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Dried Morels
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Ingredients
- fresh morels, any quantity
For those fortunate enough to have an abundance of fresh morels, drying is an easy way to preserve
them for future use. Since mushrooms are mostly water, they shrink considerably in both weight and
volume when dried--a pound of fresh morels will weigh about an ounce when completely dry, and will
fit in very little space.
Directions
- To prepare: trim off any questionable areas. Small, clean mushrooms can be dried
whole; larger ones, or any which may have grit or insects in them, should be cut in half lengthwise.
Brush out any debris, and if necessary, swish briefly in cool water and then drain.
To
dry: using a food dehydrator is ideal, but morels can be air-dried in a well-ventilated space
with low to moderate humidity. Spread them out on a screen or drying rack where air can circulate
freely. A fan blowing on the drying mushrooms will speed the process. Moderate heat also helps,
whether from the sun, an oven with a pilot light, etc. Check progress occasionally, rearrange as
needed for even drying and discard any that show moldy areas. Drying time can be from overnight to
several days.
To store: if dried to brittleness, morels can be stored indefinitely in
clean glass jars with tight fitting lids away from heat and light. If there is still some flexibility
in the dried pieces, freeze them in heavy freezer-quality bags.
To use: cover dried
morels completely with very hot water and let soak until soft --about 20 minutes (or reconstitute
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