by MilesA » Wed Jun 10, 2009 7:39 am
The best source of dried mushroom I know of are Asian supermarkets. They have them in bulk and the cost is much, much cheaper than the local Safeway.
Dried mushrooms have a lot of flavor, so you don't need very many. They are much more flavorful than the fresh ones, although the fresh ones are better for some things where you need a more delicate flavor.
When you consider that mushrooms are mostly water, you can see why the dried mushrooms might seem expensive. The dried ones are usually much cheaper than the fresh ones in the end, because they are so flavorful and they have a long shelf-life.
It is good to store your dried mushrooms in the freezer if possible. They will last indefinitely.
To prepare dried mushrooms: soak in a small amount of hot water to cover for about 15 minutes. Much of the rich flavor of the mushrooms will be in the soaking water, so you don't want to discard it. Use it in cooking after straining it to get any grit out. Shitake broth is particularly flavorful. You should discard the stems after soaking, they will be tough, so use only the caps in your cooking.
You can also soak mushrooms in cold water, but it will take longer to rehydrate them. This way, more of the flavor is retained in the mushrooms and less in the soaking water.
