Noodles and Rice

Using Dried Mushrooms

by Stef on April 8th, 2006

Dried mushrooms are a must in every Asian pantry. There are many kinds to choose from, the most common one being the dried Chinese black mushrooms shown here. Regardless of which dried mushroom you are using, make sure you calculate rehydrating time into your prep time before you begin the recipe, this way there are no surprises and you don’t have hungry diners waiting longer than necessary.

Rehydrating these beauties is easy. Just boil up some water, or heat up some in the microwave, then soak your mushrooms for about 20 minutes (10 minutes for thinner caps). After the mushrooms are fully rehydrated, drain them (some recipes will ask you to reserve that precious mushroom-soaking liquid, so read your instructions through first before you discard it!). Cut or slice off the stems and discard or save for another use (they are wonderful additions to stocks). Your mushroom caps are ready!

This same technique applies also to things like black fungus/tree ears and peppers.

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POSTED IN: Cooking Tips and Tutorials, Ingredient Spotlight