we got some mushrooms at the farmers market today,crimini and the regular white button type.they were also selling pickled mushrooms. since we have this canning bug going on over here i figured....... . but now i'm wondering about drying them instead of (or in addition to) canning. would they get slimy if canned, how long do they last dried?where do you store them if dried?..........oh no ......what about freezing???????thanks all,

-- fred in wi (sixuvusmeyers@aol.com), August 25, 2001

Answers

Fred; Yes, you can pickle them, and dry them. I dry them often, and they do just fine. When freezing them, I find they are pretty dark and watery when they thaw, but then I don't do any pre-treatment, just steam them for blanching, then freeze. I asked the extension office here if they could be canned, and they told me yes, as long as you use a 50/50 mixture of 5% acidic vinegar and water, and then water bath them. I haven't tried that, as I wanted to do them like the canned ones you buy, so I just continue to dry them. I use my dehydrator, oven on cake racks over cookie sheets with just the pilot light, and just dried some in the car on racks. The car took three days, but then the weather has been cooler and cloudy. I store them in jars in the basement. Jan

-- Jan in CO (Janice12@aol.com), August 25, 2001.

I often buy them on sale and freeze. I just cut up and freeze, no blanching. Works just fine. Incidentally, I tried those new Ziplok bags for freezing this year. Is anyone else using them?

-- Barbara Fischer (bfischer42@hotmail.com), August 26, 2001.