Here's how to do it right

Why should mushrooms be preserved by freezing them?

You don't always have an appetite for mushrooms - and certainly not for large quantities if that Search success was huge again, especially with mushrooms or chanterelles. With a good yield, of course, not all mushrooms can be processed fresh, which is why the question of how to preserve them arises. Who now has a freezer (no freezer! This is not suitable for this purpose!), Can pursue his passion for mushroom picking all year round and always freeze fresh mushrooms in advance. Compared to other methods of preservation, deep-freezing is the fastest and gentlest option. Not only do the nutrients stay better, the mushrooms stay too fresher longer and cannot spoil as quickly due to any mistakes (for example due to a leaky lid when boiling).

Which mushrooms are suitable for freezing - and which are not?

Meadow mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, porcini mushrooms and chanterelles are particularly good for freezing. But many other forest and meadow mushrooms can also be preserved in this way, with the exception of the giant bovist, which becomes bitter (Langermannia gigantea, between August and October on fertilized meadows and pastures), the ice mushroom (Pseudohydnum gelatinosum, too "Zitterzahn") and the reddish gelatinous funnel (Tremiscus helvelloides, between July and October on calcareous, shady areas Forest floors). These three exceptions should generally not be preserved or even kept longer, but freshly prepared and consumed.

Blanch the chanterelles before freezing

Basically, you should freeze the mushrooms as fresh and raw as possible. Blanching beforehand is only useful for a few species in order to remove the bitter substances. Chanterelles, curled hen and the Echte Reizker (also "Edel-Reizker", Lactarius deliciosus) should be in. After cleaning and cutting for about one minute tossed in boiling salt water (the mushrooms are best held in a metal sieve in the boiling water) and then immediately quenched in ice water will. To do this, simply add a few ice cubes to a bowl of cold tap water and hold the sieve with the cooked mushrooms in there for a moment. Now dry the mushrooms well with a clean kitchen towel and freeze them immediately.

Preparation: clean and cut the mushrooms

Before freezing the freshly collected (or purchased) mushrooms, however, you must first clean them thoroughly and then cut them into bite-sized pieces. In particular, forest and meadow mushrooms need a lot of attention because, in contrast to the already pre-cleaned supermarket mushrooms, they are often soiled or dirty. even eaten by maggots and / or snails.

Pre-cleaning in the forest

So that you have less cleaning work to do at home, pre-clean the mushrooms you find in the forest. Cut larger specimens in half lengthways to check for a possible maggot infestation. Cut away eating spots and damaged areas on the spot and carefully brush away the coarsest dirt.

With a few exceptions, do not wash mushrooms!

In general, almost all mushrooms are cleaned by thorough brushing with a soft mushroom or vegetable brush. You can also remove stubborn dirt with a toothbrush or a toothbrush. tackle a clean kitchen towel. On the other hand, you should not wash or wash most types of mushrooms. only if they are really very dirty - or if you have collected so many mushrooms that cleaning with the brush would take too much time. Species like that Frizzy mother hen (Sparassis crispa) and other mushrooms grow around blades of grass, needles and grains of sand, which is why you must wash them under running water. Afterwards, however, it is important to dry them off just as carefully.

Cut mushrooms properly

If you want to freeze mushrooms, you have to cut them during preparation. Since frozen mushrooms should not be thawed but prepared immediately, cut them before you Freeze into bite-sized pieces or slices - depending on the type and how you use it want. Smaller fruit bodies (as is often the case with chanterelles) do not need to be cut at all, but can remain whole.

Pack and freeze mushrooms

Now fill the prepared mushrooms in small quantities into suitable containers - for example, good sealable plastic cans or freezer bags - and freeze them at at least minus 18 ° C Freezer on. If your device has a shock freezing function, use this. You can also freeze mushroom dishes that have already been prepared, but you should freeze them immediately after Preparation in an ice water bath (without direct contact with the water!), Cool down quickly and immediately freeze.