Real mushroom pickers know how to dry mushrooms at home
Dried foods create real competition for pickles and canned foods, as they retain all the nutrients. Then the question arises of how to dry mushrooms at home, using the technique or without it. First, it is worth considering which varieties of these gifts of nature are suitable for such a culinary experiment. Then you need to discuss each method separately. As a result, you can get an amazing ingredient for creating delicious sauces, pies, soups, as well as meat dishes.
Choosing mushrooms for drying
The first category includes 3 main varieties:
- Marsupials. Recommended only for natural drying. Morels and white truffles are popular among them.
- Lamellar. Honey mushrooms, mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, champignons, mushrooms, deer mushrooms and umbrellas.
- Tubular. Ideal for drying. These include: boletus, oak, Polish and porcini mushrooms, goats, boletus, boletus and boletus.
Russula, milk mushrooms and waves not suitable for this type of blanks for the winter. They contain a high percentage of milky juice, which gives the product bitterness.
The main feature of tubular varieties is their ability to retain divine aroma and taste even after several months of storage. Polypores are also widely used for drying in order to use raw materials for medicinal purposes. Chanterelles are a separate item. However, they have a slightly bitter aftertaste that appears after heat treatment. To keep it to a minimum, you need to understand how to dry mushrooms at home. The preparatory stage in this matter plays an important role.
During drying, mushrooms lose up to 90% of their mass. Therefore, from 1 kg of raw materials, only 100-150 g of the finished product will be obtained.
How to dry mushrooms at home: preparation stage
Forest crops are harvested exclusively in clear and dry weather. They choose only dense, solid and beautiful specimens. They remove dirt and all kinds of plant waste. Many are concerned about the question of whether it is necessary to wash the mushrooms before drying. Mushroom science gurus recommend abandoning any water procedures. If the cap or stem absorbs too much moisture, the product will not dry properly. As a result, it will completely lose its seductive aroma and taste.
Therefore, with a knife, and then a slightly moistened washcloth, carefully remove the dirt and cut off the mycelium. Be sure to sort by size if you plan to dry it whole. In another case, you need to figure out how to properly cut mushrooms for drying.
Experts offer several options:
- plates up to 1-1.5 cm thick;
- quarters;
- along;
- caps in slices, and legs in rings;
- across.
All damaged, rotten and wormy specimens are thrown into the trash. Overripe, soft, too large and damaged samples are unsuitable for this.
Cutting is done so that all the pieces are the same size. The thinner they are, the sooner they are sent to the dryer.This will maximize the preservation of the color and quality characteristics of forest products. Now is the time to determine the appropriate drying method for each variety.
Drying mushrooms in the fresh air or sun
This method is the simplest and most economical. To implement it, you will need to choose the right weather - hot and sunny. String the mushrooms onto twine, fishing line or thread. Alternatively, you can lay them out on a baking sheet, paper or cloth. In this case, the copies should not touch each other.
Drying mushrooms in the air has a different duration:
- whole - from 2 days to a week;
- cut into plates - up to 48 hours;
- morels - 2 months.
The raw material is covered with gauze to protect it from insects and dust. Sufficient sunlight must be supplied to the workpiece. For even drying, the mushrooms are turned over several times a day. In addition, the temperature conditions must be controlled. As soon as sharp changes begin, it is necessary to bring the tray into a well-ventilated area. It is advised to do this at night as well.
Checking the readiness of forest products is easy enough. The pieces must retain their elasticity, but at the same time break when bent. In addition, they decrease in volume several times, wrinkle and are particularly dry.
Drying mushrooms in the oven - express method
For this process, a regular baking sheet is used, on which the grates are placed. Raw materials are carefully laid out on them and the unit is turned on. However, at what temperature should the mushrooms be dried so as not to spoil? If the process is carried out with the door ajar, then set the toggle switch to 70-80˚С, and in the closed position - 50-60˚С. In this case, the product will dry out remarkably, retain its texture and will not crumble.
It is necessary to take into account some of the features of how to dry mushrooms in the oven of a gas stove:
- duration - 5-6 hours, depending on the variety;
- periodically change baking sheets in places;
- dry the raw materials on a thread in a warm place.
Mushroom pickers advise leaving the oven door ajar to the width of the palm. Then the moisture will evaporate from the oven much faster. This increases the quality of the product several times.
Drying mushrooms in the oven on a baking sheet can take place in 2 stages. The initial temperature is 45˚С. After a few hours, it is increased to 60 ° C. If the product still has an oily layer, on the second day, the raw materials are sent to the oven at 70 ° C. Some people practice drying samples naturally or in an oven. After that, the workpiece is sent to a glass or clay container and placed in a dark place.
It should be borne in mind that the forest product quickly and easily absorbs foreign odors.
How to dry mushrooms over a gas stove in the best way? To do this, you will need to postpone cooking for 3 days. Hang the mushrooms over the stove, almost under the ceiling. Ignite all cooking zones and dry continuously for the specified period of time.
How to dry mushrooms at home in a dryer
The proposed method is ideal for busy people. The only problem in this process is determining the optimal cut thickness. Professionals say that 1 cm plates are great for such a culinary business. However, you need to know exactly how to dry mushrooms in a vegetable dryer.
Here are the expert recommendations:
- the pieces are laid out in a thin layer;
- set the temperature to 55-60˚С;
- set the time from 2 to 4 hours.
The disadvantage of this technique is the small volume of the drying unit. As a result, the operation has to be carried out in several passes.
The duration of heat treatment is influenced by the type and structure of the mushrooms. Large and fleshy specimens require a longer cooking time. Even so, additional drying may be required. Then the device is turned on at 40 ° C and the contents are monitored. However, some do the opposite.First, the raw material is dried at a low temperature, and then left for 4-6 hours at 75-80˚С. In this case, you need to be very careful not to overexpose the product.
Drying mushrooms in a multicooker and microwave - hand in hand with innovation
The modern generation of housewives successfully uses kitchen appliances to translate their culinary ideas. However, many devices are not programmed to dry food. If manufacturers have not provided for such a function, then how to dry mushrooms in a multicooker or other device.
Here's how creative chefs offer a solution:
- set the temperature mode "Baking" at 60˚С;
- leave for 2-3 hours;
- after shutdown, start the "Heating" program;
- check readiness in 10-12 hours.
Similar actions are carried out with a microwave. Only mushrooms are laid out on a glass plate in one layer. Turn on the equipment at the lowest power - 100 W. After 20 minutes, draw out the contents and drain the resulting liquid. The microwave door is left for 10 minutes in a slightly open position, then the 20-minute procedure is repeated, followed by 10 minutes of airing.
The number of stages of drying mushrooms in the microwave largely depends on the thickness of the raw material. Therefore, after each cycle, it is necessary to check the product for readiness.
Drying mushrooms in Russian traditions: stove or bath
Our ancestors were engaged in such methods of drying the unique gifts of the forest. When the weather showed its whims, the hostesses successfully used heating facilities. The mushrooms dried in the oven were especially aromatic and tasty. Therefore, if today there is an opportunity to prepare winter preparations in this way, you must definitely use it. This ancient ceremony took only 3 days.
The event was held using the following technology:
- mushrooms were laid out on straw in the oven or strung on skewers and placed between 2 bricks;
- the heating device was heated up to 50-60˚С;
- the product was dried for 8-16 hours;
- if necessary, the session was repeated again.
Before starting the procedure, the chimney was opened by making a small slit. As the process proceeded, the valve was gradually returned to its place.
At the same time, many people liked the drying of mushrooms in the bath. Some use pallets or string the cleaned specimens. In the steam room, the raw materials are left after taking water procedures. By that time, the temperature will drop to 50-60˚С. The created "garland" is hung near a heat source and left overnight. If the workpiece still contains a certain percentage of moisture in the morning, it is dried in the attic.
After such a master class, even ordinary housewives know how to dry mushrooms at home without much effort. The main thing is to understand the essence of the matter and try not fanatically to adhere to time intervals. It is enough just to learn how to determine the degree of readiness of these forest gifts.