How to Make Dried Mushrooms at Home

Due to the short storage life of fresh mushrooms, cooks often like to dry fresh mushrooms to extend their shelf life considerably. Fresh mushrooms are easy to dry and store well once they are dried. Dry fresh mushrooms in a food dehydrator for best results. Once they feel crispy like crackers, they are sufficiently dry and are ready for long-term storage. When you are ready to use dried mushrooms, reconstitute them with warm water.

Things You'll Need

• Fresh mushrooms
• Vegetable brush
• Utility knife
• Cutting board
• Food dehydrator
• Zipper sealing plastic bags
• Glass jar (with lid)
• Silica gel (optional)

Instructions

1. Use the vegetable brush to clean the mushrooms. Do not moisten them to clean, but rather use the dry bristles of the brush to remove dirt. You may wish to slice hollow mushrooms to make sure there are no insects hiding within the inner cavities of the mushrooms.

2. Slice the mushrooms into 1/4-inch slices and place them onto the food dehydrator trays in a single layer.

3. Set the dehydrator temperature to 110 degrees F. Dry the mushrooms until they are crisp and then remove them from the dehydrator. The drying process will take approximately four to six hours.

4. Place the dehydrated mushrooms into a glass jar or into the plastic bags for storage. Seal the container or the plastic bags and place the dried mushrooms in a cool, dry location to store. Dried mushrooms will keep for between 6 and 12 months.

5. Use dried mushrooms by soaking them in warm water for approximately 30 minutes. This will reconstitute the moisture in the mushrooms and you can then use them in the same way you would use fresh mushrooms.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are concerned about your mushrooms staying dry during storage, consider using silica gel to keep moisture from forming in the storage containers. Buy silica gel at a craft store (used for drying flowers). Cut two 3-inch squares out of muslin fabric and sew three edges of the muslin fabric together. Pour 2 tbsp. of silica gel into the muslin packet and stitch the remaining side of the muslin together to enclose the silica gel inside the muslin fabric. Place the silica packet on the bottom of the storage container and pack the dried mushrooms on top. The silica gel will keep moisture minimized within the container.

• While it is possible to dry mushrooms in an oven, the higher temperatures of an oven may negatively affect the flavor and texture of the dried mushrooms.

References

• Mushroom The Journal: Preserving Mushrooms