Methods for storing oyster mushrooms at home

No one will dispute the benefits and nutrition of oyster mushrooms for the human body. These fungi contain a large amount of amino acids, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins B, C, E. They can remove heavy metal salts from the intestines, as well as radionuclides.

Oyster mushrooms are considered one of the most popular mushrooms. A variety of healthy dishes are prepared from them. Our grandmothers also successfully used the processes that made delicious mushroom preparations. If we talk about oyster mushrooms, then they were dried, cooked, stewed, fried, fermented and pickled for the winter. Today, similar procedures are also widely used among most Russian families. In addition, recently a popular option for mushroom preparations has become freezing. And the age of high technology allows you to harvest mushrooms for the future, while preserving their freshness and aroma.

Oyster mushrooms can not only be collected in the forest, but also simply bought at a store at an affordable price. In addition, these fruiting bodies are considered not only a delicious product, but also a dietary one. It must be admitted that the taste of oyster mushrooms differs from other mushrooms and is very similar to the taste of chicken meat.

Rules for storing oyster mushrooms at home

To preserve all the nutrients and vitamins, you need to know how to store oyster mushrooms at home. However, before this, several simple rules should be remembered.

If mushrooms are collected in the forest - do not worry, oyster mushrooms do not have poisonous doubles. If mushrooms are bought, then pay attention to the legs and hats. They should not have yellow spots, rot and dry parts. Oyster mushrooms should have the smell of fresh mushrooms, without mustiness. How to store oyster mushrooms at room temperature and how long is allowed for this process? Note that fresh mushrooms can be stored in the room for no more than 24 hours. After this time, it is better to process them immediately and do the cooking.

There are several ways to store oyster mushrooms for the winter. Your choice will depend on how in the future you are going to use the prepared workpiece. Let's look at how to store oyster mushrooms for the winter, then to enjoy their aroma and taste, as well as to surprise our guests with mushroom dishes.

Oyster mushroom storage conditions: how to store fresh mushrooms in the refrigerator

It is worth saying that the storage conditions of oyster mushrooms largely depend on how correctly you handled the preliminary cleaning. Although experienced mushroom pickers know how to clean oyster mushrooms and prepare them for further processes, most still make mistakes. One of them is that after soaking the mushrooms become watery and lose their beneficial properties. Therefore, if you want to increase the shelf life of oyster mushrooms at home - do not soak the mushrooms, but simply rinse under running water.

If you plan to leave the fruiting bodies intact, then it will be interesting for you to learn how to store oyster mushrooms in the refrigerator. To do this, fresh mushrooms are wrapped in paper or laid out in plastic food containers. It is necessary to strictly monitor the sealing of the package and increase the humidity in the refrigerator. Put a damp paper towel on the shelves, and put your packaging with mushrooms on top. As you know, you can store fresh oyster mushrooms in the refrigerator for no more than 5 days. At a temperature of + 2 ° C, the shelf life is only 4 days. Oyster mushroom, packed in parchment paper or plastic containers, is stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks at a temperature of - 2 ° C.

Storage of oyster mushrooms at home involves the following methods: storage fresh, boiled, fried, pickled, dried and salty. The main thing is to comply with the technical conditions for the storage of mushrooms. It is only necessary to correctly select the fruiting bodies, carry out a preliminary cleaning and then begin the harvesting process itself.

For example, pickling is considered the most popular method of harvesting. For this process, use vinegar, salt, sugar and a set of spices to your liking. Storage of pickled oyster mushrooms in the refrigerator or basement lasts from 3 to 10 months.

How to store boiled oyster mushrooms in the freezer

Although mushrooms are a perishable product, in frozen form they perfectly retain all their taste. How to store oyster mushrooms in the freezer in a fresh and boiled state? Fresh mushrooms are stored in the freezer for up to 5 months.

And if we talk about boiled oyster mushrooms - how to store them in the freezer and what temperature should be set? If the mushrooms are boiled in salted water for about 15 minutes, the shelf life is increased to 6-7 months. It is better to cut oyster mushrooms, then boil, drain the water well and squeeze even a little. This will help to avoid pieces of ice in the mushrooms and not spoil the dish, which you then cook them.

Storage of fresh oyster mushrooms in the freezer

To increase the shelf life of fresh oyster mushrooms in the freezer, it is better not to wash the mushrooms before freezing, so that they do not accumulate water. It is better to dry clean the fungi and cut off the legs.

It's important to know: no matter how you freeze oyster mushrooms, they should be clean, fresh and not deformed. After all, the appearance after defrosting the product will depend on this. I must say that in this case young specimens are considered ideal mushrooms for storage.

Mushrooms should be cleaned by dry cleaning, without using water - wipe with a dry cloth and cut off most of the legs, since it is not eaten. Spread a thin layer on the spacing, and then put in the freezer for several hours. Next, put the frozen mushrooms in containers or plastic bags, and then put them back in the freezer.

It is necessary to calculate the amount of oyster mushroom in the container so that it is enough to prepare one dish or several servings. It is best to store up to 1 kg of mushrooms in one bag or container. The temperature in the freezer should be at least 18 ° C, then your frozen mushrooms can last 10-12 months. However, it is important to remember that oyster mushrooms do not tolerate repeated freezing, so never put them back in the freezer after thawing.

Freezing for winter storage of fried oyster mushrooms

Fried oyster mushrooms are also suitable for winter storage. The method of freezing them is very simple, only before this process, the mushrooms must first be fried.

For this, vegetable oil is heated in a pan and cut mushrooms are cut into pieces. Fry until all the liquid has evaporated in them for 20-25 minutes. It is better not to add any spices and salt, do this when cooking. Then, after complete cooling, the oyster mushrooms are laid out portionwise in packets and frozen. Such a blank is stored in the freezer for up to 3-4 months at a constant temperature.

It is worth noting that sometimes you can use a frying cabinet instead of a frying pan.At the same time, the mushrooms retain their sweet taste and aroma. To do this, bake mushrooms in the oven for 15-20 minutes on a baking sheet, allow to cool and also arrange them in plastic containers or plastic bags. Then, after thawing, this preform can be added to fried potatoes or to salads.

Mushrooms can be stewed in sour cream and then stored in the refrigerator. But here the shelf life is only 7 days. Such a blank is not suitable for freezing in the freezer: all the liquid turns into ice.

How else to store oyster mushrooms for the winter?

How else to store oyster mushrooms at home? You can salt, pickle and ferment oyster mushrooms for the winter. These methods allow storage of blanks in the refrigerator for several months. Ingredients such as salt and vinegar increase storage times by several times.

Another way to save oyster mushrooms for the winter is to dry it. Dry mushrooms are cleaned with fresh mushrooms and stringed onto a wire or a thick thread one at a time. Then they are hung in a dry, warm place for 10-12 hours. If you see that the mushrooms break well, then the drying process can be considered completed. Such fruiting bodies should be stored in glass jars or paper bags.