Pickles & preservesSauces International
Homemade mushroom powder
A deeply savoury powder made from dried shiitake and porcini that lifts soups, sauces and meat rubs. Makes about 75 g, one small jar.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Rest
- 15 min
- Makes
- about 75 g (1 small jar)
- Difficulty
- Easy
Mushroom powder is a kitchen secret weapon: a teaspoon gives an everyday soup or sauce the depth of a stock that has simmered for hours. The intense savouriness of dried shiitake and the nutty aroma of porcini make a blend that suits almost anything.
Even shop-bought dried mushrooms pick up a little moisture, so a short final drying in the oven keeps the powder fine, free-flowing and long-lasting. To use it: stir 1–2 teaspoons into soups and risotto, add a pinch to creamy sauces and gravies, or mix it with salt, pepper and a little sugar as a rub for steak or chicken.
Makes: about 75 g (1 small jar)
Ingredients
Tick them off as you go.
For the powder
Method
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-
Set the oven to 60 °C (fan setting if you have one). Break or snip the dried mushrooms into 2–3 cm pieces; brush off any grit with a dry brush, but never wash them.
~5 min -
Spread the pieces in a single layer on a lined baking tray. Wedge a wooden spoon in the oven door so moisture can escape, and dry for 40–45 minutes. They're ready when a piece snaps cleanly instead of bending.
~45 min -
Take the tray out and leave the mushrooms to cool completely. If you grind them while still warm, condensation will make the powder clump.
~15 min -
Put the cooled mushrooms in a clean, completely dry spice grinder or powerful blender. Pulse in short bursts, resting the motor now and then, for 1–2 minutes until finely ground.
~5 min -
Sift the powder through a fine sieve. Grind the coarse bits left behind again, or keep them for adding to soups and stocks.
~3 min -
Spoon the powder into a dry, tightly sealed glass jar using a dry spoon, then label and date it. Keep the jar in a cool, dark cupboard.
~2 min
Enjoy!
The mushroom in this recipe
Mushroom swaps
Button mushroom Agaricus bisporusIf you dry them yourself they give a milder powder; choose the brown chestnut type.
Maitake Grifola frondosaDried maitake gives an earthy, slightly spicy powder; use it in place of the porcini.
Oyster mushroom Pleurotus ostreatusVery mild on its own; mix half and half with the shiitake.
Tips
- A spoonful of rice at the bottom of the jar absorbs moisture and keeps the powder from clumping.
- For a steak rub, mix 2 tbsp mushroom powder with 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper and ½ tsp brown sugar.
- Stir the powder into liquid or fat before using it; sprinkled straight into a hot dry pan it burns easily.
Storage
Keeps for a few months in a dry, tightly sealed jar in a cool, dark place, and has the best aroma in the first 2–3 months. Always use a dry spoon. If the powder clumps, changes colour or smell, or shows any sign of mould, throw it all away.
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Kitchen guides
Before you cook: clean, store, dry
How to clean mushroomsPractical ways to clean everything from button mushrooms to morels without waterlogging them or ruining their texture.
How to store mushroomsHow to keep fresh, cooked, frozen and dried mushrooms at their best — and how to tell when they’ve gone bad.
How to dry mushroomsA step-by-step guide to drying mushrooms at home in the oven, in a dehydrator or on a string — and how to store and rehydrate them.