How to Sun-Dry Mushrooms!
Autumn is the time for many varieties of mushrooms, among which the most prized are porcini. Delicious and tasty to cook and consume immediately in many recipes, but those who are lucky enough to live in the countryside or near the woods know that this is a favorable time to make a good stock to preserve them even for the coming months.
There are many preservation methods, but today I want to talk about how to sun-dry mushrooms, preserving and using them when needed.
It’s a really simple and quick process, and it only takes 2 days of full, intense sun to have delicious dried mushrooms.
Living in the south, I still don’t have weather problems, the days are still warm and sunny, but if the weather is unpredictable, you can always use a dehydrator or the home oven.
The preservation of mushrooms will allow you to appreciate these forest products even more and always have them ready for your recipes.
YOU MIGHT ALSO BE INTERESTED IN THESE RECIPES
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: How to Sun-Dry Mushrooms
- to taste Porcini mushrooms
- to taste Paper towels
- 1 Perforated cloth
Alternative Tools for How to Sun-Dry Mushrooms
- 1 Oven
- 1 Dehydrator
Preparation: How to Sun-Dry Mushrooms
I recommend doing this operation in the morning to take advantage of the full day of sun.
Start with cleaning the mushrooms, DO NOT wash them, use a small knife to scrape and remove the soil from the stem, then wipe the mushroom well with a damp cloth to remove any dirt.Cut each mushroom, stem, and cap, vertically, that is, lengthwise, into thin slices, all the same thickness, then place them on a tray covered with paper towels, spacing them apart.
Place the tray in direct sunlight, covering it with a perforated cloth to prevent dust and insects from settling.
In the evening, you will notice that the mushroom slices have shrunk a bit because they have already lost some water.
Bring them indoors to avoid night moisture and put the tray back in the sun the next day, turning them over to the other side.
After two days of intense sun, the mushrooms should be dry and dehydrated, if they crumble, it means they are dry to the right point; otherwise, leave them for a few more hours in the sun.
If the sun is not enough, you can dry them in the oven on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper, at a temperature of 113°F, preferably on fan mode, leaving the oven slightly open to let the moisture out and turning them until they are completely dehydrated.
Alternatively, use a dehydrator available on the market, setting the temperature and time, which will vary based on the amount of food inserted but also according to the thickness of the mushrooms themselves, following the instruction booklet!
Once the mushrooms are dry, store them in closed glass jars, I put them in the fridge, but they can also be kept outside away from heat sources, in paper bags or tin containers.
Advice and Variations
When it’s time to use them, just soak them for a few minutes in warm water, drain them, and use them as required by the recipe.
It’s best to save the soaking water from the mushrooms, as it retains a lot of flavor and can be used, after being filtered, as a liquid for the recipe you are going to perform.
If the sun is not sufficient, dry them in the oven or with a dehydrator.
If you love this food, you can find many recipes on the blog by clicking here.
