Storing/Freezing sliced mushrooms ?

[gaddy]

Wife brought home a box of sliced mushrooms and I need some advise on how to preserve them. Any suggestions ? Freeze them ? Really don't want to dehydrate but will if necessary. Vacuum pack and freeze, blanch first ?

[greenhead_killer]

walk over, open your garbage, insert into garbage, walk away. great way to preserve mushrooms!

on a serious note, i have no idea. id think vacuum seal and freeze would be fine though

[vandeman17]

walk over, open your garbage, insert into garbage, walk away. great way to preserve mushrooms!

on a serious note, i have no idea. id think vacuum seal and freeze would be fine though

make sure to keep the box though, might come in handy 

[gaddy]

I went with laying them out on parchment paper, 6 cookie sheets worth, going to freeze for a bit and then package. Why she brought home a big box, I have no idea, but they are fresh. She took a bunch to work and I am looking to see if the neighbors need any. Going to be a big saute of mushrooms on the leftover steak tacos for dinner tonight. I hope she picks up some avacados 

[vandeman17]

I went with laying them out on parchment paper, 6 cookie sheets worth, going to freeze for a bit and then package. Why she brought home a big box, I have no idea, but they are fresh. She took a bunch to work and I am looking to see if the neighbors need any. Going to be a big saute of mushrooms on the leftover steak tacos for dinner tonight. I hope she picks up some avacados 

I have heard of people sealing and freezing mushrooms with good success

[gaddy]

I looked on line and as always, got confused with all the opinions. Figured it was safer here. Then I asked the neighbor lady while waiting for a reply and Boom - An easy option.

[runamuk]

Canning is a great way to do mushrooms.  Or dehydrating is also excellent.

[Alchase]

I have not done sines I was a kid, we would pick a ton of shantrels, dry them out, then put them in 1 gallon ziplock bags in the freezer.

[fowl smacker]

Blanch then can!

[scotsman]

We cook them first in olive oil and butter. Then when still hot ladle into muffin pan - a good spoonful per muffin dent. Put in freezer then when set put in ziploc bags. When you make a recipe requiring mushrooms just graba couple a pucks of precooked shrooms and away ya go. Easy and fast.

[pianoman9701]

We cook them first in olive oil and butter. Then when still hot ladle into muffin pan - a good spoonful per muffin dent. Put in freezer then when set put in ziploc bags. When you make a recipe requiring mushrooms just graba couple a pucks of precooked shrooms and away ya go. Easy and fast.

Beat me to it. Mushrooms are mostly water cells, like up to 80% depending on the variety. When you freeze them uncooked, the cells burst and the mushroom becomes sponge-like upon thawing. When you cook them first and portion them out, as directed above, the cell damage is accomplished during cooking. Add some garlic, either fresh or powder, during cooking and finish with dry sherry, cooking it off almost completely before removing from the stove.

Having said all of this, if these are white button mushrooms, don't waste your time. Button mushrooms are grown in a number of possibly harmful mediums and many in the wild mushroom business think they're carcinogenic. Morels are still popping right now in the burn areas at altitude. Chanterelle and lobster season are about 4 weeks away. Then chicken, fried chicken, matsutake, hawkwings, white chants, blue chants, cauliflower - you'll have plenty of choices for preserving and they're all not only good for you but great tasting.

[shipwreck]

I have had really good results from dehydrating them using baby portabellas  from WINCO.

[W_Ellison2011]

We cook them first in olive oil and butter. Then when still hot ladle into muffin pan - a good spoonful per muffin dent. Put in freezer then when set put in ziploc bags. When you make a recipe requiring mushrooms just graba couple a pucks of precooked shrooms and away ya go. Easy and fast.

Beat me to it. Mushrooms are mostly water cells, like up to 80% depending on the variety. When you freeze them uncooked, the cells burst and the mushroom becomes sponge-like upon thawing. When you cook them first and portion them out, as directed above, the cell damage is accomplished during cooking. Add some garlic, either fresh or powder, during cooking and finish with dry sherry, cooking it off almost completely before removing from the stove.

Having said all of this, if these are white button mushrooms, don't waste your time. Button mushrooms are grown in a number of possibly harmful mediums and many in the wild mushroom business think they're carcinogenic. Morels are still popping right now in the burn areas at altitude. Chanterelle and lobster season are about 4 weeks away. Then chicken, fried chicken, matsutake, hawkwings, white chants, blue chants, cauliflower - you'll have plenty of choices for preserving and they're all not only good for you but great tasting.

I don't know if Vacuum sealing makes this different... but we have washed then let sit until dry chanterelle mushrooms and then vacuum bagged and into the freezer. They come out looking just as good as they went in and fry up the same. 

[pianoman9701]

Chanterelles freeze OK. I have a few chefs who buy them when they're out of season. But they usually cook them right from frozen. I sell a lot of frozen porcini, too.

[W_Ellison2011]

We only do Chanterelles that we pick. I don't like doing store bought for those. Shaggy manes we definitely cook ASAP! Those are the only 2 mushrooms we pick. I'm starting to get more into finding edibles plants and fungi in the woods. Knowing which ones I can freeze for later would be awesome for if I want to make soups, sautee, or throw on a pizza at a later time.

[pianoman9701]

There are so many easily identifiable edible mushrooms that grow in the PNW, especially in the Fall. Chants, white chants, morels, verpas, porcini, puff balls, chicken of the woods, fried chicken, hawkwing, matsutake, lobster, yellowfoot, hedgehog, coral, cauliflower, black trumpet, fairy ring. Get a book. These are all delicious when at their peak.

[W_Ellison2011]

There are so many easily identifiable edible mushrooms that grow in the PNW, especially in the Fall. Chants, white chants, morels, verpas, porcini, puff balls, chicken of the woods, fried chicken, hawkwing, matsutake, lobster, yellowfoot, hedgehog, coral, cauliflower, black trumpet, fairy ring. Get a book. These are all delicious when at their peak.

I'm learning about all of this as an adult. My father only ever picked the golden/orange chanterelles or the shaggy manes and always said that other fungi were too hard to identify. Now that I'm older and have eaten morels, porcini, matsutake, etc. I am REALLY trying to get more into it. I even went on amazon and bought 2 books and a pamphlet with the edible and inedible/toxic or unpleasant to eat fungus and other plants. I really am trying to get into sourcing more of the items that are eaten in my house from out in the wild instead of from the store.

[fishsticks]

We've sautéed in butter until all liquid is reabsorbed, bag, vacuum seal and freeze.  This has worked for chanterelles and chicken of the woods.  Dehydrating also works.  I wouldn't freeze uncooked mushrooms as I suspect they wouldn't retain flavor and texture like they do after being cooked.   

[pianoman9701]

There are so many easily identifiable edible mushrooms that grow in the PNW, especially in the Fall. Chants, white chants, morels, verpas, porcini, puff balls, chicken of the woods, fried chicken, hawkwing, matsutake, lobster, yellowfoot, hedgehog, coral, cauliflower, black trumpet, fairy ring. Get a book. These are all delicious when at their peak.

I'm learning about all of this as an adult. My father only ever picked the golden/orange chanterelles or the shaggy manes and always said that other fungi were too hard to identify. Now that I'm older and have eaten morels, porcini, matsutake, etc. I am REALLY trying to get more into it. I even went on amazon and bought 2 books and a pamphlet with the edible and inedible/toxic or unpleasant to eat fungus and other plants. I really am trying to get into sourcing more of the items that are eaten in my house from out in the wild instead of from the store.

I started picking around 1992 with a friend who was a matsutake hound. I was 35. In 2002, I met a Native man named Running Squirrel through a job I had for two years. We went foraging fairly frequently, as he was a supplier for my workplace in the beginning of our friendship. I learned about many edible greens, roots, flowers, and shrooms from him over the course of about 10 years. He passed away about 6 years ago. He was a huge loss to the foraging world and had been written up in the NYT, LA Times, Chicago Sun Times for the ingredients he foraged for some of the world's top restaurants. I was fortunate to have known him and been able to call him my friend.

[Angry Perch]

I've been getting into it a little more each year. I think it makes hunting even more enjoyable. I believe it was grouse opener in 2013, I found myself absolutely surrounded by boletes. 15 minutes into the season my shotgun was back in the truck, and I was filling bags with mushrooms. We spent the rest of the weekend cleaning, slicing and sun drying, then finished them all off at home in the dehydrator. I vacuum packed in manageable portions, and put them in the freezer. When I opened a pack, I'd grind what I needed in the spice grinder, and put the rest in a canning jar in the cupboard. The smell was absolutely intoxicating! Every steak, roast and chop we ate for the next couple years was coated in ground boletes. Did I miss shooting any grouse that day? Heck no!

[pianoman9701]

I've been getting into it a little more each year. I think it makes hunting even more enjoyable. I believe it was grouse opener in 2013, I found myself absolutely surrounded by boletes. 15 minutes into the season my shotgun was back in the truck, and I was filling bags with mushrooms. We spent the rest of the weekend cleaning, slicing and sun drying, then finished them all off at home in the dehydrator. I vacuum packed in manageable portions, and put them in the freezer. When I opened a pack, I'd grind what I needed in the spice grinder, and put the rest in a canning jar in the cupboard. The smell was absolutely intoxicating! Every steak, roast and chop we ate for the next couple years was coated in ground boletes. Did I miss shooting any grouse that day? Heck no!

I missed a big cow one morning in Early September because I stepped into the dark forest and noticed a cluster of fried chicken mushrooms at me feet. As I stooped to harvest the mushrooms. I looked up to see an old, large cow staring me right in the face. As soon as we made eye contact, she was a ghost. We had mushrooms in camp that night. They would've been better with some heart. Another time, a black bear and I were picking hucks from the same bush, unaware that we were on opposite sides from each other. Needless to say, when we did notices, it was buttholes and elbows getting some distance between us! Foraging can be dangerous!! 

[Angry Perch]

I've been getting into it a little more each year. I think it makes hunting even more enjoyable. I believe it was grouse opener in 2013, I found myself absolutely surrounded by boletes. 15 minutes into the season my shotgun was back in the truck, and I was filling bags with mushrooms. We spent the rest of the weekend cleaning, slicing and sun drying, then finished them all off at home in the dehydrator. I vacuum packed in manageable portions, and put them in the freezer. When I opened a pack, I'd grind what I needed in the spice grinder, and put the rest in a canning jar in the cupboard. The smell was absolutely intoxicating! Every steak, roast and chop we ate for the next couple years was coated in ground boletes. Did I miss shooting any grouse that day? Heck no!

I missed a big cow one morning in Early September because I stepped into the dark forest and noticed a cluster of fried chicken mushrooms at me feet. As I stooped to harvest the mushrooms. I looked up to see an old, large cow staring me right in the face. As soon as we made eye contact, she was a ghost. We had mushrooms in camp that night. They would've been better with some heart. Another time, a black bear and I were picking hucks from the same bush, unaware that we were on opposite sides from each other. Needless to say, when we did notices, it was buttholes and elbows getting some distance between us! Foraging can be dangerous!! 

So the moral of the story is, if you're hunting animals, don't forget to look down. And if you're hunting mushrooms, don't forget to look up!

[pianoman9701]

  I guess so. Or hunt when you're hunting and come back and pick later.

[W_Ellison2011]

My father and I have been picking chanterelles and looked up to find blacktails staring at us.. they were gone before we could get back to our bows lol! Its kind of like when nature calls in the woods. Always be prepared!