Just like I remember from my childhood.
- Carbohydrate 96.95546001359 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 4.93648000106149 g
- Fiber 36.4034000181884 g
- Protein 17.6929800048595 g
- Saturated Fat 1.33954000005697 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (664g)
- Sodium 14051.8540118457 mg
- Sugar 60.5520599954016 g
- Trans Fat 0.74020000100452 g
- Calories 389 calories
Step-by-step
- Clean mushrooms, remove hard parts of the stems, let sit in cold water until ready to blanch.
- Boil 1quart water, add pickling salt. Let boil for 1-2 minutes, turn off the heat and let stand. This is the pickling solution.
- In a separate pot, boil enough water to fit all the mushrooms. Add mushrooms, cook for 1-2 minutes. Drain.
- Clean a glass jar, and rinse with boiling hot water.
- Place garlic, bay leaf, peppercorns and dill in the jar. Place blanched mushrooms in the jar. Cover with the pickling solution. Discard the remaining solution.
- Let stand 4-5 days, stirring approximately once a day.
Earthy, dense shiitakes absorb the pungent brine of garlic, peppercorns, and dill, yielding a sharp, savory bite with a firm, toothsome snap. Preserving fungi through acid-free salt brining relies on ambient lactic fermentation rather than vinegar, requiring strict adherence to sanitation protocols to prevent spoilage during the initial four-to-five-day curing window at room temperature. Because commercial pickling salt lacks iodine and anti-caking agents, it prevents the brine from turning cloudy while ensuring proper osmotic draw from the mushroom caps. When scaling down sodium levels for dietary restrictions, reduce the pickling salt no further than a four percent solution weight ratio, or the necessary microbial stability fails. Maintaining daily agitation during the resting phase guarantees that volatile compounds from the bay leaves and crushed garlic distribute evenly across every surface.
Adapting Brines for Dietary Restrictions
Modifying traditional salt levels demands careful chemistry since sodium acts as the primary preservative in lacto-fermentation. Substituting refined white sea salt requires measuring by weight rather than volume because crystal size alters packing density and salinity. When experimenting with alternative aromatics like coriander seeds or mustard seed, ensure they remain completely submerged beneath the liquid line to avoid surface mold growth during the daily stirring routine.
Storage and Preservation Behavior
Freezing is strictly counterindicated for pickled fungi because the high water content within mushroom cell walls expands upon freezing, rupturing chitin structures and resulting in a mushy, waterlogged texture upon thawing. Instead, transfer fully cured jars directly to refrigeration holding zones maintained at 38 degrees Fahrenheit to halt active fermentation and preserve crispness for up to three weeks.
