Dried mushrooms
Make the most of dehydrated mushrooms in your kitchen
The presence of mushrooms and truffles in cuisine has changed dramatically in recent decades. Although they are seasonal mushrooms, there are excellent alternatives available throughout the year. Such is the case with dehydrated mushrooms, which, regardless of the month, are always available for use. This continuity of trade has made it possible for mushrooms to become increasingly popular in homes and the most important restaurants on the Iberian Peninsula.
Mushrooms are a healthy and low-calorie food thanks to their water content. They also stand out for their high content of B vitamins and vitamin D, and their high mineral content, such as potassium, zinc, calcium and magnesium. Therefore, how can we not include them in our diet?
Dehydrated mushrooms in your kitchen
Dehydrated mushrooms can be very useful if we know how to use them well. They even provide us with other culinary possibilities that we do not get with fresh mushrooms. In addition to saving money compared to fresh mushrooms, they combine well with any dish or stew. They provide great flavour with little quantity, they are a healthy and completely natural food.
Although many foods can be eaten directly dried, such as fruit, dehydrated mushrooms need to be properly prepared before being used in a recipe. However, there is a very interesting possibility to use them directly in our dish: turning them into a dressing or "flour".
It turns out to be a fairly simple process. The first thing to do, of course, is to buy online the dehydrated mushrooms of your choice. You can choose from dehydrated porcini, dehydrated morels, dehydrated fairy ring mushroom, shiitake or dehydrated black trumpet mushrooms. This wide variety can be a bit overwhelming for you if you don't have a preference for one. In that case, you can opt for a dehydrated mushroom mix. Variety is the spice of life!
Once you have your dehydrated mushrooms, just grind them into a very fine and homogeneous flour or powder. The easiest way to do this is with a food processor, food chopper or grinder. The finer the powder, the more flavour and aroma you will get. The resulting product can be stored in an airtight container to preserve its aroma.
Mushroom powder - or mushroom flour - has a strong flavour that can enhance the taste of your broths, omelettes, stews, rice dishes and vegetables. A little can be mixed into the sauce as a spice or added at the end as a dash of pepper. Some varieties have so much flavour that they can replace salt.
If you are wondering whether it is possible to avoid this process and get the mushroom flour or powder directly, the answer is yes. You can buy dehydrated porcini powder for example. The important thing is to incorporate this excellent gastronomic treasure into your diet.