Cooking frozen porcini mushrooms is common in many world cuisines. Representatives of the boletus family are highly valued on the market for their impressive taste and wonderful forest aroma. Experienced mushroom pickers know that the valuable product should be collected from June to October after heavy rains. Porcini mushrooms grow in mixed forests, birch plantings and on the edges of the forest; after collection, the product can be prepared fresh, canned, dried or frozen.
Frozen boletus mushrooms whole and in pieces
Description
Porcini mushroom has a very high value and very high taste. There are about 15 varieties of these mushrooms. They differ in the color of the cap and stem. They grow from June to October. The diameter of the cap is approximately 8-9 cm, but there are specimens up to 27-30 cm. The color ranges from beige to brown. Leg height from 15 cm or more. The mushroom pulp is dense and aromatic. Porcini mushroom is a very valuable product from which you can prepare a huge number of soups, salads, pates, sauces, and snacks. This mushroom can be prepared for future use in any way: dried, pickled, canned and, of course, frozen. Today you will learn how to properly store frozen porcini mushrooms and what you can cook from them.
Porcini
A few words about the benefits
The porcini mushroom, the most popular species of the boletus genus, is not for nothing considered the “king” among its “brothers.” It contains vitamins A, B1, C, D (real “sun in edible form”), as well as powerful antioxidants: ergothioneine, lecithin and glutathione. This product is rich in iron, iodine, zinc, fluorine and many other minerals.
Boletus soup is considered healing, because the boiled product perfectly stimulates the secretion of digestive juices
At home, they use different technologies for canning and storing “whites” - drying, salting, pickling and, of course, freezing.
Freezing
Freezing mushrooms, what could be easier! Mushrooms that will be frozen must be washed several times and then allowed to drain. Then divide into portions, place in sealed bags or containers and place in the freezer. In this simple way you can prepare boiled and fried mushrooms. They can be stored in the freezer for up to 12 months. Frozen mushrooms do not need to be thawed before cooking if you don't have time to do so.
Frozen mushrooms
Selection and preparation of mushrooms before freezing
Experienced chefs place special emphasis on the process of preparing mushrooms for long-term storage. After all, it will depend on this whether they will remain in their original form for a long time or the whole freezing idea will end in failure. So, to put them in the freezer you need mushrooms:
- fresh;
- strong;
- clean;
- with minimal liquid content.
If you use mushrooms that are 2 or more days old, then after defrosting they will almost immediately become unusable. The same applies to caps and legs that have been heavily soaked in water and have picked up moisture. It is imperative to clean the surfaces of mushrooms before cold packaging from debris, twigs, and damaged areas. Whole, strong and fresh mushrooms will retain their taste for a long time, but “old”, bruised ones will immediately lose their shape after thawing and will look very unappetizing and grey.
Soups
Soup is an inseparable part of a nutritious and tasty table. Taking into account the diversity of this dish, the absence of monotony in your menu is guaranteed.
Option 1.
Mushroom puree soup with the addition of processed cheese based on chicken broth.
- White mushrooms 300-400 gr.
- Chicken broth 2 l.
- Onion 1 pc.
- Potatoes 4 pcs.
- Carrot 1 pc.
- Processed cheese 2 pcs.
Take a medium onion, finely chop it, grate the carrots and fry everything in a frying pan. Then add the porcini mushrooms and fry until there is no liquid left in the pan. Put the potatoes into the broth and cook over low heat for 20 minutes, then pour the mushrooms and vegetables from the pan into the pan and, after boiling, cook for another 10 minutes. It's time to add processed cheese, previously finely chopped. The cheese should completely dissolve. Add salt and pepper to taste. The soup is ready. Use a blender to make the soup live up to its name.
Option 2.
Mushroom soup with cream.
- Mushrooms 350-400 gr.
- Onion 1 pc.
- Carrot 1 pc.
- Semolina 3 tbsp.
- Cream 250 gr.
Chop and fry the mushrooms, onions and carrots well. Place shredded potatoes into boiling water. After the potatoes are cooked, we combine all the preparations. Then carefully add the semolina and stir thoroughly, and immediately add the cream. Salt to taste. Keep on low heat for 15 minutes.
Option 3.
Rassolnik soup with mushrooms will exceed all your expectations.
- Porcini mushrooms 300-400 gr.
- Meat broth 2 l.
- Onion 2 pcs.
- Carrot 1 pc.
- Pickled cucumbers 2-3 pcs.
- Potatoes 5-6 pcs.
- Butter 30 gr.
Defrost the mushrooms; if they are large, cut them into several pieces. Rinse them well and squeeze them out. Prepare broth, you can use chicken or beef. Peel and cut the onions, grate the carrots and pickles. Fry mushrooms, onions, carrots and pickles in homemade butter. Peel and finely chop the potatoes. First throw the potatoes into the boiling broth, after 10 minutes all the other vegetables. Salt to taste and cook for another 20 minutes over low heat. At the end, add the greens.
Porcini mushrooms are a very nutritious product. Good for fasting people. Pickle soup can be made lean. Boil in water and fry vegetables in sunflower oil.
Soup
Second courses
Surprisingly delicious recipes for second courses are very diverse. Vegetables, fish, meat can be included in their composition, but our topic today is about porcini mushrooms. A few more recipes on how to cook frozen porcini mushrooms.
Option 1.
Roast with mushrooms and meat.
To prepare you need:
- Porcini mushrooms 1 kg.
- Meat 600 gr.
- Onions 2-3 pcs.
- Carrot 1 pc.
- Cream 100 ml.
Take the onions, chop them and fry them in butter in a frying pan until golden brown, add grated carrots. Later we add pre-chopped frozen porcini mushrooms. When the mushrooms release water, you can add chopped meat. If the water has evaporated and the meat is not yet ready, you need to add more. Simmer for 20-30 minutes depending on the type of meat. At the end of cooking, add cream or sour cream and salt to taste.
Option 2.
Casserole with mushrooms and potatoes.
To prepare you need:
- White mushrooms.
- Onions 2-3 pcs.
- Potatoes 3-4 pcs.
- Oil (sunflower or olive)
- Sour cream 100 gr.
- Hard cheese 100 gr.
- Fresh greens.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
Potatoes must be peeled and cut into small cubes. The form in which the casserole will be prepared must be greased with oil, then place the potatoes. The next layer will be onions cut into half rings and mushrooms. You can lay them in this order several times. But each layer must be salted, and each layer of potatoes must be greased with oil. The last layer can be lightly covered with sour cream and sprinkled with grated cheese. Bake in the oven for 50-60 minutes, at a temperature of 200-220 degrees. A golden crust should form on top, which can be decorated with fresh herbs.
Option 3.
Mushrooms in sour cream.
To prepare you need:
- Mushrooms 1 kg.
- Onion 1 pc.
- Sour cream 250 gr.
- Oil 2 tbsp. l.
The mushrooms need to be thawed and allowed to drain a little, then cut into pieces. Pour tablespoons of oil into a hot frying pan and fry the onion. Add mushrooms and simmer for 15 minutes. Then you need to add salt and pepper, and then add 250 grams. sour cream of any fat content. Be sure to cover with a lid, do not forget to stir from time to time, and cook for 20-25 minutes. You can add greens if you wish. Mushrooms baked in sour cream can be served with any side dish.
Roast
How to prepare porcini mushrooms for freezing
The advantage of freezing boletus mushrooms is that vitamins and nutrients are preserved in their fruiting bodies. In addition, such mushrooms will not taste bitter, and their taste is practically indistinguishable from fresh ones.
Reference! The preparation of frozen mushrooms is carried out in several stages. This is the only way to obtain a high-quality semi-finished product with a long shelf life.
Porcini mushrooms must be properly prepared before freezing:
- Soil particles, fallen leaves and pine needles are removed in the forest, but you can also remove them at home.
- The mushrooms must be cleaned: the cut on the stem is renewed and the skin is removed from it.
- Large specimens are cut lengthwise, from stem to cap, to check for worms inside. Spoiled fruit bodies are not suitable for consumption.
- It is customary to wash the peeled fruiting bodies under running water. There is no point in soaking them in water for a long time, like milk mushrooms. The pulp of boletus mushrooms does not have the characteristic bitterness, and excess moisture will only worsen the taste.
After washing, the mushrooms must be dried on a paper towel and proceed to direct freezing.
Sauces
The sauce will allow your dish to acquire an unforgettable taste and will stimulate the appetite with its attractive appearance.
Option 1.
The simplest mushroom sauce made from porcini mushrooms will be much more aromatic than from other wild mushrooms.
To prepare the sauce you need:
- Frozen porcini mushrooms 400 gr.
- Cream 250-300 gr.
- 1 onion.
- Wheat flour 1 tbsp. l.
- Ghee 20 gr.
- Salt pepper.
Let's start cooking with mushrooms; they need to be boiled. Then chop and fry with onions and flour with added oil, fry for 5-10 minutes. Add cream, making sure it is warm. Salt, pepper and reduce heat to low heat, simmer until thickened. The cooled sauce can be served either with the dish or separately. This mushroom sauce goes well with meat dishes.
Option 2.
Mushroom sauce based on steamed fish broth.
For the sauce you will need:
- Fish broth 400 gr.
- Porcini mushrooms 150 gr.
- Butter 40 gr.
- Lemon acid.
Add mushrooms, cut into small cubes, into the broth that remains from boiling or steaming the fish. Cook until done, then add salt to taste, oil and citric acid and simmer for another 5 minutes. This sauce will be a great addition to any fish.
Option 3.
Mushrooms in tomato sauce.
For the sauce you will need:
- Porcini mushrooms 200 gr.
- Tomato juice 250 gr.
- Carrot 1 pc.
- Onion 1 pc.
- Garlic 3 cloves.
- Spices to taste.
First, let's prepare everything. Finely chop the onion, grate the carrots, chop the mushrooms. Sauté the onions and carrots lightly in oil. Then add mushrooms, tomato juice, finely chopped garlic, spices and 200 grams of water, salt to taste. Simmer over low heat until the volume is reduced by half. Make a homogeneous mass using a blender. This sauce is served with pasta.
Sauce
Snacks
You can prepare a great variety of mushroom snacks. I will present to your attention the most popular and delicious of them.
Option 1.
Stuffed porcini mushroom caps.
To prepare you need:
- White mushrooms 20 pcs. (small).
- Broth 100-120 gr.
- Dry wine 100-120 gr.
- Oil 70 gr
- Crushed crackers 3 tbsp.
Calculate the number of mushrooms yourself. Chop the legs, previously separated from the caps, and fry with onions in a frying pan with added oil. At the end, you can add finely chopped greens. In a separate bowl, mix the fried legs with onions and crackers, salt and pepper them to taste. Turn the caps over and stuff them with filling. Grease a baking sheet with oil, place the finished caps in it, then pour the mixed wine and broth onto the baking sheet. Before baking, if desired, you can sprinkle grated cheese on top. Bake for 10-15 minutes at a temperature of 200-210 degrees.
Option 2.
Cheesecakes with mushroom filling.
For the filling you will need one carrot, one onion, 300-400 grams of mushrooms, soy sauce and spices to taste. Grate the carrots, chop the onions, cut the mushrooms into four parts. Fry all this with the addition of oil and soy sauce, about 2 tbsp. spoons. Then grind the filling in a meat grinder and leave to cool. Now we make the dough. Grind 400 g in a meat grinder. cottage cheese, salt, add 2 eggs, mix. Then you need to add flour, approximately 250-300 g. Mix in flour a little at a time. Place the entire dough on parchment and roll it out to 1 cm thick. Place the filling in the middle of the dough and roll it into a tube. Fry the tube in a frying pan, constantly turning it over so that it browns evenly. Remove from the pan and cut into pieces 1.5 cm thick.
Option 3.
Mushroom pate.
As an appetizer, it is suitable for breakfast and a holiday table.
To prepare the pate we will need:
- White mushrooms 800 gr.
- Butter 200 gr.
- Juice of one lemon, spices and salt
First you need to boil the mushrooms in salted water until tender. Afterwards, grind the mushrooms in a meat grinder and add butter, pepper, lemon juice and taste for salt, adding more salt if necessary. A very simple dish, but incredibly tasty.
Stuffed porcini mushroom caps
An original pie for a sweet drink
Let's get acquainted with an unusual recipe for preparing frozen mushrooms, which, of course, will appeal to the older generation, modern youth, and young children.
The treat contains simple ingredients:
- wheat flour for dough;
- granulated sugar;
- butter;
- dry yeast;
- warm milk for kneading;
- White cabbage;
- sweet carrots;
- onion;
- defrosted mushrooms;
- spices;
- salt;
- tomato paste for color;
- vegetable oil.
Dry yeast is added to sifted wheat flour. Salt and granulated sugar are dissolved in warm milk. The butter is heated in a water bath. A dense but soft dough is kneaded from the prepared products. It is placed in a deep container. Cover with a kitchen towel. Place in a warm place to rise.
Mushrooms are defrosted in a natural way. Finely chop the onion and cabbage. Grate the carrots using a grater with large holes.
Pour vegetable oil into a frying pan and fry the onions first, then the carrots. Add a teaspoon of tomato paste. Stir. Mushrooms are placed in the so-called sauce. Simmer over moderate heat until the liquid has completely evaporated. Next, the products are combined with cabbage.
Many people prefer to fry the cabbage in another pan and then combine the ingredients.
The dough is divided into two parts. Sprinkle the countertop with flour and roll out the sheet. It is then placed on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Small sides are made from the edges, which will be useful later.
Place the filling on the dough. Using a spatula, level over the entire plane of the sheet. Cover the top with the remaining rolled out portion of the dough. Connect the edges to form a whole pie. Brush with beaten egg yolk and place in the oven for 45 minutes.
When the baked goods have cooled, cut into portions. Serve with tea or coffee with milk.
