Methods and recipes for pickling porcini mushrooms at home (+23 photos)

Preparations for the winter

Porcini mushrooms are very popular among mushroom pickers and home cooks. There's a reason for this: fresh specimens exude a pleasant mushroom aroma immediately after cleaning, and the taste of the finished product is excellent. One common method of home preservation is pickling. There are many ways to pickle porcini mushrooms, including both hot and cold.

Features of the species and useful properties

The Boletus genus has an attractive, appetizing appearance and impressive size. The diameter of its cap (initially convex, then later flat-convex) can range from 7 to 30 cm (possibly even 50).

Depending on the growing conditions, the skin color varies from brownish-red to almost white, with a variety of shades predominating. In dry weather, the surface is shiny and matte, while in wet weather, it is slightly slimy. The flesh is juicy, firm, and white in young fruits, while fibrous and slightly yellowish in older ones. Its color remains virtually unchanged after cutting.

The boletus mushroom has long been considered a valuable food not only for its taste but also for its nutritional value. Its pulp contains a significant amount of selenium, which helps fight cancer in the early stages. It also contains vital calcium and iron, as well as phytohormones that reduce inflammation.

It contains B vitamins, which support brain and nervous system function. Its antioxidants protect the immune system. Overall, the benefits are numerous. Furthermore, it's versatile in cooking: it can be fried, stewed, marinated, dried, and even salted.

Classic salting method

Ingredients:

selected porcini mushrooms - 3 kg;
cherry leaves and currant leaves - 2 dozen each;
horseradish leaves - 5-7 pcs.;
dill - 1 bunch.

For the marinade:

rock table salt - 6 tbsp;
dried carnation flower buds – 7-10 pcs.;
black pepper - 7-10 peas;
currant leaves - 5-7 pcs.;
bay laurel - 3-4 leaves.

Cooking sequence:

Before you begin preparing whites using the classic recipe, you must first clean them of dirt, sand, and debris and rinse them thoroughly.
Next, place in a saucepan, cover with water, add salt, spices and cook for no more than 30 minutes.
Rinse the mushrooms in a colander under cold running water and let them dry.
Place the pure spices at the bottom of the jars, then a layer of mushrooms on top. Then add more spices and more mushrooms.
Cover the container with undyed cloth and weigh it down with a weight. The mushrooms should be completely covered with brine. If there isn't enough, add cooled boiled water.

In just 2-3 days you can enjoy the taste of this amazing dish.

Dry pickling porcini mushrooms at home

To pickle porcini mushrooms this way, you will need (for 3 liters):

porcini mushrooms – 2 kg;
salt – 300 g.

Cooking steps:

Thinly slice the clean mushrooms. Lay them out on a flat surface and dry them slightly.
Place in a spacious container (for example, a basin), mix there with 1 cup of rock salt, distribute into jars and sprinkle with the rest of the salt.
Cover the jars with lids and put them in the refrigerator.

Advice!

The finished product can be successfully used as a stand-alone snack (mixed with garlic, onions and oil), and also added to soups and other dishes.

How to pickle boletus in jars?

You will need (for 9 l):

porcini mushrooms – 5 kg;
rock salt – 1/4 kg;
vegetable oil – 180 ml.

Cooking sequence:

Place clean and not very coarsely chopped mushrooms in a saucepan with warm salted water (50 g of salt per 5 liters of water).
Boil the porcini mushrooms until half-cooked (this process takes approximately 10 minutes).
Rinse the mushrooms under running water. Drain and then layer them in jars, sprinkling salt every 5 cm (2 inches) thick (for a 1-liter jar, use at least 1 tablespoon of salt, or no more than 1.5 tablespoons).
Boil the plastic lids. Fold them in half once, then again—this will make them springy. Place one lid in each jar, press down, and seal the jar with a nylon lid with holes. Store in a cool place.
After two weeks, remove the lids from the jars and pour the oil over the product. Seal with clean lids (no holes) and store in the refrigerator. The product can be tasted after two weeks.

Hot method

Hot salting allows mushrooms to be stored longer.

Traditional

Ingredients (for 3 l):

porcini mushrooms – 3 kg;
dried clove buds – 1 dozen;
allspice peas – 1 dozen;
currant leaves – 5-6 pcs.;
dill seeds – 10 g;
salt – 100 g;
water – 2 l.

Cooking steps:

Bring water to a boil, add salt (a couple of tablespoons).
Place dried cloves, dill seeds, and peppercorns in boiling water, along with the mushrooms. Cook for 15-20 minutes. By this time, the mushrooms should sink to the bottom and the brine should become clear.
Treat currant leaves with boiling water.
Drain the porcini mushrooms in a colander and let them cool. Don't discard the brine; you'll need it later.
Layer the porcini mushrooms in an enamel or glass dish. Season each layer with salt and cover with currant leaves.
Pour the settled brine (0.5 l) over the mushrooms, you can add a little vegetable oil for good preservation, cover the container with a plastic lid or gauze cloth and put it in a cool place (basement or refrigerator).

Good to know!

This method is also suitable for pickling porcini mushrooms in jars. The quantities listed in the list are enough to fill a 3-liter jar.

The mushrooms will be ready to eat after 3 weeks. It's a good idea to rinse them lightly with water before serving.

With coriander and cloves

Ingredients:

porcini mushrooms - 700 g;
dried clove buds – 3 pcs.;
coriander seeds - 0.5 teaspoon;
coarse non-iodized salt - 45 g;
black pepper - 3 peas;
bay laurel - 1 leaf;
garlic - 5 cloves.

Cooking sequence:

Carefully sort fresh mushrooms, remove damaged areas.
Roughly divide large specimens into pieces; small ones can be left whole. Wash everything.
Cut the garlic cloves into thin slices.
Pour salt into a saucepan with heated water and, after it dissolves, carefully place the mushrooms there.
When the water in the pan starts to boil and foam appears, be sure to skim it off and reduce the heat. Cook for about 15 more minutes.
Add black peppercorns, bay leaves, cloves, and coriander seeds to the fruiting bodies. Mix everything together and cook for an additional 7 minutes.
Remove the mushrooms from the pan and pack them into sterilized jars.
Pour in the strained broth.
Allow the jars to cool, cover with lids and store in a cool (7-8°C) place.

Cold salting

Ingredients (for 10 l):

porcini mushrooms – 5 kg;
horseradish leaves – 6 pcs.;
garlic – 10 cloves;
rock salt – 120 g;
dill umbrellas – 10 pcs.;
oak leaves – 2.5 dozen;
Cherry leaves – 2.5 dozen.

Cooking steps:

Large, cleaned mushrooms can be cut into pieces or only the caps can be left for cooking; small ones can be eaten whole.
Place the porcini mushrooms in salted water (1 teaspoon per 2 liters of water). Heat, but do not bring to a boil.
Drain the water and allow the mushrooms to dry slightly.
Cut the peeled garlic cloves into thin slices.
Pour boiling water over cherry, oak and horseradish leaves, as well as dill inflorescences divided into segments.
Place a horseradish leaf at the bottom of the pickling container and add 1 spoon of salt.
Place the mushrooms in layers in a bowl. Sprinkle each layer with salt (at least 1 tablespoon per 1 kg of mushrooms) and cover with dill, garlic, and herb leaves. Place the largest boletus mushrooms, caps down, at the bottom.
Cover the top layer with cheesecloth. To prevent the mushrooms from molding, you can lightly sprinkle them with mustard powder (this recommendation is optional).
Place under pressure. Excess brine can be drained, and the remaining volume can be replenished with more mushrooms.

Important!

It is recommended to consume the product prepared at home in this way only after 40 days. Rinse the mushrooms under running water beforehand.

Answers to frequently asked questions

If mold appears on salted mushrooms, should they be thrown away?

Without a doubt, it's thrown out if it's deeply ingrained and there's a persistent moldy odor. But if the mold is only on the surface, you can:

remove the top layer of mushrooms and drain the brine;
rinse the remaining mushrooms, boil them, bring the water to a boil and drain;
Place the mushrooms in layers (remembering to add salt) in sterilized jars;
fill with new saline solution.

What is the best way to pickle mushrooms?

Clean glass or enamel containers (the enamel must be undamaged) are suitable for pickling mushrooms. Wooden tubs can also be used (provided they are waterproof). New oak containers should be soaked for 1.5-2 weeks and drained frequently to prevent the wood tannins from blackening the contents. Clay containers, especially galvanized ones, are not recommended.

Is it necessary to soak porcini mushrooms before pickling?

They don't require soaking, as they belong to Category I in terms of nutritional and flavor properties. Cooking is sufficient.

Pickling is a way to add healthy mushrooms to your winter diet. There are various pickling methods (hot, cold, etc.), allowing you to experiment, tailor recipes to your taste, and surprise your family and friends with culinary delights.