canned chanterelle mushrooms

[baker2828]

I would love to hear about the the dehydration process I do have a regualar dehydrater, but it's never came out of the box. I bought it because we grow a lot of peppers every year and wanted to dehydrate some but have not gotten around to it. What are the settings and time frame to dehydrate and how do you store them once you have them dryed?

 

[navionjim]

I would love to hear about the the dehydration process I do have a regualar dehydrater, but it's never came out of the box.

To maintain the flavor of mushrooms when drying it's best not to use heat. The preferred method is to use a large sealed plastic container, Tupperware or some knockoff there of. Airtight in any case. It mist be large enough to hold a screen or mesh container an inch or two above the bottom. The bottom of the container is filled with "Damp Rid" a moisture control product available at all Home Depot or Lowe's stores. The
mushrooms must NOT touch the Damp Rid, but are suspended above it on the screen. The lid should be sealed airtight on the container. In a day or two all the moisture in the mushrooms will have been drawn off by the drying agent. They will be dry and "woody" to the touch. They can then be stored in sealed jars or containers almost indefinitely.
Jimbo

 

[baker2828]

The Damp Rid won't make you sick or isn't toxic?

 

[twistertail]

Sounds cool jim, never heard of that.
We have dried them by hanging them on a string until they were dry. They taste pretty good rehydrated.

 

[navionjim]

A small amount wouldn't hurt you but it is not a food grade product. The idea is that the Damp Rid is never in actual contact with food. I have done this in two compartment Tupperware containers by putting the damp rid on one side and the mushrooms on the other. They don't contact each other but simply share the same airspace. Damp Rid is a hydoscopic chemical, it will literally suck the moisture out of anything in it's airspace.

You are not eating the Damp Rid, don't bring it in contact with what you are drying, just seal it in the same box.
Jimbo

 

[richtee]

Jim, will gelatin powder do this too?

 

[navionjim]

Howdy Rich, the answer is no. Damp Rid is cheaper than gelatin anyway so that's a win-win. BTY, and right up your alley, you can also use this method for drying stars with water dextrin binders in damp climates. Less chance of driven in moisture that way.
Jimbo

 

[walking dude]

i use damp rid ALL the time drying out mushrooms........i take a med. sized tupperware bowl............and some stiff wire screen.......put the damp rid in the bottom of the bowl.......cut the screen to sit above the damp rid couple inches.......and place shrooms on the wire grid......within a day or so......dried up

i will post some pics of it here in a sec


d88de

 

[navionjim]

Hay walking Dude, do the initials "PF" mean anything to you?
Jimbo

 

[walking dude]

maybe.............

d88de

 

[walking dude]

ok.........pics of my mushroom drying setup.......i use this setup to dry morels...........

first up.......is the bowl i use......its just a med. sized tupperware plastic bowl

next is the two screens i use......this way i can dry more mushrooms that way.......

this is the first screen set in the bowl

and the second screen place inside

and the whole shabang put together........i let em go bout a day.....checking on em every so often

this system werks GREAT......and you can reuse the damp rid by drying it out in the oven..........

hth

d88de