Mushrooms are a very valuable food product, they contain specific proteins, useful microelements and many vitamins necessary for the human body. One of the most convenient ways to preserve mushrooms for a long time is to dry them (drying).
Which mushrooms are dried?
It is advisable to dry only tubular mushrooms. Dried plate mushrooms will be unpleasantly bitter. Usually dried white mushrooms, podberezoviki, boletus, chanterelles, maslates, mosses, mushrooms and autumn mushrooms. In the cold season, such billets can be perfectly used for preparing various tasty and even refined, healthy and nutritious dishes. However, in order to prepare these useful preparations, it would be nice at first to learn how to dry mushrooms at home in order to preserve the maximum of their useful properties.
How to choose mushrooms?
Do not pick mushrooms growing near roads and near dirty industries - mushrooms generally easily absorb harmful substances, you can get poisoning. It is better to collect the mushrooms, intended for drying, on a dry, sunny day. It is not recommended to wash the mushrooms before drying - they can darken, lose the smell and some of the beneficial properties. You can lightly brush them with a soft brush. Dried mushrooms can be washed before cooking. Large mushrooms are better cut into small pieces. When drying, of course, it is better to collect mushrooms in separate ligaments, classifying by species.
How to dry mushrooms?
We string the prepared mushrooms into strings and hang them in the shade in a well-ventilated place under the roof, preferably in a draft. Well, if the bundles get sunlight. You can arrange mushrooms for drying on a baking sheet, paper, cloth or gauze. Under favorable weather conditions, the process does not last long - several days. If the weather has deteriorated, you can dry (or completely dry) the mushrooms in the oven at the lowest heat. When opening the oven, it is better to keep the oven door ajar to prevent evaporation. You can melt the fungus in a cooling Russian stove.
At what temperature do you dry the mushrooms?
The drying process in the oven and oven lasts about 3-5 hours at a temperature of approximately 50 ° C. By the end of drying, the mushrooms must become brittle. You can dry mushrooms near the oven, where there is enough heat. And, of course, you can dry mushrooms using special dryers - they are efficient and economical. With any method of drying, it is necessary to interrupt the drying process 2-3 times and to ventilate the fungi well. Dried mushrooms are best kept in clean linen bags, you can - in paper bags or glass jars. Fungi are stored in well-ventilated areas.
Shelf life of dried mushrooms
It is possible to store dry mushrooms long enough, however, it is best not longer than a year, that is, it is desirable to use them until the next season. From dried mushrooms, you can make a mushroom powder using a combine or coffee grinder. Such a dry seasoning is wonderful for use in the cold season. Store the mushroom powder best in a closed glass jar.
How to dry mushrooms?
Chanterelles - special mushrooms - they are used not only for cooking various dishes, but also for treatment in folk medicine. To take chanterelles for medicinal purposes is best in the form of a dry powder (without heat treatment and without using salt) or their infusion on wine or vodka. Powder and tincture of chanterelles are used for diseases of the liver and pancreas, with helminthiasis and giardiasis in combination with other natural remedies. Before drying the chanterelle is not washed. String them on a fishing line or a white string and dry, preferably at a temperature of at least 30 and not more than 50º C. If the temperature is higher, the medicinal properties of the chanterelles are lost. Dry mushrooms no more than 5 days. Dry chanterelles can be ground into a powder in a coffee grinder (not into dust).