Aspen milk mushroom (poplar, poplar): photo and description, recipes for preparing for the winter

The aspen milkweed represents the Syroezhkov family, the genus Mlechniki. The second name is poplar milk mushroom. The species has many distinctive features. Before collecting, it is important to read the description and photo of the poplar milk mushroom.

What does aspen mushroom look like and where does it grow?

The mushroom has whitish, dense and brittle flesh with a fruity aroma and bright taste. Aspen milk mushrooms can produce copious amounts of white, bitter juice. The plates of representatives of this species are not wide, sometimes bifurcated, cream or light pinkish in color. The mushroom spore powder has the same color.

Description of the cap

The breast is characterized by a rather fleshy and dense cap with a diameter of 6 to 30 cm. It has a flat-convex shape and is slightly depressed in the center, and its fluffy edges in young specimens are slightly curved down. In the photo you can see that the cap of a ripened poplar milk mushroom straightens out and becomes slightly wavy. The surface of the mushroom is covered with white or mottled skin with pinkish spots and fine fluff. In wet weather, it becomes quite sticky, and fragments of earth and forest litter stick to it.

Description of the leg

The height of the aspen milk mushroom leg varies from 3 to 8 cm. It is quite dense, tapering towards the base. Can be painted white or pinkish.

Where and how does it grow

Aspen mushroom is capable of forming mycorrhizae with willows, aspens and poplars. Its habitat is damp aspen and poplar forests. The mushroom grows in small groups in warm areas of the temperate climate zone. In Russia, poplar milk mushrooms can often be found in the Lower Volga region. The fruiting time of the species begins in July and lasts until October.

Doubles and their differences

Most often, aspen (poplar) milk mushrooms can be confused with white milkweed (white milkweed), which is an edible species. Differences in the cap: in the volnushka it is densely pubescent.

Another lookalike of the species is the edible milk mushroom. The mushroom has pubescence along the edges and white plates. In poplar milk mushrooms they are colored pink.

Other representatives of the genus Mlechniki - the violin, the pepper milk mushroom - also have external similarities with the species, but they can be easily distinguished by the color of the cap: only the aspen milk milk has a pink underside.

How to cook aspen milk mushrooms

Aspen milk mushroom is a conditionally edible mushroom that requires special preparation before consumption. The most popular methods are salting or pickling fruit bodies. It is extremely important to correctly follow the technology for preparing mushrooms, otherwise they may become bitter due to the milky juice contained in the pulp.

Preparing mushrooms

Before cooking, poplar milk mushrooms need careful preparation, which will help eliminate toxic substances in the product and a bitter taste.

How to wash poplar milk mushrooms

Immediately after harvesting, mushrooms must be thoroughly washed and any build-up removed. If this is difficult to do (the grass and leaves stick tightly to the cap due to the juice), the fruiting bodies are filled with water in a capacious container.

How long should poplar milk mushrooms be soaked?

You can also get rid of toxic substances, small amounts of which are present in fruiting bodies, by soaking them in salt water for 2-3 days, while changing the liquid every 7-10 hours. For this purpose, use a wooden or enamel container.

Before soaking, you need to make sure that all the fruiting bodies are immersed in water, otherwise the mushrooms on the surface will quickly change color.

Soaking poplar milk mushrooms is a necessary step: it helps to eliminate all toxic substances, as well as remove all bitterness from the mushrooms.

What can be prepared from aspen milk mushrooms

Aspen milk mushrooms are only suitable for pickling and pickling. When frozen (regardless of the method), mushrooms lose all their liquid, which causes their taste to suffer and bitterness to appear. The same thing happens when frying fruiting bodies.

Recipes for preparing poplar milk mushrooms for the winter

The most popular options for preparing aspen milk mushrooms are marinating and pickling mushrooms: this will help preserve their taste throughout the winter.

How to cook salted poplar milk mushrooms

The classic option for preserving aspen milk mushrooms for the winter using the cold method:

1. Fruit bodies must be thoroughly cleaned and washed as indicated above.
2. After this, you can begin the salting process. For 1 kg of aspen milk mushrooms, 50 g of salt is needed, which is sprinkled on the bottom of the container and covered with black currant leaves, cherry leaves or dill sprigs. This will help protect the fruiting bodies from mold during storage.
3. Each new layer, 5 to 10 cm thick, is sprinkled with salt, adding a little bay leaf, pepper and garlic.
4. At the very top, currant leaves or dill are again laid out. Then cover with a wooden circle according to the diameter of the vessel. A slightly smaller enamel pan lid will also work. The circle is wrapped in gauze and pressed down with pressure: a stone, a clean enamel pan with a weight inside, etc. You should not use dolomite or limestone for this purpose.When dissolved, it can spoil the product.
5. After 2 days, the mushrooms should give juice and settle. The fruiting bodies are ready after a month and a half. They should be stored at a temperature of + 5-6 °C in a ventilated basement or refrigerator. Higher rates contribute to the souring of aspen milk mushrooms. If the temperature is lower, the mushrooms become fragile and lose their taste.
6. If the fruiting bodies are salted in a large container, they are added in parts as they are collected and placed under pressure.
   Important! During storage, mushrooms should be kept in brine and not float. If there is not enough liquid, you need to add cold boiled water.
7. If mold is found on a wooden mug, gauze or the walls of the container, the dishes must be washed in hot salted water.
8. If there are only a few milk mushrooms, it is better to pickle them in a small glass jar, placing a cabbage leaf on top. The container must be covered with a plastic lid and stored in the refrigerator.

This method of processing poplar milk mushrooms is only suitable for raw mushrooms.

Another option for cold salting

Ingredients (for 8 servings):

• 5 kg of milk mushrooms;
• 500 g coarse salt;
• 1 horseradish root;
• 10 cloves of garlic;
• cherry, horseradish or blackcurrant leaves.

How to cook:

1. On the third day after washing, the fruiting bodies must be removed from the water, dried and rubbed with salt.
2. Place milk mushrooms in layers into a large barrel. Place cloves of garlic and pieces of horseradish root between them.
3. Cover the top with several layers of gauze, cover with dill, currant, cherry or horseradish leaves.
4. Place the milk mushrooms again under pressure (2.5-3 kg).
5. Place the pickling in a cool place for 30 days. After this, sterilized jars are suitable for storing mushrooms, which do not need to be screwed on with lids.

Store the product at low temperature.

Salting aspen milk mushrooms using the hot method

With this method of pickling, mushrooms do not require pre-soaking. To remove the bitterness, they need to be boiled for about 20-30 minutes. After this, drain the water, rinse the milk mushrooms under cold water and dry in a colander. To make the glass liquid better, boiled mushrooms can be hung in a bag made of rare material.

Then the fruiting bodies must be placed in a jar, pan or tub and sprinkled with salt. Proportion – 50 g per 1 kg of raw materials. In addition to salt, you need to add a little garlic, horseradish and dill. Boiled milk mushrooms are salted for 5 to 7 days.

For the hot salting method, another type of heat treatment may be suitable - blanching. To remove all the milky juice, washed and peeled fruiting bodies must be placed in boiling water for 5-8 minutes. If there are only a few mushrooms, you can use a colander. After the time has passed, the milk mushrooms should be immediately washed in cool water until completely cooled.

Then the mushrooms are placed in layers in a container, as described above, salt and seasonings are added: garlic, parsley, horseradish, dill. Sometimes celery, oak, cherry and currant leaves are also used. Mushrooms reach readiness on the 8-10th day. The prepared salting should be stored in a cool place.

Another method of hot salting

Ingredients:

• 5 kg of milk mushrooms;
• 1 liter of water;
• 2 tbsp. l. salt
• black peppercorns (15-20 pcs.);
• allspice (10 pcs.);
• 5 cloves of garlic;
• Bay leaf;
• 2-4 currant leaves;
• carnation.

How to cook:

1. For 1 liter of water you will need 2 tbsp. l. rock salt. Place mushrooms into the resulting solution, which should float freely in the liquid. If there are a lot of milk mushrooms, it is better to cook them in several approaches or use different pans. Mushrooms need to be cooked for 20 minutes over medium heat.
2. Next you need to prepare the brine. Add salt and all the specified spices, except garlic, to a liter of water. Put the liquid on the fire.
3. Drain the boiled fruit bodies in a colander and transfer to a pan with boiling brine. Cook for 30 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat, add the garlic and stir.
4. Cover with a smaller lid (an inverted plate will do) and apply pressure that is not too heavy so that the mushrooms do not turn into “porridge”. The milk mushrooms must be completely in the brine without access to air.
5. Afterwards, put the pickling in a cool place and let it sit there for a week. Then the mushrooms can be placed in sterile jars, filled with brine, and vegetable oil added on top, this will prevent air from entering. Place back in a cool place for 30-40 days until fully cooked.

How to pickle poplar milk mushrooms for the winter

Quick pickling of milk mushrooms for the winter can be done according to the following recipe.

Ingredients:

• milk mushrooms – 1 kg;
• salt – 1 tbsp. l.;
• granulated sugar – 1 tsp;
• allspice – 5 peas;
• cloves and cinnamon - 2 pcs each;
• Bay leaf;
• citric acid – 0.5 g;
• 6% food grade acetic acid solution.

Preparation procedure:

1. The marinade must be poured into an enamel pan and brought to a boil, after which the prepared fruiting bodies should be placed there. After boiling, cook over moderate heat, regularly skimming off any foam that accumulates.
2. When the foam has completely disappeared, you can add some spices to the pan: granulated sugar, allspice, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf and citric acid so that the mushrooms retain their natural color.
3. Then remove the milk mushrooms from the heat and cool by placing gauze or a clean towel on top of the pan.
4. The mushrooms must be placed in glass jars and filled with the marinade in which they were located.Close the jars with plastic lids and put them in a cool place for further storage.

How to marinate milk mushrooms for the winter with bay leaves

Ingredients for 1 kg of mushrooms:

• water – 100 g;
• vinegar – 125 g;
• salt – 1.5 tbsp. l.;
• sugar – 0.5 tbsp. l.;
• bay leaf – 2 pcs.;
• black peppercorns – 3-4 pcs.;
• cloves – 2 pcs.

How to cook:

1. The fruiting bodies are thoroughly washed under cold water, and then placed on a sieve or colander to drain all the liquid.
2. A separate container is filled with water, adding salt and sugar. After this, the pan is placed on the fire and brought to a boil.
3. Prepared milk mushrooms are placed in boiling liquid. After 10 minutes, you need to remove the resulting foam and add spices.
4. Cook the mushrooms over the fire for about 25-30 minutes. If the milk mushrooms are small, they can be removed after 15-20 minutes. When fully prepared, the fruiting bodies will sink to the bottom and the liquid will become clearer.
5. After removing the mushrooms from the heat, cool them, place them in well-washed glass jars and cover with parchment paper. After this, the workpieces are stored in a cold place.

Another way to pickle aspen milk mushrooms for winter storage

Ingredients:

• water – 2 l (per 5 kg of product);
• salt – 150 g;
• 80% solution of vinegar essence – 30 ml;
• allspice – 30 peas;
• cloves – 2 pcs.

Preparation steps:

1. The fruit bodies are thoroughly washed, then placed in an enamel pan with boiling water and blanched for 2-3 minutes.
2. After this, the mushrooms are transferred to a colander and placed in cool water for 5-7 minutes, and then in a well-washed wooden barrel, adding salt and various spices.
3. The finished pickling is left for some time so that the mushrooms can release their juice.After this, they are washed, filled with marinade, tightly closed with a lid and placed in a cool place for storage.

Additional recipe for pickled milk mushrooms

Ingredients for 3 kg of mushrooms:

• water – 2 l;
• 80% solution of vinegar essence – 20 ml;
• salt – 100 g;
• bay leaf – 20 pcs.;
• allspice – 30 peas.

The mushrooms are washed and placed in an enamel container with salted boiling water for 15-20 minutes. Then they are discarded in a colander and loaded back into the pan. Pour over the prepared marinade and cook for 30 minutes. After this, the mushroom mass is removed using a slotted spoon, cooled, placed in well-washed jars and tightly closed with lids.

Storage rules

Freshly harvested aspen milk mushrooms should not be stored for a long period. Mushrooms tend to accumulate toxic substances that poison the human body.

If there is no way to quickly process the raw material, it must be placed in a dark place for 10-15 hours. You can use the bottom shelves of the refrigerator, basement, cellar or underground. The maximum shelf life in this form is 1 day.

Conclusion

The aspen milk mushroom is a conditionally edible representative of the forest kingdom. The mushroom does not differ in taste, but it is actively used for pickling and pickling for the winter. Aspen milk mushroom has a number of distinctive features, which are important to familiarize yourself with before harvesting, carefully studying the photo and description.

Recommended Posts

Oak breast: photo and description

Milkweed (euphorbia, red-brown milk mushroom): photo and description

Papillary breast (milky papillary, large): what it looks like, where and how it grows

Watery-zone milkweed: photo and description

Oak milk mushroom (oak milk mushroom): what it looks like, benefits, recipes

Milk mushrooms have turned black: what to do, is it possible to eat them, how to bleach them

Stunted milk mushroom (Tender breast): description and photo

Milk mushrooms in the Chelyabinsk region: where they grow and when to collect

Dry milk mushrooms (White Podgrudok): photo and description, benefits and harms, difference from raw milk mushrooms