2 days Ago By [email protected] (Cara J Suppa)
Mushrooms are one of those foods that most people can't stand as a kid. But as their palate matures in adulthood, they might grow to enjoy. And what's not to love? They're low-calorie, , and, when cooked, have a meaty texture combined with .
The only downside to fresh mushrooms is that they usually only last a week in the fridge. So, if you've purchased a lot of them, you might be wondering if you can freeze them. You absolutely can freeze fresh mushrooms to extend their shelf life for up to a year.
But to get the best flavor and texture after thawing, you'll want to cook them first. This can include sautéing them or steaming them, though the sauté method does yield better results (while also being more labor intensive). After cooking them, you'll want to flash-freeze them by arranging them in a single layer on a lined tray and sticking them in the freezer for 20 minutes to an hour.
Then put them in the container or freezer bag of your choice (if you opt for the freezer bag, make sure to press out as much air as possible). You can also do your mushrooms a favor and use a (surprisingly inexpensive) to really suck out all the air. More tips for freezing (and thawing) your fungi Some mushrooms are better candidates for freezing than others.
If the fungi in your fridge are looking wrinkled or dried out (in which case, you could ) or they have fuzz starting to grow on them, they're likely past their prime and should not be turned into freezer fodder. Also, when you bring your mushrooms (indeed, all produce) home, you should not be washing them before putting them away as that encourages bacterial growth. Instead, wash your mushrooms right before cooking them and give the stems a trim.
Then cut the larger mushrooms into halves or quarters (you can leave the smaller mushrooms whole, if you like). To thaw frozen mushrooms, you could stick them in the fridge overnight, but there's an easier way. Just toss them in the pan (either alone or with whatever you're cooking) and let the heat from your stove do all the work.
They can also go straight from the freezer into your slow cooker or Instant Pot along with the other ingredients, and they'll reheat like they were made fresh for the dish. Recommended.
