Ready to eat,
these pickled mussels are delicious served chilled straight from the refrigerator,
and on top of fresh, buttery baguette slices. A tasty treat enjoyed by everyone
in our family!
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Ingredients
for PICKLED MUSSELS
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Yield: around 2 cups
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Yield: around 4 cups
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Mussels,
Cooked
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225g (1/2 pound)
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450g (1 pound)
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White
Vinegar
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1/2 cup
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1 cup
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Salt,
Finely Ground
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1/2 teaspoon
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1 teaspoon
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Sugar,
White (Optional)
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1/2 teaspoon
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1 teaspoon
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Water
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1/2 cup
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1 cup
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METHOD:1. Clean jars and lids in hot soapy water, rinse
well and set aside until ready to fill.
2. Prepare mussels by cooking if required – cleaning
shells, steaming, removing mussel meat from the opened shells and discarding
unopened mussels.
3. Combine vinegar, salt and sugar (if using) in
a pan. Bring to a boil and then remove from heat. Stir until salt and sugar has
fully dissolved. Set aside to cool to room temperature then pour brine into the jar.4. If adding extra ingredients for
flavour (see Flavour Ideas, below), add them into each jar.
5. Drain cooked mussel meat and place into the
jar/s, filling to 1cm (1/2 inch) from the jar rim.
If using thawed, cooked mussels,
rinse and drain mussels prior to filling jars.
6. Add water to the jar of mussels to cover them. Remove any air pockets by stirring the mussels
gently with a non-metal utensil i.e. chopstick. Add extra water to cover the
mussels if required, stirring to combine.
7. Wipe jar rim/s with
a clean, damp cloth to remove any residue.
8. Seal jar/s by twisting lids to secure.
9. Label and date jars.
10. Store jars of pickled
mussels in the refrigerator and serve after 24 hours.
11. Consume pickled mussels within 4-6 weeks.
FLAVOUR IDEAS:
o Chilli
– add sliced green chillies, thinly sliced garlic cloves and black peppercorns;
o Garlic
– add thinly sliced garlic cloves;
o Lemon
– add strips of lemon zest or a squeeze of lemon juice (or a sprig of lemon
thyme);
o Lime
and coriander – add strips of lime zest and coriander seeds;
o Onion
– add a few slices of red onion, white onion, spring onions or shallots;
o Parsley
– add a few sprigs of fresh curly parsley or flat leaf parsley;
o Pepper
– add black or white peppercorns (or cracked pepper);
o Smoked
– add liquid smoke – a little goes a long way!
o Thyme
– add a fresh sprig into the jar.
NOTES:o Both
male and female mussels can be used in this recipe – they both taste the same.
Male mussels have a pale cream colour and females are an apricot,
coral or orange colour;
o Sugar
can be omitted from this recipe if you prefer;
o Other vinegar can
be used (minimum 5% acidity), we recommend white vinegar, white wine vinegar or
rice wine vinegar for a clear brine, or apple cider vinegar for the best
flavour (in our opinion);
o Replace fresh garlic
with dried garlic powder (1 garlic clove = 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder);
o Best
eaten chilled – allow a day or two for the pickle flavour to develop;
o Use clean utensils
to remove mussels from jars each time;
o Discard jar
contents if any evidence of spoilage is observed (including any unpleasant odour
or flavour);
o ALWAYS
store pickled mussels, covered in brine, in the refrigerator;
o Serve pickled mussels with some roasted
red relish. Deliciousness! http://www.foodpreserving.org/.../07/roasted-red-relish.html
o Serve
pickled mussels with a salty cheese crumbled on top – great for entertaining.
Author:
Megan Radaich Image Credit: Megan
Radaich
Publication: Vinegar Pickling Guide, available HERE