What is your fall scent? Is it apple cider, pumpkin spice, or the aroma of savory mushrooms on the dehydrator?
At Plain Jane’s the flavor of fall is definitely the strong umami scent of mushrooms drying. Step one in production is harvesting the mushroom from the forest, step two of the production process is dehydration. When mushrooms are brought back to the kitchen they are carefully inspected, cleaned and prepped for the dehydrator.
Why dehydrate mushrooms though? Other than practical reasons such as space, creating the right texture for making powders, etc, dehydration a intensifies flavor.
Dehydration intensifies mushroom flavor primarily through the concentration of compounds and the alteration of texture. When mushrooms are dehydrated, the water content is removed, which means the flavors and aromas become more concentrated. This results in a richer, more intense taste.
The Maillard reaction is a complex chemical process that occurs when proteins and sugars in food react under heat, leading to browning and the development of complex flavors and aromas. During this reaction, the amino acids from proteins and the reducing sugars combine to form a variety of new compounds, contributing to both the taste and aroma. The Maillard reaction is key to creating the savory, caramelized notes that enhance many cooked foods, making it a fundamental process in cooking and food science. While dehydration is usually at temperatures lower than those needed to create the Maillard reaction, dehydration does promote the same reaction just at a lesser degree. Therefore the combination of the Maillard reaction and water removal of dehydration leaving concentrated natural flavor creates the intense flavor of dehydrated mushrooms.
When you go to rehydrate or use dehydrated mushroom products you are getting a stronger and fuller flavor from the mushroom. The scent of fall is the warm savory scent of intense mushroom flavor at Plain Jane’s.