How long does it take to cook dried shiitake mushrooms?

We need to soak dried shiitake mushrooms before we can use them to make delicious food. It is best to soak them in hot water. The soaking time does not need to be long, only a few minutes will be enough. We also need to clean the soaked dried shiitake mushrooms before we can use them. It usually takes 6 to 10 minutes to cook dried shiitake mushrooms. For example, you can use dried shiitake mushrooms to make delicious dishes such as fried chicken with shiitake mushrooms and fried pork with shiitake mushrooms.

How long to soak dried mushrooms

Dried shiitake mushrooms are commonly known as winter mushrooms. If they are small, they should be soaked for 6-10 hours (distinguished by warm water or cold water). If they are large, they should be soaked for 8-12 hours (distinguished by water temperature). In our daily operations, we use cold water, soak it the night before, and eat it at noon the next day. If you think this is too troublesome, you can soak it a day or two in advance, because the mushrooms will not become sticky and deteriorate at room temperature even if they are soaked for 72 hours. What's more, we have the help of a refrigerator now, so even a week is not a problem.

Shiitake mushrooms (winter mushrooms), also known as shiitake mushrooms, are a precious side dish grown in the wild. A wild treasure with a unique natural flavor. It is an edible fungus that contains many high-value ingredients. Raw shiitake mushrooms can be used in various cooking methods such as stewing, frying, and boiling. It has a delicious taste and tender texture. It has always been a delicacy on people's tables.

The time required for different soaking methods

General method - soak for about 1 hour

First, use water to wash off the dust on the surface of the mushrooms, then soak them in an appropriate amount of warm water for about 1 hour and then take them out. You can take the clear liquid from the soaked mushroom water and add it to the dish as seasoning; you can even heat the soaked mushroom water to boiling for 2 minutes and drink it directly after cooling.

Notice:

Shiitake mushrooms are rich in trace elements such as calcium, phosphorus, iron, and potassium. Patients with severe renal impairment and uremia should eat them with caution.

Pay attention to the cleaning of mushrooms. The inner layer of shiitake mushrooms has "gill leaves" that look like fish gills, and contain tiny grains of sand that are difficult to wash clean. You can pour the shiitake mushrooms into a basin, soak them with 60% warm water, and stir them in one direction with your hands for more than ten minutes. The "gills" of the shiitake mushrooms will slowly open, throwing the sand into the water.

Add sugar and soak for about half an hour

After washing the shiitake mushrooms, they should be immediately placed in cold water and soaked in an appropriate amount of white sugar. This can prevent the loss of the umami components of the shiitake mushrooms. Soak for about half an hour, and when the mushrooms become soft, remove them from the water and drain.

Cold water soak – no less than 12 hours

Generally, soaked shiitake mushrooms are soaked in cold water the night before and can be eaten at noon the next day. Generally, the soaking time for small ones is shorter, about 10 hours is enough. For larger ones, the soaking time should be no less than 12 hours.

Hot water soak - soak for seven or eight hours

When using hot water to soak shiitake mushrooms, they need to be soaked for seven or eight hours with the root side facing the water. After the mushrooms slowly soften, pinch them with your hands and gently rub the surface of the mushrooms to allow the mud and sand to sink into the water.

Quick soaking of dried mushrooms – 2 minutes

1. Prepare a sealed box and put the dried mushrooms in it.

2. Add a spoonful of white sugar and pour in 30℃ warm water.

3. Cover the lid of the sealed box and shake the box vigorously for 2 minutes.

At this point, the mushrooms have been soaked, but in order to prevent the loss of their fragrance, it is best to add a spoonful of white sugar.

Precautions for soaking dried shiitake mushrooms

The water used to soak mushrooms can be used in cooking

The water used to soak the mushrooms can be used in cooking after the mud and sand are removed. The purine content in mushrooms, which is easily soluble in water and has health functions, is relatively high in water. If you add a little sugar to the warm water used to soak the mushrooms, the dish will taste even better.

Soaking in boiling water or adding sugar will cause the loss of nutrients

Soaking shiitake mushrooms in boiling water or adding sugar in order to quickly soak them will significantly reduce the nutritional value of the soaked dried shiitake mushrooms. The polysaccharides and high-quality amino acids in the shiitake mushrooms will dissolve in the water in large quantities, causing nutrient loss.

Do not soak mushrooms in salt water

Washing shiitake mushrooms with salt can quickly remove the mud and sand from them, but soaking them in salt will make the mushrooms emit a strong odor and deteriorate faster.