Make mushrooms last One of the best sessions at Telluride Mushroom Festival was Gabrielle Cerberville’s Mushroom Preservation class. It was an awesome fire hose of information, I couldn’t write fast enough. Here are my favorite tips: Field dress your mushrooms Less things to do at home means less waste in the long run. Dry fry your mushrooms in salt Instead of adding butter or oil to your pan of fresh mushrooms, add salt to a cast iron and cook mushrooms at a high heat to soak up the moisture, then get to infusing with fats for flavor. Chanterelles are delicate Cook first before freezing. Dehydrate mushrooms at 130-150°F to make mushroom leather. The best use? Throw it in hot water to make a mushroom broth. For the love of microwaving, don’t Never, ever try to microwave or boil to release toxins from mushrooms as they’re released in the air, much to your damage. New bourbon alert Candy cap mushrooms make delicious infused bourbon. Throw 4-5 dried candy caps in a bottle of Bulleit and let sit. Use frozen or fresh mushrooms for mushroom salt Dried mushrooms separate when working down to a coarse consistency. Honey preservation You can use boletes, morels, candy caps, and even grocery Agaricus bisporus.