Recipe: Mushrooms Pickled with Garlic and Jalapeño

Recipes title

Mushrooms Pickled
with Garlic and Jalapeño

First, let me be clear that these aren't truly canned—they aren't immortal. You should refrigerate them and eat them within two or three weeks. You could buy ten pound of mushrooms and can 7 or 8 jars, but that starts feeling like real work. Since they are so easy and one jar lasts a couple weeks, I make a jar at a time when the spirit moves me. These make a good side to a sandwich, but around here most of the mushrooms get eaten as an appetizer. Usually I put a small bowl of them on the counter with some toothpicks and nibble on them while fixing dinner. But for company I put them on a platter with other antipasti sorts of things, such as roasted red peppers, olives, and cornichons (gerkins).

Makes 1 qt.

You need...

45 minutes
3-qt. pan with a lid
1 qt. canning jar (such as a Mason jar) with a lid 1-1/2 pounds white mushrooms, the smaller the better
1 cup water
1/4 medium onion
8 cloves garlic
1 jalapeño pepper

Pickling liquid:

1 cup white vinegar
1 cup water
1 t. salt1)

Wash the mushrooms. Leave small mushrooms whole, but halve or quarter the larger ones.

2) Put the mushrooms in a pan with 1 cup water. Cover and boil until all the mushrooms are cooked, about 10 minutes. Stir them once or twice during that time. (You'll know when they're done, they will all have the same sort of gray color) Drain the mushrooms. (Save the broth, it makes a great start for risotto or soup.)

3) While the mushrooms cook, peel the garlic, but leave the cloves whole. Peel and cut an onion into quarters, then cut the jalapeño pepper almost in half—leave it attached at the top.

4) Alternate putting the mushrooms in the Mason jar with the garlic cloves, 1/4 onion, and jalapeño pepper.

5) Bring the vinegar, water, and salt to a boil, then pour it over the mushrooms. The pickling solution should just cover the mushrooms. Let it cool, then cover and refrigerate overnight before eating.

Note:

I find that about 1-1/2 pounds of mushrooms fill a 1-qt. Mason jar nicely. Depending on the size of mushrooms you get and how much they shrink while cooking, you may get more or less in the jar. Then, depending on how many mushrooms you get in the jar, you may not need all the pickling solution. On the other hand you might need just a touch more. In that case, mix up equal parts water and vinegar, bring it to a boil and top off the jar.