Includes Video – Adding Dried Mushrooms To A Roast
An article on how to rehydrate dried mushrooms? Absolutely, because dehydrating vegetables is a fantastic method of preserving for long-term food storage and your prepper pantry. If we’re going to dehydrate it, we need to know how to re-hydrate it.
Let’s rehydrate dried mushrooms. I’m cooking a roast today using dehydrated mushrooms and decided to record a short video on adding the dried/dehydrated mushroom to the Crock-Pot.
By the way, rehydrating other vegetables works the same way. I just happened to be rehydrating mushrooms today.
How To Re-Hydrate Dried Mushrooms Video
The Mason Jar Lid sealer I use in the video:
FoodSaver Regular & Wide-Mouth Jar Sealer and Accessory Hose Kit (Aff Link)
How Long Will Dehydrated Mushrooms Last?
“How long will dried mushrooms last?” will be the first comment of the video so I want to cover that here. The answer, like everything else, is it depends.
If you dehydrate the mushrooms properly (I might record a video on that soon), keep them in a dark, cool location while vacuum-sealed in an air-tight container, I have no problem using them for a couple of years.
I know some people recommend you use them before six months to get the best freshness from them, and while I agree with that, it doesn’t mean they’re not perfectly safe beyond that.
Check the condition, look for any moisture and/or mold. If they look or smell like anything other than crinkly, dried-up mushrooms, I’d toss them.
Otherwise, rehydrate your dried mushrooms for cooking things like soups, stews, mushroom gravy, topping over chicken, fish, burgers, you name it. Dehydration is a wonderful way to store your fresh mushrooms long-term.
Why did the mushroom go to the party?
Because he’s a fungi!
Louis Tomlinson
A Couple Of Tips BEFORE You Dehydrate Your Mushrooms
There are several methods to rehydrate dried mushrooms but I feel I should point out a couple of things I do to dehydrate them in the first place. Assuming you’re dehydrating your own mushrooms and not buying dried mushrooms from the store. There’s nothing wrong with that, I just dehydrate them myself.
First, I soak the mushrooms in cold water for a bit. Then I pour that water out, replace it with fresh clean water and soak it a little longer. An hour and a half, we’re not talking days here and it’s not anything we need to be super precise with.
Second, I take the fresh mushrooms (Again, this is BEFORE I even dehydrate the mushrooms) and rinse them thoroughly using a strainer or colander. We loosened any dirt particles while soaking the mushrooms and now we’re washing that dirt away.
How To Prepare Dried Mushrooms for Cooking
I mentioned the soak and rinse process above because this is where I differ from many others when it comes time to rehydrate dried mushrooms.
I DO soak my dehydrated mushrooms but I don’t always rinse them. I’ve already cleaned and rinsed any dirt particles off before I dehydrated them so I’m not worried about dirt getting into our food.
I’ve read a couple of recipes where people say they rinse off the “gritty fine mushroom dust” after soaking. I’ve never had an issue with any grit. Fine mushroom dust should rehydrate (soften) along with the cut mushrooms. Even quicker actually. I’m guessing those people are running into a little dirt remaining after it has been dehydrated.
To me, over-rinsing mushrooms begin taking that hearty and full flavor we want from them. It’s like pouring some of that flavor down the drain, in my opinion.
Rehydrate Dried Mushrooms
Okay, as I mentioned, I do soak the dried mushrooms some of the time.
For instance, if I’m topping a burger with mushrooms or adding them to an omelet, I soak them first.
If I’m adding them to a soup or stew, for example, I don’t. They’ll rehydrate just fine while cooking with the dish and enhance the flavor as they do.
Soaking To Rehydrate Dried Mushrooms
This isn’t complicated at all. I add the dehydrated (Notice I’m using ‘dehydrated’ and ‘dried’ interchangeably. That’s intentional because they are the same thing.) mushroom to a microwave-safe container, usually a coffee cup or Pyrex bowl or measuring cup (Depending on how many mushrooms I’m using).
NOTE: Don’t have or use a microwave? No worries, just use very hot water.
Be sure your dried mushrooms are completely covered with water or broth but don’t worry about any floating on top. They’ll be just fine.
I heat them on high, three minutes for a coffee cup and five minutes for a larger bowl.
🤛🏻 Pro Tip
The mushrooms still need to soak for at least half an hour and that container in the microwave is going to be hot. Just leave them in there to soak. The heat will work longer and you don’t have to worry about flies, counter space, or spilling it.
In case you didn’t catch it above, I’ll often soak the mushrooms in my chicken bone broth.
Call me crazy, but sometimes, if I’m adding onion to the same thing I’m re-hydrating the mushrooms for, I’ll add the cut, chopped, or diced onion to the mushrooms before I put them in the microwave.
Personally, I’ll even keep that liquid, the broth, after I remove the mushrooms unless I’m adding it to something like a soup. I just throw it in a clean Mason jar with a lid and put it into the fridge. Now I make it a point to use that broth in a dish within the next two or three days. The flavor has been ‘enhanced‘ by the mushrooms. Trust me.
✍🏻 Off-Grid / Outdoors Tip
If you need to soak dehydrated food, or any food for that matter, using water from a lake, stream, pond, etc., you need to filter or boil that water BEFORE adding the food to be safe.
How To Reconstitute Dried Mushrooms In Soups, Stews, Gravy, And Broths
As I mentioned, and show in the video, if the dried mushrooms are to be used in a liquid that’s going to cook for at least half an hour, I just put them directly into to liquid to cook at the same time. This keeps 100% of that rich mushroom flavor in your dish and the dried mushrooms will rehydrate while it cooks.
Again, we rehydrated mushrooms today but these methods work for just about any dried vegetable. In fact, I even added dehydrated celery to the roast after I finished the video.
One Final Note – It Ain’t Perfect
I feel I should add one last thing – rehydrating vegetables isn’t going to be anywhere close to fresh. Sometimes you’ll get a little ‘chewiness‘ going on. That’s normal. If that bothers you, dehydrated food may not be the best option for you.
Bye For Now
It’s hard to believe I had this much to say on a simple topic like rehydrating dried mushrooms but I usually have a lot to say anyway.
Call To Action / Next Step
Related Article/Video: How To Start A Prepper Pantry – Updated w/ Video
Next Step: Building YOUR Realistic Preparedness Action Plan.
Stay safe. Stay prepared.
Hawkins Out.
Easy Sharing – It Couldn’t Be Easier
Share the post? I try to make it as easy as possible by posting it across social media first. You can simply share those posts.
Re-pin this on Pinterest
Retweet this tweet on Twitter
Share this FB post
Share my Instagram post
Share my LinkedIn post
Seriously. Copy and paste. It’s THAT easy.
Share on Pinterest? Feel free to share this picture of “How To Rehydrate Dried Mushrooms” I put together for you on Pinterest.
Care To Share On Instagram? Here’s An Image To Use:
