Thursday, May 26, 2011

Make Dried Mushrooms At Home







Make Dried Mushrooms at Home


Due to the short storage life of fresh mushrooms, cooks often like to dry fresh mushrooms to extend their shelf life considerably. Fresh mushrooms are easy to dry and store well once they are dried. Dry fresh mushrooms in a food dehydrator for best results. Once they feel crispy like crackers, they are sufficiently dry and are ready for long-term storage. When you are ready to use dried mushrooms, reconstitute them with warm water.


Instructions


1. Use the vegetable brush to clean the mushrooms. Do not moisten them to clean, but rather use the dry bristles of the brush to remove dirt. You may wish to slice hollow mushrooms to make sure there are no insects hiding within the inner cavities of the mushrooms.








2. Slice the mushrooms into 1/4-inch slices and place them onto the food dehydrator trays in a single layer.


3. Set the dehydrator temperature to 110 degrees F. Dry the mushrooms until they are crisp and then remove them from the dehydrator. The drying process will take approximately four to six hours.


4. Place the dehydrated mushrooms into a glass jar or into the plastic bags for storage. Seal the container or the plastic bags and place the dried mushrooms in a cool, dry location to store. Dried mushrooms will keep for between 6 and 12 months.


5. Use dried mushrooms by soaking them in warm water for approximately 30 minutes. This will reconstitute the moisture in the mushrooms and you can then use them in the same way you would use fresh mushrooms.

Tags: dried mushrooms, Dried Mushrooms Home, food dehydrator, fresh mushrooms, fresh mushrooms