Old-fashioned Brined Mushrooms is a modern British recipe (based on an Eastern European original) for a classic method of preserving mushrooms by salting part-fermented cabbage (the same method used for making Sauerkraut). The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Old-fashioned Brined Mushrooms.
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The method of preserving foods by fermenting depends on salt to draw out the juice from the food (mushrooms in this case). This extracts out the sugars that form the basis of the fermentation process which yields both the flavour and the preserving qualities.
Ingredients:
11.25kg firm, young, closed cap mushrooms (button mushrooms, field mushrooms, ceps, boletes, agaricaceae etc)
225g pickling salt
Method:
Ensure you pick young, firm, mushrooms that are not maggoty. Wipe clean and remove trim the stalks flush with the cap. In a large container, thoroughly mix 2 tbsp salt with 1kg of the prepared mushrooms. Allow the salted mushrooms to stand for several minutes to soften (this will allow packing of the mushrooms without excessive breaking of the strands). Repeat the process until you have salted all the mushrooms.
Pack the salted mushrooms firmly and evenly into a large, clean, crock or jar (this should be filled no more than 10cm from the top). Using your hands, a wooden spoon or a potato masher press down firmly on the mushroom caps until the juice extracted by the salt comes to the surface. Cover the mushrooms with a clean white cloth (such as muslin) then tuck the edges down against the inside of the container. Cover with a plate that just fits inside the container (so that the cabbage is not exposed to the air) then place a weight on top so that the brines comes up to the base of the plate (but does not cover it). A good trick is to use a glass jar filled with water.
A more modern way of covering the mushrooms is to use a large plastic bag filled with water. Place this on top of the fermenting mushrooms so that the water-filled bag seals the surface preventing any air from getting in. Set aside at room temperature (about 22°C) for between 5 and 6 weeks, or until fermentation is complete (the mixture will stop bubbling)..
The fermented mushrooms can be packed into jars and covered with juices so that you have a 1cm headspace. Adjust the jar lids and place in the refrigerator (it will keep for up to two months). Alternatively, for longer storage you can process the cans in a boiling water bath:
Pack 500g jars, as above then seal the lids well and place in a boiling water bath. Process for 10 minutes then allow to cool before storing.
