Lithuanian traditional foods
Džiovinti grybai
Džiovinti grybai carry the forest season into winter. Porcini especially become a strongly aromatic base for soups, sauces, dumpling fillings, and Christmas Eve dishes after drying.
Food and heritage context
- Category
- Mushroom dishes
- Type
- wild mushrooms preserved by drying for soups, sauces, and fillings
- Heritage status
- living winter-provision tradition
- Context
- Porcini, drying, oven, string, winter stores, Kūčios, soups, dumplings
Names and variants
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
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.
Džiovinti grybai: frequently asked questions
Should mushrooms be washed before drying?
It is best to clean them dry. Wash only very dirty mushrooms, because water slows drying and weakens the texture.
How thick should the slices be?
Thin slices dry quickly. Pieces that are too thick can mold inside.
What oven temperature is suitable?
Low heat, about 45-60 °C, with the door slightly open or ventilation so moisture can escape.
How do I know the mushrooms are dry?
They are light and dry, and they snap or crack when bent rather than bending like rubber.
How long should dried mushrooms be soaked?
Usually 30-60 minutes; larger or very dry pieces can be soaked longer.
Should the soaking water be used?
Yes, it is very aromatic, but it must be strained to remove sand.
How long do dried mushrooms keep?
Kept dry, sealed, and dark, they can keep a long time, but their aroma is best in the first season.