Dehydrate mushrooms: temperature and drying times
| Temperature | Room temperature or 30–40°C (86-104°F) in a food dehydrator. |
| Drying time | Food dehydrator: 7 hours Room temperature: approx. 3 days |
Two good ways to dry mushrooms are at room temperature or in a food dehydrator (sometimes called a mushroom dryer). When dried at room temperature, the mushrooms can acquire new flavors.
A convection oven can be challenging if you can’t set the temperature below 52°C (125°F). If you air-dry the mushrooms indoors, you can use the oven to do the final drying before storing the mushrooms. Then, set the oven to 52°C (125°F) and dehydrate for an hour; this does not affect the taste so much.
Mushrooms are an excellent flavouring agent; crumble, soak for a while and add to various dishes! Even mushrooms from the store, like common mushrooms, get a nice flavour when dehydrated. Dried mushrooms have more flavour than fresh mushrooms.
The flavour is concentrated, but it is also due to a process that enhances the taste. A series of reactions start after the mushroom is picked; one of them is an enzyme breakdown. However, this activity slows down when the water level becomes lower. This means that different drying times and temperatures can affect the taste of the dehydrated mushrooms.
A basic rule is that mushrooms should never be dried above 40°C (104°F).
Bouillon Powder
The first time I made my own bouillon powder, I was immediately struck by the wonderful smell—not to mention the taste! You will get a great result even if you make a simple bouillon from store-bought mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes and dried herbs.
Dehydrate mushrooms: different varieties
Wild mushrooms: consult a mushroom book applicable to your country.
Cultivated mushrooms: Mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, shiitake. Even ordinary mushrooms from the store get a flavour boost when dried.
Dehydrate mushrooms: before and after dehydration
