How to store dried mushrooms at home

Mushroom harvest ripening and harvesting occurs in the fall, it is during this period that amateurs gather with the company and go for gifts. A distinctive feature of fresh mushrooms is their short-term storage. As a result, people are forced to resort to various tricks that help preserve the taste and aroma of the product for many months. One of the methods of "conservation" is drying, which contributes to the preservation of nutrients and protein.

Effective Storage Methods for Dry Mushrooms

Experienced mushroom eaters unanimously reiterate that drying does not adversely affect the beneficial characteristics of the product.

Glass jars
For this storage method, it is necessary to choose containers from dark, not transparent glass. Mushrooms must be protected from intense light, they must also be placed in a hermetically sealed container. Since the product is hygroscopic in its features, make sure that there is no excessive moisture in the room or container. Under these conditions, the mushrooms will quickly disappear.

Before packing gifts in a jar, prepare a container. Wash and boil it thoroughly, do not neglect the sterilization process. After heat treatment, you need to dry the cans to such an extent that they do not have a hint of possible humidity.

It is after the preparatory phase that you can safely assume that your tanks are ready. However, as in any other business, there are some peculiarities. Mushrooms will retain their original aroma and taste only if the jars form a vacuum. Another option reduces the storage time by 1.5 times.

Important!
If you do not have the opportunity to roll mushrooms in a vacuum jar, use similar methods. Before screwing the container, pour a small amount of vodka or medical alcohol under the lid. After this, set it on fire and immediately twist it, the combustion should not end. Alcohol in a neutral state neutralizes oxygen, creating a vacuum effect.

The method is considered the most reliable and is very popular. Due to the lack of oxygen, the percentage of mold in banks is reduced to zero. For this reason, you can neglect the rules for installing cans in a dry room, even a cellar or basement is suitable.

If the mushrooms lie so long that they begin to crumble, make seasoning out of them. Place the product in a blender or coffee grinder, grind it into flour and pour into a dark bag that closes. Salt, pepper, add to sauces, first and second courses.

Bags
For proper storage of mushrooms in a similar way, find a place in which air will circulate without differences. Such a move will not allow mold to form, since humidity is completely absent. When you store mushrooms in bags, make sure that there are no odors in the room, otherwise the product will take them. An ideal option for a room in an apartment / house is a dry balcony or pantry.

If you do not have a balcony, but a loggia, do not put the product there, since the storage location itself involves sudden temperature changes. Neglecting this advice, condensate will begin to accumulate in the bags of mushrooms, as a result of which mold will appear. To sew the bags, take a gauze cloth and fold it in 4-5 layers. After this, sew the edges, place the mushrooms and tie a free area with a rope.

Freezer
There are cases when, for certain reasons, housewives prefer to store mushrooms in the freezer or in the refrigerator compartment. This method is welcome, because it is quick enough to implement.At the same time, mushrooms can lie in the chamber for about a year, sometimes longer. The main condition for storage is vacuum packaging, which does not allow moisture to pass through. You must also make sure that the mushrooms are dried properly. Even a random drop can develop into a full-fledged mold.

Attic
The method is considered the most risky, but this does not mean that it can not be used. When storing mushrooms in the attic, you need to constantly monitor the level of humidity, you can not put mushrooms if the temperature often jumps in the room. It is also worth paying attention to possible pests that can penetrate into the packaging with the product and put off the larvae.

If you put mushrooms in the attic, you have to constantly open the package and check the composition for the presence of moths, bugs and other insects. The only option in which you do not have to do this is to preserve the mushrooms in jars, and then take them to the attic. The shelf life is limited to 2 years, but in the case of using bags, mushrooms can become unusable faster.

Ropes
The next storage option is mushrooms strung on a rope. If you dried them using twine, do not remove the product at the end of the procedure, leave it in storage as such.

The main feature of the technology is considered to be the so-called "precise drying". In the final version, the mushrooms should be of such a structure that they calmly rest on the ropes, do not crumble and do not slide. To achieve this, it is enough not to overdry the product.

Before hanging the mushrooms for long-term storage, wrap the rope with a cotton cloth. Such a move will prevent slipping. Choose a place in which there are no extraneous odors, dampness, insects. When you decide to take some mushrooms for a snack, do not remove the rope from the holder. Break off the right amount, it will be much more convenient.

Practical recommendations

1. The optimum temperature for storing mushrooms in the room is considered to be a mark between 11 and 15 degrees. In this case, the relative humidity should be no higher than 40%.
2. If, for certain reasons, the mushrooms become wet, but they are not attacked by mold, dry the product. Put the baking sheet on parchment paper, evenly distribute the mushrooms on its surface and place in the oven for 5 minutes at a temperature of about 140-150 degrees.
3. When you choose mushrooms for long-term storage, exclude all suspicious ones. It is only possible to place food in a jar / bag in a properly dried state.
4. Before you start your meal, pour filtered water or skim milk into the container, and then soak in the mushrooms. Such a move will contribute to the disclosure of taste and aroma.
5. The liquid remaining from the soaking of mushrooms can be used as the basis for soup, stewing vegetables, meat, fish.
6. Before starting to dry the mushrooms, rinse them, remove the remnants of grass and foreign bodies. The correct procedure involves the complete absence of dirt, dust and sand on the surface of the product.

If you have chosen an unsafe storage method (attic, ropes, bag), look at mushrooms for useless items. Pull out products damaged by bugs or mold. Feel the mushrooms, their structure should not change during storage. Dried foods will be hard, spoiled by mold - soft and moist.

Video: how to soak dry mushrooms for mushroom soup