Drying mushrooms (4 methods): how to properly make dry mushrooms

Mushrooms can be consumed not only fresh, but also dried. This method is the most attractive, as it allows you to preserve your find for a long time, use it as seasonings, an addition to dishes, and also as an ingredient for making medicines according to folk recipes.

However, the find will lose all its beneficial and taste properties, and will generally deteriorate if drying was carried out incorrectly. And this is possible if you do not know the technology for working with a particular device, as well as some of the nuances of this issue.

Every experienced mushroom picker probably has a couple of ideas on how to properly dry mushrooms so that they delight you with their taste, aroma and beneficial properties for a long time. In this article we will look at how to properly dry mushrooms, how long such a procedure will take, what devices will be needed for this, and also cover other related issues

Rules for drying mushrooms

It is believed that drying is a simple, safe, affordable method for harvesting and further storage of forest inhabitants. Dried mushrooms are stored for a long time and can easily lie on your shelf in a special container.

Another significant advantage is the fact that in terms of the amount of nutrients and beneficial vitamins, these mushrooms are superior even to their pickled and salted counterparts.

As for the amount of protein content in dried mushrooms, they contain much more than in canned mushrooms.

And drying allows you not only to preserve the mushroom shape, but also all their advantages. Among them are a light aroma, a pleasant taste and, of course, the necessary amount of vitamins and minerals. However, not all mushrooms can be dried. Some people tolerate this procedure really well and are great to use after a month or two. Others, on the contrary, lose all their beneficial properties, including nutritional ones, and may become harmful and tasteless.

What mushrooms are recommended to be dried?

For convenience, we will divide mushrooms into classifications according to their structure.

Tubular

This is a large group of forest inhabitants, which includes many of the mushrooms known to us that grow in central Russia. Among them, the following names are suitable for drying:

Polish mushroom,
flywheels,
boletus,
White mushrooms,
oak trees,
boletus,
goats.

Marsupial mushrooms

These are morels and white truffle.

You can read about Ascomycetes on Wikipedia.

Lamellar

These include:

summer honey fungus,
winter,
autumn,
umbrella mushroom,
Champignon,
deer mushroom,
hanger

Polypores

The tinder fungus is variegated and branched.

Chanterelles

Common chanterelle.

This is not a complete list, but it covers all known mushrooms in Russia. If you managed to collect other names in your basket, be sure to write to us about it in the comments below, we will be happy to help with advice.

The benefits and harms of dried mushrooms

Before moving on to drying, you need to find out what the benefits of this procedure are and whether there can be harm.

First, let's look at all the positive factors.

Dried mushrooms contain a huge amount of useful vitamins, minerals and substances. Some of them can even fight cancer.
Dried mushrooms can be 80% absorbed by the human body.
They have a positive effect on the secretion of gastric juice.
Recommended for consumption even on a diet.
Restores the beauty of hair, skin and nails.
They have a positive effect on the health of people suffering from angina pectoris.
Have a beneficial effect on the liver, eyes and bone marrow.
Recommended for atherosclerosis.
Allows you to restore damaged cells in the body.
They break down fats, which contributes to the weight loss effect.

But despite such obvious advantages, there are disadvantages that you should also be warned about.

It is not advisable to give dried mushrooms to children under 12 years of age. This concerns not only the possibility of poisoning, but also, in principle, the child’s body cannot yet digest such complex food.
Some mushrooms contain substances that are not typical for people with individual intolerance. Be sure to check this in advance.
Of course, such mushrooms should not be consumed if you have liver disease, kidney disease, or any problems with the digestive system.

Calorie content of dried mushrooms

Naturally, the calorie content of mushrooms depends directly on the type you collected. However, nutritionists recommend eating any dried mushrooms, since, in principle, their calorie content does not vary much, especially in dried form.

Important! For example, per 100 g of product, mushrooms contain on average 30 g of proteins, 15 g of fat, and 10 g of carbohydrates.

Agree, this is not so much, and considering that with such ingredients you can prepare a huge number of dishes, you can be absolutely sure that you will not add extra pounds, and you will definitely get rid of a couple of three.

If the mushrooms are dried and ground, then one tablespoon will contain approximately 25 g. But a glass will contain about 160 g in the form of spices.

Butter

Russian forests are rich in boletus, so many housewives do not know what to do with them during the mushroom picking season. It is worth noting that this type has a good taste, contains a lot of essential oils, complete protein, amino acids, vitamin B and D. Dried butternuts promote rapid recovery from illnesses. Before the procedure, it is important to remove the skins of mushrooms that are not eaten. You can dry boletus in any way, depending on the available equipment. Below is a recipe for an electric dryer.

Cooking method:

Freshly harvested boletus is sorted, cleaned, and the film is removed from the caps.
Cut into slices 5 mm thick.
Lay out on a special grid in one layer.
Dry for 4-5 hours until the product is ready.

How to store dried mushrooms

This issue needs to be given special attention. The fact is that improper storage of mushrooms can cause mold, spoilage, insect breeding, and so on. In order to protect your work from such developments, you must use general rules that allow you to preserve products in the desired form for a long time.

Storage should be carried out in a dry room, box and dry place. It is advisable to ventilate the room frequently. It is ideal if there are no foreign odors nearby, since mushrooms that are stored in an unopened jar can absorb not the most pleasant aromas.
If you have ground morels or porcini mushrooms, then storage should be carried out in a closed box or drawer. Other types can be placed in plastic bags.
If you purchase special clean containers in the form of jars for storage, then the mushrooms in this state can last from several months to several years.
Ideal conditions are considered to be a temperature that does not exceed 60 degrees Celsius, and air humidity does not cross the border of 75%.

Drying nuances

Naturally, in the matter of drying mushrooms, there are established rules that should be strictly followed.

The fact is that not all mushrooms can be dried. Some types are not suitable for this; they have a bitter taste and not the most pleasant aroma. Therefore, initially check the possibility of drying certain types of mushrooms on the Internet.

It is believed that marsupial or tubular mushrooms are the most ideal. Among them are boletus, flywheel, oiler, chanterelle and honey fungus.

Once you have decided on the types that can be dried, you need to sort. This is done in order to rid the mushrooms of debris, and also to remove old, rotten, damaged mushrooms. It is not recommended to eat them.

Cleaning of grass, dirt and leaves is necessary; it is better to do this with a special brush.

Important! It is not recommended to wash mushrooms before you dry them. However, wiping with a damp cloth to remove dust and pieces of soil is recommended.

You need to cut the mushrooms into small slices, the thickness of which does not exceed half a centimeter.

Among the abundance of drying options, it is better to give preference to sunlight. However, this method can only be used on a hot summer sunny day. If you do not have such an opportunity, then of course, you can use other options.

Choose the right temperature, otherwise you may not dry the mushrooms completely, which could easily provoke putrefactive processes or poisoning. And if you set the temperature too high, then you risk frying the mushrooms to the point where they can no longer be eaten.

Preparation

Experienced mushroom pickers advise not to wash mushrooms, but to remove soil, leaves and dust with a soft cloth, slightly moistening it with water.

Then you should sort through them - only mushrooms that are dense, not overripe and not affected by worms need to be dried. Chanterelles, honey mushrooms and butterflies usually have their stems removed.

Mushrooms can be dried either whole or chopped. In the first case, proper and uniform drying can be ensured by selecting specimens of the same size. When cutting mushrooms, it is desirable that the resulting parts (slices, circles, quarters) have the same thickness. It is better to use a plastic knife for this purpose - it will not lead to oxidation of the pulp and, accordingly, to a deterioration in the taste of the finished product. To preserve the color of mushrooms cut into slices, you should start drying immediately after cutting.

Methods for drying mushrooms

Today, there are many possible variations of drying the catch you collected in baskets. Of course, each method has a number of nuances that are important to observe.

Sun drying

This is the cheapest, fastest, and most importantly reliable way to give mushrooms the desired fragility. However, you can use this method only if it is summer, hot outside, and the bright sun is shining. During the cold season or in case of cloudy weather, it is impossible to dry mushrooms in this way. Unfortunately, they will lose their original appearance, their beneficial properties and qualities, and most importantly, in the future they may even become harmful to human health.

Therefore, this method is recommended to be used only from June to August September.

Absolutely all mushrooms can be dried in the sun. And even if you have a large loggia, balcony, and large windows, you can immediately dry much more mushrooms by weight than in an oven, special drying, and so on.

To do this, you need to purchase special drying trays. However, the most common homemade diarrhea may also work, although it is recommended to cover it with a napkin or baking paper.
The next step is to cut the mushrooms. This is usually done in slices, but if necessary, you can trim the mushrooms into several parts, depending on the form in which you want to store them.
The mushrooms are carefully laid out so that they do not cover each other, thereby not creating a shadow. Otherwise, if the mushrooms overlap each other, they will no longer be able to dry well, which means they may rot.
Arrange the mushrooms and distribute them carefully.
It is not necessary to open the windows; it is enough that the sunlight will directly fall on your trays.
Wait a while. Usually, for the mushrooms to be well dried, it will take from several hours to several days, depending on the intensity of the sun and its location. But it is ideal if the mushrooms are exposed to sunlight all day long.
However, it is not recommended to expose mushrooms to the sun for more than 2 days.

Make sure that the place you choose is well protected from rain, dust, and all kinds of moisture. And also, so that it is well blown by the wind, so that the air around does not stagnate.

The mushrooms are carefully cut into slices, so they dry well.

In order to check that the mushrooms were heard correctly, you need to take one plate in your hand and try to bend it. If it really changes shape, then this means that you did everything absolutely right.

However, some mushrooms that have a fairly mucous membrane or dense pulp are difficult to auscultate. For example porcini mushrooms. They need to be dried in this way very intensively, for several hours or even days in a row. And still, possible rotting cannot be avoided if it turns out that the pulp inside has not been dried.

Oven

Oven drying is also another popular, simple and relatively quick method.

To do this, the mushrooms must be placed on baking paper. Naturally, they are first cut into several parts or cut into even plates. Make sure that the temperature in the oven is optimal, between 60 and 70 degrees Celsius.

It is important that air constantly circulates in the oven, so the doors are not closed tightly, leaving a small opening.

Periodically, the mushrooms need to be stirred and placed in different directions so that each of them receives its own portion of heat.

If you want to dry several trays of mushrooms at once, then it is recommended to swap them, periodically moving them up and down. First one, then the other.

However, it is not recommended to dry more than two trays at the same time, otherwise the efficiency of the oven will be sharply reduced.

This drying method is the most optimal if you live in the city and do not have the opportunity to keep mushrooms in the sun for a long time. You can process mushrooms in this way in a few days if you have gained a few kilograms.

Also, you can place mushrooms not only on a tray, but also on a special wire rack, having previously covered it with baking paper.

Mushrooms that are similar in size are selected. If you place babies and large individuals, then in this case you risk that some will be very dry, or others will not dry completely.

Make sure that the mushrooms do not touch each other, thus preventing them from baking evenly.

If the mushrooms are too small, then you should not raise the temperature above 45 degrees Celsius. Unfortunately, if the temperature is higher, protein substances will begin to be released from the fungus in large quantities. This can significantly worsen the drying process; the mushrooms will acquire an unpleasant and unsightly dark color.

If you start to mash the mushrooms, you will notice that they break off, this means that the drying was carried out incorrectly.

After the mushrooms have dried, they will no longer stick to your hands, and you will know that they are ready. In this situation, the temperature can be raised to 80 degrees Celsius and maintained in this form for some time.

It is impossible to give precise recommendations on the temperature regime and interaction time. Everything is so individual that you need to comprehend this subtle science only through experience.

Make sure that the mushrooms have legs and caps of the same size, as well as approximately equal layers of pulp. But even if you didn’t find the same mushrooms, don’t be upset, just remove the small ones from the oven in a timely manner, adding more.

Microwave

This method is not suitable as a conveyor method, since a microwave consumes a large amount of electrical energy, and in order to dry a couple of kilograms of mushrooms you will have to go broke. Most likely, this method is suitable if you need to dry a very small batch of mushrooms in a very short time.

You can’t work in this way with every microwave, but only with one that has high speeds.

Mushrooms for this method of drying must be previously prepared. They should be well peeled and cut into very thin slices. Then, they are carefully laid out on a special large plate, and then the power is set to approximately 180 watts. Set the time for 20 minutes and start the microwave. Open the door every 5 minutes and monitor the condition of the mushrooms.

Repeat this several times until all 20 minutes are completed.

As a result, you get good, beautiful dried mushrooms that bend well and smell nice.

This drying method is quite expensive both financially and in time. You will have to stand near the microwave for a long time, checking the condition of its contents. This is not entirely convenient or pleasant, so we strongly recommend that you choose other methods and leave the microwave in case you need to do something urgent.

Drying in a Russian oven

Today it is very difficult to find that same Russian stove, especially considering that modern people live in apartments. But still, if you find yourself in a village and the opportunity arises to use this method, do not get lost.

You will need a special oven rack or baking tray. Mushrooms need to be laid out carefully, caps down. If there are enough of them, they can even be strung on elongated knitting needles.

All these devices are placed in the oven. The oven is lit to a temperature of 70 degrees. If the temperature is high, then it is not recommended to start drying, since the mushrooms will very quickly fry, blacken or burn.

If the temperature is set below 50 degrees, they will dry very slowly, as a result of which they will quickly deteriorate.

Before you load the mushrooms, you need to do some work. For example, you need to sweep the oven well and do everything to ensure that there is no ash left there.

It is ideal if you rinse the stove well in advance.

During drying, you need to close the stove, holding the damper with bricks. But it needs to be opened periodically to ensure uniform air circulation.

Do not forget that the chimney must always be open. About halfway shut. As the mushrooms dry out, close the valve very tightly. In this case, the mushrooms will dry unevenly, small ones quickly, large ones longer. Therefore, check the baking sheet and promptly remove those that are already starting to dry out.

If you do not dry the mushrooms completely, they will quickly begin to mold and become unusable.

Boletus

If your trip to the forest was successful and you collected a lot of boletus mushrooms, then the excess mushrooms can be dried. This preparation option is not inferior to pickled ones in taste and benefits. However, in order for the finished product to be of high quality and well stored, you should follow the instructions. The action plan depends on how the housewife decides to dry the boletus. It is important to sort the mushrooms by size and first clean them of dust and dirt. In addition, the tubular cap is separated from the stem before drying. Below is a step-by-step microwave recipe.

Cooking method:

Fresh, clean boletuses are cut into pieces of the same size.
Lay the raw materials in one layer on a flat plate and place in the microwave.
Choose a power of 100-180 W, dry for 20 minutes.
Take out the plate and drain the liquid from the boletus mushrooms.
Air the raw material for 5 minutes and put it in the microwave again for 20 minutes. The cycle is repeated until the dried boletus is ready.

Drying morels

There are separate rules for drying morel mushrooms.

You need to act very carefully with them, otherwise their fragile body can be quickly destroyed, and as a result you will get nothing.

Morel mushrooms include morels of various categories. They have a rather fragile, almost slimy body.

Therefore, you need to work with them very carefully. In order to dry them, the mushrooms must first be strung on threads. You can also use special gauze bags. Instead, nylon stockings are ideal, as they will hold the mushrooms well while allowing air to pass through.

Drying must be done in a well-ventilated area. The process is long, it will take about 6 months. During all this time, the oxygen that will circulate around can remove unnecessary toxins, thereby making the mushrooms useful for eating.

Champignon

One of the most popular types of mushrooms are champignons. They are sold fresh and frozen all year round, so they are rarely dried. However, some housewives prepare some dried champignons for the winter, because the product is convenient to store and can be used at any time to prepare various dishes. There are several ways to dry champignons. Below are step-by-step instructions with photos on how to prepare raw materials using thread in the fresh air.

Cooking method:

Peeled mushrooms are sorted by size or cut into pieces.
String the raw material onto a thread so that the pieces do not touch.
The resulting “beads” are hung in a room closed from water, dust, and UV rays.
Dry for several days until ready.

How to preserve dried mushrooms longer?

This question worries mushroom pickers and housewives the most, since if the storage method is chosen incorrectly, your efforts to dry them will be wasted.

In order to implement the technology correctly, you need to know some nuances. The fact is that dried mushrooms have lost almost all their moisture, so they try to absorb it from everything around them. This could be the container or the surrounding air. Therefore, it is easy to notice dampness or mold if you have not followed all the rules and regulations.

Mushrooms also very easily absorb foreign odors that are around. Therefore, when choosing a storage method, you need to make sure that the mushrooms are stored in very dry, well-ventilated areas. Ideally, if there are no sources of moisture nearby, the container will be safe and dry. And most importantly, it is airtight.

Metal or glass jars work best. Also, dried mushrooms can be easily stored in special bags made of gauze or linen. They can also be stored in a ventilated place, away from products that have a very strong odor.

If for some reason you find that the mushrooms have become damp or have acquired a foreign smell, you are advised to carefully sort them out and then dry them well.

In order to preserve mushrooms, you need to dry them well and make sure that they are no longer wet. Then, they are placed in sealed jars and carefully closed.

Important! Jars must be sterilized for a long time at a temperature of 90 degrees. Ideally, you should spend about 40 minutes on this. Remember that it is recommended to immerse mushrooms only in dry jars.

Also, there is a problem. If there is too much air left in the jar after moving the mushrooms there, it is likely that undesirable processes may begin. There are several good ways to prevent this from happening. This is sucking air out of cans. To do this, pour a small amount of alcohol onto the inner surface of the lid. They light it and at the same moment they begin to twist the jar. When the alcohol burns, it will consume absolutely all the oxygen that is in the jar, which means that the mushrooms will not undergo mold, rotting and other processes. At the same time, they are perfectly preserved even if you have not dried them well enough.

However, even after you have removed the mushrooms from the jar, they still need to be washed well. Do not forget that dust, dirt, etc. may remain on them.

It is ideal to soak already dried mushrooms before adding them to any dish.

It is recommended to soak not only in water, but also in milk, as it is believed that it absorbs toxins best.

Storage

You can store dried mushrooms in plastic containers

Ideal conditions for storing dried mushrooms are a dark, cool place with a temperature no higher than 20 degrees. Mushrooms do not tolerate proximity to strong-smelling products, as they very quickly absorb any odors. Plus, dried mushrooms do not tolerate high humidity, very quickly gaining moisture and molding.
You should not store dried mushrooms in completely airtight containers, since the slightest lack of drying will simply have nowhere for the moisture to go, which will lead to mold. The exception is special containers with the ability to pump out air, which creates a partial vacuum and allows mushrooms to be stored longer.
The ideal container for storing dried mushrooms is a linen bag, preferably a two-layer one. You can also use a cardboard container that closes tightly.

In some regions of Russia, dried mushrooms are still stored in the old way - in specially woven birch bark tueskas. Such items can be purchased at craft fairs, for example.
A good option for long-term storage of dried mushrooms is metallized cardboard chip tubes; they retain the aroma well and do not accumulate moisture. But glass jars with dried mushrooms should be opened for 10-12 hours every 2-3 months to remove water vapor.
It would be ideal to break the dried mushrooms into small portions and store them separately from each other; this will protect them from spoilage if mold grows in one of the portions or the mushrooms begin to rot.

How to prepare mushroom powder?

Dried mushrooms are not only stored in slices or parts; most often they are made into powder. The powder is ideal for making medicines or adding to food as seasonings.

However, the powder can only be made from well-dried mushrooms.

To prepare, you need to put well-dried mushrooms in a coffee grinder.
Turn on the required mode and ensure that the mushrooms are ground into flour. In this crushing, not only the pulp is destroyed, but also the hardened skin of the mushrooms, which means that they perfectly reveal their taste and enhance the aroma. In addition, mushrooms in this form are much better absorbed by the human body.

Mushroom powder is aromatic and very tasty, especially if it is made from porcini mushrooms.

In order for such a powder to become a spice, it is recommended to add salt, pepper, and a small amount of paprika to it.

Together it makes a very tasty combination.

Also, salt can greatly increase the preservation of such powder. If necessary, you can add other spices, for example, dried celery, parsley, cumin, and so on.

Mushroom powder is stored very compactly, in a small jar, and at the same time, it is very convenient to add it to food, both liquid and solid. However, in order for the powder not to lose its taste and aroma, it must be added to food 5 minutes before the end of cooking.

It is believed that the shelf life of such powder does not exceed one year, however, with proper technology, storage can be significantly increased.

For example, many housewives say that they use the powder for 5 years. However, we do not recommend that you take the risk as it is a very dangerous practice.

Soaking before use

Before adding to dishes, the semi-finished product is soaked in cold or slightly warm water for 7-8 hours in two stages. The first water with particles that have settled from under the washed and slightly swollen mushrooms is drained, and the water poured a second time can be used for cooking, after first straining through cheesecloth.

Some housewives note that the taste of boletus, boletus, and boletus takes on a creamy hue when soaked in milk.

When soaking dry mushrooms, it is more correct to focus not on time, but on the degree of softness of the pulp. For example, it is better to leave purchased pressed Chinese varieties (shiitake, matsutake) in water overnight.

Alternative devices for drying mushrooms

We looked at those options for drying mushrooms that are the most popular and widespread. However, these are not all of those that can be applied in a modern kitchen.

For example, many housewives who often dry fruits and vegetables use a special dryer for mushrooms. It has several tiers, sets a certain temperature, and in the end, you get a good dried product. This device is quite expensive, but it is very effective and is a good helper in the kitchen.

Some people manage to dry mushrooms in an air fryer. The operating principle of this device is as follows. The mushrooms are placed on a special grid in a container, after which the effect of convection begins from above at a certain set temperature. As a result of strong air circulation, the mushrooms are quickly blown through, a crust forms on them, and then they dry completely quickly. It turns out very tasty, and most importantly pleasant.

Electric grill

An electric grill is mainly used to roast meat or vegetables. Also, mushrooms are baked in it. However, they can also be dried if you apply strong pressure and set the required temperature. When exposed to high temperatures, mushrooms release moisture and dry quickly. True, it is recommended to store such mushrooms for no more than one month; at the first signs of rotting, you need to get rid of them. The fact is that in this way it is quite problematic to get rid of moisture entirely.

Now that you know everything about the nuances of drying mushrooms, you can proceed to this procedure yourself. The mushroom season will begin soon, which means you are sure to get a good catch. Just because fresh mushrooms cannot be eaten completely does not mean that you need to get rid of them. Try drying mushrooms and you will see how varied, unique and tasty the dishes on your table can be. We wish you pleasant experiments, and most importantly, choose for yourself exactly the method that turns out to be the most delicious, healthy, fast and simple.

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