The "gills" look like thousands of tiny stalagtites, and brush off easily. The mushroom is very meaty.
Since I last posted this, I have dried many things in the smoker, including storebought `schrooms. To smoke/dry, I lay the sliced `schrooms on screens my DH made me from stainless steel. The CS shrimp racks, or whatever they are called, will work fine. I set the thing on 100 degrees, and I use whatever little bits of wood happen to be in the smokebox. Just a wee bit, cuz the `schrooms really absorb the smoke. Then, I just leave `em there for around 24 hours, depending on how thick the mushrooms are. Check at twelve. Since you are drying them to grind, you take them all the way to, what I call, bacon stage. Dry, hard, and crisp. You cannot overcook, cuz once they're dry, they're dry! Cool them away from moisture, grind, and jar. That's it!
I never make a cheese sauce anymore w/o mushroom powder. Be aware that if you use too much, it will act as a thickener in liquids. It will rehydrate even from it's powdered form. Thusly, it makes a fine addition to the hunting pack. Add water and have soup.
