Ingredients

The following ingredients have 2 Servings
  • 3 to 4 pounds fresh mushrooms, (cleaned and stems removed)
  • Kosher or pickling salt
  • 6 to 10 juniper berries, crushed ((optional))
  • 1 teaspoon dried dill, (or 2 tablespoons fresh)
  • 1 teaspoon caraway seed
  • 2 teaspoons cracked black pepper
  • 2 garlic cloves (smashed)

Instruction

  • Boil the mushrooms in salted water for 5 minutes. Drain and let them cool in one layer on a paper towel or tea towel.
  • Mix all the herbs and spices in a small bowl. Lay down a thin layer of pickling or kosher salt at the bottom of a crock or other non-reactive container, then lay down a layer of mushrooms. Sprinkle with some of the herbs and spices. Add a bit more salt. Keep layering like this until you have all the mushrooms in the crock. Finish with another layer of salt.
  • Place a clean plate or other top on the mushrooms and weigh it down. I use a quart Mason jar filled with water. Let this sit in a cool, dark place (no need to refrigerate) for 4 days. After the first day, check to see that the mushrooms are submerged in their own brine. If not, boil 1 pint of water with 2 tablespoons kosher salt and let it cool. Pour over the mushrooms and continue fermenting.
  • After 4 days, move the mushrooms and brine and spices to clean Mason jars and refrigerate. They will keep for several months.