This week I spotted a great deal on shiitake mushrooms on clearance at Harris Teeter just 99¢ each!
So I got four packs and QUICKLY had to decide what to do with them because ONLY my husband eats mushrooms and he has been out of town all week long. So my options seemed to freeze or dehydrate them. My freezer is SOO full so I decided to grab my new Instant Vortex Plus and use the dehydrate settings to preserve them
These mushrooms were already sliced but if you buy whole mushrooms- was and slice into equal sized slices. I used the dehydrator on the Instant Vortex Plus and 7 hours later I had perfectly dry mushroom slices.
I used clean, dried canning jars to store the mushrooms in the back of my cabinet- to keep them cool and dark. They should be good for 6-12 months if kept cool and dark, and while they will still be edible after that the flavor may start to diminish.
When I’m ready to use the mushrooms (usually I put them in stews or sauces) I will put the dried mushrooms in a bowl and top with boiled water- to cover them plus a little extra. Once they re-plump I will strain them and use them in the dish I am cooking.
You can use the liquid that rehydrated the mushrooms in any dish you are cooking but since only my husband eats them- personally I just toss that water.
If you’d rather try a dehydrator instead of the InstantVortex – I’ve had one similar to this one and loved it.
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