How to Prepare Maitake Mushrooms for the Freezer

[@suzannastein2963]

This was great! I realize I have been preparing these wrong.Thank you!

[@Star.tattoos]

This video is the best by far I’ve found. Found tons of bushels of these. So excited to prepare and keep them!

[@LucyTenenbaumLNO]

When you cook them after freezing do you thaw first?they get wet

[@billverheyden2561]

Good question, I froze some and didn’t care for them. Awesome fresh n thanks for the tips

[@cgil1974]

TY for not killing the spider! As creepy as they are. LOL

[@cyclamengarden]

Amazing-Thanks for showing all the steps to preparing it for freezing. Very helpful.

[@francismarcoux8944]

According to that spider ... you are the chicken of the wood :)

[@trevorreilly963]

thanks for the help I just found a great spot for mitake and harvested about 16 lbs and I had no idea what I was going to do with it yet!

[@libbybaker6890]

Thank you. I love how you cut them into different use shapes.

[@johnarsenault9170]

Thank you so much for posting this. I was very leery when a friend gave us a "Hen of the Woods" mushroom that he "found in the woods". I appreciate your cleaning lesson and cooking tips, also. I'm looking forward to trying it!

[@AnaLopez-nk8zl]

Very helpful! I had no idea what to do with some my friend gave me, the burger idea sounds great!

[@jeansmith6124]

THANKS. I have harvested maitake in CT for a number of years. My daughter, a chef, has handled the prep and use. I now need to do it myself and your video was extremely helpful. I tried a steak this time, S&P and drizzle of cognac..tasty and filling. I was uncertain about freezing, but they are big and plentiful here and I use some for soup.

[@ryankrajewski831]

Bro, this is great. Thanks and much love. I found about 60 lbs yesterday. Definitely gonna freeze some. Appreciate the different cuts and uses too.

[@rochellekraut9922]

Wonderful video. Very helpful. I didn’t realize you could freeze the hen without cooking first. Will try this. I dint have dehydrator. Will try to dry some in law oven or over wood stove. Thank you,

[@phyllismccoy7103]

Thank you 😊 I was happy to see how you cleaned them. I was told you don't have to clean them, that didn't sound right to me... thanks again

[@tmagpie6273]

I just discovered maitake mushrooms at my local Hy-Vee grocery and your video was really helpful. Now I know how to clean and prepare them. I am really looking forward to eating them. Thanks!

[@thethangswedo1]

I wish my grocery would sell them, maitakes are a very beneficial mushroom. They boost your immune system.Were glad the video helped you out and thanks for watching. Keep in touch T Magpie

[@tmagpie6273]

They just appeared at the store a few weeks ago. It must be a seasonal thing. I was amazed to read about the benefits of maitake mushrooms. I am thinking of going back to buy up whatever is left at the grocery store and freezing it. Until I saw your video, I didn't know that they could keep in the freezer like that.

[@heidichristopherson7274]

Thanks for the video! We just found 7.4 lbs of Hens that I need to freeze. Found another smaller Hen as well and going to let it grow for a couple more days before harvesting. My 2nd favorite mushroom (morels are first) :)

[@thethangswedo1]

I still haven't found any hens since I moved to TN. I have friend down here that has told me about a mushroom that comes up every year around this tree in his yard so I'm hoping it's hens. Keep in touch!

[@davemaza5976]

My wife and I just found out these were edible after seeing them around our area (MD). Harvested some this weekend but they were a little past it, all were a bit woody and most full of worms. With the bit we were still able to use she made a nice dish though. I hope to get out earlier next year and find some nice ones like you got in this video.

[@mamadragon2581]

Don't know about insects, but there was a salamander in a big one that I hauled home once. He was escorted outside to the pile of leaves beneath one of our largest oaks and wished good luck.

[@kencurtis2403]

A very nice local man just gave me 2 of these huge mushrooms - I’m guessing 5-10 pounds total. I cooked some yesterday just to sample and make sure nobody was allergic and worked late today. But tomorrow we are going to have a big mushroom feast. I’m going to try to keep some fresh to share next weekend with family. But if it looks like it won’t stay fresh that long I will definitely be freezing what is left. He also gave me a small amount of oyster and lions mane.

[@mikeallardii9713]

Big man like you scared of that little spider, hahaha, that's funny. Thank you for the video I just scored a large amount of the hen of the woods and wasn't sure what to do with it all.👍

[@denaredford6701]

What a haul, very good .

[@zwhirlwhorled7570]

Found my first 3lb hen today. Horray! Even 3lb is alot. Read they have been reported 25 lbs to 100lbs. Found some bears head tooth earlier in that area, was surprised and delighted to almost stumble upon the hen. Going to freeze some and try deep frying with batter, thanks.

[@treacleandink]

Thanks for the video! Very helpful :D

[@joeharm8141]

We call them Ramshead Mushrooms from the Anthracite Coalregion. They are the ABSOLUTE best!

[@lilyw.719]

Skook here! I just found 30 lb here today. My first haul ever.

[@lilyw.719]

@@joeharm8141 Thanks! How do you like to use them? I sauteed a bunch up last night and thought it was good, but it's probably not one of my favorite sauteing mushrooms. I can see it going really well in roasts and stews and beef and mushroom stroganoffs, as well as Chinese stir fries. But what do you like to do with it?

[@lilyw.719]

@@joeharm8141 Oh, and do you have any tips on finding honey mushrooms? I think they're called pinkies around here.

[@honeybunny2245]

Your videos very helpful

[@harryyoho7090]

Thanks for the video. I went in blind last night. They are quite delicious though

[@malcolmwright4532]

Hey man thank you for your great ideas.

[@billblake7606]

SPIDER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol thanks for the video

[@SquarebodyTruckCamper]

This video was exactly what I was looking for! Thank you for posting this with all of the details you explained throughout. I found my first Maitake mushrooms today. 3 on one stump. I gathered just over a pound. I left the smaller (softball sized) one on the stump. How long should I wait to go harvest it? I don't want it to go bad. Thanks again for the info. Keep up the mushroom huntin!!!

[@thethangswedo1]

great job on finding the mushrooms, I remember finding my first bloom...I jumped for joy! I would wait about 7 days but keep going back and check on it and watch it grow! 1 bloom can weigh over 20 lbs if conditions are right. keep in touch and let me know how it turned out, cya!

[@SquarebodyTruckCamper]

+thethangswedo1 I ended up picking the softball sized one 3 days later and it had doubled in size. Then I noticed 3 more Maitakes growing from the same stump. It's only about an 18" stump but it is sure producing. I'm going to wait to see how big these next ones get.

[@francismarcoux8944]

How do you call picking the wrong mushroom in Japan. Mistake ( miss ta ki) lol

[@harveyhudspeth6824]

Thanks for the tips ! found my first batch yesterday , I got about 30 lbs & plan on finding more today ,was wondering how to preserve them.

[@thethangswedo1]

Find all the oak trees and look around them as far as 10 feet (The bigger the tree the better)and inside the crevices of the base of tree. Good luck and keep in touch to let us know how you did! Also, when driving down the road look at people's yards you'd be surprised at how many you'll see, stop and ask if you can have them. lol

[@harveyhudspeth6824]

thethangswedo1 you must of misunderstood my question , I know how to find them now , it was how to save them to use in the future ? Like freezing canning etc ? I did watch a video after the comment of a way to freeze them , just wondered what you may have tried that works ? Since I have so many

[@charronfamilyconnect]

Did you say that you blanch them before you freeze them? THanks!

[@rochellekraut9922]

I have Maitake fresh frozen in the freezer. i've been looking for a recipe that shows how to cook the mushroom from frozen. The ones I have found tell you to cook mushrooms before you freeze. I don't have an air fryer. I want to make a mushroom stew. I'm wondering the best way to handle the frozen maitake. Should I put them in a fry pan with oil and and cook them that way? and then add them to the recipe I'm going to use? Thank you!

[@JaredGammel]

Great video - very informative! You're not cooking the Hen at all before freezing correct? I've cleaned, battered and froze morels with good results before. You're not dehydrating, cooking, or breading them and still freezing them? Awesome finds! Thanks for sharing!

[@thethangswedo1]

No cooking at all and when you pull the bag out to defrost them, make a gravy with the liquid. Keep in touch my friend! Cya!

[@JaredGammel]

thethangswedo1 Thank you sir! I'll give that a shot!

[@tonis2u]

Thanks for this info, I found about 10lbs. I was walking in a State Park near my house which is full of old oak trees. The funny thing is that the park was full of people. They just looked at me picking the shrooms like I was crazy, lol. So, do you need to put flour on them? Does this help with the freezing process or can I just freeze without flour? Tks

[@mackelby1]

Found a one that is twice the size of my head yesterday. In central Missouri.

[@rodneycaupp5962]

Listen..., I'm comin over for dinner tonight. "Ground Venison steak burger, with a slab-o-shrooms"....

[@mlazNJ]

Ty for great video. Do they have to be completely dry before freezing? If so, do you just leave them out over night? Ty

[@thethangswedo1]

Just pat them dry with paper towels or a towel and store them in the freezer.

[@mlazNJ]

@@thethangswedo1 ty

[@honeybunny2245]

Yummy!

[@mymorelmaddness83]

I slice mine before I rinse...much easier to get bugs out. Never soak

[@ScottWConvid19]

Good video, thanx. What did you mean by "fire it" before it goes in the freezer? I read that they can grow up to 100 lbs, but I just found the biggest one of my life.... at about 6 lbs. lol

[@thethangswedo1]

Hey there Scott Wasinski, I had to watch the video to see what you meant by "Fire it" I'm thinking I said "Flour them" Flour them and then throw'em in the freezer. I hope that helps you out. Remember where you found your bloom because it will bloom again the following year. Keep in touch Cya!

[@ScottWConvid19]

thethangswedo1 Yeah, I think I have an internal GPS when it comes to where I find things of value. I can blindly walk up the morel patches in April/May and I never had trouble getting back to the sulfur shelf (chicken of the woods), I have some spots where the chestnut boletes and chanterelles pop every year. Same thing with fishin' holes and hunting spots. Like 9/11..."Never Forget" (It was an inside job, beyond any shadow of a doubt.)

[@thethangswedo1]

Heck yeah, mushroom knowledge! Always food available in the woods. Gourmet foods at that!

[@Zepster77]

he said he will freeze them after he "flours" them (spreads flour on them)

[@MattMohsOutdoors]

I like to put mine in a food saver bag

[@tracietowner9619]

So the hens freeze okay after washing them and just putting in freezer bags? I have found a ton of them this year for some reason, I think because of the crazy heat or something, but I am up to my ears in hens and chickens. Do you prepare chicken of the woods the same for freezing by any chance? Thank you for your video.

[@thethangswedo1]

Yes they will be fine, if you can vaccum seal them that would be better. Congrats on your harvest this year. Keep in touch!

[@tracietowner9619]

I don't have a vacuum sealer, but I do try to push out the air the best I can. Thanks so much!

[@thethangswedo1]

I do this with my zip locks, close them with a straw in it and suck the air out of bag...slide the straw and close the zip loc.

[@tracietowner9619]

Thank you! I wish I knew where I could get rid of these things, I will never be able to eat them all. My family won't touch them.

[@thethangswedo1]

This is true, I ended up dehydrating a big patch of them and ended up grinding it into power like flour and adding it to breads that I make.

[@mikeswincicki9504]

Member go on mushroom hunting with my dad 60 years ago and getting.cowsmugs and buttons mushroom man sometimes way to go and get bushels.full

[@francismarcoux8944]

I was told never to wash a mushroom?

[@yuri7765]

Droool...

[@drew-shourd]

Why kill that spider?...and WHY are you afraid of it??!!...you are like 20 billion times it's size......thumbs DOWN!

[@aaviator]

He didn't kill it. He put it outside