How to pickle honey mushrooms in jars and barrels at home for the winter: simple recipes and storage conditions

How to properly and, most importantly, deliciously pickle honey mushrooms is a question many inexperienced mushroom pickers face when they discover large swathes of these saprophytes in the forest. Knowing and knowing how to process and pickle honey mushrooms will help preserve their beneficial properties and provide your family with a tasty and healthy daily meal.

Is it possible to pickle honey mushrooms for the winter?

There's a clear answer to this question: not only is it possible, but it's also necessary. Mushrooms, pre-coated with layers of salt and spices, can be preserved for a long time and transported over long distances. Once home, the salted mushrooms are placed in plastic bags and frozen. Now the family can enjoy a delicious, aromatic mushroom soup with fresh mushrooms, or they can be used to fry potatoes with them.

In addition, pickled honey mushrooms are used as a cold appetizer. These pickles have many uses, but the key is to follow the simple steps exactly as per the recipe.

How to choose and prepare mushrooms

They should be picked at the forest harvesting stage. It's not recommended to pick mushrooms with darkened undersides—these are already aged saprophytes. This unpleasant coloring doesn't wash out with water. The resulting pickled mushrooms will have an unappealing appearance and taste.

It's a good idea to come across a few fallen trees with mushrooms whose caps haven't yet opened. They have very thick stems and, judging by their appearance, can be mistaken for birch boletes.

Before preparing, or better yet, while still in the forest, the mushrooms are poured out and sorted. Be sure to remove any bugs from under the caps, otherwise you'll be sure to end up with swarms of flying bugs on your walls. It's best to wash the mushrooms outside under running water. But first, soak them in salted water and apply a light weight—this will allow the bugs to crawl out and fly away unhindered.

Each mushroom is then rinsed under running water, and any with broken caps or wormy stems are removed. The washing process is repeated several times, discarding damaged mushrooms and removing any insects.

Advice! If you have to buy mushrooms, don't skimp on old ones with darkened caps—such savings will lead to the need to buy a new batch of mushrooms or to making tasteless pickles for the winter.

How to pickle honey mushrooms for the winter at home

This simple process can be accomplished in several ways; the key is to approach the task responsibly, and your family will be provided with delicious cold appetizers on the holiday table this winter.

Hot method

This method of pickling allows you to preserve salted honey mushrooms in airtight jars, allowing you to store them in your pantry. Place the prepared mushrooms in a saucepan and add water and salt at a ratio of 400 g of water and 20-30 g of rock salt per 1 kg of mushrooms. Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring occasionally, and discard the first water. Add a fresh batch of salted water and simmer for 20-25 minutes.

Place 2-3 cloves of garlic, 2-3 bay leaves, 3-4 sprigs of dill, and 2-3 allspice peas into jars. Fill the jars to the top with mushrooms, cover with currant leaves, and add a weight. Let the mushrooms marinate for 5 days, then distribute them among small jars, sterilize them in a water bath for 10-15 minutes, and seal with lids.

Cold method

This recipe allows you to salt honey mushrooms without subjecting them to heat treatment:

• For pickling, it's recommended to use wooden containers or large, wide-mouthed glass jars. It's not recommended for pickling summer mushrooms.
• Wash 4 kg of mushrooms and place them in a colander to drain off excess moisture.

• Cover the bottom of the container with a thin layer of salt, add 1.5 tablespoons of mustard seeds and a horseradish leaf.
• Place the mushrooms in layers, covering each layer with salt and spices.
• Place a few horseradish leaves, 10-15 allspice peas on top and apply pressure.
• Place in a dark place at room temperature. After three days, a layer of juice should appear on top. If this doesn't happen, dilute 1 tablespoon of salt in each liter of purified water and pour the brine into a saucepan until the water level is 10-15 mm above the mushroom layer.

The mushrooms are stored in a cool cellar, and every 2-3 days, a gauze napkin is scalded and the foam is removed. After a month, the mushrooms are ready to eat. Now they can be divided into small containers and stored in the refrigerator, or placed in portions in plastic bags and placed in the freezer.

In cucumber brine

The recipe is simple. For every 1 kg of washed honey mushrooms, prepare a 500 g jar of cucumber brine, 2 level tablespoons of salt, a few bay leaves, and a few sprigs of dill. Boil the mushrooms in salted water for 20-25 minutes, stirring constantly and skimming off any foam. Drain the mushrooms in a colander. Add the spices and a few crushed cloves of garlic to washed and scalded pickling containers. Then add the mushrooms and pour in the cucumber brine.

Place a gauze napkin on top and add a weight. The barrel is stored in a cool basement for 6-7 days. Then, the semi-finished product is poured into clean glass jars and refrigerated. After 10-14 days, the mushrooms are ready to serve, garnished with chopped onions and sunflower oil.

The quick way

This method allows you to seal mushrooms in glass jars or food containers and store the finished product in the refrigerator. To prepare 10 kg of mushrooms, place them in a large saucepan with 6-7 liters of purified water, 400 g of salt, 20 allspice peas, 5-7 dill sprigs, and bay leaves to taste.

Place the saucepan over the stove, bring to a boil, and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Drain the mushrooms in a colander, and pour the hot brine into a separate container. Once the mushrooms have cooled, arrange them in jars, bring the brine to a boil, and pour into the jars. Refrigerate the jars.

Without vinegar

Vinegar isn't used when pickling any food; it's added when making marinades, but even then, you can get by without the essence. Simply add 100-120 g of salt and up to 40 g of sugar per 1 kg of mushrooms. The product will keep in jars for a long time.

With garlic

Boil 2 kg of honey mushrooms in salted water. Place 5 allspice peas, 15 currant leaves, and 2-4 bay leaves in the bottom of the prepared container. Peel 6-7 garlic cloves and slice them into thin petals. Place a third of the garlic in the bottom of the jar. Place a thin layer of mushrooms, caps down, then sprinkle with a thin layer of salt and garlic. This way, the jar is completely filled with mushrooms and spices.

Place cherry leaves and a gauze napkin on top and apply pressure.

Place the mushrooms in a cool, dark place for 10-15 days, periodically skimming off any foam and scalding a napkin with boiling water—this will preserve the pickles and protect them from mold.

How to pickle frozen honey mushrooms

To prepare 7 servings of mushrooms you will need to prepare:

• frozen honey mushrooms - 2 kg;
• water - 3 l;
• 240-250 g coarse salt;
• black peppercorns and allspice - 10 each;
• carnation - 5-7 buds;
• bay leaf - 5-6 pcs.

Rinse the honey mushrooms in water, add the water to a saucepan, and add the mushrooms and all the spices. Cook over low heat for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally and skimming off any foam. Cover, remove from the stove, and let cool completely. Now the finished product can be placed in jars and stored in the refrigerator. Serve immediately, adding onion rings and vegetable oil.

In a barrel

In these containers, honey mushrooms are salted only using the cold method described above.

Important! When pickling honey mushrooms in large barrels, consider the number of mushrooms. They should fill at least 2/3 of the container's volume.

Siberian style

Horseradish root, garlic cloves, and other spices to taste add a rugged Siberian flavor to this recipe. For every 1 kg of mushrooms, use 2 level tablespoons of salt. Prepare the brine by adding 1 tablespoon of salt per liter of water. Bring to a boil and let cool.

Wash the mushrooms, sprinkle them with salt, stir, and place them in a saucepan with water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Place two horseradish leaves on the bottom of the pan, sprinkle with a third of the spice mixture, and layer the mushrooms, sprinkling each layer with a layer of salt and spices.

Cover with cherry or horseradish leaves, pour in cooled brine, cover with cheesecloth, and apply a weight. Store in a cool place, skim off any foam periodically, and rinse the cheesecloth. After 30 days, the mushrooms will be salted and can be placed in jars and refrigerated.

Rules for storing salted mushrooms

Key points and rules for preserving the finished product:

• The maximum shelf life of home-canned food, regardless of type and recipe, is up to 9 months.
• Pickles stored in containers with loose lids should be regularly inspected for mold. Every 2-3 days, remove the weight, rinse the napkin, and rinse it with boiling water. Remove any foam and excess brine.
• Mushrooms stored in hermetically sealed jars can be stored indoors or in another convenient location. However, placing the jars near heating appliances is not recommended. Pickles in barrels should only be stored in a cool place or refrigerator.

Conclusion

Using simple recipes for pickling honey mushrooms, lovers of this type of pickling can easily prepare a tasty and healthy product that will delight their family until the next mushroom harvest. The main thing is to carefully follow all the instructions for preparing and storing the finished product.