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Mushroom Marinade for One Liter of Water for Winter
Instructions
I prepare all the ingredients. Ready-made 9% vinegar can be replaced with vinegar essence – it needs to be diluted with water in a ratio of 1:8. The jars and lids should be sterilised in advance – without this, even hot marinade does not guarantee that the mushrooms will keep for a year.
I clean the mushrooms of debris and boil them (the time depends on the variety) in water without salt. Salt at the pre-boiling stage slows the release of bitterness in some varieties, so I do not add it at this stage. At the same time I measure out all the ingredients for the marinade.
I pour water into a saucepan and add all the dry ingredients – salt, sugar, bay leaf, allspice, black pepper and cloves. Adding all the spices at once gives them time to open up during boiling.
I stir the mixture with a spoon – the salt and sugar should dissolve completely, otherwise they will settle at the bottom of the jars and spoil the look of the finished preserve.
I put the saucepan on the stove and bring it to a boil. Boiling water is needed both to dissolve the salt and sugar and to pasteurise the spices – some spices (especially cloves) need heat treatment to release their aroma.
I pour in the vinegar at exactly this stage and not earlier – long boiling of vinegar evaporates the acetic acid, and the marinade loses its strength as a preservative.
I immediately add the mushrooms to the marinade and cook them for 5 minutes. This sequence applies to those mushrooms that were pre-boiled for a long time (about 40 minutes) or to those that do not need additional heat treatment. The other mushrooms I cook in the marinade without vinegar for 15 minutes, then pour in the vinegar and cook for another 5 minutes – this way the mushrooms have time to cook through completely, and the vinegar does not lose its strength.
I distribute the mushrooms among the jars – they should take up about 75% of the volume of the glass container and float freely in the marinade, which is poured right to the top. Mushrooms that are packed in tightly will not soak up the marinade evenly.
I screw the lids onto the jars and turn them upside down – this sterilises both the lid and the neck, and also checks the seam for a tight seal. I tuck the sealed jars under a warm blanket and leave them until completely cool – slow cooling under a blanket works like a mini-autoclave, finishing off any remaining microflora.This marinade for mushrooms for one liter of water is enough for about two one-litre jars. This proportion is easy to recalculate for any number of jars. The universal composition has proved itself perfectly with different kinds of mushrooms. After opening the jar, the mushrooms should be rinsed under running water, seasoned with spring onion and herbs, and drizzled with vegetable oil.
Tips
- 1
VINEGAR AT THE END – the "secret" to a strong marinade. Vinegar added to boiling water for 5 or more minutes evaporates. Adding it just seconds before the mushrooms go in keeps all the acetic acid intact, so it works as a preservative at full strength.
- 2
BOILING WITHOUT SALT – the "secret" against bitterness. Salt at the pre-boiling stage makes some varieties (especially forest mushrooms) release bitterness too early. Boil in clean water, then use a salty marinade – the mushrooms turn out tender, with no off-flavours. The same trick works when freezing herbs for winter.
- 3
75% OF THE JAR – the "secret" to even marinating. Tightly packed mushrooms do not soak up the marinade in the middle. 75% mushrooms + 25% marinade on top – all the pieces float freely and are salted evenly.
- 4
WRAPPING IN A BLANKET – the "secret" of a mini-autoclave. A jar simply left on the table cools down in a couple of hours – the temperature drops fast, without time to kill all the microflora. Under a blanket the jar cools over 10–12 hours – long contact with the hot marinade finally sterilises the contents. The same principle is used in tomatoes in their own juice for winter without sterilisation.
FAQ
How long should different kinds of mushrooms be boiled before marinating? +
Honey mushrooms, butter mushrooms and chanterelles – 25–30 minutes separately in boiling water, then 5 minutes in the marinade. Porcini, aspen mushrooms and birch boletes – 30–40 minutes, then 5 minutes in the marinade. Champignons, oyster mushrooms and saffron milk caps – no pre-boiling required; they are cooked in the marinade for 15 minutes without vinegar plus 5 minutes with vinegar. Russulas – 15 minutes separately, then 5 minutes in the marinade. Milk mushrooms and woolly milkcaps – soak for a day in cold water, then boil for 30 minutes, then 5 minutes in the marinade. When in doubt, boil longer: undercooked mushrooms can be dangerous.
What can replace 9% vinegar in the marinade? +
The direct equivalent is 70% vinegar essence diluted with water 1:8 (that is, 1 tsp of essence to 8 tsp of water – which gives the required 4 tbsp of 9% vinegar). Alternatives: 6% apple cider vinegar (you need 6 tbsp instead of 4 tbsp of 9%, a mild fruity note), 6% white wine vinegar (6 tbsp, neutral), citric acid (1 heaped tsp per 1 l of marinade, a more delicate sourness). Do not use: balsamic vinegar (dark, it will change the colour and taste of the mushrooms), 4% rice vinegar (too weak for preserving). For the "classic" version – ordinary 9% table vinegar.
How long do the marinated mushrooms made by this recipe keep? +
In a cool pantry (8–15°C) – up to 1.5 years without loss of quality. In an ordinary kitchen cupboard at room temperature – up to 1 year. After opening the jar – 5–7 days in the fridge under a lid. Signs of spoilage: a bulging lid, cloudy marinade with bubbles of fermentation, a sour or rotten smell, a film on the surface – I throw such a jar away without regret. A dangerous sign for mushrooms is the absence of a "pop" sound when the jar is first opened: this means the vacuum has been broken and the preserve may have started to ferment. Pay special attention to botulism: at the slightest doubt I do not open the jar.
What to do if the marinade turns out too sour or too bland? +
Too sour – I reduce the vinegar to 3 tbsp (instead of 4) and add an extra 0.5 tbsp of sugar. Too bland – I increase the vinegar to 5 tbsp or add another 1 tbsp of salt. The main thing is to strictly keep at least 3 tbsp of 9% vinegar per 1 litre of water, otherwise the preserving effect is lost. After opening the jar the acidity can also be adjusted: bland mushrooms can be sprinkled with lemon juice before serving, sour ones can be rinsed with water and dressed with oil without vinegar. As the marinade ages, the sharpness of its aroma becomes milder, and after 2–3 months of storage the preserve tastes better than right after sealing.
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