An unusual storage option without brine
Some housewives prefer to store salted mushrooms without brine. It was noticed that fat and oily film do not leave mold any chance. Mushrooms prepared using this option will never become moldy.
The essence of the method is as follows:
- Mushrooms are salted in the usual, familiar way.
- A mandatory step is to keep the pickled mushrooms (in brine) in the refrigerator for at least 1 week.
- After 7 days, all the liquid is drained, and vegetable oil is poured into the container instead.
- To consume, you just need to drain the oil and enjoy the excellent taste of mushrooms.
For storage, choose a dry, cool and always dark place. Under the influence of light, the process of fat breakdown occurs, and this negatively affects the taste, rancid notes appear.
Salted mushrooms in oil do not lose their properties for 6 months.
How long can you store salted mushrooms?
According to established standards, salted and boiled barrel pickles have a shelf life of up to 6 months, provided they are stored at temperatures from 0°C to + 2°C.
- Products that have been sterilized in brine should be used immediately after the jar is opened.
- It is permissible to store already uncorked preparations in the refrigerator for several days if a strong vinegar solution with the addition of spices was used when salting them.
- Mushrooms pickled in jars should be consumed within two days after they have been opened.
- Pickles without seaming are stored for 6 – 12 months. (depending on the method of storage and salt concentration).
- Storing salted mushrooms in the refrigerator has a shelf life of no more than 1 year. They can be stored in the cellar for the same amount of time.
In order not to endanger your health, you should not use expired pickles for food, even if they seem completely normal. And to avoid poisoning, you need to know exactly the period and storage conditions of salted mushrooms.
Gorloder: boiled recipe, canning
For preservation, you can use the following recipe.
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- tomatoes - two and a half kilograms;
- apples - half a kilo;
- sweet pepper - half a kilo;
- garlic – one hundred and twenty grams;
- dill - fifty grams;
- vinegar - two large spoons;
- hot pepper – one hundred grams;
- parsley - fifty grams;
- sunflower oil - one glass;
- black pepper and salt to taste.
- Sterilize and heat the container before storing.
- Wash vegetables under running water.
- Remove seeds and core from peppers and apples.
- Cut the tomatoes into cubes.
- Grind the remaining ingredients in a blender or meat grinder.
Pour the resulting mass into a container, add vinegar, spices and vegetable oil. Place the pan over medium heat and cook for at least 2 hours. Dill and parsley can also be ground in a blender or finely chopped, then added to the sauce before the end of cooking.
The hot seasoning is poured into jars and rolled up.
Jars can be stored in a pantry or basement.
Useful tips
Many often face the problem that after defrosting, mushroom pieces become soft and acquire a “snotty” consistency. Of course, this does not affect the taste of the product, but the prepared dish is not so aromatic and pleasant to the taste. To avoid this, you should familiarize yourself with the tricks from experienced chefs:
Sorting. No matter how sorry it may be, you need to carefully sort the raw materials, discarding old or spoiled mushrooms. Thorough cleaning
When harvesting for the winter by freezing, it is very important to clean the milk mushrooms from pine needles and other forest debris. This can be easily done by first soaking them in cold water for a couple of hours. Heat treatment
Raw mushrooms have an unpleasant bitter taste, and heat treatment will help eliminate this. But if you don’t have time, you can freeze the raw product after soaking and cleaning. You just have to remember that raw mushrooms, after defrosting, before adding to soup or julienne, must first be subjected to heat treatment to eliminate bitterness. Drying. The mushroom body, like a sponge, absorbs moisture when boiled or soaked, and when freezing, the water destroys the structure of the mushroom, making it soft. To prevent this from happening, after heat treatment it is recommended to return the product to remove excess moisture and dry it a little. It is recommended to freeze in small portions necessary for one-time preparation of a dish. It is important to remember that milk mushrooms cannot be re-frozen. The duration of storage of mushroom semi-finished products should not exceed 6 months. When cooking, it is better to add mushroom pieces frozen - after boiling or stewing they will be denser.
As can be seen from the recommendations listed, freezing milk mushrooms is a troublesome process, and if you violate the technology, you can lose the entire harvest of mushrooms, because soft “snotty” mushroom slices can only be used for filling pies or added to ground minced meat. If you want to enjoy mushrooms in julienne, soup or fried potatoes in winter, then you should spend time following all the rules of pre-treatment before freezing.
Is it possible to freeze milk mushrooms for the winter?
Milk mushroom is a popular mushroom, in demand among mushroom pickers. To preserve it for the winter, freezing is an option. In this case, it will lose its hard structure and will be soft after defrosting. Can be used as a semi-finished product, additive or filling. This product can be stored for up to six months. The product must be defrosted during cooking.
Is it possible to freeze salted milk mushrooms? Certainly! To prepare, squeeze the mushrooms a little using a sieve to remove as much liquid as possible. Next, put into containers or bags and freeze. To speed up the process, mushrooms should be rinsed from brine, you can use boiled water, dry and freeze.
This variety of mushrooms can be frozen in different ways. For example, boiled, fried or fresh. Before freezing, raw milk mushrooms are processed (boiled or fried) to destroy harmful microorganisms, remove bitter juice and reduce volume. You need to process the milk mushrooms on the day of collection or the day after collection. The fresher the mushroom, the better.
After this, just sort the mushrooms and leave them in the freezer. Once frozen milk mushrooms can no longer be subjected to this process, since the beneficial properties of the mushrooms are lost and they become useless.
Boil
Fry
1. Place raw mushrooms in a frying pan
2. Fry (can be in vegetable oil)
3. Fry for 20-30 minutes
4. Keep in the frying pan until the moisture has evaporated as much as possible
5. Let them cool
You can also boil milk mushrooms in salted water, cook for 5-10 minutes, then follow the instructions.
How to store milk mushrooms after pickling
To preserve milk mushrooms for the winter with all their properties and taste, you need to follow simple conditions.
Cleanliness is the key to preserving taste for a long time. The container in which the pickled mushrooms are located must be perfectly clean. As a rule, these are wooden tubs, enamel pots and buckets. A good storage option is three-liter jars. The containers must be washed very well, doused with boiling water and dried, glass jars must be additionally sterilized.
A very important point is the choice of premises where the finished products will be stored. It should be dry and cool. If this is an apartment, then it is good to keep mushrooms in the refrigerator. In old Khrushchev-type apartments there is a special niche under the window in the kitchen where you can store jars of preserves. You can place containers in a loggia or on a balcony, but for this you need to create conditions: you will need to put unnecessary cotton blankets or sawdust in wooden boxes. They prevent severe freezing. Freezing of salinities is not allowed. This leads to fragility of the fruiting bodies, and the taste of frozen pickles noticeably deteriorates. With an abundance of containers with blanks, a more suitable place than a cellar or basement cannot be found.
Temperature is considered an important component of long-term storage. The air in the room should not exceed +6 o C
Sub-zero temperatures are also not allowed. In a warm place, the workpieces are more likely to sour or form mold. The brine should not be allowed to stagnate. Regularly shaking jars and other containers containing pickles is the best way to mix the brine.
You can transfer the pickles to other containers if necessary. If mold appears, it must be removed immediately with a slotted spoon. If there is a lot of mold, the brine should be drained, and the milk mushrooms should be thoroughly rinsed in water, placed in a clean container and new brine should be added.
Advice! To prevent the formation of mold, add a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil to the brine.
Glass jars are perfect for storage in a city apartment.
How to store milk mushrooms after cold salting
Raw milk mushrooms are preserved using the cold method. The canned product will be ready for sampling and serving 30-40 days from the day of salting. The main storage condition is maintaining the desired temperature. It should be kept in the range from 0 to +5°C.
Harvested products in large containers, which can be wooden tubs or enamel dishes, are stored in the cellar. This option requires constant monitoring. The brine must cover the fruiting bodies; there should not be too much of it at the same time, otherwise the mushrooms may float. Mushrooms placed in jars are covered with cabbage leaves on top and sealed with plastic lids. Such preparations can easily be placed in the refrigerator.
Important! The brine should cover everything. If a certain percentage of the liquid has evaporated, then you need to compensate for this loss as quickly as possible by pouring in a small amount of cooled boiled water
How to store milk mushrooms after hot salting
Hot pickling is considered preservation after preliminary boiling. The preparations are placed in glass jars and covered with polyethylene lids. You can store milk mushrooms salted in this way in the refrigerator. After a week of aging, the products can be tried, but it is better to wait 30 or 40 days after salting. During this period, they are well salted and acquire a unique taste.
How long can salted milk mushrooms be stored?
The shelf life of salted milk mushrooms is approximately six months after salting. A product that has stood longer than this time becomes inedible. When consuming it, there is a risk of poisoning. It should also be taken into account that salted milk mushrooms can last longer in the cellar than in the refrigerator. The most optimal period of use is the first three months after salting.
Properly organized space allows you to preserve pickles in the best possible way in winter.
How long can you store salted milk mushrooms in the refrigerator?
The preparations can be kept in the refrigerator for 3-4 months. It is imperative to add brine, otherwise it begins to rot.
Warning! Canned mushrooms sealed with metal lids become hazardous to health; botulism bacillus develops in them. An oxygen-free environment favors its reproduction.
How long can salted milk mushrooms be stored in a jar in the cellar?
Sanitary standards for shelf life must be observed. At an ambient temperature of 0 to +5 o C, salted milk mushrooms can be stored in jars for 6 months. Any suspicious-looking canned product with an unusual smell, color or gas bubbles is recommended to be thrown away immediately.
How to freeze milk mushrooms correctly
To successfully freeze milk mushrooms for the winter at home, you need to consider three things:
- initial bitter taste;
- texture of mushrooms, their moisture content;
- mushroom size.
Since, due to its bitterness, this species is classified as a conditionally inedible mushroom, this must be taken into account when freezing. Thus, the bitterness is removed by preliminary heat treatment and soaking, but if you do not drain the excess liquid, then after defrosting the mushrooms will acquire the consistency of boiled porridge.
They are also soaked to remove stubborn dirt.
In addition, when frozen, mushrooms are sorted by size. Small ones are harvested whole, larger ones are cut into pieces. Each batch should contain pieces that are similar in size.
How to freeze white milk mushrooms
Since repeated freezing is unacceptable, white milk mushrooms are frozen exclusively in portions. Before freezing, they are soaked in cold water, removing debris and dirt, and then, as a rule, boiled or fried in a small amount of vegetable oil. In this case, the washed mushrooms are allowed to dry before frying.
The liquid formed during cooking is drained.
Secrets of freezing black milk mushrooms
Although it is customary to salt black milk mushrooms, freezing them is quite feasible. At the same time, technologically it is almost no different from freezing whites. However, there are some nuances that are better to know when preparing mushrooms for the winter:
- It is necessary to put already prepared specimens in the freezer only after cooling.
- Because they shrink during cooking, reduce cooking or frying time to a minimum before freezing.
- Before freezing, the liquid is drained and the mushrooms themselves are squeezed out a little.
- It is necessary to minimize the amount of vegetable oil when frying.
- When packaging, leave free space for mushroom juice.
How to freeze raw milk mushrooms
Theoretically, fresh milk mushrooms can be frozen without preliminary heat treatment, but one must take into account that the taste will deteriorate significantly. In addition, the structure of the fungus changes greatly for the worse. To freeze it raw, you need a refrigerator with a fast freezing mode or a powerful freezer.
To minimize damage, raw mushrooms are frozen as follows:
- Clean mushrooms from debris and dirt.
- Soak in cold water for several hours.
After defrosting, these mushrooms are used for frying or as an ingredient in stews.
How to freeze dry milk mushrooms for the winter
Many mushroom lovers are concerned about the question of whether it is possible to freeze dry milk mushrooms for the winter. If by harvesting “dry” mushrooms we mean the absence of any processing, then the answer is very simple - such freezing is impossible for milk mushrooms, since the bitter taste will remain after defrosting.
To remove bitterness, dry milk mushrooms are usually stewed in oil. So, for 1 kg of milk mushrooms you will need 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil, a quarter teaspoon of salt, a bunch of herbs and spices if desired, as well as 1 spoon of white wine - to taste.
- First, the mushrooms are dry cleaned of small debris and dirt.
- Then cut into equal pieces.
- Oil is poured into a deep bowl, mushrooms are poured in, and put on fire.
- Simmer until soft.
- Add white wine, salt, spices, herbs, and keep on low heat for another 2-3 minutes.
- Cool, drain the juice and freeze.
Mushrooms prepared in this way can be eaten as an independent dish. Before serving, sprinkle them with lemon juice.
Is it possible to freeze boiled milk mushrooms?
If you boil and freeze milk mushrooms first, their texture will be preserved, but the bitterness will go away from the taste. This is the main reason why pre-boiled mushrooms are ideal for freezing for the winter. In winter they are added to salads, soups, and stews.
To prepare this dish you need salt, citric acid and patience. They do it like this:
- First, the milk mushrooms are soaked, removing dust and debris.
- Then the water is brought to a boil, salt and citric acid are added, then the mushrooms are poured in.
- Bring to a boil, cook for 5–7 minutes.
- Remove from heat, cool, portion out and freeze.
How to store fresh milk mushrooms
Any mushrooms, including milk mushrooms, are not suitable for long-term storage. Over time, it produces toxins that poison the human body. If you do not have the opportunity to immediately sell the entire harvest of milk mushrooms, remove the mushrooms for 10-15 hours in a cool, dark place. This could be a refrigerator, underground, basement, cellar.
Under no circumstances keep milk mushrooms fresh for longer than a day!
Not everyone knows how to store salted milk mushrooms prepared for the winter. Salted mushrooms are considered an excellent appetizer, served with both meat and vegetable dishes, and are also often used as salad ingredients. Milk mushrooms have a unique feature - excellent taste and crispy texture, which, when salted, lasts for a long time. The mushroom is a fairly large mushroom, the cap of which can reach 20 cm in diameter. It is highly prized for its taste and the white, crisp flesh that forms after processing and pickling.
If you break a freshly picked mushroom, a white juice will be released that has a pungent taste. Bitterness and acridity disappear when cooked or soaked, salted or pickled. Proper storage of mushrooms will ensure not only the preservation of consistency and taste, but also the health safety of those who will be treated to the preparations.
Milk mushrooms are tasty and nutritious mushrooms that can be found in the forest from August to the end of September.
What are the benefits of milk mushrooms?
Due to their peculiar bitterness, some may consider these mushrooms to be poisonous. However, this is not at all true: milk mushrooms are classified as russula. This forest dweller is especially famous for its protein - its content is significantly higher than the amount of protein in beef. Also, for the body’s immune defense, ascorbic acid, which is abundant in these mushrooms, will be extremely useful. Milk milk is a fairly nutritious product, so even a small consumption can satisfy you for a long time.
It would be a good idea to consume this mushroom for people with diabetes, as it will not increase blood glucose levels. People whose milk mushrooms are not the last place in their diet are less susceptible to mental disorders and depression.
Toxins and excess fluid are removed from the body due to the diuretic effect of these products. And also some anti-tuberculosis drugs are produced based on this fungus.
Shelf life of canned mushrooms
Mushrooms are an excellent dietary product, with a large amount of vitamins C, B, PP, potassium, iodine, and carbohydrates. Therefore, it is one of the favorite products for many. Fortunately, you can can them yourself or buy them ready-made.
If you bought it in a store, the expiration date will be indicated on the product label. The product must be marked according to GOST: type of mushrooms (whole or cut), method of preparation, storage temperature and expiration date
When purchasing canned mushrooms, pay attention to the quality of the liquid, i.e.
on the transparency of the marinade. It should be light, colorless or yellowish. Before purchasing, consider the contents of the jar; there should be no dark spots on the mushrooms.
Read the label carefully for how long canned mushrooms can be stored; this information must be indicated. Do not buy an expired product, it is dangerous!
Precautionary measures
Often, mushrooms that are prepared at home are much tastier, more aromatic and more varied in taste, but you need to know and maintain the shelf life of this tasty dish, otherwise the consequences can be serious.
Precautionary measures:
- collect only familiar mushrooms, whole, not overripe and not wormy;
- Before cooking, carefully inspect and re-sort;
- thoroughly clean from sand, soil, leaves;
- observe the norms for cooking duration and temperature;
- adhere to storage conditions and periods.
We hope that you are well aware of them and that you comply with them.
Fresh but unwashed mushrooms should be stored in a cool place at a temperature just above zero for only 1 day and no more than 9-11 hours at temperatures up to 10 degrees.
If you put them in the refrigerator, storage is permissible for up to 24 hours at temperatures up to 7 degrees.
Fresh mushrooms should be stored in open enamel containers. Aluminum or iron cookware is not suitable
But it's important to know that the sooner you cook them, the better.
Homemade pickled mushrooms
They are obtained by using marinades that contain salt, sugar, vinegar or citric acid, as well as various spices. The choice of spices depends on your taste preferences.
The marinade is poured with the familiar white mushrooms, honey mushrooms, boletus, russula, milk mushrooms, aspen mushrooms, boletus mushrooms, boletus mushrooms, etc. Fortunately, Mother Nature has endowed with a very diverse variety of species. The marinade gives the dish a fragrant aroma and taste!
Such homemade preparations are stored in glass jars, adapted containers or special food containers. To protect against oxygen entering the container and mold, many people use boiled oil.
If there is no cellar or cold pantry, housewives store pickled preparations in the refrigerator. The shelf life of the product under these conditions, at temperatures up to 10 degrees, is 7-9 months. Don’t forget to write the seaming date on the dish and check how long pickled mushrooms last in the refrigerator.
Be careful, botulinum
Pickled mushrooms at home are often closed in glass jars with hermetically sealed iron lids
With this type of preservation, it is necessary to remember precautions to avoid dangerous poisoning by botulinus bacteria
The microorganism, botulinus, lives in the soil and in natural conditions it is completely harmless, but when there is a lack of oxygen, it produces poison.
Hermetically sealed protein products - mushrooms and meat - are most susceptible to this poison. For this reason, it is necessary to strictly observe the temperature conditions for preparing food and the expiration dates for storing mushrooms at home.
Storing salted mushrooms. Sealed seaming method
Incorrect technology when preserving mushrooms by sterilization and seaming can cause irreparable harm to health (result in botulism, poisoning and other intestinal infections). The main rule to follow is to thoroughly comply with the sterilization conditions. If you are not confident in your own capabilities, it is better not to roll mushrooms. Sterilization should take place at a temperature of +120…+125 °C; Only autoclaves can provide such conditions. When canning at home, to avoid poisoning, other methods are used:
- the mushrooms are thoroughly washed and boiled 2-3 times with an interval of 24-36 hours. Thick legs are boiled 2 times longer;
- storage utensils are thoroughly sterilized beforehand;
- before opening canned mushrooms, boil the jars for at least 30 minutes from the moment of boiling so that the toxins are destroyed;
- use vinegar marinade. Homemade pickled mushrooms are safer than salted and pickled ones.
The next important point: how long can salted mushrooms be stored and under what conditions? All canned food should be stored in a dark, dry, cool place. Sterilized mushrooms are stored at temperatures from 0 to +15 ° C and air humidity no more than 75%. It is advisable to keep homemade preparations in the refrigerator. The shelf life of home canned food does not exceed 6-8 months. Factory-made salted mushrooms last longer (expiration dates vary among manufacturers).
All mushrooms sterilized in brine must be eaten immediately after uncorking. Only preparations using a strong spicy vinegar solution can be stored in the refrigerator in an open jar for several days.
Why did milk mushrooms become moldy when salted?
Many experienced housewives know what to do if mold appears when pickling milk mushrooms. They strongly recommend adding 3-4 tbsp to each jar on top. l. calcined vegetable oil. This ingredient forms a greasy film on the surface that prevents mold from forming.
If the salted milk mushrooms are still covered with mold, what should you do in this case? Usually the top layer of mushrooms becomes moldy, so it is removed and thrown away. Other mushrooms are washed in cold water, sprinkled with salt and spices, and horseradish or blackcurrant leaves are placed on top. Everything is covered with a linen napkin, which must be washed periodically in hot water with the addition of soda.
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If mold appears on the surface when pickling milk mushrooms, this is a natural process and you should not throw away such mushrooms. Once the mushrooms have been salted, they are covered with gauze folded in several layers. As soon as mold forms on the surface, the gauze is removed and washed in hot water.
If you haven’t inspected the pickling for a long time, and mold has penetrated the mushrooms, you need to remove a couple of layers of pickled milk mushrooms and throw them away. It will be better if the mushrooms are transferred to sterilized jars, filled with new brine and closed with tight nylon lids, which should also be boiled in advance.
Salted milk mushrooms are usually covered with white mold, which does not indicate final deterioration of the prepared product. However, there are times when black mold appears on the surface. In this case, the mushrooms are thrown away without delay or pity - such a product is mortally dangerous to human health.
If, during salting, the milk mushrooms become moldy while they were in the refrigerator, this is a big problem. In this case, the mushrooms should be disposed of without regret. There can be many reasons why mold appears in mushrooms, but not all of them may depend on you. Perhaps the fruiting bodies were already infected with this fungus, and under favorable conditions they began to reproduce.
Mold on mushrooms is a sign of spoilage from improper storage of the product. Mold usually appears where there is a lot of moisture. For example, you stored mushrooms in closed plastic bags. It is worth saying that mold can survive in difficult conditions: at high or low temperatures. Therefore, fresh mushrooms that are covered with mold spores cannot be saved by anything - neither by heat treatment nor by freezing.
Changes in the properties of frozen fish during storage
Physicochemical characteristics
Physicochemical changes include shrinkage, changes in color and histological structure.
When storing frozen fish, there is always a difference in water vapor pressure above the surface of the fish and the surrounding air environment of the refrigeration room. The pressure difference causes the evaporation of moisture from the surface of the fish and, as a consequence, its movement from the inner layers of the fish to the surface, i.e. internal diffusion. This difference can be reduced by lowering the storage temperature and increasing the relative humidity.
As a result of the evaporation of moisture, the fish shrinks, which depends on its type and chemical composition, properties and size, type of packaging, temperature and duration of storage, method of stowage and location in the chamber or hold, cooling system, refrigeration room, degree of loading, amount of heat inflow etc. The surface of the fish and nearby layers of muscle tissue are mainly subjected to shrinkage.
The color of fish meat dehydrated during refrigerated storage changes. It becomes spongy, and after thawing and cooking it becomes dry and fibrous.
The degree of shrinkage and quality changes depends on the storage temperature and the range of its fluctuations. As the storage temperature decreases, the shrinkage of frozen fish decreases: when storing frozen fish at a temperature of -30°C, the shrinkage is 3 times less than at -18°C. A decrease in storage temperature from -30 to -40°C is accompanied by a decrease in shrinkage by 0.013% each month of storage.
The amount of shrinkage depends on the chemical composition of the fish: the more moisture the fish contains, the more it can evaporate, so shrinkage is greater for lean fish than for fatty fish.
The drying of frozen fish also depends on the method of cooling the refrigeration chamber and hold. With a panel cooling system, shrinkage is less than with air cooling. Dense stacking of frozen fish helps reduce product shrinkage.
Factors such as glaze thickness, storage time, relative humidity and air circulation speed also play an important role. When storing frozen fish packed in polymer film, dehydration occurs during storage, but the moisture evaporating from the product remains inside the package in the form of frost.
One of the most effective ways to reduce the shrinkage of frozen Ufi fish during long-term storage, along with lowering the storage temperature, is its glazing using water-soluble polymer materials, as well as packaging in gas-vapor-proof films.
With prolonged storage, as well as with temperature fluctuations in the refrigeration room, chamber or hold, structural changes occur in the muscle tissue of frozen fish, which are caused by recrystallization of moisture: the number of large ice crystals increases; the fine-crystalline structure turns into a coarse-crystalline structure.
The longer the storage of frozen fish and the more unstable the temperature, the larger the size of the ice crystals in its tissues. In this case, the integrity of the muscle fibers is disrupted, which leads to large losses of tissue juice during thawing and, consequently, to a deterioration in the quality of the fish. After heat treatment, fish meat becomes drier and tougher, and its nutritional value decreases.
Recrystallization of ice in fish tissue causes a change in the color of the product due to unequal refraction of light at different sizes of ice crystals. The color of the fish may also change due to the formation of a dehydrated surface layer due to shrinkage.
Biochemical properties
During refrigerated storage, biochemical processes occur in frozen fish, leading to fat oxidation and protein denaturation, and for frozen fish with a high fat content, changes as a result of oxidative processes in fat are more typical, and for lean fish, denaturation changes in the protein system of the raw material are more typical.
The degree of these changes largely depends on the chemical composition and properties of frozen fish, temperature, duration of refrigerated storage, etc. The lower the storage temperature, the slower the denaturation and enzymatic processes in frozen fish. Fat oxidation in fish occurs even at very low temperatures (below -30°C).
Oxidative deterioration of fat is accompanied by yellowing and the formation of rusty spots on the surface of the fish. At the same time, fat oxidation products accumulate in the fish, worsening its taste and giving it an unpleasant odor.
However, subcutaneous yellowing is not always a sign of oxidative deterioration of fat. The skin of some marine fish contains fat-soluble substances - yellow and red carotenoids. During storage of frozen fish, protein-carotenoid complexes are destroyed, carotenoids pass into the subcutaneous layer of fat, causing subcutaneous yellowing in frozen fish. Subcutaneous yellowing, unlike oxidative spoilage of fat, is not a defect, since it does not impair the taste and nutritional value of the fish.
Drying fish during storage has a direct effect on fat oxidation and denaturation changes in proteins. With excessive shrinkage, not only weight loss is observed, but also accelerated fat oxidation as a result of the evaporation of ice from the surface layers of frozen fish, which facilitates the access of air oxygen to muscle tissue.
During long-term storage of fish, fat hydrolysis occurs, which is accompanied by oxidation, resulting in rancidity. To slow down the oxidative deterioration of fat, rapid freezing of fish to low temperatures, glazing, packaging of frozen fish in gas-vapor-proof polymer materials, as well as various antioxidants and low-temperature storage are used.
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Conditions and periods of storage of frozen fish
One of the most important factors determining the optimal conditions for long-term preservation of the quality of frozen fish during storage is the temperature and humidity conditions of the air in holds and refrigerated storage chambers. During storage, the optimal temperature and humidity must be maintained constant. In accordance with the technological instructions, the fluctuation in air temperature should be no more than ±0.5°C, and the relative humidity should not be more than ±1%. When loading and unloading chambers at 50% of their capacity, the air temperature is allowed to increase by 3°C, and above 50% by 4°C.
Frozen fish, the average final freezing temperature of which differs by more than 2°C from the air temperature of the refrigeration room, cannot be loaded into chambers or holds.
To equalize the temperature and humidity in the storage rooms of frozen fish, natural air circulation of 0.01-0.08%) must be maintained.
During the entire period of storage of frozen products in holds or storage chambers, the air temperature is systematically, 2 times a day, measured with remote temperature sensors or conventional mercury thermometers, and relative air humidity is measured once a week using a psychrometer. Temperature and humidity conditions for refrigerated storage of frozen products are recorded in a special log.
Boxes with frozen fish are stacked flat (lids up) with slats or floor gratings placed under the bottom row (Fig. 55), which are necessary to ensure free air circulation between the boxes and the floor of the refrigeration room. The height of the stack depends on the strength of the boxes and the height of the refrigerator chambers.
Rice. 55. Frozen fish storage room: I - stacking of boxes with frozen fish; II - laying in plan
When stacking boxes, there is no need to make spacers for each row: the denser the frozen products are stacked, the better they are preserved and the less shrinkage.
The packing density of frozen products per 1 m 3 of cargo volume depends on the type of fish, freezing method, type of container or packaging, as well as on the stacking method. Existing norms for the specific loading of frozen fish products per unit of cargo volume of storage chambers are given in Table. 29.
Table 29
Frozen sturgeon fish (glazed and unglazed) are stacked unpacked on racks covered with matting. A stack of frozen fish is covered on top and sides with matting, on top of which an ice crust (glaze) is frozen. Glazing of the stack is carried out evenly by irrigating the matting with cold water at a temperature of 2-3°C.
For better use of refrigeration space, it is recommended to place frozen fish at a distance: from walls without cooling devices - 0.3 m, from ceiling without cooling devices - 0.2 m, from cooling devices (wall and ceiling) - 0.4 m, from air ducts (bottom surface) - 0.3 m. In chambers with a heat-protective casing, no indents are made. The presence of indentations (gaps) promotes free air circulation between the walls to stacks of frozen fish products, as well as cleaning cooling devices from frost.
For cargo trolleys in the chambers, one passage 1.2 m wide is left for every 10 m of the width of the refrigerating chamber.
On a ship, boxes with frozen fish products are stacked from side to side evenly across the entire area of the hold to avoid the formation of a list. Each type of frozen product is placed separately.
To mechanize loading and unloading operations, a batch method of storing frozen fish products on pallets is used. To form packages, two types of pallets are used: standard international pallet 2P-04 (800 X 1200 X 150 mm) and 2P-04 (1200 X 800 X 150 mm).
The shelf life of frozen fish depends on its type and chemical composition, initial state, type of cutting, method and modes of freezing, type of packaging, storage temperature and other factors.
In table Table 30 shows the shelf life of some types of fish at different temperatures.
Table 30
Packing frozen fish in gas-vapor-tight films, especially when vacuum sealed, allows you to increase the shelf life of both lean and fatty fish. Thus, when packing frozen fish in bags made of polyethylene-cellophane, lavsan-polyethylene without vacuuming, the shelf life increases 2 times (with vacuuming - 3-4 times compared to packing frozen fish in bags with paraffin and silicone coating). The use of Saran-type shrink wrap helps extend the shelf life of frozen fish by 3-4 months compared to storage in parchment.
Evils of frozen fish
Dehydration (shrinkage) of the surface layer
- a defect in which, due to shrinkage of the surface layer, a thin white coating appears in the form of a “cold burn”, completely or partially covering the surface of frozen fish. The fish meat becomes discolored and acquires a dry, hard consistency. With excessive shrinkage, not only a loss of fish weight is observed, but also a deterioration in the hydrophilic properties of meat, as well as an acceleration of oxidative deterioration of fat.
Oxidative deterioration of fat
occurs during long-term storage of frozen fish under the influence of atmospheric oxygen and oxygen contained in the tissues of the fish. As a result of oxidation, the odor of the product deteriorates.
Subcutaneous yellowing of fat
unlike oxidative spoilage, it does not impair the taste and nutritional value of frozen fish.
Subcutaneous yellowing of fat is caused by the transition into the subcutaneous layer of fat of carotenoids - fat-soluble substances of yellow or red color, contained in the skin of fish in the form of protein-carotenoid complexes, which are destroyed during storage. Subcutaneous yellowing occurs only in fish that have a subcutaneous layer of fat and whose skin contains at least 0.8 mg% of carotenoids.
Old smells
are a sign of denaturation changes in the protein system of frozen fish, especially manifested during long-term storage in fish with a high moisture content. With the appearance of the “old smell,” a change in the consistency of fish meat is observed, which after cooking becomes fibrous and tough.
During refrigerated storage, biochemical processes occur in frozen fish, leading to fat oxidation and protein denaturation, and for frozen fish with a high fat content, changes as a result of oxidative processes in fat are more typical, and for lean fish, denaturation changes in the protein system of the raw material are more typical.
Dried mushrooms are covered in mold. What can you do to prevent dry mushrooms from molding?
Dried mushrooms are not so easy to preserve.
They should be stored in dry conditions. But the best thing to do is the following: You need to put rice grains in a glass jar. 10-15 pieces are enough. Then fill the jar with dry mushrooms, close the lid and place in a dark and dry place.
There will be no mold and the mushrooms will always be dry.
To prevent dried mushrooms from becoming moldy and becoming damp, they must be stored in such a way as to prevent the access of moisture, as well as to ensure the release of moisture from the mushrooms themselves.
In villages, dried mushrooms are stored in a clean cotton bag. This method of storing dried mushrooms is quite suitable for the city, but you need to store dried mushrooms in a dry and well-ventilated area. There should be no foreign odors in this room, which dried mushrooms instantly absorb, as well as moisture from the air.
An innovative way to store dried mushrooms is to place the dried mushrooms in a clean glass jar with a lid, from which the air is first removed so that the dried mushrooms are stored in a vacuum. To obtain a vacuum in the jar, you need to add alcohol to the lid and set it on fire, then quickly close the lid. The alcohol will continue to burn and take oxygen from the can, creating a vacuum in it.
You can also grind dried mushrooms into powder in a coffee grinder, which you can then use in preparing various dishes. This mushroom powder can be stored in a glass jar with a lid in a dark place.
However, you should not store mushrooms for too long. Maximum one season.
What can you do to prevent dry mushrooms from molding?
Frankly speaking, I have never had such a problem with mushrooms becoming damp or moldy.
1. To prevent dried mushrooms from molding during storage, they must be thoroughly dried. I dry mushrooms in an electric dryer.
2. For storage, I place dried mushrooms in a birch bark jar/barrel with a lid. I only store cooled mushrooms that have been dried in an electric dryer. The keg is stored on the top kitchen shelf.
I don’t recommend using glass jars; I had a rather sad experience. Even well-dried mushrooms in glass did not become moldy, but “suffocated.”
If your farm does not have birch bark barrels for storing dried mushrooms, you can use packaging boxes, pencil cases, cases made of micro-corrugated cardboard; elite alcohol is packaged in such boxes with a lid. Micro-corrugated cardboard does not allow moisture from the outside to pass through, dried mushrooms can “breathe”, hence the precious processed harvest after a “quiet hunt” it will remain in its best condition.
In villages, even today, dried mushrooms are stored in canvas or linen bags in a dry place (near the stove, AGV boilers and other heating devices).
What to do to prevent dry mushrooms from molding.
One of the main reasons for the appearance of mold on mushrooms is improper storage. As you know, invisible spores of mold fungi are present in the air in the atmosphere of the kitchen. Once on the surface of food, they immediately begin to multiply, resulting in the development of mold. To eliminate fungi from the atmosphere, it is necessary to ventilate the room as often as possible, and also ensure its high-quality ventilation. Very often, dried mushrooms are stored in jars or fabric bags in common cabinets with food (bread, cereals, confectionery, etc.).
As a rule, mold fungi predominate in high concentrations in such cabinets. The reason is simple: when we notice mold on bread, we throw it in a bucket without washing the entire cabinet and without eliminating the main cause - fungal spores. When storing dried mushrooms in such a neglected space, mold infection cannot be avoided. The main rule that must be followed to avoid the appearance of mold on mushrooms is storage away from the general mass of food supplies.
For example, this could be the space behind the kitchen cabinet - you can pin a nail on the wall and hang a bag of mushrooms on it. If it is not possible to isolate mushrooms from other products, then you need to closely monitor the appearance of mold on other supplies located in the common space. Frequently raid your kitchen cabinet to check food for mold. A potential victim on this list of vulnerable gear is bread. If fungus appears, you need to not only throw away the product, but also thoroughly rinse the entire cabinet with water and vinegar.
To keep dried mushrooms safe and sound until the next mushroom season, you need to protect them from their malicious “relative” - mold.
What to do to prevent dry mushrooms from molding.
Storing salted mushrooms
Written by Nikolay Budnik and Elena Mekk.
Many mushroom pickers are faced with the question: how to store harvested mushrooms in a city apartment? This is especially true for salted mushrooms. We will share our many years of experience.
We salt mushrooms mainly in a cold way in buckets, tanks, and pans. Place a cotton cloth on the mushrooms, then a lid or saucer (so that the distance to the walls is 0.5 - 2 centimeters), then a squeeze (usually a three-liter jar with the required amount of water). The mushroom juice should cover the mushrooms. In this form they are salted on the balcony for 30 - 40 days.
When the mushrooms are salted, we put them in jars of the required size, filling them tightly, without voids. The mushrooms should almost reach the top of the jar. A cotton cloth soaked in vodka is placed on them. VODKA IS NEEDED TO PREVENT MOLD GROWING! After this, the mushrooms are crushed with sticks placed crosswise over the shoulders of the jar. These sticks are also moistened with vodka.
Juice should appear above the mushrooms, covering them by 1 - 2 centimeters. If there is not enough juice, you can add salted water (1 tablespoon per liter of boiled water). The top of the jar is closed with a thick plastic lid with a side, also soaked in vodka. We also tried to use metal screw caps, but under them the mushrooms dried out more and were preserved worse.
In this form, salted mushrooms can be stored in a cool place until the next harvest, or even longer. We usually store mushrooms in a cupboard under the window. You can use a refrigerator, a floor near the balcony, and a caisson - whoever has what options. The main thing is that the mushrooms do not freeze in the cold and do not become acidic in the heat.
1. Ready-made salted mushrooms are compacted tightly into glass jars so that there are no voids left.
2. Bending sticks are split off from a pine or spruce block. This manufacturing method is very productive.
3. Sticks, cloth and lid are disinfected with vodka.
4. The brine should appear above the mushrooms.
5. In this form, mushrooms can be stored for one to two years!
Small videos about storing mushrooms in a city apartment.
How to properly fill jars with mushrooms.
How to close jars for long-term storage of mushrooms
How to store a started jar of mushrooms in the refrigerator
Salted mushrooms after a year of storage
. And now a big film about storing salted mushrooms.
Types of salting
In addition to storage methods, there are also several types of mushroom pickling: cold and hot. Cold pickling occurs by soaking mushrooms in brine for several days. Hot salting involves boiling the product in brine. Lamellar types of mushrooms are mainly suitable for pickling: milk mushrooms, russula, trumpet mushrooms, honey mushrooms, etc.
We recommend reading: Closed Compote Under the Lid Foam
After the “quiet hunt,” the mushrooms need to be cleaned of dirt and washed thoroughly under warm water. And some types require soaking to get rid of bitterness. This is done within 3 days, for large specimens - up to 5 days.
Ingredients:
- 500 grams of saffron milk caps;
- 20 grams of salt;
- currant leaves 10 grams;
- bay leaf;
- allspice;
- 5 grams of ground red pepper.
Preparation
- Place the peeled saffron milk caps on a sieve or colander. Scald them several times with boiling water and immediately after that pour water into which ice cubes were previously thrown. Then place the product on a paper towel and let it dry.
- Place bay leaf and pepper mixed with currant leaves at the bottom of a glass jar. Distribute the saffron milk caps evenly, sprinkling each layer with salt and pepper.
- Cover with a cotton cloth soaked in vodka, place a wooden or plastic circle, and place a mug filled with water on it.
- The product will be ready after 35 days of salting.
For those who don’t like picking mushrooms or are simply worried that they might end up with inedible specimens (but they still want to eat mushrooms), a trip to the nearest vegetable store is required, where you can buy champignons and prepare such an appetizer.
You will need:
- 3 kg of champignons;
- 350 g onions;
- 200 g hot chili pepper;
- 200 g salt;
- vegetable oil;
- spices to taste.
Preparation:
- Remove the top layer from each champignon cap, rinse thoroughly and wait until the water drains. Place them in a bowl and sprinkle with salt, mix everything thoroughly.
- Peel the onions and chili peppers and cut into rings.
- Place the ingredients in sterilized jars in the following order: onion-pepper-champignons. It is imperative that the final layer be champignons.
- Fill the workpiece with oil. If desired, add spices to taste and seal the jar.
- All you have to do is marinate the appetizer for a week, and you’re ready to eat.
How to store milk mushrooms
Before sending mushrooms for storage, they must be prepared, namely, cleared of soil and other debris. Then cover the mushrooms with water and leave for several hours. Next, rinse each mushroom thoroughly under running water. If necessary, you can use a sponge or brush to wash dishes. Now the mushrooms are ready for further processing.
When thinking about milk mushrooms, the first thing that comes to mind is pickling. Almost all mushrooms can be salted, but preference is given to mushrooms with a slight bitterness - Volzhanka, milk mushrooms and saffron milk caps. Salted milk mushrooms should be stored in a dark, cool place with good ventilation. The air temperature in the room should vary between 3-5 degrees.
However, in addition to salting, milk mushrooms are successfully pickled. The convenience of this method of preparing mushrooms is quite obvious: pickled mushrooms are more convenient to store and serve, especially if very young mushrooms are pickled. It is possible to store pickled milk mushrooms in jars even at room temperature, but then the shelf life of the mushrooms will be several months. In the refrigerator, pickled milk mushrooms will remain fresh for a year.
Types of salting
In addition to storage methods, there are also several types of mushroom pickling: cold and hot.
Cold pickling occurs by soaking mushrooms in brine for several days. Hot salting involves boiling the product in brine. Lamellar mushrooms are mainly suitable for pickling: milk mushrooms, russula, honey mushrooms, honey mushrooms, etc. After a “quiet hunt,” the mushrooms need to be cleaned of dirt and washed thoroughly under warm water. And some types require soaking to get rid of bitterness. This is done within 3 days, for large specimens - up to 5 days. Salted saffron milk caps
Ingredients:
- 500 grams of saffron milk caps;
- 20 grams of salt;
- currant leaves 10 grams;
- bay leaf;
- allspice;
- 5 grams of ground red pepper.
Preparation
- Place the peeled saffron milk caps on a sieve or colander. Scald them several times with boiling water and immediately after that pour water into which ice cubes were previously thrown. Then place the product on a paper towel and let it dry.
- Place bay leaf and pepper mixed with currant leaves at the bottom of a glass jar. Distribute the saffron milk caps evenly, sprinkling each layer with salt and pepper.
- Cover with a cotton cloth soaked in vodka, place a wooden or plastic circle, and place a mug filled with water on it.
- The product will be ready after 35 days of salting.
Salted champignons
For those who don’t like picking mushrooms or are simply worried that they might end up with inedible specimens (but they still want to eat mushrooms), a trip to the nearest vegetable store is required, where you can buy champignons and prepare such an appetizer.
You will need:
- 3 kg of champignons;
- 350 g onions;
- 200 g hot chili pepper;
- 200 g salt;
- vegetable oil;
- spices to taste.
Freezing raw mushrooms for the winter
Preparation:
- Remove the top layer from each champignon cap, rinse thoroughly and wait until the water drains. Place them in a bowl and sprinkle with salt, mix everything thoroughly.
- Peel the onions and chili peppers and cut into rings.
- Place the ingredients in sterilized jars in the following order: onion-pepper-champignons. It is imperative that the final layer be champignons.
- Fill the workpiece with oil. If desired, add spices to taste and seal the jar.
- All you have to do is marinate the appetizer for a week, and you’re ready to eat.