Mushroom dishes
wild mushrooms preserved by drying for soups, sauces, and fillings
living winter-provision tradition
Porcini, drying, oven, string, winter stores, Kūčios, soups, dumplings
Dried porcini, Mushrooms for winter
Why Dry Them?
The mushroom season is short, and drying preserves aroma for winter. Dried mushrooms take little space and smell strongly.
After drying, porcini become almost a seasoning: a small amount changes the flavor of an entire soup or sauce. According to the Universal Lithuanian Encyclopedia, edible mushrooms are prepared fresh, frozen, dried, salted, or marinated; drying suits porcini especially well because it concentrates their aroma.
Drying Methods
In the past, mushrooms were dried near the stove, on string, on sieves, or in a warm attic. Today a dehydrator or low oven is convenient.
The mushrooms must not cook in their own moisture. They need air movement and gentle heat.
How to Use Them
Dried mushrooms are soaked, then added to soups, sauces, dumpling fillings, mushroom pies, or Christmas Eve dishes.
The soaking water is valuable, but it may contain sand, so it must be strained.
Safety
Drying does not make an unknown mushroom safe. Dry only edible species you can identify reliably.
If stored mushrooms become damp, moldy, or develop a bad smell, they must not be eaten.
Recipe
How to prepare dried mushrooms for winter
For drying, choose only healthy mushrooms you can identify with certainty. Aromatic porcini are best, but other edible wild mushrooms are also dried.
Ingredients
- 1 kg fresh edible mushrooms
- Clean jars or linen bags for storage
Method
- Clean the mushrooms dry. If possible, do not wash them so they do not absorb water.
- Slice into thin pieces or thread smaller pieces onto string.
- Dry in a well-ventilated place, near a stove, in a dehydrator, or in a low oven.
- Fully dried mushrooms should be light, dry, and brittle, but not burned.
- Store sealed, dry, and dark. Before cooking, soak them and strain the soaking liquid.
Notes
Moisture is the greatest enemy of dried mushrooms.
The soaking liquid is aromatic, but it should be strained through a fine sieve or cheesecloth.
