Mushroom candy

One of the most magical thing i keep making that continues to blow people's minds is 'my fermented mushroom chocolate candy'. It takes quite some time and effort to make, but this is true for most of the most delicious foods in general. I will share my method anyways and you can judge if u want to try to make it yourself or u prefer to find me somewhere in the country and buy a couple from me. :)

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WHAT YOU NEED:

• mushrooms, i find it easier if i have fresh shrooms BUTT! i tried the same thing with dehydrated lion's mane and it worked just as well, so... :) , i prefer to use meaty mushrooms like oyster or lion's mane as they have a firmer structure and its easier to handle while you candying them (too small pieces won't work that well)

• salt

• active sourdough starter, i use Ryan, a strong rye bread starter i can get any time from my local bakery

• not obligatory: sweet miso paste, ginger, soy sauce, lemon zest/juice or other sweetish seasoning to ferment the mushrooms

• agave syrup

• good quality dark chocolate (minimum 60%, what i like)

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:

If you have fresh mushrooms, you clean them and steam them to kill any unwanted bacteria/yeast. 5 minutes in a bamboo steamer is long enough, at this point i would try to keep the mushrooms as intact as possible - later on in the process you will have time to portion in to smallers. After u steamed, let the mushrooms cool down enough that u can touch it without burns - measure it and sprinkle with 3% salt. After you can add your sourdough starter and all your other seasonings, if you use any, mix it thru so all your 'sauce' will cover your mushrooms.

Footnote: it is a lacto fermentation. Although the shrooms are covered with naturally occurring lacto bacteria that we 'could potentially use' but i prefer to have a more controlled fermentation thats why we steam first to kill all wilds, then inoculate them again with our sourdough starter that contains way more things than just lacto bacteria (bunch of amazing complex yeats)

And its time to wait. It can sit nicely in a jar, and shake it once every day. It will fart so u can keep opening it to release all the Co2. Let it be for 7-10 days. As long as you wait, the shrooms will become more and more sour. Once it reached a complex flavour (after 7 days for sure) u can fish your mushrooms out from the jar, and wipe your marinade off or wash it off - its up to you. Pat it dry, and we can start the second stage. Submerged them in agave syrup. Make sure it stays under (cheeky kahm yeast can pop by), leave it in your fridge for 5-7 days.

No need to poke it, its just resting. After its done, you can move forward to the third stage, the most elaborate process, when you slowly dehydrate your mushrooms while you keep brushing them with the agave bath once every hour till its fully candied. I usually keep my dehydrator on the highest heat - and i make sure i have nothing else to do on that day that needs me to leave my kitchen for a long time. U need to keep your eyes on your shroom - you don't want them to get rock hard, u want them to reach a naughty chewiness. Have no idea how long this takes, u brush them or dip them in your agave at least 5-6 times. This part is done, your shrooms should already taste amazing like a sour candy. U can use them like this, or put the cherry on top with the last stage: temper some very good quality chocolate and dip your shrooms in it and let it solidify. VOILA. If u want to polish it even more, blow some golden dust all over.

A bit of pain, a bit of time, but the results will pay for all of the sweat. If you dont believe it, see it. :)