How To Prepare Dried Mushrooms

Are you looking to elevate your dishes with a unique and flavorful ingredient? Look no further than our delish dried mushrooms. These mushrooms organically grown on our farm in the Pacific Northwest offer a distinctive woodsy flavor and meaty texture that can enhance a variety of meals. Our dried mushrooms are grown in house with a meticulous eye from inoculation to packaging to insure we are providing the highest quality farmed mushrooms. Rest assured once you receive our vacuum sealed mushrooms no cleaning is necessary to enjoy our mushrooms directly from the package.  "no stress, no seeds, no stems, no sticks....."

In this blog post, we will guide you on how to properly prepare dried mushrooms to make the most of their delicious taste.

1 oz. of hydrated mushrooms is equal to about 1 pound of fresh mushrooms.

Hydrating

To rehydrate dried mushrooms, start by soaking them in water, broth, wine, etc. for 12 - 30 minutes. This process will bring the mushrooms back to life, making them plump and ready to use in your recipes. Once they are rehydrated, remove the mushrooms from the liquid and prepare them just like you would with fresh mushrooms.

Soaking Liquid

Don't discard the soaking liquid! The leftover liquid from hydrating dried mushrooms is packed with flavor and can be a valuable addition to your soups and sauces. The rich umami taste of the soaking liquid can enhance the depth of your dishes, adding a savory note that will impress and stimulate your taste buds.

Pan Frying

Cover the frying pan with the soaking liquid. This small amount of water acts as a lubricant until the mushrooms start to release their own liquids.  The point of removing the liquid we just hydrated with is to begin breaking down the cell walls of the mushrooms which will release the mushrooms 70% liquid and make the mushrooms softer.

Next add the hydrated mushrooms cut to size of choice to the pan. Set the heat to medium-high heat and begin frying the mushrooms. You will notice lots of liquid releasing from the mushrooms in this process.

After about 90% of the liquid has boiled off turn the temperature to medium heat. Add about a 1/4" slice of butter to the mushrooms (quality oil can also be used instead of butter). Cover the mushrooms with the butter until mushrooms have absorbed the butter. Fry the mushrooms for about 1 min at a time then stir the mushrooms. Without adding any more butter or oil continue the above process till a golden color is achieved.

Adding to Soups and Sauces

If you prefer to use the dried mushrooms directly in your dishes, you can crush them up by hand or mechanically pulverize them into more of a powdered form. Add the dehydrated mushrooms to a simmering liquid or soup about 15 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to blend together. The mushrooms will infuse into your dish with their unique taste, creating a delicious and satisfying meal.