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A jar of dried wild mushrooms is one of the best things to keep in your kitchen. Drying concentrates flavor, so a small handful can carry a whole pot of soup or risotto. Here is how much to use, how long to soak each type, what to do with the soaking liquid, and how to store the rest.

Why Cook With Dried Mushrooms?

• Deep flavor: drying intensifies the savory, earthy taste.
• Always in season: morels and chanterelles are ready any day of the year.
• Easy storage: no fridge needed, and they last far longer than fresh.
• A bonus ingredient: the soaking liquid is a ready-made mushroom stock.

Wondering when to pick dried over frozen? See our guide to frozen vs. dried mushrooms.

How Much Dried Mushroom Do You Need?

A little goes a long way:

• 1 oz dried mushrooms is roughly equal to 6 to 8 oz fresh in most recipes.
• 1 oz dried will grow to about 3 to 4 times its dry volume once soaked.
• As a starting point, use 1/2 oz dried to flavor a sauce or soup for 4, and 1 to 2 oz when mushrooms are the star of the dish.

The Basic Method: How to Rehydrate Dried Mushrooms

1. Measure. Use about 1 cup of water for every 1 oz of dried mushrooms. You want them fully covered.
2. Quick rinse. Swish them in cold water for a few seconds to loosen dust, then lift them out.
3. Soak in hot, not boiling, water (about 170 to 190 F, a minute or two off the boil). Set a small plate on top to keep them submerged.
4. Wait until soft all the way through (times below). If the center of a thick piece is still hard, give it more time.
5. Lift, do not pour. Scoop the mushrooms out so the grit stays at the bottom, squeezing gently over the bowl.
6. Cook them. Rehydrated mushrooms are softened, not cooked. Always cook them thoroughly before eating.

No rush? A cold-water soak in the fridge for 6 to 8 hours gives the most tender texture.

Soak Times for Popular Dried Mushrooms

Hot-water soak times. Thicker or whole pieces sit at the long end.

• Morels, whole or sliced: 20 to 30 minutes. Rinse briefly after soaking, since sand hides in the honeycomb, and halve large ones to check inside. Always cook morels thoroughly; never eat them raw. Shop whole dried morels or sliced dried morels.
• Chanterelles: 30 to 45 minutes. They stay pleasantly chewy, so simmer them in a sauce, braise, soup or rice dish. Shop dried chanterelles.
• Porcini slices: 20 to 30 minutes. Thin slices soften fast and give a rich liquid for risotto and gravy. Shop dried porcini slices.
• Lobster mushroom slices: 30 to 40 minutes. Meaty, bright orange and lovely in chowders, bisques and creamy pasta. Shop dried lobster mushroom.
• Maitake (hen of the woods): 20 to 30 minutes. Great in ramen, soups and braises. Shop dried maitake.
• Russula caps: 30 to 45 minutes. Hearty and good in stews, gravies and mushroom blends. Shop dried russula.

Don't Pour It Out: Using the Soaking Liquid

That brown liquid is pure flavor:

1. Strain it. Pour it slowly through a fine sieve lined with a coffee filter or a paper towel. Stop before the last tablespoon or two, where the grit settles.
2. Cook with it. Swap it for some of the stock or water in risotto, soups, pan sauces, gravies, rice or beans. Always use it in a cooked dish.
3. Reduce it by half for a concentrated splash in a cream or pan sauce.
4. Save it. Keep strained liquid covered in the fridge for up to 2 days, or freeze it in an ice-cube tray and drop in a cube whenever a dish needs a boost.

How to Cook Rehydrated Mushrooms

• Pat dry for browning, then sauté in butter or oil over medium-high heat for 5 to 8 minutes.
• Simmer chewier types like chanterelles for 10 to 15 minutes in the sauce or soup, with some of their soaking liquid.
• Chop small and they melt into sauces, stuffing and dumpling fillings.
• Easy pairings: morels with cream and chives; chanterelles with chicken, thyme and white wine; porcini in risotto or beef stew; lobster mushroom in chowder; maitake in miso soup.

Short on time? Grind dried mushrooms in a spice grinder and stir a teaspoon into soups, sauces or a rub for cooked meats. For morel recipes, see our guide on how to cook morel mushrooms.

How to Store Dried Mushrooms

• Airtight: a glass jar or well-closed resealable bag.
• Cool, dark and dry: a cupboard away from the stove, sunlight and steam. Use a dry spoon.
• Best within about a year; flavor slowly fades after that.
• Rehydrated mushrooms: covered in the fridge, cooked within 1 to 2 days.

For fresh and frozen storage too, see how to store wild mushrooms properly.

Stock Your Pantry

From whole morels to golden chanterelles, maitake and lobster mushroom, browse all our dried mushrooms and keep a jar of wild flavor ready for any night of the week.