In order to cook pies in winter, cook aromatic soups and make sauces with mushrooms, you must not only collect them, but also preserve them with minimal taste loss. Drying the gifts of the forest for future use should be according to certain rules.
General recommendations
Most often, porcini mushrooms are dried for the winter. However, in dried form, strong young boletus boletuses are also good. Some mushroom pickers also dry chanterelles.
Drying mushrooms must be fresh. Only chanterelles can remain suitable for conservation for more than a day, but two days is the maximum period.
Do not wash the mushrooms before drying. Otherwise, they will absorb excess water. The mushrooms need to be chopped quite coarsely, since during the drying process they will dry out pretty much, about 3-4 times. It is permissible to dry tiny specimens whole. If the mushroom is medium in size, it will be enough to separate the stem from the cap.
Methods for drying mushrooms for the winter: choosing the best one
There are several ways to dry mushrooms. This can be done in a Russian stove, oven and even in the sun. True, the latter option is not very good for autumn, since at this time the sun is no longer shining as intensely as in summer. Some people dry mushrooms over a gas stove by hanging them on strings. It is better to refuse this method, since the mushrooms will absorb the harmful substances formed during the combustion of the gas.
Drying mushrooms in the oven
Perhaps the best option is to dry in the oven. To do this, put the mushrooms on a baking sheet, preferably in one layer, place it in the oven, while its door should be slightly opened so that there is air access. It is permissible to turn on the convection mode, if any. The oven should be warmed up to 70-80 degrees and the mushrooms should be dried in it for several hours. You can do this in several steps, while the oven door should always be ajar.
Drying mushrooms in the oven
If you have a stove at your disposal, you can safely dry the mushrooms in it. Keep in mind that it will take several furnaces to dry one batch. To begin with, the mushrooms will need to be placed in a slightly cooled oven, in which it should be about 50 degrees. They must be left there for 3-4 hours. During this time, the mushrooms will dry up, they will be soft, but at the same time they will stop secreting juice. In the next furnace, they must be dried at a temperature of 70-80 degrees. The mushrooms are ready when they are brittle and dry. Never put mushrooms in the stove during the heating and immediately after it, otherwise they will simply burn out.
How to store dry mushrooms
It is better to store them in a dry place in a ceramic or glass container. You can grind some of the mushrooms in a coffee grinder. In this state, they can be used to make sauces or flavor dishes. Moreover, they will take up much less space.
Before cooking, dry mushrooms must be rinsed well, and then soaked in hot water for 2 hours. This water must not be used for making soup!
