How to Prepare Shitake Mushrooms
Shitake mushrooms are available both fresh, dried and canned at most grocery stores. Shitake mushrooms are grown both by commercial growers and by home gardeners. The mushrooms are propagated by inoculating oak logs with spore and harvested when the shitakes reach the appropriate size. Depending on the vender, shitakes are sold whole, sliced or diced. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
-
For Fresh Shitakes
-
1
Brush away dirt and debris from the shitake using a damp pastry brush.
-
2
Place the cleaned mushrooms on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to remove the stems from the caps. Cut away any tough sections of the stems.
-
-
3
Slice the remaining stems in half lengthwise. Slice the mushroom cap into 1/4 inch slices. If you are planning to use the mushroom cap whole, you can skip this step.
For Dried Shitakes
-
4
Place the desired amount of dried shitakes in a large bowl. Consult your chosen recipe to determine how much you need.
-
5
Cover the dried mushrooms with very hot or boiling water and allow the shitakes to soak for 30 minutes to one hour. Whole dried mushrooms will take the full hour, while sliced or diced will generally rehydrate in 30 minutes.
-
6
Drain the water from the mushrooms. Use the mushrooms as is, or slice or dice as required by the recipe.
For Canned Shitakes
-
7
Check the expiration date on the can of shitake mushrooms. If the date has passed, select a different can.
-
8
Open the can and drain the water from the mushrooms. A simple way to do this is to use the lid and press down on the mushrooms while the can is inverted over a sink.
-
9
Slice or dice the drained mushrooms, if desired. Canned shitakes are sold whole or sliced.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Fresh shitakes have around a two-week shelf life if kept in the refrigerator.
Dried shitakes, if kept in air-tight containers, will last indefinitely on the pantry shelf.
References
- Photo Credit shiitake mushrooms image by Olga Shelego from Fotolia.com
