Drying naturally takes a large amount of time, which greatly saves the technical device. Its indispensability in everyday life has already been appreciated by many housewives. Moreover, mushroom drying has the following advantages:
- high speed of the drying process, especially in comparison with the natural method;
- no need to wait for sunny and warm weather;
- you don’t have to look for a large area to accommodate all the dried products;
- rotting of products for drying is excluded;
- hygiene, as the penetration of insects or dust is completely excluded;
- the ability to control the drying temperature, its time and ventilation, which are different when drying a variety of products.
More recently, an oven was used for quick drying.
But after this method, combustion products may remain on pieces of products, because of inexperience, you can dry or even cook the products.
Drying for mushrooms and fruits - device
Electronic devices in which mushrooms and fruits, as well as other products are dried , are very diverse, manufacturers add their additional functions to the device, change its appearance, and equip it with various regulators. But the principle of operation remains the same. To understand the types, you need to roughly know what you need for a particular consumer.
The general scheme of such a device consists of a heating element and a fan. This is usually the pallet on which the products are placed. It does not come in contact with the heater, and the fan pumps a stream of warm air onto the products. Closed devices are very popular, because they are more hygienic. The devices can be either round or square, with a different number of tiers. The drying of porcini mushrooms in this apparatus is much simpler, preserving the aroma and taste.
The dryer operates as follows. Prepared fruits are cut and stacked on pallets. Then heated air dries the food. The fan speeds up the process. All products are processed evenly.
Varieties of devices
The main difference that drying for mushrooms has is the heating element installed in the apparatus. The temperature of heating the air depends on it. According to this principle, two types are distinguished.
Convection
The device uses a heating heater, which creates a high temperature. Such devices are more economical and efficient. The only negative is that hot heating helps to destroy beneficial elements and vitamins in foods. The drying temperature of mushrooms should not exceed 60 degrees, so you should pay attention to this fact when choosing a dryer.
Infrared
The heater has an infrared device, which makes the device a little cumbersome, and the process is longer. But such equipment will give a better result, preserve the original color of the products, and also will not destroy vitamins.
Dryer selection by design features
The shape of the drying apparatus can be different - it all depends on the preferences of the consumer, although the form itself does not affect the process, which can not be said about the material, size and internal elements.
The case, which has a mushroom dryer, is made of two types of materials: stainless steel and plastic for food purposes. The first option is reliable and durable. Often it is complemented by a transparent door, which makes it more stylish. But steel increases the weight of the entire apparatus, and accordingly the cost. The second option is more economical and lightweight, it is convenient to disassemble and wash.
Visually assess the capacity of the dryer by its size. If such a device is not used often, and a small amount of products is to be dried in it, then it makes sense to consider compact options. For those who often pick berries, it is better to find a voluminous structure with a large number of tiers so that they can fit as many as possible.
The location of the fan and the heater is important for volumetric devices. Trays are better blown when finding elements on the side, but for small models this does not matter.
The trays that are attached to the dryer must meet the requirements of the consumer. If we are talking about universality, it is better to choose models equipped with containers of different heights or having height adjustment, with a fine or large mesh, as well as a flat and solid sheet for making pastille.
Choosing a device according to technical data
It is important to know the following specifications that are useful in using the device:
- Power . The value of this parameter is from 165 to 1000 watts. It all depends on the purpose for which the device is purchased. With a 3-5-level design, 300 W is enough power, while for 6 and above, up to 600 W is required. The average value is optimal when drying is needed for mushrooms and berries. The highest value is suitable for drying meat or large vegetables.
- Temperature Selecting this option is not always available. Often one range is set from 50 to 55 degrees, while only turning the device on or off is possible. If this function is provided, then there can be three options: 35 degrees - gentle drying (Low), 55 - the most optimal option (Medium), 60-75 - high temperature for meat or fish (High).
- Additional features . Such options are not always required, but they can play a role in the selection. For example, surge protection. It will enable the appliance to serve much longer. Drying for mushrooms can be equipped with a timer, while not having to follow the process. The thermostat will provide the desired temperature, and the backlight will help to monitor the level of drying without opening the appliance.
Model Overview
At the moment, electric dryers of both foreign and domestic production are available.
A simple device device leads to the fact that often the assembly of nodes occurs in a low-quality way or using cheap materials.
In order not to become a victim of low-quality equipment, it is better to pay attention to models tested by consumers from various manufacturers. A list of the most popular dryers can be made as follows:
- Tefal DF 1008 , which has a power of up to 525 W, has 5 removable levels and 3 modes - 40, 60 and 750.
- Zelmer 36Z011 has compact dimensions, 300 W power, 4 pallets are available, there is an electronic type control with two modes, weighing 3 kg, a plastic case.
- VES VMD-1 - has 5 departments, power 300 W, design weight 2 kg.
- Scarlett SC-421 - has 5 tiers, power 250 W, transparent plastic case, there is a fan.
- "Veterok-5" - holds 5 pallets, power 500 W, weight up to 4 kg, has a temperature adjustment function in the range of 30-70 degrees.
- "Dry M" - holds 8 trays, power 500 W, weight - 4 kg.
The price range for dryers starts at 3,000 rubles.
How to dry mushrooms in the oven
You can dry them in several ways and in different devices - from natural drying to the microwave. It is desirable that convection be provided in the latter. Drying mushrooms in it will not be a troublesome affair.
The processing of ceps does not differ from the drying process of other species. The first step is to prepare the products, that is, to clean them. It is better to do this without water, later it will be difficult to remove it, since the product itself already contains a significant amount of moisture. Next they need to be cut. Pieces can be of different sizes - it all depends on moisture. The drier the mushroom, the thinner the piece can be. It should be remembered that drying time will be reduced if the pieces are small. Small mushrooms such as honey mushrooms are to be dried whole.
Drying porcini mushrooms in the oven can be as follows. String prepared mushrooms on a string and hang near the oven door. You can hook the threads on nearby handles of boxes or other objects. Cover the oven door a bit so that the mushrooms are between it and the oven itself. Then turn on the heating plate to the smallest mode. The process will take a little more than an hour.
Other processing methods
There is such an option as drying mushrooms in the oven with convection. For this, prepared pieces should be laid out on a baking sheet pre-coated with several layers of parchment paper so that the pieces do not touch. Then heat the oven to 60 degrees and place the mushrooms. Turn on convection mode and wait about 30-60 minutes.
Another way is to dry the mushrooms in the microwave. This process will take a lot of time and require a lot of attention. It is necessary to clean and prepare the mushrooms, dab excess moisture with a napkin. Otherwise, the mushrooms will simply boil. Next - place them on a plate covered with paper. Set the lowest power on the microwave and set the time to 15 minutes. After its expiration, you need to ventilate the oven and leave the mushrooms for about 10-15 minutes. Then repeat the procedure 3-4 times.
Drying mushrooms in an electric dryer
The best option for processing them is a special device. Freshly picked mushrooms are cleaned, but do not forget that you should not wash the mushrooms before drying. Excess moisture will only slow down the process. Next, cut them into pieces.
The smaller they are, the faster the process will go. The thickness should not be more than one centimeter. After that, each tier of the device is filled with forest gifts, and drying of mushrooms begins in the electric dryer. The temperature is not more than 60 and not less than 50 degrees. Time - from 2 to 6 hours. To speed up the process, you can swap trays in the bottom with the top. Determining readiness is very simple, the pieces should visually look dry, while not breaking, but springing a little. If they are wet, then you still need to dry it. When they break and are too hard, then the product is overexposed.
So, we found out how mushrooms are dried.