MARINATED MUSHROOMS

Processing: Boiling Water Canner (20 minutes)
Storage: Pantry (12 months+)
Yield: 9 cups (approximately) 

Add a jar of these pickled mushrooms to your next antipasto platter! 
    
Ingredients:
3kg (6 ½ lbs) mushrooms
½ cup bottled lemon juice
2 ½ cups apple cider vinegar
2 cups olive oil
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon basil
1 tablespoon salt
½ cup diced onion
9 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
    
Method:

1. Cover jars with water and bring to a boil, boiling for 10 minutes. Once the time is up, turn the heat off and leave jars in the hot water until ready to fill. 
2. See notes for preparing mushrooms according to mushroom sizes. Place prepared mushrooms into a large pot and add lemon juice. Cover with water and stir to combine. Bring to a boil then simmer for 5 minutes. Drain and discard liquid.
3. Combine vinegar, oil, herbs and salt in a pan. Bring to a boil, keeping hot until filling jars.
4. Place lids into a bowl of boiled water. Remove the lids from the water when you are ready to place them onto the jars to seal.
5. Into each 1-cup-capacity jar, add: 1 garlic clove, 2 teaspoons onion and 2-3 peppercorns 
6. Pack jars tightly with mushrooms, filling to 1.5cm from the rim. 
7. Add hot marinade to 1cm from the rim. Remove bubbles, check headspace is correct, wipe rims with damp paper towel and seal.
8. Process in a boiling water bath canner for 20 minutes (start timer once water returns to a full boil). When time is up, turn heat off and rest jars in water for 5 minutes before placing onto a towel-covered bench overnight to cool. 
9. Check jars have sealed before labelling and storing in a cool, dry and dark place for up to 12 months. Jar lids should not flex up or down when pressed.

    
NOTES: 
Mushrooms can be whole, halved, cut into quarters/wedges or sliced.

• Small mushrooms – wash, trim and leave whole; 
• Medium mushrooms (unopened caps) – wash, trim and halve (peel if opened caps);
• Large mushrooms (opened caps) – wash, trim, peel and quarter. 

     
FLAVOUR IDEAS:
Try adding your favourite herbs instead - fresh or dried - or different types of onion, vinegar and maybe a strip of lemon zest.

• Mushroom, garlic and lemon
• Mushroom, garlic and parsley
• Thyme, rosemary and sage
• Chives
• Garlic
• Lemon zest
• Marjoram
• Tarragon
• Onion – red or brown
• Parsley
• Pepper
• Rosemary
• Salt
• Vinegar – balsamic, red wine

      
SERVING IDEAS:
Serve marinated mushrooms as part of an antipasto platter, or accompanying one of the following.

• Bacon
• Ham
• Butter
• Cream
• Leeks

   

Gift Idea: add a jar of these marinated mushrooms to a gift box with a jar of pickles, a jar of red wine jelly, a jar of pressure canned pasta sauce and some fresh bread for a lovely gift!