Mushrooms don’t stay fresh for long. They can pop up overnight and disappear just as quickly, but you don’t have to wait until next season to enjoy the flavor again.
Read on for a complete guide to dehydrating mushrooms, including tips for storing your shrooms properly and alternative drying methods for those without any equipment available.
I like to forage seasonal mushrooms like wood ear, chicken of the woods, and oyster. Once I find a decent honey hole, I’ll collect fungi weekly and dry them throughout the course of the season.
Use a damp cloth or brush to remove dirt and bugs. Remember that some species of larger fungi might have to be chopped up to remove sticks and leaves trapped inside when the mushroom grows around them.
Once you have a clean and healthy fruit in front of you, slice it thinly into strips one-fourth to one-eighth of an inch thick. How thin you cut them depends on your desired application.
I usually dehydrate shrooms at 115°F and leave them for 6–12 hours. It’s important to note that dehydration timing depends largely on the type of mushrooms you have.
When stored correctly, dried mushrooms last a long time. They can stay good indefinitely in the freezer, though they may lose some nutritional quality over extended periods.
If you know you’ll use dried fungi within a few months, you’ll be safe storing them in mason jars, ziplock bags, or Tupperware. No matter what container you put them in, keep them in a cool, dark area of your home to extend their lifespan.