Dehydrating morel mushrooms is a common practice among individuals who harvest a large amount of morels during mushroom season. The dehydration process is used to savor the taste of the morel during the off-season.
The best location to hunt for morels is in the Great Lakes region of the Midwest . This area seems to have the best vegetation and temperature to grow these tasty morsels. Look for morel mushrooms in this area from mid-April to mid-June.
Three processes exist for dehydrating morels. The first involves the use of a dehydrator. Wash the mushrooms in cool water to remove any debris. Pat dry with a paper towel. Trim the stem if necessary. Slice the mushrooms in half from the tip through the base. Place a single layer of mushrooms on each level of the dehydrator. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for proper drying time.
For those individuals without a dehydrator, use your oven to prepare the mushrooms. Wash, dry and cut per the dehydrator process. Cover the bottom of a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place a single layer of cut morels on the cookie sheet. It is alright to have the sides of the mushrooms touching but do not overlap. Bake the mushrooms at 250 degrees for approximately 6 hours. During the baking process, open the door of the oven slightly. The first setting to hold an oven door on most ovens is approximately six inches. This allows the moisture to escape during the drying process.
The oldest way known to dry morels is to string them and dry them in the sun. Wash and prepare the mushrooms as before. Cut a piece of cotton packaging string approximately six-feet long. String a large eyed needle with the packaging string. Insert the needle through the center of the morel mushroom half. Slide the mushroom along the cotton string until within 12-inches of the opposite end. Repeat the process with the remaining mushrooms making sure no the mushrooms do not touch one another. Hang the string in a sunny location. If hanging outside, make sure to bring the mushrooms in at night.
Allow the mushrooms to dry in the sun for a minimum of two days.
The trick to drying morels is how to make sure they are completely dry. Test the mushrooms periodically during the drying process. Break a small portion of the mushroom from the main body. It should snap when broken. The inside will still be mushy or spongy if moisture exits.
Place the dehydrated morel mushrooms in a glass jar with a lid or in a seal-able plastic bag. The mushrooms will keep indefinitely if prepared correctly.
Dehydrated morel mushrooms are reconstituted by soaking them in cool salt water for 30 minutes or by boiling them for 10 minutes at a low boil. Make sure to use the water for cooking as it is full of the antioxidants present in the morels.
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