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In forests of various types, the rubella mushroom, which belongs to the Russula family, is quite common. The Latin name is lactarius subdulcis. It is also known as puta, sweet milk mushroom, and sweetish milkweed. Despite its prevalence, this species is not held in high esteem by most people due to its narrow use in cooking and the assigned category of conditionally edible mushrooms. However, this gift of the forest is quite nutritious, and with proper pre-processing it can be used to make a tasty snack.
Where does rubella grow?
The rubella mushroom, the photo and description of which is presented below, grows almost everywhere. It can be found in forests of various types on moss deposits. In deciduous forest belts, this species prefers to form mycorrhiza with birch, oak or beech. Fruits from mid-summer to late autumn, actively begins to grow after prolonged rains. Red mushroom (lactarius subdulcis) is one of the few mushrooms that can withstand short-term frosts and can be found until the first snow.This species is quite often found in large groups throughout almost all of Europe.
What do mushrooms look like?
The pulp of this species secretes an abundant milky juice of a whitish color.
This photo shows that the fruiting body of the columbine mushroom consists of a lamellar cap and a thin stalk. The cap is convex or depressed with a small central tubercle and tucked edges inward. It reaches up to 8 cm in diameter and is colored reddish-red. The surface feels smooth or slightly wrinkled. On the inside of the cap there are narrow, descending and densely spaced plates. Their color varies from whitish to light brown or pinkish. The spores are medium in size, spherical in shape with a mesh surface. Spore powder is creamy-pinkish in color.
The leg is cylindrical, narrowed downward, thickness is 1.5 cm, and length is 4-6 cm. It is characterized as straight, but in some specimens it may be slightly curved. Painted in lighter shades than the cap.
The pulp is dense and quite fragile, the color varies from white to nut color. When damaged, it produces abundant milky juice, which remains unchanged in air. It tastes bitter and emits an unpleasant aroma, similar to the smell of rubber or bedbugs.
Is it possible to eat rubella mushroom?
Most often this species is found in large groups
Rubella is assigned category 4 nutritional value, and therefore it is considered a conditionally edible mushroom. This specimen should not be consumed raw due to its inherent bitter taste. However, unpleasant bitterness can be eliminated through pre-treatment. Due to their special fibrous nature, the legs are not used for food, but the caps are suitable for pickling or pickling.
False doubles of rednecks
In terms of external characteristics, rubellas are similar to other gifts of the forest:
- Milkman – an edible mushroom that can be used as food even in its raw form. It differs from the specimen in question in the larger size of the fruiting bodies, since the double’s cap is from 5 to 16 cm in diameter, and the length of the stem can reach up to 10 cm. In addition, an abundant white milky juice is released from the inside of the cap, which after some time in the air turns brown.
- Gorkushka – considered a conditionally edible mushroom, most often used as food in pickled or salted form after preliminary special processing. It can be distinguished from rubella by the dark red or burgundy color of the cap and the more pungent bitter milky juice.
How to cook rubella mushrooms
This species can be used for food, but only after pre-treatment. To do this you need:
- Clean mushrooms from forest debris.
- Cut off the legs.
- Place the hats in a deep container, fill with water, and place a heavy weight on top. Soak for 24 hours. In this case, the water needs to be changed about 2 times a day.
- Rinse, boil in salted water for about 10 minutes, after which you can begin preparing one or another dish from rubella mushrooms.
There is another processing option, where instead of long soaking, boiling will be required. When deciding how long to cook rubella in this case, you need to set aside at least two hours for this process. Then the mushrooms are also washed under running water, after which they can be used in further cooking.
Recipes for making rubellas
This specimen has found rather limited use in cooking.Rubella is not suitable for making soups and fried dishes, but when marinated or salted it will become incredibly tasty and crispy.
How to cook rednecks with potatoes
Sweet breast is a conditionally edible species
Suitable exclusively for pickling and salting. However, in this form, rubellas go well with fried or boiled potatoes. Below are recipes for making pickled and salted mushrooms.
How to pickle rubella mushrooms
Sweetish milkweed has very fragile flesh
The process of preparing salted forest products is as follows:
- Clean the rubella from dirt, remove the stems.
- Soak for a day.
- After this time, rinse.
- Place into containers with caps down.
- Sprinkle with salt.
- Place the next layer of garlic, cut into slices, then dill umbrellas and currant leaves.
- Cover the workpiece with a wide sheet of horseradish and press down on top with pressure.
- Place in the refrigerator for 3 days.
- Transfer the mushrooms into pre-sterilized jars and roll up the lids.
- Let this dish brew for 40 days, after which it is ready to eat.
How to pickle rubellas
The sweetish breast milk has a fibrous and bitter stem; for these reasons it is not eaten
The process of pickling rubellas is not much different from salting. However, in this case, instead of soaking, heat treatment of forest products is provided. So, to prepare hot pickled mushrooms, you will need the following products:
- rubella – 500 g;
- bay leaf – 1 pc.;
- garlic – 2 cloves;
- salt - to taste;
- 9% vinegar – 2 tbsp. l.
Cooking method:
- Wash the redberries, cut off the stems and place in a saucepan.
- Cook over low heat in salted water for about 2-3 hours.
- Transfer the still warm gifts of the forest into prepared jars.
- Add spices, vinegar.
- Roll up with sterilized lids.
- Wrap up and send to a dark place.
Conclusion
Rubella mushrooms are colorful representatives of the forest, growing in various regions with temperate climates. They are distinguished by their unpretentiousness and can grow until the first snow cover. But despite the many advantages, they also have several disadvantages, one of which is the bitter taste of the pulp. It is for this reason that many mushroom pickers pass by these specimens. However, there are also those people who appreciate the taste of pickled and salted rubies. When cooked correctly, they stop being bitter, become crispy, and can even compete with other edible mushrooms.
