Marinated Mushrooms {Best Ever!}

Marinated mushrooms are a big part of Russian menu. Along with the lacto fermented kind, they are often served for dinner with buttered boiled potatoes or buckwheat. In the States, mushrooms can be mostly found in the supermarkets but majority of Russian fungi get foraged, aka obtained for free. Hence the enormous popularity to this day – what can be better than free food, which source you can pinpoint to an exact moment of harvesting and location, which is kind of a big deal for the russkis. After all, the jokes about government classification of meat according to freshness (1st, 2nd and 3rd) came from somewhere, right? As one brilliant guy named Mikhail Bulgakov  pointed out ‘meat freshness can be just one – and it’s both first and last’.

This recipe for marinated mushroom is one that my mom made when I was growing up. Although I suppose you can add dill to any dish, and call it Russian. She canned mushrooms that we would get in the summer; but unlike other preserves, they didn’t last much past fall, they are that good. They are pretty much a perfect fast food – boil a potato, spoon some sauerkraut and mushrooms, chop some green onions from the windowsill bulb growing in a glass of water, and you have a full and happy belly.

Those time are long gone, but I still make marinated mushrooms and they never disappoint  – tangy, with enough umami to keep reaching for another bite. I don’t normally go labeling my recipes ‘best ever’ but for this one I couldn’t help it. If fact, I think this is the first recipe on this blog that received such a colorful epithet. Perhaps my humility gets on the way of my abilities to market? 🙂

You can serve them as an appetizer with crackers or rye bread (just grab the toothpicks!), chop them into salads, or serve them with grains like freekeh or buckwheat.

HOW TO MAKE BEST EVER MARINATED MUSHROOMS

Ingredients
2 lbs cremini, or button mushrooms
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup (about 100g) water
1/4 cup avocado oil, or other neutral oil (don’t use virgin olive oil – too strong)
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons sugar
6 bay leaves
6-7 cloves garlic, pressed
Serve with chopped dill

Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a large pan.
Bring to boil, and simmer for 10 minutes.

When cool, toss with fresh chopped dill, and refrigerate overnight. Or eat them right away.
If you plan to store marinated mushrooms longer than a couple of days, add dill right before serving.

Print Recipe

Marinated Mushrooms {Best Ever!}

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Total Time15 minutes mins

Servings: 1 quart

Ingredients

• 2 lbs cremini or button mushrooms, chopped if large
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup 100g water
• 1/4 cup avocado oil or other neutral oil (don't use virgin olive oil - too strong)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 6 bay leaves
• 6-7 cloves garlic pressed
• Chopped dill for serving

Instructions

• Combine all ingredients in a large pan.
• Bring to boil, and simmer for 10 minutes.
• When cool, toss with fresh chopped dill, and refrigerate overnight. Or eat them right away.
• If you plan to store marinated mushrooms longer than a couple of days, add dill right before serving.