what to do with dried mushroom mix?

buckytom

Grill Master
carolina cook's mushroom thread reminded me that i have a large canister of mixed sliced/dried mushrooms (morels, porcini, brazilian caps, portabellas, shiitake, and oyster mushrooms) that i have in the cupboard which i bought in costco a while back.

i've tried rehydrating the mix before, and they ended up having a kinda funky plastic taste to them.

i was wondering if anyone had any good ideas for dried mushrooms that might make them taste better than just rehydrated in water?

maybe rehydrate in wine or beer?

make mushroom powder?

soup recipe?

tia for any suggestions. :thankyou:
 

luvs

'lil Chef
Gold Site Supporter
betcha if placed in a good wine then over filet/taters....... ummmmmmmmm
 

vyapti

New member
I don't like the texture of rehydrated mushrooms, so I rehydrate & mince them or grind dried mushrooms and put them in sauces. Shiitakes, especially, have a lot of umami and add a nice depth to pasta sauces, cream sauces, gravy, etc.
 

VeraBlue

Head Mistress
Gold Site Supporter
Why not rehydrate them, and then use them in place of spinach for spanikopita? The strong feta flavour will cover that plastic taste you referred to.
 

QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
I LOVE rehydrated wild mushrooms!

I use them, chopped up, over pot roasts, in the Ol-Blue's Melt in Your Mouth Pork (loin, chops, country ribs), in saurkraut, mixed with farmer's cheese in pierogi ... I may think of other uses.

Lee
 

bigjim

Mess Cook
Super Site Supporter
I keep the Costco mushrooms around most of the time. Ground to a fine powder, they work well as an interesting thickener for sauces. I use them whole in a sauce consisting of cream, parm, sherry, pepper, and garlic. I add them at the last minute in most cooking. They do get rubbery if overcooked.
 

lilbopeep

🌹🐰 Still trying to get it right.
Site Supporter
I don't like the texture of rehydrated mushrooms, so I rehydrate & mince them or grind dried mushrooms and put them in sauces. Shiitakes, especially, have a lot of umami and add a nice depth to pasta sauces, cream sauces, gravy, etc.
I also put mine in a mini food processor and grind. I then keep the powder in the fridge and add to everything!! LOL I add to sauces, gravies, meatloaf, stuffed mushrooms, soups etc. Anywhere I want to kick up the flavor a few notches.
 

ChowderMan

Pizza Chef
Super Site Supporter
methinks a mix of "all of the above" would indeed taste funky.

first I have to say, there is a bit of a "quality" issue with dried mushrooms. buying from the cheapest source may not bring the best flavors. it's like saffron - there's the good stuff, medium and bad, and then there's the fake stuff....

I buy them as separate types - not mixed. they do have different flavor profiles and I cringe at for example morels in a mix....

you can extract a lot more flavor out of a dried mushroom than a fresh.

typically I use the dried to make a flavored liquid base for sauces, or when braising, or poaching -
try this: shallow pan, shallow water, add sliced leek & dried mushroom (pretty much any type will work) heat to a simmer; kill the heat, allow to soak 20-30 minutes. reheat to simmer, plunk in a pre salted/peppered salmon filet and poach about 4-7 minutes depending on thickness.

I personally do not like the texture of reconstituted mushrooms. so I use the dried to make a good sauce base then add fresh mushrooms for texture & munching. I'm near a "mushroom center" so we do get a lot of different types - but the odd shroom out types are very seasonal.
 

Miniman

Mini man - maxi food
Gold Site Supporter
Why not rehydate them in some vegetable stock?

I would probably use them to make a mushroom soup (liquidise the rehydrated mushrooms) or a mushroom stroganoff - again other strong flavours.
 
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