Olive Nation Blog

WOOD EAR MUSHROOMS ARE AN IDEAL CHOICE FOR ASIAN RECIPES

Posted by John Rusnak in Mushrooms, Dec 23 2009

Fresh wood ear mushrooms are difficult to find, but dried ones are always available for adding to many different dishes with Asian ones being a specialty. The term cloud-ear is often used to identify these mushrooms. The wood ears derive their name from the fact that they do resemble large ears. Wood ear mushrooms are also available in a shredded format. When reconstituted they have a mild and slightly nutty flavor along with a crunchy texture. When reconstituted the black and whitish colors blend together turning the mushrooms somewhat black in color. Add the reconstituted mushrooms to your favorite soups, stir-fries and casseroles. They also work very well with vegetables, rice, kasha noodles as well as with pork, beef, poultry and even seafood. To reconstitute the mushrooms add the mushrooms to a pot covering them with water. Bring the water to a boil and let the mushrooms stand for anywhere from thirty to sixty minutes. Remember that these mushrooms can expand, when reconstituted, to anywhere from five to six times its dried size. Discard the soaking liquid and add the mushrooms to your favorite dish. The mushrooms will maintain their firm and crunchy texture after reconstituting. Store your dried wood ears in a cool, dark place in an airtight container or even better in the refrigerator or freezer.