Golden Oyster Mushrooms

Contributed By: Adventures in Freeze Drying

This recipe makes as many as you wish to prepare

Directions:

1. Prepare the mushrooms: Fill a sink with lukewarm salt water and submerge the Golden Oyster mushrooms. Gently remove any insects or debris.
2. Trim and drain: Cut each mushroom free from the stock and place them in a colander to drain.
3. Arrange on trays: Line freeze-dryer trays with parchment paper. Place mushrooms gill-side up in a single layer. If layering, ensure stems don’t touch the rack above.
4. Start the Freeze Dryer: Power on the freeze dryer and wait for the prompt to load the trays.
5. Freeze dry (my cycle time was 24 hours)
6. Store in jars for short-term use or in mylar bags for long-term storage

Rehydration:

Rehydrating mushrooms can be a tricky line between oversaturating and not having enough water added.  So it is best to go slowly and not overdo it.  

One option is to add a wet paper towel to the mushrooms in a brown paper bag and place in your fridge overnight. 

Another option is to spritz with water or broth of choice, let sit for 5-10 minutes and spritz again until rehydration is achieved.

Or you can add straight to recipes that already have a liquid content like soup.  You shouldn’t need much, if any, extra water.

Notes:

A great option for vegan diets containing protein and B-vitamins.  Golden oysters also are high in immune boosting antioxidants.

Nutritional Value Per 10 grams of freeze dried mushrooms (small handful)

Calories: 30   Protein: 3 g   Fat: 0.5 g   Carbohydrates: 6 g   Sugar: 4 g   Fiber: 2 g

Cycle times & rehydration for reference only. Your results may vary.