Drying Morels!

[BottomPounder]

Myself and a buddy found around 50lbs today. Were drying most all of them and was wondering if anybody knows about how many pounds of fresh ones does it take to make a dried pound? Thanks.

[harvey lee]

I have no idea but 50#'s is the motherload.

That is the largest amount I have ever heard of picked.

[Scott M]

If you google it there are some ideas. Stick a big safety pin through them and hang them up to dry for a long while, food dehydrator, set them out in a screened area. If I had 50 pounds, I would go buy a food dehydrator and protect a valuable commodity.

[jim carpenter]

nice!

you have about 5 lbs. when dried. the ratio is nearly always ten to one.

great day of picking.

[vman11]

I've always wondered how to do this as well...

What's the procedure? How far do you dry them down? How do you re-hydrate them? Are they good as new or do they get soggy?

We found 50 in So. MN yesterday, I suspect about a lb or two. 50# is insane.

[BottomPounder]

It was the biggest patch that I have ever came across! I got a few pics, but for the life of me I can't figure out how to post them on here.

[nate larson]

Take off a bunch of window screens. (nylon works better than metal because the metal will sometimes rust from the moisture) Cut each morel in half down the middle from top to bottom and using a smallish basting brush wipe off all the sand and bugs, there will often be ants and slugs inside of the bigger ones. Don't wash them with water unless you absolutely have to. Once cut and somewhat clean place the pieces on the screens. Find a way to get the screens up off the ground so the air circulates on both sides preferably indoors. Put a couple of fans on them on a medium setting. After a day move them around a bit. They should be completely dry after a couple of days.. Then bag them up or put them in jars, they should last for many years that way. When you are ready to eat them simply soak them in room temp water for about an hour or so. Then pat the morels dry with paper towels and cook them how you like. Run the leftover water through a cheesecloth and use the water for soups, gravy, etc.

[buddha]

Holy crud is all I can say!

[flyfisher03]

I've dried some other edible mushrooms by laying them out on a wire rack on a cookie sheet in the oven with the temp as low as possible and used a wooden spoon to keep the door open a little bit to let the moisture out. It takes a few hours to do it this way. Also make sure they are dried out completely before putting them into storage. They will develop a poisonous mold if not. Also all mushroom have the psychedelic chemicals they get more concentrated when thy are dried.

Mushrooms are like flavor sponges so you can rehydrate them water, white wine, chicken broth, or whatever you feel like trying.

[harvey lee]

I have had good luck rehydrating them in milk.

[trolloni]

drying is the best method to preserve them just dont get them wet before you atempt to dry em no need to split em ,i hang em up with a needle and fireline time consuming but looks pretty cool hangin in the rafters! i store em in fruit jars and an old crock with a lid, they are so good in the middle of winter with some fresh caught blugills!dont worry about shelf life either i know a guy who has some from 25 years ago.just dont ever let em get wet till ya have em for supper.i like em on toast with bacon and egg sandwich for breakfast ,oh man!!

[rattleL]

50 lbs if those were in paper grocery sacks that would be like a truckload full