diets and healthy eating 11.10.2017
Dear readers, autumn is the most beautiful time for mushroom pickers. I myself love to walk in the forest, I rejoice at every mushroom I find. Of course, year after year is not necessary. This year we have very few mushrooms, but last year was very fruitful. But it's one thing to pick mushrooms, and another thing to properly prepare them for the winter. One of the most popular and useful ways blanks is drying mushrooms.
All mushroom preparations are run by dad. I am always surprised with what joy, pleasure, knowledge of the matter, he disassembles, cleans, cuts mushrooms and then prepares them for drying. Whole art! Today, dear readers, we will talk about how to properly dry mushrooms at home for the winter.
Mushrooms are considered perishable product, so if you want to make delicious and useful blanks for the winter, you need to act pretty quickly. The drying process itself is not particularly difficult, the main thing, as I said, is to properly prepare them.
However, before drying the mushrooms, let's first figure out which mushrooms should be preferred.
There are several types of mushrooms that are most often harvested for the winter.
White mushrooms
White mushrooms, in my opinion, the most perfect mushrooms for both frying and drying. What is their the most delicate taste what a flavor! From porcini mushrooms you can cook a lot of delicious and healthy meals: soups, decoctions, sauces, gravies, marinades and snacks.
They contain many vitamins and minerals, but in order to preserve them, it is important to know how to dry porcini mushrooms and in what conditions to store them. Always remember - to save the maximum benefit, the minimum will help heat treatment. Below we will discuss the intricacies of drying.
Oilers
For winter preparations great for all types of oils. Butterflies have a large fleshy hat and a thick leg. Dishes from these mushrooms are juicy and have a rich mushroom aroma.
Oils, like porcini mushrooms, also contain a lot of useful substances, which can be saved if you know how to properly dry mushrooms for the winter.
Honey mushrooms
These mushrooms grow in families, so it is quite difficult to pass them by. If you know the basic rules for drying mushrooms at home, you can not only enjoy mushrooms all winter, but also saturate your body with vitamins B, C, as well as potassium, magnesium and phosphorus.
You can cook a lot from dried mushrooms original dishes: mushroom caviar, soups, onion-mushroom appetizer, mushroom pilaf, sauce, pies with mushrooms.
Dried mushrooms do not require special storage conditions, so you can easily make preparations for the whole winter.
Boletus, boletus, mossiness mushrooms, chanterelles
These mushrooms are also good and great for drying.
So, after we figured out our national preferences and talked about which mushrooms are dried for the winter, it's time to learn how to prepare them for drying.
How to prepare mushrooms for drying
I want to draw your attention to the fact that mushrooms are NEVER WASHED before drying. This is very important, because mushrooms are saturated with moisture from contact with water and subsequently cook for too long.
How to clean mushrooms from dirt and dust? Many experienced mushroom pickers It is advised to do this very carefully with a slightly moistened sponge. Other mushroom experts say it's best not to hydrate mushrooms at all. We usually use sharp knife and a brush or sponge to shake off the dirt, stuck needles.
Remember, soft, overripe or wormy mushrooms are not suitable for drying, so the mushrooms should be carefully sorted before drying.
Mushrooms can be dried whole or cut into several pieces. In the first case, the drying process will be longer. If you decide to cut the mushrooms, try to do it in such a way that you get neat pieces of about the same size. Mushrooms cut into pieces must be dried immediately, otherwise they will become weathered and the quality of the product will decrease.
And now is the time to choose the appropriate method of drying mushrooms that you can use at home.
You can dry mushrooms at home in one of the following ways:
- in the sun;
- in the oven;
- in the microwave;
- in air grill;
- in an electric dryer.
Drying mushrooms in the sun
This method is the most simple, economical and natural. In order to dry mushrooms in the sun, they are strung on a thread or laid out in a thin layer on a wire rack. Our dad always cuts mushrooms into strips. It's beautiful and it dries faster.
Mushrooms should be turned over several times so that they dry evenly. You can not dry the mushrooms in the wind, otherwise a lot of dust will fly on them. If the weather has changed, it has become rainy, then the mushrooms are removed under a canopy or dried in the oven or in other ways, which will be discussed below.
Drying mushrooms can take up to several days to 2 weeks with this method. It all depends on the size of the mushrooms and weather conditions. Mushrooms dry faster if they are cut into small pieces.
In our family, mushrooms are usually dried on a thread. A fishing line, nylon thread is taken, the mushrooms are evenly distributed and hung in a ventilated place. The smallest mushrooms can be dried whole. We always cut the big ones.
Please note that mushrooms for drying under the sun cannot be laid out on metal trays and baking sheets, otherwise they may turn black and lose their taste.
Drying mushrooms in a gas or electric stove oven
Experienced mushroom pickers often argue about how to dry mushrooms in the oven. Some say that this should be done with the oven door ajar at a temperature of 70-80 ˚C, others say that the oven should be completely closed, while the temperature should not rise above 50-60 ˚C.
To dry mushrooms in the oven, they should be cut into thin plates of approximately the same size and laid out on wire racks mounted on baking sheets. The temperature in the oven should be around 65-75 ˚C so that the mushrooms dry well, but do not start to crumble.
While you are drying the mushrooms in the oven, the racks should be swapped. After 5-6 hours, the mushrooms will be completely ready, and you can remove your blanks before the onset of winter. We usually dry the mushrooms in several passes and close the oven. Many mushroom pickers advise after drying in the oven to string them on a thread and dry them in any warm place in your house.
For more information on drying mushrooms in the oven, see the video.
Drying mushrooms in the microwave
Microwaves are in almost every home today. This wonderful oven allows you to heat, stew, bake and even dry food. That is why in our conversation I want to tell you about how to dry mushrooms in the microwave.
Preparing mushrooms for drying microwave oven the same - we traditionally clean the mushrooms and cut them into small slices. For drying mushrooms in the microwave, glass trays or flat plates are used.
The drying process itself consists of the following steps:
- spread out raw mushrooms thin layer on a glass tray;
- turn on the oven for 20 minutes (at a power of 100-170 W);
- after the signal, open the oven, remove the mushrooms and drain the water from their surface;
- repeat the 20 minute drying cycle a few more times.
Drying mushrooms in an air grill
Before drying mushrooms in an air grill, it is important to prepare not only the product itself, but also the equipment. Pledge quality drying in an air grill - the optimal mode, which is selected based on the number of mushrooms and the size of the mushroom slices. For drying, you will need a grate (for large mushrooms) and a mesh basket (for small ones), which is included as standard with the air grill.
In an air grill, mushrooms dry better than in an oven - they do not bake and do not darken, but acquire a soft golden hue.
In the process of drying in an air grill, mushrooms retain most of the vitamins and nutrients, therefore, by choosing this method, you can be sure that you will get not only a tasty, but also a healthy product.
Drying mushrooms in an electric dryer
If you have an electric vegetable and fruit dryer, you can also use it to dry mushrooms.
Drying technology in this case similar to the one used in the air grill. The pre-prepared slices of mushrooms are laid out in a thin layer on the grates, the drying temperature is set (50-60 ˚С) and the time (optimally 3-6 hours). The drying period will depend on the number of mushrooms and their thickness.
Drying mushrooms in the oven is the best way to preserve harvested mushrooms! The preparation allows you to cook soup and roast at any time of the year, regardless of the season. And what a stunning aroma of dried forest mushrooms! White and boletus will go into action, but boletus, chanterelles, honey mushrooms are also suitable for drying. Shall we prepare? I'll tell you how to dry mushrooms at home in a gas and electric oven.
Ingredients
800 grams
Cooking
To begin with, clean the mushrooms from litter and leaves. However, washing them is not recommended. So, use a knife and a soft cloth. Scrape and wipe. I use microfiber, very comfortable.
Now cut the caps into slices. Not too thin, but not thick either.
Place the pieces tightly, in the process of drying they will decrease in size quite significantly.
Porcini mushrooms can also be dried with legs, I think they are very good. And they look great, they do not darken, unlike boletus.
At what temperature to dry mushrooms:
Preheat the oven in advance, and then set temperature regime at 60-70°C. The door should be opened. So excess moisture will evaporate, and air will circulate freely. If you have an electric oven with convection (fan), then by all means turn on this mode. The convection mode intensively blows out the moisture formed from the mushrooms from the ajar oven and the drying process will go faster.
How to store dried mushrooms:
These ready-made gifts of nature should be stored in gauze or canvas bags, hanging them in a cool, not damp room, without being next to products that have strong odors. These blanks will delight you in winter season, and in the summer, before the start of the harvest season, sometimes you want mushroom soup.
People started drying mushrooms a long time ago. Drying is one of the best ways to harvest them. Because after simple manipulations, they can not only be stored longer than fresh ones, but also acquire a very pleasant and interesting taste and aroma that will add zest to the dish. In addition, dried mushrooms are much more nutritious than salted or pickled ones. And due to the fact that they dry out, lose weight and decrease in size, they are much more convenient and easier to store.
So that the blanks will repeatedly delight you and your loved ones with their wonderful taste in various dishes and stored for a long time, it is very important to know how to properly dry mushrooms.
Why do we need dried mushrooms and where to use them?
It would seem, why might you need dried mushrooms that have a completely unappetizing look? Well, they may not look very beautiful, but when cooked they are able to turn the most ordinary dish into a real culinary masterpiece.
Dried blanks can be used for stews or casseroles. They are also ideal for making soups. Besides, dried mushrooms you can grind in a blender and as a result get a powder from which you can make delicious sauces and gravies.
If you want to cook a light and hearty soup, then there is nothing better than this kind of seasoning, which will give your dish a delicate aroma and rich taste. And besides, the dried product is not as heavy as fresh mushrooms.
It is good to use the powder for the preparation of those dishes in which mushrooms are usually not put, but in which a slight specific aftertaste would be very useful. For example, borscht and mashed soups.
It is very easy to use such a blank. Just pour dry powder warm water and let stand for about thirty minutes. After that, it can be added to dishes during cooking.
What to dry?
Have you decided to dry mushrooms and don't know where to start? Of course, with sorting everything that you have collected. Knowing which species are suitable for harvesting is no less important than knowing how to dry mushrooms. Yes, not all of them are suitable for drying, because they contain bitterness that does not disappear, and then the dishes acquire an unpleasant aftertaste. If you want your preparation to be not only fragrant, but also tasty, you need to figure out which mushrooms are dried.
For this, tubular and marsupial mushrooms are ideal. These include white, boletus, boletus, mossiness mushrooms. You can also dry boletus, morels, truffles, chanterelles, mushrooms and many others. There is no difference between how to dry chanterelle or white mushrooms. You can choose whichever method suits you best.
Pay due attention to product sorting. Mushrooms should be fresh enough, not old, strong and healthy.
How to dry mushrooms correctly
The most important thing is to properly prepare the product. This is the key to success. Let's look at the basic rules.
- The first thing to do is, of course, to clean the selected mushrooms from various dirt: earth, leaves and grass.
- Next, you will need a dry cloth or napkin. It is necessary to wipe them very carefully and carefully so that they become dry. They do not need to be washed before drying.
- All prepared mushrooms should be cut into small thin slices half a centimeter thick.
- These slices should be put on a fishing line or any strong thread and hung in those places where there is the most sun. Mushrooms dry for at least a week.
Remember that such a procedure on the street can only be carried out on hot, clear and sunny days, otherwise the product will not dry to the desired state.
Other options
In addition to the above, the easy way, there are other options for drying mushrooms. For example, this can be done in an oven, conventional oven which is in every home. Or you can purchase a special electric dryer.
But in the best possible way it is considered the one when the fungi are first slightly dried in the sun, on the street, and then dried in the oven. So they turn out tastier, and it takes much less time to harvest. However, this method cannot be called economical. Why? Let's consider.
Using an oven to dry mushrooms
The oven is a versatile device. You can not only fry chicken and bake cakes in it - it is also great for drying this or that product. Let's figure out how to dry mushrooms in the oven.
We perform all the actions that are described above, cut the mushrooms into plates, but do not string them on a thread. We will need a baking sheet covered with parchment, on which we need to carefully lay out the sliced \u200b\u200bslices so that they do not touch.
Now it remains to put the container in the oven, heated to 45 degrees, and wait until the mushrooms begin to stick to the paper a little. After that, the temperature must be increased to 70 degrees. The most important thing is not to close the door all the way so that the air can circulate.
Drying in the oven lasts two days, with breaks for cooling. As you can see, this is not a very convenient way. Firstly, the stove will have to work for a long time, gas or electricity is consumed, whichever it is. And secondly, when the house is hot, a preheated oven heats the air even more, because the stove door cannot be closed all the way.
Dry mushrooms in an electric dryer
If cooking the workpiece in the oven and on the street is not the way you need, then let's look at how to dry mushrooms in an electric dryer. First of all, let's look at what kind of device it is. An electric dryer is a special household appliance designed for drying fruits and vegetables. It's also great for mushrooms. This is the most convenient and economical way.
The dryer is very easy to use. Prepare the mushrooms: clean them of dirt and cut into thin slices. Lay out evenly at a small distance from each other on special trays. Close the device, set the required time - and that's it, you just have to wait. After about six to eight hours, your mushrooms will be dry.
Readiness to check is very easy: take one slice and bend it. If it bends, but does not crumble, has elasticity, then the product is ready, i.e. dried. Just check readiness carefully. If you do not dry the mushrooms well, they will not be stored for a long time, they will become moldy and quickly deteriorate.
Rules for storing blanks
How to dry mushrooms, we have already figured out. It turned out that it is quite simple, but how much later delicious meals you can cook!
But it’s not enough just to dry the product, you also need to know how to store it properly. After all, most likely you will not use up everything that you have prepared at once. Improper storage can cause mushrooms to become soggy and moldy.
In addition, you need to remember that they absorb odors very quickly, so you can only keep them in rooms with fresh, not stale air, and away from products that smell strongly. The room should be well ventilated and dry.
White mushrooms and morels are best packed in crates or boxes. Other types can be put in bags or bags.
Also, if there is not a lot of dry product, you can store it in clean, tightly closed banks. If everything is done correctly, all storage conditions are observed, then they can lie like this for several years.
The best temperature for storing dry mushrooms is no more than seven degrees above zero. And the humidity of the air should not exceed seventy-five percent.
Mushrooms - healthy foods, which are used not only in fresh but also dried. In the second case, several types of treatments are used to obtain finished fruits. After that, it is important to follow the rules of storage so that the product remains of high quality. What mushrooms can be dried is described in the article.
Drying is a variant of harvesting the product for the future. But compared to salting or pickling, valuable properties are preserved with it. Not all fruits can be dried, some have bitterness, so they can only be cooked fresh or salted. Therefore, it is important to know which mushrooms can be dried in order to prepare a quality product. There are several processing options.
What gifts of the forest can be dried?
Mushrooms are divided into lamellar, marsupial and tubular. There are also tinder fungi, chanterelles. What mushrooms can be dried at home? This treatment can be used for the following fruits:
- Tubular. These include aspen mushrooms, goats, butterflies, birch boletus, oak trees. They have a spongy layer under their hats, which includes the smallest tubes.
- Lamellar. This group includes variegated, autumn, winter and summer deer mushrooms. Under the cap of these fruits in the radial direction there are thin plates. It is undesirable to dry volnushki, milk mushrooms, russula.
- marsupials. These include morels, white truffles. They have a shapeless, shriveled body and spores in special bags.
- Polypores.
- Chanterelles. This type of fruit is a separate family. By appearance they are similar agaric, but their plates are replaced by folds of pulp. The dried product is slightly bitter.
This is the answer to the question of which mushrooms can be dried. If selected suitable grade, you should follow the procedure correctly in order to get a quality product. At the same time, they can be prepared whole or in pieces.
Training
There are different opinions on the need for washing fruits. But experienced mushroom pickers wash only those mushrooms that are used for cooking, salting, pickling. It is enough to remove sand, earth, moss, leaves, needles from them, and then treat them with a damp cloth. Elastic, strong fruits without damage will be required. In butter, chanterelles, honey mushrooms, legs must be cut.
Dried fruits whole and chopped. In the first case, they must be sorted, taking into account the size. Then there will be uniform drying. When sliced, mushrooms should be cut into thick slices or quarters. The legs of boletus, boletus and porcini mushrooms should be cut into columns 3-4 cm wide and 2 cm thick. If chanterelles, butterflies, mushrooms, flywheels are chosen, then it is better to dry the hats. Morels must be taken whole.
The fruits will be dry if they are light, bend a little and break with little effort. The taste and aroma is similar to fresh products. From 10 kg of fruits, 1-1.5 kg of dry mushrooms are obtained. The resulting product can be used to prepare various dishes.
Drying in the sun
What mushrooms are dried for the winter natural way? All of the above fruits are suitable for this. The procedure is performed in the sunny period, it is advisable to choose a ventilated place, protected from dust and rain. On the street, mushrooms can be dried completely or dried a little, and then processed in the oven, stove.
When the weather deteriorates, the process should be stopped as there will be moisture in the product. The fruits should be strung on a fishing line, twine or strong thread so that they do not touch each other. They must be covered with gauze. Stands are used for these beads. Natural drying lasts 5-7 days. The plates will be enough for 2 days.
In the oven
What mushrooms can be dried for the winter using the oven? Mushrooms are suitable for this, and the rest mentioned above. In this case, the baking sheet will be replaced by a special grill. The fruits should be laid and drying can begin at 45 degrees. Then the product will not darken.
When the mushrooms are dried, the temperature should be increased to 60-70%, the door should be kept ajar. If multiple racks are used, these should be rotated regularly to ensure uniform drying.
But you can dry with a baking sheet, only it must be covered with baking paper. The fruits must be selected by size and laid out so that there is no contact. Otherwise, drying is similar to the previous method. Ready fruits must be removed, and the rest brought to the required state, periodically turning them over.
Dryer
What mushrooms can be dried using a dryer? This device can be made independently using homemade boxes. This will require plywood and boards 50 mm wide, the bottom will be a mesh with a cell of no more than 15 mm.
The structure must be placed in a draft. The air collector will speed up the procedure. Mushrooms should be sorted by size. Drying is carried out with the help of air circulation.
Electric dryer
What mushrooms can be dried in an electric dryer? The convenient design of the device allows you to save time during the drying of mushrooms. In addition, the drying procedure is performed without constant human control. The device has several tiers, which are filled with chopped fruits.
Pieces should be laid in an even layer. You need to set the temperature to 55 degrees and the time for 2-6 hours, after which you can go about your business. The duration of the procedure with this method is determined by the thickness of the cut, so it is important to check the results. If the fruit plates are a little springy and look dry, the device must be turned off.
Microwave
What mushrooms can be dried at home if there is a microwave? For this, tubular, lamellar, marsupial and other species indicated in the article are suitable. For drying by this method, it is necessary to peel and cut the fruits into 5 mm thick plates, and then arrange them on a plate. Power should be 100-1800 watts. The procedure takes 20 minutes.
The door needs to be opened for 5-10 minutes to ventilate the microwave. During this time, there is a strong evaporation of excess moisture formed by fungi. You need to repeat the procedure 3-4 times. The result is dry mushrooms that can still be dried.
Making mushroom powder
Dried mushrooms are required to obtain the product. They must be broken into pieces and ground in a coffee grinder. During crushing, the fiber films are destroyed, so the product has other properties: it is better absorbed and has a different aroma and taste.
To preserve the product, the powder is added fine salt(5-10% of the total weight). For taste, it is possible to add ground spices: cumin, allspice, dry parsley leaves, celery. Powder is added to hot dishes at the end of cooking, 1 minute before the stove is turned off. The product is also used as a condiment. The powder is stored in a glass container, which must be tightly closed. She is placed in a dark place. In this case, it will stand up to 1 year.
Storage Features
Store dry mushrooms in a well-ventilated area. Containers can be moisture-proof bags and metal or glass jars with lids. If dry fruits have absorbed moisture, you need to sort them out again and dry them.
For long-term preservation of the product, it must be placed in sealed glass jars. They need to be sterilized. Before cooking, mushrooms should be washed, left in water to swell. You need to cook them in the same infusion.
Thus, many types of mushrooms can be dried. It is only necessary to choose the most suitable method, and then correctly perform the procedure. A quality product will allow you to get delicious and fragrant dishes.
Good day to all!
Autumn has come and, in addition to summer harvests, many rush to the forest for mushrooms. Fresh mushroom roast is a wonderful thing. However, preparing them for the winter, so that later you can enjoy a delicious delicacy in the snowy season, is also not bad.
Mushrooms are a perishable product. And if you have collected quite a lot of them, then the question may arise, where to put them? You can't overcook everything...
This is where drying comes in. When the weather is warm, sunny, it's best to dry. I strung it on a string, hung it up and let it dry.
And what to do when the sun is low? Then we use household kitchen appliances. With their help, you can dry the mushrooms quickly enough, regardless of the weather.
For drying, only fresh, strong mushrooms without spots and wormholes are needed.
Unlike fruits, mushrooms are not washed before drying. They absorb moisture very well. They only need to be cleaned, removing all dirt and foliage with a knife or a soft cloth.
Roots are cut off completely. In terms of size, mushrooms no more than 10 cm are best suited for drying. If they are larger, then they can be frozen, pre-cut and heated in a frying pan without oil. This will allow excess moisture to evaporate.
An electric oven is very well suited for drying mushrooms. And if it has a timer and a temperature controller, then the process will go quickly.
Mushrooms cleaned of dirt and leaves are cut into slices. Hats and legs are cut separately. If they are small, then you can cut them lengthwise.
Arrange mushrooms ready for drying on a baking sheet or wire rack in one row, so they will dry much better.
We start by preheating the oven to 50 degrees, after which we put baking sheets with mushrooms in it. At this temperature, mushrooms stand for 1.5 hours. During this time, they will slightly wilt.
Then we raise the temperature to 80 degrees and hold it for 2 hours.
After that, the temperature is again lowered to 55 degrees and dried for another 4 hours.
In total, the mushrooms are dried in the oven for up to 8 hours. If they are very damp, drying may take up to 24 hours.
During drying, baking sheets in the oven must be interchanged, and the fruits themselves should be mixed.
By the end of drying, mushrooms usually lose up to 90% of their mass. For example, with 10 kg of fresh, you can get about a kilogram of dried.
How to dry porcini mushrooms in the microwave
Drying mushrooms in the microwave is somewhat faster than in the oven. However, since there is less space in it, it will have to be dried in portions.
Mushrooms are prepared similarly, peeled and cut into slices or plates.
They are laid out on a special dish that is designed for microwaves. Further, the microwave is set to a power of 100 watts.
Time to install 20 minutes.
After that, we take out the mushrooms and drain the liquid.
Then the mushrooms stand with the door open for 10 minutes and the drying procedure is repeated. Dry again for 20 minutes. The number of drying steps depends on the thickness of the sliced fruit.
It is better not to set the microwave to high power, otherwise the mushrooms may bake!))
When drying is over finished product best stored in linen bags.
Video how to dry mushrooms in the oven
It takes longer to dry mushrooms in the oven, but it includes a lot of them. Yes, and you can place not only on grates and baking sheets, but even hang on strings.
Watch the video below for how to dry mushrooms in the oven.
Drying porcini mushrooms in a dryer for vegetables and fruits
An electric dryer is most convenient for drying mushrooms. The result is much better than with other methods.
After cleaning the mushrooms, cut them into plates. In principle, you can cut into any slices, the main thing is that they are not thick.
Then, chopped mushrooms are laid out on pallets and inserted into the dryer.
We turn on the dryer and no longer follow it. This is her beauty. If you have to sit at the oven and monitor the temperature, here the dryer works independently.
At the end of drying, we lay out the finished product in fabric or paper bags and store in a dry place.
Some advise storing mushrooms in a glass or ceramic tightly sealed container.
Drying mushrooms, as you can see, does not take much work, even when drying in the oven. Even if you spend a lot of time, you can enjoy them later when they can't be found fresh.
