Dehydrating Baby Portobello Mushrooms

A simple and delicious way to preserve baby Portobello mushrooms.  No more soggy, slimy mushrooms sitting forgotten in the fridge!  Once you start dehydrating these flavorful mushrooms, I am sure you will be as addicted as I am!

I have been guilty so many times, purchase some delicate mushrooms to use in a meal for the week, only for that week to pass by and the mushrooms were forgotten in the back of the fridge!  So many times I wasted money with perfectly good intentions!  

This past year, for my birthday, my husband got me an air fryer.  Not the coffee filter type basket air fryer, but the type with trays and multiple functions!  I was hooked on trying different things.  One day, I found a forgotten but still good container of mushrooms in the fridge.  I thought dehydrating would be a great way to keep these from going slimy until I could get to them.  Little did I know they would become my new favorite thing!  I use them in my ramen noodles, gravies, soups, stir fry and my chicken pot pie!  All I have to do is soak in a little bit of hot water to revive them, then that water usually will get incorporated into what I am cooking.  The rehydrating water is bursting with flavor so don't throw it out!

Let me show you how easy these are to do!

You will need:

• food dehydrator (either tower style or air fryer style will work)
• baby Portobello mushrooms
• moist paper towel
• knife
• cutting board

Gently wipe down the cap of each mushroom with the wet paper towel, you do not want to wash in water.  Just wipe the excess dirt off is all.  Remove the stems, I like to save the stems in a freezer bag with other vegetable scraps for making broth.

Slice the caps in thin even slices, and arrange in single layer on dehydrator tray.  Since I use my air fryer as a dehydrator, I tend to do smaller batches, if you are using a tower style dehydrator, feel free to fill every single tray!

Once the trays are full, place in the dehydrator according to your dehydrator's instructions.  My air fryer is pre-set to 135' F and eight hours.  I find they typically only take 4-6 hours.  Follow instructions for your model of dehydrator, some may take longer than others.  Remember to rotate the trays half way through.

Once they are dried and snap easily, remove from dehydrator and allow to come to room temperature.  Place mushrooms in jars of your choice.  Mushrooms need to be "proofed" before putting in storage.  I leave mine on the kitchen counter, out of the way for a week.  Everyday, I examine the jar for any sign of moisture and check for any mushrooms that might be sticking together from moisture.  If any of these signs show up, simply place back in the dehydrator for another few hours.

When the mushrooms have been "proofed" for a week with no signs of excess moisture, I place a moisture absorber packet in the top of the jar and vacuum seal.  This makes them shelf stable for a very long time.  Honestly, I usually do enough for a long term storage jar to vacuum seal, and keep the rest in the kitchen cabinet for me to use right away!  

Dehydrating mushrooms not only makes them shelf stable, but it also retains their nutrients and enhances their flavors!

I promise you will not regret trying this amazing preservation technique!