Dried mushrooms are one of the most popular types of homemade preparations for the winter. But for fragrant dried mushrooms that keep their taste qualities, you must strictly follow the rules for the preparation of this product.
Consider all the features preparatory phase drying, as well as in what ways it is possible to dry mushrooms at home using a variety of technical devices and without them.
When dried, most mushrooms retain all of their contents. useful material. Compared to canned, pickled or salted, they have a higher nutritional value. Drying some types of mushrooms, such as white mushrooms, enhances their flavor. Cooked dishes from dried mushrooms are more beneficial for the human body than canned ones.
In the process of drying, they lose moisture, due to which the weight of the product is reduced by 10 times compared to the original mass.
Which mushrooms are best?
Drying is subjected to certain types of mushrooms that do not have bitterness. It is not recommended to dry milk mushrooms, russula, volnushki, most chanterelle and agaric that secrete a bitter milky juice.
But you can prepare it in dried form:
- tubular - porcini mushrooms, boletus, duboviki, boletus, polish mushroom, goats, boletus, mossiness mushrooms;
- lamellar - champignons, deer mushrooms, honey agarics, boletus, variegated umbrella, fleecy flake;
- chanterelle - common chanterelle;
- marsupials - white truffle, morels.
Preparation
Experienced mushroom pickers advise not to wash the mushrooms, but to clean the soil, leaves and dust with a soft cloth, slightly dampening it with water.
Then you should sort them out - you need to dry only dense, not overripe and not affected by worms mushrooms. Chanterelles, honey mushrooms and butterflies, as a rule, have their legs removed.
Mushrooms can be dried both whole and sliced. In the first case, correct and uniform drying can be ensured by selecting specimens of the same size. When cutting mushrooms, it is desirable that the resulting parts (slices, circles, quarters) have the same thickness. It is better to use a plastic knife for this purpose - it will not lead to oxidation of the pulp and, accordingly, to a deterioration in the taste of the finished product. To preserve the color of sliced \u200b\u200bmushrooms, you should start drying immediately after cutting.
What rules must be followed during the drying process
In order not to be disappointed in the quality of dried mushrooms, follow simple rules. They cover the experience accumulated by many generations and allow you to get good taste harvesting and preserving it for a long time.
- The caps of large mushrooms are cut into identical slices, the legs - into circles up to 2 cm thick or slices 4 cm long.
- The most optimal is a combination of two drying methods - first under the sun in an open space, then in a Russian oven or gas oven, a special electric dryer or microwave.
- Whichever method is used, it is necessary to interrupt the drying process 2 or 3 times and provide fresh air access to the processed batch of mushrooms.
- Morels are not cut into pieces during drying, only the method of drying in the open air is used, the duration of the process is 2 months or more. During this time, toxic substances disappear and the mushrooms become safe to eat.
- Keep finished product you need in glass jars, paper bags or linen bags closed with lids. The storage room should be dry and well ventilated.
What methods can be used at home?
If weather conditions allow, you can dry the mushrooms outdoors under the bright rays of the sun. But cloudy weather does not always make it possible to use this method. In this case, the stove, gas stove, oven and other types of devices that provide the necessary temperature regime.
Outdoor drying and sun
You should choose a place well lit by the rays of the sun and blown by the wind. Mushrooms cut into pieces can be strung on a strong thread or nylon fishing line and hung at a distance of 1.5–2 m from the ground.
You can also lay them out on a sieve, tray, wicker grid, or place them on the spokes of a special mushroom dryer.
When using metal baking sheets, additionally lay thick paper so that the mushrooms do not bake and darken. To protect against dust and insects, they are covered with gauze.
The drying process will take about a week. It is necessary to ensure that the workpieces do not get caught in the rain - this can lead to damage to the product.
Using an electric convection stove or gas oven
Sliced mushrooms are laid out on a wire rack, and in its absence - on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper so that they don't touch each other. You can ensure the evaporation of the liquid by slightly opening the oven door by about 10–15 cm.
If there is a convection mode, you should turn it on - air circulation will ensure uniform drying of mushrooms and improve moisture removal.
At the beginning of drying, the temperature is set to 45°C, then, when the surface of the slices dries up, the heating is increased to 60-70°C. From time to time, the gratings are reversed, rearranging the lower one up and the upper one down. Periodically, the oven should be turned off and the door should be opened to let the humid air out. If the stove is equipped with a convection function, then it should be turned on. The approximate duration of the drying process is 4-6 hours.
Can mushrooms be dried in the microwave?
This process is quite feasible in microwave oven. But if it is not very spacious, it can take quite a long time. Prepared mushrooms are placed on a plate or other suitable surface. The power is set in the range of 100–180 W, the oven is turned on for 20 minutes, then fresh air is supplied by opening the door for 8 minutes.
After airing, the drying process continues with the repetition of the above sequence of actions 3-5 more times.
Some types of mushrooms may need additional drying in other ways.
At what temperature to dry in an electric dryer?
Designed for drying various gifts of nature, the electric dryer provides high-quality drying of a large number of mushrooms in a short period of time without the need for continuous monitoring of the process.
Chopped mushrooms are laid out on all or a certain part of the tiers of the device. They should be evenly spaced in one layer. Drying is carried out at a temperature of 55°C, it may take 2-6 hours to achieve the desired product condition.
The duration of the process is affected by the thickness of the dried slices, the number of pallets installed in the dryer, and their periodic rearrangement from the bottom to the top.
Drying mushrooms in an air grill
Prepared mushrooms are placed freely on the grid of the electrical appliance to ensure sufficient air circulation. The fan speed is set to high and the temperature is set to 70°C.
For steam to escape from the bowl, a small hole must remain between its walls and the lid of the convection oven.
For this purpose, it is convenient to use some elongated object, such as a skewer, inserting it into the space separating them. The duration of mushroom processing is 1.5 hours.
Using the multicooker
As a rule, a slow cooker for drying mushrooms is not used, since its principle of operation is based mainly on steaming dishes. The exception is the appliance models that provide the drying function. In this case, the heating temperature is set within 60-70°C. Periodically, it is necessary to turn off and ventilate the inner tank to remove moist air. Average duration drying - 3 hours.
How to dry mushrooms in a Russian oven
For laying mushrooms, it is convenient to use lattices with special legs. They can be installed in the furnace one above the other. In the absence of such gratings, the legs can replace the bricks installed on the side surface.
It is also convenient to put mushrooms on sharp sticks or metal rods, immersed in a container of sand at one end. The air temperature in the cooling oven should be between 50-70°C. At higher values, the mushrooms may burn, and at low temperatures, the drying process will slow down significantly and the workpiece may deteriorate.
There should not be any vessels with liquids or pots with cooked food near the grates. The blower dampers, which block the flow of heated air into the pipe, should be left ajar to ensure the circulation of air flows and the elimination of released moisture.
As the mushroom juice evaporates, the upper valve is closed. With uneven drying, mushrooms that have reached readiness should be regularly selected to avoid losing their taste and aroma. On average, the drying process in the oven lasts 4 hours.
Drying over burning gas stove burners
Prepared pieces of mushrooms should be strung on a fishing line and hung at a distance of 70–100 cm above the stove. With burners lit throughout the day, the drying process takes 3 days. It is undesirable to cook anything on the stove at this time, so that the mushrooms do not absorb fumes and do not acquire the smell of other products. This method is less convenient than those described above. Therefore, it should be used in the absence of other options for harvesting dried mushrooms.
How is the readiness of mushrooms determined?
Ready mushrooms become light, dry to the touch. They bend a little when bent, if you apply considerable force, they can break. Subject to all the drying rules, the taste and smell inherent in fresh mushrooms are preserved.
If they are dried out, they acquire significant hardness, the color darkens, sometimes increased brittleness leads to the destruction of the lobules into separate parts.
From overdried blanks, you can prepare mushroom powder by grinding in a coffee grinder and mixing with a small amount salt. Insufficiently dried mushrooms are difficult to store, as the moisture remaining in the pulp contributes to the appearance of mold.
In this video you will get acquainted with the rules of drying mushrooms.
Drying mushrooms compares favorably with other types of their harvesting in its simplicity, accessibility and ease of storage of the final product: 10 kg fresh mushrooms turn into one, thanks to which they take up little space on the shelves in the cabinets of urban kitchens. By their own nutritional properties dried mushrooms superior to salted and pickled. Drying only enhances their flavor, which is why soups and main dishes from dried mushrooms are tastier and richer than from fresh ones. In addition, they are easier to digest and digest without causing heaviness in the stomach, as is the case with fried and canned mushrooms; they can be safely eaten without the risk of getting botulism.
Being perishable product, fresh mushrooms require immediate processing. If the so-called quiet hunting was successful and a lot of mushrooms were collected, drying in this case will greatly help out the hostess. When the weather is hot, sunny, dry and living conditions allow, it is convenient to dry the mushrooms on the street, strung on threads. In bad weather or lack of space, one of the most reliable ways is to dry mushrooms in gas and electric stoves. Those of them that are equipped with thermostats and convection mode, built-in fans, will greatly 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 (boletuses). Boletus, boletus, boletus and other tubular mushrooms (whose hats look like a sponge from below) darken when dried, which is why they are less suitable for making broths, but can be used for other dishes. Lamellar mushrooms (with the exception of mushrooms) are not subject to drying at all. Marsupials (morels, stitches 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 and wormholes are selected for drying.
Do not wash mushrooms intended for drying! Excess moisture complicates the process itself and contributes to the rapid deterioration of mushrooms during storage. Dirt, needles and leaves adhering to the mushrooms are removed only mechanically, wiping the mushrooms with a soft cloth or scraping off the debris with a knife. Wherein:
- in porcini mushrooms, the roots are completely or partially cut off, leaving no more than half of the stem; the cut parts are dried separately;
- in boletus and boletus, they do not cut anything, but cut the whole mushroom vertically in half or into four parts;
- in morels and lines, only the lower part of the leg is cut off;
- truffles cut into slices;
- small mushrooms are dried whole;
- large legs and caps are cut into several parts: slices of 3-4 cm or plates from 4 to 5 mm thick.
How to place mushrooms in the drying oven?
There are several different ways their optimal placement. Mushrooms can:
- lay in rows at some distance from each other with hats down on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or foil;
- spread out on a wire rack or grid with large cells so that they can be used instead of baking sheets; there can be several lattices and grids at once;
- strung on long wooden knitting needles or on short splinter and spread them, like on skewers, across the oven on the ribs of its side walls or put them by sticking the splinter in a container with sand;
- strung on a harsh thread stretched in several rows on a frame with nails (along the perimeter of the oven);
- put 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.
The first stage of drying mushrooms - drying
Mushrooms laid in one of the above ways are placed in an oven heated to 40-50 ° C for drying. At higher temperatures, droplets of secreted 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 any, should be turned on immediately. It will provide 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 circulation of air inside. oven. In a closed oven, the mushrooms will rot and bake rather than dry.
The main stage of drying mushrooms in the oven
As soon as the surface of the mushrooms dries up and stops sticking to your hands, the temperature in the oven is increased to 60-75 ° C. But no more! Otherwise, the color, taste and aroma of mushrooms will suffer.
The exact drying time cannot be determined immediately. Even specimens carefully selected in size and thickness will dry out at different speeds. Therefore, from time to time, mushrooms should be checked by touch, turned over and removed when dry, leaving unready ones for drying.
In old stoves with primitive gas ovens, the process with periodic airing, heating and cooling can take two days, but it will allow you to keep the beautiful color of the mushroom pulp and insure the product from burning and overdrying.
Mushrooms can be strung on threads and dried first in the sun, and then dried in the oven. Or vice versa - first dry in the oven, and then dry in the sun.
If necessary, mushrooms from the oven can also 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 dried mushrooms in the oven?
Ready dried mushrooms are completely cooled and only then laid out in containers, metal or glass jars. Storage containers should be perfectly dry, with tight-fitting lids. It should not get moisture from the air. Only in this case, the mushrooms will 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 with 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 suddenly become wet for some reason, they should be immediately sorted out and dried.
dried mushrooms - excellent workpiece on winter period when you want to pamper yourself and your family with fragrant mushroom soup or other dishes that include mushrooms. It is not always possible to buy your favorite mushrooms in the supermarket, as a rule, there is nothing else on the counter except champignons. However, there is a way out - to dry your favorite mushrooms (for example, white, boletus or chanterelles) and cook dishes based on them.
Often on the forums you can find a question if it is not possible to dry mushrooms on fresh air and the sun, is it possible in urban conditions to do this in a gas oven and stove. And if so, how is it right? What determines the cooking time of the workpiece in a gas oven by Gorenie or another brand?
What mushrooms can be dried
You can dry almost any type of mushrooms:
- white;
- boletus;
- boletus;
- boletus;
- honey mushrooms;
- Champignon;
- flywheels;
- goats;
- oak trees;
- morels;
- chanterelles.
The main condition is to make sure that the mushroom is not poisonous, namely edible, not eaten by rodents or worms. It is better not to dry agaric mushrooms at all - as a result, bitterness appears, which spoils the whole taste of the soup.
Drying methods
There are plenty of drying methods today, but not everyone knows about them. Is it possible to dry mushrooms in any other way than in the air and the sun?
Of course, the list is quite extensive:
- In the microwave. It is somewhat reminiscent of the drying process in the oven, only it will not be possible to put a lot of mushrooms in such a technical device, but on the other hand, the cooking time of the workpiece is significantly reduced (almost twice). It is only worth noting that not all varieties of mushrooms can be dried completely in the microwave. Sometimes the result is a kind of semi-finished product, which must be dried in the sun or in a gas oven for complete readiness.
- In a Russian oven. It is necessary to dry the mushrooms in the oven at a temperature of 50 to 60 ° C. Remove all basins of water, ashes from the stove. It is important to take care that the damper does not completely cover the contents of the oven, otherwise the moisture will not be able to escape.
- In the oven (electric and gas). Let's consider this method in more detail.
How to dry properly
If we have already answered the question of whether it is possible to dry mushrooms in a gas oven, then it is worth explaining how to do it correctly:
- Go through. You can’t wash the mushrooms, otherwise excess moisture will greatly interfere with the drying process. After they are sorted, excess garbage is removed. You need to select not only by one type, but also by size. Worms for drying will not work, they can be safely thrown away. Mushrooms already eaten by rodents also go there.
- Separate the legs from the hats. This is a very important point, since the legs in the stove dry a little longer compared to the hats.
- If you don't have wire racks, make your own. Otherwise, the mushrooms will have to be constantly turned over.
- Lay out the mushrooms so that they do not touch each other, that is, in even and neat rows. Do not ignore this rule, otherwise the blanks can be easily lost. Let the mushrooms have to be dried in several approaches, but the result will be impressive.
- The initial temperature is 45°, after a while (about an hour) raise it higher - up to 75°.
- The exact drying time depends on the variety of mushrooms, their size. For example, in the Burning stove, the process of drying porcini mushrooms usually takes 6-7 hours in total. At the same time, the caps are removed a little earlier than the legs, in about an hour and a half.
How to accurately determine whether the mushrooms are completely dried? They will become very light, they will bend and break perfectly, but they will not crumble into small crumbs. The whole process can be seen on the video.
In large mushrooms, before drying, it is best to trim the hat in several places. It is better to start drying porcini mushrooms in the oven naturally: let them initially stay a little in the sun and air, and then lie down in a gas oven.
Dry mushrooms in the oven gas stove quite easy, but do not forget that the door cannot be completely closed during the process, otherwise the mushrooms will turn out to be boiled. This will happen due to the fact that the mushrooms will begin to give up moisture, it will not be able to erode from the gas oven on its own, which will make drying impossible. It should also be remembered that it is necessary to open the stove door completely several times and ventilate the oven itself.
How to store?
Can mushrooms be stored with other foods? No, since such a blank quickly absorbs sharp and unpleasant odors. It should be remembered that any moisture for dried mushrooms is very harmful, so they need to be protected from it. This is easy to do if you store the workpiece in glass or metal jars, in special woven bags, which are located in extremely dry and often ventilated rooms. So white and other mushrooms will not be afraid of moisture or odors.
If the mushrooms still could not be saved, they are a little damp, they should be dried again. If this is not done immediately, there is a chance that they will become moldy. Therefore, immediately after drying, you need to twist them into sterilized glass jars.
If the drying process dragged on, and the result was not what you needed, another preparation can be made from overdried mushrooms - mushroom powder. It is made in a coffee grinder. IN ready mix a little salt is added, if necessary seasonings.
How to store mushrooms, you can see in the photo.
Drying mushrooms in a gas oven is quite simple. On the forums you can see a lot of advice from experienced mushroom pickers how and at what temperature it is best to dry the mushrooms. It is important to protect the workpiece from moisture, otherwise the result will not be the one expected.
Seasonally you have the opportunity to collect a large number of, however, in fresh this product is stored very little, so you need it either or. Today we will discuss the second option, as well as talk about the main drying options and how to store dried mushrooms.
Which mushrooms are suitable for drying
Before understanding all the intricacies of drying, it is worth initially talking about which ones can be dried.
It is tubular mushrooms that should be dried, since, unlike lamellar ones, they do not acquire bitterness during the drying process.
The best types for drying:
- boletus;
In case you are not afraid of bitterness or know how to deal with it, then you can dry it, and pods. The list of suitable species does not include very small ones, such as mouse mushrooms. The thing is that during the drying process, the raw material loses up to 90% of its mass. And if the raw material already weighs less than 20-30 g, then practically nothing will remain of it - it is better to preserve such species.
mushroom preparation
Before being taken for drying, the collected must be prepared.
Let's make a small digression and talk about the required quality of raw materials. The fact is that if you have collected oldish or rotten mushrooms, then it is best to cut them off and immediately put them into cooking, and not try to dry them. Only young mushrooms are suitable for drying, which have good quality and not damaged in any way. 
We return to preparation: immediately after collection, the raw materials must be cleaned of debris and earth, but in no case should they be washed. If moisture gets on the product, then it will dry many times longer, and the taste will deteriorate significantly.
Immediately after cleaning, the mushrooms are sorted out, removing the rotten ones and cutting off the damaged ones.
Important! To prevent the cuts on the products from darkening, pruning should be done with a stainless steel knife.
Drying methods
Outdoors
The easiest drying option that does not require the use of any technique.
It should be understood that it is worth carrying out in the summer or in late spring - early autumn, so that you can dry the products in a fairly short time. 
- Before drying, all mushrooms are cut into plates. You can separate the leg to dry faster.
- The plates are strung on a fishing line so that they do not touch each other, otherwise the raw materials will not dry out well at the points of contact and will not be stored. You can also use wooden trays or paper, but in this case you will need a large enough area for laying out the raw materials.
- All prepared mushrooms are placed in a place where dust and rain will not fall on them. At the same time, the place should be well warmed up by the sun and well ventilated so that drying takes place faster.
- After laying out or hanging the products, cover everything with a mesh with small cells so that flies do not land.
Did you know? Since the mushroom is considered to be something between animals and plants, we can say that this living organism is the largest creature on earth. This proves that it was found in Oregon. Its area was 900 hectares.
In the oven
Drying mushrooms in the oven differs from you in this case depends more than when drying in the fresh air, so it should be understood that improvisation in this case can ruin a large amount of raw materials.
An oven is best suited for drying, in which there is an additional airflow function, since without it you will have to open the door so that there is at least some air circulation. In the absence of airflow, the drying process will slow down significantly.
- We need to take the iron grates that are usually used for grilling, spread the mushrooms on them in one layer and put them in the oven.
- Set the temperature in the region of 60-70 ° C and, if necessary, slightly open the oven door.
- Every 15-20 minutes, the grates need to be swapped so that all the mushrooms dry equally well.
You need to dry until the moment until they decrease several times. At the same time, they should not be oily to the touch, but dry.
Important! Do not raise the temperature, otherwise you will bake the mushrooms, and not dry.
In an electric dryer
Perhaps the highest quality product you get if you dry it in. Of course, technology will not replace all the charms natural drying, however, you certainly cannot spoil the products.
- The raw material is cleaned and cut into thin plates. Choose the thickness yourself, but take into account the fact that if the product is small, then cutting it into too thin slices does not make sense.
- Everything is laid out in one layer on each tier of the dryer, the temperature is set to 55 ° C.
- We wait from 2 to 6 hours until our mushrooms are completely dry.
As a rule, absolutely all mushrooms can be dried in this way - both tubular () and lamellar, especially in such home conditions that do not make it possible to dry products in the open air.
in the microwave
Consider also the option of how to dry mushrooms in the microwave.
This is not to say that this is the optimal technique for drying, but in the absence of other options, it can also be used for our purposes.
- We clean and cut the raw material.
- We take a plate or a baking sheet that is suitable for a microwave oven. Ideally, of course, you need to use a wire rack, but in the absence of one, you can take any non-metal utensils.
- We lay out everything in a thin layer, set 100-180 W, and “dry” for about 20 minutes.
- After the specified time, the microwave must be opened for 15 minutes so that all the moisture comes out. Then close and repeat again.
- The optimal number of repetitions is 2-3 times, however, if the mushrooms are cut into thick plates, then it can be increased up to 4-5 times.
How to determine readiness
It is very difficult to determine readiness, therefore, in this case, only practice and experience are important.
Drying mushrooms in the oven The best way save the collected 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 the temperature to 60-70 ° C. The door should be opened. So excess moisture will evaporate, and air will circulate freely. If you have 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 collection season, sometimes you want to.
