How To Dry Mushrooms In The Oven Shortly & Merely
Want to know how to dry mushrooms in the oven? Read on for my failsafe guide to help cut your food waste.
In a hurry? Jump to recipe.
I don’t know about you but mushrooms are something that I have trouble using up. I don’t enjoy eating raw mushrooms, only cooked ones. As such, I was finding that more often than not, some of the fresh mushrooms I was buying were going slimy in the fridge before I had a chance to use them.
I’m all about reducing my food wasteboth to help the environment and to save money. As such I wanted to find a way to stop so many from going to waste. Dehydrating them felt like a good way to go, so I started experimenting with drying my leftover mushrooms in the oven.
It’s been a success. I found that drying them out is a fantastic way to extend their shelf life and reduce food waste. It intensifies their flavour, making them perfect for soups, sauces, stews, casseroles, chillis, and risotto. Plus they add texture to any vegetarian or vegan meal.
So, if you’re looking to save money, cut your food waste, and savour that delicious umami goodness all year round, let me show you how it’s done!
How to Dry Mushrooms in the Oven
It’s really easy to dehydrate mushrooms in the oven. And then they last for absolute ages until you’re ready to use them, so you can really cut your food waste. What I also love is that you can dry them in the oven while you’re cooking something else in there, helping to save energy.
Here’s how it’s done:
You Will Need
- Mushrooms (you can use any type of edible mushroom)
- A sharp knife
- A baking tray
- A clean and dry airtight jar
Method
- Clean your mushrooms. I tend to brush mine or use a dry towel to clean them, but if yours are particularly dirty and need washing make sure you give them a good dry after washing.
- Chop your mushrooms into half-an-inch thick slices. If you slice them thicker then they’ll take longer to dry out, so remember to adjust your cooking time. Some of the stalks are missing in the photo above as mine had sat in the fridge for so long, and had gone a bit funny, but otherwise, there’s no need to remove the stalks.
- Place them on a baking tray, and pop them in a preheated oven (180ºC / 350ºF / gas mark 4) for around 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, turn them over, and place them back in the oven for a further 20 minutes, or until dry and the mushroom snaps when you break it in half. They should feel crispy, rather than spongy.
- Leave them to cool, and then store them in a clean airtight jar in a dark place for up to a year. Discard them sooner if they start to look or smell funny, or develop any mould.
How To Use Dried Mushrooms In Your Cooking
It’s really easy to incorporate dried mushrooms into your cooking. I generally just add them straight into soups, sauces, etc. as I’m cooking. However, you can soak them in boiling water or stock first to reconstitute them if you prefer. I’ve tried both methods and haven’t found any discernible difference.
I love this method so much that I now quite often buy cheap mushrooms from the reduced section of shops just to dehydrate them and store for later. I made this vegetarian chilli the other week and added some of my mushrooms. It made for such a great addition without any waste.
Printer-Friendly Version
Need a printer-friendly version of this technique? Here you go:
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Sharp knife
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Baking tray
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Clean dry air-tight jar
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Clean your mushrooms (you can use any type of edible mushroom). I used a dry towel to clean them, but if yours are particularly dirty and need washing make sure you give them a good dry after washing.
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Chop into half an inch thick slices. If you slice them thicker then they’ll take longer to dry out, so remember to adjust your cooking time. Some of the stalks are missing in the photo above as mine had sat in the fridge for so long, and had gone a bit funny, but otherwise there’s no need to remove the stalks.
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Place on a baking tray in preheated (180ºC / 350ºF / gas mark 4) oven for 20 minutes.
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Remove from the oven, turn over, and place back in the oven for a further 20 minutes, or until dry and the mushroom snaps when you break it in half. They shouldn’t feel spongy, but crispy.
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Leave them to cool, and then store in a clean airtight jar in a dark place for up to a year.
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