Pickling mushrooms can be as simple or as exotic as you wish to make it. The marinade can be bottled French or Italian dressing or seasoned oil-vinegar dressing that you can buy in any food store. All you need do is pour the dressing over whole or sliced mushrooms, which may be boiled and drained, let this sit in refrigerator for a few hours to a few days, and you have pickled mushrooms. This should be consumed within a week or so.

Or, you may make your own marinade from vinegar, wine or lemon juice, or combinations of all three, plus oil and seasonings. To the mushrooms you may add onions, green peppers, celery, olives, eggplant, cauliflower, or other vegetables. It is the acid of the vinegar, wine or lemon juice that penetrates into the fibers of the mushrooms, creating a preservative reaction.

Seasonings for the marinade, besides salt and pepper, generally may include combinations of oregano, onion, garlic, thyme, tarragon and bay leaf.

If you wish to pickle mushrooms to keep in jars, alone or in combination with other vegetables, cook the mushrooms and the marinade together. Spoon this into sterilized jars, seal and store in a cool place until used.