Uses for Savory Shiitake Mushrooms

Versatile, delicious dried shiitake mushrooms have long been one of Harmony’s House’s most popular items. This delicious mushroom is a native of East Asia and an essential ingredient in many Japanese and Chinese dishes, though shiitakes add a rich (some describe it as earthy or meaty) flavor to any dish. Their excellent flavor boosting powers makes these mushrooms a great addition to sauces, stews, soups, casseroles, and more.

Many people have not discovered the joys of cooking with shiitakes because fresh mushrooms can spoil quickly and are not easily available in many areas. Buying dried shiitake mushrooms is the solution to both these challenges. Our dried shiitakes will store for one to two years in your pantry. And a little goes a long way. Four ounces of dried shiitake mushrooms will yield 28 ounces when reconstituted. That means that 1 pound of air dried mushrooms equals 12 pounds of fresh. Keeping a container of dried shiitakes on hand is even easier than having your own mushroom garden. No need to harvest, wash, and chop. So how do you use them? Below you will find a few suggestions for delicious ways to use shiitakes in the kitchen. 

Shiitakes are renowned as an savory flavor enhancer. This delicious mushroom gives gravies, sauces, and stews the taste known as umami. All you need to do is soak dried shiitake mushrooms in water or broth before adding to any recipe. They make any chili taste richer and meatier. Our customers have told us they love to keep a container of dried shiitakes around for cooking simple things like miso, vegetable soup, udon noodles, ramen noodles, stir fry, rice pilaf or vegetable fried rice. Add shiitakes along with Harmony House Foods dried carrots, onions, and cubed potatoes to your favorite stock or broth to make a quick and easy stew. These tasty mushrooms are already diced so cooking is quick and easy. 

If you love the flavor of Shiitake mushrooms, but don’t enjoy the texture you can grind up dried mushrooms using a food processor into mushroom powder that will give a wallop of savory flavor to homemade bouillon, stock, white country gravy. Just add a few dashes of dehydrated mushroom powder to the stock or gravy as it cooks and YUM! Mushroom powder gives soups, gravies, and sauces a depth of flavor without hours of cooking.

College students who are trying to cook tasty, inexpensive meals in a basic dorm room kitchen will love shiitake mushrooms. Even if no stove is available, dorm residents can make a delicious meal using a microwave, electric kettle, or hot plate. Simply add rehydrated mushrooms and a dash or two of soy sauce and sesame oil to make truly delicious ramen noodles. Shiitakes are also great for jazzing up instant mashed potatoes or plain old buttered noodles. Want to be the mom/dad/grandma/grandpa/aunt/uncle/godparent of the year? Send your favorite student a care package containing shiitake mushrooms, dried vegetable soup mix, noodles, and other ingredients to help your favorite student eat healthy meals on a regular basis. 

Don’t leave dried shiitakes out of your food bag when you hit the trail! One of biggest challenges for long distance backpacking trips is keeping the food tasty for the long haul. Shiitakes are so tasty and so light that they make an excellent addition to any backpacker’s food bag. You get so much more flavor in your food for so little weight! The experts at Backpacker Magazine named dried mushrooms as an indispensable ally in the fight to keep trail food interesting in a blog called 7 Easy Ingredients to Upgrade Your Backpacking Meals. Give them a try on your next camping or hiking trip. 

Harmony House shiitake mushrooms are selected for their high quality then gently air dried. You won’t find any additives or preservatives (so no MSG or other chemicals on these tasty morsels). They are also non-GMO, gluten free and Kosher OU. Check out all of our dried mushroom products here.