Autumn is the time to collect and dry mushrooms. This is not only a great outdoor activity, but also relaxation. In the midst of the mushroom season, you can collect a huge basket of mushrooms. An excellent solution for storing them are blanks in cans. But sometimes, in winter, you want to taste a fragrant mushroom soup, which will remind you of the time spent in the forest. Pickles are not suitable for this. It is necessary to dry the mushrooms, but you should know the correct technology for this process.

Experienced housewives always preserve food rather than throwing them away. If fresh mushrooms remain after cooking, then they can be dried in slices or whole. Dried blanks can be used to prepare various dishes.

Knowing the correct drying will allow you to understand how to properly dry mushrooms at home. Taking into account the characteristics of a particular type and methods of preparation, you can calculate the time which needs to be spent on this process.

What types can be dried at home:

• Tubular - this is the best type for drying (boletus, porcini mushrooms and others). After processing, all edible varieties will remain aromatic and tasty. Under the caps, they have a spongy layer of small tubes.
• Marsupials (white truffles, morels). They have an unexpressed shape and spores that are located in the bags. White truffle is a very expensive delicacy and is rarely used for drying. Morels are dried in the open air for a couple of months. During this time, toxic substances will evaporate. Eating earlier than this can harm your health.
• Lamellar (mushrooms, cherry mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, honey agarics and others). They have plates under the head, which are located in the radial direction. It is not recommended for drying to choose volushki, milk mushrooms or russula, as they contain a lot of bitterness in the milky juice.
• Chanterelles (often confused with lamellar). They are characterized by the presence of folds of pulp, similar to the plates. The dried product has a bitter taste.
• Polypores - differ in branching (rams and other varieties).

In addition to proper drying, you also need to select raw materials for the workpiece. It is important not to skip the period when the dried mushrooms are ready. Unfinished product spoils very quickly, and overdried product does not lend itself to culinary processing. During drying, mushrooms lose 90% of their weight, so about 100 g of a finished product comes out of a kilogram of raw materials.

An important step is preparation for this procedure. Mushrooms need to be carefully sorted out, cleaned. You should choose strong specimens without damage. Next, you need to clean them from dirt, wipe with a sponge, but do not wash with water, so that the raw material does not lose its aroma and taste. Then sort everything by size, cut off the lower part of the leg, separate the caps and cut into slices (1-1.5 cm) or pieces.

• In the sun. For outdoor drying, choose sunny hot days. Raw materials are laid out on a tray, covered with gauze to avoid flies and dust. When the weather changes, the tray must be brought into the room. This method is suitable for drying whole specimens and will allow them to dry before cooking in the oven. The process lasts from 2 days to a week. To prevent mushrooms from losing their natural color, they are removed from the sun after 48 hours.
• In the oven. To dry the porcini mushrooms in the oven, you need to sort them out, clean them of dirt, cut off the lower part of the leg and cap, and wipe them with a sponge. Then cut into thin slices. Drying in the oven is most convenient on a wire rack installed on top of the baking sheet. The oven door is opened to allow moisture to evaporate faster. The temperature should be 40-60 degrees. Drying time up to 48 hours. To check the readiness, a piece of mushroom is bent. It should bend slightly and break easily.
• In an electric dryer. With such a device, you can easily dry porcini mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, champignons for the winter. For uniform drying, it is necessary to decompose the prepared raw materials on special grids of the device. First, dry at 40-50 degrees, then raise the temperature to 80 degrees. Drying takes 4-6 hours depending on the type of raw material.
• In the microwave. If there is no electric dryer, and there is no way to decompose the raw materials in the air, then you can use a microwave. Drying mushrooms in this way has its own characteristics. First, you need to cut the mushrooms into 5 mm slices, put them on a plate, turn on the timer for twenty minutes. Then open the door for ten minutes to allow excess moisture to evaporate. Then the session is repeated 4-5 times.
• On a thread or line. This method is an old method of harvesting mushrooms for the winter. Whole or chopped mushrooms are used. The prepared raw material is strung on a needle with a canvas or nylon thread. Drying can be done in any ventilated area protected from dust and rain. Cover insects with gauze.
• In the oven. When drying porcini mushrooms in a Russian oven, scorching should be avoided. To prevent this from happening, and also so that the raw materials do not get dirty and get rid of the unpleasant aftertaste, it is necessary, after heating the stove, to clean it of ash and coals with a wet broom. After a while, cover it under a thin layer of rye straw, put mushrooms on it with their caps down.
• Iron baking sheets are also used for drying. They also need to be covered with a layer of straw, and on top of it the mushrooms should be laid with their caps down so that they do not touch each other. Dry at 40-60 degrees.

To dry the raw material in a Russian oven, it must be cut along the leg, and the hat must be cut in half..

There is another way to dry in the oven. You can string the mushrooms through the middle of the cap on thin wire knitting needles. They need to be stuck into wooden planks, which are placed in the oven with an edge (in the form of a gable roof). This is how the mushrooms dry without touching the hearth. The heat engulfs the raw material on the needles evenly from all sides. On the first day, the raw material is only wilted, and on the second day it is dried.

Champignons are the most popular type of mushrooms, which are sold all year round, fresh and frozen, and therefore they are rarely dried.

The cleaned raw materials must be sorted by size, cut into pieces. Next, string it on a thread so that the pieces do not touch. These beads must be hung indoors. Dry for a couple of days until tender.

Before drying the oil, it is imperative to remove the skin, it is not eaten. You can dry oil by any method..

It must be remembered that mushrooms very easily absorb extraneous odors, so you should not store them with odorous substances. Following the instructions, you can easily dry the mushrooms and enjoy their wonderful taste and aroma in the winter season.

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Is a tasty and healthy product used for the preparation of various dishes. In order to eat oyster mushrooms at any time of the year, they can be canned, frozen or dried. It is the drying of mushrooms, unlike other methods, that preserves all the nutrients, vitamins and trace elements in oyster mushrooms.

Do oyster mushrooms dry?

A lot of information can be found on the Internet about how to dry champignons and other mushrooms, but they rarely write about how to dry oyster mushrooms. Therefore, sometimes people have a question, is it possible to dry them at all. And the answer to this question is yes. Oyster mushrooms contain little water, so it is easy to dry them, and they will be stored for a very long time. Dried mushrooms will take up little space, but the choice of where to use them is huge.

In addition, when drying oyster mushrooms, nutrients and vitamins are not lost. If, of course, you know certain rules.

Preparation

In order for the mushrooms to dry well, but at the same time remain tasty and healthy, first you need to properly prepare them.

Before drying, the mushrooms are not washed, but only remove dirt and dark spots with a sharp knife. Then, wipe each mushroom with a clean, dry cloth to remove any remaining dust and dirt.

The legs of the mushrooms should also be separated from the caps with a knife.

Drying methods

Mushrooms can be dried either in the fresh air or using a special device - an electric dryer.

Outdoors

This method is good in that it absolutely does not need any additional devices and is easy to use at home.

However, this drying method has a drawback: mushrooms can only be dried in dry, hot and sunny weather.

Drying is performed according to the following algorithm:

1. Spread the prepared oyster mushrooms in one layer on paper, and place in the sun for three hours. The place where the mushrooms lie should not only be hot, but also well ventilated.
2. During this time, the mushrooms will not completely dry out, but only become slightly withered. They should be strung on a thick thread or wire. If you are using thread, thread it into the needle to make it easier to work.
3. Hang the oyster mushrooms in a dry and very warm place for 24 hours. A place near the stove in the kitchen may be suitable.

In an electric dryer

Drying mushrooms with a special device is much faster and easier. The power dryer can also be used for cooking dried fruits and drying vegetables.

In order to dry mushrooms in this way, you need:

1. Put the prepared oyster mushrooms in a special sieve from an electric dryer, and then place it in the device as indicated in the instructions.
2. The device should be set to a temperature of 50 degrees for 2 hours.
3. After 2 hours, increase the temperature in the dryer to 75 degrees.
4. Dry the mushrooms until dry. This usually takes up to 12 hours.

In the oven

Besides in an electric dryer, you can try to dry mushrooms in the oven. How to do this correctly, see the video:

How to determine readiness?

When drying oyster mushrooms, especially in a dryer, it is easy to miss the moment when the mushrooms are completely dry. However, this should not be allowed, as oyster mushrooms will become tasteless and begin to crumble. But you also cannot leave them underdried, since the mushrooms will be poorly stored, they will begin to grow moldy and they can be poisoned.

To understand that the mushrooms are ready, try bending one oyster mushroom: it should be elastic enough, but it will break when bending.

Ready oyster mushrooms remain light in color, but taste and aroma are the same as raw mushrooms. When dried, the mushrooms are reduced by 90%, that is, their total volume is only 10% of the original.

How to store?

During storage, it is important to observe the following conditions:

• The air in the room where dried oyster mushrooms are stored should not be humid, otherwise the mushrooms will become damp and may begin to grow moldy. The place must be dry and well ventilated.
• Place the mushrooms in glass jars with tight lids to avoid moths. Or, put them in heavy paper bags.
• If you store mushrooms in paper bags, do not allow strong smells to be near. Oyster mushrooms absorb a lot of different aromas.

Dried mushrooms should be stored for no more than one year.

Before using oyster mushrooms for cooking any dish, soak them in hot boiled water for 1-1.5 hours.

The benefits of dried oyster mushrooms

In dried oyster mushrooms, all useful substances remain, among them are: potassium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, vitamins A, PP, thiamine, calciferol, ergosterol and riboflavin.

Unlike canned mushrooms, none of these substances are lost with this storage method. That is why drying mushrooms is considered the most beneficial way to preserve them for a long time.

Dried oyster mushrooms can be used to prepare many dishes and, regardless of the season, these mushrooms will always be on your table. It is also important that they retain all the nutrients found in fresh mushrooms. And drying oyster mushrooms is absolutely not difficult and not long.

Drying mushrooms at home allows you to preserve all the beneficial trace elements in them. The process can take place both in the sun and with the use of technology. It is important to correctly calculate the timing, taking into account the characteristic features of each type.

Mushrooms that can be dried include:

• Tubular. These are boletus, boletus, boletus.
• Marsupials (truffles).
• Lamellar. There are plates under the caps of such mushrooms. These include oyster mushrooms, honey mushrooms, champignons.
• Chanterelles with a layer of pulp under the cap.
• Polypores.

Show all

Drying methods

You can dry the harvested mushrooms in the sun. You can also hang them in a well-ventilated room. Another option is to use the technique at hand. This can be an oven, microwave, or refrigerator.

In the sun

This method requires a large number of hot, sunny days. Be sure to cover the raw material from insects. For this, gauze or rags are used. This method is used both for bringing mushrooms to full readiness and for drying. Then they finally reach the oven. Mushrooms are dried in the sun in a sliced ​​form within 48 hours. In case of cloudy weather, the trays with mushrooms are brought into the room. At the same time, it is necessary to ensure good air circulation in the room.

Mushrooms can be laid out not on a baking sheet, but hung on a string. They are cut into pieces or can be strung whole. A fishing line is often used instead of a thread. And it is also advisable to wrap gauze over them to protect against insects.






In the oven

If there is no special equipment, then an oven will do. It provides good drying of the product. To do this, use a grate, which is installed under the baking sheet. The mushrooms are cut and stacked on top.

After placing the baking sheet in the oven, the door does not close tightly. The temperature is set at 60 degrees. The exposure time is 48 hours.






In an electric dryer

An electric dryer is a special device where cut workpieces are placed. It has several mesh trays arranged in a row one above the other. Mushrooms are placed on them. During the operation of the dryer, warm air is supplied from below. Drying with convection, at a temperature of 50 to 60 degrees, ensures the readiness of the product after 6 hours.




In the microwave

This type of drying has its own characteristics. The work is done cyclically. It is impossible to ensure readiness at once. The product is placed in a microwave oven, which is turned on for 20 minutes. During this time, the workpieces are wilted and release water. It is drained and the mushrooms are aired in the fresh air for up to 5 minutes. Then the process is repeated.




In fridge

Refrigeration has its own characteristics compared to other methods. The cut pieces are placed on a sheet of paper and placed at the bottom of the refrigerator. The aging time of the mushrooms is around 2 weeks. Then they can be taken out and stored in a dry place. This cold treatment causes the dried product to become softer, rather than bending like a spring, which occurs when dried with heat.

In the Russian oven

Baking trays, sieves, baskets of willow branches are installed in the Russian oven. On them are mushrooms cut into thin slices. The door of the oven damper is opened slightly to allow moisture to escape and fresh air in. At first, it is opened by 2/3, then it is covered by 1/3 and at the end it is completely closed.

Preparation

Strong specimens are selected for drying. They are recycled, damaged areas are cut out. Each mushroom is wiped with a sponge. Water should not be used so that the product does not lose its aroma. Sorted by size. For some, part of the leg is cut off, for others the cap is separated. This is followed by cutting into plates up to 1.5 cm thick or into small pieces.

Drying of different types of mushrooms

Depending on the type, mushrooms are dried using different technologies. The process should not be accelerated so that the product does not quickly lose moisture. Some mushrooms need to dry for several hours, while others take tens of days. Do not overdry the product, this leads to a loss of aroma.

Boletus

This type is applicable for winter blanks. You can dry them in any way. The readiness of a product is determined by its springy qualities. All cut plates must bend with difficulty.

Procedure:

1. 1. Boletus wipe well. Dirt and damaged areas are removed. The lower part of the leg is cut off.
2. 2. Cutting by plates is carried out.
3. 3. The food is laid out on the wire rack in one layer.
4. 4. The wire rack is positioned over the baking sheet and the whole is inserted into the oven.
5. 5. Drying is carried out at a temperature of 75 degrees. The operating time of the oven is 2-3 hours.

Champignon

This type of mushroom is dried less often, because it is well preserved in frozen form. However, it can be dried in different ways, for example, in the sun:

1. 1. The whole product is sorted and sorted. Damaged copies are discarded.
2. 2. All mushrooms are cut into small pieces.
3. 3. Each of them is strung on a thread. There should be no contact between copies.
4. 4. Such beads are hung in a sunny area.
5. 5. Drying time - several days.

Butterlets

This variety is dried in a variety of ways. Of these, the most effective in the oven:

1. 1. Lay a layer of foil or wax paper on the baking sheets.
2. 2. Put butter in the oven, dry it at 50 degrees for 2 hours.
3. 3. Then the degrees rise to 70. Exposure at this temperature lasts about 50 minutes.
4. 4. At the last stage, the temperature is lowered to 50 degrees. The mushrooms are dried until tender.

The baking sheets should be interchanged from time to time. This will provide more uniform drying. The door does not close tightly for ventilation.

Chanterelles

A distinctive feature of this species is that they are never wormy. Pests do not like chanterelles by their taste. They are pretreated with a damp sponge. Do not use water as the porous surface absorbs it well. After that, the mushrooms become unsuitable for drying.

Chanterelles are small, but especially large specimens should be cut. They can be divided into halves or quarters. The drying process can be carried out indoors in two ways. The first one is hanging in the closet:

1. 1. Blanks are strung on a thread and hung in the cabinet. It is important that good ventilation is provided.
2. 2.For the purpose of uniform drying, the products are turned over.
3. 3. Readiness is achieved after 10 days.

To protect against insects, chanterelles should be protected with gauze.

The second method differs from the first in that the raw material is not hung on a string, but is located on a horizontal surface. These can be cabinet shelves or the floor. The paper bedding is pre-laid. Newspapers cannot be used because the ink contains a lot of lead.

Oyster mushrooms

When such mushrooms are dried, substances such as potassium, phosphorus, zinc, iron, and vitamins are preserved. There is a special dryer for this type. If not, then a simple oven will do.

The recipe is as follows:

1. 1. Collected oyster mushrooms are cleaned of dirt.
2. 2. Cut into lamellar pieces.
3. 3. A metal grid is installed on the baking sheet.
4. 4. The raw materials are laid out on the grate.
5. 5. Mushrooms are dried for 8 hours with the door half open. The temperature is maintained at 50 degrees.
6. 6. Then they are taken out to a well-ventilated area for 24 hours.
7. 7. Again, the workpieces are laid out on the wire rack and dried for 6 hours at a temperature of 75 degrees.

Aspen boletus

One of the most effective methods for drying boletus and porcini mushrooms is in the microwave:

1. 1. Raw materials are processed and cleaned from dirt, then the legs are separated from the cap.
2. 2. The peeled mushrooms are cut into small pieces.
3. 3. They are laid out in one layer on a flat dish.
4. 4. It is installed in a microwave oven, where the workpieces are dried for 20 minutes. The power is selected 100-180 W.
5. 5. The container is removed and the liquid is drained from it.
6. 6. The mushrooms are ventilated for 5 minutes, and then the dish is put back in the oven. This cycle continues until complete readiness.

Mushrooms are a product that can be stored for a long time in a dried form. It is important to understand their varieties, to understand which drying method is applicable and to which types. It will be useful to learn how to use a technique that is a good helper in processing mushrooms.

As you know, almost every type of mushroom has its own unique taste.
and aroma, and for each you need to choose "your own key": which ones to fry, which ones are better to salt or pickle, and which ones to dry. The last procurement method is the simplest and most reliable. Even novice housewives can do it. In addition, for it you can use both porcini mushrooms, boletus and boletus, and more democratic ones: honey agarics and chanterelles. The main thing is to carefully study the technology of drying mushrooms at home.

What mushrooms can be dried at home? In general, all types of tubular edible mushrooms are suitable for drying: these are white, boletus, boletus, boletus, moss. Lamellar - milk mushrooms, mushrooms, volushki and others - it is undesirable to dry. They may acquire a slight bitter taste during drying. The exception is honey mushrooms and champignons.

How to prepare mushrooms for drying?

There are a few basic rules to follow:

• Mushrooms must not be washed before drying. From the ground, pine needles, moss, they must be cleaned with a knife, and then wiped with a slightly damp cloth, sponge or cloth.
• Sort by size and cut into thin slices. Experienced mushroom pickers recommend drying only the caps for chanterelles, honey agarics and butter mushrooms, and for more noble mushrooms and legs. Small mushrooms are best left intact.
• Sorted mushrooms must be strung on a strong thread. Just take your time.

How to dry mushrooms on a string?

Prepared mushrooms can be dried indoors and outdoors. In the country or in a country house, mushrooms are usually dried in the attic or in a warm, ventilated room - closer to the stove. At home, you can dry them in the kitchen, near the stove. In this case, the mushrooms are hung at a distance of 50-60 cm above the hob. If there is a happy opportunity to dry mushrooms outside, dry them in the sun or in diffused light for 1-2 days, and dry them in the oven or in a dehydrator (electric dryer for vegetables and fruits) at 70 ° C.

Drying mushrooms in the microwave

There is also an express method when mushrooms are dried in a microwave. They are laid out on a wire rack and cooked in the microwave for 20 minutes at a power of 100-180 W. After turning off the stove, drain all accumulated liquid and open the door for 5 minutes. Then repeat the drying operation again, and so on several times. After checking the readiness - the mushrooms are moderately elastic, bend, but do not break immediately, but only with a little effort - we can assume that the drying was successful. There is also a "but"! This is still a high-speed drying, and it is very easy to dry the mushrooms. They can even ignite in the microwave! For the greatest disclosure of taste and aroma, the mushrooms are dried for a long time and gradually.

Until the next harvest

It is recommended to store dried mushrooms in paper bags or small cardboard boxes in a dry (so as not to become damp) clean place, preferably with a constant temperature. They should not be stored in the basement or next to fresh vegetables, fruits, berries, nuts, pickled and salted preserves. If the mushrooms are damp during storage, they must be sorted out immediately, the spoiled ones must be removed and dried again. The optimal shelf life of mushrooms is up to 1 year.

Right way

Now you have several bundles of dried mushrooms in stock, which are just asking for battle:
soup, stew, sauce, casserole ... What's next? There are two ways to use them further. The first is to use dry mushrooms instead of fresh ones, after soaking them. The second is to prepare mushroom powder and add it to dishes as a seasoning.

How to make dried mushroom soup? Let's tell you everything in order.

Mushrooms are soaked for 20-30 minutes in a large amount of lukewarm water (for 30 g of mushrooms, 1 liter of water is used). Remember that instead of 200-300 g of fresh mushrooms indicated in the recipe, it is recommended to use 30 g of dried ones. After insisting, they are washed under running water. Further more. On the basis of dry mushrooms and the resulting infusion, you can prepare a wonderful broth. To do this, strain the infusion through the finest sieve, or better through a coffee filter. Prepare a roast with carrots, onions and a small piece of root celery and add it to the mushrooms. Add a few sprigs of parsley and thyme. Bring to a boil over medium heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Remove broth from heat, let it brew, 30 minutes, and strain. Choose mushrooms and use for soups, pancake or pie fillings, pasta sauce, gravy for meat or poultry, risottos, omelets, warm salads. The broth itself turns out to be quite strong and, if desired, can be diluted with vegetable broth or water.

It is good to cook caviar from dried mushrooms. Rinse them under running water, boil for 1-1.5 hours. Throw in a colander or sieve and mince or grind in a blender. Add finely chopped and fried onions and some carrots to the resulting mass, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Dilute with vegetable oil to the desired consistency and to enhance the taste - mushroom infusion. If you do not plan to store caviar for a long time, let it brew in the refrigerator for several hours and serve.

Fashionable thing

Mushroom powder is a very effective preparation. It is often used by chefs as the final finishing touch when serving a dish. When drying and storing mushrooms, losses often occur: mushrooms break, crumble. Take your time to throw away such garbage! Grind the mushrooms in a coffee grinder, spice grinder, or mortar. Sift the powder through a sieve. Grind if necessary, grind coarse particles again. Store powder in airtight containers in a cool and dark place. It can be mixed with other spices, with salt. The powder retains its natural mushroom aroma for a very long time, and you need to add it to the dish - in its pure form - a few minutes before cooking. Or in a mixture - when served in a separate salt shaker or in a small bowl.

Oyster mushrooms, like other mushrooms, quickly deteriorate, but they can be salted, dried, pickled and frozen. How to store them at home so that they retain their pleasant taste and useful properties for a long time, you will learn from this article.

To keep oyster mushrooms long, it is necessary not only to properly prepare the product for freezing or drying, but also to follow a certain technology to preserve the freshness, taste and aroma of the product.

How to store oyster mushrooms at home in various ways will be described below. In fact, they can be stored just like any other: frozen, dried, pickled and salted.

Regardless of what kind of mushrooms you have: forest, or grown at home, they need to be properly prepared for further storage.

Storage preparation

It is better to process the crop on the first day after harvest. Before freezing or other processing, the product must be inspected. The caps and legs should be free of dry or yellow spots, rot or holes made by insects (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Inspection and preparation of the crop for storage

Good specimens have a pronounced aroma, without admixture of the smell of rot or mustiness.

One of the most important preparatory steps is proper preparation, namely cleaning. This step is mandatory and does not depend on how you are going to store the crop.

Proper cleaning

Before storing, it is imperative to clean it. Otherwise, the fruiting bodies will become watery and lose their taste. They do not need to be soaked in water before cleaning. Because they grow on trees, they are almost always devoid of a layer of dirt or dust.

Figure 2. Proper cleaning

All mushrooms are sorted out to remove wormy, rotten or dry ones. How long the crop can be stored will depend on this, since even one spoiled specimen can cause rotting of the rest.

The skin is removed very easily. To do this, it is enough to put some of the mushrooms in a colander and rinse under a powerful stream of water (Figure 2). After that, the product is laid out on a grate or sieve so that excess water is glass, and proceeds to further preparation for storage.

How to store oyster mushrooms in the refrigerator

The success of refrigerated storage largely depends on the correct preparation. In no case should they be soaked in water, because when they collect excess moisture, they lose their taste.

Note: These gifts of the forest can be frozen fresh, without cutting them into pieces. In this case, they will remain in their original form.

How do you store them in the refrigerator so that after thawing they look just like mushrooms just picked from the forest? To do this, each copy must be wrapped in paper or carefully placed in a plastic food container. The packaging must be airtight, and in order for the mushrooms not to lose moisture, a damp towel is placed on the shelf under the container. In this case, storage will last no more than five days, but if the refrigerator maintains a stable temperature at -2 degrees, and the crop is packed in sealed containers, this period will be 3 weeks 9 (Figure 3).

How much oyster mushrooms can be stored in the refrigerator

Fresh mushrooms are not suitable for long-term storage. We will try to determine how much fresh produce can be stored in the refrigerator.

Figure 3. Refrigerated storage at home

Even if you packed your crops in plastic containers and the refrigerator maintains a stable temperature and humidity, the shelf life will not exceed five days. However, if you have the ability to lower the temperature to -2 degrees, the shelf life can be extended to three weeks. But in this case, each mushroom must be wrapped in parchment paper or packed in plastic containers with a sealed lid.

To extend the storage time, it is best to place them in the freezer rather than in the refrigerator.

How to store oyster mushrooms in the freezer

Freezing is slightly different from refrigerated storage. When properly frozen, mushrooms will retain their beneficial properties and taste for up to five months if placed fresh in the freezer.

See also: How to make mycelium and substrate for oyster mushrooms at home

Boiled mushrooms are stored even longer after freezing. The main thing is to properly prepare the product and ensure the optimal temperature regime in the freezer.

Boiled

To store boiled products in the freezer, they are preliminarily inspected, all rotten or damaged specimens are removed, and the selected ones are washed under running water.

Figure 4. Storage in the freezer

After that, they need to be folded into a saucepan and cooked in boiling salted water for 15 minutes. After that, they are cooled down, squeezed out a little in order to get rid of excess liquid, laid out in bags or containers, and sent to the freezer. It is best if you cut them into small pieces before cooking. In this case, the shelf life will be up to 8 months (Figure 4).

Fresh

Mushrooms can be stored in the freezer not only boiled but also fresh. But in this case, the preparation of the mushrooms will be slightly different.

In order for fresh raw materials to be stored longer in the freezer, you need to follow these recommendations:

• It is better not to wash the mushrooms, but to clean them of debris and dust dry;
• The crop is examined, spoiled specimens are removed, and the legs of suitable ones are cut off;
• The mushrooms are laid out on a large plate or tray in one layer and placed in the freezer for several hours. When they are frozen, they are transferred to airtight containers.

It is advisable to immediately distribute the crop in small portions so that one container or bag is enough for one dish or several portions. The duration of storage in this case can be up to 12 months, but the freezer must have a stable temperature of at least -18 degrees, and the mushrooms themselves cannot be re-frozen.

The video shows how to properly prepare and freeze mushrooms for storage.

Storing oyster mushrooms in plastic containers

Plastic containers are the most suitable container for storing boiled or fresh mushrooms both in the refrigerator and in the freezer. In such containers, they remain intact and practically not damaged.

Better to choose small containers with sealed lids. Since oyster mushrooms do not tolerate repeated freezing, it will be better if a batch intended for the preparation of one dish is stored in one container.

Drying

Drying is an inexpensive but effective way to preserve flavor and health benefits. They can be dried both in the oven and in the fresh air (Figure 5).

Drying is carried out as follows:

• Mushrooms are cleaned of dirt, washed under running water, laid out in one layer on a baking sheet and dried in the oven at a temperature of no more than +50 degrees for 8 hours;
• After that, the raw materials are transferred to a dry ventilated room and left for another two days. It is important that the mushrooms have enough air, as they will quickly deteriorate in a musty room.
• Then they are re-placed in the oven and again dried at a temperature of +70 degrees for 6 hours.

Figure 5. Storage of dried oyster mushrooms at home

Ready-made mushrooms should easily break into pieces, but also not turn into powder at the first touch. In order not to dry them out, it is recommended to periodically check them at the last stage of drying in the oven.

For further storage, they are cooled a little and laid out in glass jars with lids. If you accidentally dry them out, you can always make mushroom powder out of them by grinding the mushrooms in a coffee grinder or mortar.

Salting

You can salt it hot and cold. With cold salting, the mushrooms are washed and soaked in a salt water solution for 6 days (Figure 6). The water needs to be changed every day, otherwise they will become bitter.

Figure 6. Salting at home

With hot salting, the product is first boiled in salted water for 15 minutes, after which it is laid out in jars, sealed with nylon caps and stored in a cool place with a temperature of no more than +8 degrees.

The salting process is shown in detail in the video.

Pickling

There are two ways to pickle mushrooms. In any case, you will need a pickling pan and jars to store the finished meals (Figure 7).

In the first method, vinegar, allspice, garlic or other spices are mixed in a saucepan. The marinade is brought to a boil, mushrooms are placed in it and boiled for half an hour. After that, they are transferred to jars, poured with the remaining marinade and rolled up.

Figure 7. Marinating oyster mushrooms for winter storage

For the second method of pickling, the mushrooms are first boiled in salted water, laid out in jars, and then the marinade is prepared and poured with boiling liquid.

The difference between these methods is only in the storage duration. The first method allows you to store mushrooms for a year, while in the second, this period is no more than 6 months.

How to store oyster mushrooms for sale

If you grow oyster mushrooms for further sale, you need to prepare in advance a cool room in which the mushrooms will be stored. It is better to sell them fresh, moreover, within 3 days after harvest.

The storage area should be cool and well ventilated. The collected mushrooms are carefully laid out in boxes until the moment of sale. You can also sell frozen mushrooms in vacuum bags.