Pickled Chanterelles with Pineapple Weed Recipe

Chanterelles hot-pickled with pineapple weed.

In damp west Scotland chanterelle season begins in June, just as pineapple weed starts to flower. Chanterelles are often described as having a scent of apricots, and while my olfactory senses don’t quite get apricot, I do find them fruity, especially when I breathe in a big basketful. So it wasn’t such a bizarre leap of imagination to add pineapple weed flowers to my pickling mix. Their fruity and chamomile flavours work really well with the young chanterelles.

Complimentary posts:

• CHANTERELLE – IDENTIFICATION, DISTRIBUTION, EDIBILITY, ECOLOGY, SUSTAINABLE HARVESTING, COOKING, PROCESSING, RECIPES
• PINEAPPLE WEED – IDENTIFICATION, EDIBILITY, DISTRIBUTION, ECOLOGY, RECIPES
• HOW TO PICKLE WILD MUSHROOMS – GENERAL ADVICE AND TOP TIPS

Partially dry clean, firm chanterelles for about 1 hour in a dehydrator on a low setting (or leave in a warm dry spot overnight). The aim is not to dehydrate them fully, but to ensure they aren’t really wet. This allows them to absorb more of the pickling liquor. You could use fully dried chanterelles for this recipe if that is all you have, but I find dried chanterelles have lost most of their charm.

Simmer the chanterelles for 10 minutes with a few handfuls of pineapple weed flowers in a 3-2-1 pickle solution comprising 3 parts water, 2 parts apple cider vinegar (possibly pre-infused with pineapple weed, as detailed here), 1 part sugar, and a generous pinch of salt. Add any other spices you fancy at this stage.

Transfer the hot mushrooms and flowers into very clean jars, then pour over the (still very hot) pickling solution ensuring the solids are immersed in the vinegar solution – I use small round plastic tubs with holes punched in the bottom that fit snugly just below the jar lid.

Screw on the lids and leave to cool before storing in the fridge.

They’ll keep for months in the fridge unopened, but use within a couple of weeks once opened. They are great with cured meats.

For more tips on pickling chanterelles and other mushrooms, see here.