It's getting to be seafood boiling season and that means getting ready with your ingredients. With the stores starting to have mushrooms on sale (that is a necessity for your boil), can I freeze mushrooms? How long can they be frozen for?
By ann from Poplarville, MS
For what you're going to use them for, yes, you can. Here are two choices:
Freezing Raw (Freeze whole, for use within 3 months) :
Choose very fresh mushrooms; wipe with a clean cloth to remove dirt. Place each a little apart on a baking tray and open-freeze as quickly as possible. When mushrooms are frozen, pack into containers, fit on a lid and replace in freezer. Use within 3 months. Use straight from the freezer for pies, casseroles or stews or thaw for about 1 hour and use as required.
Freezing, Par-boiled:
Wash raw mushrooms. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt to 1 quart rapidly boiling water. To keep mushrooms white, add 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice to water. Add mushrooms. Let water come to a boil again. Boil mushrooms 3 minutes. Rinse with cold water. Drain thoroughly. Seal in plastic bags. Freeze. Will keep about one year.
For what we use them for, I clean them and fry them in a little bit of olive oil and butter, along with onions and/or garlic, cool, and freeze in a freezer-baggie.
It's much better to dehydrate mushrooms for storage. I think it improves the flavor of them for many dishes. You can rehydrate them by saoking in warm water for about 15 minutes, or just adding to your dish with a bit extra liquid.
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Wipe and slice mushroom. Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice to 2 cups of cold water. Add mushrooms, and let stand for 5 minutes. Discard water and saute' in oil or butter, or steam in a veggie steamer. Cool and freeze. The color doesn't change.
A Guide to Freezing Mushrooms. Choose mushrooms that are free from spots and decay. It's best to purchase commercially grown mushrooms.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
Can you freeze fresh mushrooms?
By Ken M
I do it all the time. Do not wash them until you thaw them. They will be soft but for cooking they are great. If you wash them first they will stick together.
Yes, you can. Slice them to your own preference, put them into heavy duty freezer bags, do not stuff the bags, press out as much air as possible and freeze them laying flat. Whenever you want some give the bag a light hit and take out what you want and put the rest back into the freezer, remembering to remove as much air as possible again.
You can also water blanch them whole for 4 to 6 minutes depending on their size. Be sure to give them an immediate ice water bath after the blanching to stop the cooking process.
I bought a gallon can of mushrooms like you use on pizza. As I started to open them, I thought, can I freeze the rest of these? Can anybody tell me if I can and how?
I also buy mushrooms by the gallon and freeze them, but I had trouble with freezer burn. So I now freeze them in half pint jelly jars. I fill the jars about 3/4 full (leaving room for expansion as they freeze. Pour enough liquid over them to cover. Pop them in the freezer. When I need mushrooms, I thaw them in the jar, either by setting it in hot water, or removing the lid and warming them in the microwave.
Can you freeze mushrooms?
By Donna
I freeze mushrooms. slice them lay flat on a plate put a plastic sheet over then another layer of plastic and so on till you have used them all put in freezer. When frozen put in bags to seal by doing this they will not be stuck together.
Can you freeze fresh mushrooms and cooked ones?
By Anna w.
I wash, slice, and add a little oil and vinegar to retain the color and saute for few minutes cool and store in an airtight container and freeze.
Can fresh, store bought mushrooms be blanched and frozen?
By Vanessa
I have 2 packages of white mushrooms and I would like to know how to freeze them.
