Home-Brew Recipes

Posts Tagged ‘pickle’

This method of preserving mushroom is popular throughout Europe and it is a very good way to use a glut after a day’s for aging. The pickled mushrooms are delicious and served with chicken or grilld meat.

Ingredients:

500g – mushrooms such as small ceps, chestnut mushrooms, shitake and girolles, 300ml – water, 4-5 – fresh bay leaves, 8 – large fresh thyme sprigs, 15 – garlic cloves peeled and halved with any green shoots removed, 1 – small red onion halved and thinly sliced, 2-3 – small dried red chillies, a few strips of lemon rind, 300ml – white wine vinegar or cider vinegar, 15ml – table salt, 5ml – custard sugar, 5ml – coriander seeds which are lightly crushed, 1tsp – black peppercorns and 250ml – extra virgin olive oil.

Preparation Method:

1)      Trim and wipe the mushrooms and cut any large ones in half.

2)      Put the vinegar, salt, sugar and water in a pan and bring to the boil. Add the bay leaves, garlic, onion chilies, coriander seeds, peppercorns and lemon rind and simmer for 2 minutes.

3)      Add the mushrooms to the pan and simmer for 3 minutes. Drain the mushrooms through a serve, retaining all the herbs and spices, then set aside for few minutes more until the mushrooms are thoroughly drained.

4)      Fill one large or two small cooled, sterilized jar with the mushrooms. Distribute the garlic, onion, herbs and spices evenly among the layers of the mushrooms, then add enough olive oil to cover by at least 1cm. You may need to use extra oil if you are making two jars.

5)      Leave the pickle to settle, then tap the jars on the work surface to dispel any air bubbles. Seal the jars, then store in the refrigerator. Use within 2 weeks.

This delicious pickle is a Middle Eastern specialty, and it is a fantastic way to use these simple root vegetables. The turnips turn a rich red in their beetroot-spiked brine and look gorgeous stacked in the storecupboard.

Ingredients:

1kg – young turnips, 3-4 – raw beetroot, about 1.5 liters, 2 ½ pints, 6 ¼ cups water, juice of 1 lemon and about 45ml coarse sea salt.

Preparation Method:

1. Wash the turnips and beetroot , but do not peel them, then cut into slices about 5mm in thick.
2. Put the salt and water in a bowl, stir and leave to stand until the salt has completely dissolved.
3. Sprinkle the beetroot with lemon juice and place in the bottom of four 1.2 liter sterilized jars.
4. Top with sliced turnip, packing them in very tightly, then pour over the brine, making sure that the vegetables are covered.
5. Seal the jars and leave in a cool, dark place for at least for 7 days before serving.