Sichuan Style Mushroom Jerky 

Ingredients:

• 8 oz dried mushrooms (shiitake or cremini)
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns
• 1 tbsp chili flakes or dried chili pepper
• 1 tsp five spice powder
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp oil

Instructions

Soak the dried mushrooms in warm water for about 30 minutes, or until they are rehydrated and soft. Drain and slice them into thin strips.

In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, Sichuan peppercorns, chili flakes, five spice powder, ginger, and minced garlic.

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and stir fry for about 5 minutes, or until they are cooked through and slightly browned.

Remove the mushrooms from the pan and add the marinade. Bring the marinade to a boil and then remove it from the heat.

Place the mushrooms in a large bowl and pour the hot marinade over them. Toss the mushrooms to coat them evenly with the marinade.

Place the marinated mushrooms on the dehydrator trays of a  food dehydrator such as the Nesco FD-75A Snackmaster Pro Food Dehydrator.

Set the dehydrator to 145°F and dry the mushrooms for 6-8 hours or until they are dry and crispy.

The Nesco FD-75A Snackmaster Pro Food Dehydrator is a good choice for this recipe because it has a high temperature setting of 145°F which is ideal for dehydrating meat and mushrooms. The adjustable thermostat and fan speed control also allow for precise temperature and air flow control which results in evenly dried food. It also has a capacity to hold up to 12 trays at a time, so you can dehydrate a large batch of mushroom jerky at once.