked until thick. The extract should be poured into well-sterilized containers and stored in a cool place on the same day.

Freshly picked mushrooms

After harvesting, you can leave the mushrooms in the refrigerator for no more than three days. Before storing in the cold, carry out thorough processing:

identify inedible mushrooms;
remove spoiled fruits;
carry out dry cleaning and trimming of damaged areas;
leave in cold water for ten minutes, you can use salted water;
rinse several times under running water;
dry, place in a bowl and, covered with a napkin, place in the refrigerator.

A longer period (more than three days) can lead to the formation of toxic substances. Be careful.

Short term storage

There are several ways to store wild mushrooms. in an apartment at room temperature for longer than 2-3 hours . Immediately after collection, begin processing. If you want to keep the collected mushrooms fresh for 2 or maximum 3 days, it is best to place them in the refrigerator .

To prevent the gifts of the forest from spoiling within a few days, you need to follow a clear algorithm of actions:

Carefully sort the mushrooms, remove leaves, grass, and needles.
Rinse 1-2 times.
Soak the crop in salt water to get rid of worms and insects. It is enough to leave tubular mushrooms (boletus, boletus, aspen mushrooms, etc.) in water for 20-30 minutes, and lamellar mushrooms for 6-12 hours. Some varieties that have a bitter or acrid taste, such as black milk mushrooms, are soaked for 2-3 days, changing the water regularly.
Place the mushrooms in a colander or sieve, allowing the water to drain, and inspect them carefully again. Use a knife to cut off any damaged areas.
Place the mushrooms on a layer of cloth or paper towels, let dry, then place them in a deep bowl, covering the top with a napkin.
Place the container in the refrigerator.

Before harvesting, mushrooms must be thoroughly cleaned of soil, sand and plant debris.

Many people wonder how long fresh mushrooms can be stored in the refrigerator . It is advisable to keep them in the cold for no more than 3 days, especially if they are noble species, for example, truffles or porcini mushrooms.

Champignons can stay on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator for up to 7 days. After the specified period, dangerous toxic substances are formed in forest mushrooms, and champignons darken and dry out. Eating such foods is too risky for your health.

The optimal shelf life of fresh mushrooms in the refrigerator is no more than 3 days.

Frozen boletus

Freezing is simpler and easier than other storage methods. There are several freezing options:

It is very easy to freeze raw mushrooms - lay the mushrooms on a flat dish and freeze. Then the frozen pieces are placed in containers.
Boiled boletus mushrooms remove moisture well and are packaged in bags. Then place it in the freezer.
Fried mushrooms can also be preserved by freezing. Fry in oil until the liquid has completely evaporated, let it cool and only then put it into bags.

The temperature in the freezer should be -18 degrees. Frozen mushrooms are subjected to heat treatment before eating; they cannot be eaten raw.

Tips and tricks

Every day spent on a hike reduces the quality characteristics of the collected mushrooms, so it is not recommended to store the fruiting bodies until the next day, but must be processed as quickly as possible:

removing the legs is very advisable, since this part is the most difficult to dry in camping conditions;
the caps must be cleared of soil and forest debris, after which the damaged areas must be removed with a knife and the mushrooms must be washed;
Relatively finely chopped clean mushroom caps need to be laid out in an area well blown by the wind and illuminated by the sun.

Drying and drying

It is believed that dried porcini mushrooms are much tastier than natural ones. As they say, the taste and color, however, are noted for the rich and concentrated aroma and taste of dried boletus.

This storage option requires pre-processing and has its own nuances:

Only high-quality products can be dried, without the slightest damage, and even more so, signs of spoilage;
mushrooms are not washed;
dry cleaning;
remove the end of the leg;
sort;
Do not use metal knives;
very large specimens are crushed.

There are several ways to dry and cure. Traditionally, they are dried in the sun (removed at night to prevent them from getting damp). Boletus mushrooms are also dried in the oven or using an electric dryer.

Store in glass containers, fabric and paper bags. Dried mushrooms can be stored for up to six months. Mushroom powder can be prepared from them; its shelf life reaches three years.

Sun drying

You can dry mushrooms in a more “natural” way, if the weather cooperates: only hot days without precipitation are suitable for this purpose. You need to take strong thick threads and string mushrooms on them. You can string 50 or more pieces, ranging from the largest to the smallest. It is necessary to hang mushrooms in full sun. If there are several threads, it is important to maintain a distance between them and not hang them close to each other; the mushrooms should not touch.

Canning

Pickling has been used since ancient times. There are many pickling recipes, choose according to your taste. Today, mushrooms are popular in various marinades. By the way, frozen mushrooms are also pickled. Salted and pickled products are stored refrigerated. You can enjoy great taste all winter long.

If all preservation rules are followed, pickled mushrooms can be stored from a year (if the jar is sealed with a tin lid) to two years (if there is a glass lid). Choose for yourself how you will store the porcini mushrooms.

Mushrooms are an interesting natural gift. What appears before us is just the small tip of a huge iceberg. There is a theory about the intelligence of mushrooms, that they are endowed with a similarity to our sense organs, which we collect, fry, cook, salt, and dry with great pleasure.

Methods for drying mushrooms in the open air

This is a common option. No equipment is required for the preparation. Experts advise preparing forest gifts in this way for drying in equipment. The preparatory process takes up to a day. Materials are prepared in two ways:

Collect mushrooms using a strong thread, making sure that the food pieces do not touch each other. Secure the ends of the thread. Dry in a ventilated place. To prevent flies, cover with gauze. Avoid exposure to moisture and place in dry places overnight.

Place the mushrooms on paper or soft cloth; newspaper can be used. Dry in the sun for up to two days, otherwise the mushrooms will lose color and darken.

The total process time is 2–7 days. When drying, turn food at least twice a day.

Photo tips on how to store mushrooms

When does further storage become dangerous?

A number of signs indicate the hopeless deterioration of mushrooms, which are simply very difficult not to notice.

The very first and at the same time banal one is an unpleasant smell. This is already a good reason to stop consuming them. No less convincing witnesses will be dark spots, slimy shrooms and a very wrinkled surface.

The manifestation of at least one of these signs in mushrooms is a direct guide to their disposal.

Mushroom is tasty and even healthy when consumed in moderation. Can be a great addition to your dishes. But at the same time, it is demanding on storage conditions. Improper compliance with the latter is a direct path to poisoning. Remember this!