Canning Mushrooms
This pressure canned mushrooms recipe follows NCHFP guidelines adapted from the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning. Using crimini mushrooms gives noticeably better flavor than white button mushrooms. Whole or sliced mushrooms are boiled briefly and packed into half-pint or pint jars for a versatile pantry ingredient ready to add to soups, sauces, and pasta dishes.
Servings: 24 servings (Makes 6 pints, about 1 pint per pound fresh mushrooms)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 lbs crimini mushrooms 1 pound per pint jar — small to medium with tight caps and short stems. White button mushrooms also work.
- salt 1/2 tsp per pint jar or 1/4 tsp per half pint — optional, for flavor only
- ascorbic acid powder optional, cosmetic only. Prevents color darkening. A crushed 500mg vitamin C tablet also works. I don't use this.
- fresh hot water about 1 1/2 cups water per pound of mushrooms.
Instructions
- Prepare your pressure canner, jars, lids, and bands. Keep jars hot until needed. Start a kettle of water heating for topping off the jars.
- Trim the stems and any discolored parts. Soak mushrooms in cold water for 10 minutes to loosen dirt, then rinse well in clean water. Leave small mushrooms whole; slice or halve larger ones.
- Place prepared mushrooms in a saucepan, add fresh water (about 1 1/2 cups per pound of mushrooms), and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes.
- Use a slotted spoon to pack the hot mushrooms into hot jars, leaving 1 inch headspace. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt per pint if using. Add 1/8 teaspoon ascorbic acid per jar if using. Ladle fresh the mushroom boiling liquid over the mushrooms to 1 inch headspace. Debubble, wipe rims, and apply lids and bands to fingertip tight.
- Load jars into the preheated pressure canner. Lock the lid, vent for 10 minutes, then bring to pressure. Process half-pints and pints for 45 minutes, adjusting pressure for altitude. Allow the canner to depressurize naturally. Remove jars and cool on a towel-lined counter for 12 to 24 hours. Check seals, label, and store in a cool dark place.
Notes
Mushroom variety: Use crimini or white button mushrooms only. The NCHFP processing times were developed for standard button-type mushrooms with tight caps, short stems, and uniform density. Very dense or woody mushrooms (reishi, chaga) and very delicate specialty mushrooms (oyster, lion's mane) are not suitable for this recipe.
Crimini mushrooms have noticeably better flavor for canning. They also discolor less when sliced, making the ascorbic acid step less necessary.
Ascorbic acid: Completely optional and cosmetic only. It prevents color darkening. Has no effect on safety or flavor quality. I skip it when using criminis.
Salt: Optional, for flavor only. No effect on safety.
Yield: About one pounds of fresh mushrooms per pint jar. Mushrooms shrink significantly during boiling and canning. A pound of mushrooms starts off as about 6 cups sliced, but will shrink to 2 cups after a 5 minute boil. The NCHFP says you can get 2 pounds into a pint jar, but that's incorrect and it's really not possible to pack the jars that tightly. Estimate that you'll need a pint of jar space for every pound of mushrooms as purchased.
Storage: Store sealed jars in a cool, dark pantry. Use within 12 to 18 months for best quality. Refrigerate after opening.
Altitude Adjustments
For dial gauge pressure canners:- 0 to 2,000 feet: 11 lbs pressure
- 2,001 to 4,000 feet: 12 lbs pressure
- 4,001 to 6,000 feet: 13 lbs pressure
- 6,001 to 8,000 feet: 14 lbs pressure
- 0 to 1,000 feet: 10 lbs pressure
- Above 1,000 feet: 15 lbs pressure
Nutrition
Serving: 0.25cups | Calories: 25kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.02g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.05g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.002g | Sodium: 7mg | Potassium: 508mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 0.5mg