Mushrooms: Plant them today and eat them next year (or how to store them in the pantry)

CantonigrosoThe chef Ignasi Camps, from the Ca l'Ignasi restaurant in Cantonigròs, has managed to freeze eighty kilos of mushrooms in a single season. As this is a bountiful mushroom season, she recommends her tricks to mushroom lovers so they can enjoy them all year round.

First, she sautées them in a pan, and once they've left the water, before it completely disappears, she puts them in a lunchbox and then in the freezer. "The water will act as a protector for several months," she explains. If they're sautéed neutrally (meaning without adding any spices or seasonings), the mushrooms, once defrosted, will pair well with any dish you want to cook.

Another method is to dry them in the sun, especially the yellow mushrooms and black trumpets, which are two of the mushrooms that survive this process best. "I sit them on a piece of newspaper, place a fence underneath, and put them in a ventilated place for two weeks." Sun-dried mushrooms also do well. The point is that after fifteen days, you'll need to bake them at 30 or 40 degrees, the minimum setting, for half an hour. Then, you'll need to place them in an airtight glass container, and they'll be ready to store in the pantry until you want to use them.

According to the chef at Cantonigròs, the best mushrooms to freeze candied in their own water (i.e., previously sautéed in oil) are chanterelles, milk cap mushrooms, and chanterelles. "I learned this method from chef Pep Salsetes, and it is really highly recommended."

In English (the Jungle), at the restaurant L'Aliança, with one Michelin star, had been testing mushroom sponge cakes. "Mushrooms also make dessert dishes, as well as starters and main courses," explained the chef. At first, it's odd, but as the chef prepares his steps, the result is clear: "The mushrooms go perfectly with all the other ingredients." On the menu, you'll find dishes featuring various mushrooms harvested from the nearby forests.

Chanterelle Cream of Catalan Cream

In Barcelona Chef Oriol Ivern, from the Hisop restaurant (one Michelin star), explains that there have been years when he's dared to try a chiitakes sweet, a mushroom that's almost considered medicinal due to its nutritional value, which is cultivated and, therefore, seasonal. With seasonal mushrooms, he's had a Catalan cream of chanterelle or camagroc mushrooms on the menu, and he still makes it when requested. "It's a hit because the combination is so popular," and as he says this, Oriol begins to detail the recipe, which he assures is simple. You need cream, chanterelles (or both, but not a mix), brown and white sugar, egg yolks, cornstarch, and milk. The first step is to infuse the chanterelles with the cream and then blend them. Then follow the usual steps for Catalan cream, adding the chanterelle and cream mixture. "At the table, I serve it with passion fruit ice cream and some chanterelle mushrooms made with caramel." The good season has meant that 65% of the dishes on Oriol's menu are based on mushrooms. From appetizers (shrimp mushrooms with pickled mushrooms and yuzu) to main courses (sea bass with scrambled eggs and hake with llenegues). He'll have these dishes for the duration of the season, because he always works with fresh mushrooms.

However, Oriol offers tips on how to store them properly at home. To start with, he says, if the mushrooms are to be consumed within the first week, once they've been harvested, they should be tightly wrapped in kitchen paper, and then in newspaper. With the two layers, they can then be placed in the refrigerator. With this method, "they'll keep perfectly for a short time, but in good condition."

Tongues and Bold

Oriol also suggests sautéing and then freezing them in their own water, but not for all mushrooms. "Níscalos and reig eggs are terrible like this," he says. On the other hand, arrow mushrooms and black mushrooms are wonderful. For chanterelles, the chef at Hisop explains that one method of preserving them is pickling. "Hisop's pickling involves sautéing the mushrooms in a pan with oil for five minutes, and once they release their water, add white wine vinegar, white wine, and aromatic herbs, such as thyme and garlic." All of this is stored in the refrigerator and can be used for meals a few weeks later. "As an appetizer, for example, pickled chanterelles are a good addition to a dinner party."