Brownish milky

Growing at home and in the country

The oak milky is quite widespread in the natural environment, so the advisability of growing it at home is in doubt. First of all, it is a commercial mushroom.

However, if desired, the milkman can be grown independently from the finished mycelium. For giving, the most preferable option is when the mycelium is planted together with the seedling of the mycorrhizal tree. In this case, oak, alder, beech, etc. The hole prepared for the seedling is sprinkled with mycelium, and the plant itself is planted there. Planting takes place from May to September.

It is also possible to grow an oak milkman in a cool, darkened room, for example, in a basement. Sawdust of deciduous plants serves as a substrate, that is, a nutrient medium for germination of mycelium. They must be disinfected in advance by hot steam or boiling for an hour. The prepared substrate is filled with polyethylene bags, tied tightly at the base, and cuts are made on the sides at a distance of 7-15 cm from each other. Pieces of mycelium are placed in the slots, lightly tamped into the substrate. For the proper development of mycelium, it is necessary to maintain an optimal indoor climate. Before the appearance of fruit bodies, a temperature of about 20 degrees is recommended, then it can be reduced to 15 degrees.

Cooking applications

The common miller is a first-class mushroom for pickling and pickling. In the process of such processing, fermentation proceeds quickly in it, due to which the smoothie acquires its characteristic sour taste, which is so appreciated in Russian pickles. The mushroom is quite fleshy, which makes it possible to use it after preliminary boiling for cooking various dishes. Most of the bitterness of the lactarius disappears during heat treatment, so that well-fried mushrooms can also be eaten without subjecting them to cooking. In the finished dish, such smoothies will have a piquant spicy, slightly bitter aftertaste, like seasoned mushrooms. Northern peoples have long revered this mushroom and often use it for culinary purposes. After all, their natural bitter taste scares away pests, therefore, lactic acid plants are less susceptible to damage by insect larvae and worms than other fungi. And in Finland, for a long time, there has been its own original recipe for making smoothies baked on a fire or grilled.

Salting common lactarius

Immediately before salting, the mushrooms should be soaked in water for several days. The water present at the same time must be changed periodically. This is done in order to etch out the bitterness. After that, the milkmen blanch for about 10 minutes.

The correct course of the primary processing process is important, since its violation can lead to unnecessary consequences in the form of a loss of taste of the mushroom or intestinal upset. Cold and hot methods are used for salting the common lactarius.

Hot is characterized by preliminary boiling of mushrooms after primary processing. The cold method omits this process.

Korean mushrooms

To prepare the dish you will need:

• smoothies or other bitter mushrooms;
• soy sauce;
• sugar;
• vinegar;
• ground coriander;
• garlic;
• hot red pepper;
• sesame;
• cilantro.

Boil the mushrooms several times before draining the processed water. It is advisable to leave a slight bitter aftertaste for piquancy. Season the prepared milkmen with soy sauce, add and sprinkle with vinegar. Mix all this and taste the marinade to correct the taste. Sprinkle generously with spices. pre-fry in vegetable oil and pour the resulting mixture into the mushrooms. Add fresh green cilantro, mix everything and cool.After that, Korean-style mushrooms are ready and can be served. Ordinary, not bitter mushrooms are not suitable for such a recipe, since having their own delicate taste they will simply be lost in spices and the dish will not give the desired taste and effect.

False doubles

Below are photographs in which you can see that, despite the obvious similarity, the twins still have a number of differences from the pearl fly agaric.

Difference from the poisonous fly agaric panther

Distinguishing these two members of the genus from each other is not so difficult. Despite the almost identical appearance, the panther fly agaric never changes the color of the pulp when damaged (gray-pink always turns red).

Description and characteristics

Classically, the oak milkman is a member of the russula family and the genus Millechnikovye, which means that its closest relatives are mushrooms, mushrooms and mushrooms, which are more in demand among mushroom pickers.

People who call a mushroom use synonyms:

• the milkman is neutral;
• the milkman is calm;
• oak mushroom;
• poddubnik;
• baseball.

Professional mycologists are closer to the Latin name Lactarius quietus.

Outwardly, the oak milkman is rather unsightly, perhaps this explains the fact that he is so often ignored.

The hat is 4-8 cm in diameter. In a young mushroom, it has a flat-convex shape, but over time it becomes funnel-shaped. The color is brownish-cream, concentrated fuzzy circles of a darker shade diverge along the surface of the cap. The skin is dry, brownish in color, with darker concentric, sometimes indistinct areas.

The hymenophore, that is, the lower part of the cap, is lamellar, light cream in color, darkens to brick-brown with age. The plates are frequent, wide, descending along the pedicle. At the break, the pulp secretes milky juice (hence the name of the genus of mushrooms), which does not change its color when oxidized in air.Has a specific odor reminiscent of dry grass.

The leg is thin, cylindrical, from 3 to 6 cm high. The color does not differ from the cap.

A bit of history

For the first time the genus Lactarius (from Latin "milk") was described in 1797 by the Dutch mycologist H. G. Person, who included 6 species of lamellar mushrooms. Four years later, British botanist S. F. Gray doubled that number.

Useful properties, medical applications and restrictions on use

Milk mushrooms have long been used in folk medicine for the treatment of purulent wounds, kidney diseases and other diseases. Most of the species have anti-tumor and antibacterial effects. The fruit contains vitamins that have a beneficial effect on the nervous system and prevent the development of sclerosis.

Lactose

Medicines made on the basis of milk mushrooms help cope with kidney stones. The blue milk mushroom contains a natural antibiotic that has a detrimental effect on staphylococci. In some fruits, scientists have discovered lactarioviolin, an antibiotic that helps to destroy the pathogens of tuberculosis.

Most of the mushrooms of this genus are conditionally edible fruits, so they need to be heat treated before eating. You cannot harvest near highways, factories and plants, it is better to do this in ecologically clean areas. It is not advised to eat these fruits for gastrointestinal diseases, pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Recipes and cooking features

Mushrooms of this kind can be fried, boiled and pickled, but in this form their taste is muted. Salty and fermented milkers are characterized by good taste. Ryzhiks do not require prolonged soaking, but bitters, milk mushrooms and waves should be soaked for a while in cold water.

Here are some delicious recipes:

• If the basket is filled with mushrooms, this is a great reason to please loved ones with fried mushrooms. The crop is washed and cleaned from forest debris. Each copy is cut into 5-7 pieces and laid out in a preheated pan with sunflower oil.

  Fried mushrooms The fire should be medium so that the water from the mushroom mass evaporates faster. When the water has boiled off, reduce the heat and fry for about 15 minutes. At this time, you can add finely chopped onion, salt and fry for about another five minutes.

• To prepare delicious Korean mushrooms, you will need the following ingredients:
• milkmen (any bitter mushrooms);

sugar;

soy sauce;
table vinegar;
fresh garlic;
hot pepper;
ground coriander.

Millers in Korean

The fruits are pre-boiled 2-3 times for 30 minutes, each time changing the water. It is desirable that a slightly bitter taste remains in them, which will give the dish a special piquancy. Boiled fruits are seasoned with soy sauce, sugar and a little vinegar are added. The resulting mass is thoroughly mixed with the addition of the necessary spices. The finished dish should be allowed to brew for several hours in the refrigerator.

Poisonous and inedible species of milky mushroom

Sticky Miller (Lactárius blénnius)

Inedible mushroom.

The diameter of the cap is 4-10 cm, the shape is convex, later extended, the edge is curved. The surface of the cap is shiny, sticky, gray-green in color with dark concentric zones. Leg 4-6 cm long, 2.5 cm in diameter, light. The pulp is white, odorless, the taste is sharp, peppery. Milky juice is thick, white.

Mycorrhiza forms with deciduous trees, grows in summer and autumn in small groups in deciduous forests of Europe and Asia.

Gray-pink Miller (Lactárius hélvus)

Inedible mushroom.

The cap is 6-12 cm in diameter, the shape is flat, later funnel-shaped, the edge is curled up. The color is pinkish brown. The leg is 9 cm high, 1.5-2 cm thick, cylindrical in shape, the color matches the cap. The pulp is light yellow in color. The smell is strong, spicy, unpleasant. The taste is bitter. Milky sap is watery white.

Grows in coniferous forests in the northern temperate zone. The fruiting season is from July to September.

Liver miller (Lactárius hepáticus)

Inedible mushroom.

Hat 3-6 cm in diameter, liver-brown color, smooth surface. The leg is 3-6 cm in height, 0.6-1 cm in thickness, cylindrical in shape, color like a cap. The flesh is thin, creamy or light brown in color, acrid.

Forms mycorrhiza with pine.

Dark Miller (Lactárius obscurátus)

Inedible mushroom.

The cap is 1.5-3 cm in diameter, in a young fungus it is flat, later goblet, the edge is wrinkled, the surface is matte, the color is ocher-brown. The leg is 0.5 cm in diameter, 2-3 cm in height, cylindrical in shape, color like a cap. The pulp is brittle, brown in color. Milky juice is white.

Grows in mixed and deciduous forests, from mid-July to September.

Resinous black miller (Lactárius pícinus)

Inedible mushroom.

The hat is 4-10 cm in diameter, the shape is convex, later spread out. The surface is velvety, brownish brown. The leg is 3-6 cm high, 1-1.5 cm thick, cylindrical in shape, tapering towards the base. The pulp is white, dense, the smell is weak, fruity, the taste is sharp, peppery, turns pink in the air. The milky juice is thick, white, turns red in air.

Grows in small groups or singly in coniferous and mixed forests. The season starts in mid-August and lasts until the end of September.

Orange Miller (Lactárius pornínsis)

Inedible mushroom.

The hat is 3-8 cm in diameter, the shape is convex. Orange color, smooth surface.

The leg is 3-6 cm long, 0.8-1.5 cm in diameter, cylindrical in shape, tapering towards the base, in a young mushroom it is solid, later hollow, the color coincides with the cap. The pulp is dense, fibrous, the smell is orange. Milky juice is thick, sticky, white.

Grows in deciduous forests, in small groups, in summer and autumn.

Wet Miller (Lactárius úvidus)

Inedible mushroom.

The diameter of the cap is 4-8 cm; in a young mushroom, the shape is convex, later prostrate. The edge is bent. The color is grayish-steel with a violet tinge, the surface is smooth and damp. The pulp is odorless, the taste is pungent, white or yellowish, turns purple on the cut. Milky juice is abundant, white, turns purple in air. The leg is 4-7 cm high, 1-2 cm thick, strong, cylindrical.

A rare mushroom that grows in damp deciduous and mixed forests, from early August to late September.

False doubles

Mushrooms of the genus Milky are in many ways similar to each other. The main external difference is, as a rule, in the color of the cap.

The oak milky can be confused with the conditionally edible watery milky milky (Lactarius serifluus). Both grow in mixed and deciduous forests, have the same structure. However, the color of the cap of the watery-milky lactarius is more ocher than brown. The pulp is brownish-reddish, without a characteristic hay odor.

Another double of the fungus is inedible - the dark lactarius, also known as the alder lactarius (Lactarius obscuratus). The name "alder" was fixed thanks to the eponymous partner tree of the milkman, with which the fungus forms mycorrhiza. From the oak alder lactarius differs in a greater "frailty" structure (the cap is up to 3-4 cm in diameter and a very thin stem - only 5 mm thick, rarer plates) and a slightly noticeable tubercle on the cap. Color - ocher-brown with lighter edges. Lactarius obscuratus is an inedible fungus that, when eaten even after heat treatment and soaking, can cause gastrointestinal upset.

The difference between the oak milkman and false twins is more clearly shown in the photographs.

Harm and contraindications of milkmen

You must not pick and eat mushrooms that grow near highways, garbage cans and enterprises that pollute nature. The fact is that any mushrooms absorb harmful substances and heavy metals. Accordingly, they can be harmful to health.
Conditionally edible milkmen cannot be eaten without preliminary processing - soaking, boiling

This is done to remove the bitter milky juice, which, if it enters the human digestive system, can cause eating disorders.
All mushrooms should be eaten in small quantities, and for diseases such as pancreatitis, stomach and duodenal ulcers, gastritis, liver failure, cirrhosis of the liver, hepatitis, they should be abandoned altogether.
Lacticians are eaten with caution during pregnancy and lactation. Mushrooms are contraindicated for small children.
Salted mushrooms should not be eaten with hypertension and kidney disease, as this threatens to disrupt the water-salt balance.

The gingerbreads are real.

Edible oak milkmen

Poddubnik, in principle, is an edible mushroom, but not everyone likes its peculiar smell.

Other mushrooms of this genus

The gray-pink milky has a cap with a diameter of 8-15 centimeters. The shape of the cap is more or less rounded. In the center there may be a tubercle, or vice versa, a depression. The edges are neatly turned up, but open as they grow older. The color is dull gray-brown. The surface of the cap is velvety. The leg is 5-8 centimeters high and 1-2 centimeters thick. The color of the leg is gray-pink.

Gray-pink lactarias grow in swamps. You can find them among pines, birches and moss. They bear fruit from August to October. Under favorable conditions, they are found in huge numbers.

In the foreign literature, gray-pink milky mushrooms are classified as weakly poisonous mushrooms, and in our country they are considered inedible or suitable for consumption, but of little value.

The brown miller has a cap diameter of 5-10 centimeters. The shape of the cap varies from prostrate to funnel-shaped. The surface of the cap is velvety. The color of the cap is brown, but with age it becomes somewhat lighter. The length of the leg reaches 6 centimeters, and the width is 1-1.5 centimeters, at the base it expands. The color of the leg is slightly lighter than the cap.

Brown milkmen bear fruit from July to September. They grow in deciduous forests, giving preference to birch. Brown millers are edible, their juice is not very bitter, so they do not need to be soaked for a long time.

Sticky milky is a conditionally edible mushroom. The diameter of its cap is 4-10 centimeters. At first, its shape is convex, and then it becomes depressed. The color of the cap is gray-green, with concentric darker circles. The edges are lighter with fluff. The height of the leg is 4-6 centimeters, the thickness reaches 2.5 centimeters.

Sticky millers form mycorrhiza with deciduous trees - birches and beeches. These mushrooms grow in small groups. They often settle in mountainous areas. They are widespread in Asia and Europe.

Hold on to the liver!

Did you really think that coumarin concentrate is just an ineradicable, suffocating scent? Yes, I beg you. This is a whole class of aromatic compounds, where aromaticity itself is far from the main thing. Everyone knows that coumarins are used in perfumery, that some of them are used to make amazing seasonings ... By the way, amateurs prepare homemade seasonings from the gray-pink milkman, but this is so, by the way. The main thing is that some coumarin compounds are highly hepatotoxic; they practically do not dissolve in water, are not destroyed either by heat treatment or by exposure to gastric juice. Not all, of course, but some. Few even.

That's how many camphor! And what if the plan is still underfulfilled according to normal "solyushki"? We must take ... (photo by Alexey Sergeev)

And among us a mushroom grows freely, containing just such non-illusory dangerous coumarin compounds. What is characteristic, they do not possess direct toxicity - they act as if "from around the corner"; If you salt coumarin milkers in company with the rest from year to year, sooner or later the moment will come when a purposeful eater urgently needs a liver transplant, and no one will understand why. Except for us, of course.

... Of course, these are not all "forced-flavored" milkmen; in nature there are much more of them, take at least the well-known coconut milkman. And how many unknowns! Drag-do not drag. So the thesis, in defiance of Western mushroom-phobes, stating that "there are no poisonous milkmen" should be recognized as incorrect.

Millers are my favorite mushrooms, and not only mine. But there are spots on the sun too. Not all milkmen are on the side of Good.

Evaluation of taste and recipes for the preparation of oak milkman

Like other milkmen, oak is primarily used for pickling and pickling. Prolonged soaking, as well as the use of vinegar in the preparation, allows you to neutralize a special toxic substance contained in these mushrooms - lactarins. An alternative method to protect yourself from possible ailments after eating oak milkman is heat treatment (boiling). These measures not only increase the edibility of the mushroom, but also improve its taste.

Primary processing

The traditional way to prepare mushrooms for pickling and pickling is to soak in cold water. The fruit bodies, previously cleaned of dirt and damaged areas, are poured with water and pressed down with a plate with a load so that the mushrooms do not float up. The duration of the procedure is at least a day (ideally 2-3 days). To avoid acidification, it is recommended to change the water every 10–12 hours, if the room temperature is high, then more often.

Cooking

It is an alternative method of primary processing of the oak milkman. The peeled mushrooms are boiled in boiling salted water for 15–20 minutes. After that, they are thrown back in a colander and washed under running water.

Frying

Not everyone will decide on such a culinary experiment, but theoretically, you can cook a roast from pre-soaked or boiled milkmen. Onions, garlic and potatoes can be added to enhance the flavor.

Salting

Mushrooms are laid out on the bottom of a non-metallic dish in layers sprinkled with salt. Many housewives add bay leaves and black peppercorns for taste. Oppression is installed on top of the mushrooms, and the workpiece itself is sent to a cool shaded place. After 7-10 days, you can put the pickles in the jars, but they will be ready for use only after a month.

Drying

Like any lamellar mushroom, oak milky is rarely dried for the winter, since with this method of processing the final product, very little comes out.

For drying, use special electric dryers or an oven. The mushrooms, cut into pieces, are laid out on a wire rack so that they do not come into contact with each other. Set the temperature to about 50 degrees, preferably with convection mode. Readiness is determined by the properties of the processed mushrooms - they must be sufficiently dry, but elastic.

External description of the mushroom

The fruiting body of a wet lactarius consists of a stem and a cap. The height of the leg is 4-7 cm, and the thickness is 1-2 cm. Its shape is cylindrical, slightly widening at the base. The structure at the foot is strong and durable, and the surface is sticky.

It is very rare to meet this type of mushroom, a distinctive feature can be called the color of the cap, which varies from grayish to gray-violet. Its diameter is 4-8 cm, in young mushrooms it has a convex shape, which becomes prostrate over time. On the surface of the cap of old, mature mushrooms, there is a depression, as well as a wide flattened tubercle. The edges of the cap are bordered with small villi and bent. From above, the cap is covered with a grayish-steel skin, with a slight shade of purple. It is wet, sticky and smooth to the touch. These characteristics are especially common in humid climates. A vaguely expressed zoning sometimes appears on the surface of the cap.

The hymenophore of the fungus is represented by plates containing white spore powder. The plates themselves have a small width, are often located, slightly descend along the stem, initially have a white color, but turn yellow over time. When pressed and damaged, purple spots appear on the plates. The milky juice of the fungus is characterized by a white color, but under the influence of air it acquires a purple hue, its release is very abundant.

The structure of the mushroom pulp is spongy and tender. It does not have a characteristic and pungent smell, but the taste of the pulp is distinguished by its sharpness. In color, the pulp of the wet lactarius is white or slightly yellowish; in case of damage to the structure of the fruiting body, a shade of purple is mixed with the main color.

Neutral, oaky, dreary

I must admit, in the mushroom sense, I was not very lucky. The light oak edges of the ancient deciduous forest are a great place to fill a sack or two with white and chanterelles (or even white chanterelles, thick and beautiful - only grow under lindens). This is a very practical and generous region in its own way, but the mushroom artist cannot turn around here: in comparison with the pines of the north, and at least with the usual birch trees of the Moscow region, there is a natural desert here.

Well, it just doesn't work out for me to shoot this neutral milkman beautifully (photo by I. Lebedinsky)

And all the same, even if it’s a desert, every July, no matter how the sun is blazing, gray-brown milkmen dance in round dances under individual oak trees, vaguely similar to either shaved waves or tanned mushrooms. You can not feel them with your eyes - a nose is enough, albeit a runny nose, and even an allergy to the lush flowering of meadow grasses. You have no idea what is happening in our flooded meadows at the beginning of July! You walk as if through honey. But the sharp, incomparable coumarin aroma finds a loophole through the nectar mass. The neutral miller has gone! You can't confuse him with anything and no one needs him.

Here's how to shoot! (photo by user Margot)

What to do with a mushroom growing on a complete and decisive mushroomlessness? I tried to salt it - it's pointless. I tried to cook - the whole village stinks. I tried to photograph artistically - and here's a root crop, some kind of low-contrast daub comes out. Rubbish, not a mushroom. I need to fry it with onions next time. Hurry up the season.