How to do it

Recognize the freshness of mushrooms

Once you have a Mushroom species You should also determine whether the specimen you found is fresh enough to be consumed. The following indicators show you that you might be better off leaving a mushroom in the forest:

• the fungus gives off an unpleasant odor
• the lamellas on the underside of the cap show signs of deterioration
• the inside of the stem is already putrid

Fresh mushrooms can vary depending on Mushroom variety one to several days after the harvest must be kept before they can no longer be easily consumed. Even in the refrigerator, visual signs of decomposition and a penetrating smell are signs that it is better to dispose of edible mushrooms than to eat them.

Preserve boletus and other mushrooms by drying them

That Drying porcini mushrooms and other types of mushrooms is a good way to preserve the fine taste and to use it for tasty mushroom dishes even in the winter months. For drying, the mushrooms are cut into slices and pieces no more than one to two centimeters thick. Then you can be gently dried in a warm and dry place with low humidity. You can do this by threading the mushrooms, but you can also put them in the sun on a baking sheet.

Dry large quantities of mushrooms with oven heat

Mushrooms can also be dried in the oven if the temperature does not exceed around 50 degrees Celsius. A wooden spoon handle between the inside of the oven and the oven door allows the moisture to escape. Mushrooms can also be gently dried in a special fruit dehydrator. As in the oven, however, the mushroom pieces should be arranged in a single layer and not on top of each other.

Preparing for drying

An important point when drying edible mushrooms is the right preparation. As with fresh mushrooms, they should never be washed off with water, otherwise their typical taste is often lost. Instead, use a sharp knife for cleaning, with which any dirt and unsightly areas can be scraped off or cut out.

Storage and use after drying

After drying, the mushrooms can be stored in airtight storage jars with screw or snap locks. They can be kept for up to two or three years, depending on how they are processed and, at best, when stored in the dark. Some types of mushrooms can be soaked in water as dry mushrooms and then taste almost like their fresh counterparts. Others give delicious dishes as spices in sauces Mushroom season the finishing touches.

Tips & Tricks

After drying, porcini mushrooms are often ground into a fine flour that is ideal for refining soups and sauces.