Classy Vegan Maitake Mushroom Jerky

Recipe was inspired by our vegan neighbors. Although my husband and I are not vegans, I respect other people's decisions and I really wanted to make something delicious for them.  And so, voila, vegan jerky.

For those who choose not to eat meat, mushrooms are a great substitute because of their meat like texture and umami flavor.

Choosing The Mushroom

I chose Maitake mushrooms because I had it at a restaurant once and loved it. It is described as having a woodsy, earthly flavor.  You have to eat it to understand what that means, unfortunately.

It's delicious but if you don't feel like adventure eating, you could substitute this recipe with your mushroom of choice like shiitake or cremini.

I prefer to wipe dirt off of mushrooms by using a wet cloth rather than soaking them in water.  Mushrooms tend to absorb a lot of water and I'd rather have them absorb the flavorful marinade instead.

Slice mushrooms evenly so they dry evenly, just note that the thicker the slices the longer they take to dry.  I placed the sliced mushrooms into a ziplock bag and put it aside.  Now, it's time to make the marinade.

Making The Marinade

I love using wine to flavor foods.  It makes food taste better and it doesn't come with a hangover.  You will need a blender for this marinade, sorry/not sorry.  Because in the end, you will not be disappointed.

I used a vitamix blender.  When you combine all the ingredients, you could already smell the delicious-ness of it.

Place marinade in blender and blend well.  It will start to look a little foamy.  I'm a big fan of the vitamix because it does its job so well.

As you can see, leeks are blended well. This really helps bring out the flavor.  Then, I poured the marinade into a ziplock bag containing the mushrooms.  Make sure every bit of maitake mushroom is soaked in the marinade.

I marinaded the mushrooms for a night in the fridge.  Mushrooms are great for soaking up liquid, sometimes too great that the  mushrooms sitting on the top half may not have any liquid.

So, I will flip the bag occasionally to marinade evenly. You could marinade anywhere from 4 hrs to 12 hours.

Drying the Mushroom Jerky

After the mushrooms are done marinating, it is time to prep them for dehydrator.  First, I drain the mushrooms using a colander, to get the excess liquid off.

Then, place the mushrooms on a paper towel and gently pat off any excess liquid.  It looks colorful, the green from the leeks and the yellow from the curry.

The mushrooms are now ready.  Place mushrooms on dehydrator trays. I used my Nesco Dehydrator to make this recipe.

Make sure the mushrooms are evenly spaced so they are not sitting on top of one another.  I set the temp at 125F and let it dehydrate anywhere from 4 to 6 hours.

  Testing For When The Jerky Is Finished

I like them crispy so I tend to dry them on the longer side.  This is completely up to you and your preference of texture. You can check on them at 4 hours and decide from there.

I'm a big fan of this one.  It has such a fresh taste to it. The crisp white wine with the leeks and that mild hint of curry just works. The exotic flavors will dance in your mouth.

There probably won't be any leftovers, but if you do, store them in an airtight container and leave it in a dark and cold place.

Old Pro Tips:

• Clean mushrooms with washcloth to get dirt off
• Slice in uniform pieces so it dries easily and finished at the same time
• Use a blender to get the most flavor out of the leeks