Autumn means mushroom season. Many mushroom collectors set out at this time of year to collect as many beautiful mushrooms as possible in the forest. Of course, it is important that you are familiar with this area in order to avoid confusion and thus poisoning. Since the mushrooms often cannot be processed all at once, you can dry the porcini mushrooms at home and enjoy them throughout the winter.
But how can you dry porcini mushrooms at home properly? Which devices and aids are necessary for this? And how long are they dry?
In this article you will get detailed instructions on how to easily dry roses at home. We will introduce you to the methods and the advantages and disadvantages associated with them. Finally, we’ll show you if freezing is a sensible alternative.
1. Dry porcini mushrooms at home- preparation
Good to know: A doppelgänger of the porcini mushroom is the common bile tube. Even if it looks very similar to the porcini mushroom, there are strong differences in taste. It tastes extremely bitter and, when consumed in large quantities, leads to gastrointestinal discomfort.
Mushrooms are extremely healthy and can be used very well for cooking. They taste particularly good in game dishes and are usually prepared with fresh vegetables. You will also find numerous recipes, suggestions and tips for processing on the Internet.
Collecting mushrooms fresh is very popular around the world. In one study, a Dutch team found that almost 14% of people regularly travel in the forest to collect mushrooms.
To this day, porcini mushrooms are rarely grown commercially, so the joy of enjoying freshly collected porcini mushrooms is even greater. They belong to the genus of the thick-tubes, wherein the common porcini mushrooms is the most well-known species.
If you want to collect porcini mushrooms, you should go to the forest between summer and early autumn. The mushrooms grow mainly near spruce, oak and pine. If you have found a porcini mushroom, you should not cut it off, but just turn it out. Transport them in a basket so that you do not push too much on each other.
The mushrooms, which you do not want to process immediately, can now prepare for drying. Clean the heads with a cotton cloth without using water. During washing, the mushrooms would suck themselves full of water and lose significantly in taste and nutrients.
2. Dry porcini mushrooms in different ways
Before drying, cut off wormed areas and then cut the mushrooms into slices one to two centimetres thick.
In total, there are three different ways to dry porcini mushrooms. We will present these in more detail in the following. In addition, we will give you a guide for the respective method.
Dried porcini mushrooms have in principle unlimited shelf life. However, be sure to store the mushrooms dry so that no mould can form.
2.1. Use a special drying machine
Using a drying machine is by far the most professional way to dry porcini mushrooms. The equipment has the advantage that they distribute the heat evenly and additionally ensure that the excess moisture is removed.
Simply add the sliced porcini mushrooms to the dried fruit. Depending on the moisture content, drying takes about two to six hours. Due to the fact that the drying area is usually very large, even larger quantities can be dried at once.
Another great advantage is that the mushrooms are gently dried at a constant temperature of maximum 50 degrees, so that all vitamins and minerals are preserved. The drying machines are available in every price category, so that in principle anyone who likes to collect mushrooms can afford such a device.
2.2. Dry porcini mushrooms at home in the oven
The mushrooms must rustle when you pass a hand over it.
If you don’t have a drying device and don’t want to buy one, you can also dry porcini mushrooms in the oven. Add the mushroom slices to a baking sheet covered with baking paper. Place the oven on about 40 degrees circulating air and let the porcini mushrooms dry for three to ten hours. The mushrooms are ready when they are completely dry but still bendable.
However, this low temperature is often problematic, as many ovens only work reliably at higher temperatures.
In order for moisture to escape, you should also leave the door of the oven wide open for the entire duration. For example, you can use a piece of wood. Due to the open door, it is again difficult to keep the desired temperature constant.
It is not recommended to dry the porcini mushrooms in the microwave, as in these devices it is not possible to dry gently at low temperatures.
2.3. Allow the air to dry in dry weather
Of course, it is also possible to dry porcini mushrooms in the fresh air without any equipment. However, this is only possible if the weather is very warm and dry. In order to prevent mould formation, the fungi must be particularly dry.
Place the cleaned and sliced porcini mushrooms on a drynet or drying rack and placethem in the shade. Once a day, the mushrooms must be turned.
A big advantage is that there are no costs from this method. However, you need a lotof patience as drying can take a few days. In addition, you must ensure that the fungi are not exposed to direct sunlight and that no birds or insects approach them.
3. Freezing porcini mushrooms – a sensible alternative?
Add the frozen porcini mushrooms directly to the pan. If you thaw beforehand, they will become muddy.
To preserve porcini mushrooms, you can not only dry them, but also freeze them. But what is better suited with regard to porcini mushrooms: dry or freeze?
In principle, porcini mushrooms are very suitable for freezing, as they lose only minimal taste compared to other fungal species. Unlike drying, freezing is also a very fast and convenient method. Dried mushrooms, however, have a more intense aroma.
Before freezing, brush the mushrooms thoroughly and cut them into slices or pieces. If you have the option, you can now shock the mushrooms at at least minus 20 degrees before storing them in the freezer at minus 18 degrees. In this way, the porcini mushrooms can be lasted up to one year.
Both drying and freezing are associated with advantages and disadvantages. However, both are good ways to preserve fresh porcini mushrooms.
Porcini mushrooms can be frozen both raw and steamed or blanched.
