Drying mushrooms is a great way to preserve them for long-term storage. This is relevant for you if you regularly collect this forest delicacy during the fall season or buy it in large quantities. In any case, if you have more fresh mushrooms than you can use, save money and effort by drying them. The shelf life of dried mushrooms is practically unlimited if they are in properly created conditions.
How to make such blanks?
Learning to dry mushrooms is easy. There are a number of different methods that usually focus on heating and moving air. To prepare the mushrooms for drying, it is important not to water them with liquid in the first place. If the product has absorbed too much moisture, drying becomes very long. If the mushrooms are dirty, wipe them with a damp cloth, and do not soak in water. But there are other circumstances that must be borne in mind. Only if they are observed, the shelf life of dried mushrooms can last for years.
The finished dried product must be dry and break easily. If the mushrooms still seem wet or bend, it is best to continue drying them. If they still contain some moisture, they may rot or mold. The shelf life of dried mushrooms prepared in violation of the technology will be very short.
Use the lowest temperature required to dry them. High heat can destroy some of the beneficial compounds in the product. In addition, the mushrooms can actually fry rather than dry.
What are the storage conditions for dried mushrooms? After drying, store them in an airtight container in a cool, dark place. Do not leave them outdoors, in direct sunlight, or in places with high humidity.
Precautions
If you use wild mushrooms, make sure that you know which species you have chosen before consuming them. Poisonous mushrooms will remain dangerous even after they have been dried.
Be careful if you are allergic to fungal spores. Heat and moving air can cause spores to spread throughout the room, so if you experience a reaction (respiratory or skin), move them to another location or stop drying. It is not worth your health, no matter how delicious it may seem.
How to prepare the forest harvest for drying?
Clean and inspect all mushrooms. Try to erase and cut off all contaminants without soaking the product in water. Wipe them with kitchen cloths on all sides. Throw away too soft or old mushrooms, as they have an increased level of humidity. This will lead to the fact that the heat generated by the dryer activates putrefactive processes in them. The shelf life of dried mushrooms that have not been previously dried will be very short.
What temperature is needed for drying?
A certain amount of heat can help develop good taste in dried mushrooms, emphasizing their aroma. If your dehydrator is set to 55 degrees or higher, this is the optimum temperature. However, some types of mushrooms will dry better at lower temperatures and a constant flow of air. Therefore, it is better to first put more heat, and then reduce it. This is feasible in such advanced dehydrator models as Voltaire 1000 Lux. If your dryer does not have a specific heating mode, you can always fry the mushrooms a little before drying them.
Do not dry them wet
If your mushrooms are wet from rain or air humidity, you should dry them first . To do this, spread the mushrooms in one row on a baking sheet, covering with a towel or a clean rag. Place in a cool, dry place so that they can release all excess moisture. After that, the drying process will be faster and better.
Thinly sliced mushrooms dry faster, thicker mushrooms take longer, and they can become too hard when cooked. It is better not to dry them whole if they are not hollow.
After the product is dried, it can be pulverized. So you get an excellent aromatic seasoning for soups and main dishes.
Food dehydrator
Drying mushrooms with a food dehydrator is a simple method that does not require much time and supervision. Keep in mind that the more product you try to dry at a time, the longer it may take.
How to dry mushrooms in a dryer? Slicing into slices will make them dry faster and easier. You can cut them into pieces 1 cm thick or, depending on the shape and size, divide them into halves or quarters (lengthwise). Arrange the mushrooms on pallets so that they do not overlap each other.
You can dry in one of two ways. In any case, the temperature should not be more than 65-70 degrees. You can set the maximum heating first, and after half an hour or an hour, set the setting to 50 degrees. The second way is to place the product to dry at a stable low temperature (45-50 degrees). This method is simpler. Of course, this may take a little longer, but you do not have to adjust the temperature, while there is much less risk of damage to the mushrooms.
Check them every few hours and remove them from pallets when they are dry. Depending on how many slices you put in the dryer, this can take a different time. However, some mushrooms can dry faster than others.
The same process can be performed using an ordinary oven (electric or gas). To do this, you need to decompose the mushrooms on a baking sheet in one layer and dry at 50-70 degrees.
How to dry the product?
As noted above, properly dried mushrooms should be almost brittle. If they remain soft and flexible and you do not have the opportunity to use the dryer further, you must provide the right conditions for their further drying.
This will require some heat and / or air circulation. These methods may include the following options:
- Hang them in a sunny place by threading them with a needle (like a Christmas garland).
- Place them in a container on a rack with a desiccant like silica gel. These substances remove moisture from the air, so they can dry out your forest harvest. However, make sure that your mushrooms do not touch the desiccant itself.
- You can also put the mushrooms in a mesh bag and hang them in a dark and dry place. The main thing is not to pack them too tightly. Having a fan or an air conditioner can speed up the process, but keep in mind that mold can appear on mushrooms in a humid room.
How long do dried mushrooms store? If you performed the preliminary preparation of the product correctly and completed the dehydration process to the end, the shelf life can last from one year to infinity. When stored under proper conditions, dried mushrooms may not go bad for a very long time.
What to do with the finished product?
How to cook dried mushrooms? Put them in boiling water for 20-30 minutes or simply grind into powder to add to soups and broths. In addition, you can restore them for proper cooking.
To do this, soak them in a small amount of water and leave for half an hour. If the soaking is too long, the product will lose its flavor. In addition, mushrooms can become too slippery, especially if it is a soft variety.
What can be done with them after soaking? If they have become quite soft, you can make soup from them, including mashed soup. Alternatively, you can fry them with onions and vegetables.