Pickled Wild Mushrooms Recipe (2024)

Ingredients

• -3 pounds wild mushrooms (click here for our guide on how to identify and find wild mushrooms)
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
• 3 cups of white vinegar of at least 5 percent acidity (check the label)
• 1 cup white wine
• ⅓ cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons pickling salt
• 8 whole black peppercorns
• 1 large dried chiles, chopped (optional)
• 7-8 fresh basil leaves
• 2 bay leaves
• For the olive oil cure method: 3 parts vinegar and 1 part olive oil

Process

1. Wash four 1-pint glass canning jars, their rings and lids in a dishwasher or with hot, soapy water and rinse them thoroughly. Place the jars in the canner (or in a large pot fitted with a metal rack) and cover with hot water. Bring the water to a boil and boil vigorously for 10 minutes (this is a similiar process to our annual tomato canning effort). You may leave the jars in the hot water while you prepare the mushrooms.
2. A few minutes before you are ready to transfer the mushrooms to the jars, pour simmering -- not boiling -- water over the lids to soften the seal, or follow the manufacturer's instructions.
3. Use a damp cloth to wipe any dirt or sand from the mushrooms. Cut any larger mushrooms into halves or quarters; leave them whole if they are a manageable size. Set the mushrooms aside.
4. Combine the vinegar, 1 cup water, the sugar, pickling salt, peppercorns, garlic, basil, chiles in a large pot. Bring the mixture to a boil and then add the mushrooms. Bring the mixture back to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Drain the jars and pack the mushrooms into the hot, sterilized jars, leaving ½ inch headspace at the top of each jar. Pour the hot pickling liquid into the jars to cover the mushrooms. Thoroughly wipe the rims and threads of the jars with a clean, damp cloth. Set the lids in place and screw on the rings. Any jar that has more than ½ inch headspace should be refrigerated, not processed, and eaten within a couple of weeks.
6. Fill the canner with hot water and add the jars; the jars should be covered by 1 to 2 inches. Cover the canner and bring the water to a boil. Start timing once the water reaches a boil and process for 10 minutes. Using a jar lifter, remover the jars from the pot and let cool for at least 12 hours in a location without any drafts. To test the seal after this time, press down on the lid; it should not move when pressed.
7. Set aside in a cool, dry and dark place for at least 2 weeks before using. The pickled wild mushrooms will keep for up to 1 year. Discard if at any time the mixture looks moldy, foamy or murky, or if it does not smell right when opened.

Notes

Optional Method: My mother's specific recipe produces more of an olive oil cured mushroom and it includes placing the boiled mushrooms in a jar with 3 parts vinegar and 1 part olive oil (the pictures above are of olive oil cured wild mushrooms).