Marinētas sēnes

Ingredients

Mushrooms

• 1.5 kgfirm forest mushrooms — boletus, chanterelles or milk caps
• 1 tbspsalt, for the boiling water

Pickle

• 500 mlwater
• 250 mlwhite vinegar
• 2 tbspsalt
• 2 tbspsugar
• 2 tspblack peppercorns
• 1 tspwhole allspice
• 4bay leaves
• 1onion, sliced
• 4 clovesgarlic, sliced
• 1 tspmustard seed

To serve

• sour cream
• raw onion and dill

Directions

1. Identify everything you have picked with certainty and discard anything you are not sure of. Pickling neutralises no toxin in any mushroom — a misidentified specimen is exactly as dangerous in vinegar as it was in the forest.
2. Clean the mushrooms with a brush and a damp cloth rather than washing them, and trim the stem bases.
3. Boil them in salted water for 15 to 20 minutes, skimming the foam. Milk caps and other Lactarius species need longer and a change of water — boiling is what removes their acrid latex, and under-processed they cause real gastric upset.
4. Drain thoroughly and leave them to steam dry for a few minutes.
5. Bring the water, vinegar, salt, sugar, peppercorns, allspice, bay, onion, garlic and mustard seed to a boil and simmer five minutes.
6. Add the drained mushrooms and simmer 10 minutes more so they take up the pickle.
7. Pack into sterilised jars with the aromatics, pour over the boiling liquid to cover, and seal at once.
8. Leave three weeks before opening. Refrigerate once opened and use within a month. Serve with sour cream, raw onion and dill.

Technique

• Identify before you cook. Nothing here makes an unsafe mushroom safe.
• Boil milk caps properly and change the water. Skipping that is the usual cause of a bad evening.
• Refrigerate once opened. Mushrooms are low-acid and an opened jar left in a cupboard is not worth the gamble.

Substitutions

• Cultivated chestnut or button mushrooms, which pickle well and remove the identification problem entirely.
• Cider vinegar for white, which is softer.

Variations

• The Estonian marineeritud seened and Lithuanian marinuoti grybai are the same preserve.
• A salted version, layered in coarse salt rather than vinegar, is the older Baltic method.

History

Autumn mushroom picking is a national pastime in Latvia, and the jars open at every winter feast.

Frequently asked questions

What is Marinētas sēnes?

Marinētas sēnes is a fermented & pickled from Latvia: boletus and chanterelles preserved in vinegar with onion and pepper. Autumn mushroom picking is a national pastime in Latvia, and the jars open at every winter feast.

How long does Marinētas sēnes take to make?

Marinētas sēnes takes 40 min plus 3 weeks of preparation and 30 min of cooking. The recipe makes fills 3 × 500 ml jars. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Marinētas sēnes?

Yes, within limits. Cultivated chestnut or button mushrooms, which pickle well and remove the identification problem entirely. Cider vinegar for white, which is softer.

What is the most important thing to get right in Marinētas sēnes?

Clean the mushrooms with a brush and a damp cloth rather than washing them, and trim the stem bases.