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Drying chanterelle mushrooms at home is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. Not all people know what gifts of the forest are allowed to be dried, but this is important, since not all varieties can be subjected to the pre-treatment that mushrooms must undergo before drying.
Do chanterelles dry for the winter
As you know, not every type of mushroom is suitable for drying. For example, some varieties after processing acquire an unpleasant taste or even crumble. As for chanterelles, they are the very option that is great not only for drying, but also for pickling and frying.
This type of mushroom is rich in useful vitamins and minerals. In addition, they contain ergosterol, trametonolinic acid and chitinmannose, D-mannose olisaccharide. All this allows you to deal with various parasites from which a person suffers. According to numerous studies, only raw or dried mushrooms can get rid of such pests. You can store fresh chanterelles in the freezer, but the dried product takes up much less space, so many people prefer to dry them. As a medicine, a tincture is made from dried chanterelles. For this you need:
- Grind 10 g of dried mushrooms in a coffee grinder.
- Pour the resulting powder with vodka in a volume of 150 ml.
- Insist for ten days, shaking occasionally.
In order to achieve a therapeutic effect, it is worth knowing how to properly dry chanterelles for medicine. The final quality of the product depends on compliance with the technology.
How to prepare chanterelles for drying
Drying chanterelles is one of the most common options for preparing blanks for the winter. The processing of mushrooms should be approached with all responsibility, since the quality of the dried product depends on it. Before drying chanterelles for the winter, you must adhere to the following rules:
- Choosing the right mushrooms They should be young, elastic, beautiful and whole. As a rule, they are not wormy, since they contain the substance chinomannose, but it is still worth checking for their presence.
- Thoroughly clean from dirt and grass. Washing immediately before the process is not recommended, as they absorb a lot of water, which will affect the drying time. If the surface of the mushroom is heavily soiled, then it can be lightly wiped with a sponge or carefully peeled off.
How to dry chanterelles at home
Quite often, many people dry mushrooms whole, but this approach does not always lead to a good result. This is due to the fact that not all moisture can come out of whole chanterelles, which will lead to the appearance of mold. It is best to cut them into small pieces. This will allow you to get not only a quality product, but also significantly reduce the time spent on drying. There are several ways to dry chanterelles. It is worth considering each separately.
How to dry chanterelles in an electric dryer
Drying chanterelles at home with an electric dryer is quite simple. The drying process in this way does not require constant monitoring and presence. It has several tiers, where small pieces are evenly spread in a thin layer. Mushrooms are dried at a temperature of 55 degrees for about 5 – 6 hours. Properly dried chanterelles should be dry, but not crumbly. The thinner the slices are cut, the less time it will take to dry the chanterelles at home. To speed up the process, you can periodically swap pallets.
How to dry chanterelle mushrooms in the oven
You can dry chanterelles in the oven both for medicine and as preparations for the winter. To do this, clean mushrooms are laid out on a wire rack in one layer at a small distance from each other. For uniform cooking during the drying process, they should be turned over and shifted as often as possible. When drying mushrooms in the oven, it is very important to ensure that the temperature does not exceed 60 degrees. Experts recommend at the very beginning to preheat the oven to 40 degrees, gradually bringing it to the maximum temperature. The duration of drying chanterelles in the oven will depend on their size.
How to dry chanterelles in the microwave
Drying mushrooms in the microwave takes much longer than other options. To do this, use the minimum power of this equipment and turn it on for 20 minutes. After that, the tiers with mushrooms are taken out and aired for about 10 minutes so that all moisture evaporates. This process should be repeated until they are completely dry.
How to dry chanterelle mushrooms in an air grill
You can dry in the air grill only non-wormy and fresh mushrooms. On its surface, chanterelles should be spread out in a thin layer, since an unsorted pile can cause large mushrooms to remain raw and small ones to burn. As a rule, even specimens of similar size can dry differently, so it is important to periodically check their readiness and remove dry ones. The approximate drying time is about 2 hours at a temperature of 70 degrees. You should also carefully ensure that they do not dry out, as the aroma and taste will be lost. But not drying it out is also dangerous, as mold can form on wet chanterelles.
How to dry chanterelles for the winter in the air
This method is only suitable if the weather is sunny and warm outside. This process takes about 10 days. To begin with, the mushrooms are left on the newspaper in a ventilated place so that they dry out a little. After that, the workpiece is laid out on a special grid and covered with gauze. They should be turned over from time to time.
How to determine the readiness of mushrooms
It is not difficult to determine the degree of readiness: when bent, the pieces should be slightly springy and not break, but outwardly look completely dry. If the dried blanks have darkened, become hard and break, then they are overdried. Such a product is no longer suitable as a medicine, but mushroom seasoning can be made from it. To do this, the dried pieces must be ground in a coffee grinder, add a little salt and mix well. Pour the resulting mixture into a glass container and close tightly.
Terms and conditions of storage of dried chanterelles
It is common for any mushrooms to absorb all sorts of extraneous flavors, so improper storage can spoil the product. In this regard, after drying, they should be cooled to room temperature and transferred to a glass jar with a tightly closed lid. This product must be stored in a dry and ventilated area.
Conclusion
Drying chanterelle mushrooms at home is quite simple. There are quite a few ways to do this: with the help of an electric dryer, oven, air grill and even in the fresh air. Regardless of which drying method the hostess has chosen, it is important to remember that mushrooms must first be carefully processed, but in no case should they be washed. But the already dried product should be washed before use, and then soaked in water for several hours. If you follow all the rules, you can cook a tasty and healthy product.