Dried mushrooms are a great resource, they are rich in flavor, perfect in hundreds of dishes and they are kept practically forever. You can rehydrate and incorporate them into soups, cook them in risotto or with pasta; they go well with almost any recipe you can think of. Follow the instructions in this article to dry the mushrooms.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: In the Oven
Step 1. Clean the mushrooms you want to dry
If possible, use a brush or dry kitchen paper to remove any remaining soil. You don't have to wet them when you clean them because, during the drying or storage phase, the humidity promotes the growth of mold and other inedible fungi that could cause food poisoning.
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If there are stubborn traces of grime that you can't brush off, then you can give it a try with a damp cloth or paper towel. Then remember to rub the same area with a dry cloth to absorb any residual moisture.
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Step 2. Cut the mushrooms
The greater their thickness, the greater the drying time. To speed up the process, cut them into slices about 3mm thick. Despite being quite fine, these pieces of mushrooms will retain a lot of flavor, will be perfect in any dish and, at the same time, will dry much faster than whole mushrooms.
Step 3. Place the slices on a baking sheet
Make sure they are lying flat on the side, next to each other. Also check that they do not overlap, otherwise they will stick together during drying. They have to create a single layer.
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Do not grease the pan as the mushrooms will absorb the oily substance, change their flavor and need more time to dry.
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Step 4. Preheat the oven to 65 ° C
When the appliance reaches the desired temperature, place the pan with the mushrooms in the oven and wait an hour.
Step 5. After this time, take out the pan
Turn each slice so that it dehydrates evenly and take the opportunity to absorb any residual moisture that has surfaced. You can use a cloth or kitchen paper for this.
Step 6. Re-bake the mushrooms
Dry them for another hour or until they are completely dehydrated.
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When you take them out of the oven, check that they do not have a liquid on the surface; if not, dab them with absorbent paper and put them back in the oven.
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Step 7. Continue like this until the mushrooms are completely dry
Repeat the process several times; mushrooms are completely dry when you can break them as neatly as a cracker.
Step 8. Wait for them to cool
Once out of the oven, allow them to come back to room temperature on the pan. Don't put them in a sealed container right away, otherwise the steam will get trapped, generating condensation and thwarting all your efforts.
Step 9. Store the dried mushrooms in an airtight container
When they are completely cold, place them in a container that has an airtight lid. Keep them in a dark and cool place until you need to use them for a soup, for a baked pasta or for a delicious risotto.
Method 2 of 3: Naturally
Step 1. Clean and slice the mushrooms
As previously described, you should limit yourself to using a dry cloth or brush. Do not use water, otherwise what remains soaked in the fungi could trigger the development of molds and other dangerous fungi. Slice the mushrooms into 1.3 cm thick pieces.
Step 2. Check the weather forecast
This method relies on sunlight and dry days. If there is too much moisture in the air, the mushrooms will take too long to dry out and may become moldy.
Step 3. Find the right place to dry them
You can think of placing them in very sunny rooms, on windowsills or on a flat roof that allows good air circulation. Choose a place where insects, birds and moisture cannot reach them.
Step 4. Arrange the mushrooms for drying
At this point you have two options: you can place them on a drying rack or you can string them with kitchen twine.
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If you decide to use the grill, arrange the mushrooms in one layer. Make sure they do not overlap, otherwise they will stick together or they may curl up into strange shapes. Cover the mushrooms and the grill with a netting similar to a camping mosquito net that you can buy at home improvement stores and hardware stores. If you don't have a mosquito net, you can protect the mushrooms with a mesh fabric draped over the grill. In this way the insects will not be able to contaminate the fungi.
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If you prefer to use kitchen twine you will need to create a sort of mushroom "necklace". For this purpose he sterilizes a needle by placing it over a flame. Then insert the slices of mushrooms one by one as if you were creating a necklace.
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Step 5. Place the mushrooms in the area you have set up for drying
If you have chosen the twine method, hang the necklaces somewhere sunny and dry. Check the process several times a day.
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Consider finishing the drying in the oven if, after a couple of hours of sun exposure, the mushrooms are not yet dry. To do this, follow the instructions listed in the first method of this article.
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Method 3 of 3: With the Freezer
Step 1. Spread some kitchen paper on a flat surface
Arrange the cleaned mushroom slices on it. Try to create a single layer without overlapping pieces, otherwise they will stick together. It is of fundamental importance that the mushrooms are perfectly dry. If there was even a minimum residue of moisture, the water would turn into ice, ruining the mushrooms.
Step 2. Place another sheet of kitchen paper on top of the mushrooms
Keep making alternating layers of paper and mushrooms until you are done with the latter.
Step 3. Put everything in a paper bag
Obviously you will need to use a large bag that can hold all the mushrooms and kitchen paper. The bag allows the water to evaporate as the mushrooms dry out.
Step 4. Put the bag in the freezer
Over time, the mushrooms will begin to freeze and dry out. This is a much slower process than previously described, but it is effective, especially if you don't plan on using mushrooms right away.
Advice
- Dried mushrooms have a stronger aroma than fresh ones, so you can use them in smaller quantities in your preparations.
- You can use boiling water or broth to rehydrate dried mushrooms before cooking them.
