How to preserve fresh white mushrooms

The key to preserving fresh white mushrooms lies in controlling humidity and temperature, and methods such as refrigeration, freezing, drying, vacuum sealing, and salting can be used to extend the shelf life.

1. Refrigerate storage

Place the unwashed white mushrooms in a kraft paper bag or breathable fresh-keeping box, pad them with kitchen paper to absorb excess moisture, and place them in the refrigerator compartment at around 4 ℃. This method can maintain freshness for 5-7 days, pay attention to checking daily for softening or browning, and promptly remove spoiled individuals.

2. Freeze preservation

Wash the sliced white mushrooms and blanch them in water for 1 minute. After draining, lay them flat and freeze for 2 hours before packing them in a sealed bag. It can be stored for 3 months in a frozen state and is suitable for stewing soup or stir frying. After thawing, the texture will be slightly soft but not affect the flavor. Avoid repeated freeze-thaw damage to cell structure.

3. Drying treatment

Fresh sliced white mushrooms should be placed in a 50 ℃ oven and dried for 6-8 hours, or hung in a ventilated and cool place for natural air drying. Dried mushrooms that have been completely dehydrated should be sealed to prevent moisture and stored at room temperature for up to six months. When used, soaking them in warm water can restore their elasticity.

4. Vacuum sealing

Use a vacuum machine to extract air from the packaging bag, isolate oxygen, and delay oxidation. Unclean whole mushrooms can be kept fresh for 2 weeks under vacuum refrigeration, and can be stored for more than 4 months if blanched and then vacuum frozen. Pay attention to checking whether the packaging is leaking air.

5. Salt preservation

Salt the mushrooms in layers at a ratio of 10% by weight, and press the weight to promote water leakage. Salted mushrooms need to be refrigerated and fully immersed in salt water, which can be stored for about a month. Before consumption, they should be thoroughly soaked and desalinated. Different storage methods can affect the taste and nutritional retention of white mushrooms. For short-term consumption, it is recommended to refrigerate to maintain the original flavor. For long-term storage, it is recommended to dry or freeze to lock in the freshness. Regardless of the method used, it is necessary to select intact and undamaged mushrooms in the early stage to avoid direct stacking after cleaning, which may cause spoilage. Regularly check the status during storage, and discard immediately if there is any mucus, odor, or mold. Before cooking, mushrooms can be briefly soaked in diluted salt water to help clean crevices and impurities.