Are you wondering how to preserve your foraged chicken of the woods mushrooms? Is freezing an option or should it be avoided?
Can You Freeze Chicken of the Woods?
Yes, you can freeze chicken of the woods for up to 6 months. Clean and prepare the mushroom as you usually would, before wilting it in butter. Then, place portions of the mushroom into vacuum seal bags, and seal them tightly.
Do Does Chicken of the Woods freeze well? Yes
Can you refreeze Chicken of the Woods? Yes
How to Freeze Chicken of the Woods
Freezing chicken of the woods is very simple. Despite the fact that itās not meat, it freezes in much the same way thanks to its meaty texture:
- Wilt in Butter: Wilting the mushrooms allows the texture to be maintained when frozen. Essentially, you remove some portion of the moisture, allowing the slightly cooked flesh to freeze more evenly.
- Portion Out: Portion out the chicken of the woods into vacuum-sealable bags, ensuring not to freeze more than you would want to thaw and eat in one sitting.
- Vacuum Seal: Vacuum seal the chicken of the woods mushrooms in a bag to be sure that they retain as much flavour as possible. If you can’t vacuum seal then squeeze out as much air as possible.
- Freeze: Freeze the mushrooms in the centre of your freezer, ensuring they are as far as possible from any solid ice that might be present along the walls and floors of your freezer.
3 Tips for Freezing Chicken of the Woods
Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing chicken of the woods to have the best results:
Remember They ABSORB Flavour
Chicken of the woods will absorb flavor in the freezer if itās allowed to be a little more open. This is because mushrooms are naturally quite spongy. Avoid this from having an impact by ensuring theyāre as sealed as they can be. You can also use this to your advantage by freezing them with thyme, sage and garlic.
Go as Airtight as Possible
Of course, not everyone has a vacuum sealing machine. If you donāt have one, then we recommend you use the most airtight method at your disposal – a freezer bag can work well, as long as you press as much air out of it as possible.
Butter is Best
Butter isnāt essential for wilting the mushrooms, but weād personally recommend it. Butter has a high water content. This means that it will tend to freeze before the mushrooms would, and will remain spread throughout the mushrooms themselves.
How Long Can You Freeze Chicken of the Woods?
You can freeze chicken of the woods for around 6 months before you notice any level of degradation.
Any degradation that you see will likely tend to be more on the scale of textural change than anything else – it may become soft and rubbery.
Chicken of the Woods can last up to 7-9 days in the fridge if stored properly in a paper bag or a Ziploc bag with a paper towel. However, it is recommended to consume them within 5 days to ensure freshness.
How Do You Defrost Chicken of the Woods?
The simplest way to defrost chicken of the woods is to place the sealed bag in the centre of your fridge overnight.
That will allow any level of ice to melt, while also ensuring itās stored at a safe temperature thereafter.
Can You Refreeze Chicken of the Woods?
Yes, you can refreeze chicken of the woods.
The only items you cannot refreeze are fish, meat, and raw dairy – these can all grow bacteria, while thawed, and then spread that bacteria to other items in your freezer.
It is totally safe to thaw and refreeze chicken of the woods, though repeated freezing might result in slow textural degradation.
Does Chicken of the Woods Freeze Well?
Yes, chicken of the woods does freeze well.
Itās got quite a unique cellular structure, meaning that the mushrooms tend not to get freezer burned, leading to a well-preserved mushroom when itās thawed out.
Related FAQs
If youāve still got questions about freezing chicken of the woods or foraged mushrooms in general, then these may help:
Yes, foraged mushrooms can be frozen, but they need to be cleaned, blanched, and stored correctly in airtight freezer bags or containers for up to 6 months.
Both drying and freezing wild mushrooms are good preservation methods, but it depends on personal preference and intended use. Dried mushrooms have a more concentrated flavor and can be stored for longer periods, while frozen mushrooms retain their texture and are better for cooking.
Sources
We have verified the information on this page using the following resources:
