Usually, many people have the habit of soaking dried mushrooms such as shiitake mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms, or cloud ear fungus in hot water to speed up the process. However, this is a mistake that makes the mushrooms sticky, soft, and not tasty or beautiful when cooked.
Here is a quick and delicious way to soak dried mushrooms that ensures they retain their texture and flavor. It only takes 2 minutes for the mushrooms to expand, become round, firm, and clean:
How to soak dried shiitake mushrooms
Ingredients:
- Warm water
- 1 tablespoon of sugar
- 1 tablespoon of cornstarch
- 1 airtight container
- Place the dried mushrooms in an airtight container.
- Pour warm water (about 50 degrees Celsius) to cover the mushrooms, add 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to the container. Close the lid tightly and shake vigorously for 2-3 minutes.
- After opening the container, the dried mushrooms will have fully expanded, become round, firm, and not crumbled.
- During the shaking process, the sugar and cornstarch will remove dirt from the surface of the mushrooms. In addition, the sugar helps the mushrooms expand quickly and retain their nutrients, making them soft and delicious.
- Take out the mushrooms and rinse them with clean water. You can apply this tip to other dried ingredients such as cloud ear fungus, wood ear mushrooms, etc.
Remember to use this convenient and quick soaking method to make your cooking process simpler and more enjoyable.