Pickled Maitake Mushrooms (Canning Recipe)
Fresh from the forest, garlicky and herbed, these pickled maitake mushrooms are canning friendly and a great way to preserve the bounty of Fall. Adding some oil to the brine gives your pickles a little more richness, and makes your marinaded mushrooms even better. Perfect for gifting, snack boards, toasts, flatbreads and more.
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The Big Maitake Bloom
Maitakes pop out every October, and some years they’re hard to find, and others you’re basically tripping over hen of the woods. Last year when I developed this maitake recipe, it was one of those tripping over mushroom types of year. I can remember one occasion where I went out and spotted a maitake under a large oak tree. From the base of that tree, I could see a second maitake underneath a neighbor tree. And so on, four trees in a row. My partner likes to say that “we” found pounds and pounds of maitake, but I’d like to put it officially on the record that there was no we about it- I was the one single handedly finding and bringing home the hens. Not that it really matters, but it kind of really does matter.
During a year when a bumper maitake crop is taking over the forest, there’s only so much you can do. I ate tons of maitake. I made three new maitake mushroom recipes- actually four, because I created this recipe last year. I gave them away, and I sold some. But none of that was enough. So in order to take advantage of the overabundance of hen of the woods, I started pickling and canning. I filled jars and jars with these tasty mushroom pickles, canned them, and store them in my pantry. We brought them out to top pizzas, mix into pasta dishes, decorate snack boards, top toasts and more. A whole year later and I still have a few jars. I’m thinking of trying a pickled maitake pate next.
Disclaimer- use caution when foraging wild edibles, and always be certain of your identification. While I assume responsibility for the accuracy of the information provided on this site, I can’t be responsible for the accuracy of your information. Consult multiple websites, books and local experts, and when it doubt, do without.
I’m not planning on writing about identifying maitake mushrooms here, but I have in the past- check out this post for more information.
Looking for Hen of the Woods Recipes? Try one of these!
- Maitake Mushroom Vegan French Dip Sandwich
- Maitake Mushroom Stroganoff Recipe (Vegan!)
- Bloomin’ Maitake (Vegan Hen of the Woods Recipe)
- Black Walnut and Maitake Mushroom Pâté
- Collard Greens and Maitake Steamed Buns (Hen of the Woods)
- Seared Maitake Mushroom Steaks with Persimmon Salsa
- Maitake and Wild Rice Thanksgiving Salad
How to Make Pickled Maitake Mushrooms
Once you’ve got some beautiful fresh maitake, it’s time to get preserving. Clean and chop or shred your mushrooms well- and don’t listen to the myth that you shouldn’t get mushrooms wet. It’s totally fine to give your mushrooms a good wash before cooking them. What you don’t want to do is to wash the mushrooms before you’re going to cook them and place them in the fridge, because the moisture will cause them to rot. So once your mushrooms are cleaned, boil them for 10 minutes- that is important to make sure your foraged mushrooms are safe to eat. I like to use the liquid I boiled my mushrooms in as a base for soups. Take the mushrooms you’ve boiled, and add them back to the pot along with vinegar, oil, and herbs and spices to create a brine. Bring it to a boil, and transfer the mushrooms to jars. Make sure your pickles are covered in brine, and can them using a hot water bath method. If you’re new to canning, you can read a little more about that here. And that’s it!
Pickled Maitake Mushrooms (Canning Recipe)
Ingredients
- 5 lbs. maitake mushrooms, cleaned and gentle ripped into bite-sized pieces
- 10 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 tbsp. herbs de Provence
- 1 cup olive oil
- 3 cups white vinegar
- 1 tbsp. salt
- A couple sprigs of fresh tarragon
- 3-5 whole peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 fresh chili pepper (optional, for spicy pickles)
Instructions
- Add your maitake mushroom to a large pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Allow to boil for about 10 minutes, and then drain. If your maitake really was well cleaned, the liquid can be saved and used as a base for soups, adding that lovely maitake flavor.
- Return the cooked mushrooms to the pot, along with the garlic, onion, herbs, oil, vinegar, and salt. Get a nice little simmer going, and after a minute or so turn off the heat.
- Sterilize 3 32oz. mason jars, or more smaller jars. In each jar add your tarragon, peppercorns, bay leaf and chili, if using. Pack the jar full with mushrooms, and top with a little bit of the brine leaving ½ inch headspace. You can transfer mushrooms to the fridge now, or can them for later. If canning, wipe the rims clean, and add new lids. Screw on the rims, and can in a hot water bath method for 20 minutes. Let the jars sit on the counter for 24 hours, before checking to insure they’ve sealed properly. No matter if you’ve canned or just stuck them in the fridge, let them sit for a week or so before eating to let the flavors meld.
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