Wondering if you can freeze morel mushrooms to give them a longer shelf-life? We will answer your question in this article.
Yes, morel mushrooms can be frozen to last longer. You have more than you can eat and avoid food wasting. The methods we will show below will be perfect for you.
Morel mushrooms are one of the most famous and delicious mushrooms in the world. They are usually gathered in the wild and not farmed like the other mushrooms. The edible part of it is the fruiting.
Their fame and popularity came from the fact that they are rare, difficult to find and expensive as well. Most people like to save them to special dishes and fancy recipes.
So, if you have a few morel mushrooms at home and would like to increase their shelf-life.
We will teach you how in this article.
How to freeze morel mushrooms
Something you should know and take some care before freezing the morel mushrooms is that they cannot be frozen raw! By freezing raw morel mushrooms they will lose the taste after the defrosting process. And this flavor change will most likely be only noticed after you cooked them.
Before freezing the morel mushrooms, they need to be prepared. Below we will teach you two easy ways to prepare them that you can do before freezing them.
How to boil the morel mushrooms before freezing
Boiling the morel mushrooms before freezing is the easiest way to store them and prolong their shelf-life.
Fill a pan with water and let it boil. Then, place the morel mushrooms into the boiling water and let it for around 5 minutes.
After the 5 minutes, rinse, let the morel mushrooms dry and cool completely in room temperature, add them in freezing plastic bags or any other airtight compartment.
It is important to completely dry the mushroom. All the air must be taken out of the compartment and store it in the freezer.
With this method the morel mushrooms will last for around 9 months. Be careful where and how you put them in the freezer. That the morel mushrooms do not absorb the flavor and smell of other ingredients and foods stored there.
How to sauté the morel mushrooms before freezing
Since the majority of the recipes use the morel mushrooms in sauté method with butter, you can also use olive oil, this method can be the best choice if that is how you will use them later.
Fill a compartment with water and salt and add the morel mushrooms in it. Shake and stirrer the mushrooms every once in a while for a few minutes.
And meanwhile, melt one tablespoon of butter in pan, with the oven fire set on medium.
Remove the morel mushrooms from the salted water and add them in the pan with the melted butter. Let it cook for around 5 minutes or until the morel mushrooms have released all their liquid.
It is important to keep the fire on medium, let it sauté slowly to extract the best flavor from it.
Take the morel mushrooms from the pan, add them in freezer bags or airtight compartments. Add some of the liquid from the pan with the mushrooms and freeze it. It is important to store the morel mushrooms with the liquid. This way they will maintain the flavor for longer. The sauté frozen morel mushrooms can be kept in the freezer for around a year.
How to defrost morel mushrooms
The morel mushrooms are very delicate and should be defrosted with care. They can break if you try to use them while still frozen. You can not leave them do defrost in room temperature, or by heating them in the microwave or oven. They will lose their original flavor and texture.
Instead, one day or at least some hours before you need to use your morel mushrooms. You should leave them in the refrigerator to defrost slowly and completely. This way they will be completely defrosted by the time you need to add them to your recipe. With no risks of breaking.
Other ways to store morel mushrooms
There are other ways to store morel mushrooms. If you do not have enough space in your freezer to freeze them. But only by freezing you can increase its shelf-life for 9 months up to a year.
With the help of a food dryer or the oven. You can dry the morel mushrooms and store them in room temperature. Just make sure they are in an airtight compartment with no oxygen in touch with it.
If you want to use them, you can re-hydrate the morel mushrooms. By putting them in a bowl with water for 20 minutes.
But this method takes longer than the freezing process. If you dry your morel mushrooms in the oven it will take around 8 hours. After re-hydrating the water will take some of the flavor.
Conclusion
You can freeze morel mushrooms to increase their shelf life without losing its original and delicious taste and texture.
There are two simple methods of cooking them before freezing that can be easily done by anyone. Pay close attention on how you will use them later on your recipes. Use the one that suits better – normally, the mushrooms are added in recipes with the simple sauté with butter. So freezing them like this will save you some time.
It is not recommended to freeze the morel mushrooms raw. You can not consume them raw also, they always need to be cooked.
The morel mushrooms are popular since they are a little different from other mushrooms. Its consistence is thicker and meatier while the others are viscous and slimy.
Let us know if the methods mentioned above were useful to you and if you have any other great tips on how to freeze morel mushrooms.
