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[chill]

Materials
1.SMALL Styrofoam cooler
2.wire cutters
3.two pieces of wire mesh cut to fit snuggly into the container
4.FINE mesh cloth
5.Calcium chloride AKA damp-rid or dry-z-air. Available from hardware stores. Keep in an airtight container.
6.Small table top electric fan.

Preparation
1.Cut one piece of the wire mesh a bit smaller than the other.
a.This will let it sit lower in the container. You are making a two tier container. The lower level is to hold the desiccant; the top shelf is to hold the mushrooms.
b.It should be small enough that it will go half way down the cooler
2.Push the smaller wire mesh ½ way down and into the Styrofoam.
3.Cut the mesh cloth to fit over the wire mesh. Place it on the wire mesh inside the cooler.
4.Push the larger piece of wire mesh into the foam. It should be several inches above the first piece but also several inches from the top of the cooler. This is the shelf for the shrooms.
5.Cover the wire mesh w/ the cloth mesh.
6.Note: don’t push the wire mesh too far into the Styrofoam as you will need to take it apart and put it back together depending on what you are doing.

Steps
1.Pick your mushrooms
2.Place in front of the fan and use the fan to dry the shrooms for one day.
3.Next place the calcium chloride on the lower shelf of the cooler.
4.Replace the second shelf and put the mushrooms on that
5.Place the lid on the cooler and put something heavy on it to reduce the amount of air that gets into it.
6.Give it two or three days and then check.
7.The mushrooms are dry when you can snap them like a twig.

Storage
1.Place shrooms in a zip lock bag and store in a cool, dry and dark place.
2.A fancier way of doing this is to use a food saver vacuum sealer.