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How to Dehydrate Mushrooms | A Comprehensive Guide
Mushrooms are delicious and can be used in a variety of dishes, from soups and stews to pasta and stir-fries. However, fresh mushrooms have a shorter shelf life and can go bad quickly if not stored properly. Dehydrating mushrooms is a great way to preserve them for the long term and also concentrates their flavor.
In this article, we’ll provide a step-by-step guide on how to dehydrate mushrooms. Whether you’re an experienced home cook or just starting to preserve food, dehydrating mushrooms is a simple and rewarding process that anyone can do.
Step One: Choose Mushrooms
The color of high-quality mushrooms is mostly light yellow or light brown. You should choose the mushrooms that are whole, plump, elastic and have no distinctive smell.
Step Two: Clean And Wash Mushrooms
First, clean up the impurities: Use a blade to remove the soil and impurities on the mushrooms, and sort out the unqualified mushrooms. Then clean the mushrooms: If you make them at home, you can clean the mushrooms directly with tap water. If you make batches, you can use an automatic bubble cleaning machine to clean the mushrooms, which can save labor and improve work efficiency.Another point,the stems of mushrooms contain more fiber and toughness, you can choose to remove them if you don’t like them.
Step Three: Slicing Mushrooms
Cut the mushrooms into 1/4-inch uniform thickness, this will ensure that the mushrooms dehydrate evenly and at the same rate.You can use a mushroom slicer if you want to get the same size of mushroom pieces. If the mushrooms are small, you can also leave them whole or cut them in half. Of course, if you want to make whole dried mushrooms, you don’t have to cut them.
Step Four: Blanching mushrooms(Optional)
Although it’s not necessary, some people prefer to blanch mushrooms before dehydrating them to help preserve their color and flavor. Blanching the mushrooms in boiling water for a few minutes can help kill bacteria or yeast on the mushrooms and can also help preserve the color and texture of the mushrooms. After blanching, drain and pat the mushrooms dry before dehydrating.
Step Five: How to Dehydrate Mushrooms Use a Dehydrator
1. Choose a dehydrator: There are two dehydrators to choose from. One is a household or commercial mushroom dehydrator, which can dry 3kg-40kg of mushrooms at a time. The other is an industrial mushroom dehydrator, which can dry 60-500 kilograms of different outputs at a time.
2. Place the mushroom slices or whole mushrooms evenly on the tray at a certain distance. Do not pile them up excessively to avoid uneven drying and increase the drying time.
3. Set different dehydration times and heating temperatures according to the size and thickness of the mushrooms. Generally speaking, 1/4-inch mushroom slices need to be dried at 125°F (52°C) for about 8 hours. Yes, the whole mushrooms will take 20 hours or more. The time also depends on your machine, you may need to rotate the trays frequently and adjust the dehydration time and temperatures to ensure they are completely dry.
Step Six: Cool Mushrooms
Remove the dried mushrooms from the dehydrator and cool for at least 30 minutes. The mushrooms should be crisp when they are completely dry, break a few pieces: if they break easily, they are done. If the slices bend without breaking, place them back into the dehydrator to extend the drying time.
Step Seven: Store Mushrooms
The characteristics of qualified dried products are: the moisture content does not exceed 13%, the mushrooms maintain their original shape, and the color maintains their natural color.
Transfer the cooled dried mushrooms to a glass jar or bag and closed well. Store them away from direct light or heat. Check the dried mushrooms regularly to see if they have deteriorated due to moisture.
FAQ:
How Long To Dehydrate Mushrooms?
- Drying time generally takes 8-20 hours, which is determined by the size and thickness of the mushrooms. The thinner the mushroom slices, the shorter the drying time.
Dried Mushroom Benefits?
- It tastes good and can be used for cooking.
- High nutritional value: Dried mushrooms contain a large amount of protein, amino acids, vitamins, mineral elements, etc. Eating mushrooms regularly can not only increase nutrition, but also regulate the body, improve immunity, lower blood lipids, lower blood pressure, and can also help improve and prevent arteriosclerosis.
How To Use Dehydrated Mushrooms?
- To reuse dehydrated mushrooms, just soak the mushrooms in hot water for 15-30 minutes and clean them, then they can be used like fresh mushrooms.
- Grind the dried mushrooms into fine powder and use them as an additive.
How Long Do Dehydrated Mushrooms Last?
- Generally speaking, dehydrated mushrooms can be stored for half a year. If they are stored properly, they can be stored for one year without any problem. Make sure the dried mushrooms are sealed, kept dry, and out of direct sunlight.
How To Make Mushroom Powder?
- Mushroom powder has many uses in the kitchen, adding delicious flavor to soups, stews, stir-fries, and more. To make mushroom powder, you only need to grind the dried shiitake mushrooms into a household grinder or a commercial spice grinder. You can quickly get the mushroom powder with different finenesses of 60-120 mesh.
Depending on your preference, you can also add more spices and grind them together with the mushrooms to make a more delicious mixed powder.
