Dryad’s saddle is one of the most encouraging and common fungi I encounter in the Midwest, as it often fruits in groups, can grow to massive sizes, and can be found during spring, summer, and fall. It is easily identifiable as it is a polypore (with ‘pores’ instead of gills on the underside) that looks strikingly similar to a pheasant’s back (hence the name “pheasant’s back”), and it has a distinct watermelon/cucumber scent (thanks to the compound trans-2-nonenal). It is also highly nutritious (filling a unique niche for vegetarian diets) thanks to its high protein content, B and D vitamins, and antioxidant and anti-tumor properties.
I have tried many preparations of dryad’s saddle as someone who appreciates experimenting and foraging for my own food. As you can imagine, I’ve come across a ton of dryad’s saddle while foraging in Wisconsin and have found only a few preparations to be genuinely delicious or useful. My top recommendations are “dryad’s saddle schnitzel” (flattened, breaded and fried), dehydrated powder (useful for broths and teas while being storage-friendly), and, of course, dryad’s saddle candy.
Aside from the very chewy texture of large specimens, the other main challenge with using dryad’s saddle in a culinary context is its distinct watermelon flavor. The flavor can be reduced or covered up if you want to use it in a more “traditional mushroom” or savory way, (either by long periods of drying, sauteeing, boiling, or marinating), but I am intrigued by the idea of appreciating this powerhouse of a food for all it has to offer.
I have come across countless recommendations to “turn it into candy,” but have encountered few (if any) actual recipes for how to do so successfully. For this recipe, I used my homemade chili lime salt, which I created by drying and grinding home-grown lime and spicy chili peppers into a powder and adding salt. Of course it might be more efficient to use storebought Tajin or your own combination of ingredients for the candy topping that inspires you. While this recipe uses a dehydrator, I imagine that it is possible to make a “true” confection as well (bringing the sugar syrup to a much higher temperature to caramelize and harden the sugars without a dehydrator). I hope to experiment with other methods in the future, but I was very pleasantly surprised with the results of the following method.
Dryad’s Saddle Chili Lime “Watermelon” Candy
Equipment
- 1 Dehydrator
Ingredients
- 2 cups dryad's saddle mushroom small pieces, thinly sliced
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 lime zest and juice
- 1/2 cup sugar for coating
- 1 Tbsp. chili lime salt OR Tajin seasoning for coating
Instructions
- Combine 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water in a saucepan over medium heat until it dissolves.
- Wash dryad’s saddle and chop or cut into small, thin pieces totaling about 2 cups. Younger specimens (about the size of your hand or smaller) are more tender. Discard the tough, black, corky part of the stem into your compost.
- Zest and juice lime. Add into hot sugar solution and mix well.
- Add dryad’s saddle pieces into the sugar and lime mixture, still over medium heat.
- Simmer for about 45 minutes or until the ‘sauce’ has reduced to a thick coating and the dryad’s saddle pieces are translucent. If it seems to be taking too long for the water to evaporate, you can turn it up to medium-high heat, but be very careful near the end of the cooking process so it doesn’t scorch. There should be very little leftover liquid sitting in the pot.
- Mix ½ cup sugar and 1 Tbsp. chili lime salt (or Tajin seasoning) together in a separate bowl.
- Use a slotted spoon to ‘drain’ the cooked dryad’s saddle pieces and then mix them into the coating so that each piece is completely covered (or add pieces into coating one by one).
- Place on parchment paper fit to a dehydrator tray, ensuring separation between pieces.
- Dehydrate at around 145° F for about 48 hours to prevent candies from becoming too sticky when stored. I enjoyed it dehydrated to the point where the inside was still chewy, but you could dehydrate for longer for a harder candy too. Store sealed in a dry place or in refrigerator for best results. If the candy becomes sticky, return them to the dehydrator for longer. A light dusting of tapioca starch can help prevent stickiness.
If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear how it went – please leave a comment! Remember to always be certain of identification when foraging plants or mushrooms from the wild. If you are interested in more recipes using dryad’s saddle, check out my post about how to make dryad’s saddle jerky (also using a dehydrator)! If you liked this post and are interested in foraging, cooking with foraged foods, mushrooms, herbalism, and handmade natural products, please subscribe to my email list to be alerted about new posts.
Happy foraging,
Josh
