Content
Ryzhiki are called royal mushrooms for their incomparable taste and aroma, as well as for the fact that when salted they require neither soaking nor heat treatment. Therefore, saffron milk caps are most often prepared for the winter using pickling. Nevertheless, many housewives are faced with a situation where everything seems to have been done correctly and according to the recipe, but the saffron milk caps have turned sour. What this means, what reasons can lead to souring, and what can be done about it will be discussed further.
Why did saffron milk caps ferment?
Saffron milk caps can ferment for a variety of reasons. It also happens that the signs of normal fermentation, which can be considered standard when pickling saffron milk caps, are mistaken by many novice housewives for dangerous symptoms. So, if after several days of being under pressure a thin strip of mold appears on the surface of the mushrooms, then you should not worry too much. This is an almost normal process that occurs due to contact with oxygen in the air. And in any recipe that describes salting saffron milk caps in a cold way, it must be stated that during the period of fermentation under pressure (3-5 weeks), once every 2-3 days, the fabric covering the mushrooms and the press itself must be washed.It's best to boil them in a little water or even use a new cloth.
A similar situation can happen when it seems that saffron milk mushrooms have fermented in the jars where they were transferred after a short stay under oppression. If the fermentation process has not finished (and it needs from 2 to 6 weeks, depending on the temperature), then bubbles may appear on the surface of the brine, and the brine itself will begin to slowly flow out of loosely covered jars. This is completely normal. You just need to strictly follow the instructions for how long the salted saffron milk caps should be kept under pressure. Here it is important to check whether the mushrooms have soured or not. In the first case, it is necessary to take effective measures. If the taste of the brine has not changed, then the mushrooms are quite edible, and you just need to wait.
But often the situation arises that you have to keep jars of saffron milk caps that have not yet fermented in the refrigerator, since it is difficult to find another equally cold place. In this case, the jars should be placed in additional containers or in thick plastic bags so as not to stain the refrigerator shelves. But sooner or later (on average after 3-4 weeks) the fermentation process will stop and you can loosen control over the salted mushrooms and no longer be afraid that they will turn sour.
It’s another matter if salted saffron milk caps turn sour due to non-compliance with certain preparation or storage rules.
Many housewives, by inertia, like to soak mushrooms in water before salting. After all, this procedure is required by all types of milk mushrooms, and other lamellar mushrooms. But saffron milk caps have a very negative attitude towards this procedure. They belong to category 1 edible mushrooms and do not need soaking at all.It’s not for nothing that the best classic method of salting saffron milk caps is dry, that is, without access to water at all. Therefore, if the saffron milk caps turn sour during salting, then you need, first of all, to remember whether they were left in the water unattended for some time. This could negatively affect their structure and lead to subsequent souring.
In the process of salting saffron milk caps, it is imperative to use oppression. Since it is this that helps to constantly keep the mushrooms under the surface of the brine. If some parts of the mushrooms are not immersed in brine, the likelihood that they will turn sour and mold will appear will increase many times over. Most often, only the oppression itself sticks out of the brine. Since it comes into contact with the camelina brine and air at the same time, it is for this reason that it must be periodically removed and thoroughly washed with hot water so that the mushrooms do not sour. This factor is especially important when using cold and dry salting.
Finally, the appropriate air temperature and lighting conditions under which salting and subsequent storage of saffron milk caps occur are very important. When light hits containers with mushrooms, they can easily turn sour. The same thing happens when the storage temperature increases above + 6 °C.
What to do with saffron milk caps if they are sour
If, after all, the salted saffron milk caps have turned sour after the end of the fermentation period, then you can do the following with the mushrooms:
- Remove them from the container, rinse under running water and place in a pan of boiling water, to which 30 g of salt and 5 g of citric acid are added per 1 liter of water used.
- Drain all the previous liquid, rinse the container thoroughly with soda and rinse with boiling water.
- Boil the saffron milk caps for about 7-10 minutes, then place in a colander and allow excess liquid to drain.
- Prepare fresh brine by dissolving 1 tablespoon of rock salt in 1 liter of water.
- Place ½ tsp in a sterilized jar. mustard seeds, place mushrooms on top and pour fresh brine.
The taste of salted saffron milk caps will change slightly from the addition of mustard, but will not spoil the overall picture.
By the way, when looking for an answer to the question of what to do with pickled saffron milk caps if they have fermented, you can use the same advice. You just need to fill them with fresh marinade, to which for preservation it is better to add a little more vinegar.
How to properly salt saffron milk caps so they don’t go sour
To prevent salted saffron milk caps from fermenting, it is necessary to take the pickling procedure seriously from the very beginning, strictly following all preparation instructions.
First of all, if dry salting is not used, it is necessary to carefully free the mushrooms from plant debris and especially particles of earth or sand using water. But you should remember that you shouldn’t soak the saffron milk caps in water for a long time.
Many housewives use exclusively hot salting to prevent saffron milk caps from turning sour. That is, boil the mushrooms before salting or at least pour boiling water over them.
Salt must be added at the rate of 1.5 cups per 10 liter bucket of saffron milk caps.
Since salt is the main preservative, it is better to slightly overdo it than to undersalt it. The salty solution will prevent the mushrooms from turning sour.And if it is too salty, then when eating the saffron milk caps, you can lightly rinse them in cold running water.
The pickling container should be enameled, glass, ceramic or wooden. Under no circumstances should you use metal utensils.
Finally, the most important thing is that you must ensure that when pickling, all mushrooms are covered head-to-head with brine. Place them in the prepared container as tightly as possible, sprinkle with salt and spices and press until abundant juice is released. If suddenly the natural mushroom juice is not enough, then add brine and be sure to put pressure on top. The press must be selected so that its weight is enough to ensure that all the mushrooms disappear below the liquid level.
In room conditions, pickled saffron milk caps can stand for no more than a day for the fermentation process to begin. Then they are moved to a cold place, otherwise they will certainly turn sour.
While under pressure, it is necessary to constantly monitor the color of the brine. It should have a reddish tint and an attractive mushroom aroma. If the color has changed and turned gray, this means that the saffron milk caps could have turned sour, so it is necessary to urgently take rescue measures.
Conclusion
If the saffron milk caps have turned sour, you shouldn’t throw them away right away. First you need to understand the situation and find out what was done wrong. Maybe this is generally the normal state of mushrooms during fermentation. And if not, then the situation may be completely correctable. You just need to put in some extra effort.
after three days of cold pickling, the saffron milk caps have a sharp taste, just like grandmothers used to pickle cucumbers in a barrel, is this normal?
Good afternoon
No, it shouldn't be like that. The sharp taste of mushrooms indicates that the fermentation process has begun. This is highly undesirable. Before it's too late, you can correct the situation as follows:
• drain the brine;
• rinse all mushrooms under running water twice;
• boil the mushrooms in salted water for at least 10 minutes (1 tablespoon of salt per 1 liter of water);
• place the saffron milk caps in a clean bowl and pour in freshly prepared brine at the rate of 2 tbsp. l. for 1 liter of water. It is allowed to use seasonings and spices to taste.
Salted saffron milk caps must be stored at a temperature no higher than +5˚C, preferably in the refrigerator.