Automn rhymes with mushrooms and mushroom foraging, so here is a recipe for Pickled Wild Chanterelles offered by Oliver Kienast, of Wild Mountain Dinners in our Vancouver Island and Gulf Islands Convivium.
The idea is to have the brine mimic the forest.
- 1-2 cups wild chanterelles, cleaned well
- 1 cup apple cider or other nice vinegar
- 1 cup unpasteurized honey
- 2 cups fresh water
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon fennel pollen or seeds
- 1 fresh bay leaf
- 2 Grand fir tips
- ½ small burnt onion
- 6 small crab apples
- 1 chili pepper
Pour the hot liquid over the chanterelles in the jar and do not boil the jar again, leaving the mushrooms a good texture. If you want to keep them for awhile, heat the jars and seals to sterilize, otherwise, just jar it and leave it for a few days and then eat it within a few weeks of opening (called a quick pickle). As with any kind of pickling, botulism is always a concern, so be sure to clean everything thoroughly, especially the mushrooms.
www.slowisland.ca
www.wildmountaindinners.com