All about drying mushrooms - in the oven, on a string, in an electric dryer. Tips and instructions

Mushrooms are a healthy and nutritious product. It helps make a person's diet more varied. You can prepare many delicious dishes from them, but only in season. And sometimes you really want to treat yourself to rich mushroom soup or potatoes.

There is a solution - dry this product for the winter. This can be done in different ways, for example, in the oven, in the microwave, and in an electric dryer, and simply under the rays of the sun. The main thing is to know the algorithm and general recommendations for drying and further storage.

How to dry mushrooms at home for the winter in the oven

If you have had a fruitful year and managed to collect a lot of mushrooms, it makes sense to dry some of them. This can be done using the oven. Drying helps preserve the naturalness of the forest product and its nutritional value. At the same time, storage will be compact, because the fruits lose about 75-90% of their original volume.

Tubular mushrooms, in which the lower part of the cap looks like a sponge, are ideal for drying in the oven. These include white (Polish, oak, boletus), boletus, boletus, boletus and boletus. Lamellar ones are practically not suitable for drying. From this category you can only use champignons, chanterelles and honey mushrooms, which retain their nutritional properties after drying.

The algorithm for drying mushrooms in the oven is as follows:

1. Collected or purchased items must be carefully inspected. If the leg is severely damaged, there are traces of worms or rot, you need to trim off all damaged areas. It is better to throw away fruits that have been eaten too much by insects.

2. Next, the mushrooms need to be cleaned; there is no need to wash them, as they absorb moisture excessively and will then take a long time to dry. Also, excess water will negatively affect the taste. If necessary, they are washed after drying before use. During cleaning, you need to remove pieces of leaves, pine needles, blades of grass, sand, etc.

3. Peeled mushrooms are sorted by size and type to ensure uniform drying.

4. Small ones can be dried whole, but medium and large ones are best pre-cut into equal pieces. You can cut into slices and even cubes, depending on your preferences and wishes for further cooking.

Advice! It is best to cut mushrooms with a ceramic or stainless steel knife. This will ensure minimal darkening on the cuts and help avoid fraying.

5. The prepared mushrooms are sent to dry in the oven. To do this, they are strung on thick threads. Then hang it inside the oven. The door is left ajar.

6. Set the heat to low and dry for 1-2 hours or more depending on the size of the mushrooms. To speed up the process, they do not need to be moved tightly, and can be additionally rotated during drying.

An alternative way to dry them in the oven is to place them on a wire rack or on a baking sheet. It is recommended to first cover the latter with parchment or baking paper. The mushrooms are laid out in one layer so that there is a little free space between them. Do not try to dry everything at once - this will increase the drying time. You can use several baking sheets at once if there is a convection mode in the oven.

Drying using this method is necessary at a temperature of 45-50 degrees. The door must be open. It can only be closed if the household appliance has a function such as forced ventilation. In other cases, wet steam will accumulate inside, which will worsen and make the drying process longer.

Advice! During drying, you need to check the condition of the products, turn them over, and move the wet ones to the center.

Remember that you cannot immediately set the temperature to high. The mushrooms will darken. It is necessary to simmer for 1.5-2 hours at low temperature and dry. And when a thin dried film forms, you can increase the temperature to 60-70 degrees for 2-3 hours to speed up the drying process. They are finally dried at a temperature of 50-55 degrees for 1-2 hours or left with the heating turned off in convection mode.

Precautionary measures

If you use wild mushrooms, make sure you know which variety you have chosen before consuming them. Poisonous mushrooms will remain dangerous even after they have been dried.

Be careful if you are allergic to mushroom spores. Heat and moving air can cause spores to spread throughout the room, so if you have a reaction (respiratory or skin), move them to another area or stop drying. It's not worth your health, no matter how tasty it may seem.

Drying mushrooms for the winter in the microwave

A microwave is another household assistant that will help you dry mushrooms at home. Compared to an oven, the procedure will be more troublesome. This is especially true for very watery species such as boletus. In the microwave, they may not dry, but cook.

The drying algorithm is similar:

1. The mushrooms are carefully sorted and cleaned. Damaged areas are trimmed with a sharp ceramic or stainless steel knife.
2. They are then cut into equal pieces or slices and placed on a wire rack or flat plate previously lined with parchment paper.
3. After this, turn on the microwave oven at maximum power for 10-15 minutes. When the signal rings, you need to take out the food and let it cool completely. The microwave door must be left open to allow all moisture to evaporate from inside.
4. Drying at maximum power for 10-15 minutes is repeated 3-4 more times. Every time you need to check the condition of the mushrooms. Those that have already dried are put into a storage container.

The fact that the mushrooms have completely dried is evidenced by the fact that they have completely lost moisture, but at the same time remain elastic and plastic. You can determine the degree of drying by sound: pour them onto a plate, and if the sound is loud, then the product is dry.

How to connect infrared heating film

The main headache for many is connecting such a film to wires with a plug. For this you will need a soldering iron.

In fact, there is nothing complicated here. Everything is done literally one, two, three times.

To avoid burning the material, manufacturers recommend using a soldering iron with a power of no more than 60W.

First

Use a soldering iron to heat it up and remove the insulation from the side of the copper conductive strip.

The phase wire is connected on one side, and the neutral wire on the other.

Second

Drip tin onto this place.

Third

Press the tinned copper conductor onto the prepared surface and solder the contact.

That's all. Be sure to insulate the soldering areas with pieces of adhesive tape so that there are no exposed conductive parts left anywhere.

If even such a simple connection does not suit you (you don’t have a soldering iron and that’s it), then ask the store for special terminals.

Their price really bites, and the contact turns out to be less reliable. Therefore, soldering in this case is considered the best option.

How to deliciously and quickly dry mushrooms at home

You can dry mushrooms quickly and deliciously at home in a natural way. It involves drying in the open air.

The algorithm is very simple:

• you need to sort out the mushrooms, cut off the damage;
• the fruits are cleaned and debris removed;
• No need to wash, just wipe well with a dry sponge;
• then the products are cut into pieces, mainly into slices, of equal thickness;
• All that remains is to lay out the blanks on baking sheets or on a mesh;
• the container is installed outdoors in a slightly darkened but well-ventilated space;
• You can additionally cover the top with gauze or a light cloth to protect from insects;
• At night they are brought into the house;
• Drying takes 2-3 days depending on the thickness of the slice, temperature and air humidity.

Faster methods are using household appliances, for example, ovens, microwaves, electric dryers.

It should be stored in washed, steamed and dried jars under a plastic lid.

Manual fixture

To make such a device, you will need a minimum of skills, knowledge and tools. The necessary attributes for making a solar dryer are self-tapping screws, a screwdriver, nails, a hammer, a saw, corners, a metal mesh and bars measuring 50x50 mm. The main task of this design is to evaporate moisture from the fruiting bodies under the influence of the sun and wind.

First you need to connect the bars. For this it is better to use nails or self-tapping screws. Using self-tapping screws will make it easier to disassemble a homemade dryer. To protect the wooden structure from exposure to sunlight, the outside is covered with polyethylene. This way it will last for many years.

The bottom of the structure is sewn up with a metal mesh on which the mushrooms are to be dried. Along the entire perimeter of the bottom, the grate is flanged with plywood, and the upper part of the walls is covered with gauze. This will protect the dryer from dirt, dust and insects. In such a homemade device, not only dried mushrooms, but also fruits and vegetables are aromatic and tasty.

How to dry whole mushrooms in an apartment

If the mushrooms are small in size, they can be dried whole. In principle, large fruits can be dried whole, but this will take a lot of time, and storing them will not be very convenient. An excellent alternative is to dry only the caps, which can then easily be placed in a special jar for storage.

The instructions are as follows:

• mushrooms are sorted, debris is removed, damage is trimmed, sorted by size;
• then they are strung on a strong thread or laid out on a stand or mesh (you can make a hammock from gauze), no need to wash;
• they are installed in a ventilated area so that they are not exposed to direct sunlight;
• From time to time you need to turn the food over for more uniform and faster drying;
• On average, the drying process is about 2-3 days when spread out and 1-2 days when hung, but it all depends on the thickness of the mushrooms, temperature and humidity in the room.

Proper preparation

Mushrooms for drying must be freshly picked, without wormholes or rot. Old mushrooms with a dried out cap or wrinkled mushrooms should not be collected, much less dried. It is also not recommended to wash them before drying - this will prolong the drying time and worsen the taste of the finished product. It is enough to remove leaves, remaining soil and other debris from the mushrooms, and trim the damaged areas with a knife. To prevent the surface from darkening when cutting, the knife should be made of stainless steel.

Whole mushrooms are dried only in air, but for the oven or electric dryer they need to be cut into small flat pieces. The boletus stem is not suitable for drying, so it is cut off right up to the cap; For boletuses and porcini mushrooms, only the bottom of the stem is removed, everything else is dried. Small mushrooms can be left whole or cut in half, but large ones should preferably be divided lengthwise into four to five parts, the thickness of which should not exceed 10 millimeters.

Drying mushrooms in a convection oven

Drying mushrooms in a regular oven and in a convection oven has no fundamental differences. The only difference is the door position and temperatures. You need to dry at a temperature of 45-50 degrees with the door closed. The convection mode helps to avoid the settling of wet steam, and does not affect the quality and duration of drying.

After 1.5-2 hours, the temperature is increased to 60-70 degrees. In this mode they languish for another 2-3 hours. The last stage is drying with the heat turned off, but the convection mode must be turned on. Duration – 1-2 hours.

Advice! If you have dried out the mushrooms, do not rush to throw them away. They can be ground to powder in a coffee grinder or mortar. The result is a fragrant seasoning for any dish.

Determination of readiness

Many housewives who dry mushrooms for the first time are concerned about the question: how to understand that they are ready.

The temperature regime is determined in accordance with the chosen processing method and the amount of raw materials. It is impossible to accurately determine the drying time of the raw materials, so it is necessary to periodically check the pieces. Readiness is determined visually, by ear and by touch: the release of moisture stops, a rustling sound appears when turning over, the pieces become flexible and break only when strongly bent.

Properly prepared slices remain elastic and light in color.

If the flesh has darkened, smells burnt, and crumbles easily, it means the raw material is overdried. This preparation is unsuitable for storage and adding to dishes.

Video on how to prepare dried mushrooms on a string without an oven

You can do without household helpers. The easiest way to use the available methods is to naturally dry mushrooms on a thread in the open air.

Mushrooms, peeled and cut into strong, harsh threads, are hung in an open space. It should be shaded and well ventilated. Additionally, you can cover the food with a clean rag or gauze to protect it from insects. In the evening, food is brought into the house, since during the night it can absorb moisture from the air, and the drying process will be significantly delayed.

On average, drying takes 12-24 hours, but the timing is arbitrary, since they are affected by humidity and air temperature.

Dry seasoning

In cases where mushrooms are dried to a hard, brittle, crumbling state, it is better to immediately process them into a powdered seasoning. Mushroom powder has certain advantages: it takes up less space and is much more convenient to use. To prepare an aromatic concentrate, large fractions are broken into smaller ones and ground to a homogeneous free-flowing consistency in a coffee grinder, blender, or manually ground in a mortar.

Many housewives add salt, pepper and other spices to taste during the grinding process.

How and how long to dry mushrooms in an electric dryer

Electric dryers help make the process of preparing food for the winter easier. Peeled and chopped mushrooms should be dried at a temperature of 30 to 70 degrees. The exact temperature range depends on the thickness of the food: the thicker the pieces, the lower the temperature should be.

If the device is equipped with a fan, you need to turn on the circulation of warm air. This will help avoid overcooking and speed up drying.

As you can see, there are many ways to quickly and easily dry mushrooms for the winter. All of them allow you to get a good preparation for the winter, in order to make the diet richer and more nutritious during the cold season. Choose a drying method that is convenient for you and follow the recommendations. The result is the ability to cook your favorite mushroom dishes in winter without any restrictions.

Useful properties and composition

Dried mushroom products contain many useful substances:

1. Riboflavin is a substance that has a beneficial effect on the condition of hair, skin, nails and the entire body. This component is necessary for people with thyroid disorders.
2. Vitamins A, B1, C, D.
3. Microelements.

Dried mushrooms are considered an excellent preventative against cancer.

The calorie content of dried porcini mushroom is 280 kcal per 100 g of product.

Stewed chicken in snow-white sauce

Stewed chicken in porcini mushroom wine sauce with noodles and butter

Ingredients for making Stewed Chicken in Snow White Sauce:

Number of servings: 4-6 pcs.

• 3 (0.5 oz) packages dried porcini mushrooms
• 1½ cups boiling water
• 1 package (8 sliced) chicken, boneless, skin on
• ½ teaspoon sea salt,
• ½ teaspoon paprika,
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper,
• 2 tablespoons flour,
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large shallot, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• ½ glass dry white wine
• ½ cup chicken broth,
• 2 sprigs thyme, plus 1 tablespoon thyme leaves,
• 12 ounces (about 1 ½ packages) Pappardelle Egg Noodles
• 1 tablespoon cold butter plus 2 tablespoons room temperature, divided use

Step-by-step plan for preparing Stewed Chicken in Snow White Sauce:

1. Rehydrate dried porcini mushrooms by placing them in a bowl and adding 1 ½ cups boiling water; cover with plastic wrap and let them soften a little for about 15-20 minutes; Once slightly softened, strain the mushrooms from the soaking liquid and reserve that liquid or “mushroom broth” as well (will be about 1 cup); set the mushrooms and hot mushroom broth aside for a few seconds.
2. Season chicken pieces with ½ teaspoon sea salt, paprika, and teaspoon black pepper, and sprinkle them evenly with 1 tablespoon flour; then heat a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium-high heat; add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the stew, and once the oil is hot, add the chicken pieces, skin side down (work in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan) and let the chicken cook and turn golden, about 4 minutes; then turn over and cook the bone side for about 2 minutes; remove the pieces and set aside briefly on a clean plate; then reduce the heat to medium-low, add the shallots to the stew and stir; add rehydrated mushrooms, stir and fry for a minute; then add the garlic and once it's fragrant, add the wine, stirring to scrape up any goodies from the bottom of the pan; then add the chicken pieces back to the stew or skillet along with the hot chicken broth, the remaining mushroom broth and two sprigs of thyme; let this simmer, then reduce the heat to low and cover and simmer/lightly simmer the chicken until cooked through, about 40 minutes.
3. While chicken is braising, prepare Pappardelle pasta according to package directions; Once cooked, drain the pasta in a colander and toss lightly with a little olive oil; Store in a colander, covered lightly with a cloth to keep warm, until serving.
4. When the chicken is simmering, tender and cooked through, remove the chicken pieces from the stew and place on a clean plate to hold; Using your fingers, mix 1 tablespoon cold butter with the remaining 1 tablespoon flour until smooth and add to the sauce, whisking thoroughly until melted and thickened; turn off the heat and return the chicken to the stew or skillet to keep warm.
5. Place a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and, once melted, add the Pappardelle pasta to the butter with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper to lightly coat the pasta and heat through.
6. To serve, add some of the buttered Pappardelle pasta to a shallow bowl or plate, top with a piece (or 2) of chicken, and spoon the white wine sauce over the chicken and pasta; Garnish each serving with a small amount of fresh thyme leaves and serve.

How to properly prepare forest crops for drying?

Clean and inspect all mushrooms. Try to wipe off and trim away any dirt without soaking the product in water. Wipe them with kitchen napkins on all sides. Discard mushrooms that are too soft or old as they have high moisture levels. This will cause the heat created by the dryer to activate putrefactive processes in them. The shelf life of dried mushrooms that are not pre-dried will be very short.

Storage of dried product

How to properly dry mushrooms
Dried mushrooms have a well-known property of absorbing various foreign odors, therefore, during further storage, they should be protected as much as possible from contact with various odorous products and materials. It is best to store dried preparations in glass jars or clay pots with tight-fitting lids.

When stored in canvas bags, dried mushrooms absorb foreign odors too well, can accumulate moisture, and also serve as a convenient target for various insects. The same can be said about plastic and iron boxes.

Dried mushrooms should be stored in a well-ventilated area with a humidity of no more than 70%. Periodically, they need to be sorted out and the degree of their safety checked, removing moldy specimens.

Dried forest gifts are a faithful friend of any connoisseur of mushroom cuisine. Drying allows you to preserve a supply of mushrooms for a long time, so that later, in the cold winter, you can prepare many tasty and wonderful dishes from them.

Best Recipes

Skilled housewives prepare delicious soups, savory sauces and delicious side dishes from dried mushrooms. The method of preparing such dishes is so simple that even the most inexperienced cooks can handle them.

Meat broth soup

The recipe for mushroom soup with meat is very simple. Even hardcore “non-lovers” of first courses will appreciate its unusual taste. There are two methods of preparation - with water or meat broth. Ingredients:

• Chanterelles - 400 g for meat broth or 600 g for water soup.
• Medium carrot.
• Potato.
• Red onion.
• Olive oil.
• Spices: cumin, black and red pepper.

The first step is to soak the mushrooms in water for a few minutes. In the meantime, you can prepare the dressing. The onion is carefully peeled and cut into small pieces. The carrots are washed under running water and grated. The ingredients are fried in oil until the onion turns golden.

Mushrooms are squeezed out of excess water. Chanterelle caps are cut into pieces of medium thickness and added to the dressing. The mixture is fried for another five minutes.

The dressing with mushrooms and vegetables is ready, now you can make the broth. Meat or chicken is cut into pieces and fried in olive oil for about ten minutes. Potatoes are cut into cubes.

Water is poured into the pan and brought to a boil. Next, you need to salt and pepper the future broth, add potatoes. After 15 minutes, add meat, mushroom dressing and spices to taste. Cook the soup until fully cooked. Traditionally, this dish is served with sour cream and garlic. Having tried it, no one will remain indifferent.

Second courses

Baked potatoes and mushrooms are a wonderful culinary duo. The family will definitely love this dish. And most importantly, the food is prepared in a hurry from simple and affordable ingredients. You will need the following products:

• Dried mushrooms - 300 g.
• Red onion.
• Carrot.
• Grated cheese.
• Potato.
• A tablespoon of sour cream.
• A few teaspoons of water.
• Vegetable oil.
• Salt, cumin, black pepper to taste.

Mushrooms are soaked in warm water overnight. The next day, the chanterelles are squeezed out of excess water, cut into small pieces, and then fried in vegetable oil for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, the onion is peeled, cut into rings and fried separately until it becomes soft.

Salt and spices are added to taste.

Now you need to make the sauce. To do this, beat water, sour cream and salt in a blender. The contents of the baking sheet are poured with sour cream. Top everything with grated cheese and cover with foil. Potatoes are baked for an average of 45 minutes at a temperature of 160−180 degrees. Potatoes with mushrooms are ready.

Another recipe for a simple but very tasty dish is meat in a pot with dried chanterelles. Preparing such a dish is not at all difficult, the main thing is to properly prepare and put all the ingredients into it, and after that all you have to do is wait until you can take the surprisingly aromatic and tasty dish out of the oven. For preparation you will need:

• Pork or beef - 600 g.
• Dried chanterelles - 200 g.
• Red onion.
• Olive oil.
• Half a glass of cream or sour cream.
• Half a glass of milk.
• Grated cheese.
• Salt, black and red pepper to taste.

Mushrooms must be soaked in water for five hours to allow them to swell. Then cut into small pieces and fry in olive oil. Rinse the meat under water, cut into slices and fry on both sides until golden brown.

Grease the pot with olive oil, then put some of the mushrooms in it, then some of the onions. The next layer is meat and a little sour cream. Next, the rest of the dried mushrooms, onions, sour cream and milk are placed in the pot. However, you can make layers at your own discretion. The dish is sprinkled with grated cheese. The pot can be placed in the oven. Bake for about an hour at 160 degrees.

Airy, surprisingly tasty pastries made from puff pastry always enjoy constant popularity. To prepare mushroom pie, you don’t need to look for any special ingredients; every housewife can find everything at hand. Ingredients:

• Puff pastry.
• Dried chanterelles - 700 g.
• Onion.
• Garlic.
• Regular or blue cheese.
• Olive oil.
• Spices to taste.

Chanterelles are soaked in warm water for three hours, and then cut into cubes and fried. Onions and garlic are cut into small pieces and added to the mushrooms. The final step is to add grated cheese. The mushroom filling for the future pie is ready.

You can make puff pastry yourself, or you can use store-bought dough. The mushroom filling is laid out in an even layer several centimeters thick. The dough is carefully folded and placed in a preheated oven for half an hour. This simple and quick pie recipe is perfect for both everyday and holiday tables.