Simple Tricks to Keep Mushrooms Fresh and Prevent Them From Darkening

Storing Mushrooms in the Freezer

Mushrooms should not be black, wilted, or dry, nor should they have an unpleasant smell or taste. You can freeze mushrooms either raw or cooked!

However, it’s important to know that freezing raw mushrooms can make their texture softer and eventually cause them to darken. Although this happens more slowly in the freezer compared to the refrigerator, the simplest way to prevent this is to cook the mushrooms before freezing them.

Blanching Mushrooms in Boiling Water

After washing the mushrooms, remove them from the bowl of cold water and place them in a strainer. Shake the strainer gently to remove excess water. Then, put the mushrooms in a pot of boiling water for 1-2 minutes, strain them again, and immediately transfer them back into cold water. Repeat this process several times, being careful not to let the mushrooms fully cook in the boiling water. Once the mushrooms are cooled, strain them again.

This method allows you to sanitize large quantities of mushrooms quickly and remove any stains or dark spots on their surface. During the process of alternating between hot and cold water, a thin layer of the mushroom’s skin peels off, revealing its whiter layer underneath. Additionally, the mushrooms become slightly par-cooked.

Now, place the mushrooms in freezer-safe plastic containers, ensuring not to overfill them to prevent spillage during freezing. Whenever you want to make soup, you can simply use the contents of one container. This way, you’ll have mushrooms ready to add to soups or serve alongside dishes like steak, any time of the year.

Blanching mushrooms through this hot-and-cold method halts enzymatic activity, preventing the mushrooms from becoming mushy. It also eliminates any contaminants, making this method ideal for processing large quantities of mushrooms efficiently and in a short amount of time. Moreover, it helps retain much of their original flavor.

The steam from the boiling water cleans the mushrooms, partially cooks them, and helps maintain their white color.

Place the mushrooms into small plastic containers and freeze them. You can use the mushrooms anytime in soups or other dishes. This method is simple and helps preserve the taste and texture of the mushrooms better during storage. However, it may not remove surface contaminants as effectively as blanching.

Sautéing Mushrooms

For this method, first chop the mushrooms into the desired size and shape, then sauté them in olive oil, walnut oil, or butter. Sauté the mushrooms just until they are lightly cooked, but avoid fully cooking them. Let the mushrooms cool down, then transfer them to a plate or glass container. Once cooled, move the mushrooms into smaller freezer-safe containers.

When you're ready to use them, you can add the mushrooms directly to soups or sauté them again in oil or butter to prepare them for serving.

However, one downside of this method is that it allows more air to enter the freezer container, which can degrade the quality of the food being frozen. To prevent this, gently press the mushrooms with a spoon when placing them in the container to expel any air.