Shiitake Mushroom Powder
Information from How to Make Mushroom Powder at Monterey Mushrooms and How to Add Umami Flavour to Vegetarian Cooking by Sara Novak at Organic Authority.
Use shiitake mushroom powder to enhance the savoury flavour of soups, stews, sauces, gravies, dips, burger patties, casseroles and more.
Ingredients
- dried/dehydrated shiitake mushrooms
Instructions
1. If using dried sliced mushrooms, add them to the grinder/blender/processor as is. If using dried whole mushrooms, break them up into smaller pieces using your hands, scissors or a knife. Discard any large, tough stems.
2. Use a spice/nut/coffee grinder, a bullet/personal blender or a mini food processor to grind the mushrooms into a fine powder. This should take about 1-2 min, stopping every 30 sec or so to loosen any chunks that can get stuck under the blades. Whenever you need to stop and remove the lid, wait about 30 sec before you do so. Grinding the mushrooms can cause a cloud of dust to form within the grinder/blender/processor so it is recommended to let the dust settle before opening the lid.
3. Optional step: some small chunks may remain even after grinding the dried mushrooms thoroughly for a couple of minutes. If a uniformly fine powder is desired, place the ground mushrooms in a fine mesh sieve sitting on top of a large bowl. Collect any remaining chunks in the sieve and place them back into the grinder/blender/processor. Re-grind these until they form a fine powder, then place them into the bowl with the rest of the mushroom powder.
4. Transfer the mushroom powder into an airtight container. Gently tap the lid of the grinder/blender/processor over a bowl to collect any powder that has stuck to it, then add it to the container. Store in a cool, dry place away from direct heat and light. Best used within 1-2 months.
Notes:
You can buy dried shiitake mushrooms (sliced or whole) from Asian grocery stores or from the international section of most supermarkets. Select a quality brand that you have used before to reconstitute/soak the dried mushrooms, which you know contains very little dirt or grit.
You can buy ready-made shiitake mushroom powder or umami powder at some health food and specialty stores.
It is possible to make shiitake mushroom powder from fresh shiitake mushrooms that are dehydrated at home before being ground into a powder.
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