Marinuoti grybai

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
• 1 tspmustard seed

To serve

• sour cream
• raw onion, dill
• rye bread

Directions

1. Identify every mushroom you have picked with certainty and discard anything you are unsure of. Pickling neutralises no toxin — a misidentified mushroom is exactly as dangerous in the jar as it was in the forest.
2. Clean them with a brush and a damp cloth rather than washing, and trim the stem bases.
3. Boil in salted water for 15 to 20 minutes, skimming the foam. Milk caps need longer and a change of water: boiling is what removes their acrid latex, and under-processed they cause genuine gastric upset.
4. Drain thoroughly and let them steam dry 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 mushrooms and simmer 10 minutes more so they take up the pickle.
7. Pack into sterilised jars, 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.

Technique

• Identify before you cook. Nothing in this recipe makes an unsafe mushroom safe.
• Boil milk caps properly and change the water.
• Refrigerate once opened. Mushrooms are low-acid and an opened jar in a cupboard is not worth the risk.

Substitutions

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

Variations

• The Latvian marinētas sēnes and Estonian marineeritud seened are the same preserve.
• A salted version, layered in coarse salt, is the older Baltic method.

History

Lithuania’s forests make mushroom picking a national habit, and the jars appear at every celebration.

Frequently asked questions

What is Marinuoti grybai?

Marinuoti grybai is a fermented & pickled from Lithuania: forest mushrooms jarred in vinegar with onion, opened for guests. Lithuania’s forests make mushroom picking a national habit, and the jars appear at every celebration.

How long does Marinuoti grybai take to make?

Marinuoti grybai 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 Marinuoti grybai?

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

What is the most important thing to get right in Marinuoti grybai?

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