Thursday, August 23, 2007

Preserving your Fresh Mushrooms

Pickling Your Mushrooms

How to Pickle Mushrooms
Pickling is a preservation process for mushrooms. Lactic acid or vinegar is added directly the mushrooms you wish to preserve. A good method is bringing a couple of cups of white vinegar, a tablespoon of salt, peppercorns, garlic and bay leaves to a boil and then add whole petite mushrooms or quartered mushrooms. Gently boil the mixture for about 8-10 minutes. Spoon the mushrooms into hot sterilized jars. Pour in a few tablespoons of good quality olive oil, put the cap on the jar, and gently shake to make sure that everything is covered in oil. Keep refrigerated.

Uses
Are great as appetizers or side dishes. Put them out at parties, events, and get togethers.

Pros
- You can use any variety of mushroom, but whites, browns, shiitake and oysters response the best and produce a great flavour.
- Very easy process to do at home.

Cons
- You have to be very careful when planning on keeping pickled mushrooms for a long period of time. Improper techniques and acid balance could lead to Botulism or other serious food poisoning.
- Should use the pickled mushrooms within a week.

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