Pickling is a way to preserve foods by using a salt brine or acidic solution.  Pickling mushrooms was a way to preserve a seasonal crop. In the United States, people living in rural areas gathered a small group of recognizable wild mushrooms much like those foraged today.

Pickled mushrooms were served in autumn–winter or as part of a mixed pickle, relish, or cold meat spread.

Recipes for pickled mushrooms were published in the latter 1800s and they usually called for button mushrooms. Mushrooms didn’t begin to be commercially cultivated in the United States until around 1895.

RECIPES BELOW FROM 1800s COOKBOOKS

Pickled Mushrooms ~ Select the button mushrooms, that is, those which are not fully blown. Cut off the ends of the stems, scrape them, peel the tops, and wipe them on a clean cloth.

Put them into a stew-pan, with just enough water to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Shake them occasionally to prevent them from burning.

As soon as they are tender, pour over them some boiling vinegar, seasoned with mace, cloves, whole grains of pepper, and salt.

When cool, bottle them, and seal the corks.

To Pickle Mushrooms ~ Take a sufficient quantity of double distilled white wine vinegar to cover the mushrooms. Add to it whole white pepper, ginger, mace, peeled eschallots*, and a small quantity of garlic if approved. Boil all together ten minutes and let it stand till cold. Then peel fresh button mushrooms into water, wash them clean, strain, and put them into a stew-pan. To a quart of mushrooms add the juice of a lemon and a tablespoon of salt. Cover the pan close, set it over a fire, and when the liquor is sufficiently drawn from the mushrooms put the whole into glasses and cover them with the pickle. Tie bladder and white leather over the glasses.

The general rule has been deviated from of making the pickle for onions and mushrooms with double distilled white wine vinegar, as in this instance it is requisite to preserve them white. It is likewise recommended that they be put into small jars or glasses for use; for this reason, that, if exposed to the air but for a short space of time, they will discolor.

*eschalots- an alternate spelling for shallots, which have a milder, sweeter flavor than regular onions,

Pickled Mushrooms ~ Have sufficient vinegar to cover the mushrooms. To each quart of mushrooms, add two blades of pounded mace, one ounce of ground pepper, and salt to taste.

Choose some nice young button mushrooms for pickling, rub off the skin with a piece of flannel and salt, and cut off the stalks. If they are very large, take out the red inside, and reject the black ones, as they are too old. 

Put them in a stew-pan, sprinkle salt over them, with pounded mace and pepper. Shake them well over a clear fire until the liquor flows and keep them there until it is all dried up again. Then add as much vinegar as will cover them, simmer for one minute, and store it away in stone jars for use. When cold, tie down with a bladder* and keep in a dry place. They will remain good for a length of time, and are generally considered delicious.

*bladder – the bladder from an animal was used to cover mincemeat, potted meat, etc., to exclude the air.

Pickled Mushrooms ~ Put your mushrooms into salt and water and wash them clean with a flannel. Throw them into water as you do them. Then boil some salt and water. When it boils, put in your mushrooms and let them boil one minute. Take them out and smother them between two flannels. When cold, put them into white wine vinegar, with what spice you choose. The vinegar must be boiled and stand till cold. Keep them closely tied down with a bladder. A bit of alum is frequently put to keep them firm.

Pickled Mushrooms ~ Put your mushrooms into water. Rub them very clean with a piece of flannel. Put them into milk and water, and boil them till they are rather tender. Then pour them into an earthen colander, and pump cold water on them till they are quite cold. Have ready some salt and water. Put them into it, let them lie twenty-four hours, then dry them in a cloth. Then put them into a pickle made of the best white wine vinegar, mace, pepper, and nutmeg. If you choose to boil your pickle, it must be quite cold before you put in the mushrooms.

To Pickle Mushrooms White ~ Take small fresh-gathered button mushrooms, peel them carefully with a penknife, and cut off the stems; throwing the mushrooms into salt and water as you do them. Then put them into a porcelain skillet of fresh water, cover it closely, and set it over a quick fire. Boil it as fast as possible for seven or eight minutes, not more. Take out the mushrooms, drain them, and spread them on a clean board, with the bottom or hollow side of each mushroom turned downwards. Do this as quickly as possible, and immediately, while they are hot, sprinkle them over with salt. When they are cold, put them into a glass jar with slight layers of mace and sliced ginger. Fill up the jar with cold distilled or white wine vinegar. Put a spoonful of sweet oil on the top of each jar, and cork it closely.

Mushrooms Pickled Brown ~ Take a quart of large mushrooms and (having trimmed off the stalks) rub them with a flannel cloth dipped in salt. Then lay them in a pan of allegar,* for a quarter of an hour, and wash them about in it. Then pat them into a saucepan with a quart of allegar, one-fourth ounce of cloves, the same of allspice and whole pepper, and a teaspoonful of salt. Set the pan over coals and let the mushrooms stew slowly for ten minutes, keeping the pan well covered. Then take them off, let them get cold by degrees, and put them into small bottles with the allegar strained from the spice and poured upon them.

*alegar ~ a vinegar made from ale, essentially sour ale that has undergone fermentation.

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