Simple recipes for pickling porcini mushrooms at home using hot and cold methods for the winter

How to properly pickle porcini mushrooms—the answer to this question determines the taste of the product and your health. If you have gastrointestinal issues, pickled mushrooms containing vinegar won't please lovers of this delicious cold appetizer. In this case, simple recipes for pickling porcini mushrooms in a barrel or jars come to the rescue. From a variety of recipes, every homemaker can choose the one that's best.

The intricacies of pickling porcini mushrooms for the winter

Mushroom pickers should first gather boletus mushrooms. Although many hobbyists prefer to use all the mushrooms they find (moss caps, oak mushrooms), porcini mushrooms have the best flavor. Once home or at a rest stop in the forest, you'll need to sort through the boletus.

Large, overgrown mushrooms are best used for drying, including those with worms. For pickling and salting, it's best to use young mushrooms, untouched by worms, even if the stems are to the worms' taste.

The final taste of the snack and the safety of your family depend on the quality of the preparatory work. To remove worms and harmful substances, the mushrooms are pre-soaked in salted water, which will require replacing with fresh water several times over a short period of time. Add at least 1 tablespoon of salt per liter of water. The mushrooms are then rinsed again in several different waters before proceeding to the main stage.

There are different ways to salt or pickle forest gifts.

The spices and flavorings used vary, but the only thing that remains constant is the absence of vinegar in the recipes and the use of beautiful forest boletus mushrooms and table salt in each.

Which mushrooms are suitable for pickling?

Different regions use different types of white mushrooms for pickling, but boletus mushrooms are the most delicious. Young, small mushrooms with attractive brown caps are selected for pickling. In the industry, these are called Group 1 mushrooms. If the lower tubular layer has already turned greenish, it's best to dry them in the oven. The same applies to boletus mushrooms with extensive damage to the cap. Forest dwellers also enjoy eating mushrooms.

The ideal raw material is young mushrooms, with caps that haven't yet opened and thick, worm-free stems. Larger mushrooms, with open caps, will need to be cut into several pieces for better salting.

Important! Regardless of size, the most important factors to consider when choosing a worm-free peat are the absence of worms, the white surface of the tubular layer, and the absence of signs of animal damage or rot.

How to pickle porcini mushrooms at home

Every avid fan of this cold appetizer has their own cherished recipe; we'll give just a few options for quickly preparing these delicious dishes.

A simple recipe

Boletus mushrooms are salted according to the following scheme:

• Clean the mushroom bucket of debris and dirt. Remove the tough skin from the stems. Separate the stems from the caps; if the mushrooms are large, cut them into pieces. If the stem is worm-eaten, discard it and use only the cap.
• Rinse the caps in several washes and place them in a saucepan of water. Bring to a boil, then place the mixture in a colander and let it drain and cool.

• Jars for storing pickles or wooden barrels are thoroughly washed with mustard, scalded with boiling water or sterilized.
• The caps are laid out in layers 20-30 mm thick, sprinkling each layer with coarse rock salt. Don't skimp on salt, as it affects the product's shelf life and final taste.
• A wooden circle is placed on top and oppression is applied.

Now leave the mushrooms at room temperature for 5-7 days. Regularly drain the top layer of brine and skim off any foam. Once the mushrooms have been salted and settled, store them in the refrigerator or, after separating them into bags, in the freezer. Now you can cook fresh mushrooms in the winter or, drizzle them with vegetable oil and sprinkle them with a layer of onions, serve them as a cold appetizer.

In jars using the hot method

Fast salt the mushrooms will allow the use of this technique:

• To prepare, in addition to 1.5-2 kg of white mushrooms, you will need to prepare tarragon and 2 small heads of shallots, 90 g of salt, a medium-sized head of garlic, 3-5 umbrellas of dill, peppercorns to taste, 2 horseradish leaves and 1 liter of purified water.
• Heat salted water in a saucepan, add mushrooms and bring the water to a boil over medium heat.
• Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

• Jars and lids are sterilized in a water bath.
• While the mushrooms are cooking, prepare the brine. Add 10-20 grams of salt and all the spices per liter of water. Just before the mushrooms are ready, bring the brine to a boil.
• Place the mushrooms in a colander, let the water drain a little, and then arrange them in jars.
• Each jar is completely filled with aromatic brine and hermetically sealed with steel lids.

The jars are turned upside down and wrapped in a blanket until completely cool. After this, the pickles are stored in a cool place.

Cold method

The recipe is given for preparing 10 liters of pickles:

• 5 kg of porcini mushrooms are cleaned and placed in a pot of salted water for several hours. This will allow them to rinse thoroughly and remove any insects from the flesh.
• The water is drained, the mushrooms are placed in a colander and excess moisture is allowed to drain off.
• Meanwhile, 10 cloves of garlic are thinly sliced, 10 dill umbels, 20 oak and cherry leaves are washed, and the greens are further treated with boiling water.

• Pour boiling water over barrels or glass containers and wash 5-6 horseradish leaves.
• Pour 1 heaped tablespoon of salt onto the bottom of the barrel, add horseradish, and then lay the mushrooms evenly, caps down, in a layer no more than 20 mm thick.
• Each layer is sprinkled with salt and spices.
• Leaving a small space at the top of the container to collect excess brine and place a weight, cover the mushrooms with a few horseradish leaves, sprinkle with a handful of mustard powder and place a napkin made of natural material on top.

At least once every three days, rinse the cloth and pour boiling water over it. Skim off any foam and add salt water if necessary. Store the pickles in the cellar, or after 30 days, place the caps in jars and refrigerate.

Dry salting

To prepare, you only need to prepare young mushrooms. The method doesn't require much time or effort. The prepared mushrooms are thinly sliced ​​and allowed to dry, then placed in a container, sprinkled with coarse salt, and mixed gently.

The slices are tightly packed into sterilized jars, interspersed with a few oak, currant, or cherry leaves between each layer. Once the jars are completely filled, a few sprinkles of salt are sprinkled on top and the jars are sealed tightly.

The product will be ready to eat after 40 days. Store the pickles in a cool, dark place.

With ginger

This recipe uses ginger root, garlic, dill umbels, and other spices to taste. The prepared caps are placed in a container, layering each layer with salt, and covered with water. The pickled mixture is kept under pressure for 3-4 days, constantly changing the brine and napkins.

The soaked mushrooms are placed in sterilized jars or a barrel. A few currant leaves, cherry leaves, spices, and seasonings are placed on each layer of white mushrooms. A weight is placed on top and the mushrooms are stored in a cool place for storage.

Periodically, it is necessary to scald the napkin with boiling water.

With the addition of garlic and oil

The process follows the cold-curing method. It's recommended to use any spices and seasonings to suit your taste. Horseradish, cherry, currant, and oak leaves will add additional flavor notes. Garlic is used in many recipes, but vegetable oil can be added to any preserve recipe. The fat layer prevents food from becoming moldy during long-term storage.

Therefore, at the final stage, pour oil over the entire layer of mushrooms and spices until the film completely covers the surface of the container. The vegetable oil can be replaced with 100-200 grams of vodka or alcohol.

With onions

The pickling steps are similar to the hot pickling method, but sliced ​​onions are added to the spices. To prepare a bucket of porcini mushrooms, you'll need 500-600 g of coarse salt, currant leaves, allspice peas, and dill sprigs to taste.

Boil the mushrooms for 20 minutes, drain in a colander, and once cool, place them in sterilized jars, layering each layer with salt and spices. This appetizer will be ready to eat in a week.

How and how long can pickled mushrooms be stored?

Regardless of the curing method, all types of pickles have a shelf life of no more than 9 months. However, each curing method requires certain care steps. If the mushrooms are stored in a barrel under pressure, a deep, cool cellar is required for storage. At least once every 2-3 days, rinse the napkin with boiling water, removing the foam layer and excess brine from the top.

If the first mold spots have appeared on the top of the mushrooms, don't despair and throw the porcini caps in the trash. A 150g vodka or vegetable oil solution will help. The vodka layer will disinfect the pickles and prevent rot. Mushrooms that have been cold-salted and stored in the refrigerator should be treated in a similar manner, with constant monitoring of their shelf life.

White pickles, prepared using the hot method and hermetically sealed in jars, require little care. Simply store them in the pantry or basement, and you can enjoy the exquisite taste of pickles until the new season.

Conclusion

Every home cook can prepare a delicious and healthy cold appetizer using salted porcini mushrooms. All it takes is a few simple steps and careful attention to the rules for storing pickles. This way, your family can enjoy the exquisite flavor of salted porcini mushrooms with hints of spices and all kinds of seasonings.