Grandma's sweet and sour mushroom brine: A timeless recipe

Pickled mushrooms, although annoyingly elusive to fork prongs, remain one of the most popular snacks, not just during the autumn and winter seasons. The forest taste sealed in jars makes social gatherings more enjoyable and adds character to small appetisers or larger dishes. Besides the quality of the mushrooms, the brine is also crucial. The best is the tried and true Grandma's recipe that everyone enjoys. Make sure to write down this recipe.

Sweet and sour brine is an old and reliable way to pickle mushrooms. The spice blend is classic, and preparing the brine takes just a few moments. More time will be devoted to the mushrooms, which require thorough cleaning, rinsing (remember that mushrooms absorb water like a sponge, so don't soak them long in cold water), and then parboiling. Parboiling will make the mushrooms more digestible and remove some bitterness. Cook the mushrooms without a lid and keep an eye on them, as they tend to boil over.

The following brine proportions are sufficient for 2.5 - 3 kg of forest mushrooms. Of course, the mushrooms for pickling must be fresh, undamaged, and preferably small (e.g., saffron milk caps, chanterelles, porcini, or bay boletes). You will also need jars - clean and sterilised. 8 pieces of twist-off jars of 240 ml should be enough.

Ingredients:

• 1.2 litres of water,
• 240 ml of spirit vinegar (10%),
• 1 level tablespoon of salt,
• 6 level tablespoons of sugar,
• 2 teaspoons of mustard seeds,
• 2 teaspoons of peppercorns,
• 1 teaspoon of allspice berries,
• 1 teaspoon of cloves.

Preparation:

1. Mix the ingredients for the marinade and bring to a boil.
2. Quickly wash the cleaned mushrooms under running water, then parboil in salted water (10-15 minutes).
3. Slice the onion into rings and pour hot water over them.
4. Transfer the hot mushrooms to the sterilised jars (to 2/3 of the jar height), add the onion, and pour the boiling marinade with spices over them - enough to cover the mushrooms.
5. Seal the jars and place them upside down until completely cooled, then store them in a dark and cool place.
6. The jars can be pasteurised - 20 minutes from boiling water. Jars with hot brine should be pasteurised starting from warm water.
7. After pasteurisation, place the jars upside down for 24 hours to cool, then store them in a dark and cool place.