Estonia Country Introduction and Recipes
Pickling Mushrooms is (surprisingly) easy! Follow the instructions to make pickled mushrooms that will last in your fridge for up to a month!
Recipe Origins
From an early age, Estonians instill a love of the outdoors into their children and their families. In fact, up to 60% of Estonia is currently covered in forests, the result of a huge reforestation project happening across the country.
As part of their love of the outdoors, Estonians love to forage, with children learning about mushrooms and berries from a young age.
Of course, summer doesn’t last forever. A great way to preserve the beautiful mushrooms that Estonians pick throughout the summer is to pickle and preserve them for later enjoyment!
In this recipe, we are using White Mushrooms from the grocery store. If you are a trained mushroom hunter, you can make this recipe with whatever mushrooms you find! And, if you are like the Estonians, maybe you’ll put each different type of mushrooms together in one jar.
Inspiration for this recipe was inspired by EstonianFood.eu.
Why Make this Recipe
- “Travel” to Estonia: Estonia is a small country in Europe and, despite its beauty, isn’t visited very frequently. If you want to travel to Estonia but aren’t able to (or if you want to remember a trip that you had once taken), these pickled mushrooms are a great way to do so!
- A Long-Lasting Recipe: The great thing about making pickled mushrooms is that they can last in the fridge for a long time (up to a month without proper canning techniques but far longer if you can them correctly). Making this recipe ensures a delicious and flavorful side whenever you want it.
What You Need to Make Pickled Mushrooms:
Ingredients
- Mushrooms: You can use whatever type of mushrooms you’d like. I used white mushrooms, but button mushrooms and any local mushrooms are also great choices.
- Onion: I used a sweet onion. I prefer this over a cooking onion.
- Vinegar: Distilled, white vinegar
- Herbs: Fresh thyme sprigs, dried bay leaves, fresh garlic cloves. Go for fresh. Trust me.
- Seasonings/Marinade: Salt, sugar, water
Tools/Equipment
- A large pot and a small pot. I LOVE my Cuisinart Nonstick Pans.
- Canning Jars. Use a large canning jar if you can (or you can split between two small ones)
- Colander
How to Make this Recipe
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Step 1: Cook the Mushrooms
Clean the mushrooms, making sure to remove any excess dirt.
Fill a large pot with water (enough to hold all of the mushrooms) and bring the water to a boil.
Once the water is boiling, add the mushrooms and boil them for about 10 minutes, until they are cooked. When finished, drain the water away from the mushrooms.
Step 2: Make the Marinade
In a separate, small pot, add the marinade ingredients. Bring them to a boil.
Step 3: Pickle the Mushrooms
In a large jar, stuff the mushrooms. You can add garlic cloves, onion, and thyme amongst the mushrooms for flavor!
Pour the boiled marinade into the jar, covering all of the mushrooms.
Let the mushrooms sit for about 3 days before enjoying.
Expert Tips
- In addition to onions, Estonians sometimes add carrots into their jars of pickled mushrooms as well.
- It is also not uncommon to add things like cinnamon bark, cloves, pimento, or dill! You can add any herbs or additional vegetables that you think sound delicious.
- You can mix different types of mushrooms in one jar if you’d like-- It’s the Estonian way.
Recipe FAQs
How Long Do Pickled Mushrooms Last?
Though this is an article about how to make the brine and pickle mushrooms, it is not an article about proper canning and food preservation tactics.
Following the instructions in this article, your pickled mushrooms will last-- in an airtight container in the fridge-- for about one month.
If you are interested in preserving your mushrooms long term, you can follow these instructions (but with mushrooms instead of pickles).
What Should You Eat Pickled Mushrooms With?
How you eat your pickled mushrooms is (of course) entirely up to you! However, I do have a few favorite options.
- I love putting pickled mushrooms on sandwiches or as a side to sausage or hotdogs. If you are truly going for the Estonian experience, you can cook up some Blood Sausage to go with your meal.
- Put them on toast or serve them over grains. The options are endless!
- Serve them alongside this Dill Pickle Recipe.
Did you like this Pickled Mushrooms Recipe from Estonia? If so, don’t forget to check out these other recipes that I picked out just for you:
- Spotted Dog Cake from Estonia
- Garnaches with Pickled Carrot from Belize
- Medianoche Sandwich from Cuba
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Pickled Mushrooms
Equipment
-
Pot(s)
-
Pot(s)
-
Strainer/Colander
-
Mason Jars
Ingredients
- 1 lb White Mushrooms, whole
Marinade
- 1 cup Water
- 1 cup Vinegar
- 1 tbsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- 4 bay leaves
- 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
Add Ins
- 1 onion, quartered
- 5 garlic cloves
- 6 sprigs of thyme
Instructions
-
Clean the mushrooms, making sure to remove any excess dirt.
-
Fill a large pot with water (enough to hold all of the mushrooms) and bring the water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add the mushrooms and boil them for about 10 minutes, until they are cooked. When finished, drain the water away from the mushrooms.
-
In a separate, small pot, add the marinade ingredients. Bring them to a boil.
-
In a large jar, stuff the mushrooms. You can add garlic cloves, onion, and thyme amongst the mushrooms for flavor!
-
Pour the boiled marinade into the jar, covering all of the mushrooms.
-
Let the mushrooms sit for about 3 days before enjoying.
Notes
-
- Mushrooms: You can use whatever type of mushrooms you’d like. I used white mushrooms, but button mushrooms and any local mushrooms are also great choices.
- Onion: I used a sweet onion. I prefer this over a cooking onion.
- Vinegar: Distilled, white vinegar
- Herbs: Fresh thyme sprigs, dried bay leaves, fresh garlic cloves. Go for fresh. Trust me.
- Seasonings/Marinade: Salt, sugar, water
- In addition to onions, Estonians sometimes add carrots into their jars of pickled mushrooms as well.
- It is also not uncommon to add things like cinnamon bark, cloves, pimento, or dill! You can add any herbs or additional vegetables that you think sound delicious.
- You can mix different types of mushrooms in one jar if you’d like-- It’s the Estonian way.