Support MycoNote →

MycoNote

Use

Drying

Summer bolete (Boletus reticulatus)

Drying (dehydration) is the oldest and most effective way to store mushrooms long-term. Moisture makes up as much as 90% of a fresh mushroom's weight. Removing it not only stops bacteria and mold from multiplying, letting you keep your harvest for years, but also sets off some remarkable chemical reactions.

As David Arora notes, during drying the proteins and amino acids in the mushroom's flesh partly break down, releasing aromatic compounds. That's why a dried mushroom often smells 10 times stronger and more intense than a fresh one.

24 species in the database.

The ideal mushrooms for drying

Not every mushroom is worth drying. M. Ya. Zerova singles out the best species for this method:

1. Porcini (Boletus edulis): The undisputed champion. It gives you the so-called "light" dried mushroom. The flesh stays pale after drying, and the aroma gains incredible depth and sweet, nutty notes. It's the base of the famous mushroom soups and sauces.

2. Horn of plenty (Craterellus cornucopioides): This unassuming black mushroom develops a pronounced truffle-like, fruity scent when dried. It's often ground into a powder and used as a luxury seasoning.

3. Xerocomus boletes and red-capped scaber stalks: These give a "dark" dried mushroom (their flesh darkens as it dries), but the broth they make is very rich and tasty.

The key safety rule: what you must never dry!

Drying is a process of concentration. Only the water evaporates, while all the chemical substances (toxins included) stay in the mushroom.

IT IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN TO DRY CONDITIONALLY EDIBLE MUSHROOMS!

If you dry honey fungus, lurid boletes or Lactarius milk caps, you won't destroy their toxins or bitterness (the way boiling and pouring off the water does). You'll only concentrate that poison and the bitter resins. Make soup from such "dried honey fungus" and you'll end up with serious poisoning. Only dry fully edible mushrooms of the first safety category, the ones that don't need boiling first.

Questions and answers

Should you wash mushrooms before drying them?
No, never! Mushrooms soak up water like a sponge. If you wash them, they'll take a very long time to dry and may sour and go moldy. Just clean them carefully with a brush or a damp cloth, trim off any damaged parts, cut them into slices (3-5 mm thick) and put them in a dehydrator or oven (at 45-55°C).
How do you use dried mushrooms properly?
Before cooking, dried mushrooms need to be "rehydrated." Soak them in warm water (or milk) for 1-2 hours so they take up moisture. Never pour this water (the mushroom infusion) away — it's concentrated flavor! Strain it through cheesecloth (to remove any remaining sand) and add it to your soup or sauce along with the mushrooms.

Sources

  1. 1.Зерова М.Я. та ін. Визначник грибів України. 1979
  2. 2.Roger Phillips. Mushrooms (Roger Phillips)
  3. 3.David Arora. Mushrooms Demystified
  4. 4.Index Fungorum