# dried shrooms?



## spoiledbroth (Feb 19, 2016)

Was wondering what everyone's method was for dried shiitake (experiences with the other less well known fruiting bodies would be much appreciated as well)

How long do you soak for? Do you reserve the steeping water? Do you change the water you steep the mushrooms in?


And... of course... what recipes do you like to use your dried mushrooms in?

I learned a very important lesson about buying full caps instead of the pre sliced shiitake (all dried)... much easier to determine quality looking at a full cap, and also many recipe will call for 1, 2, 4, 6 caps. 

I enjoy using the liquor to flavour rice or pasta. Very nice subtle mushroom flavour.


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## aboynamedsuita (Feb 19, 2016)

I've been buying fresh, but dried cost less so am interested in what's going on in this thread


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## KCMande (Feb 20, 2016)

Only thing I personally use dried mushrooms for is stock or butter. I save all my mushroom end and scraps roast them and make a stock (add some dried Shitake, I feel like I adds an extra little boost of flavor and color, but never a fan of their texture after cooking or soaking.), or I soak some dried porcini to make a compound butter to finish mushroom dishes with.
Only time I've eaten reconstituted dried mushrooms and enjoyed them is in a roll my local sushi restaurant used to make. Recon dried Shitake, brown rice, tamari, and chili. Simple and good. They don't make it any more, pretty sure I was one a few people that ordered it. Fairly certain the only non vegetarian that ever did.

Edit: also vaguely remembering a dish at a Chinese restaurant that used dried mushrooms. Think it was called "Mock Eel". Reconstituted dried mushrooms sliced and fried, dressed with the same sauce you find out Eel at sushi bars and tons of sesame. I'm starting to sense a theme here with my affinity for dried mushrooms and soy.


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## skiajl6297 (Feb 20, 2016)

Grind dried mushrooms into powder, add to fresh pasta dough, enjoy!


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## spoiledbroth (Feb 21, 2016)

Wait should I not eat them? Is this a white ghost mistake ...


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## boomchakabowwow (Feb 22, 2016)

i use them all the time. mostly in chinese cooking, but i have put them into a pasta and pea thing.

i rinse the heck out of them. then put them into a pint glass and cover them with hot water. i weight them down with something, usually a hunk of marble. couple of hours does it. but i have gone much longer.

i rarely use the soaking liquid. if i do, i filter it thru a coffee filter.

Disclaimer, i have no idea what i am doing, but my food is okay and nobody has died. 

i find the flavor is pretty intense. just remove the stems, (they never seem to soften) and slice them thin. toss them into a stir fry.


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## Jordanp (Feb 22, 2016)

I tend to just soak them for a few hours then use the liquid as a broth to add to say chicken stock for mushroom risotto or re-hydrate some dried shiitake in a daishi like broth for a mushroom consomme with sauteed oyster mushroom and charred green onion. I sometimes make a vegan bolognese looking sauce with the re-hydrated mushrooms chopped fine and using aka miso and soy milk in it aswell.


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## Dan P. (Feb 22, 2016)

I love a little soaked dried cep (& soaking juice) in a stew with beefcheeks, challots, wine & whatever other gubbins feel right. It's quite a strong flavour, mind.


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## cheflivengood (Feb 22, 2016)

fresh tastes much better


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## spoiledbroth (Feb 22, 2016)

Fresh does taste much better but really they're different, you wouldn't seriously say I prefer bananas to banana chips because they're quite different eating experiences. 

One trick I will share with you guys that I read online is to steep in COLD WATER and you can change the water once or twice during the first hour. I find this really minimizes the skanky smelly foot notes you can get with dried shiitake sometimes. I've not alot of experience with other dried mushrooms, or even fresh shiitake so maybe they're supposed to be like that.

I also was told to let them soak overnight, preferably weighted down (admittedly this is kinda hard to rig up at home in an apartment fridge), though that might be more for full cap. Also was told not to buy pre sliced shiitake.


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## boomchakabowwow (Feb 22, 2016)

spoiledbroth said:


> Fresh does taste much better but really they're different, you wouldn't seriously say I prefer bananas to banana chips because they're quite different eating experiences.
> 
> One trick I will share with you guys that I read online is to steep in COLD WATER and you can change the water once or twice during the first hour. I find this really minimizes the skanky smelly foot notes you can get with dried shiitake sometimes. I've not alot of experience with other dried mushrooms, or even fresh shiitake so maybe they're supposed to be like that.
> 
> I also was told to let them soak overnight, preferably weighted down (admittedly this is kinda hard to rig up at home in an apartment fridge), though that might be more for full cap. Also was told not to buy pre sliced shiitake.



i'll try cold water.thanks for the tip.

dried and fresh are completely different. that dark, musyy smell all concentrated down in the dried product is damn near intoxicating. my aunt hooked me up with a pillow cased sized bag of beautiful shrooms. i am down to one big ziploc full. they were a japanese species grown in china. cheaper. at least that is what all the chinese ladies talking a million miles and hour..and loudly seemed to be saying. i could barely follow along.


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## ynot1985 (Feb 23, 2016)

I'm chinese and dried is way better than fresh.. we like to stew the mushroom with meat and other dried seafood and once cooked the aroma it gives off is incredible.

I normal leave it over night in cold/room temp water after giving it an initial wash. you only use hot water if you need to soften it and use it in a hurry. the favour comes out of the mushroom if you leave it in hot water for too long.


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## Kristoff (Feb 23, 2016)

ynot1985 said:


> I'm chinese and dried is way better than fresh.. we like to stew the mushroom with meat and other dried seafood and once cooked the aroma it gives off is incredible.
> 
> I normal leave it over night in cold/room temp water after giving it an initial wash. you only use hot water if you need to soften it and use it in a hurry. the favour comes out of the mushroom if you leave it in hot water for too long.



+1

Dried shiitake mushrooms are very suited to braising dishes. They tend to absorb whatever braising liquid that is used. Texture is totally different to fresh shiitake mushrooms that's braised. And I believe the flavor is much better too. And in claypot rice dishes!


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## boomchakabowwow (Feb 23, 2016)

Kristoff said:


> oh good Lord!!
> 
> i am gonna have to learn to do claypot dishes.!!
> 
> ...


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## Kristoff (Feb 24, 2016)

boomchakabowwow said:


> oh good Lord!!
> 
> i am gonna have to learn to do claypot dishes.!!
> 
> ...



It's not hard to do it at all. There can be so many variations. Just like a paella or risotto. Well if you have any questions feel free to ask.


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## krx927 (Feb 24, 2016)

I use dried cep in the off season when I make mushroom sauce. You can make also pretty good mushroom soup out of them. of course they are not so good as fresh cep, but you can get fresh ones only from August to October usually...
This year I also frozen quite a lot of fresh ones and I still have them in my freezer. They are much better than dried ones.


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## mise_en_place (Feb 24, 2016)

I've only used the dried shiitake for broths and stocks. If I were making a risotto or doing a meat sauce with dried porcini, I'll reserve some of the soaking liquid. 

I like the idea of grinding and adding to pasta dough, though.


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## Kingkor (Feb 25, 2016)

There is also a really nice way of "rehidrating" them if you have a vacum sealer you put them in plastic bags with the water and vacum them a couple of times without sealing work great with chantrelles and with morels and with porcini its ok.


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## SuperSharp (Feb 29, 2016)

skiajl6297 said:


> Grind dried mushrooms into powder, add to fresh pasta dough, enjoy!



I do this too. I normally use a few different types of mushrooms. Dehydrate normally or lightly smoke first, then grind to a fine powder in a coffee grinder. Amazing, super concentrated flavor dust that can be added to a lot of dishes. I do the same with garlic. Smoke, dehydrate, then grind. Tons of umami flavor and the smell is amazing.


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## superk17 (Mar 23, 2016)

My good friend owns a mushroom farm though he grows shiitake and oyster mushrooms, he also distributes a lot of other mushrooms, dried and fresh. I mainly use fresh mushrooms since I have very easy access to them, however drying them is a convenient way to preserving them. Personally, while I like fresh mushrooms, I found the flavor of dry mushrooms is more concentrated.

Depending on the recipe, I will hydride them and save water and it to the stock. Also, I like to shop in the local asian market, they have all crazy mushroom I haven't even seen before.


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## panda (Mar 23, 2016)

I was totally expecting an entirely different kind of thread..


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## Cashn (Mar 23, 2016)

I did something kind of interesting with some dried shrooms. Had a half sack of oysters left over from a party that I shucked for myself, rehydrated the shrooms in some of the oyster liquor and added some garlic. Let it reduce a good bit to make sure the shrooms had given up most of their goodness and mixed it in with some butter. Shroyster butter! Was delicious and would of been great on grilled oysters if I hadn't shucked em all, did well on a steak tho.


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## DDPslice (Apr 30, 2016)

I don't know if I get them for a good price, but 6.49/lb, they used to be cheaper but this place is increasing prices on all their produce. 

So I get mine fresh, I wash them, strain, then pad a cooking tray with napkins I get from chipotle (newspaper or paper bags work too but I rather not use that kind of stuff), stick them in the fridge (open) until dry. Usually takes a couple days, then I vac seal and freeze. I used to put them in jars in the pantry but it's way to humid in Fl which ruined a jar in my last batch.

Uses: sauce thickener (finely shredded works like flour), asian dishes, soups...pretty much all the aforementioned ways though I haven't tried it as a butter spread yet. I prefer to cook with dried mushrooms because when they reconstitute in a dish it's so flavorful. I keep them whole until I need them, but cutting dry stems is annoying.

I am definitely going to put some in my pasta next time..holy cow +1!!

Can I ask; what's with the steeping, cold/hot water? Is it to reconstitute? Or is there a flushing of the mushrooms that I'm not doing?


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## YG420 (May 1, 2016)

I like to eat em in my shabu shabu hot pot


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## cheflife15 (Oct 12, 2016)

I use them to infuse broths. Its great for sauces as well. You can grind them and mix them with salts and season foods with them as well.


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## Bill13 (Oct 12, 2016)

panda said:


> I was totally expecting an entirely different kind of thread..



Me too! Nothing to see here... move along:wink:


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## foody518 (Oct 12, 2016)

Soak for minimum 30 mins if room temp/cool water, with something weighing the mushrooms down for full immersion. Much less time if I just stick the bowl in the microwave to heat/cook it and cheat the reconstituting process (I'm not very picky). 
My most common usage is in a stir fried rice noodles dish where the predominant flavors end up being the reconstituted shiitakes, soy sauce, plus chili oil, white pepper, sesame oil (optional), and cilantro at the end (also optional)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XotuFVs1rLnQ_lZITqsKPaG1W3jP55jBLw/view?usp=sharing
Oh, and for my purposes they're soaked enough if I can fine slice the cap&stem

You are right to go whole vs pre sliced, much more flavor, probably better quality, and doesn't fall apart and all those nice things


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## spoiledbroth (Oct 16, 2016)

So ... A different way to reconstitute those dried shrooms is with a great deal of sugar in near simmering water... They were then sort of pickled in soy sauce + konbu stock. You can buy that mixture in most Japanese food aisles but good luck figuring out which bottle 

Apparently there are some which stay hard and should be discarded. I also understand that shiitake with the most spots on the cap should be the most highly prized. 

Cheers


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## Marek07 (Oct 17, 2016)

Personally, I love the texture and flavour of fresh shitake in simple dishes but dried ones do well where there are long cooking times. A lot of suggestions already but here's my simple offering. Once reconstituted, the stalks are often discarded. Apart from adding to stocks they can also be sliced and added to a bottle of soy sauce. A couple of months in the fridge and you have a mushroom soy that is so much better than anything on offer commercially.


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