Drying mushrooms compares favorably with other types of their preparation in its simplicity, accessibility and ease of storage of the final product: 10 kg of fresh mushrooms are converted into one, thanks to which they take up little space on shelves in urban kitchen cabinets. In terms of nutritional properties, dried mushrooms are superior to salted and pickled ones. Drying only enhances their aroma, which is why soups and main courses made from dried mushrooms turn out tastier and richer than those made from fresh ones. In addition, they are easier to digest and absorb, without causing heaviness in the stomach, as happens from dishes made from fried and canned mushrooms; They can be safely eaten without the risk of contracting botulism.

Being a perishable product, fresh mushrooms require immediate processing. If the so-called quiet hunt was successful and a lot of mushrooms were collected, drying in this case will greatly help the housewife. When the weather is hot, sunny, dry and allows living conditions, it is convenient to dry mushrooms outside, strung on threads. At bad weather or lack of space is one of the most reliable ways There will be drying of mushrooms in ovens of gas and electric stoves. Those equipped with thermostats and convection mode, built-in fans will significantly simplify the process and speed up the time, ensuring high quality drying.

What mushrooms can be dried in the oven?
All tubular mushrooms are suitable for drying, but the best of them are porcini mushrooms. Boletus, boletus, boletus and other tubular mushrooms (whose caps look like a sponge on the bottom) darken when dried, which is why they are less suitable for preparing broths, but can be used for other dishes. Lamellar mushrooms(with the exception of honey mushrooms) cannot be dried at all. Marsupial mushrooms (morels, strings and truffles) can be dried.

Each type of mushroom should be dried separately from the others.

Processing mushrooms before drying
Only young, fresh, strong specimens without damage or wormholes are selected for drying.

Mushrooms intended for drying should not be washed! Excess moisture complicates the process itself and contributes to rapid spoilage of mushrooms during storage. Dirt, pine needles and leaves stuck to the mushrooms are removed only mechanically, wiping the mushrooms with a soft cloth or scraping off the debris with a knife. Wherein:

  • the roots of porcini mushrooms are completely or partially cut off, leaving no more than half of the stem; cut parts are dried separately;
  • from boletus and boletus mushrooms, nothing is cut off, but the entire mushroom is cut vertically in half or into four parts;
  • For morels and strings, only the lower part of the stem is cut off;
  • truffles are cut into slices;
  • small mushrooms are dried whole;
  • large legs and caps are cut into several parts: slices of 3–4 cm or plates of 4 to 5 mm thick.
For uniform drying, large and small mushrooms are dried separately from each other.

How to place mushrooms in the oven for drying?
There are several different ways to optimally place them. Mushrooms can be:

  • place in rows at some distance from each other, caps down, on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or foil;
  • place on a wire rack or grid with large mesh so that you can use them instead of baking sheets; there can be several grids and grids at once;
  • string them on long wooden knitting needles or on short splinters and place them, as on skewers, across the oven on the ribs of its side walls or place them by sticking the splinters into a container with sand;
  • string on a strong thread stretched in several rows onto a frame with nails (along the perimeter of the oven);
  • place on metal pins or wooden knitting needles, driven in a checkerboard pattern at a distance of 6–10 cm from each other into metal shields or wooden boards.
Any of these options is suitable for oven drying, the main thing is that it ensures the isolation of the mushrooms from each other and free access of air from all sides to each of them, especially at the first stage of drying, while the mushrooms are still fresh. When suspended, the mushrooms dry evenly and retain their best qualities.

The first stage of drying mushrooms is drying
Mushrooms arranged using one of the above methods are placed in an oven preheated to 40–50 °C for drying. With more high temperature droplets of released protein form on them. This will make drying difficult and degrade the quality of the final product; such mushrooms darken, lose their aroma and taste and may become completely unsuitable for food.

The convection mode, if available, should be turned on immediately. It will ensure a 100% successful result by blowing the moisture evaporating from the mushrooms out. But in any case, with or without a fan, the oven door must be constantly open throughout the drying process to ensure continuous air circulation inside the oven. In a closed oven, the mushrooms will simmer and bake rather than dry out.

The main stage of drying mushrooms in the oven
As soon as the surface of the mushrooms dries and stops sticking to your hands, increase the temperature in the oven to 60–75 °C. But no more! Otherwise, the color, taste and aroma of the mushrooms will suffer.

The exact duration of drying cannot be determined immediately. Even specimens carefully selected in size and thickness will dry out with at different speeds. Therefore, from time to time you need to check the mushrooms by touch, turn them over and remove the dry ones, leaving the unready ones to dry.

In old stoves with primitive gas ovens, the process with periodic ventilation, heating and cooling can last for two days, but it will preserve the beautiful color of the mushroom pulp and protect the product from burning and overdrying.

Mushrooms can be strung on strings and dried first in the sun, and then dried in the oven. Or vice versa - first dry it in the oven, and then dry it in the sun.

If necessary, mushrooms from the oven can be dried in the air indoors.

How to determine the readiness of dried mushrooms?
The readiness of mushrooms is determined by touch and by breaking. Properly dried, they should be light, easy to bend, break, but not crumble.

How to store oven-dried mushrooms?
The finished dried mushrooms are completely cooled and only then placed in containers, metal or glass jars. Storage containers must be perfectly dry, with hermetically sealed lids. No moisture from the air should get into it. Only in this case will the mushrooms be stored for a long time without losing their taste and aroma.

If the room in which the mushrooms will be located is sufficiently dry and well ventilated, you can string them on a thread, wrap them in clean gauze and hang them. In this state, dried mushrooms can be stored for more than one year; however, over time they will still begin to lose their taste.

If during storage the mushrooms for some reason suddenly become wet, they should be immediately sorted and dried.

Tasty and nutritious mushrooms are a product that is useful at any time of the year, because it has truly a huge amount substances valuable for the human body. They can be included in soups, added to meat, prepared sauces with it, and baked pies.

Those who pick mushrooms themselves or buy them at the market are faced with the question of how to preserve them in winter time. Fortunately, the ability to preserve preparations has been passed on from housewife to housewife for centuries. It is only important to choose the right way to dry mushrooms at home. When dried, they retain a large number of nutritional properties and remain of higher quality than when salted or preserved.

What mushrooms are suitable for drying?

In order to enjoy excellent taste in winter, it is better to prepare:

  • boletus;
  • boletus;
  • boletus;
  • oyster mushrooms;
  • goats;
  • chanterelles;
  • boletus;
  • flywheels;
  • honey mushrooms;
  • oak trees;
  • morels;
  • tinder fungi;
  • Champignon;
  • Polish mushroom;
  • hangers-on, etc.

After drying, such mushrooms retain their beneficial qualities and do not acquire a bitter taste. They convey a magical forest smell, remain very tasty and are suitable for inclusion in any dish.

Volnushki, Milk Milk and Russula, on the contrary, after drying, leave a not very pleasant shade.

It is necessary to dry according to special rules, which exist primarily so that the harmful impurities accumulated in it completely evaporate.


How to prepare mushrooms for drying

In order for the product to be preserved in the best possible condition, everything must be done to ensure that it does not deteriorate. Both spongy, tubular, and lamellar varieties require very careful attention. Necessary in the right way prepare everything so that they not only survive the long winter, but also provide the greatest pleasure while eating.

It is necessary to dry for a precisely adjusted period, because otherwise the mushrooms will not be capable of long-term storage.

It should be borne in mind that mushrooms lose at least half and even more of their natural volume, so you need to be very careful with the harvesting process.

Most often, it happens that from one kilogram of fresh raw materials, a little more than one hundred grams of dried raw materials is obtained.

Therefore, proper preparation of mushrooms for drying is of great importance. It is necessary to inspect each of them separately, clean and dry. This part of the process will largely determine their nutritional value in the future.

You need to focus on absolutely intact, fresh and strong specimens. Any wormholes must be removed immediately. It is better not to take spoiled mushrooms for harvesting immediately.

Before storing raw materials for winter use, they should be washed clean. It is best to use a regular damp kitchen sponge. You should not expose mushrooms to running tap water or place them in a pan of water.

In the future, they are laid out so that they do not differ in volume from each other. The bottom of the stem is removed from white mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, milk mushrooms, oak mushrooms, and champignons. Caps are taken from boletus and boletus mushrooms.

Subsequently, everything is cut into very thin layers about a centimeter thick. It is also allowed to cut into cubes.

At what temperature should you dry mushrooms?

Temperature is selected depending on the method of product preparation. The amount of raw materials, safety, degree of preparation, and time spent on the process also matter.

In any case, it is better to dry the mushrooms at home, first spreading them in a thin layer and leaving small gaps between them. You cannot place them in several rows, one on top of the other. The temperature should remain between fifty-five and seventy degrees. Accordingly, the period during which the product will undergo drying will be distributed. On average, it takes at least six to eight hours.


How to dry mushrooms at home

In order to in an ideal way to dry mushrooms without leaving home, it’s worth knowing the most preferable preparation options suitable for preservation nutritional value and extending shelf life.

Most methods are quite simple and are used even by housewives who do not have long experience in handling mushrooms.

To ensure that the result does not disappoint, it is advisable to carry out the process in the summer or early autumn. It is better not to leave what is collected in October, but to immediately process it for cooking.

Air drying

This method is traditional and has been used by women for centuries. Mushrooms can be laid out on a balcony, loggia or in a well-ventilated indoor area.

  1. They are placed on newspaper or thick fabric. They must be laid out in several rows so that they do not touch each other.
  2. It must be very warm so that enough sun falls on the raw materials. With absence sun rays the product is treated with heat from a battery or heater. The temperature should be left equal, without changes.
  3. The degree of readiness is determined visually, as well as by touch. Once it becomes clear that the mushrooms are completely ready for long-term storage, they should be packed in bags made of paper or linen. They can also be kept in iron or glass containers with tightly sealed lids.

The cabinet in which they will be placed must be dry, well ventilated and very clean. It is required that it be removed from the stove and other food products, since foreign odors quickly penetrate into the dried raw materials.

Oven drying

The oven serves as an excellent means for preparing mushrooms. Unlike previous method, it needs much more attention and effort, but the results are much faster and better.

However, in the absence of the proper skill, some women spoil a large number of mushrooms at once, so it is better for an inexperienced housewife to first practice on a small number of them.

The workpiece has next view.

  1. Take a metal grid and spread the product on it in one layer, then push the sheet inside.
  2. The stove is set to a setting of sixty to seventy degrees.
  3. During drying, it is necessary to open the outer door from time to time for a stable flow of fresh air.
  4. After about a quarter of an hour, take a second sheet and place it in place of the first. After a similar period, they are changed again.

The degree of readiness is determined visually. Much depends on the size of the mushrooms and the degree of their strength. One of the indicators is a change in product volume. As soon as it has clearly decreased, the drying time is coming to an end. Another determinant is complete dryness and lack of oiliness.

Drying mushrooms in a dryer

Experts believe that this method of harvesting mushrooms is preferable. A particularly high-quality product is obtained if it is processed in an electric dryer. Of course, technology will not replace all the benefits of natural drying, but it will not allow the product to spoil. After preparation for fresh air, he is considered the most successful.

They do this.

  1. The mushrooms are thoroughly cleaned, dried and cut into pieces. If they are small, then they are chopped into cubes or simply cut into pieces.
  2. The pieces are laid out in the thinnest layer.
  3. The temperature is set to fifty-five degrees Celsius. The process lasts approximately two hours. In some cases, the time may be longer if the mushrooms are significantly saturated with moisture or are too large.
  4. The degree of their readiness, as in previous cases, is determined visually.

The use of an electric dryer is the most best method preservation of mushrooms, as it is suitable for absolutely any of their varieties and types.


In the sun

This method of drying mushrooms is most suitable for owners of summer cottages, who take them out into the sun or put them back into the house when night falls or precipitation falls.

The method does not require any additional devices and does not require the constant attention of the hostess.

Workpiece progress.

  1. Mushrooms should be thinly sliced ​​or divided into small pieces.
  2. It is better to thread them through a strong thread, and then lay them out on a tarpaulin or on a wooden plank in even rows.
  3. During the process, they must be periodically turned over to the other side, so that each surface is evenly and fully illuminated by the sun. In case of strong gusts of wind or significant cloudiness, the mushrooms should be taken under a canopy or in the canopy.
  4. They should be laid out so that they do not get dirt from the roads or carry dust from the gardens.
  5. If the weather turns hopelessly bad, the mushrooms need to be dried using a different method. Leave them until done room conditions it is forbidden.

For this type of workpiece, it is desirable to have at least fifteen days of continuous exposure to sunlight, so carry out drying better in summer.

How to dry mushrooms on a string

This method is also traditional for drying mushrooms.

  1. Nylon or thin fishing line are best suited for stringing them.
  2. The pre-prepared raw material is carefully threaded through the thread, making small intervals. It is then attached in a dry, warm, ventilated and well-lit place.
  3. If the mushrooms are large, then cut them into cubes. Small ones are hung entirely.
  4. To prevent them from hanging for too long, it is necessary to place them near a central heating radiator, fan heater, stove, stove, or electric radiator.

The degree of readiness is determined by eye.


Air fryer drying

The method is suitable in cases where there are very few mushrooms and they are not supposed to be dried in large quantities. It is also good for those who live in rural areas and often enough goes for the gifts of the forest, stocking up on them in small portions. It is also suitable for those who were late and started the process in the cold autumn time, when natural methods can no longer be applied.

Drying boletus mushrooms, boletuses, chanterelle mushrooms, moss mushrooms, honey mushrooms, boletus mushrooms, aspen mushrooms, and Polish mushrooms is especially good. They come out beautiful, not darkened or changed in their structure.

Mushrooms must be thoroughly cleaned, cut into thin layers and held over gas until moisture is completely removed from their surface.

The raw materials are placed on special mesh stands and pushed inside the device. Then the rotation mechanism is turned on.

The temperature is first set at forty degrees, then increased to seventy. Space should be left between the lid and the outside for air to penetrate.

Dry the raw materials for five hours or more until ready, making sure that the mushrooms do not burn. It is necessary to carefully monitor the process to avoid damage.

Microwave

The method is not one of the best, but if there is no other way to dry mushrooms, it is used.

  1. Raw materials are prepared in the same ways as in other cases.
  2. The pieces are placed on a wide and flat grill or plate and placed inside the appliance. Do not use iron containers.
  3. The regulator knob is placed in a position corresponding to one hundred and fifty degrees and left for twenty minutes.
  4. Then the device is turned off and the mushrooms are taken out for fifteen minutes to ventilate.
  5. Repeat the procedure again three times. If each specimen is dried as a whole, up to five repetitions may be required.

The degree of readiness is determined visually.

Specifying the condition of harvested raw materials

Despite the instructions that the level of drying is measured by eye, there are still certain criteria for establishing it.

Two or three times are enough and the housewife will learn to determine at first glance whether the mushrooms are dry enough. They bend easily without breaking and spring under your fingers. It is unacceptable to feel that there is moisture left in the raw material or, on the contrary, that it is crumbling.

Some specimens wrinkle a little and look like baked apples. Their color should range from light brown to brown.

If a woman is preparing a product for the first time, then for indication it is useful to purchase some ready-made raw materials in a store or market and compare the result with it.


How to store dried mushrooms

When everything is done as needed and excellent dried mushrooms are obtained, you should save them so that they do not lose their taste.

A number of rules must be followed:

  • The best view storage is paper or cardboard. It is also possible to pour it into a linen bag.
  • Do not mix the dried product with other types of groceries.
  • It is worth keeping it near a window or vent.
  • There should be a battery located nearby, otherwise the mushrooms will become moldy.
  • It is necessary to periodically pour them out and air them on newspaper;
  • If spoiled specimens are found, they must be removed immediately.

The bag or box can be stored for no more than three years. But every two to three months the container should be changed to something that is clean, dry and free of defects.

You should not leave mushrooms for too long without taking a sample from them from time to time to make sure that their structure is not damaged and there is no spoilage.

Useful video

In order to determine which method will be used to prepare raw materials for the winter, it is worth watching a video that details all the stages of drying. If all the rules are strictly followed, mushrooms can be preserved so that they do not lose their nutritional value, do not begin to deteriorate, and have an excellent taste and smell.

Every woman knows how useful it is to have dried raw materials in the house so that winter dishes acquire a special summer aroma. It is used in unlimited quantities of recipes, and also complements ready-made dishes.

If you fulfill all the wishes for drying them at home, then for the whole year you will be provided with an excellent variety in the prepared recipes for baked goods, meat, vegetables and soups.


The procurement of mushrooms collected in Primorye has its own specifics. We rarely dry mushrooms for a reason: rainy summer and constant fogs that, even in forty-degree heat, suffocate residents without dissipating. If you can still dry mushrooms using ovens, attics and closets, then preserving them until the dry season (starting in September) is practically very, very difficult.
In our glorious land, mushrooms appear in waves and starting from June, you can harvest porcini mushrooms, boletus, obabaki three times during the summer and autumn, and honey mushrooms almost from May to November.
Some useful tips on the preparation of mushrooms for future use, tested by me personally and used by many of my friends, I have outlined on these pages.

All are suitable for drying edible species tubular mushrooms, but when dried they turn black, which is why they are called black mushrooms, in contrast to white ones, which are more aromatic and do not change color when dry. Dried champignons and meadow mushrooms are very good, their aroma is not much inferior to the porcini mushroom. You can also dry real and summer honey mushrooms, elmaki, common mushrooms, govo-ruskn, funnel mushrooms, chanterelles, hedgehogs, morels and stitches; the latter are losing theirs poisonous properties after drying. Auricularia (tree ears) are also suitable for drying, which should be soaked in water before use. cold water for the night.

Mushrooms intended for drying, as we have already said, should never be washed, as they will dry worse. You just need to cut off the lower part of the leg with the soil adhering to it (if this was not done in the forest during collection), clean it of any debris and, if necessary, wipe them with a cloth.
Drying is considered the most in a convenient way harvesting mushrooms for future use, but in conditions Far East, where the weather is usually wet during the mushroom season and there are no facilities for individual drying, this method of harvesting mushrooms is not very common.

Mushrooms, except for the smallest ones, can be cut along the stem; through the cap in half, and the largest ones - in slices into several parts.
To obtain a more beautiful product, mushrooms should be dried in two stages: first dried at a lower temperature (40-50°), and then dried at 70°. At home, you can first dry the mushrooms, even in the air if the weather is sunny, or over the stove, and then dry them in the oven, but do not allow the temperature to rise above 70-75°. To prevent the mushrooms from burning and steaming, keep the oven door ajar. It is best to dry mushrooms over the stove and in the sun, strung on strong threads, on nets placed on bricks, etc. Mushrooms are considered dried when they become light and brittle. If dried mushrooms Stored in an insufficiently dry room, they should be dried after two months.
Both young and old mushrooms are used for drying, which give a more aromatic broth, and even mushrooms with wormholes.
The uses of dried mushrooms are very diverse. Dried mushrooms are good for adding fat and seasoning to soups. You can cook delicious vegetarian first courses with dried mushrooms. They are used for sauces, fillings of pies, pies, dumplings, meat and potato zraza, and for preparing mushroom caviar.

Methods for drying mushrooms:
- dry in the shade in sunny weather
- dry in the attic
- in the oven or electric oven
- in a special electric dryer
- dry in the microwave
- in a dry heated bath

Almost all edible mushrooms can be harvested in dried form, except for mushrooms that have a pungent or bitter taste. It is preferable to dry tubular and morel mushrooms (ceps, boletus mushrooms, boletus mushrooms, boletus mushrooms, boletus mushrooms). When dried, everything is preserved nutritional quality mushrooms The aroma of some mushrooms is even enhanced by this method of preparation, as, for example, in the porcini mushroom. Mushrooms can be considered dried if they are dry and light to the touch, bend slightly when pressed lightly, and break when pressed hard. From 10 kg of fresh porcini mushrooms you can get approximately 1.5 kg of dried ones if the mushrooms are young and 1 kg if the mushrooms are mature. After drying, the water content in mushrooms decreases from 90 to 10-14 percent. Thus, from 10 kg of fresh mushrooms only 1-1.4 kg of dried mushrooms are obtained.

Drying mushrooms in sunny weather.

On hot days, mushrooms can be dried in the sun or just dried to finally dry them at a higher temperature on the stove or in the oven. For this purpose, mushrooms are placed on drying trays, thick paper or a dry board.

Mushrooms intended for drying cannot be washed, as they quickly absorb moisture. They must be thoroughly cleaned of dirt and debris with a stiff brush or brush. Heavily contaminated areas should be cut off or wiped with damp gauze, which, due to its structure, captures and removes dirt well. Small mushrooms are dried whole. The caps of large mushrooms are cut into slices, and the legs, depending on their thickness, are either longitudinally (thin) or crosswise into circles (thick). Under no circumstances should mushrooms be placed on an iron baking sheet, as the mushrooms may bake and turn black on it. Drying is carried out in a place protected from rain and dust and well blown by the wind. It is very important that the mushrooms, pre-cut into slices, are dried or dried completely within no more than 1-2 days. In this case, they retain their natural color. Properly dried mushrooms bend; overdried ones crumble.

Drying mushrooms in the attic.
Owners of private houses with an attic are very lucky in this case. Following the rules for drying mushrooms in sunny weather, it is enough to spread the mushrooms in the attic on a prepared rag or parchment and leave them there.
You can do it the old fashioned way - string the mushrooms on a string or drape and hang them under the eaves next to the braids of onions and garlic.
Mushrooms in attics rarely dry out and are spoiled only by mice.

Drying in a special electric dryer.
As a rule, all dryers are multi-tiered. Therefore, the racks with dried mushrooms laid out on them should be periodically swapped to ensure uniform drying. The total drying time for one batch is 3-5 hours. In this case, it is advisable to take half-hour breaks every half hour so that the mushrooms do not heat up to the point of burning. First, the mushrooms are dried at a temperature of 45°C. At a higher initial temperature, protein substances are released on the surface of the mushrooms and then dry out,
which worsens the further course of drying and gives the mushrooms a dark color. In this case, the mushrooms become so soft that they cannot be used as food. Only after the surface of the mushrooms has dried and they stop sticking can the temperature be raised to 75-80°C.

Remember that mushrooms intended for drying are not washed, but only cleaned of debris and damaged areas are cut out, since they do not dry well when washed. Fruit bodies are selected by size (large ones are cut into pieces) and laid out on sieves. In this case, the mushrooms should not come into contact with each other.

Drying mushrooms in a Russian bath.
Not many bath lovers like the sauna, but dry heat and ventilation in a well-heated bath will help you dry the mushrooms.
Depending on how your bathhouse is heated, you can dry it in an oven with an open damper, on heating grates with an influx of dry air to remove excess moisture evaporated by mushrooms.
The rest of the drying conditions remain the same - do not wash, peel, cut into pieces and do not allow to touch.

Some notes on drying lamellar mushrooms and toadstools (morels and lines).
Mushrooms like milk mushrooms, russula and the like are dried extremely rarely. But morel mushrooms, which belong to the category of conditionally edible, are dried only in air. They are strung on threads, placed loosely in gauze bags, old nylon stockings and dried in a ventilated dry room for about 5-6 months. During this time, oxygen in the air cleanses toxins and neutralizes the stitches - the mushrooms become suitable for consumption.
If you still decide to dry some mushrooms of this type, you should remember the same rules by which porcini and obabka mushrooms are dried.

Storing dried mushrooms.
To preserve mushrooms for a long time, it is more convenient to place the mushrooms immediately after drying, while they still retain their fragility and warmth, in hermetically sealed glass jars. Jars are sterilized at temperatures above 90°C: half-liter jars for 40 minutes, liter jars for 50 minutes. Dried mushrooms are stored in gauze or linen bags in a well-ventilated place, separate from products with a strong odor that can stink the mushrooms, such as dried smelt or flounder. It is necessary that this room is dry, since dried mushrooms strongly absorb water from environment, especially if they are prepared in the form mushroom powder. If they are damp, they should be sorted out and dried; this can be done in any way described above. For sterilization when canning mushrooms, you can use following methods: 1. Use a home ionizer (many people still have such devices from Soviet times) and a blower. Blow through the container with mushrooms with ionized air and close the lid tightly.
2. Pour some alcohol onto inner surface lids, light it and immediately close the jar.
When alcohol burns, almost all the oxygen in the jar is consumed, as a result of which the mushrooms will not become moldy, even if they were not sufficiently dried and were placed in a damp room.

I love collecting, cooking and eating mushrooms, treating friends and telling stories about mushroom pickers and forest wanderings.
I wish you luck" quiet hunt" and Bon Appetit!

Experienced housewives do not throw away food, but save everything for future use. For example, if there are some fresh mushrooms left after preparing a dish, you can dry them whole or in slices. You can use this product in dried form to make soups, stir-fries or delicious meat.

How to dry mushrooms at home

Fragrant dried mushrooms are an unusual component for numerous first and second courses. They contain a lot of microelements beneficial for the body. Modern housewives know many ways to prepare this product for future use. Drying mushrooms at home can be done using special equipment or in the sun. To calculate the time for the procedure, it is important to take into account the characteristics of a particular type and method of preparation.

What mushrooms can be dried at home:

  1. Tubular. This type is optimal for drying. Forest boletus, boletus, boletus, Polish mushroom and other edible varieties remain aromatic and very tasty after such processing. Under the caps of this species there is a spongy layer of small tubes.
  2. Marsupials. This variety includes white truffles and morels. They are distinguished by their unexpressed shape and spores located in bags. White truffle- an expensive delicacy that is rarely used for drying. Morels are dried in the open air for several months. This time is needed for evaporation toxic substances. If the product is consumed earlier, it may be harmful to health.
  3. Lamellar is another popular type. This variety includes champignons, honey mushrooms, honey mushrooms, oyster mushrooms and others. Under the cap, agaric mushrooms have characteristic plates arranged in a radial direction. It is not recommended to choose milk mushrooms, trumpets or russula for drying due to the high bitterness content in them. milky juice.
  4. Chanterelles. Many people confuse this species with lamellar ones. Chanterelles are characterized by plate-like folds of flesh. The dried product has a bitter taste.
  5. Polypores. This species is distinguished by its branching nature; it includes sheep and other varieties.

It is important not only to properly dry boletus mushrooms or champignons, but also to select the raw materials for harvesting. Some people think that only tubular ones are suitable for this. However, lamellar ones are also sometimes used for drying; for example, honey mushrooms are very common in Russia and are suitable for preparing for the winter. In addition, it is important not to miss the moment when dried chanterelles or boletus mushrooms are ready. An overdried product cannot be processed culinary processing, and unprepared ones quickly spoil. During the drying process, mushrooms lose 90% of their weight, so 1 kg of raw materials yields about 100 g of dry honey mushrooms or champignons.

Another important step is preparation for the procedure. The more thoroughly you sort and clean the boletus or oyster mushrooms before drying, the tastier and more aromatic they will be after processing. Choose strong, dense specimens without damage. Be sure to clean the raw materials from dirt, wipe them with a sponge, but do not wash them with water so that the product does not lose its aroma and taste. In addition, you need to sort everything by size. The lower part of the stem of champignons and mushrooms is cut off. Boletus and boletus are separated from the cap. Cut the mushrooms into 1-1.5 cm plates or pieces.

In the oven

When considering ways to dry mushrooms, those who do not have special equipment should pay attention to the oven. The raw materials are prepared, cleaned, the stems are separated from the caps, and cut. It is more convenient to dry mushrooms in the oven on a wire rack placed on top of a baking sheet. The oven door is opened to allow moisture to evaporate faster. The temperature is set at 40-60 degrees. Drying time up to 48 hours. Readiness is checked simply: bend a piece, it should bend a little and break easily.

In the sun

Another option for harvesting is drying in the fresh air. To do this, you need to choose sunny, hot days. In case of sudden changes in weather, the laid out raw materials on a tray must be brought indoors. It is important to cover the product from dust and flies with gauze. This option is suitable for how to dry mushrooms completely, and how to dry them before processing in the oven. The procedure takes from two to seven days. Sun-dried mushrooms cut into slices are removed after 48 hours so that they do not lose their natural color. Morels need to be dried for at least 2 months.

In an electric dryer

Some housewives have such a convenient device in their arsenal as a dryer for mushrooms and vegetables. With its help it is very easy to dry oyster mushrooms, mushrooms or champignons for the winter. How to cook delicious and aromatic dry mushrooms correctly so that they dry evenly? The raw materials need to be cleaned, sorted, cut and placed on special racks of the device. Everything needs to be dried at 40-50 degrees, after which the temperature is increased to 80 °C. Drying mushrooms in an electric dryer takes 4-6 hours, depending on the type of raw material.

In the microwave

If there is no special equipment for drying food, and it is not possible to decompose the raw materials in air, you can use a microwave oven. Drying mushrooms in the microwave has its own characteristics. First, the raw materials are cut into thin 5 mm slices, laid out on a plate, and the timer is turned on for 20 minutes. After this, open the door for 10 minutes to evaporate excess liquid. Repeat the session 4-5 times.

On a thread

One of the most ancient methods of harvesting boletus or boletus for the winter is drying it on a fishing line or thread. For this method, you can use whole or chopped mushrooms. The prepared raw materials must be threaded on a needle with canvas thread (or nylon). You can dry mushrooms on a string in any room with good air circulation, but protected from rain and dust. You can cover the product with insect repellent gauze.

Drying mushroom recipes

There are many methods for preparing dried mushrooms, which can be added to soups and hot dishes in winter. Great value when choosing a drying method and mode, it has the type of raw material. For example, morels must be dried in the fresh air for at least 60 days, and boletus mushrooms must be dried for 4 hours. How to prepare the preparation correctly, taking into account a specific variety, can be found in the recipes below with photos.

White mushrooms

The smell of dried boletus will not leave anyone indifferent, so this variety is especially popular among housewives for winter preparations. To get quality finished product, you need to properly prepare the raw materials. You can dry porcini mushrooms in any way. in an accessible way: in the oven, on a thread, using a microwave oven. Ready dried boletus mushrooms should barely bend and have a slightly springy structure. Below are instructions on how to dry raw materials in the oven with photos.

Cooking method:

  1. The boletus mushrooms are sorted out, cleaned of dirt, the lower part of the stem is cut off, and the caps are wiped with a sponge.
  2. Cut everything into thin slices.
  3. Lay out in one layer on a special grid.
  4. Place a wire rack over a baking sheet and turn on the oven.
  5. Dry the raw materials with the door open at a temperature of no more than 75 degrees for 2-3 hours.

Champignon

One of the most popular types of mushrooms are champignons. They are sold fresh and frozen all year round, so they are rarely dried. However, some housewives prepare some dried champignons for the winter, because the product is convenient to store and can be used at any time to prepare various dishes. There are several ways to dry champignons. Below is step-by-step instruction with a photo of how to prepare raw materials using thread in the fresh air.

Cooking method:

  1. Peeled mushrooms are sorted by size or cut into pieces.
  2. String the raw material onto a thread so that the pieces do not touch.
  3. The resulting “beads” are hung in a room closed from water, dust, and UV rays.
  4. Dry for several days until ready.

Oyster mushrooms

Oyster mushrooms contain flavoring and aromatic substances, potassium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, thiamine, vitamins A, D, valuable folic acid. All substances are preserved after drying, so many people store this type of mushroom for future use. It is recommended to dry oyster mushrooms at home using a special dryer. However, if you don’t have one, then an oven will do, but this option takes longer. In order for oyster mushrooms to retain their aroma, taste and nutrients, you should follow the recipe presented below.

Cooking method:

  1. After collection, the oyster mushrooms are sorted and cleaned of dirt.
  2. The raw materials are cut into slices or pieces.
  3. Place a metal or wooden grid on a baking sheet.
  4. Place the raw materials on a wire rack.
  5. Dry at a temperature of 45-50 degrees, with the door ajar for about 8 hours.
  6. Place on a tray in a well-ventilated room for 24 hours.
  7. The ventilated, dried raw materials are laid out on a wire rack, which is placed on top of the baking sheet.
  8. Dry at 70-75 degrees for 6 hours (if there is not enough time, increase the processing).

Boletus

If your trip to the forest was successful and you collected a lot of boletus mushrooms, then the excess mushrooms can be dried. This preparation option is not inferior to pickled ones in taste and benefits. However, in order for the finished product to be of high quality and well stored, you should follow the instructions. The action plan depends on how the housewife decides to dry the boletus. It is important to sort the mushrooms by size and first clean them of dust and dirt. In addition, the tubular cap is separated from the stem before drying. Below is step by step recipe for microwave.

Cooking method:

  1. Fresh, clean boletuses are cut into pieces of the same size.
  2. Lay the raw materials in one layer on a flat plate and place in the microwave.
  3. Choose a power of 100-180 W, dry for 20 minutes.
  4. Take out the plate and drain the liquid from the boletus mushrooms.
  5. Air the raw material for 5 minutes and put it in the microwave again for 20 minutes. The cycle is repeated until the dried boletus is ready.

Butter

Russian forests are rich in boletus, so many housewives do not know what to do with them during the mushroom picking season. It is worth noting that this type is different good taste, contains many essential oils, complete protein, amino acids, vitamin B and D. Dried oils help rapid recovery after illness. Before the procedure, it is important to remove the skins of mushrooms that are not eaten. You can dry boletus in any way, depending on the available equipment. Below is a recipe for an electric dryer.

Cooking method:

  1. Freshly harvested boletus is sorted, cleaned, and the film is removed from the caps.
  2. Cut into slices 5 mm thick.
  3. Lay out on a special grid in one layer.
  4. Dry for 4-5 hours until the product is ready.

Video

The most pleasant and delicious gift from the village is still a bunch of aromatic, tasty dried mushrooms. Many city residents have a question: is it really only in the countryside that the correct process for selecting and drying mushrooms is known? In reality, anyone can possess such art; it is only important to follow some simple recommendations. But before you study the main points of drying mushrooms, it is advisable to find out in general what useful qualities and ready-made food made from mushrooms is valuable.

Dried mushroom is a great guest on any table not only due to its properties, which are completely preserved during drying - such a product is also much healthier than canned mushrooms. When pickling, the mushroom loses the bulk of its valuable quality - more than half of the substances evaporate, and during the drying process, this vegetable loses only water from its composition.

The dried product has a very high calorie content, which can reach 250 kcal or more, but there is little doubt that its energy value is also very high. At the same time, despite the apparent simplicity of the process of drying mushrooms, it requires certain skills, experience and following a number of tips. Only this determines how valuable and tasty the finished food will be.

Packaging by type

Any mushroom picker prefers to collect mushrooms so that the basket ends up with a real assortment of mushrooms from boletuses, porcini mushrooms, butter mushrooms, egg capsules and other varieties suitable for consumption that just come into view. With all this set something needs to be done in order to somehow further product cook. And most simple method is to dry them, but the problem is that this is not the most beneficial for every mushroom. Among the variety of edible mushrooms, some are suitable for frying, others are suitable for canning, and others are well suited for drying.

What mushrooms should I choose for further drying?

The most suitable and versatile option is White mushroom, it is beautiful in any finished form. In addition to this, every tubular mushroom can be dried: boletus mushrooms, boletus mushrooms, and fly mushrooms. In addition, the tubular variety is also considered noble - it is considered one of the “elite” among mushrooms.

Mushrooms that have a lamellar cap are absolutely not suitable for drying. After drying, they begin to become more bitter. The list of these mushrooms included chanterelles, russula, and honey mushrooms.

Drying process: preparation

The first problem that a person who wants to dry mushrooms faces is the following: it is necessary to make sure that the forest mushroom, being initially dirty, turns into clean. The fact is that it is not advisable to wet clean mushrooms, because this will prolong the drying process for some time due to the fact that the product absorbs excess water. Therefore, the main method for cleaning mushrooms is an ordinary knife. Using it, you must carefully remove needles, fragments of leaves and plants from the cap. It is not recommended to touch the skin, because most often the mushroom is dried along with it.

Any sand on the legs and caps can be removed with a soft brush that should not be wetted. The remaining sand is washed off in winter, because the dried mushroom is certainly soaked in water before you start cooking it.

It is advisable to use a plastic knife. Despite the inconvenience of handling it, this particular knife does not cause the mushroom pulp to oxidize. And oxidation of the legs or caps causes huge damage taste properties of dried mushroom.

In order for the mushrooms to have a distinct smell and pleasant taste after drying, you must follow the drying rules below:

  1. A large mushroom cap must be cut into several identical fragments.
  2. It is recommended to cut the large stems of some mushrooms into pucks, the thickness of which does not exceed 2 cm.
  3. Drying should begin at natural conditions- under the sun's rays, and the final stage should be carried out in any device that is in the house: oven, oven, microwave.
  4. Regardless of the chosen drying method, it is necessary to interrupt the drying about 2-3 times to ventilate the mushrooms.

After the drying process is completed, it is necessary to decide on a container for storing the product. These can be jars made of glass that can be tightly closed, bags made of paper or fabric, but in no case should you use cellophane.

According to mushroom pickers, you can store dried mushrooms for as long as you like, but it is recommended to use mushrooms for food within a year after drying. Should be stored in a well-ventilated area.


In open areas
The most commonly used drying method is natural drying. But this is feasible under certain conditions, if such a possibility exists, and weather they allow it. Drying mushrooms in a small village or on the balcony of an apartment in a large city are completely different things.

When drying mushrooms in air, they must be pierced with a strong thread, keeping a small distance between the individual fragments. Then such a bundle is placed in the most illuminated area. Using gauze or a thin cloth can protect the bundle from dust particles and insects.

In the oven
This option is most convenient to use in the city. The oven must be heated to approximately 45 degrees. Mushrooms are arranged on a wire rack in even rows. Then the raw materials are placed in the oven. Do not close the oven door tightly, otherwise moisture will settle on the walls of the container and the mushrooms may even cook.

After the mushrooms become slightly dried, which will happen in about an hour, you can increase the temperature to 70 degrees and dry the mushrooms again for 4-5 hours. They need to be rotated regularly to ensure even drying.

Microwave
For such drying, the oven temperature should be set to about 100 degrees, and the mushrooms should be placed inside for no more than 20 minutes. After this, you need to open the oven door so that the moisture evaporates, and after 5-10 minutes, dry again for twenty minutes. A batch of mushrooms can be dried this way in about an hour.

Above the gas stove
This is not the most suitable method, but it will do in the absence of other options. Also, it is only suitable if you do not plan to use the stove for cooking in the next few days, otherwise the mushrooms will be able to absorb the aroma of the food.

The mushrooms must be hung almost right up to the ceiling, then the stove burners are lit. If you dry them without turning off the gas stove all day long, then a batch of mushrooms will dry in about 2-3 days.

In the Russian oven
Many people sometimes ask if there is a difference between drying mushrooms in the oven or in a Russian oven. An oven as a separate method of preparing food is fundamentally different from an oven, not only in the method of air supply, but also in the quality of the final result.

After preparation, the mushrooms can be strung on thin skewers or knitting needles; it also works well if the mushrooms are placed with the cap down on a wire rack. According to ancient tradition, they can also be laid out on straw. The raw materials should be decomposed in the oven when the temperature drops to 60. If you place the mushrooms in the oven at a higher temperature, this risks causing them to deteriorate.

In order to be able to remove the moisture protruding from the mushrooms, the damper must be opened slightly, otherwise the air in the oven will not circulate. Also, a specific feature of drying mushrooms in a Russian oven is that it is necessary to open the pipe. During the first stages of drying, the pipe should be opened approximately three-quarters, and then it should be closed gradually.

Considering that mushrooms can have caps different sizes, they may dry unevenly, which leads to the need to remove mushrooms that have already dried from the oven, and continue to dry the rest of the batch. Otherwise, raw materials that have been overdried are poorly processed, and underdried ones may soon deteriorate.

Electric dryer for drying mushrooms
This method is considered to be the most “lazy” method. The most important thing here is not to overdo it with thickness when slicing mushrooms. The thickness of the strips or washers should not exceed 1 cm, but some mushroom pickers prefer to dry whole mushrooms. After the time and temperature have been set, all that remains is to wait until the mushrooms are completely dry and ready.

One of the options for drying boletus mushrooms. If you have collected one or two kilograms of fleshy boletus mushrooms, then in a short time you can dry them by chopping them into “noodles”. The resulting thin strips must be placed at the same distance from each other on a baking sheet or large dish, then placed in a shaded, ventilated place and turned over regularly. After this, they must be strung on a line or thread, hung in a draft (in a place inaccessible to direct sunlight) - preferably under a canopy or roof.

Boletus mushrooms can be dried if the chopped pieces are laid out on a horizontal surface. If the weather is warm enough and the sun constantly affects the mushrooms, they will dry out in a few days. One way or another, the moisture remaining in the mushrooms will not play a significant role - under-dried mushrooms can always be cooked using the oven.

The chosen method of drying porcini mushrooms directly determines what their taste properties will be after cooking. Maximum effective way is drying mushrooms in a dryer designed for this purpose.

How to determine readiness

If the mushroom can be easily broken, it is not ready yet. Any mushroom that has been completely and efficiently dried can be easily bent, but it is practically impossible to break it due to its high elasticity and lack of moisture.

Dried mushroom also has light color, there are no various spots. The aroma is pleasant, and the mushroom does not look burnt.

Video: a quick and proven way to dry mushrooms