Pickled chanterelles
This year has been great for chanterelles. One of my favourite ways of preserving these tasty wild mushrooms is pickling. Pickling wild mushrooms is relatively easy and very rewarding when it comes to taste.
Foraged ingredient: Chanterelles
What you need:
Freshly picked chanterelles, 400 gr will be enough to prepare 2-3 small jars
White vinegar of you choice
1 medium onion
1 medium carrot
Mustard seeds, bay leaves, allspice, sugar, salt
Medium and small sterilised jars with lids.
Method:
Prepare and clean your mushrooms. You’ll have to cook them before pickling; simply boil your chanterelles in salted water for 15 mins and drain.
To prepare pickling solution mix vinegar with water in 1:2 proportions (half a cup of vinegar mix with 1 cup of water). Add 2-3 tbs of sugar, spices of your choice and let it simmer for 10 mins, making sure that sugar dissolves completely. Pickling solution is very individual when it comes to taste. Don’t be afraid to try it. If you prefer is sweeter just add some more sugar. You can also experiment with adding different spices or herbs.
In the meantime tightly pack small jars with cooked mushrooms.
You can add a slice of onion or some chopped carrots.
Pour hot pickling solution into the jars and screw the lids tightly.
Now you can pasteurise your pickles. There are different ways of doing it, you can either do in the oven - ‘baking’ your filled jars, or simply put the jars into the pan, bring to boil and simmer for 15 mins, then turn it upside down and let it cool down.