Mushrooms
Dried Wood Ear MushroomsDrying Fresh Wood Ear: Drying Time, Rehydrating and Storage
Wood ear mushrooms (kikurage) are known for their distinctive crunchy, springy texture.
Most dried wood ear sold in Japan is imported, but fresh, locally grown wood ear can be found too. If you come across fresh wood ear, at an Asian grocery store or farmers’ market, dry it yourself and it will keep a long time.
| Drying time | Storage | |
|---|---|---|
| Dry | 1–3 days | 3 months at room temperature |
Drying times assume drying during the day in sunny weather and bringing them in at night.
How to dry wood ear mushrooms
- Wash: Rinse quickly and trim off any hard part at the base.
- Pat dry: Wipe thoroughly dry with paper towels.
- Lay out and dry: Lay them whole on a basket without overlapping. Put them somewhere sunny and breezy, and bring them 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 (1–3 days)
They’re done when they’ve crumpled and shrunk, become thin and hard, and snap. Once dry, the top side is black and the underside is light brown with fine hairs. Wood ear is thin and loses water easily; ours were crisp in one day.
Day by day
Before drying
Day 1
Storage
- Room temperature: Put completely crisp mushrooms in a bag or airtight container with a desiccant, and keep somewhere cool and out of direct sun for about 3 months.
- Frozen: Rehydrated wood ear can be drained and frozen. Divide it into small portions to use straight from frozen in stir-fries and soups.
Moisture can lead to mold. Fuzzy white or green growth or a bad smell mean they should be thrown away. More in How to Store Dried Vegetables.
Rehydrating and using them
- Rehydrate: Soak in plenty of water for 30 minutes to an hour, or 15–20 minutes in lukewarm water. They expand 5 to 10 times, so rehydrate a little at a time. Cut off the hard base after rehydrating.
- Always cook them: Never eat wood ear raw. Stir-fry or boil them until cooked through. Even for dressed side dishes and salads, blanch them first.
- Good in: Chinese stir-fries, vinegared salads, Chinese soups, ramen toppings, stir-fried with egg, glass noodle salad.
