Drying Mushrooms

Place the fresh, sliced mushrooms in an eggbox.

If you have foraged mushroom or simply bought more than you need, there is one simple way of preserving them indefinitely, and that is drying them.  Not only does this allow you to store them for months but dried mushrooms have a rich intense flavour that is perfect for stews and casseroles.  All you need are some eggboxes and an airtight jar or container to store them in.

Unless they are really small, drying works best if you first slice them up reasonably thinly.  Place them in the egg boxes but don't overcrowd as you want air to be able to circulate around them.  Close the lid and place somewhere dry for a few days.  The warmer and dryer the weather the quicker they will dry out but it doesn't matter how long they take as they will be perfectly fine in the egg boxes.  Any moisture is absorbed by the box allowing them to dry without going mouldy.

After a week or two, they are ready for storing.

When they are fully dry, not soft and rubbery, they can be placed in an airtight container or jar and stored in a cupboard to be used as and when required.