Drying mushrooms

ClareBroommaker's picture

(Have I already posted this?)
This is how I once dried some mushrooms without added heat. I just washed and cut them up, did no blanching, no anti-oxidation treatment. Put them on baking racks in front of a fan we were using anyway. Don't remember how long it took.

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David Trammel's picture

I like mushrooms and want to add their cultivation to my library of skills. Right now though I buy them from the grocery store. I must admit I'm bad about not getting them into a plate in time. I store them on a shelf with my other (don't need refrigeration) produce like potatoes and onions and they sometimes dry out. I'd wondered if I couldn't save those dried ones and use them later.

If they're just dried out they should be OK. Usually if they're spoiled they look or smell off. I would probably still use them in a soup or something cooked that would kill any bacteria that might have accumulated while they were drying

I would... I sometimes let shitakes dry out. Mushrooms would rather breathe and dry out than sit in a plastic bag in the fridge getting suffocated and moldy. Just "reconstitute" with a bit of hot water (or throw them directly into whatever you're cooking if it's got a little absorbable juice).

Blueberry's picture

If I can grow them anybody can, right in the kitchen. https://fungi.com/ https://fungi.com/collections/indoor-mushroom-growing

David Trammel's picture

Interesting idea, it almost looks like the kit consists of a plastic bag with shredded paper which is probably dosed with spores.

Blueberry's picture

Wood pulp (almost paper) or saw dust. Oak logs set up outside great for growing shiitake mushrooms.