What Are Mushrooms, dried and How Can I Use Them?
Here's everything worth knowing about mushrooms, dried and how to pick them, what they is, how to store them, and what to use instead, plus 9 recipes to cook tonight.
Key Points
- Dried mushrooms are dehydrated fresh mushrooms with concentrated umami; a small handful flavors a whole pot.
- Soak in warm water 20 to 30 minutes, then strain and save the savory soaking liquid.
- Never discard the soaking water; it holds half the flavor for braises and risotto.
- Porcini give the deepest flavor, shiitake a meatier, smoky note; either works in a stew.
- Stored airtight away from light, dried mushrooms keep their flavor for 1 to 2 years.
What is mushrooms, dried?
Dried mushrooms are fresh mushrooms with their water removed, concentrating both flavor and shelf life into a shrunken, leathery form. Drying drives off most of the moisture, leaving a deeply savory ingredient that keeps for a year or more in the pantry.
More flavor, less weight.
That concentration is the whole point. Dried porcini, shiitake, and morels carry far more umami by weight than the fresh mushrooms they came from, which is why a small handful can flavor a whole pot.
Most dried mushrooms are rehydrated before use, and the soaking liquid that results is a dark, meaty stock you should never pour down the drain.
Cooking With Dried Mushrooms
Soak dried mushrooms in warm, not boiling, water for 20 to 30 minutes until they soften and plump. Lift them out gently rather than dumping, so any grit stays behind, then strain the soaking liquid through a coffee filter to catch the sand.
That strained liquid is a free, intensely savory broth. Pour it into the braise or risotto you are making, the way Red Wine Braised Roots Vegetables & Mushrooms and Hunters Stew build depth from it.
Dried shiitake are a backbone of Chinese cooking, going into Basic Lomein and many stir-fries after a soak. In a Herb Roasted Turkey with Mushroom Gravy or the Czech bread stuffing Kuba, rehydrated mushrooms add a woodsy, meaty note fresh ones cannot match.
Ground to powder, dried mushrooms also season a dish with no soaking at all.
Pairing and Common Mistakes
Dried mushrooms love butter, cream, garlic, thyme, red wine, and rich meats. Their umami deepens beef stews and rounds out gravies, especially when you use the soaking liquid as part of the cooking liquid.
The biggest mistake is throwing away that soaking water. It holds half the flavor, so straining and saving it is the single most important step.
The second is under-soaking, which leaves chewy, leathery bits in the finished dish. Give them the full time, and trim away any tough stems, particularly on shiitake, where the stem stays woody even after soaking.
What to Use Instead
If you have no dried mushrooms, fresh ones cover the bulk and texture, though you lose the concentrated punch. Use roughly three times the weight of fresh to match the body of rehydrated dried, and brown them hard to build flavor back.
Among dried types, porcini give the deepest savory flavor, while shiitake bring a meatier, slightly smoky note. A generic "mixed wild" blend lands somewhere in between. Any can stand in for another in a stew or sauce.
In a real pinch, a spoon of mushroom powder or even a little soy sauce or miso adds the missing umami, just without the texture of actual mushroom pieces.
Buying and Storing Dried Mushrooms
Choose dried mushrooms that smell strong and earthy, with whole, unbroken pieces and no signs of dust or insect damage. A cheap bag of crumbled dust has lost much of its aroma. Whole dried porcini caps cost more but deliver more.
Store them airtight, away from light and heat. Kept dry in a sealed jar, dried mushrooms hold their flavor for 1 to 2 years, slowly fading after that rather than spoiling outright. A few grains of rice in the jar help absorb stray moisture.
If you live somewhere humid, the freezer is the safest home, where dried mushrooms keep almost indefinitely. Watch for any musty or ammonia smell, which signals moisture has crept in and the batch should go.
Quick facts
- In Chinese
- 香菇，干
- British (UK) term
- Mushrooms, dried
- en français
- champignons, séchés
- en español
- setas, se secaron
Recipes using mushrooms, dried
There are 9 recipes that contain this ingredient.
Red Wine Braised Roots Vegetables & Mushrooms
In this fabulous recipe, we use several kinds of seasonal root vegetables, braising them with red wine, let the whole dish become more tasty, you can serve it as a vegetarian dish or a side-dish with turkey, chicken or beef.
Baked Spring Roll
An exciting blend of vegetables and spices is sealed inside wrappers, then baked until crisp. Delicious and crunchy without deep frying! I’ll keep it short today. I’d like to think that all or almost all of you already know how to make spring rolls. They are one of my fave finger foods and ever since I’ve come across the oven-baked version, I’ve nominated them as my no1 Savoury Stuff, way better than deep fried street food and packaged crisps/ chips.
Maitake Mushroom Soup
A rich soup with layers of earthy warm flavors. Maitake mushrooms (hen of the woods) are believed to have numerous medicinal properties and taste great.
Hunters Stew
Polish hunters stew (bigos) with sauerkraut, kielbasa, bacon, dried mushrooms, apples, and tomatoes. Simmered low and slow, best reheated the next day.
Pot Roast with Dill Pickles
German-style pot roast braised with chopped dill pickles, dried mushrooms, and peppercorns, finished with sour cream for a tangy, rich gravy. A Central European twist on classic pot roast.
Basic Lomein
Chinese lo mein with roast pork, napa cabbage, dried mushrooms, bean sprouts, and snow peas stir-fried with ginger and garlic. Tossed with sesame oil-coated noodles.
Sweet & Sour Pork (Tiem Shuen Gee Yok)
Try this authentic Chinese dish that has a taste which will help you forget about ordering take-out.
Kuba
Kuba, a traditional Eastern European barley and mushroom casserole with dried mushrooms, butter, garlic, and marjoram. A hearty, earthy side dish for holiday meals and special occasions.
