Can You Freeze Mushrooms? Most stuff can be frozen. But does that also count for mushrooms. If i were you, i would read this before trying.

Mushroom: A Variant of Fungi

Mushroom is a fleshy fungus that is widely enjoyed by people all over the world. It is a substitute for classic meats like chicken, beef, or even ham. This is mostly enjoyed by vegans and vegetarians who want to have a meaty texture in their dish but not animal flesh. Mushroom lovers may hoard mushrooms whenever they go grocery shopping. It is not necessary to always have them used right after or even a week after the purchase.

Mushrooms are one of the many fungi that humans eat. However, the edibility of a mushroom depends on how fresh it is, how its aroma is. We also need to determine whether it has any poisonous effects. If these criteria are confirmed, only then we can say that a mushroom is safe to consume.

Edible mushrooms are the ones which are used in different cuisines for the exceptional taste it has. The culinary value these mushrooms provide to a dish when added makes a difference. Mushrooms are broadly popular for their nutritional value as well. It is high in Vitamin D, certain Vitamin B, and selenium. Besides, mushrooms are low in calories as they have very low carbohydrate content and zero fat in them. Hence, mushrooms can be eaten by everyone, starting from foodies who want a meaty side dish to people who want to get a hold of their calorie intakes. 

It is suggested by studies that, mushrooms are known to help people who want to reduce risks of chronic diseases like diabetes and dementia as they are rich in vitamins and polysaccharides. 

How are they grown?

Mushrooms are cultivated commercially and sold for various purposes. They are harvested for a massive demand in six steps. Unlike most other vegetables, mushrooms don’t grow from seeds, it grows from spores. The six steps to farm mushrooms are Phase I Composting, Phase II Composting, Spawning, Casing, Pinning, and lastly-Cropping. Composting is done in two steps as it gives nutrients to the mushrooms in order to grow properly. These are maintained by mushroom farmers and also those who commercially cultivate mushrooms.

Besides the commercially cultivated mushrooms, there are some wild mushrooms that are available in different seasons. Some of these grow in the wild and are found in the market in both fresh and dried forms. 

Can you freeze mushrooms?

To store your mushroom for further uses, you can decide to freeze them. Freezing mushrooms can prolong their shelf time but we suggest you get hands-on fresh mushrooms. Freezing mushrooms can often reduce the quality and freshness of them including their texture and flavor. 

However, if you follow some techniques prior to freezing the mushrooms, they will retain the original taste, quality, and newness. 

How to freeze mushrooms?

In order to freeze mushrooms better so that they continue to be fresh after thawing, purchase fresh mushrooms. To identify the freshness of mushrooms, notice the aroma it has. A bunch of freshly rooted mushrooms will have an earthy smell; it will not have any dark spots, to begin with.

Mushrooms can be popped into the freezer after cleaning off the natural dirt. These can be frozen raw right after removing their stem by putting them in a zip lock bag. 

If you do not entertain the idea of freezing mushrooms raw, you can either go for steam blanching or sautéing the mushrooms. 

Steam blanching:

In order to steam blanch; cut mushrooms into equal chunks if they are in irregular shapes. For blanching, follow the mentioned steps.

• Add your mushrooms in four cups of water.

• Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice

• Let it steam for 5 minutes.

• Transfer it to a steam basket.

• Place it over boiling water for 4 minutes.

• Remove it and run it through cold water for 3-4 minutes.

After straining the extra heat and water, dry it and put it in an airtight container. Place it in the freezer. 

Sautéing 

Sautéing is one excellent procedure to follow in order to freeze mushrooms. In fact, it is a two in one process. How so? You are sautéing it and freezing- this saves so much time for you when you defrost them, you have them sautéed. It’ll be good to go once you heat it up. To know how to sauté, please follow the steps.

• Take a wide-open skillet, add a spoonful of butter or oil whichever you prefer.

• Turn the heat to medium-high.

• Add the mushrooms.

• Give the mushrooms a quick toss in the hot butter.

• After 5 minutes, you will notice that the mushrooms are cooked but not fragile.

• Remove the skillet from the stove. 

• Transfer the mushrooms to a paper towel.

• Store the mushrooms in an airtight container or zip lock bag after they cool down completely.

By following any of these two methods, you can freeze mushrooms really well. They can be used in cooking dishes like cream of mushrooms, casseroles, and also as toppings to filling burgers.

Defrost and use

In order to defrost the frozen mushrooms, keep them in the refrigerator transferring from the freezer. Keeping it overnight will help the mushrooms thaw. However, if you need it earlier, you can keep it on your countertop too. At room temperature, it will thaw faster than ever.

Finally, transfer it to a microwaveable dish and heat it up. You can add the thawed mushroom to dishes that you’ll be cooking but if you want to have it directly, you can do that too. 

Bottom line

Mushrooms are one unique thing that is enjoyed by vegetarians and non-vegetarians. It complements a lot of dishes so well and in fact, increases the flavor of the dish as a whole. But just like any other ingredients on your pantry, mushrooms can also go bad or stale. In order to prevent that and also preserve mushrooms for later uses, you can surely freeze them properly. We hope our article helped you freeze your unused mushrooms.