Is it better to freeze morels or dehydrate them? This is an important question to ask when you want to preserve your morels.
Morels are not gotten every day of the year so it is very important to store them whenever it is in season.
They are usually available for picking in the spring season for a few months.
If you want to enjoy the goodness that morel brings, you have to find an effective way to preserve it so you can have all-year access to the flavorful mushroom.
Yes! It is better to freeze morels than dehydrate them. Frozen morels can stay for as long as 20 years when freeze dried and they can still retain up to 90% of their original quality.
Morels – What Are They?
Morels are thick, meaty mushrooms with a nutty flavor. The flavor is so rich and earthy that the mushroom has garnered a lot of lovers across the world.
If you want to enjoy your morels as best as they come, you have to cook them fresh.
Eating it fresh will make you enjoy all the yummy goodness that comes with mushrooms especially exotic ones like morels.
The fact that morels are not available for harvest all year long has therefore made it a big candidate for food storage.
You have to effectively store your morels if you want to have access to it all year long.
Morels are cooked just like other mushrooms or with a whole lot of exciting variations to suit your taste buds.
I suggest that if you want to cook large morels, you can add desired stuffing to their hollow stalks
Tip: When you want to harvest your morels, confirm to see if the stalks are hollow and discard them if they are not because fake morels can be poisonous.
So, Is It Better to Freeze Morels or Dehydrate Them?
If you want to know if it is better to freeze or dehydrate your morels?’, you have to read this article to the end to know more. and also learn how to preserve your morels with these methods and choose what works best for you.
It is better to freeze your morels than dehydrate them for the best quality and longevity.
Freezing and dehydration are the two most popular ways of preserving your morels but freezing is the best among the two options.
Freezing can make your morels last up to 20 years while dried morels start to go bad after one year.
Some methods of freezing might be expensive, like freeze-drying and this is when I suggest you cook them first and then freeze them in your home freezer with the liquid you cooked them in.
If you do not have access to a freezer, then you can dehydrate your morels with the sun or the oven as a better alternative.
Note: Freezing remains the best option for preserving your morels.
How To Preserve Morels
There are basically a few ways to preserve your morels till when you are ready to eat them.
Morels, like other mushrooms, cannot stay at room temperature for more than a few hours before they start to lose taste and quality.
It is, therefore, necessary for you to get a convenient and lasting method to keep your morels.
You can refrigerate your morels. This option works best when you want your morels preserved for less than five days.
It is a fast and easy method to keep your morels fresh.
But you have to switch to other preservation methods after five days to prevent your morels from going bad in the fridge.
These methods could be freezing or dehydration.
Option #1: Freezing The Morel
This is the most popular option for preserving your morels. You can store your morels in the cooked form with its liquid in your deep freezer.
This can make your morels last for as long as a year. You can also have them freeze-dried in a freeze-dryer.
This is the best method it can preserve them for up to 20 years. You can freeze your morels in two ways.
You can freeze dry them in a freeze dryer or you freeze them with liquid in your normal freezer.
Can We Preserve Morels In a Deep Freezer?
This is the most common method of freezing your morels at home. Try the following steps for an excellent result.
First, clean your morels with water. Then go ahead to steam your morels in a steam basket and pour them into iced water immediately after steaming (blanching).
Pat them dry with paper towels and place them carefully on the freezer tray. Then freeze until the morels become solid.
Transfer the Frozen morels inside a freezer bag or an airtight container. Finally, label the bags and place them in the freezer.
Tip: Do not soak your morels in salt water if you want to keep them for long as this can make them soggy
How To Freeze Morels With Freeze Dryer
Even though freeze drying is the most expensive method, it guarantees the best result for preservation if you can afford it.
A lot of superstores and farms use this method to keep their morels available for sale throughout the year.
You should follow the steps below when you want to use the dryer for your morels;
Step #1: Prepare The Morels
This is when you cut your morels into half and clean off the dirt, insect, and debris with a running-water rinse.
This stage is important and it has to be done carefully so as not to ruin the morels and also get as much dirt out of it as possible.
You can slice your mushrooms into whatever size you want but smaller sizes dry up faster.
Step #2: Pre-freeze Your Morels
This will get the job done faster. You arrange your clean morels on a freezer tray and freeze them for hours until they become solid.
Step #3: Arrange Them In The Freeze Dryer
Transfer your frozen morels to the freeze dryer by arranging the frozen morels on the freeze dryer trays and loading them in.
The freeze-drying process might between 24hrs and 48hrs. you have to constantly check on the morels to confirm when it’s dry.
Option #2: Dehydrating The Morel
Dehydration is another excellent way of preserving your morels. It is the process of removing water from your morels.
Dehydrating your morels can guarantee you good taste and quality for up to one year.
It is also necessary to dehydrate if you want to turn your morel into powder.
Morel powder will provide additional mushroom flavor to your meals so I highly recommend this method.
How To Dehydrate Morels With A Dehydrating Machine
The food dehydrator or dehydrating machine is commonly used commercially but it can also be owned personally. You can use this to dry your morels.
Step #1: Prepare Your Morels
This is when you clean your morels thoroughly under running water to clear them of debris, insects, and dirt.
Cut them into thin slices for a faster result.
Step #2: Set Your Dehydrating Machine
I suggest you set the temperature of your dehydrating machine to about 125F for a quick result.
But to be honest, setting the temperature is totally up to you depending on how much time you are willing to leave your morels in the dehydrator.
Step #3: Put In Your Morels
Arrange your morels on the dehydrator tray and make sure not to pile them up on each other so the morels won’t stick together.
Constantly check on it to rotate the trays every few hours. Once the morels are dry, they will be brittle and snap when you break them.
Tip: Try to use a quality dehydrator because the fake ones can produce bad results for your morels.
Read Next: The Disadvantages Of Eating Mushroom
Conclusion
Is it better to freeze your morels or dehydrate them? Yes, it is.
Freeze drying is the best way of preserving your morels for at least 20 years and they will still retain up to 90% of their original flavor.
Try and follow all the necessary steps involved in your preferred method of preservation.
Once you do so you will have your morel available to enjoy for all days of the year and not just when they are in season.
Enjoy!