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They try to preserve a large number of mushrooms, collected in the forest in the fall or grown independently at home, until spring. The resulting harvest is frozen, salted in barrels, and pickled. Dried honey mushrooms completely retain their natural aroma and taste, but they will only have to be cooked a little longer - about 50 minutes. Mushrooms are used to make caviar, pizza, soups, and fried with potatoes. There are five simple ways to dry the autumn harvest at home.
Is it possible to dry honey mushrooms, and for whom are they useful?
The answer to the question whether it is possible to dry honey mushrooms is an unequivocal yes. Mushrooms lend themselves perfectly to this type of preparation. Honey mushrooms themselves have an excellent aroma and excellent taste, and all this is preserved when dried.
First of all, mushrooms are useful for people suffering from low hemoglobin. They should be included in the diet of every anemic patient. Of the beneficial microelements, the pulp of the mushroom contains a lot of phosphorus, as well as calcium. If your teeth or weak bones often crumble, which is accompanied by frequent fractures, you should eat up to 150 g of honey mushrooms at least every other day.
Among doctors, nutritionists paid attention to dried honey mushrooms. Mushrooms are recommended for overweight people to lose weight, as well as remove cholesterol from the body.
Who should refuse dried honey mushrooms?
A conversation about the harmfulness of the mushroom should begin with the fact that it is better for an ignorant person to refuse to go to the forest. There are very similar appearances false honey mushrooms. If such a representative ends up in the basket, you can be seriously poisoned.
As for edible mushrooms, they are difficult to digest, like any other mushroom. Poor absorption is observed in older people. People with gastrointestinal problems should avoid eating mushrooms or limit them to a minimum.
Honey mushrooms are used in folk medicine as a laxative. People suffering from indigestion should take this point into account. You should not eat dried honey mushrooms while taking laxatives.
Another feature of the mushroom is the structure of its pulp. During cooking, it absorbs a lot of salt and oil like a sponge. Overeating can cause swelling. For a person who is losing weight, a mushroom filled with oil will cause more harm due to its increased calorie content. It is better to simply cook honey mushrooms for a diet salad or throw them into soup.
The advantage of drying mushrooms
Often with the question of whether it is possible to dry honey mushrooms, people are interested in the benefits of this entire process. Let's look at all the benefits:
- Dried mushrooms are convenient to store, as they greatly decrease in size after heat treatment. A huge harvest will fit in a small bag, not dozens of jars.
- The shelf life increases, you just need to create favorable conditions.
- Dried mushroom quickly restores its pulp structure during cooking, giving them an exquisite taste.
- The pulp retains its aroma and beneficial microelements.
- Only drying honey mushrooms allows you to save five times more protein. Canning and salting do not give such an effect.
Among the disadvantages, there is a decrease in the attractiveness of mushrooms.
Rules for preparing mushrooms for drying
Before you figure out how to dry honey mushrooms at home, you need to learn how to prepare them for this complex process:
- If the crop was collected in the forest, it is subject to mandatory sorting. During the inspection, false mushrooms are identified and old, wormy, questionable mushrooms are thrown away.
- Young housewives are often interested in the question: do honey mushrooms need to be washed before drying? Hats with stems are thoroughly wiped clean of dirt. You can use a slightly damp cloth. If you wash the mushrooms before drying, the flesh will be saturated with moisture. The process will take a long time and may even be accompanied by rotting.
- For the winter, only the caps are usually dried. Of course, gourmets want to know how to dry mushroom legs in the oven for winter storage. You can do it if you want, you just have to try. The legs are cut into pieces 3 cm long or separated lengthwise with a knife so that the moisture evaporates faster.
Young mushrooms are considered the best for drying. There is no need to be afraid of a large amount of harvest. After drying, out of 10 kg, only 1.5 kg remains, maximum 2 kg of mushrooms.
Five ways to dry honey mushrooms at home
In the villages, our ancestors dried any crop on metal sheets or ropes. The source of heat was the sun. With the advent of modern household appliances, the process has become easier, but not everyone abandons the old methods.
On a thread
First of all, let's figure out how to dry honey mushrooms on a thread using the old method. The advantage of the method is its simplicity and lack of cost. The materials you will need are a sewing needle, strong thread, or you can take fishing line. Mushrooms are strung one after another to make beads. It is important to maintain a gap of about 1 cm for air passage.
The resulting beads are hung on the sunny side. Mushrooms should be blown by the wind and be in the sun longer. In an apartment, a balcony is suitable for the procedure. You can make a rectangular frame from slats, stretch the threads and place the structure on the windowsill. The process will just take a little longer. No one can answer the question exactly how long to dry honey mushrooms on a thread. It all depends on weather conditions, air temperature and humidity. Usually the process lasts at least a week.
On a tray
The second answer to the question of how to dry honey mushrooms at home using the ancient method is to use metal trays. The bottom is covered with parchment paper so that the delicate caps do not get baked. Mushrooms are evenly arranged on a tray and placed in the sun. From time to time, turn the drying over by hand.
In the oven
The third method will help the housewife learn how to dry honey mushrooms in the oven if there are no specialized household appliances at hand and the weather outside is damp.The process is long, complex, and requires constant attention. During drying, the pulp should not release juice and bake.
It is better to use wire racks for drying. Baking trays will do, but you will have to turn the mushrooms frequently, which is very inconvenient and time-consuming. It is important to know at what temperature honey mushrooms are dried so as not to spoil them. First, preheat the oven to 45OC. Place the mushrooms spread out on a wire rack or baking sheet for 4.5 hours. During this time the juice should evaporate. To prevent steam from forming inside the oven, keep the door slightly open.
After 4.5 hours the temperature is raised to 80OC. The door remains ajar at all times. Now comes the crucial moment. Mushrooms are often checked for doneness so as not to overcook. The finished honey fungus is light, bends well, does not break and is elastic.
In an electric dryer
Any modern housewife wants to know whether it is possible to dry honey mushrooms in an electric dryer designed for fruits. Of course, this is a great option. The household appliance is equipped with convenient grilles, but the main advantage is the presence of a blower. You simply lay out the mushrooms, turn on the electric dryer, and it will do everything itself.
The recipe for drying honey mushrooms in a vegetable dryer is simple. Mushrooms are sorted, cleaned, and the caps are separated from the stems. To speed up the process, you can cut it in half. On the grill, the caps and stems are laid out in one layer. Drying takes about 6 hours. This acceleration is achieved by blowing hot air at a temperature of 50OWITH.
Microwave
Modern drying of honey mushrooms at home can be done using a microwave oven.The process is inconvenient, requiring constant supervision, but is often the only option for apartment residents. Portions are loaded small. After the preparation process, the mushrooms are first placed in the sun to dry them. If the weather is cloudy outside, instead of the sun you will have to use a lamp with a powerful incandescent lamp that emits heat.
When the caps with the legs of honey mushrooms become slightly dried, they are laid out in one layer on a plate and sent to the microwave. Drying continues at 100–180 W for a maximum of 20 minutes. After time has passed, try to squeeze the thickest stem or cap with your fingers. If juice is released, they are sent for a repeat procedure.
The video talks about drying mushrooms:
Secrets of storing dried honey mushrooms
To ensure that your efforts are not in vain, dried honey mushrooms are stored only in a dry room. It is important that there are no strong foreign odors, otherwise the pulp will quickly absorb them. If there is space in a clean room, mushrooms can be stored hanging on a thread.
To avoid clogging with dust, use homemade paper bags or fabric bags. Glass jars work well for storage. If drying is to be used as a seasoning, it is ground in a blender. The powder is stored in a tightly closed glass jar.
It is important to ensure good ventilation during storage. The penetration of flies is unacceptable, otherwise they will lay larvae and worms will appear. If the conditions are met, honey mushrooms can be stored for three years. All this time, you can cook delicious dishes from them and delight your loved ones with them.
