We went shroomin this weekend on the coast. I’d tell you where we found these lovely Chanterelles, but then i’d have to kill you. 😉
I do look a bit crazed in this blurry photo….
We cooked about half with a whole rabbit turned into epic herbed coney/mushroom gravy over mashed potatoes and the rest i’m saving to dehydrate. I’ve never dehydrated mushrooms before, but i really want to have some on hand for tossing into gravies and soups through the seasons. Chanterelles aren’t my favorite mushroom to eat, but they’re one of my favorites to hunt. I always find myself teetering on some mossy precipice with my hair full of branches and twigs. It’s like adult Easter egg hunting! I’ve heard there are some things you can do to these mild flavored mushrooms to intensify that flavor a bit, so i’m hoping some of my savvy readers will have some ideas for me:
Have you ever dehydrated mushrooms? Do you have any tips on how to maximize/intensify the flavor and store for ease of versatile use?
Chanterelles are a great find. Once years ago I found a old homestead site that had chanterelles growing all around it. It provided mushrooms every year till I left the area. You could smell the Chanterelles as you got close to the spot. Keep going back and checking you could have a similar spot.
I haven’t had any Chanterelles, but I have dehydrated other types of mushrooms. I slice them thinly, lay out on trays, and dry until they are no longer sponging.
I store all my dehydrated foods in canning jars that are vacuum sealed. To do this, I use the Foodsaver attachments that are available at Amaon. I only purchased the tube and the two jar covers. I use a little $15 hand pump from Harbor Freight to draw the vacuum.
The dehydrated mushrooms are very convenient to add to soups. You can powder them and stir them into gravy. My favorite use is on pizza. I don’t rehydrate them. I just put them on top. They rehydrate from the liquid in the sauce and/or the oil from the other ingredients. This eliminates the soggy area that occurs when fresh mushrooms are used.
Great idea – rehydrating with the pizza juices! Yum!
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