I cannot put into words how excited I am to share this recipe for easy marinated mushrooms, with you! If you’ve ever had a craving for simple, zesty, flavorful and light marinated mushrooms, this is the recipe for you!
If we were to be honest, sometimes buying marinated mushrooms at the grocery store just doesn’t cut it. It doesn’t satisfy the craving. The texture is off, it’s much too thick, and the flavor seems heavy. I love the way these marinated mushrooms turn out because they have just the right amount of herbs and zing.
In Russia, canning is very popular. The process of canning was invented by a French man named Nicolas Appert. The method of preserving food with heat sterilization allowed food to be stored and preserved for long periods of time. The original idea came after Nicholas’ government was looking for a way to preserve food for army and navy use.
Now, canned vegetables and marinated vegetables are not one and the same but you may marinate food and then can it, seal it, and store it away. I want to stress the difference because I don’t want you to think that these marinated mushrooms can be stored for long periods of time. So you may be asking the question: can you keep these marinated mushrooms on a shelf or in a pantry? The answer is no. You may only refrigerate them. That isn’t to say that you can’t preserve mushrooms, but this recipe is just not for canning.
Marination is the process of allowing food items to sit in a liquid marinade, usually acidic and seasoned. The food item soaks in the marinade and sometimes tastes entirely different than what it would taste like fresh. Most marinades contain some kind of acidic element such as vinegar, lemon juice, or wine. Others can be neutral in pH.
Marination is quite similar to pickling. However pickling is typically done for food preservation such as canning. Typical food items that work well for pickling are cucumbers, tomatoes, and carrots. While pickling is used for food preservation, marinating is typically done as a means of either enhancing flavor in a vegetable or meat cut, or tenderizing a tougher cut of meat.
Pickled vegetables may last for months stored in a pantry, whereas marinated food items only need several hours to a few days to soak in the marinade and are then ready to eat.
What kind of mushrooms work best for marination? My personal favorites are small white button mushrooms because I love whole marinated mushrooms and I like them to be small. If you must use bigger mushrooms you can certainly cut them in halves or even quarters and the taste will still be the same as if they were whole.
What You Need:
(This recipe yields enough mushrooms to fit three 8oz mason jars)
3 lbs white button mushrooms
3/4 cup white vinegar
6 cloves garlic (chopped)
3 bay leaves
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3 cups water
1 cup fresh dill
2 tbsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp sugar
Instructions:
First we’ll make the marinade. In a saucepan combine the vinegar, sugar, salt, black pepper, dill, garlic, and bay leaves. Let the marinade simmer for about 5 minutes. The smell of vinegar will be quite strong but do not worry, that’s normal. You may cover the pot.
Next add the water to the marinade and bring the marinade to a boil. Then simmer for an additional 5 minutes. The last step for the marinade is to add the vegetable oil and remove the saucepan from heat.
Set the marinade aside and in a large pot, bring about 4 quarts of water with 4 tbsp vinegar to a boil. Now you may rinse the mushrooms, place them in the pot of boiling water and let them boil for about 4 minutes. This step will prevent the mushrooms from turning brown.
Rinse mushrooms and place them into the marinade. Meanwhile prepare your jars or containers. I use 8oz mason jars with lids as my containers. Once the mushrooms are warm at room temperature you may transfer the jars to your fridge. Refrigerate for two hours or up to 24 hours for best taste.
Where can I find ingredients for marinated mushrooms? White button mushrooms are among the most common mushrooms sold in grocery stores. You can almost always find the vegetables you need for this recipe at a regular grocery store, as well as the herbs.
Can I use this marinade for anything else (other foods)? Oh my goodness, absolutely! I’d be upset if you didn’t! But in all seriousness, my husband and I ate half of the mushrooms on the first night and I used the marinade to marinate sirloin steaks. The results were incredible. The meat was extra tender (not that top sirloin usually isn’t) but the added flavor of the marinade made the steak super juicy and seasoned to perfection.
The marinade isn’t just good for steak, you can marinate chicken thighs, cucumbers, tomatoes, and carrots in it.
Where can I buy already marinated mushrooms? If you want to try premarinated mushrooms, you can find them at a Euro market or Russian store near you. However, depending on the selection there, the mushrooms may taste entirely different. They’re also usually pickled and canned.
What pairs well with marinated mushrooms? Well, just about any kind of main course tastes great with these marinated mushrooms. Top sirloin steak, meaty lasagna, roast chicken, creamy mashed potatoes, and other rich foods are excellent next to these marinated mushrooms. The mushrooms are so light and zesty they freshen up the dish and your palette!