Mushroom powder is a dry powder made from mushrooms that have been dried then finely ground. It is used as you would a spice, in small quantities.
It adds a meaty background depth of flavour to dishes.
You can make it yourself, or buy it already made.
The powder can be pure, or blended with other seasonings. Blends can include salt, oregano, thyme, chile pepper flakes, black pepper, etc. Some mixes add so much salt and pepper that they are basically a salt and pepper mix with some added mushroom flavouring.
The taste of the mushroom powder will depend on the variety of dried mushrooms it was made from (you could use a mixture of dried mushroom types for a more complex taste) and other ingredients (such as mentioned above) that were added.
There is no need to soak before use, as you would with dried mushroom pieces: just sprinkle it into the dish you are making.
To be clear, it is made from dried mushrooms, not fresh mushrooms.
Yields and Equivalents
300 g (10 oz) fresh mushrooms = 50 g (1.5 oz) dried mushrooms by weight = 1 cup powder by volume
Directions
See dehydrating mushrooms for directions for the initial drying.
Slice as thinly as you can the fresh mushrooms destined to be dried and then powdered. A food processor may be ideal for this. This will allow them to dry up efficiently, making them easier to grind into a powder later.
When dried and cooled, store dried pieces for a few days in a sealed container to ensure there will be no condensation starting. If there is, dehydrate a bit more, as that excess moisture would affect your powder.
When are you sure that your pieces are truly safely dried, you can grind them into powder. (Make sure they are completely dried to a crisp before attempting to grind them into a powder, or they will just gum up on the food processor blade.)
It’s ideal if you can grind in two steps but just one step is fine if that is all you can do or wish to do:
- Put in food processor and grind to a coarse powder (you can stop here if you wish);
- Take the coarse powder, and in small batches, process through an electric coffee bean mill to reduce to a fine powder. You may need to strain your work a few times and reprocess any pieces that didn’t turn to a powder.
Storage
Store in an air-tight jar. Label jar with name of product and date. Store away from heat and direct light.
Usage notes
No need to rehydrate first when using.
Delicious in gravies and sauces, in meatloaves, in hamburger patties, in scrambled eggs, etc.
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