Visually, morels are not for everyone, but in terms of taste they are among the finest that the world of mushrooms has to offer - there is great agreement among connoisseurs. Thanks to the special aroma, gourmets often put morels on the same level as truffles - and at the same time are happy that morels are cheaper. Find out in our article how to properly dry morels and thus preserve them for a few months.

Morels can be oven dried or air dried

How to dry morels

There are basically three options for drying morels:

  • in the oven
  • in the dehydrator
  • in the air

Dry morels in the oven

  1. Twist the hats off the stems or cut them off with a knife.
  2. If necessary, brush the morels off a bit - depending on how much sand is sticking to them.
  3. Wash the cut pieces quickly and then dry them immediately. A salad spinner, for example, has proven useful for this purpose (gentle cycle). Alternatively, drying can also be done with simple kitchen towels.
  4. Distribute the morel pieces evenly on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Be careful not to let the morels touch each other.
  5. Put the mushrooms in the oven with a maximum temperature of 50 degrees Celsius. It is important that the oven door remains ajar - you can do this by sticking a cooking spoon in the door. This allows the moisture to escape.
  6. Let the morels dry. This often takes several hours. Turn the mushrooms every now and then.

Tips:

  • As soon as the morels rustle when touched, they are completely dry.
  • If you are impatient, do not turn the temperature up - otherwise the mushrooms will lose their color and aroma.
  • Only dry the hats, not the stems. Throw the latter away.
  • Work morels with gloves on while they are still raw.

Dry morels in the dehydrator

Here the first three steps are identical to drying in the oven. After that, all you have to do is place the morels on the tiers of your dehydrator and follow the manufacturer's instructions.

Air dry morels

  1. Carry out the first three steps of the oven variant.
  2. Thread the pieces onto string and hang them up in a dry, warm - but also airy - room.

Store dried morels properly

Keep your dried morels in a screw-top jar and store them in a dry and dark place.

The garden journal freshness ABC

How can fruit and vegetables be stored correctly so that they stay fresh for as long as possible?

The garden journal freshness ABC as a poster:

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Vegetable garden