Dried King Oyster MushroomsDrying Time, Storage, Mixed Rice and Aglio e Olio

King oyster mushrooms (eryngii) are known for their chewy texture.

Drying makes them even chewier and much more flavorful. They have no bitterness or strong taste, and they make a good broth, so they’re perfect for soups, simmered dishes and mixed rice. Like other mushrooms, drying them in the sun also increases their vitamin D.

	Drying time	Storage
Dry	3–5 days	3 weeks at room temperature
Semi-dried	Half a day–1 day	5 days in the fridge

Drying times assume drying during the day in sunny weather and bringing them in at night.

How to dry king oyster mushrooms

1. Wipe clean: Don’t wash them; wipe off any dirt with a paper towel. Trim a thin slice off the hard base.
2. Cut: Cut lengthwise into 4–6 pieces. Rounds or thin slices are fine too, whatever is easiest to use. Thinner pieces dry faster.
3. Lay out and dry: Spread on a basket without overlapping, somewhere sunny and breezy. Turn about once a day and bring in by evening.

Where and when to dry is covered in How to Dry Vegetables, and tools in Tools for Drying Vegetables.

When they’re done

Dry (3–5 days)

They’re done when they’ve shrunk and snap when bent. The thick part of the stem dries last, so check there.

Semi-dried (half a day–1 day)

The surface is dry. Grilled or sautéed, they come out more flavorful with a pleasant chew.

Day by day

Before drying

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Storage

• Dry: Put completely dry mushrooms in a bag or airtight container with a desiccant, and keep somewhere cool and out of direct sun for about 3 weeks. In humid summer weather, keep them in the fridge.
• Semi-dried: Keep in a bag in the fridge and use within about 5 days.
• Frozen: Both dry and semi-dried can be frozen for 2–3 months.

Fuzzy white or green growth, black spots or a bad smell are signs of mold or spoilage. Don’t eat them; throw them away. More in How to Store Dried Vegetables.

Rehydrating and using them

• Always cook them: Never eat mushrooms raw. Always cook them first.
• Rehydrate: Rinse quickly and soak in water for about 10 minutes. The soaking water is full of flavor, so use it as the liquid in your dish.
• Use them dry: Add straight to soups, miso soup, simmered dishes and mixed rice.
• Good in: Mixed rice, pasta, stir-fries, sautéed with butter and soy sauce, Chinese soups.

Recipes

Mixed rice with dried king oyster mushrooms

Ingredients (serves 2)

• About 8 slices dried king oyster mushroom
• 180 ml (¾ cup) Japanese short-grain rice
• 200 ml (about ⅘ cup) water
• A: 1 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp sake

Method

1. Rinse the dried mushrooms quickly and soak in the measured 200 ml of water for about 10 minutes. Keep the soaking water.
2. Wash the rice and drain in a colander.
3. Pour A over the rehydrated mushrooms and mix.
4. Put the rice and step 3 into a rice cooker, add the soaking water from step 1, and cook.

Mixing in dried green shiso after cooking is great too. Adding dried shimeji or dried shiitake makes it even more mushroomy.

Aglio e olio with dried king oyster mushrooms and sakura shrimp

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 200 g (7 oz) spaghetti
• Dried king oyster mushrooms from 2 mushrooms
• 10 g (⅓ oz) dried sakura shrimp
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 dried red chili, sliced into rings
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 anchovy fillets
• 1 tbsp dried parsley
• Salt (for the pasta water)

Method

1. Put the dried mushrooms and water in the pasta pot and leave for 10 minutes to rehydrate, then put it on the heat. When it boils, add salt (1% of the water) and start cooking the pasta.
2. Put the olive oil, chopped garlic and chili in a frying pan over low heat. When fragrant, add the sakura shrimp and chopped anchovies and stir-fry.
3. When the garlic turns golden, add a ladleful of pasta water and the dried parsley, and stir to emulsify.
4. Drain the pasta and mushrooms, add to step 3, and toss.

Granulated consommé or kombu tea powder also works instead of anchovies.