Homemade fermented mushrooms recipe
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I’d love to share a recipe that has been used in my family for decades, passed down from generation to generation and shared with everyone around.
What kind of mushrooms suitable for this recipe
Wild picked, home grown or brought from the store – it doesn't matter at all!
This recipe can be used for any edibles that are fermentable: Oysters, Honey Agarics, Chanterelles, Champignons, Penny Bun (Boletus edulis), Blue mushrooms (Gyroporus cyanescens), Slippery Jack (Suillus luteus) etc.
Timing and ingredients
All you need are 9 ingredients, 20 minutes of cooking and at least 2 days of waiting to enjoy perfect mushroom taste and aroma.
Ingredients:
Fresh mushrooms - 1 kg
Water - 200 ml
Vinegar - 2 tablespoon
Salt - 1 tablespoon
Sugar - 1 teaspoon
Black peppercorns (Piper nigrum) - 3-4 pcs.
Jamaican peppercorn (Pimenta dioica) - 3-4 pcs. (optional)
Clove - 1-2 pcs.
Bay leaves - 3 pcs.
** Adapt your recipe according to the mushroom weight you have, just follow the ratio.
Cooking process:
Chop mushrooms and put them in a pot. Pour clean drinking water over them. Bring it to boil slowly and continue boiling for 15 minutes on low heat.
Add all the other ingredients and spices: vinegar, salt, sugar, peppercorns, cloves, and bay leaves. Boil for another 5 minutes.
Transfer the mushrooms with hot brine (don’t drain them!) to glass jars. Cover with lids: nylon, silicone fermentation lids, metal or plastic canning lids.
Allow jars to cool at room temperature and refrigerate at least for 2 days.
After 2 days they will be lightly fermented, but already ready to eat. Personally I prefer to keep them for 1 week before eating for a more salty-acid taste. Take a bite on different days to find the best taste for you.
To serve, add greens, garlic, onions, and oil to taste.
Bon appetit!
What the heck is mushroom fermentation
In simple words we add salted brine with vinegar and some sugar to the properly cooked mushrooms and reduce or completely remove the air (oxygen). In this way we create favorable conditions for beneficial anaerobic bacteria and Lactobacillus bacteria, which also creates lactic acid and carbon dioxide (CO2) due to consuming sugars from fermented mushrooms and added sugars as well.
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Anaerobic bacteria – survive and grow in environments without oxygen, using fermentation or anaerobic respiration for energy.
Lactobacillus bacteria species – facultative anaerobes, can grow with or without oxygen, a common probiotic.
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Acid lowers pH and this makes it unfavorable for harmful bacteria. The fermentation process stops when all sugars are eaten and then acidity level stabilizes within pH 4.5-3 after 1-3 weeks.
Fermented mushrooms and health concerns
Properly pre-cooked (boiling for 20 mins) and fermented mushrooms are completely safe.
They are easier to ingest by stomach, especially if you have issues with chitin indigestion (lack of the chitinase enzyme). That’s why I prefer this type of prolonged cooking (boiling + fermentation) over frying or stewing.
! Anyway, don't eat them too much, since any good product may become tough and unhealthy if you eat it too much.
Moreover, fermented mushrooms as any other fermented products, create a boost to your gut microbiota with beneficial bacteria grown during the fermentation process.
However, while “fermentation” bacteria are beneficial (even for individuals struggling with gastritis or ulcers), such food can cause irritation. The low pH 3-3.5 of fermented mushrooms doesn’t significantly acidify your stomach, but if you have any gastrointestinal diseases, then:
1) stop eating them at all if you feel uncomfortable
2) don’t eat if fermented foods were excluded from your diet by physician;
3) eat small amounts;
4) don’t eat on an empty stomach
5) start your meal with veggies and plain dishes with healthy fats first (with virgin oils, ghee) – they won’t stop acidity, but the effect feels softer;
6) eat mildly fermented mushrooms (2-7 days of fermentation).
How long can you store fermented mushrooms
Life time for such fermented mushrooms is up to 1 month in the refrigerator. But believe me, they won’t stay there for such a long time, they will be eaten faster ;)
To store mushrooms for even longer you need to make 20 mins steam sterilization for canning jars and lids. You don’t need a pressure cooker, just use an ordinary pot and strainer.
While sterilizing jars and lids prepare your mushrooms according to the recipe above. Transfer prepared mushrooms (right after boiling) in sterile jars and close them tightly with sterile canning lids right away.
Note: Sterilization for mushrooms isn’t necessary. Boiling while cooking them (for 20 mins) is enough!
Turn the jars upside down (put jars on the lid) and let them cool down to room temperature. After that check the lids, they should stay sealed and flat, not warped or bulged.
Now you can store your fermented mushroom jars for up to 1 year in a cool dark place like any other home-made canning food.
Bottom Line
Fermentation is an easy cooking method. Fermented mushrooms may become a great dish for your gastrointestinal system – easier to digest for stomach and gut boost with good bacteria. However, listen to your feelings!
In case you have a massive harvest or your baskets are overloaded with wild-picked, fermentation is one of the alternatives to cooking fresh fungi right away or drying, since you can store fermented mushrooms from 1 to 12 months.
You are neither a grower nor mushroom hunter? No problem, bring mushrooms from the market and enjoy their taste any season of the year! Prepare them just for yourself, or introduce freshly fermented mushrooms to your guests, or give a home-made mushroom jar to your friend with a recipe attached to it :-)
