The morel mushroom season is about four months in a year. Therefore, they are hard to find and unpredictable. They are also the most popular mushrooms to hunt. If you find a lot of morels and want to enjoy them all year round, even when they’re no longer available, you must learn how to store them well.
There are ways to store your morels to keep them fresh and tasty. Here are the different tips on the best way to store morel mushrooms.
Clean the Morel Mushrooms
First, clean your morels before you decide on the preservation methods. To clean the morels, you need to:
Cut the morels in half, lengthwise. Cutting them will help you see the bugs or dirt that might be inside.
Soak them in a bowl of cool saltwater for two to three minutes. If they stay longer, they’ll get mushy.
Shake them around in the bowl to completely get the dirt out.
Rinse them in cold water.
Gently dry them with paper towels.
If the mushrooms are not very dirty, you can brush them, and give them a quick rinse. You can also skip the soaking part.
Refrigeration
If you only want a short-term method of storing your mushrooms, you can just put them in the fridge. Make sure that you place them on a bowl wrapped in a paper towel or a paper bag. Make sure you don’t put them in a sealed bag or container like a zip bag. They need to be able to breathe, and moisture has to come out to avoid bacterial growth.
Drying
Drying is another option you can use to store your mushrooms. You have to make sure they’re cracker dry to avoid running the risk of having them go bad. One of the ways to ensure your mushrooms are dry is by using a tray dehydrator. With a tray dehydrator, you place the mushrooms on the tray and set the temperatures low, then let the dehydrator run for 8-10 hours.
Another method is drying them in the oven. You can place them in a tray and set your oven on the lowest setting with the oven door a little open. Leave them for about four to six hours or until they’re completely dry.
You can also place your morels in a string and hang them in a well-ventilated area for several days or dehydrate them in the sun. The smaller the mushrooms, the faster they dry. When you’re through, place them in a jar or any airtight container.
Freezing
Freezing is the most suitable method of storing your morel mushrooms for a long period. After you cut your mushrooms into half and wash them, fully coat them in flour individually. Lay them in the tray, and freeze them for a few hours.
After doing this, remove them from the tray and place them in a Ziploc bag. Then put them in the freezer for as long as you want. Freezing them individually prevents them from freezing into a big clump.
You don’t have to pick more morels than necessary once you know how to store them. Simply select the ones that best suit you, and then store them for future use.
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