Why chanterelles get bitter after being frozen

Delicious and healthy mushrooms are usually collected in summer. On the basis of such a product can be prepared various dishes. The gifts of the forest can be dried, boiled, frozen and canned. Some housewives often find that defrosted mushrooms become bitter. Therefore, it is important to understand why this happens and how to avoid it.

This usually happens for two reasons: due to improper processing after harvesting raw materials and due to errors in the preparation before freezing. If you follow all the rules for cooking such a product, you can be sure that the dishes will not be spoiled by the bitter taste of chanterelles.

Harvesting rules

The bitterness in the mushrooms also appears due to the fact that the summer is dry. Chanterelles need constant moisture. Also keep in mind that such a culture has a peculiarity to accumulate in itself dangerous compounds. This, too, can cause an unpleasant taste.

Therefore, you should not collect the fruits near industrial plants and near roads. Chanterelles growing in coniferous forests can taste bitter.

How to freeze chanterelles correctly

This type of mushroom somewhat loses its flavor characteristics during marinating, so it is recommended to eat them fresh. For this method of storing mushrooms it is recommended to choose young chanterelles of medium size. To avoid the appearance of bitterness, you should adhere to certain requirements.

1. After collecting the raw material, treat it in a special way. It should be remembered that you should prepare them for long-term storage as soon as possible, because chanterelles will acquire bitterness. First you need to sort the mushrooms, separating the small and large specimens, and remove all the debris.
2. Next, separate the legs from the caps, and then rinse them well. Now it is recommended to soak the product in cold, slightly salted water for a few hours. At the end of two hours, dry the mushrooms by spreading them on a towel.
3. Chanterelles are ready for further processing. Most hostesses are used to freezing them in raw form. This can result in a bitter taste. To avoid this, it is recommended to boil them first, changing the water periodically during cooking.
4. After that, place boiled chanterelles in small portions in bags and send them to the freezer. If you want to freeze the product in separate mushrooms, it is best to do it in layers, that is, first put in the freezer one layer. Only after its freezing chanterelles individually put in another container.

Method 1
There are several options for freezing this product. If you prepare it quickly, when you consume it in food, it will retain maximum nutrients. The shelf life of fresh chanterelles while in the freezer is five months.

The first method involves refrigeration of raw mushrooms. For this, choose only those specimens that have a dense texture and do not have any damage. Also keep in mind that large and dried fruits are not suitable for this method of processing. After packing, each mushroom should be wiped with a paper towel. It is not recommended to wash them. Such a procedure without the use of water will allow you to preserve the quality of such a delicacy longer. Now, the chanterelles should be placed in a single layer on a tray and sent to the freezer for 12-15 hours.

After this time, the frozen mushrooms can be transferred to bags or containers. The temperature of the freezer should be 15 degrees below zero.

Method 2
Preparations can also be made of roasted mushrooms. For frying, any chanterelles are suitable. You only need to get rid of spoiled specimens. If the raw material was collected by yourself, there is no doubt about its quality, it is not necessary to wash it. You should only look through the mushrooms and get rid of leaves, twigs and dirt. Next, send chanterelles to a frying pan with the addition of a small amount of oil. The cooking process takes no more than 20 minutes. During cooking, you must make sure that all the liquid evaporates from the mushroom mass, and the chanterelles themselves get a ruddy crust. You should fry without using any additives, spices, except vegetable oil.

Do not fry in animal fat. Otherwise, the mushrooms will acquire smothering, and the product will be fit for consumption for no more than a month. After completing the frying process, the prepared specimens should be placed on a paper napkin and kept until they cool down.

Then you can pack the roasted chanterelles in any way you like and store them in the freezer for a long time. The advantage of this method of preparation is that after defrosting, they will be almost ready for use.

Method 3
You can also prepare mushrooms in the form of broth. This option is suitable when the products are supposed to be used to make soup. Preparation of fresh fruit is standard, then you need to pour water into a container and put it on the fire. When the first bubbles appear, the liquid should be salted and peppered to taste. At this stage, you can also add chopped herbs. Now add mushrooms to the total mass. With constant stirring, cook the composition for no more than seven minutes.

Next, the chanterelles should be thrown in a colander, the broth should not be poured out. After cooling the fruits in the solution, take a container and line it with food film from the inside. In this container, put the mushrooms, and then pour them with the cooled broth. In this form, send the container for a few hours in the freezer. After freezing, pull the frozen composition out of the dishes and put the resulting briquette back into the cold. From such a semi-finished product you can safely prepare soups or any second dishes.

Method 4
Cooked chanterelles are also acceptable for freezing. The advantage of such processing is that it eliminates the possibility of bitterness. First, you should carefully sort out the fruits, removing debris and spoiled mushrooms. If the raw material is quite large, it is recommended to divide it into two parts.

After this, you need to pour water into a pot for boiling, so that it was twice as much as the chanterelles themselves. After boiling, you should add salt at the rate of 1 tbsp. per 1 kg of product. Then add the mushrooms. Cooking should continue for 5-6 minutes. If there is a film, you need to get rid of it immediately. Boil such a delicacy can be even longer, but this will lead to the fact that the product will lose its flavor and specific smell.

Next, place the chanterelles in a colander to drain all the liquid. After that, lay the raw material on a towel to dry. If this recommendation is neglected, this excess moisture will turn into ice. After this, place the mushrooms on a tray and send it to the freezer. After 10-12 hours, you can put them into plastic containers or bags for long-term storage.

Why are chanterelles bitter after freezing

When harvesting chanterelles, it is important to follow the entire sequence of the procedure. However, even after this, you may find that the product is bitter. There are several factors that cause this. Often the problem can be hidden in the bitter sunflower oil.

Another likely cause is the presence of false chanterelles. If even after performing the above manipulations the situation has not improved, you will have to throw the composition in the trash.

An unpleasant bitter taste can appear in mushrooms that have been stored for a long time. It is not recommended to keep such a delicacy in the freezer longer than 3-4 months. It is important to keep in mind that over time they accumulate dangerous substances that can lead to intoxication.

How to defrost chanterelles properly

Separately, it is necessary to understand how to carry out the defrosting of such a delicacy. If we talk about the oven, it is important to understand that in this case it will negatively affect the taste and structure. It is best to use a microwave oven for this purpose, choosing the appropriate function. However, if you have enough free time, it is still recommended to defrost chanterelles at room temperature. It is allowed to put them in warm water.

Another popular method is scalding with boiling water. After such a procedure, the mushrooms should be placed in milk for a couple of hours. This will further contribute to the elimination of bitterness.

How to get rid of the bitterness of frozen chanterelles

If it turns out that the bitterness arose precisely because of bad vegetable oil, it is recommended to mix bitter chanterelles with mayonnaise or sour cream, season with spices, salt, and then stew over low heat for a quarter of an hour. You can also, faced with such a problem, roll the mushrooms in flour and fry with butter. Another way is to add to the mushrooms fried in sugar onions.

In addition, if after defrosting you find that they are bitter, you should soak the product in cold, salted water. Positive results are achieved when this procedure is carried out overnight. However, even if this does not help, you will need to carry out a heat treatment.

To improve the taste of the product will allow spices. In that case, a bay leaf, black pepper in the form of peas or cloves will do. Also culinary experts advise adding a small amount of vinegar.