[wiscoshroomin]

I accidently refrigerator dried a few morels, when I forgot them in the fridge last year. I tossed them, with some leeks, into some beaten eggs and milk, gave it a minute, scrambled them up. Wow, they were great.
After looking into it I found a tutorial somewhere describing this process. It described putting the mushrooms in paper bags and leaving them in the fridge. You mix the mushrooms around often, I believe daily, and leave them until they dry. You can leave them in the refrigerator indefinitely or move them into dry storage elsewhere. Anyone do this, or have any good pointers for easy long term storage? Should I just dry them on trays sitting out? Any pointers appreciated.
Its almost time, get your muck boots ready!!

 

[offdagrid]

The best way I have found to preserve morels for long term storage is to completely dry them. Lay them on an old window screen and dry them in the sun with a light breeze on them. They don't have to be in the sun... you can dry them in your house or the garage with a fan on them too. I flip them a few times and when they're completely dry vacuum seal them under low pressure so you don't break em up... they will last for years! That is the best way I have found to preserve them. When you want some, take them out of the freezer, throw em in s bow of water and rehydrate them before cooking. The water makes a great broth too for a gravy or marinate base.

 

[wiscoshroomin]

Thank you Offdagrid for your advice, exactly what I was looking for.

 

[joebass]

Any one tried putting them in a dehydrator? If so for how long? I know if you leave them in there for the time recommended in my book that came with the dehydrator. They will get rely small.

 

[shroomtrooper]

I did both last year. I fan dried some then I bought a dehydrator and dried some. I re hydrated some out of both and it seemed the fan dried ones tasted better than the dehydrator ones for frying up in butter and eating. maybe the heat from the dehydrator a little too much. Now if your making a cream sauce wow the dehydrator ones where awesome, that's all I had left couldn't compare to fan dried ones, but dehydrated ones awesome for making cream sauce. I also took some fresh ones and put them in a bag and filled with water like I do with my fish fillets. Takes a lot more space, have not thawed theme out yet.. Also maybe I went too long in the dehydrator if that's possible.

 

[shroomtrooper]

I just put them in Mason jars and put in cupboard, they look sweet when you do that. Just finished mine from last year yesterday putting them on eggs with hash-browns.

 

[halfbreed63]

Last year had some in fridge wrapped in paper towels. They dried out keeping basically the same size. Ones on dehydrator did have shrinkage, but soaked overnight they come right back to size. Dried 32 trays. I soak mine in milk throw em in ziplock bag with seasoned flour, shake, put in hot bacon drippns in frying pan till golden brown. Remove. To pan add more bacon fat, some butter, leftover flour, stir cook slightly, adding leftover milk, stir to make sauce. Shroomtrooper I also put mine in 1/2 gal. mason jars. love to see them lined up on canning shelf.

 

[tickcollector]

when rehydrating try this: spread your dry shrooms in a cake pan with/without paper towels in the bottom, get a spray bottle and lightly spray all your mushrooms, allow time to absorb, shake and repeat. Continue this until you reach the PERFECT amount of moisture content. This eliminates overly soggy mushrooms and all that extra liquid in the pan when you fry them. You can mist with wine, milk, water, seasoned water, beer, etc. Hope this works as well in Wisconsin as MN Be well!