Salted milk mushrooms in Russia are considered the best edible mushrooms. From a botanical point of view, they are classified as conditionally edible. But despite this, in the old days they were called the “king of mushrooms.” So strong and elastic (especially the small hats). So they strive to “jump” off the plate when pierced with a fork.
In previous articles, I shared with you recipes for making champignon soups and puree soups from other representatives of the kingdom. Today, I propose to get acquainted with recipes for pickling milk mushrooms for the winter, prepared hot in jars.
The pulp of milkweeds has a characteristic pleasant smell. Inside, there is a bitter milky juice, which oxidizes and changes color when exposed to air. Therefore, before salting, they are soaked for about a day, periodically changing the water, or even longer. This process is required if mushrooms are cold-pickled.
In our region, it is customary to salt them with saffron milk caps, white mushrooms, volnushki - whatever is in the basket. And the smell is fragrant, the taste is crispy, the appearance is vigorous and elastic.
No cooking
This recipe makes the milkfish crispy and not too salty. Just the way I like them. They are salted without cooking, in a cold way. Therefore, the soaking process is long, from 2 to 3 days. And the snack will be ready for consumption only after 30-40 days.
Ingredients:
- 1 kg of milk mushrooms;
- 40 g salt;
- Dill seeds;
- Bay leaf;
- a piece of horseradish root;
- 6-7 cloves of garlic;
- 10 pieces. peppercorns.
Preparation:
We clear the caps of forest gifts from last year's foliage. Rinse and fill with cold water for two days. During this time, we change the water several times. And so that all the caps are immersed in water, you need to put a slight pressure on top.
Rinse again and drain the water. Bay leaf, horseradish root and garlic can be chopped. Place the caps in a jar, sprinkling the layers of mushrooms with salt. Don't forget to add all the other spices.
Each layer should be compacted well. Under the influence of salt, the milkweed will begin to secrete its own juice. It is important that it fills all the voids and displaces the air from the can.
Sprinkle more garlic and dill seeds on top. Fill the jar to the top with salted boiled water, but cold. Cover with a nylon lid and place in the refrigerator for a month.
When salting for the winter without cooking, the jars are closed only with nylon lids. Without heat treatment and lack of oxygen, bacteria develop in closed jars that cause fatal poisoning - botulism.
Storage rules
To prevent the preparations from spoiling, they must be stored in a cellar or refrigerator. The shelf life for such dishes is several months, so milk mushrooms will winter safely if the temperature conditions are observed.
Another important point affecting storage is the preparation of containers. Jars and lids must be thoroughly washed with baking soda. The same applies to enamel dishes and wooden containers. After washing, the tubs and barrels are placed to dry in the sun.
Important! Mushrooms should not be stored in damp areas with traces of mold.
With vinegar
The fleshy body of white milk mushrooms is also well suited for pickling by any means. A recipe with vinegar can also be regarded as pickling. I saw this recipe and took it to my piggy bank. I haven't really tried it yet. But, looking at the photo, they look delicious in jars.
The author of this recipe suggests soaking the milkweed for two days. Then boil twice. First in water, and then in marinade. The process is labor intensive, but probably worth it.
What you will need:
- white milk mushrooms;
For marinade per 1 liter of water:
- 1 tbsp. l. Sahara;
- 2 tbsp. l salt;
- 2-3 bay leaves;
- 15-20 black peppercorns;
- 10 peas of allspice.
Cooking sequence:
Soak the mushrooms in cold water for 15-20 minutes. During this time, the leaves and forest debris will soften and will be cleaned well from the caps.
It is convenient to clean the caps with a soft toothbrush or a dishwashing sponge (hard side). We process hard-to-reach areas of the cap with a knife.
We wash the milkweed well and fill it with cold water. Soak for 2-3 days, periodically changing the water.
Afterwards we wash the forest products again. We cut large caps into pieces so that they can easily fit into a jar. Fill with water and boil for 15-20 minutes after boiling.
Now let's prepare the marinade. Add sugar, salt, bay leaf and peppercorns to the water. Place the container on the stove.
After the marinade boils, transfer the chopped caps into it.
Boil for 10 minutes over moderate heat. If foam forms, it must be removed.
Fill the boiled jars to the top, pressing down lightly. No need to compact. Pour in the marinade. Add 1 teaspoon of vinegar to a half-liter jar. Close with iron lids. Turn it upside down, wrap it in a blanket and leave until completely cool. The snack can be eaten within a few days.
No soaking
This recipe captivates with its ease of preparation. Additional ingredients include peppercorns and bay leaves. The result is the same. The crispy caps have a natural, fruity aroma. All additives and spices can be added after, before serving.
Ingredients:
- mushrooms;
- 3 tbsp. l. salt per 1 liter (with a slide);
- Bay leaf;
- black peppercorns.
Cooking sequence:
Step 1. Wash the mushrooms under running water, without soaking. These laticifers were collected in the larch forest and they are washed off quickly. Specimens collected in a coniferous forest will still have to be soaked. At least for 15-20 minutes. They are much more difficult to wash.
Step 2. Fill with water and put on fire. As it boils, remove the foam from the surface.
Step 3. Boil the caps for 15-20 minutes. Drain the water through a colander. Pour clean water into the pan and put it on fire. Prepare a saline solution. For 1 liter of water, take 3 heaped tablespoons of salt. We wait for the water to boil and remove from the heat.
Step 4. Place a bay leaf and 15-20 black peppercorns on the bottom of each jar. We fill the jars with milkweeds.
Step 5. Fill with salted solution and close with nylon lids.
Fill the brine to the brim so that all the caps are covered. Without brine, the top layer will darken.
Step 6. Once cooled, remove the jars for storage. They should be stored in a cellar or refrigerator. After 40 days, the snack will be ready to eat.
Salted milk mushrooms with cabbage leaves
Milk mushrooms were often used in ancient times in the treatment of serious diseases, because they contain large amounts of vitamin C, thiamine and riboflavin.
Ingredients:
- 5 kg of milk mushrooms;
- 1 horseradish root;
- 1 tbsp. coarse salt;
- 6 cloves of garlic;
- 20 leaves of currants and cherries;
- 6-7 branches of fresh dill;
- 8 cabbage leaves.
Step-by-step cooking process:
- Peel the mushrooms, rinse, soak in salted water (5 tablespoons of salt per 10 liters of water). Leave overnight. In the morning, rinse and soak for another 5 hours in clean water.
- Wash the greens. Peel the horseradish root and cloves of garlic, cut into slices.
- Wash the cabbage leaves and cut into 2 parts.
- Take a deep bowl and place all the ingredients in it in layers: mushrooms, spices, salt, cabbage leaves.
- Take the lid, cover it, put it under pressure, and leave it for 2 days. During this time, mix the ingredients 4-5 times.
- Next, you need to place the milk mushrooms in sterile jars along with the rest of the ingredients.
- Boil the released juice, pour it into the jars, and close the lid tightly.
- After just 1 month, milk mushrooms can be served.
What can I add?
Ratunda pepper will help add a spicy note to milk mushrooms with cabbage leaves. Cut it into strips, adding another layer between the mushrooms.
How to serve a dish
You can serve milk mushrooms with cabbage leaves in the form of a salad, adding fresh or pickled cucumbers and tomatoes. You can season with vegetable oil or sour cream.
Folk recipe for pickled milk mushrooms
Despite the fact that the classic version has always been considered the easiest to prepare, lovers of mushroom preparations have managed to make it easier, making the preparation not only simple, but also quick.
Ingredients for marinating:
- 1.5 kg of milk mushrooms (preferably collected with your own hands);
- 1.5 liters of water (boiled can be used);
- 1 table. l. salt;
- 1 table. l. Sahara;
- 150 ml table vinegar (you can use any 9%).
Cooking at home:
1) Sterilize jars and lids and set aside.
2) Soak the milk mushrooms for several hours in cold water to remove the bitterness. 3) Boil the milk mushrooms and pour out the water several times until the mushrooms settle to the bottom of the pan. 4) Cool, squeeze out the broth, rinse under running water and dry slightly. 5) Prepare the marinade in a saucepan. To do this, bring the water to a boil, add salt and sugar. After 7-8 minutes, pour in the vinegar and add the milk mushrooms. Cook over low heat for 12-20 minutes. 6) Catch the mushrooms using a slotted spoon and place in jars. Pour the hot marinade over the milk mushrooms and close with metal lids using a key. 7) Place the metal cans against the floor in a convenient location. Cover with an old jacket or terry towel. Leave the workpiece in this position for 3-4 days, and then hide it in the pantry or cellar.
How to pickle milk mushrooms for the winter so that they are white, crispy, and aromatic
Ingredients:
- Milk mushrooms 2.5 kg
- Salt 100 g
- Allspice
- Black peppercorns
- Garlic ½ head
- Bay leaf 3 sheets
- Horseradish root 15 g
- Dill 3 sprigs
- Horseradish leaves
- Currant leaves
Preparation:
First of all, wash the milk mushrooms well and remove all the garbage. We get rid of leaves, twigs, remove wormy specimens.
Place a large saucepan with milk mushrooms on the stove and cook over low heat for 20 minutes, starting from boiling. Place 3 bay leaves in water. At this stage we do not salt the water, we will do this in a salting container, later
Leave the mushrooms in this broth until they cool. Then we will salt the cooled milk mushrooms.
When cool, transfer them to a sieve to drain excess water.
Dip all the cooked greens one by one into the boiling solution. This operation is called blanching
Take a pan, put 3 chopped garlic cloves, a sprig of dill, and a currant leaf on the bottom. Add a little horseradish root, 10 peas of allspice. Add a horseradish leaf, sprinkle a small handful of salt.
Lay out the milk mushrooms, caps down.
Lay out a 3 cm layer, sprinkle again with spices, add salt and so on until the end. Pour in the remaining salt and spices. Cover the top with horseradish leaves. You can add more garlic, currant leaves or horseradish, this is not critical
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We install oppression on top. To do this, place a plate of suitable diameter on top and place a weight.
Brine, cool and put in the refrigerator. Just in case the mushrooms don’t produce enough brine, then add some from the refrigerator.
The salting will stand under pressure for a day, and juice will appear. Transfer the contents into jars, place the mushrooms tightly, cover with horseradish leaves on top
We close the jars with plastic lids and put them in the refrigerator for 15 days. After which the milk mushrooms will be ready to eat.
A very simple recipe that doesn’t require a lot of time or effort.
Secrets of salting milk mushrooms
Preparing milk mushrooms
The surface of the caps of milk mushrooms is abundantly covered with particles of earth, blades of grass, and dry leaves. It is necessary to sort out the mushrooms and manually clean them of large debris - this is a rather labor-intensive process.
After this, soak the mushrooms in cool water for 30 minutes. And once again carefully clean with a brush.
Having removed all the debris and contaminated areas on the milk mushrooms, you need to go through them again to cut off the damaged areas on the caps and legs, and get rid of overripe specimens.
Ways to get rid of the bitterness of milk mushrooms
Milk mushrooms are classified as conditionally edible mushrooms due to the presence of milky juice that has a pungent taste. The bitter milky juice is disposed of in various ways, only after this the milk mushrooms are salted.
Soaking
- To cold-salt, milk mushrooms are soaked in cool water for two to four days, replacing the water every 5-7 hours. This helps eliminate the bitter milky juice.
- To do this, the milk mushrooms are placed in a large container, preferably a large enamel pan.
- Since the milk mushrooms will float, they are covered with a lid or glass dish, the diameter of which is smaller than the diameter of the pan, and a weight is placed so that the mushrooms are completely covered with water.
- Milk mushrooms are very fragile mushrooms and break easily. Make sure that the load is not too heavy and that the mushrooms are not compressed in the water, causing them to break.
Boiling
- Boiling milk mushrooms is carried out before hot salting. In order to pickle milk mushrooms using the hot method, they do not need to be soaked. Although nothing prevents in this case from keeping the milk mushrooms in cold water for 6-8 hours.
- Large mushrooms are cut into slices, small ones are left whole. I prefer to salt milk mushrooms whole, without cutting them.
- Place the prepared milk mushrooms in an enamel-coated pan, pour in clean water and add a little salt.
- Bring to a boil and cook for another 5 minutes, remembering to remove the foam in a timely manner.
- After this, drain the water and rinse the mushrooms with clean cold water. Milk mushrooms are ready for pickling!
- Try to time the time from the moment of boiling of the water in which the mushrooms are cooked, and cook them for no more than 5 minutes, then the salted milk mushrooms will turn out crispy.
One of the ways to prepare milk mushrooms before salting is soaking.
The two main ways to pickle milk mushrooms are hot and cold. They differ from each other in the methods of preparing mushrooms before salting. Having understood the basic recipes of these two methods, in the future you can take a creative approach to salting milk mushrooms and, according to your taste, determine the time of soaking or boiling these mushrooms, decide which spices and in what quantities you will use according to your recipe.
