Approximating dried mushroom texture without

Question

For yet another variation on using dried/fresh mushrooms, I would like to know how to approximate the texture of dried mushrooms using fresh.

My intent is to make a leek-miso soup and I would like to add dried shiitake for their texture (flavor too, sure, but it is already a flavorful soup). Unfortunately, the market near me only has fresh mushrooms (portabella, baby bella, snow cap, and other normals). But alas, I also do not have a food dehydrator.

How can I manipulate the mushrooms to approximate the same chewy texture? My thought is that long, slow baking at a very low temp would dry them out. Is this intuition right? Should I prep the mushrooms before hand in anyway?

score 3 · Accepted Answer · answered Jan 17 '13 at 23:14

3

I have accidentally gotten that texture by putting leftover stir-fried sliced shitake in the fridge uncovered. Leather.

answered Jan 17 '13 at 23:14

Pat Sommer

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So essentially stir fry in oil, dehydrate in fridge; were the shiitake mushrooms fresh to begin with? – mfg Jan 18 '13 at 16:06
yes indeed. lived in Beijing so fresh was plentiful. fried in minimal oil -not dripping- but plenty of salty seasoning. that probably drew out water. some fridges more drying than others (never saw condensation in mine) – Pat Sommer Jan 18 '13 at 18:00
I think I will give this one a shot next time I run into the issue, thanks – mfg Jan 18 '13 at 22:43

Approximating dried mushroom texture without

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