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A basket of mushrooms is the dream of any mushroom picker; it is not for nothing that they are called kings among forest fruits. This species is not only beautiful and tasty, but also very useful. There are many ways to dry porcini mushrooms at home.
Preparation of porcini mushrooms for drying
Unlike lamellar species, such as russula, volnushki and milk mushrooms, mushrooms and other noble representatives are not washed before drying. They are able to quickly absorb a large amount of moisture, especially with a tubular layer at the bottom of the cap. This will greatly complicate the further harvesting process.
Do porcini mushrooms wash before drying
Before drying porcini mushrooms, they must be cleaned of dirt. It is absolutely impossible to wash, so the fruiting bodies are carefully cleaned with a knife, the lower part is removed if they were not cut off, but torn out entirely, they are checked for worminess. Then the mushrooms are wiped with a slightly damp cotton cloth, clearing the earth, sand, needles, moss and dried leaves. You don’t need to wet the cloth too much.
How to cut porcini mushrooms for drying
Small specimens are sometimes dried whole, large ones are crushed in several ways:
- cut into thin slices along the fibers, that is, from top to bottom;
- cut the hat into plates, and the leg into circles up to 2 cm thick;
- the fruiting body is cut in the form of noodles or thin straws, so you can dry the porcini mushrooms very quickly.
How to dry white mushroom at home
There are several ways to dry porcini mushrooms at home. It will take 5-7 days to harvest dried mushrooms in the traditional way, but if you use modern devices, the time will be reduced to several hours.
How to dry porcini mushrooms in the oven
Drying porcini mushrooms in an electric oven is easy, especially if it is equipped with a timer. To do this, the chopped product is placed in one layer on a metal grid or baking sheets covered with parchment paper. For more uniform and high-quality drying, the slices of mushrooms should not touch each other.
Trays or racks are placed in an oven preheated to 50 ° C, the door is left ajar for better air circulation. If porcini mushrooms are dried correctly, they do not release droplets of liquid through the pores, but only slowly wither. Dew on the surface of the fruit indicates that they are overheated. When this is detected, the temperature in the oven is gradually reduced.
After an hour and a half of drying, the oven is heated to 70-80 ° C. In this temperature regime, the product is dried for two hours. The final step is drying at 55°C. The duration depends on the size of the slices and the degree of saturation of the pulp with moisture. The process can take from 6-8 hours to a day. To get high-quality dried porcini mushrooms in the oven, in the process they need to be turned over regularly, and the baking sheets (grids) should be swapped.
You can dry porcini mushrooms at home using a gas stove with an oven. The process is similar to manipulations with an electric stove, however, constant ventilation must be ensured in the kitchen, since the products of combustion of domestic gas, coupled with a mushroom smell, can cause headaches, nausea, or dizziness. The hood should operate at full capacity, the window or window should be kept open.
How to dry porcini mushroom in a dryer
At the moment, there are many companies that produce special dryers. They can also be used to prepare at home products such as:
- berries;
- fruit;
- vegetables;
- herbs.
The main advantage of the dryer is its autonomy. The hostess does not need to waste time to stock up for the winter, just set the desired mode on the device and wait until the end of processing. Modern appliances are environmentally friendly, last a long time, rarely break down and consume little electricity. If you study the attached instructions, there will be no difficulties in using the dryer for porcini mushrooms.
In addition to the classic convection-type appliances, in which mushrooms are dried under the action of heated air circulation, alternative options are also used. One of the popular devices is a gas dryer, which is a four-supported pallet or mesh structure that is installed above the stove. This method is imperfect, it is rarely used.
A wood-fired dryer can be considered an economical and practical option. It does not consume electricity and dries porcini mushrooms by burning wood. This is a purely mechanical device, devoid of electronics. In the process, it is necessary to regularly add firewood and monitor the intensity of the flame. The method is good for large volumes, up to 60 kg of mushrooms can be dried per day. Such wood-burning stoves-dryers are often used on an industrial scale and in household plots.
Every year more and more housewives prefer infrared dryers. Under the influence of these rays, moisture from the fruiting bodies actively evaporates, and dense tissues remain intact. Up to 80% of useful substances are preserved in the product, taste qualities are practically not lost, while all pathogenic microorganisms are destroyed. The infrared dryer works at 50°C, the pieces are processed better and do not become hard.
How to dry porcini mushrooms on a thread
One of the oldest ways of drying at home is the use of thread. The product is strung on synthetic thread, fishing line or thin knitting needles so that adjacent pieces do not touch each other. Mushroom garlands are placed in a warm, well-ventilated area, for example:
- above the kitchen stove;
- in the attic of a private house;
- outdoors in hot and dry weather.
To protect such homemade blanks from flies and other insects, they are covered with a layer of gauze. The term of natural drying at home is 5-7 days.
How to dry porcini mushrooms in the microwave
For drying forest gifts at home, a microwave oven is often used. With this method, a large amount of moisture will inevitably be released from the fruiting bodies. Pieces of the same size are evenly distributed on a glass plate and incubated for about 20 minutes at a power of 100-200 W and a temperature of 180°C. Mushroom juice is periodically drained. Next, let it cool by opening the microwave door. The cycle is repeated 3-4 times until complete readiness.
Drying porcini mushrooms at home using a microwave is one of the fastest ways and this is its main advantage. The downside is the need for constant monitoring of the device and the fruits.
Why dried porcini mushrooms are bitter
It can be very annoying when, after so much effort in the drying process during cooking, porcini mushrooms begin to taste bitter. This can happen for several reasons:
- Among the real mushrooms, a false one was caught during the collection. In most cases, mushroom pickers confuse white species with gall fungus (Tylopilus felleus). Its main difference is the pinkish color of the tubular layer in the lower part of the cap, quickly turning pink flesh on the cut and a pronounced bitter taste even with a light touch of the tongue. In the highly specialized literature on mycology, there are conflicting reports about the edibility of this species. In some sources, it is described as inedible due to its specific taste. In others, it is characterized as releasing toxins and adversely affecting the liver. If the mushroom raw material is very bitter, it is better to throw it away, like the whole batch of dried porcini mushrooms, health is more expensive.
- Collection and preparation took place along with other species that have a bitter taste. These are milkers, valui, fiddlers, milk mushrooms. Experienced chefs recommend cooking porcini mushrooms separately from others so as not to lose their unique flavor.
- Bitterness can be felt when the product spoils due to improper storage conditions. Dry homemade blanks should not be placed in a damp, cold room, as they can quickly become moldy.
How to store dried porcini mushrooms
The safety of dry mushrooms directly depends on the selected container. For storage at home, ceramic or glass containers with a tight lid are most often used. Banks are pre-washed, sterilized and dried. The main disadvantage of this method is the possibility of mold or decay if the mushrooms were not dried well enough.
If you store porcini mushrooms in cloth bags or paper bags, mold will not start. However, there is a possibility of pest intrusion.
The shelf life of dried porcini mushrooms can be extended by using vacuum containers. This is the most efficient method of storing mushrooms at home. Containers with a vacuum pump are an expensive pleasure, but for avid mushroom pickers and zealous housewives they will not be superfluous.
In addition to a suitable container, you need to choose the right place. The room where dry mushrooms are stored must meet the following criteria:
- good ventilation;
- low humidity;
- lack of sunlight.
In a private house, porcini mushrooms can be stored in a warm attic or pantry. In an apartment, one of the kitchen cabinets is suitable, located close to the stove or next to the heater. If for some reason the product is damp, it can be dried again using one of the methods listed above.
How long can dried porcini mushrooms be stored
Dried porcini mushrooms can retain nutritional properties and taste throughout the year. Having created the right conditions, dry mushrooms can be eaten for three years.
Conclusion
Thanks to modern technology, drying porcini mushrooms at home has become easy. Drying is the oldest method of harvesting for future use, in which the maximum amount of protein is preserved in mushrooms.