{"id":10396,"date":"2022-01-28T08:40:46","date_gmt":"2022-01-28T08:40:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/?p=10396"},"modified":"2022-01-30T12:24:05","modified_gmt":"2022-01-30T12:24:05","slug":"how-to-store-hen-of-the-woods-mushrooms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/how-to-store-hen-of-the-woods-mushrooms\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Store Hen Of The Woods Mushrooms?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

You just got back home with a bumper crop of hen of the woods mushrooms<\/a>. You cook and use what you can right away, but you have quite a bit left over. What can you do with them? In this article, we\u2019ll talk about how to store hen of the woods mushrooms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Long Do Hen of the Woods Mushrooms Last in the Refrigerator?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Hen of the woods, like other mushrooms, will only last so long when you store them in the refrigerator. As much as you would love to have them available fresh all the time, they simply will not keep their freshness very long once they\u2019ve been harvested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can keep fresh hen of the woods mushrooms in the fridge for up to a week, though it\u2019s usually best to use them within 3 to 5 days. <\/strong>Keep the mushrooms in a paper bag on one of the shelves rather than in the crisper drawer, and check on them at least once a day to see if they are going bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remove any mushrooms or segments that are starting to go bad; otherwise, the rot will quickly spread to the others as well. Don\u2019t wash your mushrooms before storing in the fridge or they will get soggy and go bad more quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Again, your best bet is to use your mushrooms up as quickly as possible. Fresh mushrooms of any kind don\u2019t last long in the fridge, and hen of the woods mushrooms are no exception.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Tell if Hen of the Woods Mushrooms Have Gone Bad<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s easy to tell if your mushrooms are going bad. They will start to smell and look like they are in various stages of decay as they age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bad hen of the woods mushrooms will turn slimy, appear discolored, and will have a fishy or ammonia-like odor. They may also show signs of mold, and they may have small dark areas or soft spots. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spoiling hen of the woods mushrooms may have an almost wilty appearance, and they may also feel sticky. A good rule of thumb is that anything that looks, feels, or smells off should probably be discarded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Dry Hen of the Woods Mushrooms?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Drying hen of the woods is the best way to preserve these mushrooms if you can\u2019t use them up while they\u2019re fresh. Dried hen of the woods will last for up to a year, can be reconstituted and used like fresh mushrooms, or powdered and added to recipes as a flavoring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To dry hen of the woods mushrooms:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Clean the mushrooms: <\/strong>some people recommend simply brushing them with a mushroom brush, while others suggest rinsing them off under running water. However you choose to clean them, make sure they are free of dirt, debris, and insects.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
    1. Divide them up:<\/strong> Cut or break the mushrooms in evenly sized pieces, about 1 to 2 inches in diameter. You may want to do this while you are washing them, as they are easier to clean when they are in small pieces.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
      1. Choose your drying method:<\/strong> You can dry these mushrooms in a dehydrator, in the oven, sun dry them, or air dry them. The preferred method is to use a dehydrator, which will take less time and involvement than the other methods.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
        1. Lay them out to dry:<\/strong> Place your mushrooms on dehydrator racks, spacing them evenly so they receive sufficient air flow.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
          1. Use a moderate temperature setting: <\/strong>A good temperature for dehydrating mushrooms is about 135 degrees, but the temperature can be between 120 and 165 degrees. If your dehydrator doesn\u2019t have degree settings, a good rule of thumb is to put it on a moderate setting.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
            1. Dehydrate them: <\/strong>Hen of the woods mushrooms will take about 8 hours on moderate temperature setting; adjust the time as necessary, longer for a lower setting and shorter for a higher setting. It\u2019s best to begin monitoring them after 4 hours.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
              1. Remove mushrooms from the dehydrator: <\/strong>The mushrooms are done when the pieces are hard and snap between your fingers. They should not be leathery or have any remnants of moisture, but you also don\u2019t want them to be too hard to break or all black in color.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
                1. Package them: <\/strong>After allowing the mushrooms to cool for a couple of minutes, place them in jars for storage. Keep them in a cool, dark, low-humidity area of your home; usually a dark cupboard works well.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

                  For more information on dehydrating hen of the woods mushrooms, check out this video:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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                  https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=6H4GKPsZAW8&t=12s<\/a>