A rich, sticky and deeply savoury wild mushroom jerky, made with meaty fungi such as beefsteak fungus, giant polypore or chicken of the woods.
Slow-cooking the mushrooms in soy, honey, elderberry syrup and wild spices allows them to soak up all that sweet, salty and umami-rich flavour before they’re gently dehydrated until wonderfully chewy.
Sweet cicely and hogweed seeds add another layer of wild flavour, while a little chilli and apple cider vinegar balance the sweetness. A brilliant way to turn a good mushroom haul into something completely different.
Ingredients
- 1kg fresh edible mushrooms, such as beefsteak fungus, giant polypore or chicken of the woods
- 60ml light soy sauce
- 30ml honey
- 2 tsp sweet cicely seeds, ground
- 1 tsp hogweed seeds, ground
- 60ml elderberry syrup
- Pinch of chilli flakes
- 2 generous pinches sea salt
- 15ml apple cider vinegar, or another vinegar of your choice
Method
Clean your mushrooms and slice them thinly, approximately 3–4mm thick.
Add the sliced mushrooms to a heavy-based pan along with all the remaining ingredients.
Cook very gently over a low heat for 1–2 hours, allowing the mushrooms to absorb as much of the liquid as possible. As it cooks, the marinade will reduce and begin to thicken.
Taste the marinade as it reduces and adjust the seasoning if needed – a little more salt, sweetness, chilli or acidity depending on your preference.
Once the mushrooms are deeply flavoured and the marinade has become thick and sticky, remove the mushroom pieces and arrange them in a single layer on your dehydrator trays.
Dehydrate at 50°C for 1 hour. Meanwhile, return the remaining marinade to the heat and reduce it further until it’s thick and sticky.
Spoon or brush the reduced marinade over the partially dried mushroom pieces, then return them to the dehydrator.
Continue dehydrating at 50°C until the jerky reaches the texture you like. Ours took around 12 hours in total, but drying times can vary considerably depending on the mushroom, thickness of your slices and dehydrator.
Allow to cool completely before enjoying.
Important Foraging & Storage Note
Only use wild mushrooms that you can identify with complete confidence and that are considered edible. Always cook wild mushrooms thoroughly before eating them and try a small amount of any species that is new to you.
Because homemade jerky can retain varying amounts of moisture, I wouldn’t describe this as shelf-stable. Once cooled, store it in the fridge in a clean airtight container and use promptly, or freeze portions for longer storage.
