Pickled Wild Mushrooms

wild mushrooms packed into glass jars surrounded by vinegar and pickling spice

Proper details of how to water bath are not included here. It’s my recommendation that if this is your first time, maybe hold off and do a few rounds of canning with a seasoned canner before attempting canning on your own – both so you don’t waste product and/or hurt someone from poorly preserved food. 

Find or buy 20 lbs of wild, confirmed edible mushrooms. I’ve done just chanterelle and more recently, a combination of honey fungus, chanterelles and lobster mushrooms.

Clean (as best you can) , cut and boil in salty water (the salt level should be somewhere between the Pacific ocean and your tears) for 5-10 minutes (lobsters are dense so go 10 min on those, delicate mushrooms will only need 5 minutes).

In a big canning pot, start your water bath at the same time (leave enough space for the jars to fit, plus 1” of air at the top so you’re not bubbling over.

Make your Pickling Liquid: 

3 Pints water

3 Pints 5% vinegar (white distilled is fine, it’s the % of acetic acid that matters) 

1 TBS shiitake concentrate, aka mushroom seasoning (not optional, otherwise vinegar to water ratio will really need to be adjusted) – found at the Asian market. MSG is another option, but haters are gonna hate so mushroom seasoning is more appropriate.

1 Tbs peppercorns 

5 torn bay leaves

1 Tbs coriander

2 tsp chile flakes (optional) 

1 tsp dried or 2 Tbs fresh thyme

1 tsp dried dill or whatever you want

Salt your pickling liquid to taste.

Bring pickling liquid to a boil and turn down to a simmer til you’re ready to use it.

Sanitize your pickling jars and lids.

Fill em with boiled, drained mushrooms til 1/2” from the top of the jar. You can cram em in there a lil bit.

Bring pickling liquid up to a boil and cover the mushrooms. leave 1/2” of head space

Seal loosely.

Waterbath 10 minutes (that’s boiling time, not including time it takes to come to a roiling boil) if jars/liquid are still very hot, 15 minutes if your jars have cooled down before going into the water bath.

Double check that seals work and store for all those winter charcuterie boards and potlucks.

wild mushrooms packed into glass jars surrounded by vinegar and pickling spice