The main rules for preparing milk mushrooms at home and the best recipes

Milk mushrooms are a delicious favorite among home cooks. They can be used to create a wide variety of delicious dishes. They can be fried, salted, marinated, or added to soups and baked goods. With a wide variety of recipes, you're sure to find the one that suits you best.

How to cook milk mushrooms: features

Milk mushrooms Milk mushrooms with a distinctive aroma are often pickled during the harvest season and used as a winter snack for guests and themselves. Few people are familiar with the techniques of frying, drying, pickling, and using milk mushrooms in soup. Before using, prepare the product.

Cleaning milk mushrooms

First, carefully inspect the mushrooms, remove any large or easily separated debris, and discard any that have been eaten by worms, are soft to the touch, or are bruised. Recipes often call for sorting mushrooms by size—this will make it easier to arrange them attractively in a jar or other container for pickling.

Helpful cleaning tips:

• Place the milk mushrooms in cold, clean water for 24 hours. This will help remove any worms and bugs. You can add a pinch of salt. To prevent the mushrooms from floating, press them down with a plate, for example.
• Place the soaked mushrooms in a cool place and change the water frequently to prevent them from turning sour.
• After soaking, proceed to the final cleaning.

Use a toothbrush or a stiff dish sponge for this procedure. Trim off any yellowed or limp parts with a knife.

How and how long to cook?

If you're short on time, you can speed up the process. To do this, boil the mushrooms, but soak them for at least half an hour first.

Next, take a large saucepan, bring water to a boil and add 2-4 tablespoons of salt. Cook the mushrooms over medium heat for no more than 15 minutes, then drain in a colander and rinse under cold water.

Drying milk mushrooms for the winter

Milk mushrooms are rarely dried, as this method leaves a bitter taste and results in very little of the final product. When preparing dishes with dried mushrooms, they must be soaked for a long time beforehand.

Process:

• Don't wash the mushrooms before harvesting; simply wipe them with a slightly damp cloth. Scrape the stems and caps with a knife to remove any debris.
• For drying, choose only firm and elastic mushrooms.
• If you plan to dry milk mushrooms whole, sort them by size or cut them into equal pieces to ensure a uniform drying process.
• In urban areas, an oven or electric dehydrator is more commonly used. Place the mushrooms on a wire rack or parchment-lined baking sheet, making sure they don't touch each other. Set the temperature to 45 to 70 degrees Celsius. Leave the oven door slightly open.
• Stir the milk mushrooms periodically.

Frying milk mushrooms

Fried milk mushrooms are a bold choice. It's believed that the fragile cap is best for frying, rather than the tough stem. Before cooking, wash and soak the mushrooms, then boil them for 10-15 minutes in salted water.

Then drain the milk mushrooms in a colander and pour them into a preheated frying pan. Cover with a lid, and in just 5 minutes, the mushrooms will be ready. If desired, you can season them with sour cream or cream, or add fried onions, herbs, or garlic.

The best recipes

There are a multitude of recipes that can be made using milk mushrooms. These dishes are delicious, rich, and aromatic.

Pickled milk mushrooms

Milk mushrooms contain lactic acid, which makes them extremely difficult to preserve. The milky juice can cause a cloudy sediment to form in the marinade, which can lead to the contents turning sour and the jar exploding. Therefore, be sure to soak the milk mushrooms before canning.

To prepare mushrooms using the cold method, soak the product for several days; when using the hot method, boil them in brine, which significantly reduces the soaking time.

Cold method

Pre-prepare the mushrooms by soaking them in water for 48 hours, then drop them into boiling water and cook until they settle to the bottom of the pan.

Ingredients:

• milk mushrooms – 1 kg;
• water – 1 l;
• vinegar – 2-3 tbsp;
• sugar – 2 tbsp;
• salt – 2 tbsp;
• bay leaf – 3 pcs.;
• black peppercorns – 4 pcs.;
• black currant leaves – 3 pcs.;
• dill - bunch.

Preparation:

1. Place the spices in a saucepan with water, bring to a boil, and simmer for another 15 minutes over low heat. Then cool the marinade.
2. Finely chop the remaining dill and mix with the mushrooms.
3. Place the milk mushrooms in sterilized jars and pour in the marinade.
4. Cover with gauze and secure with a rubber band. Leave at room temperature for 24 hours.

After some time, remove the gauze bandages, roll up the jars and store in a cellar or basement.

Hot method

This recipe requires a little more ingredients than cold marinating.

Ingredients:

• milk mushrooms – 2 kg;
• water – 2 l;
• salt – 2 tbsp;
• allspice peas – 5 pcs.;
• cloves – 5 pcs.;
• bay leaf – 4 pcs.;
• vinegar essence 70% - 20 ml.

Preparation:

1. Pre-soak the milk mushrooms for 24 hours. Chop coarsely and cover with 1 liter of water with 1 tablespoon of salt.
2. Place on heat and bring to a boil, then simmer for another 20 minutes, skimming off any foam.
3. Drain and rinse the mushrooms.
4. Dissolve 2 tablespoons of salt in 1 liter of boiling water, add allspice, cloves and bay leaf.
5. Place the milk mushrooms in the marinade and cook for 15 minutes, then pour in the vinegar essence and stir.
6. Using a slotted spoon, remove the mushrooms and place them in pre-sterilized jars, pouring hot marinade over them.

Salted milk mushrooms

To pickle, first clean and wash the milk mushrooms, only then proceed with the further procedure.

Follow the steps below:

1. Take a large container and place the milk mushrooms cap-side down, then fill with cold water and cover with a smaller lid. This will prevent the mushrooms from floating.
2. Leave for 72 hours. Change the water periodically: 3-4 times a day.
3. Clean the soaked mushrooms to remove any dirt. Remove any bad specimens, as they will be wilted and tasteless.
4. Place the mushrooms and salt in alternating layers: 1 kg mushrooms/40 g salt.
5. Apply pressure to release the bitterness from the mushrooms.
6. Leave the mushrooms in a cool place for a week, then transfer them to glass jars.

Cold salting method

Milk mushrooms are highly nutritious, fleshy mushrooms that, when boiled, can be used in dietary meals. Cold pickling is a very popular method of preparing this mushroom.

Ingredients:

• white milk mushrooms – 5 kg;
• black peppercorns – 1 tsp;
• bay leaf – 4 pcs.;
• black currant leaves – 5 pcs.;
• dill seeds – 1 tbsp;
• for the brine – 1 liter of water, 3 tbsp. of salt.

Preparation:

1. Sort the mushrooms, clean them, and rinse them under cold running water. Place the clean milk mushrooms in a bucket and cover with cold water. Place a weight on top and leave for 3 days.
2. Drain the water and prepare a container for pickling the mushrooms. Place them on the bottom and, sprinkling with salt, alternate layers until the container is completely filled.
3. Cover the mushrooms with a smaller plate and place a weight on top.
4. Place the bucket in a cool place for 2 days, cover with a kitchen towel on top.
5. In a couple of days, the mushrooms will release their juice and the salt will dissolve. The resulting brine will be used to pickle the milk mushrooms.
6. Prepare the jars, wash and sterilize them in any convenient way, boil the lids in boiling water for a few minutes.
7. Fill the jars 1/3 full, then add bay leaves, black peppercorns and dill seeds.
8. Fill the jars completely and add the spices again.
9. Prepare the brine: mix water with salt until completely dissolved.
10. Fill the jars with milk mushrooms and place blackcurrant leaves on top of them.

Also watch a video about cold pickling milk mushrooms:

Hot salting method

First, soak the milk mushrooms for 24 hours before proceeding. This method is suitable for those who enjoy juicy and delicious mushrooms.

Ingredients:

• yellow milk mushrooms – 1 kg;
• dill umbrellas – 1-2 pcs.;
• garlic – 2 cloves;
• allspice peas – 3 pcs.;
• for the brine: 1.5 liters of water, 4-5 tablespoons of salt.

Preparation:

1. Place the soaked milk mushrooms into a saucepan.
2. In a separate container, prepare a brine from water and a small amount of salt.
3. Pour the mixture over the mushrooms and bring to a boil for 30 minutes. Skim off any foam.
4. When the milk mushrooms sink to the bottom of the container, this indicates that they are ready.
5. Place the mushrooms in a sieve and rinse thoroughly under cold running water.
6. Boil 1.5 liters of water and dissolve 4-5 tablespoons of salt in it.
7. Cool the mushrooms slightly and sterilize the jars.
8. Add allspice peas, dill umbrellas, and garlic to each container.
9. Fill the jars with brine up to the shoulders, cover with lids and leave overnight.
10. In the morning, add more brine if it has been absorbed, and close with nylon lids or roll up.

We also recommend watching a video about pickling mushrooms using the hot method:

Spicy milk mushrooms

This is a quick recipe that uses a hot salting method, so you won't have to spend a lot of time processing the mushrooms.

Ingredients:

• milk mushrooms – 5 kg;
• salt – 25 g (per 1 l);
• sugar – 25 g (per 1 l);
• vinegar – 15 ml (per 1 l);
• garlic;
• spices.

Preparation:

1. Pre-soak the mushrooms in water for 3 days.
2. Place the prepared milk mushrooms in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Place over medium heat and simmer for 20 minutes, adding salt and spices.
3. Place the milk mushrooms in sterilized jars, alternating layers with garlic.
4. Pour the marinade over the jars, cover with lids and wrap in a warm blanket until cool.

Then put it in a cool place - a basement or cellar.

Mushrooms with cabbage leaves

This is a very convenient and at the same time interesting way to prepare milk mushrooms. It takes little time.

Ingredients:

• milk mushrooms – 5 kg;
• cold water – 5 l;
• salt – 330 g;
• garlic – 1 head;
• dill – 1 bunch;
• black peppercorns – 20 pcs.;
• currant or cherry leaves – 20 pcs.;
• cabbage leaves – 10 pcs.

Preparation:

1. Soak the mushrooms for 48 hours.
2. Dissolve 50 g of salt in water, add milk mushrooms and leave for 10 hours.
3. Rinse the mushrooms, change the water and leave for another 5 hours.
4. Dry the fruits.
5. Chop the garlic into three parts and chop the dill.
6. Place the mushrooms in layers, sprinkling each layer with dill, salt, garlic, berry and cabbage leaves.
7. The final touch is installing the oppression.

Store the container in a cool place for two months, then the mushrooms are ready to eat.

Milk mushroom caviar

Mushroom caviar is the best way to use overripe mushrooms. If the mushrooms are ripe, soak them longer in warm water.

Ingredients:

• milk mushrooms – 1 kg;
• carrots – 3 pcs.;
• onions – 3 pcs.;
• garlic – 2 cloves;
• vegetable oil – 130 ml;
• salt, pepper – to taste.

Preparation:

1. Boil the soaked milk mushrooms for 40 minutes, then grind them in a meat grinder.
2. Fry the onions and carrots, mix with the mushrooms.
3. Season with pepper and salt.
4. Simmer under the lid for half an hour, add garlic.

The video below also shows how to make mushroom caviar from milk mushrooms:

Potato and mushroom pie

Milk mushroom and potato pie will enhance any feast. Mushroom pie pairs especially well with other vegetables.

Ingredients:

• salted milk mushrooms – 250-300 g;
• potatoes – 2-3 pcs.;
• milk – 250 ml;
• onions – 1-2 pcs.;
• sugar – 50 g;
• egg – 1 pc.;
• fresh yeast – 25 g;
• butter – 150 g;
• flour – 500-600 g;
• herbs and spices to taste.

Preparation:

1. Melt 100 g of butter and combine with milk, yeast, sugar, and salt.
2. Stir in the egg and flour and knead into a soft dough.
3. Spread 2/3 of the dough in the pan and place boiled and sliced ​​potatoes on top.
4. Sprinkle with herbs, brush with butter and decorate with the remaining dough.

Bake the mushroom pie for 20-30 minutes at 180 degrees.

Fried milk mushrooms with potatoes

This unique culinary combination adds variety to your meal. Sauteed mushrooms and crispy potatoes guarantee an incredible combination and amazing flavor.

Ingredients:

• milk mushrooms – 400 g;
• potatoes – 750 g;
• onions – 2 pcs.;
• greens - bunch;
• spices – to taste;
• vegetable oil – for frying.

Preparation:

1. Clean the mushrooms and leave to soak for 24 hours.
2. Cut and boil for 5-10 minutes.
3. Place in a hot frying pan and fry until the moisture evaporates and the mushrooms become golden brown.
4. In another container, fry the potatoes until almost done, combine them with the mushrooms, sprinkle with spices and add the onion.
5. Fry for another 10 minutes.

At the end of cooking, season the dish with herbs, stir and remove from heat.

Gruzdyanka

Make milk mushroom soup using the "second" broth to avoid any potential bitterness. The soup is especially delicious with the addition of cream.

Ingredients:

• milk mushrooms – 500 g;
• potatoes – 4 pcs.;
• carrots – 1 pc.;
• onion – 1 pc.;
• garlic – 2 cloves;
• vermicelli – 100 g;
• water or broth – 2 l;
• cream – 200 ml;
• spices – to taste;
• butter – for frying.

Preparation:

1. Boil the milk mushrooms, pre-soaked in salted water, for 15 minutes, then drain the water.
2. Cover the sliced ​​mushrooms with fresh water, add diced potatoes, as well as onions and carrots fried in butter.
3. Cook the dish until all ingredients are soft.

5-10 minutes before the end, add the vermicelli, herbs, garlic, cream and spices, cook for another 5 minutes and remove from heat.

Milk mushroom salad

This recipe is very simple and doesn't take much time. You'll need a few ingredients:

• potatoes – 4 pcs.;
• fresh cucumber – 1 pc.;
• salted milk mushrooms – 500 g;
• mustard – 1 tbsp. l.;
• olive or vegetable oil – 3 tbsp;
• wine vinegar – 1 tbsp;
• ground black pepper.

Preparation:

1. Rinse the salted white milk mushrooms under running water, pat dry with a paper towel and cut into strips or pieces.
   
2. Boil the potatoes, peel and cut into cubes.
   
3. Chop the cucumber into slices or any other convenient way.
   
4. Prepare a dressing of mustard, oil and vinegar.
5. Mix the ingredients and season with ground pepper.
6. Generally, there's no need to add extra salt to milk mushrooms. If you find the dish a bit bland, add more mushrooms.
7. Mix all ingredients, season the salad with ground pepper.

Milk mushrooms marinated with garlic

Milk mushrooms are ideal for pickling and salting. They pair especially well with garlic.

Ingredients:

• milk mushrooms – 1.5 kg;
• salt – 2 tbsp;
• vegetable oil – 150 ml;
• garlic – 3 heads.

Preparation:

1. Sort and clean the milk mushrooms, rinsing them several times in water.
2. Cut the mushrooms into several pieces, remove the stems.
3. Place the fruit in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, cover with cold water and place over medium heat.
4. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally and skimming off any foam that forms.
5. Place the boiled milk mushrooms in a colander and rinse under cold water.
6. Peel the garlic and rinse in water.
7. In a bowl, combine salt and vegetable oil, add chopped garlic and mix.
8. Dry the boiled milk mushrooms and cut into pieces, place them in a deep bowl and pour in the marinade.
9. Mix the mushrooms and transfer them to a plastic container, cover, and refrigerate for 8-12 hours. You can also use pre-sterilized jars.

Serve the appetizer as is or with potatoes and other vegetables.

Mushrooms in sour cream

Milk mushrooms stewed in sour cream are a fragrant, tender, and delicious dish. These mushrooms make a great addition to potatoes, pasta, or porridge.

Ingredients:

• black milk mushrooms – 400 g;
• onion – 1 pc.;
• sour cream – 100 g;
• flour – 1 tsp;
• vegetable oil – for frying;
• ground black pepper;
• salt – to taste.

Preparation:

1. Prepare the milk mushrooms in advance: sort, clean, and soak them in water for 72 hours. Then rinse thoroughly under cold running water.
2. Place the milk mushrooms in a saucepan and cover with 1.5 liters of water. Place over medium heat, bring to a boil, and simmer for about 20 minutes.
3. Place the mushrooms in a colander, cool, then cut into thin strips.
4. Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan, add mushrooms and fry, stirring, for 10 minutes, until golden brown and the water has completely evaporated.
5. Peel the onion and cut into half rings, add to the mushrooms, fry for 5-7 minutes.
6. Pour in the sour cream, stir, reduce the heat completely, cover the pan with a lid and simmer the mushrooms for about 10 minutes.
7. Sprinkle with flour, add spices, mix.
8. Pour 100 ml of water into the pan, cover with a lid and simmer for another 30 minutes.

Milk mushrooms stewed in sour cream don't take much time to prepare. This aromatic dish will add a piquant flavor and add variety to your menu.

Milk mushrooms with onions in marinade

Pickled milk mushrooms with onions are the perfect choice for a feast or just an everyday dish. They require minimal ingredients.

Ingredients:

• milk mushrooms – 5 kg;
• salt – 250 g;
• water – 5 l;
• onions – 1 kg.

Preparation:

1. Pre-soak the milk mushrooms in salted water (50 g per 5 l) for 48 hours.
2. Drain and rinse the mushrooms to remove any bitterness. Dry.
3. Peel the onion and cut into cubes/half rings.
4. Mix mushrooms with onions and add salt.
5. Set the weight to 10 o'clock.

Stir the mushrooms several times during pickling to prevent them from becoming sour. After a while, place the milk mushrooms in sterilized jars, seal with lids, and store in a cool place until fully cooked. The mushrooms will be ready in as little as 3 months.

Raw milk mushrooms for the winter

There's a great recipe for preserving raw milk mushrooms for the winter. It's very convenient, as a jar of mushrooms goes well with any dish. Before cooking, be sure to sort through the mushrooms and select firm, firm specimens for pickling.

Ingredients:

• milk mushrooms – 2.5 kg;
• salt – 150 g;
• umbrella of dill;
• horseradish leaves – 2 pcs.;
• cherry leaves – 6 pcs.;
• currant leaves – 8 pcs.;
• black peppercorns – 4 pcs.;
• allspice peas – 4 pcs.;
• bay leaf – 2 pcs.;
• garlic – 2 cloves

Preparation:

1. Clean the mushrooms and rinse several times under cold running water. Transfer the milk mushrooms to a large, deep bowl and cover with salted water. Let them soak for three days to release any bitterness and bring any bugs or worms to the surface.
2. After the time has elapsed, drain the water and rinse the mushrooms again.
3. Take a large saucepan, place an umbrella of dill, cherry and currant leaves on the bottom.
4. Place the milk mushrooms cap-side down, season with salt, add a few black peppercorns, then add a second layer of mushrooms, season with salt again, and add pepper. Layer all the ingredients in this manner.
5. Peel the garlic and add whole cloves to the mushrooms, add bay leaves.
6. Cover the milk mushrooms with horseradish leaves. Then cover the pot with a towel and a lid that's smaller in diameter than the pot.
7. Apply a weight, press down lightly, and refrigerate the container for 40 days.

After the time has elapsed, transfer the milk mushrooms to pre-sterilized jars and store in the refrigerator. The shelf life of the prepared mushrooms is approximately 6 months.

Canned milk mushrooms in jars

Canned milk mushrooms are crispy and flavorful, and they make a wonderful addition to a variety of meat, poultry, and vegetable dishes. Preserving mushrooms is quite simple.

Ingredients:

• white milk mushrooms – 2 kg;
• salt – 4 tbsp;
• black peppercorns – 20 pcs.;
• vinegar essence 70% - 1 tbsp;
• garlic – 3 cloves;
• bay leaf – 2-3 pcs.;
• dill umbrellas – 1-2 pcs.

Preparation:

1. Sort out the mushrooms and remove any damaged ones.
2. Rinse thoroughly several times under running water.
3. Cut large mushrooms into several pieces, but leave the small ones alone.
4. Place the washed milk mushrooms in a large saucepan, cover with cold water and add a little salt.
5. Place on the stove and bring to a boil, then simmer for 40 minutes.
6. Drain the water and place the mushrooms in a colander to remove excess liquid.
7. Prepare the marinade: pour in 1.5 liters of water, add salt, peppercorns, and bay leaves. Bring the marinade to a boil and pour in the vinegar essence. Stir and remove from heat.
8. Wash the jars with baking soda and scald them with boiling water. Boil the lids as well.
9. Place the milk mushrooms, strained from the marinade, into dry jars. Top with dill sprigs and peeled garlic.
10. Pour boiling marinade over the mushrooms and screw on the lids.

Afterward, turn the jars upside down to check for leaks. Leave them upside down until they cool completely, then store them in a cool place.

Helpful Tips

Bitterness in milk mushrooms is a common nuisance for home cooks. Here are a few tips to help eliminate this bitterness:

• If you're picking mushrooms in the forest yourself, choose young specimens, as they contain less milky juice. Overripe milk mushrooms are always more bitter, and they also contain more harmful substances picked up from the soil and air.
• Go mushroom picking on cloudy days after rain. Mushrooms picked in damp weather are less bitter, while those that have dried in the sun and lost most of their moisture are more bitter.
• Choose white and yellow milk mushrooms, as they are less bitter than dark varieties. If you don't want to spend a lot of time troubleshooting, it's best to pick light-colored mushrooms.
• Soak or boil harvested mushrooms immediately upon returning home. Leaving them exposed to air for several hours will cause them to darken and dry out, which will intensify the bitterness and make it more difficult to remove.
• If, even after careful processing, the mushrooms still taste bitter, tone it down with various spices, vegetable oil, garlic, or onions.

Milk mushrooms are a very popular mushroom that can be used in a variety of dishes, including pickling and marinating for the winter. They also make delicious pies, flavorful caviar, and an excellent appetizer.

Frequently Asked Questions