In this article we will talk about how to properly prepare and pickle white milk mushrooms in several basic ways.
Juicy, fleshy and appetizing milk mushroom has long reigned in Russian forests, attracting mushroom pickers who flocked to it like bees to honey. The mushroom “rating” of these mushrooms went off scale, and every self-respecting housewife knew how to pickle milk mushrooms so that they were white, crispy and fragrant. The main thing is to properly salt the white milk mushrooms at home so that you have delicious delicacies with mushrooms for the winter.
Salt milk mushrooms cold, so they turn out crispy, aromatic and very tasty.
Milk mushrooms make an excellent appetizer for alcoholic drinks; they are added to salads, pies and okroshka; and the amount of protein contained in them sufficiently saturates the body with this nutrient.
Characteristics
The mushroom got its name for its bulkiness and heaviness. Indeed, it is dense and heavy.
Varieties of milk mushrooms.
- Aspen.
- Yellow.
- Oak.
- Turning blue.
- Black.
- Real.
- Peppery.
The more famous gifts of the forest include:
- real;
- black;
- yellow.
White forest product
White milk mushrooms have a flat or depressed cap with downward-turned edges, on which there is a fluffy fibrous fringe. The hat can remain wet even in drought.
The color of a real mushroom is conditional, since it also has a milky, creamy palette. His leg is short. The pulp is white, dense, fleshy structure, with a pleasant smell. At the fracture, you can see a copious amount of liquid secreted, which turns yellow in the air.
Before you go into the forest to pick mushrooms, you need to know where real milk mushrooms grow and in what period. They grow from July to October in birch and birch-pine forests. They can often be seen in families. White milk mushroom likes to hide under fallen leaves or pine needles.
Often real milk mushrooms are used in recipes for pickling.
Yellow product
Cap color with concentric dark circles. Due to its taste characteristics, this type ranks second after white. Although for many experts this is a controversial issue.
Yellow milk mushroom can be found from early July to October in birch forests, rarely in spruce forests.
Black look
The cap of this product can reach up to 30 cm. It has a dark brown, brown-olive palette. Dark circles are barely visible. The structure is fleshy and dense. The hat is slightly sticky.
The hollow stem is approximately 4 cm. At the break, the flesh has a grayish-white tint, which quickly turns brown. The juice secreted by the mushroom is white, with a pungent odor, and quickly darkens when chapped.
The nigella mushroom belongs to the 4th category of edibility. They are often eaten salted after a long process of soaking or boiling.
If you properly pickle and store black milk mushrooms, then the taste characteristics and strength of the product will remain for 3 or more years.
How to pickle milk mushrooms
To obtain a finished product of high quality and excellent taste, there are several types of culinary processing of milk mushrooms. The most popular is their salting.
To pickle white milk mushrooms, two methods are used:
- Hot: pre-prepared mushrooms are boiled in an enamel bowl for about half an hour. Then they are taken out of the water, allowed to cool and drain, and then placed in the already prepared boiling brine (add 2 tablespoons of salt, black pepper and seasonings to 1 liter of water). They are allowed to simmer for 25-30 minutes, garlic and horseradish are added, carefully placed in a separate container, covered and pressure is placed on top. The water that comes out of the mushrooms should cover them. They stand like this for 3-4 weeks, then they are put into jars and covered with nylon lids.
- Cold: milk mushrooms are cut into slices, filled with water and placed under pressure. So they are soaked for about a week, changing the water several times daily. Then they are washed, spoiled areas are removed and sprinkled with salt. Oppression is again placed on top for three days, stirring the mushrooms periodically. Then they are placed in jars, brine is added, covered with nylon lids and placed in a cold place.
Mushrooms should be washed well before use.
Product preparation methods
As you know, there are many methods by which you can cook mushrooms. People try to can them, boil them, pickle them, and freeze them. The recipes for each method express the taste of the product in its own way.
Before you do anything with milk mushrooms using one of the methods, the product needs to be prepared. There is always enough debris on the surface, and it is not so easy to remove. You can use an old toothbrush to make cleaning easier. Thanks to the villi, the smallest particles of leaves and dirt are cleaned off.
How to boil milk mushrooms?
To properly cook the product, you need to follow the rules:
- Clean well under the tap, removing adhered grass, leaves, and dirt.
- Leave for an hour immersed in salted water (2 large tablespoons of salt per liter of water).
- Pour new water into the saucepan and place on the stove. Transfer the product. Cook the mushrooms on medium heat. How long to cook the product? Ready time is about 15 minutes.
If boiled mushrooms are used for salting or pickling, then more time will be required for soaking - from 1 to 2 days.
Salting process
To pickle mushrooms you will need:
- 1 kg of product;
- 1.5 large spoons of salt;
- 2 units of laurel leaf;
- 5 units of peppercorns.
How to cook milk mushrooms using the cold method?
- Leave the product for 10 hours in cold water.
- Transfer to a bowl, sprinkling with salt in layers and laying out spices.
- Place the press on top and send it to a cool zone. Complete salting will occur in a week.
The prepared mushrooms can be transferred to jars.
Pickling
To make pickled milk mushrooms, you will need the following products:
- 1 kg of mushrooms;
- 2 large spoons of salt, a spoon of sugar, vinegar - for the marinade;
- 3 laurel leaves;
- 5 currant leaves;
- 2 cloves of garlic;
- 3 peppercorns.
Preparing milk mushrooms for the marinating process.
Peel, wash, place in a saucepan, pour water. How long to cook to prepare for marinating? Cooking time is 10 minutes after the water boils. How to cook? Watch for foam and remove it.
Preparation of brine.
- Put water on fire. Add salt, sugar, seasonings.
- Transfer the product to the brine. How long to cook, when does the water boil? Cook for 15 minutes.
Marinating process:
- Transfer the product into a liter container, add 2 small spoons of vinegar to each container.
- Pour the brine.
- Place the pickled milk mushrooms in a cool place.
- The time for complete readiness will come in a month.
The result is delicious marinated crispy mushrooms.
To freeze milk mushrooms, they must first be boiled, since the mushroom produces bitterness when raw. How long to cook to prepare for freezing? Depending on the size, the average cooking time is 15 minutes. You can also fry mushrooms for 20 minutes, add spices. Let them cool, put them in prepared containers and put them in the freezer.
You can prepare various dishes from frozen milk mushrooms in winter.
Preparation
Before processing milk mushrooms, certain stages of preparation for this process are performed.
First of all, all collected milk mushrooms should be cleared of debris, sand, stuck leaves and needles from the forest.
It is necessary to mercilessly remove rotten or wormy specimens, mushrooms that have a loose structure or are damaged by slugs and insects.
Next, all the mushrooms need to be sorted by size. Some will be used for drying, others for salting or cooking.
Then you need to carefully inspect all sorted mushrooms for damage.
It is advisable to cut out damaged or suspicious places, and you also need to trim the lower part of the leg again.
It is worth cleaning the underside of the cap. A pointed knife with a small blade is suitable for this. If the mushroom is large, it can be cut in half. This makes it easier to clean it from dirt and remove the spore-bearing layer.
The peculiarity of processing milk mushrooms is that they contain the so-called white “milk” - milky juice, which adds bitterness to ready-made dishes. Most of it is in the hat and plates.
Salty product in tomato
To cook canned milk mushrooms in tomato sauce you will need:
- 2 kg of product;
- 2 kg of tomatoes;
- 5 units of sweet pepper;
- bulb;
- 4 cloves of garlic;
- spices.
Cooking steps:
- Wash and peel the mushrooms. Boil.
- Puree the tomatoes in a blender. Then pass through a sieve to remove the seeds and skins.
- Blend onions, peppers and garlic with a blender.
- Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Add salt and sugar to taste. Put it on gas. When it starts to thicken, you need to remove it from the stove.
- Sterilize the container. Place garlic, dill, and peppercorns on the bottom. On top are mushrooms. Pour over the sauce.
As you know, there are many recipes with salted milk mushrooms that will not leave lovers of this product indifferent. However, it is important to prepare them correctly so that the taste of the food does not spoil later.
Useful tips
To make the harvest a pleasure, you need to take the advice of experienced mushroom pickers:
- a small knife with a sharp blade made of stainless metal is used for cleaning;
- you cannot overdo it with soaking, otherwise the fruiting bodies will lose their aroma and taste;
- after cleaning and soaking, the milk mushrooms are immediately processed without being sent for storage;
- You cannot use a pan made of copper, cast iron, or aluminum for cooking;
- Mushroom dishes cannot be stored for a long time, especially if they contain potatoes.
If, after cooking or processing, the appearance of the fruiting bodies is in doubt, it is better to discard them.
Coarse dirt can be partially cleaned with a knife at the harvesting stage.
What can you do with salted milk mushrooms and a recipe for leg caviar
What else can you do with salted milk mushrooms? It turns out that you can fry them with onions and potatoes and even make a delicious French appetizer - julienne.
Many housewives pickle only the caps of the fruiting bodies and remove the stems. In this regard, the question arises: what can be done with the legs of milk mushrooms? For example, you can cook delicious caviar.
To do this, you need to grind the boiled legs in a meat grinder. And then, adding chopped vegetables and spices to taste, simmer the mixture over low heat for 30 minutes.
Composition and calorie content
Milk breast is considered one of the best types of russula for pickling. Its taste will appeal to everyone who likes to enjoy homemade pickles. In addition, milk mushrooms are good for human health. The mushroom received its properties thanks to the substances that are included in its composition. These include:
- thiamine (vitamin B1);
- riboflavin (vitamin B2);
- ascorbic acid (vitamin C);
- vitamin PP;
- vitamin D;
- alimentary fiber;
- water;
- ash;
- monosaccharides;
- disaccharides;
- potassium;
- calcium;
- magnesium;
- iron;
- phosphorus;
- iodine;
- zinc;
- copper.
The nutritional value of the product is represented by the following indicators per 100 g: proteins are 1.8 g, fats - 0.8 g, carbohydrates - 0.5 g. The energy value is 16 kcal.
Despite the rather modest vitamin composition, milk mushrooms are still very good for health and help a person cope with some disorders in the body.
Harm and contraindications
Milk mushroom is, of course, a useful and unique mushroom, but it also has its drawbacks, or rather the harm it can cause to a person if consumed under the following conditions:
- diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, which include ulcers, gastritis;
- lactation period;
- pregnancy;
- children under 10 years of age;
- food allergies;
- individual intolerance.
In other cases, eating milk mushrooms will be beneficial. But do not forget that you should eat them no more than once every seven days. With this use there will only be benefits.
Is it possible to get poisoned by milk mushrooms?
In Russia, milk mushrooms are very popular, but in Europe this mushroom is considered inedible and poisonous. This is partly true, because... Milk mushrooms are considered conditionally edible mushrooms. That is, you can use them, but after preliminary preparation. It is very easy to get poisoned if:
- eat a stale product;
- eat an inedible type of milk mushroom;
- Cooking mushroom incorrectly.
In case of poisoning, a person may experience:
- nausea;
- vomit;
- chills;
- abdominal pain of an antispasmodic nature;
- diarrhea;
- urinary retention;
- pale skin;
- dizziness;
- headache;
- fainting;
- tremor.
In these cases, you should immediately consult a doctor, and before his arrival, try to rinse your stomach, ensure bed rest and drink water every 20 minutes.
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With citric acid
Ingredients:
- vinegar 5% – 250 ml;
- bay leaf – 1 pc.;
- citric acid – 2 g;
- allspice – 6 peas;
- cinnamon – 1 g;
- sugar – 10 gr.
How to cook
- To prepare the marinade, pour 1 liter of water into an enamel pan, add salt and vinegar.
- Bring to a boil, strain through 4 layers of gauze and put the milk mushrooms into it.
- Simmer until the mushrooms are cooked and the marinade becomes clear.
- Add spices according to the list and bring to a boil again.
- Pour into dry, heated jars, filling them 1 cm below the top of the neck. Cover with lids and leave to sterilize. Roll up.
