Detailed Explanation of the Baking and Storage Methods for Dried Shiitake Mushrooms

At present, bag-cultivated shiitake mushrooms have become a major pillar industry for economic development in many mountainous rural areas. However, during the shiitake cultivation process, due to insufficiently timely management, or encounters with abnormal climate and large temperature differences, some deformed mushrooms or low-quality shiitake mushrooms (collectively called "cai gu") are easily formed. If these low-quality mushrooms are not processed and are directly sold on the market as fresh mushrooms, the selling price is very low, and sales are poor. If they are baked into dried mushrooms, not only can their value increase, but sales are also good. However, due to improper baking methods, some farmers find that for the same dried mushrooms, prices often differ by several times. Over the past few years, the author has studied the baking of shiitake mushrooms and has preliminarily summarized the techniques and methods that must be mastered for baking dried mushrooms. They are introduced as follows.

Raw material processing: trim the stems of fresh mushrooms. The length to which the stems are trimmed should be determined according to the mushroom shape, mushroom flesh, mushroom quality, and mushroom cap, and can be divided into three grades: removing the bran, cutting half the foot, and cutting flat at the foot. Generally speaking, for shiitake mushrooms with small caps, thin flesh, and long stems, it is appropriate to remove the bran (keep the whole stem); for mushrooms with large and round caps, thin flesh, and loose and soft texture, half the foot may be taken (that is, half of the stem is cut off), with a range of about 1-1.5 cm; for those with large and round caps and thick, firm flesh, it is appropriate to cut flat at the foot, that is, cut off the stem and leave about 0.5 cm. Cutting and retaining the mushroom stems at different lengths according to cap size, flesh thickness, cap roundness, and mushroom quality has a great impact on the price of the finished dried mushrooms and the yield rate of dried mushrooms.

Baking method: the key is to master the temperature during the baking process well. After trimming the stems of shiitake mushrooms to different lengths, spread them on baking trays, push the baking trays into the drying oven chamber of the dryer, close the chamber door tightly, and start the fire to begin baking. The initial dehydration temperature must not be lower than 30°C; it is best to start baking at 32°C; bake for 6 hours within the range of 40°C-50°C; after stopping the fire for 1 hour, dehydrate for another 6 hours under hot air temperature conditions of 45°C-50°C; stop the fire for 2 hours and sort the mushrooms. Finally, dehydrate at 50°C-60°C until completely dried. During baking, the temperature should not be raised too quickly; the temperature increase per hour must not exceed 3°C-5°C.

During the baking process, sorting the mushrooms is also a link that cannot be ignored. Because the mushroom flesh varies in thickness, its water content differs greatly, and the required baking time is naturally different. Therefore, after the second fire stop, each tray must be checked one by one. Those found to be already baked dry should be picked out first and placed in plastic bags, while the undried ones should be pushed back into the chamber to continue baking. This can prevent some shiitake mushrooms from becoming scorched due to excessive baking and affecting the quality of the dried mushrooms.

Storage of dried mushrooms: after shiitake mushrooms are dried, if they are not properly stored, they are very likely to absorb moisture again. Especially in the rainy season when the temperature is high and humidity is great, mildew and insect damage are more likely to occur. Therefore, after shiitake mushrooms are baked dry, they should be quickly graded and put into plastic bags, and then a small packet of anhydrous sodium chloride should be added, so as to prevent the sugar in the mushroom body from seeping out and causing discoloration, and at the same time prevent moths such as the Angoumois grain moth from laying eggs and hatching. In order to prevent insect pests such as shiitake mushrooms, the storage room can also be fumigated with carbon disulfide for 24 hours before storage, and storage can begin after the residual gas is expelled.