Home
Posted By: flintlocke Mushroom dehydrating tips? - 05/25/20
Found some big boletes this weekend, not bad fried fresh but pretty bland flavor. Thought we'd dry some to see if the flavor would get stronger. Any tips for a greenhorn?
Posted By: BOWHUNR Re: Mushroom dehydrating tips? - 05/25/20
I'm not sure about that variety, but on good morel years my uncle would but them on a large platform mad of mesh and let them air dry until dehydrated, then send them to his sister in California. She said they re-hydrated pretty well, but like most things the flavor is better when fresh.
Picked a grocery bag full of morels this evening. Bear died in the middle of a great patch!
Morels don't lack flavor, certainly my favorite, but this year with crazy springtime temp fluctuations and spotty precip...it takes someone with the powers of the occult and spells and incantations to find them.
So that's why I picked boletes for the first time. How disappointing. Just putting the slices in the dehydrator yesterday, and simmering in butter today...butter is tasty, but 'shrooms nearly tasteless. It finally dawns on me why no recipes specify bolete mushrooms.
I used to have a killer morel spot. But no more. Won't deal with all the prius driving foodies wondering around on public land come mushroom season. Anyways I never could stand the texture of any mushroom would kick in the gag reflex instantly. They do add a lot of flavor especially morels. So I picked a ton and dried them. I would break them up to like bread crumb texture to add to various sauces, gravies, soups, killer in meatloaf.

I would dry them on window screen. Just bought the cheapest adjustable one from the home center. Essential two screens that slide open to fit your window. That feature made storage easy when not drying mushrooms. I would set the mushrooms up on the screen in the basement on a couple sawhorses. I would but them in front of the freezer. The bit of extra warmth and air movement from the freezer running was perfect. After about three days. I had nice crispy dry shrooms. I would store in the freezer to eliminate any chance of mold.
© 24hourcampfire