PRESSURE CANNED MUSHROOMS

Processing: Pressure Canner 45 minutes (half-pints, pints)

Storage: 12 months+
Yield: around 36 cups (18 pints)

       
Canned mushrooms are a fantastic way of preserving this yummy produce to enjoy year-round in a cooked breakfast, quiche, pizza topping ingredient, added into stir-fries or risottos, and other dishes. Our favourite is adding them into tuna mornay. Also great to add into homemade gravy to serve atop grilled red meat or chicken! Pressure can in half-pint jars for convenience.

         

Ingredients:

13kg (29 pounds) fresh mushrooms
water
sea salt (optional)
boiling water
         

Method:

1. Prepare jars by covering in water and boiling for 10 minutes.  Your pressure canner needs 2 inches (5cm) of pre-boiled water in the bottom before adding the hot jars so put your pressure canner over high heat to get that water hot, too.
2. Soak the mushrooms for a few minutes then rinse well under cool water to remove any dirt. Trim ends by holding the mushroom sideways and cutting the stalk end, so the stalk is flush with the cap. Peel skins off if mushrooms have opened. You can leave mushrooms whole, or cut into halves or slices.
3. Place mushrooms into a pan and add enough water to cover them (press down gently as they will float), then bring to a boil, boiling for 5 minutes.
4. Using a slotted spoon, pack hot mushrooms into hot jars, discarding cooking liquid (I boil the cooking liquid and reduce it down with the stalks and peels to make a mushroom stock). Fill hot jars to 1 inch headspace with the mushrooms. Add 1/4 teaspoon ground sea salt to each half-pint jar (1/2 teaspoon to each pint jar) if you wish. Add fresh boiling water to 1 inch (2.5cm) headspace. Remove any bubbles, adding extra boiling water if required to maintain the 1 inch (2.5cm) headspace. Add seals and rings, tightening to fingertip tight.
5. Place each sealed jar of mushrooms into the canner. Put the lid onto the canner and turn onto high heat. Once the white steam is present (constant stream), vent for 10 minutes before adding weight and bring up to pressure (10lbs weighted, 11lbs dial gauge). Adjust pressure level according to your altitude if required. Once pressure is reached, start your timer for 45 minutes (half-pints, pints). Once the time is up, turn the heat off and allow pressure to return to zero. Then remove the weight and wait another 5 minutes before removing the lid and cooling jars overnight on a towel-covered bench overnight.
6. The next day: check jars have sealed before labeling and storing in a cool, dry and dark place for up to 12 months. Jar lids should not flex up nor down when pressed. Remove bands before storage and store jars in a single layer on the shelf.

    

Serving ideas.

• Drain a jar of mushrooms and heat in a frying pan with bacon, eggs, cherry tomatoes and zucchini slices. Serve on toast.
• Slice mushrooms and add into a quiche (or layer slices on top of the quiche)
• Use as a pizza topping.
• Add into stir-fries.
• Use a jar of mushroom soup or stock to make mushroom risotto: stir some mushroom slices through the risotto too. We like adding onion, garlic, bacon, chicken thigh, snowpeas and parmesan cheese.
• Pressure canned mushroom slices are great to add into Creamy Mushroom & Bacon Pasta or tuna mornay.
• Once you've made some gravy, stir through some hot canned mushrooms and serve on grilled red meat or chicken.

         

TIPS

• Pressure can in half-pint jars for convenience
• Wash mushrooms really well before canning - wash twice if the caps have opened as they can contain dirt
• Reserve the cooking liquid and scraps (peels, stalks) for making into mushroom stock
• Use small, firm, fresh unopened mushrooms if possible.