Chanterelle mushrooms are a popular choice among chefs and home cooks alike, thanks to their distinctive flavour and texture. However, their seasonal nature makes it tricky to enjoy them all year round. One simple way to preserve chanterelles is by freezing them. This guide will provide you with a straightforward approach to freezing chanterelle mushrooms, ensuring they retain their delicious taste and texture for future culinary adventures.
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Importance of Freezing
Freezing is a great way to keep the flavour and texture of chanterelle mushrooms just as they are. Freezing is different from drying or canning because it keeps the mushrooms’ natural moisture content, which is important for their taste and texture. If you learn the right techniques, you can enjoy the full, earthy taste of chanterelles long after they’re in season.
How to Freeze Chanterelle Mushrooms Guide
Step-by-Step Guide to for Optimal Results
If you want to freeze chanterelle mushrooms, there are a few key steps you need to take to make sure they stay fresh. The next few sections will walk you through the whole process, from start to finish, and how to store them long-term.
Preparing Chanterelle Mushrooms for Freezing
It’s important to clean chanterelle mushrooms properly before freezing. Chanterelles can often have dirt and debris trapped in their gills.
For more details on this topic, check out my guide on cleaning chanterelle mushrooms.
In a nutshell, just give them a gentle brush with a soft cloth to remove any dirt. If you need to, give them a quick rinse under cold water, but don’t soak them before freezing them as they can absorb water.
Blanching vs. Non-Blanching Methods
Blanching Pros and Cons
Blanching is a technique that involves briefly boiling mushrooms before freezing.
- The process is quicker and more convenient. You don’t need to flash freeze mushrooms, which is especially handy if you have a lot of mushrooms to process.
- It’s less likely to get freezer burn.
- Blanching inactivates enzymes that can cause loss of flavour, colour, and texture over time.
Here’s how to blanch chanterelle mushrooms:
- Bring a pot of water to a boil.
- Get an ice bath ready (a bowl of ice water).
- Add the chanterelles to the boiling water and blanch for 1-2 minutes.
- Immediately transfer the mushrooms to the ice bath to stop the cooking process.
- Drain and pat them dry with a clean towel.
Freezing Chanterelle Without Blanching
Non-Blanching Pros and Cons
If you’d rather not blanch the mushrooms, you can just freeze them fresh and cleaned. This is a slower method and it keeps the mushrooms in their raw state. I prefer this method myself.
- Mushrooms that aren’t blanched before freezing usually have a shorter shelf life than those that are blanched. The enzymes that cause spoilage aren’t inactivated, which can lead to a decline in quality over time.
- Raw frozen mushrooms retain their moisture, potentially resulting in a juicier texture when cooked.
- Freezing mushrooms fresh keeps all that lovely natural, earthy flavour of the chanterelles.
Here is how to freeze fresh chanterelle mushrooms
- Just lay the cleaned chanterelle mushrooms on a baking sheet, in one layer. Make sure they’re not touching so they don’t stick together.
- Place the baking sheet with the mushrooms into the freezer. Leave them in the freezer for a few hours until they’re completely frozen.
- Once the mushrooms are frozen solid, remove the baking sheet from the freezer.
- Transfer the frozen mushrooms into airtight storage containers or heavy-duty freezer bags.
- Label the containers with the date for future reference.
- Make sure the containers or bags are sealed tightly to prevent freezer burn. You can store the mushrooms in the freezer for up to 12 months.
Packaging for Freezing – Avoiding Freezer Burn
To keep your mushrooms fresh, make sure they’re completely dry before you put them in the freezer and that the containers are airtight. Make sure you label the containers with the date of freezing so you can keep track of how long they’ve been stored.
- Use airtight containers or heavy-duty freezer bags. It’s important to get as much air out as you can to stop ice crystals forming.
- If you have a vacuum sealer, you can use that to great effect when freezing chanterelles. Removing the air helps to keep the mushrooms in top condition and extends their shelf life.
How to Freeze Chanterelle Mushrooms FAQs
How long can you freeze chanterelle mushrooms?
You can freeze chanterelle mushrooms for up to 12 months if you package them right and store them at a consistent freezing temperature.
Do you need to cook chanterelle mushrooms before freezing?
You don’t have to cook chanterelle mushrooms before freezing them. You can freeze them raw in their natural state without losing quality.
What is the best way to thaw frozen chanterelle mushrooms?
You don’t have to defrost frozen chanterelles. Just use them as they are in the recipe, as if they were fresh. You might just need to cook them for a few minutes longer until the excess liquid has evaporated.
How do you prevent freezer burn on chanterelle mushrooms?
To keep your mushrooms fresh and prevent freezer burn, make sure they’re dry before you put them in the freezer. Use airtight containers or vacuum sealing to remove air.
Can you use frozen chanterelle mushrooms in all recipes?
Frozen chanterelle mushrooms are a great addition to most recipes, especially those that involve cooking, such as soups, stews and sautés.
Cooking With Frozen Chanterelle Mushrooms
Cooking Tips and Recipe Ideas
Frozen chanterelle mushrooms are great for using in lots of different dishes. They’re great in soups, stews and sautés.
Below is a list of recipes you can make with frozen chanterelles. Don’t thaw the mushrooms, just use them as you would fresh mushrooms.
Interesting links:
https://www.mushroom-appreciation.com/chanterelle-mushrooms.html
https://www.123pilzsuche.de/daten/details/Pfiffi.htm
https://outdooradventures.wp.tulane.edu/2020/08/12/confidently-foraging-chanterelles/
https://www.wildfoods.ca/blogs/main/learn-about-chanterelle-mushrooms
Turbo Tasty’s Collection of Wild Mushroom Recipes
Among the many wild mushroom recipes on my blog, canned wild mushrooms (pickled chanterelle recipe), chanterelle & sparassis crispa soup, sparassis crispa recipes stand out from the crowd. If you are interested, please check them out.
