Drying & Preserving Mushrooms
Drying Mushrooms – The Best Preservation Method
Preparation
- Don't wash mushrooms – just brush off dirt while dry
- Cut into even slices (3–5 mm)
Dehydrator (Recommended)
- 40–50 °C, 6–12 hours
- The most even and gentle result
Oven
- 50 °C fan setting, door slightly ajar
- 4–8 hours, turn every 1–2 hours
Hanging Thread (Traditional)
- Thread mushrooms onto sewing thread
- Hang in a warm, airy spot
- 3–7 days, best flavor
Doneness Check
Mushrooms should be leathery-crisp. Bending instead of snapping = not done yet.
Storage
- In screw-top jars, cool and dark
- Check for moisture and mould before use
- Always cook dried mushrooms through after soaking (30 min.): according to the BfR, every mushroom meal should be cooked for at least 15 minutes, morels for at least 20 minutes according to Tox Info Suisse – pour away their soaking water
- Drying does not turn a poisonous mushroom into an edible one – only dry mushrooms you have identified with certainty
Porcini and horn of plenty are particularly well suited to drying – their flavour intensifies.
Sources
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR): Pilze: Verwechslungen können tödlich enden, as of 21 Oct 2024 (press release no. 31/2024), accessed 5 Oct 2026
- Tox Info Suisse: Vorsicht beim Genuss von Morcheln!, as of press release of 21 Apr 2026, accessed 5 Oct 2026
The sources support individual statements in this article. The organisations named have neither reviewed nor endorsed it.