Mushrooms are known as the "king of mountain treasures," a nutritious and healthy food that is high in protein and low in fat, and is loved by most people. I'm sure everyone is familiar with the ways to eat mushrooms. But did you know?
How to choose dried mushrooms?
Look: The mushroom should have a thick, solid cap, a smooth surface, and uniform size. The gills should be tight, fine, and white, the stem short and sturdy, and the edges curled and thick. A good quality mushroom has a yellowish-brown or dark brown color, and the cap may have a slight white bloom.
Smell: It should have a rich, unique mushroom aroma. Mushrooms without a smell, or with any other strange or musty odors, are of poor quality.
Touch: Dried mushrooms should be dry, with an ideal moisture content of 11% to 13%. However, they shouldn't be too dry; if they crumble easily when pinched, their quality is poor.
Health reminder: Dried mushrooms should not be soaked for too long.
Whether dried or fresh, mushrooms can be paired with other meat or vegetarian dishes, used as a main or secondary ingredient, to create delicious meals. They are suitable for all people, all year round, and have no contraindications. When cooking, be mindful of preserving their nutritional and medicinal properties. Do not soak them excessively.
When rehydrating dried mushrooms, first rinse them to remove any dirt, then place them in a container with an appropriate amount of cool water (below 40°C) and soak for half an hour to an hour. Putting them in boiling water will actually make it harder for them to rehydrate properly. Shaking the container can help them rehydrate faster. After removing the mushrooms, the soaking water can be used after the sediment is removed. Adding this mushroom-soaking liquid to your dishes can enhance their flavor and increase their nutritional value. Its water-soluble components, such as precious polysaccharides and excellent amino acids, dissolve extensively in the water. It would be a great pity to discard it without making full use of it.
The umami and aroma components of dried mushrooms, such as mushroom essence, become more concentrated during the drying process, which is why dried mushrooms smell more fragrant and savory. Drying mushrooms using solar energy also partially completes the conversion of ergosterol into vitamin D, so their vitamin D content may be slightly higher than that of fresh mushrooms.
Did you know? The water used to soak mushrooms is also very nutritious.
Many people discard the water after soaking dried mushrooms, but this actually leads to a significant waste of nutrients. Nutritionists point out that during the soaking process, some nutrients from the dried mushrooms dissolve into the water, such as water-soluble vitamins like B vitamins, and polysaccharides that have immune-boosting and anti-tumor properties. In fact, as long as the dried mushrooms are cleaned before soaking, the soaking water can be completely reused. For example, when making mushroom soup, you can cook the mushrooms with the water they were soaked in. This will make the broth more fragrant and rich, and also more nutritious.