Chanterelle mushroom season is almost the entire year, depending on where you live. It starts in the Deep South, where you can have chanterelles as early as May. Summertime is when most of the country gets its chanties, and early autumn they show up in Canada. One real fall hits, our Pacific chanterelles come in, and they can stick around until March.
When the season is on, you can rack up big numbers of these pretty golden treasures. Dealing with abundance is usually a matter of drying. Most mushrooms are perfectly good dehydrated and stored in the pantry.
Not chanties. Chanterelles lose almost everything that makes them special once they’ve been dried out. The only thing I’ve ever successfully done with dried chanterelles was infuse them with vodka. Weird, but good.
Now pickled chanterelle mushrooms are an entirely different story. When I first delved into pickling mushrooms, I wasn’t too optimistic about the results. I grew up in an era of canned mushrooms, which are slimy and so unpleasant I am certain it is a reason that most Americans won’t eat any mushrooms to this day.
Little did I know that pickled mushrooms are a classic appetizer in Eastern Europe. I use a Polish recipe for salted, fermented mushrooms mostly with saffron milk caps. But that works with chanterelles, too. You can find pickled mushrooms on the antipasti plates of Italy as well (Here is my Italian method of preserving mushrooms).
Far from being limp and slimy, pickled chanterelle mushrooms are firm and zingy — a great addition to a pickle plate, or alongside cured meats.
Once made, these will keep for a year on the shelf, although you should refrigerate the jars after opening.
Can you do this with other mushrooms? You bet. I’ve done it with blewits, hedgehogs, Amanita velosa, porcini and honey mushrooms. Even button mushrooms are good this way — just be sure to dry saute. It makes all the difference.
Pickled Chanterelle Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 1 to 1 1/2 pounds chanterelles or other mushrooms
- 2 cups white wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
Instructions
- Get your canning gear ready and a large pot of water hot. Clean your mushrooms of any dirt, mold or wet spots. Cut large ones in half and keep small chanterelles whole.
- Dry saute the mushrooms in a large frying pan. When they give up their water, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of salt on them, along with the thyme. Once the chanterelles have given up most of their water, pour over the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Turn the temperature down to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat.
- Fish out the mushrooms and pack firmly into jars, leaving at least 1/2 inch headspace. Make sure each jar gets a bay leaf and some peppercorns.
- Ladle in the cooking liquid. Make sure it covers the mushrooms. Add more white wine vinegar or distilled vinegar to top off if necessary. Wipe the rims of the jars and seal. Process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.
Hi Hank, I do not have a pressure canner. Is it possible to water bath for a seal? Or is that dangerous?
Megan: No, it would be very dangerous to water bath can these. I just leave them in the fridge. They will keep for months.
I’m confused… Doesn’t the recipe say to water bath for 15 minutes?
Looking for clarification as well as the latest commenter. I’ve always understood that pickles are fine for water bath canning as there’s so much vinegar involved.
Probably, but I’ve never done it, so I can’t make a firm recommendation. I always pickle and keep in the fridge.
I’ve used this recipe for the past 4 or 5 years and have always canned in a 15 min water bath. I usually splash in a few extra glugs of vinegar too. However, I have never tested pH and will probably follow Hank’s advice and stick in the fridge from now on, these are so delicious that they will be gone well before they could go bad in the fridge (particularly like chopping them up and putting in scrambled eggs). Thanks for the great recipe!
I’ve done the water bath method without issue and they lasted >8 months. I’m definitely doing it again – with added vinegar (I used a white wine vinegar/white vinegar mix).
Hi Hank what size jar and how many do you suggest for this recipe?
Nadine: I use wide mouthed pint jars. It’s been a while since I made that recipe, but at least 3 if I remember right.
I made these this morning and they’re great now, so I’m sure with time they’ll be beyond great. I used a combination of white vinegar, champagne vinegar and tarragon vinegar, and tarragon instead of thyme. They’re great on a burger with brie!
When the chants release their water, do you remove it or you cook them until it evaporates?
Dora: I cook until it mostly evaporates.
Are there any uses for excess pickling liquid?
Mike: You can pickle brine chicken before frying it!
Hey Hank! I’m new to your site, but really dig your style! I plucked some chanterelles yesterday and did them up with your recipe within hours of pulling them. I gotta say, at least with my pan, I ended up having to use a good deal more I shared your recipe(sent them to your url, not just copy paste) with some friends who were curious what i was doing. One asked me a question and i had to double check with you: do you store them at room temp after pickling? I just assumed yes, but I’ve never personally pickled wild fungus, so I wanted to be sure. Also, how long should I wait before they’re ready to eat?
Connor: I’d wait a week, and I normally keep them in the fridge, but a cool place, like a basement, would work, too.
Can I use other vinegars?
Monica: Yes you can. Just be sure they are a normal vinegar, not homemade, unless you have tested it so that it is at 5% acidity. Many homemade vinegars are not that acidic, and don’t preserve as well.
Is this a sea level canning recipe and do I need to increase the time for elevation? Gonna just assume so, to be safe…
Nathan: Yes, it’s a sea level, or up to 1000 feet.
Hey Hank, Just got done foraging about 2 pounds of fresh chanties! Got your recipe and will be making them shortly. Long time follower on fb! We even chatted about me being originally from Massachusetts.
Thanks, a great way to enjoy yellow foot mushrooms.
Thank you love the recipe!
When I was dry sauteing them there was a ton of water in the panafter. Do I use that water or do I dump it out? I ended up using the water I hope that’s okay
Monica: Yep, that’s OK. Adds flavor.
Hi Hank,
How long should pickles sit before eating?
Thank you.
Leonid: At least a week should do it.
What do I use them for once pickled? Anything? This is just a way to preserve?
Elissa: I like them on a cheese and charcuterie plate.
Hank,
I just used your recipe on half a pound of hedgies. I didn’t can them since it was small enough to put in the fridge. When you tried hedgehogs did they have the bitter taste like they do when raw?
Michele: You can’t eat hedgehog mushrooms raw! So I have no idea. They’re always good when I pickle them, but they’re cooked.
Have you ever tried it with red wine vinegar? I’m curious as to how it would turn out.
Amelia: Nope, because I want to keep the color of the chanterelles.
About processing in boiling water for 15 mins. Does it have to be under pressure (like in a pressure canner) to have the jars sealed? Thank you, Yuri
Yuri: No idea. I just keep them in the fridge.
Is there a reason you use dried thyme instead of fresh?
Kalani: Nope. It’s just what I use.
I’ve never tried pickled mushrooms before- that sounds like it would be very tasty. I was wondering about them getting slimy- it sounds like this is prevented with the dry saute? I definitely need to try this.