How to Store Chanterelles: 3 Ways to Preserve Chanterelles

Chanterelle mushrooms are wild mushrooms with a trumpet shape and vivid golden flesh. They're common in many European cuisines and are also native to the northwestern US. Chanterelles have a woodsy, mushroom flavor and a velvety texture that make them great for sautéing simply in butter or white wine and shallots.

There are multiple ways to store chanterelle mushrooms. Preservation methods for these wild mushrooms include:

1. 1. Refrigerate: You can store raw chanterelles in the refrigerator. Places the mushrooms in a paper bag or in a bowl loosely covered with a paper towel to let them breathe. They will last up to ten days in the refrigerator. If the chanterelles turn slimy, discard them.
2. 2. Freeze: You can store chanterelles in the freezer. First, remove some of their water by dry sautéing the chanterelles in a frying pan on the stove on medium-high heat. Cook the chanterelles for five to ten minutes until they release their juices and shrivel slightly. Remove the chanterelles from the heat and let cool before storing in a freezer bag in the freezer. Frozen chanterelles can last for a year in the freezer.
3. 3. Pickle: To pickle chanterelles for later use, first dry sauté the mushrooms. Then, add the chanterelles to a jar with a one-to-one mixture of water and vinegar, as well as any seasonings you want. Pickled chanterelles will keep for up to a year.

When storing chanterelles, keep the following in mind:

1. 1. Clean the mushrooms before use. Clean mushrooms from the grocery store before cooking them by rinsing them under running water. If you forage mushrooms or purchase them from a farm, clean them by dunking them into a bowl of water and remove the grime and dirt with a vegetable brush. Thoroughly dry the mushrooms with a towel before cooking.
2. 2. Use fresh chanterelles. Dehydrating chanterelles can cause them to lose their fruity flavor. It is best to preserve these mushrooms through other methods, such as refrigerating, freezing, or pickling.
3. 3. Use chanterelles straight from the freezer. After you freeze chanterelles, you can use them straight from the freezer without defrosting. You can add frozen chanterelles to many mushroom recipes, including stews, risotto, or savory pies.

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