Learn how to dehydrate mushrooms at home and preserve them for long-term storage at room temperature. They are easy to add to many dishes or turn into a mushroom powder that you can use as seasoning.
What I love about mushrooms is how versatile they are. You can use them on anything from pizza, soups and broths, toppings, casseroles, and sauces. The earthy and savory taste is a perfect complement to many dishes that we prepare in our kitchens.
Being able to preserve that savory taste is a reason that I love to dehydrate mushrooms. Dehydrating store bought mushrooms or ones from the garden is a perfect solution to preserving them before they go bad. Better yet, the process of dehydrating mushrooms couldn’t be easier and this tutorial will work for any type of mushroom.
Dehydrating Mushrooms…
We love having fresh mushrooms around but unfortunately, they don’t have a long life in the refrigerator. Dehydrating mushrooms gives you the chance to make them a staple in your pantry to use in your everyday recipes and one that you can store for quite a while. I leave a jar of them on my seasonings shelf and they are easy to grab and use any time.
Reasons For Drying Mushrooms…
- Preserving the flavor – Dehydrating mushrooms is a great way to preserve the mushroom harvest and enjoy it longer. If you like foraging for mushrooms and come by a large find, this is a great way to preserve some of it.
- Easy to add to many dishes – From pizza, soups and broths, casseroles, and sauces you name it, your dry mushrooms are ready to flavor up those dishes.
- Saves time – there are many dishes that call for mushrooms. Having them dry and ready will allow you to throw them into your favorite recipes and save you time in the kitchen chopping them up.
- Preserving for long-term storage – Another way to keep mushrooms around for a bit longer without the need for refrigeration. There are so many ways to use dehydrated mushrooms and they are a perfect ingredient to have on the pantry shelf.
Ingredients…
- Mushrooms – you can dehydrate any kind of mushrooms. I used 4, 8 oz containers of brown and white baby Bella mushrooms for this tutorial.
Kitchen Tools…
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Large mixing bowl
- Dehydrator – I am using a dehydrator that allows me to control the temperature and produces a better end result. If you don’t have one of those, you can still dehydrate mushrooms in the oven or in a cheap (no temperature control) dehydrator. More on this in the FAQ section below.
- Air tight storage container (I use jars)
Dehydrating Mushrooms Step By Step…
Step one – prep the mushrooms. Clean the mushrooms with a damp paper towel. Excessive washing or submerging the mushrooms usually turns them brown and slimy. Slice the mushrooms to 1/4″ slices.
Step two – add to the dehydrator. Set mushroom slices in one layer on dehydrator trays, allowing for space in between the slices.
Step three – dehydrate. Place the trays in the dehydrator. Dehydrate at 125 or 135 degrees F for 8-12 hours. If mushrooms are completely dry and crispy (breaks easily) you can remove them from the dehydrator. If your mushrooms slices aren’t completely dry, leave them for another hour or so.
How to Store Dehydrated Mushrooms…
Once the mushrooms are dry, let them cool for a few minutes and then transfer them to an air-tight container. You can vacuum seal them or use zip-lock bags, however, in my opinion, jars with two-piece lids work best for storage and are beautiful to look at on the shelf!
How to Condition Dehydrated Mushrooms…
If you are going to store your dehydrated mushrooms for the long term, make sure to condition them. This means that after storage, every day for about a week, check to make sure that there is no moisture on the inside of your air-tight container. If you spot moisture, remove the mushrooms and dehydrate them again for a few more hours. Then transfer to an air-tight container and condition again. If after a week there is no moisture your mushrooms are ok to be stored for the long term at room temperature.
How to Use Dehydrated Mushrooms…
- Add them to the filling of those Mediterranean stuffed peppers (and throw a couple of dry cayennes in the sauce).
- Rehydrate them (instructions below) and add them to stir fry, casseroles, and pasta dishes.
- Add them to this favorite shakshuka recipe (alongside dry thyme!).
- Process them into a powder (instructions below) and use them as a replacement for fresh mushrooms.
- Add them to meatball sauce.
- Or add them to a yummy soup.
How to Make and Use Mushroom Powder…
One of the greatest things about dehydrated food is that you can turn it into a powder. To make mushroom powder, place the dry mushrooms in a coffee grinder and grind them until you get a powder. Store your powder in jars at room temperature. Here are a few ideas for using mushroom powder…
- Add to your favorite smoothie for additional vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, antioxidants, and other powerful immune-boosting compounds.
- Sprinkle on soups, salads, and pasta dishes for a hint of flavor.
- Mix it into your seasonings and sauces for chicken, meatloaf, or venison patties for more flavor
Frequently Asked Questions…
Yes. Drying foods in a proper dehydrator where you can control the temperature produces a better result and preserves the nutrition better, however, if you don’t have a dehydrator, you can follow the same prep instructions: line a baking sheet with parchment paper, turn your oven to its lowest temperature (preferably around 15 degrees F), and dehydrate your mushrooms this way. Of course, drying time will change so keep checking your mushrooms. Also, you might need to turn your baking sheet and/or turn the mushroom slices halfway through.
Yes, you can. You can leave the mushrooms whole or you can cut them in half or slice them. It’s up to you. Follow the same instructions, just dehydrating time is going to change.
The cheaper Presto dehydrator is very popular and you can find it at any Walmart or online. It runs at a temperature of 165 degrees F and there is no way to control the temperature. Yes, you can use this kind of dehydrator to dry mushrooms. Again, for best results, we want to process mushrooms at a temperature of 125-135 degrees F but a higher temperature will work as well. Drying time will probably be shorter, around 6 hours or so.
Yes! Most of the dishes that I add my dry mushrooms to have enough liquid in them to rehydrate the mushrooms as the dish cooks, but if for any reason you’d like to rehydrate your mushrooms before you use them just place as many as you want in a bowl of boiling water. Let the mushrooms rehydrate for about 10 minutes. Don’t forget that you can use the now “mushroom water” when cooking.
If you love dehydrating food and can’t get enough of mushrooms, dehydrating mushrooms is the way to go! You can store and keep them at room temperature and use them to add so much flavor to any dish. They are just a great ingredient to have around. What’s your favorite recipe using mushrooms?
More Dehydrating Tutorials…
- Dehydrating onions for long-term storage
- How to dehydrate jalapenos
- Purple Sweet Potato Chips
- Dehydrated Kale Chips
- How to dehydrate green onions
- How to Dehydrate Pineapple
- Drying Radishes
How to Dehydrate Mushrooms
Learn how to dehydrate mushrooms at home and preserve them for long-term storage. Dehydrated mushrooms are easy to add to many dishes or turn them into a mushroom powder that you can use as seasoning.
Ingredients
- Four, 8 oz containers of brown and white baby Bella mushrooms or any other type of mushrooms
Instructions
- Step one – Clean the mushrooms with a paper towel. Washing mushrooms usually turns them brown. Slice the mushrooms to 1/4″ slices.
- Step two – Set the mushroom slices in one layer on dehydrator trays, allowing for space in between the slices.
- Step three – Place the trays in the dehydrator. Dehydrate at 125 or 135 degrees F for 8-12 hours. If mushrooms are completely dry and crispy (breaks easily) you can remove them from the dehydrator. If your mushrooms slices aren’t completely dry, leave them for another hour or so.
- Step four - Once the mushrooms are dry, let them cool for a few minutes and then transfer them to an air-tight container.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions...
- Can I dehydrate mushrooms in the oven?
Yes. Drying foods in a proper dehydrator where you can control the temperature produces a better result and preserves the nutrition better, however, if you don’t have a dehydrator, you can follow the same prep instructions: line a baking sheet with parchment paper, turn your oven to its lowest temperature, and dehydrate your mushrooms this way. Of course, drying time will change so keep checking your mushrooms. Also, you might need to turn your baking sheet and/or turn the mushroom slices halfway through. - Can I wash mushrooms?
It's best to use a wet paper towel to clean your mushrooms or to clean them whole right before using. Mushrooms contain a lot of water and will turn brown and slimy with excess moisture. - Can I dehydrate whole mushrooms?
Yes, you can. You can leave the mushrooms whole or you can cut them in half or slice them. It’s up to you. Follow the same instructions, just dehydrating time is going to change. - What type of mushrooms can I dehydrate?
You can dehydrate any type of mushrooms using this tutorial. - I can’t control the temperature on my dehydrator, can I still use it?
The cheaper Presto dehydrator is very popular and you can find it at any Walmart or online. It runs at a temperature of 165 degrees F and there is no way to control the temperature. Yes, you can use this kind of dehydrator to dry mushrooms. Again, for best results, we want to process mushrooms at a temperature of 125-135 degrees F but a higher temperature will work as well. Drying time will probably be shorter, around 6 hours or so. - Can I rehydrate mushrooms?
Yes! Most of the dishes that I add my dry mushrooms to have enough liquid in them to rehydrate the mushrooms as the dish cooks, but if for any reason you’d like to rehydrate your mushrooms before you use them just place as many as you want in a bowl of boiling water. Let the mushrooms rehydrate for about 10 minutes.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 8 ozAmount Per Serving: Calories: 64Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 5mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 5gSugar: 5gProtein: 5g
Hi! I’m Lady Lee. I help homesteaders simplify their homesteading journey while still producing a ton of food! I am a single mother of four, I was born in Israel and raised in an agricultural commune called a Kibbutz. Now I homestead in central NC.