Freezing cooked mushrooms

[blissful]

We like mushrooms a LOT.

They are usually around $4/lb, but aldi's has $1/8 oz so we bought 10 lbs worth.

Cleaned, then put through the slapper chopper, cooked down, frozen in 2 cup containers, ready to add to stir fries, stews, soups, or a vegan linguini with clam sauce.
10-2 cup containers, in the freezer.

 

[Andy M.]

We like 'em too. I'll sometimes sauté mushrooms and onions for a burger topping and freeze the extra. Nothing as energetic as your effort.

 

[blissful]

I didn't even think about that. We just started having a black bean burger and mr bliss loved it. It would be even better with onions and mushrooms.

 

[taxlady]

I have frozen sautéed mushrooms. That worked well. I wonder how they would be frozen raw, maybe sliced or chopped first.

 

[karadekoolaid]

I´m really surprised how cheap mushrooms are in the UK.
I can buy 300 gm (10.5 ozs) punnets of chestnut, crimini, button, flat or shiitake mushrooms for anywhere between $1.20 and $1.50, so I don´t need to worry about freezing or buying in bulk.

 

[dragnlaw]

My only experience (at least that I remember ) is freezing stuffed mushroom appetizers. That worked but must use smallish sized caps as they collapse too easily.

I've also stuffed huge portabello's with sausage/etc. froze them. Although good enough for me would not serve them. Found the caps by the time everything baked thru were chewy/wet.

I have bought frozen breaded whole mushrooms that were to be deep fried, I nuked them instead and thought they were great. Must be eaten piping hot or else they seemed to get watery and yechy. Have not seen them recently but haven't looked for them either.

bliss, what do you cook them down in? Anything? liquid? fat?

I might try dehydrating them if they come on sale, I've often bought and used them that way. Big Box store dried mushrooms are not cheap!

You can get dried shiitake's at the Asian market really cheap! That a great deal as I really like shiitake.
Also Black Fungi and thank goodness they are cheap, bought a bag 3 years ago, still good but hardly use them. I should incorporate them more but I always forget. If anyone tries them for the first time, be awaare, they get huge when rehydrated!

 

[blissful]

I cook them mostly plain. 5 lbs with a cup a water, then as it cooks there is so much moisture (liquid gold) in the pot. I simmer them until more of the liquid is evaporated. When I freeze them I put a little liquid in each container.


A little lemon and salt to taste is good too.

 

[dragnlaw]

Good to know bliss - thank you! Making a note of it.

 

[summer57]

I slice and freeze fresh mushrooms when I see them on sale. They're perfect for soups, stews, barley & mushrooms risotto... basically anytime you'd use cooked mushrooms.
I use dried wood ear fungus in Asian dishes. 1 ounce of dried fungus is plenty in a batch of soup, much less in a stir fry.

 

[pepperhead212]

Sometimes when mushrooms get really cheap I make some duxelles, by grinding them up in the food processor, then cooking a lot of the liquid out of them, over a couple of hours. First, I grind some shallots, and cook those in some butter in a broad sauté pan, then add the mushroom paste, cook down over medium high heat for 8-10 minutes, then reduce heat to minimum. I cook until they have reduced to a very dark paste, with most moisture cooked off. This freezes great, and is great for seasoning sauces and soups. About 3 lbs reduces to fill a 1 pint mason jar.

 

[taxlady]

Sometimes when mushrooms get really cheap I make some duxelles, by grinding them up in the food processor, then cooking a lot of the liquid out of them, over a couple of hours. First, I grind some shallots, and cook those in some butter in a broad sauté pan, then add the mushroom paste, cook down over medium high heat for 8-10 minutes, then reduce heat to minimum. I cook until they have reduced to a very dark paste, with most moisture cooked off. This freezes great, and is great for seasoning sauces and soups. About 3 lbs reduces to fill a 1 pint mason jar.

Sounds handy. What ratio of shallots to mushrooms do you use? Is it important to get the ratio right?

 

[larry_stewart]

Other than in soups, ive never frozen mushrooms for storage (but I will try, as im not opposed to it).

I usually either dehydrate them or marinate them. The marinated ones are not really for long term storage, as I cant resist them, and eat them all up within a few days after making them.

With mushrooms that kinda start drying out in the back of the fridge, Ill dry them completely then make mushroom powder out of them.

I have done the Duxelles thing ,as Pepper Mentioned above, I either freeze it or stuff Ravioli with them, then freeze the raviolis for later use. They were so good, you didnt even really need a sauce. Although, a duxelles filled ravioli with a white cream sauce works really well ( Cream,garlic,shallots, a little white wine, parm cheese, chopped parsley....

 

[pepperhead212]

Larry, I've made the raviolis filled with duxelles, with the white sauce, too - absolutely delicious! I've done some other pasta dishes with duxelles, as well, but usually have some other mushroom added, as well.

 

[larry_stewart]

Although I haven't done it yet, Ive seen people make like pinwheels by rolling up duxelles spread on puff pastry dough, then slicing them like cookies and baking them. I have both puff pastry dough and duxelles in the freezer just waiting for the green light.

 

[dragnlaw]

Have never done the pinwheels with duxelles but have done them in ravioli.
Oh my, groan... have start haunting the stores for sales.
Thanks pepper, larry!

Like the idea of white sauce on them, usually just did butter/sage.