Milk mushroom is a fairly common mushroom with many types. But because of the bitter taste, many mushroom pickers avoid it. But the taste can be corrected if the mushrooms are properly processed. After that, they become no less valuable than others. They can be prepared fresh or stored for future use. Let's consider, how to properly salt milk mushrooms so that they are not bitter and do not change color.
Features of pickling milk mushrooms
They can be salted raw or slightly boiled. But, regardless of the salting method, they must be soaked. Otherwise they will be bitter and it will be impossible to eat them.
If you salt them raw, the color does not change, but if you boil them, they will darken. If you add citric acid during cooking, the color will be preserved. But you don’t need to cook it for long, just a couple of minutes.
Selection and preparation of mushrooms before starting the process
To prepare a tasty and high-quality pickled milk mushroom, you need to take suitable mushrooms:
- You shouldn’t collect everything; those that are too old become rough and tasteless. It is better to leave them in place, let them ripen and produce a new harvest next year.
- Wormy ones should also be discarded immediately in the forest so that they do not take up space in the basket. You can get rid of the larvae, but this is not the main problem with wormy mushrooms. When worms eat them, they begin to deteriorate inside and become dangerous, you can be poisoned by them.
- Mushrooms covered with mold cannot be taken, they are spoiled.
After going to the forest, the first thing you need to do is sort out the mushrooms, remove the garbage and, if there are any, get rid of dubious specimens that accidentally or mistakenly ended up in the basket.
Then start soaking. Mushrooms are soaked for at least three days. Add a little salt to the water. Approximately 50 g per liter of water. Make sure that the mushrooms do not float and soak evenly. It is necessary to change the water as often as possible, this way the bitterness will go away faster. Before salting, rinse milk mushrooms with clean water several times, preferably under the tap.
Recipes for salting milk mushrooms at home
Salted milk mushrooms have always been popular in Rus'. Today there are many recipes for their preparation, but they are all divided into hot and cold.
Hot method
This method includes heat treatment. After the mushrooms have undergone the soaking procedure, they are boiled, then placed in glass jars, enamel or wooden dishes and salted.
Milk mushrooms do not cook for long, about 15-20 minutes. At the beginning of cooking, they are on the surface of the water, and then settle to the bottom. At this point you need to change the water and cook further until they settle again.
For the first time, you can add water so that it covers the mushrooms halfway. They will release their juice, and that will be enough. Then add water to cover the mushrooms.
Repeat the procedure 2-3 times, then strain the milk mushrooms and wash them under the tap. Further actions are carried out according to the recipe.
Cold way
This method is simpler and the product is more flavorful. Without heat treatment, the taste is fully preserved. But before salting, you also need to soak for a long time to remove the bitterness.
Instant recipes with various additives are used. Milk mushrooms are used raw, well soaked and washed. Made with onions, cabbage, garlic and horseradish. And this is not the entire list of ingredients that can be found in these pickles.
The prepared milk mushrooms are placed in layers in a used vessel, alternating with spices. Each layer is well salted; you don’t have to skimp on the salt. Before use, they need to be soaked again, but not for so long.
Place a weight on top and put the container in the cold. After a day, the juice should be released, covering the mushrooms. If this does not happen, you need to increase the pressure. Sometimes this doesn’t help, then you need to add salt to the mushrooms - it is possible that there was not enough salt or it turned out to have impurities and was not salted. Over time, the mushrooms settle.You can add new ones to them.
White milk mushrooms in cabbage leaves
It turns out delicious if you salt milk mushrooms along with cabbage leaves. Both mushrooms and cabbage benefit from this:
- You can use both hot and cold pickling. But hot is better, this way a lot of mushroom juice won’t come out and the brine won’t spoil.
- The boiled milk mushrooms are filtered and cooled.
- It is better to make pickling in a wooden barrel, it will be more flavorful.
- Spices and cabbage leaves are placed in a thick layer on the bottom. A layer of mushrooms is poured on top and salted. This is done several times until the entire barrel is filled.
- Make brine and pour it into the barrel to the brim.
A ten-liter keg requires the following ingredients:
- cabbage leaves - 6 kg;
- boiled milk mushrooms - 3 kg;
- salt for brine - 200 g;
- water - 5 liters.
If desired, the cabbage does not need to be divided into leaves.
Pickling with onions
If you pickle milk mushrooms with a lot of onions, you get a ready-made snack. To do this, cut the peeled onion into half rings and boil the mushrooms. You don’t have to boil it, then it will take longer before consuming.
Ingredients:
- milk mushrooms - 3 kg;
- onions - 4-5 pieces;
- salt - 100 g;
- spices to taste and choice.
Place onions and mushrooms in rows in a bowl. Salt and season each row with spices.
Salt in hot brine
According to this recipe, milk mushrooms need to be boiled for 15-20 minutes in water, then strained and placed in boiling brine and cooked for the same amount of time. After that, put them in jars, drain the excess brine and pour a little vegetable oil into each jar to stop the air from entering. Close the lid and put it in the cellar.
For 1 liter of brine:
- water - 1 liter;
- salt - 1-2 tbsp. l.;
- dry spices to taste.
If desired, you can add chopped garlic and horseradish root.But they are added to the mushrooms after cooking and infused a little so that everything is evenly soaked.
In Korean
That's why milk mushroom recipe They turn out very aromatic and tasty. Ingredients:
- mushrooms - 3 kg;
- onion - 1 kg;
- carrots - half a kilo;
- seasoning "loin";
- vegetable oil - 300 ml;
- vinegar - 200 ml;
- salt, sugar, garlic, black pepper to taste.
Carrots and onions are fried in oil, mushrooms are boiled. Everything is mixed and left to soak.
Forest crispy barrel milk mushrooms
Since ancient times, mushroom pickers have been salting milk mushrooms in wooden barrels. This gave them an unusual taste, especially if the barrel was oak. In villages, such pickles can still be found. And, of course, you can get a recipe on how to do it correctly.
To ensure that the taste of the main ingredient does not deteriorate, you need to pay special attention to the barrel. It must be carefully prepared before use. If it is new, it is enough to soak it for a couple of days for the boards to swell.
If the barrel has already been used before, it needs to be soaked for a couple of weeks, changing the water periodically, and then washed thoroughly. Before salting the mushrooms, pour boiling water into the barrel and leave until cool. After all the activities, the vessel should not have any foreign odors.
You can salt milk mushrooms in a barrel in different ways - both cold and hot. Important before salted mushrooms soak well to remove bitterness. Ingredients for the easiest method:
- milk mushrooms - 10 kg;
- salt - 0.5 kg;
- horseradish and black currant leaves.
Raw or boiled milk mushrooms are placed in a barrel, sprinkled with salt and covered with leaves. Raw ones will be crispier and more elastic, boiled ones will be softer.
Storage rules
Mushroom pickling is stored in a cool, dark place. It can be in the refrigerator, but it is better in the basement or cellar.
