The simplest way to dry mushrooms. Use baking paper

This year’s main mushroom season is unusual, and in some areas it hasn’t even started yet. Nevertheless, in many parts of the country, mushroom pickers can already boast of full baskets of beautiful, healthy mushrooms. These need to be used up or preserved in some way. If you have the time and space, eating fresh mushrooms is the best option. However, if that’s not the case, you can freeze or dry them. The second option is somewhat simpler and uses less energy. You’ll need practically nothing to dry them.

Watch out for worm-eaten mushrooms

These definitely shouldn’t be dried. If you fail to spot even a single small larva, you can be sure that the other mushrooms will be heavily infested too. Until they’re completely dry. By then, however, many more worms and their droppings will have appeared. What’s more, the mushrooms will start to fall apart, which doesn’t look very appetising either. So in your Christmas soup, you’ll end up with a mix of mushrooms that you definitely don’t want. Quite the opposite, in fact. The dish will look rather unappetising.

Cutting the mushrooms correctly

The most important factor is the size of the individual pieces, or rather their thickness. If the mushrooms are cut into thick slices, they’ll most likely start to go mouldy before they’ve dried out. Any excess moisture is the perfect breeding ground for mould. Mouldy pieces are then unusable and must be thrown away. We slice the mushrooms lengthways into thin strips. You can see for yourself in our photographs.

Photo: Radek Stepan 

Room temperature is sufficient

That’s right. To dry mushrooms properly, all you need is a place with a constant room temperature. Mushrooms should not be exposed to direct sunlight or high temperatures. If they are, they lose their aroma and that distinctive mushroom flavour.

Tip: Watch out for mistakes when drying wild mushrooms. There may be several.

Baking paper as the ideal choice

When choosing a base material for drying mushrooms, an old fly net in a frame is best. However, if you don’t have one, there’s no need to buy a new one. You can simply use baking paper. This is the ideal choice thanks to its waxed coating. The mushrooms won’t stick to it at all, so they’ll dry perfectly in a few days without any problems.

Sources: Author

Photo and photogallery: Radek Stepan