How to Salt Honey Mushrooms for Winter in Jars

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you salt honey mushrooms for winter in jars? Get everything ready. Fresh leaves and dill are best, but dried ones keep their aroma just as well. If you don't care for any of the spices, leave them out or swap them. My family isn't keen on allspice, so I usually use Sichuan pepper.

2. Step 2:

   

   Trim the stem ends off the honey mushrooms, wash them well, and let the water drain completely. I soak them in cold salted water for 2–3 hours, but that's optional. Be especially careful that no soil remains—that's how you can introduce botulism, which can be fatal. And if you're at all unsure about the mushrooms, throw them out; no mushroom is worth a human life.

3. Step 3:

   

   Put the mushrooms in a pot and cover with cold water. Salt the water (1 tablespoon of salt per 1 liter) and cook for 30 minutes. Then drain in a colander, rinse with cold water, and let drain completely.

4. Step 4:

   

   Put all the brine ingredients in a heavy-bottomed pot and pour in the water. Use coarse salt—it's easy to over-salt with fine salt, and iodized salt can make the jars blow. Set over medium heat and bring to a boil.

5. Step 5:

   

   Add the boiled mushrooms to the pot and simmer over low heat for 25 minutes after it boils; when they're done they should sink to the bottom. Take it off the heat and cool.

6. Step 6:

   

   Wash the jars and lids thoroughly with mustard powder or baking soda and rinse well. Boil the lids for 10 minutes and sterilize the jars however you like—over steam, in the oven, or in the microwave. I sterilized them in the microwave for 4 minutes at full power, with about 2 cm of water in each jar.

7. Step 7:

   

   Pack the finished mushrooms into the jars so they're completely covered with brine and seal them right away. Store them in the fridge or cellar. The honey mushrooms will be ready in 4 weeks.

8. Step 8:

   

   Enjoy!