Dried or dehydrated mushrooms are a brilliant way to reduce food waste. In addition, they can be kept for a very long time, and you always have great flavor enhancers, for example, for a risotto, sauce, or stew, on hand.
Recipe for dried mushrooms
Dried or dehydrated mushrooms are a brilliant way to reduce food waste. Additionally, they can last for a very long time, and you’ll always have great flavor-enhancers, such as for a risotto, sauce, or stew, on hand.
In this recipe, I have dried champignons, but it could just as well have been Porcini mushrooms or similar. If you use mushrooms you have picked yourself, make sure they are not poisonous. I don’t have enough knowledge to advise on that, so I recommend checking the Environmental Protection Agency’s website if you are in doubt.
Servings: portion
Dried Mushrooms
Dried or dehydrated mushrooms are a brilliant way to reduce food waste. In addition, they can be kept for a very long time, and you always have great flavor enhancers, for example, for a risotto, sauce, or stew, on hand.
Equipment
- Dehydrator (an option)
- Oven (an option)
- Mandoline Slicer
- Bowl (for dehydration)
- Pot (for mushroom stock)
- Hob (for mushroom stock)
Ingredients
- Mushrooms the quantity does not matter.
Instructions
- Make sure your mushrooms are cleaned of dirt and that the root is cut off.
- Slice them into uniform thin slices. Whether they are 3 mm or 8 mm thick doesn't matter much, just that they are uniform. I used a mandoline, but you can easily use a knife. Mine were about 4 mm thick.
Drying (dehydrating) in the oven
- The thinner the slices, the better.
- Place the slices in an even layer on a baking paper-lined baking sheet.
- Cook them at 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) fan-forced for about 8-10 hours, depending on their thickness.
Drying (dehydrating) in a dehydrator
- Here, the slices can be a bit thicker than in the oven, but the thinner they are, the faster the process.
- Set your dehydrator to 55 degrees Celsius (131 degrees Fahrenheit) and set it to 9 hours.
- Place the mushroom slices in the trays, ensuring they do not touch each other.
- Check on the mushrooms after 8 hours; they might be done by then or may need up to 10 hours - it depends on their thickness and the quality of your dehydrator.
Storage
- They should be completely dry and snap/crisp when broken.
- Take them out of the oven and let them cool, preferably on a wire rack.
- Place them in a jar or another container with a lid.
- Store them in a dark and cool place.
Dehydrating mushrooms
- Place the dried mushrooms in a bowl with cold water. Let them sit for about 30 minutes and they are now ready to use. The water can be used in your stew/risotto or similar.
Mushroom stock
- Bring water and dehydrated mushrooms to a boil. Optionally, add root vegetables or other vegetables.
- Let them simmer for 10 minutes, then turn off the heat and cover the pot.
- Let it steep; the longer it sits, the more flavor it will have.
Notes
