Drying mushrooms - how it works

Collected mushrooms should be stored and this works best if you dry the mushrooms. You can then easily process them into soups or other delicacies.

Drying mushrooms properly: the preparation

In order to keep freshly picked mushrooms longer than three days, they should be dried.

1. First clean the mushrooms by removing dirt and dirt from the mushrooms. Use either a kitchen towel or a brush for this.
2. Cut the mushrooms into thin slices.
3. It works best with an egg cutter. This gives you even slices.
4. For small mushrooms, it is sufficient if you halve them or quarter them lengthways.
5. You can then dry the mushrooms in a dryer, oven or in the air.

How to dry mushrooms in a dehydrator or oven

To dry mushrooms in a dehydrator, you need a suitable dehydrator. An alternative to this is an ordinary oven.

• You operate a dehydrator as described in the operating instructions.
• Vitamins and the aroma of mushrooms can be preserved better in a dehydrator than in fresh air.
• Dry the mushrooms for two to four hours at about 50 degrees Celsius.
• If you do not have a dehydrator and want to dry the mushrooms in an oven, you should make sure that the temperature in the oven is always about the same. This should not be more than 40 to 50 degrees Celsius. Otherwise the mushrooms will dry up in the oven.
• Line the baking sheet with baking paper and cover the area with the mushroom slices.
• Push the baking sheet into the oven and do not close the oven completely, but leave a gap open, for example by pushing the handle of a wooden spoon between the oven and the door.
• The mushroom slices should remain in the oven for about four to five hours.

How to air dry the mushrooms

The most lengthy method is to air-dry mushrooms. It is highly recommended to dry the mushrooms in the summer in very dry and hot weather so that all the moisture can escape from the mushrooms.

1. Take a grid, for example, and cover it with the mushroom slices.
2. You can also thread the mushrooms on a string.
3. Now hang or place the mushrooms in a safe, shady place to protect the flavorings from the sun.
4. Watch when the mushrooms are dry.
5. Depending on the size of the mushroom slices, the mushrooms can dry up to five days.
6. Bring the mushroom slices into the house overnight so that they don't soak up moisture at night.

Another article will tell you which apps help you to correctly identify mushrooms.