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The milkweed is an edible agaric mushroom. Member of the Russula family, genus Mlechnik. In different regions the mushroom has its own names: Podivnitsa, gruzel, lip, water-zonal milk mushroom.
Mycologists call the species Lactarius aquizonatus.
Description of the watery zone milk mushroom
Although mushrooms hide in the grass and under leaves, a noticeable cap gives away their location. Distinctive features will allow you to determine the variety of the representative of the mushroom kingdom.
Description of the cap
Old mushrooms have a rather large cap - 8-20 cm.In young people, the cap is round, compact, and the edges are turned up. Then flat, with a gentle depression towards the center. In older specimens, the edges curve upward. The skin is slightly slimy. The border is shaggy and fringed. If it's dry, older specimens have no edges. The top is white or with an ocher-yellow tint in the center and on the edge. The yellowness is caused by hairy edges that turn yellow and darken slightly with age. The name of the species is due to faintly visible circles on the cap - areas where liquid accumulates.
Below, wide, whitish-cream plates are attached to the stem. The white flesh is dense and elastic. The color of the pulp does not change when broken and produces a pleasant mushroom aroma with some fruity notes. A milky juice is released, which is caustic and turns yellow in the air.
Description of the leg
The leg of the milk mushroom is not high, from 2 to 8 cm, and stretches out in mosses.
Other features:
- thickness 0.5-4 cm;
- strong, cylindrical, smooth;
- the pulp is whole in young specimens;
- hollow with age;
- there are yellowish depressed spots on the light white surface.
Where and how does it grow
The watery zone species grows under deciduous trees and in mixed forests - in wet birch forests, aspen forests, under alder or willow, in groves with moist soil. The favorite places of experienced mushroom pickers who collect watery mushrooms are areas between pine forests and swampy birch forests in the northern regions of the temperate zone of Russia, in the Moscow region, Belarusian forests, in the Volga region, the Urals and Siberia. They grow in groups, from 3-10 pieces. Sometimes mushrooms are quite difficult to find: they are completely hidden under last year's litter. Milk mushrooms are collected from July to the end of September.
Is the mushroom edible or not?
Watery zone representatives are conditionally edible.They belong to the fourth category in terms of nutritional value. Lovers of milk mushrooms appreciate their salted milk for its good taste.
How to cook watery milk mushrooms
It is recommended to only salt mushrooms filled with liquid. Procurement rules:
- the fruiting bodies are soaked or boiled so that the bitter juice disappears;
- soak for 12-24 hours, sometimes up to 3-7 days are recommended;
- change water daily;
- If you like a special bitter taste, soak the mushrooms for no more than a day.
Young milk mushrooms are pickled.
Doubles and their differences
For inexperienced mushroom pickers, the milk mushroom is similar to the following species:
- with a white wave;
- white loader;
- violin;
- Let's load it with the real thing.
The species has no poisonous counterparts.
Features of the type in question:
- zones on the cap;
- wet border fringe;
- depressed spots on the leg.
Differences between twins:
- the wave is smaller, the milky juice is bitter;
- the load does not have juice on the cut;
- the violin is larger, with a felt surface of the cap and white milky juice;
- A real milk mushroom has no pubescence, or it is small.
Conclusion
Watery-zone milkweed is highly valued as a pickling raw material. The species thrives on warm, foggy nights, but does not particularly like rainy weather. Covered with decaying leaves, the caps rot due to excess moisture.
