The reishi mushroom is a well-known superfood that contains a wealth of health advantages. But how do you dehydrate reishi mushrooms? After being picked, reishi mushrooms lose their potency. As a result, they must be dried immediately. Instead of fresh, they are preferable dry.
The most convenient method to dry Reishi Mushrooms is with a food dehydrator. You may also dry them in an oven, keeping the temperature as low as possible. You can also dry them naturally – without a dehydrator. Simply air drying them is sufficient. They should be kept in an open container with adequate ventilation under them (a mesh colander works) and allowed to dry for approximately a week. After drying, store in an airtight container in a cool, dark location.
How to Dry Reishi Mushrooms
Reishi mushrooms are one of the most powerful medicinal fungus. For hundreds of years, people have utilized them for a variety of reasons.
The reishi mushroom has long been revered as the “king of mushrooms” in Chinese medicine. It’s no surprise that a lot of the health tea extracts and meal supplements on the market include reishi mushrooms.
Fresh reishi mushrooms may be used to produce teas and extracts right after collection. Teas and extracts, on the other hand, are better and more simply made with dried reishi mushrooms. The most common form of reishi used in teas and extracts today is dried reishi mushrooms.
Reishi mushrooms are more practical when dried in large amounts straight after the harvest. This extends the shelf life of the mushrooms and may be used to produce teas and extracts after it has passed.
You need no special equipment to dry reishi mushrooms, although some people like to use a food dehydrator or an oven.
If the reishi mushrooms are to be dried in an oven, they should be baked for only a short time. Alternatively, using a dehydrator will accelerate and uniform drying of the reishi mushrooms. The quickest way to dry out reishi mushrooms is to leave them in an oven set at the lowest possible temperature for as long as possible.
You may dry your reishi mushrooms in the sun by placing them on the dashboard of your car, which sounds odd perhaps. You’ll need to keep something beneath the mushrooms to protect your dashboard.
The easiest approach to dry reishi mushrooms is without using heat.
1. Prepare a container that is open, such as a mesh colander or a little box with holes.
Make sure it has adequate ventilation under the hood for optimal comfort. The reishi fungus strips may also be hung from a string.
2. Use a sharp knife to finely chop the reishi mushrooms into thin strips about an inch wide and six inches long or however big you want them to be.
3. To keep the mushrooms whole, place them on the container a bit distant from one another.
4. Place the reishi mushrooms in an open container in an open location.
5. Allow the reishi mushrooms to dry for a week in an out of the way location.
When your reishi mushrooms are dry to the touch, they’ve all dried up. The mushrooms may also be squeezed. When you squish them and feel like light rocks, they’re all dried up.
Why do you need to Dry Reishi Mushrooms?
Reishi mushrooms are more difficult to consume when fresh, but they become weaker over time. To enjoy them, you must quickly dry them after harvesting. As a result, you’ll need to learn how to dry reishi mushrooms.
Reishi mushrooms are high in nutrients and have several health advantages. Fresh reishi mushrooms, on the other hand, may not be added to your recipe in the same way as oyster or shiitake mushrooms.
Reishi mushrooms should be dried before being used in cooking, as they are tough and woody when fresh.
Reishi mushrooms are delicate and perish quickly after harvesting. They will last 3-5 days in the refrigerator if kept in a paper bag.
They will keep for a longer period of time and will dry if cut into little strips. Store your reishi mushrooms in an airtight container away from direct sunlight after drying.
Drying reishi mushrooms is not difficult. However, the first step is to understand how to harvest them.
How to Store Dried Reishi Mushrooms
Place your reishi in an airtight container and keep it in a cool, dark, and dry location. The container should not be exposed to direct sunlight.
The drying and preserving procedure will keep your reishi mushrooms viable for up to two years.
If you’re using dried mushrooms for medicinal purposes, keep them below 140F to retain their nutritional value and potency.
You might also extend the shelf life of your reishi mushrooms by placing an oxygen absorber or desiccant in the container. This will absorb any remaining moisture in the container.
The eggshells that insects may have deposited throughout the drying process are also effectively destroyed at 140°F.
Some people store the reishi mushrooms in airtight containers with silica packets. This is done to avoid mold from developing if the mushrooms get wet.
Molds may grow on reishi mushrooms after they’ve been dried, since the process causes them to become damp.
You may also choose to freeze the dried reishi mushrooms. Freezing can help avoid storage problems in the future.
How Do You Use Dried Reishi Mushroom
It is astounding to discover that, when dried, reishi mushrooms are more powerful. If you want to reap the many health advantages of reishi mushroom in its most potent form, you’ll need to learn how to dry it.
Reishi mushrooms are available in powder, tea, and extract forms. Reishi mushrooms dried are, however, 10 times more powerful than those consumed fresh.
Dried reishi mushrooms, like fresh reishi mushrooms, have been found to have a greater bioactive component than fresh reishi mushrooms.
You can add dried reishi mushrooms to dishes such as vegetable rice and even porridge. You can also stir fry these mushrooms.
You may also use dried reishi mushrooms in place of the fresh ones. Why not try combining dried reishi mushrooms and yogurt into your smoothie?
You can find our favorite capsules, powders, and tincture’s on the following pages of our website and learn more about each individually:
Best Reishi Mushroom Supplement
Best Reishi Mushroom Mushroom Gummies
Additional Resources:
What Does Reishi Mushroom Taste Like?
How do you identify reishi mushroom?
Updated October 10/20/2022
