Content
Drying mushrooms at home is not difficult, but the process has its own nuances that need to be taken into account. To get fragrant dried mushrooms, you should carefully prepare them, choose the right drying technology and storage methods.
Is it possible to dry mushrooms mushrooms
Flywheels are tubular edible mushrooms. They are distinguished by a strong appearance, very similar to boletus. They owe their name to the fact that they grow mainly on mosses. Mushrooms are very rich in vitamins and minerals, but the pulp quickly oxidizes and darkens. This is due to the common misconception that these mushrooms are not suitable for drying. This is not true. They dry perfectly, and dried mushroom mushroom does not lose its useful qualities and taste. Species such as Polish mushroom, green moss and yellow-brown oiler are considered particularly suitable for drying.
How to dry mushrooms mushrooms
The procurement process starts with selection. The strongest, most resilient and undamaged flywheels are suitable for drying. Wormy and overripe specimens must be removed, as they will not dry out, but will rot.
The main distinguishing feature of preparing the flywheels for drying is that they are not washed. The reason is that they absorb moisture very strongly. Because of this, they will dry for a long time, or even deteriorate. Mushrooms are cleaned with a soft dry cloth from adhering dirt, grass and debris. Further, darkened and damaged areas are cut off from the mushrooms. It is best to use a stainless steel knife for this, which prevents the oxidation process and further darkening of the pulp.
In an electric dryer
An electric dryer is the best option for harvesting mushrooms. Drying the flywheels in the dryer is easier and more efficient thanks to a special design that does not require constant monitoring of the process and presence. The dryer provides optimal convection and temperature conditions, which creates uniform high-quality drying. The mushrooms are cut into plates (if the specimens are medium-sized, then it can be into 4 parts) and evenly spread on each tier of the electric dryer. It is necessary to dry at a temperature of 55-60 degrees, the drying time is 3-5 hours, depending on the number and thickness of the sliced plates.
In an electric dryer, the mushrooms need to be dried for 3-5 hours, the time depends on the thickness and number of mushroom plates
In a gas or electric oven
In the absence of an electric dryer, you can use a gas or electric oven. For this, the mushrooms are also cut into plates no thicker than 5 mm. Cover the surface of the baking sheet with parchment paper. Pieces are laid out on it and sent to an oven preheated to 45 degrees. The door remains ajar during drying. The mushrooms are periodically checked and mixed. When they stop sticking to the paper, the temperature rises to 70 degrees. The best way to dry mushrooms in an electric or gas oven is to divide the process into two days for the purpose of airing. This is necessary to prevent overdrying and burning of the mushrooms.
Leave the door ajar during drying to prevent the mushrooms from burning and overdrying.
In the microwave
Drying flywheels for the winter in the microwave has its own characteristics. It consists of several repetitive cycles. The cut pieces are laid out on a glass plate and sent to the microwave for 20 minutes at a set power of 120-180 W. After turning off from the plate, it is necessary to drain the released liquid and re-spread on the plate. These steps must be done several times until the pieces are completely dry. This method is rather laborious. This is due to the small number of mushrooms that can be spread out on the plate, but in the absence of alternative methods, they can be used.
Mushrooms must be left in the microwave for 20 minutes.
On a thread
You can dry the mushrooms using an ordinary thread. This is one of the traditional drying methods that does not bring much hassle and difficulty. To do this, the mushrooms are cut into large pieces, and the small ones are dried whole. A feature of the moss mills is that the legs are easily separated from the caps, and stringing them whole can be problematic. Therefore, it is better to dry the legs and caps separately. A dense thread with a large needle is pulled through the prepared flywheels. The resulting bundle is suspended in a well-ventilated and warm room. In this state, the mushrooms are dried until tender.
Dry mushrooms in a warm, well-ventilated area.
Outdoors
The algorithm of actions is similar to drying on a thread. The cut plates are laid out on various trays, grates, thick cardboard. It is better to choose a place for drying that is protected from direct sunlight and rain. If drying takes place outside, then you should take care of protection from insects - cover the trays with gauze cloth that allows air to pass through well. Flywheels are periodically mixed so that they do not stick to the surface, and leave to dry completely.
The flywheels need to be stirred periodically so that they do not stick to the surface of the tray, grate and cardboard.
Important! It is not necessary to use metal surfaces for drying - they contribute to the blackening of the mushrooms.
How to determine the readiness of dried mushrooms
The degree of readiness is determined visually. The pieces should look dry but still elastic. You can determine readiness by bending one plate - it should remain springy, but not break. This state of the moss trees indicates a high-quality drying of the fruit bodies.
Determining the correct readiness of the mushrooms is a key point in the drying process. Undried mushrooms will not be stored - they will rot and become moldy. Overdried mushrooms crumble and become unsuitable for cooking many dishes. They can be ground into powder with a blender or coffee grinder and used as flavoring additives.
Storage rules
Dried mushrooms are very easy to spoil if stored improperly. Mushrooms absorb moisture and odors well, which makes them unusable. After drying, they should be stored in glass jars, cardboard boxes or cloth bags. The main requirement is that the room where the mushrooms are stored must be well ventilated with a humidity of no more than 70%. Dried mushrooms last at least one year under the right conditions.
Store dried fruit bodies in glass containers, a box and fabric bags.
What can be made from dried mushrooms
Dried mushrooms can be used to prepare a wide variety of delicious dishes - from aromatic soups to savory sauces. Such dishes, in addition to excellent taste, will be beneficial due to the content of a large amount of vitamins and minerals. Before cooking, they are pre-soaked for several hours and then washed.Flywheels are a great addition to meat dishes, an ideal filling for pancakes, pies, dumplings and zraz. Borsch, fragrant stew, hodgepodge - this is a small list of dishes with dried mushrooms.
Conclusion
Drying the mushrooms is the most preferred way of harvesting for the winter. Its indisputable advantage is that mushrooms do not lose their beneficial qualities and nutritional value. Dried mushrooms are better absorbed by organisms than pickled and salted ones, and the number of dishes that can be prepared from them is limited only by imagination.
