Methods for freezing white milk mushrooms for long-term storage. Milk mushrooms for the winter. How to salt and pickle, best recipes, photos

Milk mushrooms are wonderful mushrooms that, when pickled, turn out crispy and are considered the most delicious. You can use them to prepare soups, salads, as well as fry and stew. But milk mushrooms are dried extremely rarely, because they are lamellar mushrooms, and they are also very bitter.

To use milk mushrooms, first keep them in water for several days, changing it periodically, so the bitterness will go away, but in this case the mushrooms will dry much longer. But milk mushrooms lend themselves perfectly to pickling and freezing. Let's look at how to prepare the product in different ways.

Are milk mushrooms dried and can they be frozen in this form?

These mushrooms are not dried like tubular mushrooms, but there is a way to help remove the liquid from them, thereby preparing them for freezing. The drying process is especially necessary when the mushrooms are soaked, because they absorb moisture very well. Let's look at how to freeze dry milk mushrooms for the winter.

Important: Before any use, it is recommended to soak this type of mushroom for 2 hours, which will help remove leaves, pine needles, soil and get rid of the bitter taste.

This drying involves the use of an oven. Place the chopped milk mushrooms on a baking sheet and keep at low temperature until the liquid has completely evaporated. When the pieces have cooled, they need to be transferred to a bag or container for freezing and sent to the freezer. This way the mushrooms will not lose their beneficial properties, taste and smell. The dry product can be added to soup, pasta, and stew.

Recipe for freezing salted milk mushrooms

Salted mushrooms can also be frozen, but in this form they are only suitable for adding to dishes, filling for baked goods or pate. This is due to the fact that salted milk mushrooms soften after freezing.

Ingredients

Servings: – +

Salted milk mushrooms 1 l

Per serving

Calories: 16 kcal

Proteins: 0.8 g

Fats: 1.8 g

Carbohydrates: 0.5 g

15 minutes. Video recipe Print

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Important: Mushrooms do not need time to thaw before cooking; they should be placed in the dish straight from the freezer to preserve the taste, smell and density of the product.

You can freeze raw milk mushrooms, boiled, stewed, fried in oil. All these methods involve heat treatment of the product, but the technology differs slightly. For example, stewed milk mushrooms are frozen along with the sauce in which they were stewed. But the liquid needs to be drained after cooking.

What to cook from frozen milk mushrooms

There are many delicious recipes from frozen mushrooms: soups, stews, salads, sauces, pastas. Salted ones can be used to make pate, and raw ones can be used to make soup.

Important: You cannot re-freeze the product if it has been thawed, you need to use it or have to throw it away.

Frozen mushrooms can be stored for no more than 6 months, but some preparations are recommended to be consumed even earlier. For example, the shelf life of a stewed product is 3 months.

Frozen milk mushrooms are an excellent preparation for the winter for many delicious dishes. If you follow simple rules and recommendations, you can do it quickly and easily.

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If you ask any mushroom picker how to properly process and preserve milk mushrooms for the winter, you will certainly receive a complete dossier on such mushrooms and a lot of other useful information. The fact is that they have always been in honor of the Russian people since the time of Ancient Rus'. They were used to cook aromatic soups, make savory pickles, and tender pies. Many traditions of that time have survived to this day. In this article you can take a closer look at these delicious mushrooms and how to process them.

While residents of Western countries avoid the loose caps of milk mushrooms and consider them poisonous, in Russian forests mushroom pickers organize a real hunt for them. There are quite a few types of such forest gifts:

If you think that people have preserved their love for milk mushrooms since ancient times only because of their impeccable taste, you should know that they also have healing properties. They were always present at the feasts of rich nobles. The valuable microelements contained in such mushrooms will help cure diabetes, tuberculosis and even emphysema. Milk mushrooms can be a real boon for vegetarians, as they contain important and essential amino acids.

Features of pre-treatment of mushrooms

First of all, you need to remember that milk mushrooms contain toxic substances that need to be disposed of before further preparation. Since these products are considered conditionally edible, they must be carefully processed before salting or frying. When you bring wild mushrooms home, under no circumstances should they be tightly closed and sent in this form to a cold place. This will significantly increase the risk of botulism, since in an environment without oxygen, intensive growth of pathogenic bacteria begins. That is why you need to thoroughly wash and clean each mushroom.

How to process milk mushrooms after harvesting? You need to strictly follow the recommendations of experienced mushroom pickers to get rid of toxic substances and maintain the excellent taste of the product. In fact, there is nothing difficult about this if you do everything in order:

Sort mushrooms by type. If you collected not only milk mushrooms, but also other forest inhabitants, you need to sort them by type, since some varieties are generally better not kept in one place. You can also separate small mushrooms from large units, which will make cleaning them much easier and faster.
Free the mushrooms from large debris. Milk mushrooms grow near mighty stumps next to young trees under old leaves and moss; ants and other insects settle next to them. Getting rid of this junk manually can not only be difficult, but also painfully time-consuming. If you want to learn how to quickly clean milk mushrooms, a little trick will help you with this: get a small brush with soft bristles. It will help you quickly and effortlessly remove pine needles, bugs and pieces of leaves.
Finish cleaning with a knife. This sharp object will complete the stage of cleaning the milk mushrooms from dirt and debris, since with its help you can trim and scrape off all excess. Remove wormy spots, spoiled particles and stem.

Only after all these procedures can you start washing.

How to wash milk mushrooms correctly?

Place the cleaned mushrooms in a wide bowl under running water, rinse the food several times, then cover with cold water and leave for several hours. It should be easy to wash the milk mushrooms from the remaining dirt, as they will become soggy and will not adhere firmly to the surface. It is recommended to soak milk mushrooms for three days. During this time, the products must be completely free of toxic substances, bitterness and any other harmful components.

Now you know how to wash milk mushrooms and make them suitable for further cooking. Then you can leave the mushrooms whole or cut them into smaller pieces.

Frozen milk mushrooms are an ideal preparation for the winter

Due to the fact that these products are conditionally edible, many people wonder whether it is possible to freeze milk mushrooms for the winter. Of course you can! However, it is better to boil them first. To do this, place a deep saucepan with cold water and milk mushrooms in it over medium heat, add a little salt to the future broth and bring the mushrooms to a boil. After this, you need to cook them for 15-20 minutes. Next, dry with a paper towel or place in a colander and keep there until the liquid has completely drained. Place dry boiled milk mushrooms in bags or plastic containers that are tightly closed with a lid, and then put them in the freezer.

Freezing milk mushrooms is also possible after frying. To do this, carefully peel the mushrooms, chop them finely, and then heat a mixture of vegetable and sunflower oil in a frying pan, add the mushrooms there and salt them to taste. Simmer the milk mushrooms for 20 minutes under the lid, and then try to fry all the excess liquid. You can freeze them after cooling in special plastic containers with lids.

Proper processing of mushrooms allows you to freeze milk mushrooms for the winter, even in their raw form after soaking. The secret of success is that the products must be practically flawless, clean and free of worms. When they go through the soaking stage, they should be thoroughly dried, cut, and placed in bags or containers.

Frozen mushrooms are added to various marinades, hearty borscht, and mushroom soups. Processing milk mushrooms removes their bitterness and toxic substances, so in a variety of culinary masterpieces they can reveal themselves in all their glory and delight you with their unique taste. Try making a delicate cheese julienne with milk mushrooms or add them to the pie. Frozen semi-finished products can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.

Mushroom dishes are very popular. They are used to make caviar, salads and sandwiches, and are also consumed hot, appetizers and soups. Housewives and cooks cook a delicious and aromatic soup from milk mushrooms, which is called gruzdyanka. It contains a small amount of calories, but at the same time is very nutritious and filling. Many people love milk mushroom and periodically add it to their menu.

Features and varieties of milk mushrooms

There are several types of milk mushrooms. They grow in families of 5-20 pieces at once. Collecting them is a pleasure, literally several clearings and a full basket. These mushrooms cannot be confused with any other species. They have a dense structure and, if you accidentally step on them while collecting them and searching in the forest, you can hear a characteristic crunch.

The following types of milk mushrooms are distinguished::

All mushrooms, when properly salted and stored, retain their density and have the peculiarity of crunching when eaten. Breast milk goes well and perfectly with hard salted or pickled cucumbers and onions. Therefore, very often these ingredients are used for sandwiches and snacks.

Homemade recipes

Many people prefer hot mushroom soup for their first course. You can cook Georgian mushrooms very quickly and quite simply. To prepare it, you do not need any special culinary skills or deep knowledge.

Onions can be fried with tomato paste and turmeric, although this is not necessary, since Georgian mushrooms can be eaten without onion dressing. That is, just throw in the onion, and it will cook along with the carrots and potatoes. After all the ingredients are thrown into the water and it boils, cook the soup for 10 minutes. Then add herbs, spices and sour cream to the prepared pickle. If desired, you can prepare salted milk mushrooms with chicken or meat.

Using marinades

There is a very simple and quick recipe with pickled milk mushrooms. Preparing this milk mushroom takes only 15 minutes.

To prepare it, you will need the following products:

chicken;
pickled milk mushrooms;
zucchini, they can be replaced with squash or eggplant;
fresh cabbage;
carrot;
tomatoes;
bell pepper (optional);
potato;
onions, herbs, garlic and spices.

Cut the chicken into pieces and fry until half cooked in a frying pan along with onion and garlic. Then you need to finely chop the potatoes and cabbage and throw them into boiling water. After 2 minutes, add chicken pieces (fried) and zucchini to the broth. Cook for 7 minutes, add tomatoes, bell peppers and pickled mushrooms. In 3 minutes the soup will be ready and all that remains is to add herbs and spices.

This marinated mushroom milk mushroom is not only quick to prepare, but it is also very healthy and nutritious.

Delicious and aromatic stew

In Rus', mushrooms were highly respected. They were pickled, salted and dried. Nowadays you can only buy dried porcini mushrooms in stores. But in fact, this treatment is suitable for all mushrooms without exception.

Drying mushrooms can be done as follows:

Milk mushrooms for the winter - the best recipes

Before moving on to the question: how to salt and pickle milk mushrooms for the winter, a few words about assembly and preparation.

Almost every mushroom lover knows that the best time to harvest mushrooms is September. It is at this time that you can collect as many mushrooms as possible, regardless of preferences. The richest are oak and birch forests. If you are lucky enough to find just a few kilograms of your favorite mushrooms, you can easily figure out what to cook, but what to do when the find takes several buckets? Of course, it is best to roll, pickle and marinate them to enjoy in the winter. We will learn further about how best to marinate and salt mushrooms, as well as the nuances of these processes.

Preliminary preparation

When making preparations from milk mushrooms for the winter, pickling or pickling them, it is worth remembering that the main stage is preliminary preparation of mushrooms. So the basis for salting or pickling milk mushrooms for the winter is their preliminary, long-term soaking, which can last up to 3 days. This is primarily due to the presence of bitterness. Housewives who once stored milk mushrooms for the winter claim that if they are soaked incorrectly, the mushrooms will become bitter, which means they cannot be eaten. No matter how much you cook them, you won’t be able to get rid of the bitterness without first soaking them.

The bitterness of milk mushrooms is the secreted juice, which we can see when cutting the mushroom. This juice is lactic acid, which spoils the taste of any dish if it gets into the dish. Its main feature is considered to be not only a very bitter taste, but also the fact that it cannot be interrupted by anything. If lactic acid gets into the canned food, even before tasting you can see that the product is spoiled:

The mushroom marinade will become cloudy;
The color of the mushrooms will begin to change;
Gradually the entire marinade will turn white.

To prevent food spoilage, you should strictly adhere to technology, and also take into account some features that we will learn about later.

Peculiarities

Every housewife prefers to preserve mushrooms for the winter, since they last longer this way. Many types of mushrooms are suitable for preservation, including milk mushrooms, but the main thing is to make preparations only from fresh mushrooms. The old age of the mushroom can be indicated by spots that resemble rust. Also, before cooking, you need to sort out worms and mushrooms with inhabitants.

Remember also that milk mushrooms are mushrooms that collect dirt, which means that before the soaking process they must be washed and cleaned very thoroughly. It is recommended to use sponges and even brushes for cleaning.

When it comes to soaking, don't skimp on water or be lazy. The water in which the milk mushrooms are located should be minimally changed at least once every 4 hours. When soaking, take into account the temperature in the room; if it is high, you need to soak them for no more than a day, since then, under the influence of temperature, they will begin to sour.

If you decide to pickle milk mushrooms, it is better to use glass or enamel dishes that do not have cracks, rust or other damage. Ceramic and wooden containers are also ideal. When marinating milk mushrooms by adding sugar, the mushrooms become unusually tender and delicate in taste.

Technology for preparing milk mushrooms for pickling and salting for the winter

To make seaming delicious for the winter, you should adhere to the following tips for preparing milk mushrooms for cooking:

Initially, you need to choose fresh mushrooms: buy or collect. At the same time, you should immediately discard old milk mushrooms, inedible species and mushrooms with insects. You should not eat overgrown mushrooms, which most often beckon, as they are harmful to health. You can also separate the milk mushrooms by size, since the smallest mushrooms are the most delicious;
Next you need to clean the mushrooms. To ensure that there is no debris, dirt or other waste left on the mushrooms, you can clean them with a soft bristle brush or other available material. Mushrooms are best cleaned if they have been in water for at least an hour;
The next stage of preparation is soaking the milk mushrooms. In most cases, they are soaked in ordinary cold water with a small amount of salt. Moreover, the more often you change the water, the cleaner the mushrooms will be. Usually soaking lasts at least a day, preferably longer. If you don’t want to soak milk mushrooms for a long time, you can get rid of lactic acid through digestion. To boil down the bitterness, you will need to boil the milk mushrooms in very salty water for about 25 minutes at least 3 times. For cooking you need to take a lot of water, and after that the milk mushrooms are washed well. This method helps reduce the waiting time, but after cooking, the pickled milk mushrooms will no longer be crispy;
When the milk mushrooms are soaked, you need to rinse them thoroughly under the tap and you can start making preparations for the winter.

Making milk mushroom preparations for the winter (the best recipes)

We marinate milk mushrooms according to the classic recipe

To do this you need:

mushrooms (milk mushrooms) - 3 kg;
water - 3 l;
salt - 70 g;
6 laurel leaves;
allspice (peas) - 8 pcs.;
cloves - 8 pcs.;
70% acetic acid - 30 ml.

We take pre-soaked milk mushrooms, cut them into large pieces and fill them with water, 1.5 liters and 20 g of salt will be enough. We put the mushrooms on the stove and wait until they boil, continue cooking for about 20 minutes, periodically removing the resulting noise. After 20 minutes, pull out the mushrooms, rinse them well and leave for a few minutes so that the water completely drains from them.

At this time you can start preparing the marinade. Take 1.5 liters of water and the rest of the salt. We wait until the water boils, then put the spices and leaves into the pan and boil for several minutes. Next, add the mushrooms to the same pan with the marinade and boil them for about 15 minutes. The essence is added last, and now the mushrooms can be removed from the heat and, without allowing them to cool, put them in prepared jars. After laying out the mushrooms, you need to fill them with marinade to the top and seal the jars hermetically.

Approximately 7 days after cooking, pickled milk mushrooms are considered ready. It is during this time that they will be sufficiently saturated with the marinade and acquire an amazing taste. They can be stored throughout the winter. This mushroom appetizer is best served seasoned with herbs, onions (garlic) and sprinkled with aromatic oil.

Mushrooms for the winter with spices

We take:

milk mushrooms - 3-4 kg;
water: 4 l;
salt: 90 g;
sugar: 30 g;
3 laurel leaves;
3 currant leaves;
3 cherry leaves;
5 cloves of garlic;
black pepper (peas): 3 pcs.;
cloves: 3 pcs.;
30 ml 9% vinegar.

Preparation:

Pre-soaked mushrooms are necessary, cut into pieces if necessary. Sterilize the jars for 15 minutes, you will need two pieces, 1 liter in volume. At the same time dissolve 1 tbsp. l. salt in 2 liters of water and put the mushrooms in the liquid, boil for 20 minutes after boiling. We collect noise during the cooking process.

Next, we rinse the finished milk mushrooms under a running stream and place them in a colander to drain off excess liquid. At this time we are making marinade, which requires 1 liter. liquid, 2 tbsp. l. salt and sugar. Boil the liquid, then add the mushrooms and the rest of the ingredients, except vinegar and garlic. Cook all this for 30 minutes and add thinly sliced garlic slices about 5 minutes before removing from heat.

Now the mushrooms are completely ready to be placed in containers, compacted tightly. After laying, add 10 ml of vinegar to the mushrooms and fill them with marinade to the top. Then, if desired, you can roll it up or seal it with a lid. After about a day, the jars can be hidden. After steeping, the milk mushrooms become crispy and acquire an unusual sour-sweet taste.

Milk mushrooms with cinnamon

Need to:

2 kg of mushrooms - milk mushrooms;
water: 3 l;
salt: 40 g;
6 laurel leaves;
allspice (peas): 10 pcs.;
cinnamon stick;
40 ml vinegar;
6 g citric acid.

Cooking:

To cook mushrooms, take all the salt and dissolve it in 1 liter. water. Boil pre-soaked and washed milk mushrooms for about 15 minutes, gradually removing the noise. We don’t rinse the mushrooms, but simply leave them so that excess water runs off.

To prepare the marinade, take the remaining water, add vinegar, spices, bay leaves and cinnamon, bring everything to a boil, then add milk mushrooms and boil for 20 minutes. Before laying out the mushrooms, you need to place the cinnamon extracted from the marinade on the bottom of the containers and place the mushrooms on it. Gently compact the milk mushrooms, add citric acid and pour in the marinade. Next, the jars with milk mushrooms need to be sterilized for about half an hour by placing the jars covered with lids in a pan of water. Now you can roll up the jars and let them cool.

Mushroom appetizer with onions and tomatoes

Necessary:

mushrooms (milk mushrooms): 3 kg;
onions: 2 kg;
tomatoes: 2 kg;
water: 6 l;
salt: 120 g;
sunflower oil: 150 ml;
30 ml 70% acetic acid.

Pickling:

Grind the mushrooms (soaked and washed) to small sizes. Mix all the water and salt, boil the milk mushrooms until they sink to the bottom. Then let the water drain and dry the mushrooms.
Pour boiling water over the tomatoes, remove skins and cut into large pieces. Onion mode with thin ring halves.
Take a frying pan, lay out the milk mushrooms, add salt and fry for about 10 minutes. Transfer to the pan.
Fry the onion until it turns golden and place it on the milk mushrooms.
Next, fry the tomatoes until they soften, and also transfer them to the pan.
Add vinegar here and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring constantly.
Place the finished salad in jars and roll up.

A simple marinating recipe (without spices)

Let's take:

2 kg of milk mushrooms ready for pickling;
water: 4 l;
salt: 100 g;
80 g granulated sugar;
vinegar: 240 ml.

How to cook:

You need to take 1 liter of liquid, 30 g of salt and prepared mushrooms. Boil them until they sink to the bottom of the pan. We remove noise during the cooking process. Then we wash the mushrooms and drain the water from them.

Now prepare the marinade, take 1 liter of water, add the remaining salt and all the granulated sugar to it, and boil. Then put the mushrooms there and cook for 8 minutes, add vinegar and cook for the same amount. Then we transfer the mushrooms into previously prepared containers and fill them with marinade. Now you can roll up the jars. Ready mushrooms should be left in a warm place for 5 days, until completely marinated, and only then put on shelves for storage.

Polish milk mushrooms for the winter

We take:

3 kg milk mushrooms;
water: 5 l;
salt: 75 g;
45 g granulated sugar;
2 laurel leaves;
30 cloves of garlic;
20 ml vinegar;
cloves: 5 pcs.;
several leaves each from currants and cherries.

Marinate:

Soak clean milk mushrooms in water for two days in advance.

Dissolve 20 g of salt in 3 liters of liquid, boil the mushrooms for about 15 minutes. Then we rinse and leave the liquid to escape. For the marinade we take 2 liters of water, fruit leaves and bay leaves, whole cloves of garlic and cloves and boil the remaining salt and granulated sugar. Then add milk mushrooms and boil for another 20 minutes. Next, put the milk mushrooms in jars, distribute the vinegar and pour over the marinade. You can roll it up. Makes 3 jars with a capacity of 1 liter.

Spicy mushrooms

Ingredients:

milk mushrooms: 3 kg;
a few leaves of cherries and currants;
6 cloves of garlic.

For the marinade:

water: 2 l;
salt: 4 tbsp. l.;
sugar: 1.5 tbsp. l.;
allspice and black peppercorns;
laurel leaves;
cloves;
9% vinegar: 2 tsp/jar.

Preparation:

Boil the pre-prepared milk mushrooms until tender, rinse and drain the water. Mix all the ingredients for the marinade and boil, then add the mushrooms and boil for another 15 minutes. Now in sterilized containers you need to put fruit leaves on the bottom, sliced garlic and put mushrooms on top. Add vinegar and fill with marinade, roll up.

Marinated mushrooms

Let's take:

mushrooms (milk mushrooms): 10 kg;
water: 4 l;
salt: 4.5 tbsp. l.;
black pepper (peas): 15 pcs.;
carnations: 7 pcs.;
3 umbrellas of dry dill;
180 ml vinegar.

How to marinate:

You need to boil the mushrooms (pre-soaked for two days) for 15 minutes, rinse. Place everything except the vinegar in a saucepan along with the mushrooms and cook for 10 minutes. Then pour in the vinegar and cook for another 5 minutes, put in jars and sterilize.

Mushroom pickling recipes

Cold salting method

We prepare milk mushrooms for pickling: clean them, wash them, put them in a container, and fill them with water. Soak for 2 days. During this time we change the water several times.

Place the milk mushrooms in several layers in a large container without damaging them. Sprinkle each layer well with salt. Place a wooden disk wrapped in gauze (or something similar) on top of the container. Place a heavy weight on the disk. Leave the milk mushrooms in a cool room for 2 months.

Salted milk mushrooms in jars

You will need:

milk mushrooms: 3 kg;
15 dill umbrellas;
salt: 150 g;
3 heads of garlic;
water: 2 l;
sunflower oil: 75 ml.

How to cook:

Dissolve 40 g of salt in water, boil, add milk mushrooms cut into pieces (pre-soaked and washed). Cook for about 10 minutes, add oil. Afterwards we catch the mushrooms and drain the water. Take the dill branches and separate the umbrellas (do not throw away the branches). We divide them into parts and chop the garlic. Mix milk mushrooms with salt, garlic and dill. We put them under pressure for half a day, mix them and put them under pressure again for the same amount. Then we put the mushrooms in jars, pour them with brine and place the dill stems in the last layer. Seal the preparation hermetically and store it in the refrigerator.

Salted milk mushrooms with garlic and spices

This recipe will allow you to enjoy delicious salted, aromatic mushrooms in just a month.

Ingredients:

Milk mushrooms – 1 kg.
Garlic – 4-6 cloves.
Salt – 45 g.
Seasonings (pepper, ginger, oregano, cloves) - a little to taste.

How to cook:

Wash the mushrooms thoroughly, remove old and spoiled ones. Place clean milk mushrooms in an enamel container and fill with cold water.
Leave them to soak in a cool place for 2 - 3 days (change the water once a day).
Next, cut the milk mushrooms into large pieces and place them in a wooden barrel. Chop the garlic, mix it with salt and seasonings and sprinkle the mixture evenly over the mushrooms.
Cover the top with a light cloth, place a circle and press down with pressure.
Place in a cool place for 25 - 35 days. After which you can try.

Milk mushrooms with raspberry and currant leaves

Ingredients:

Milk mushrooms 2 kg.
90 g salt.
Raspberry and currant leaves - 10 pieces each.
Dill sprigs – 3-5 pcs.
Peppercorns – a little to taste.

How to cook:

Sort, peel and wash the mushrooms thoroughly, then soak them in cold salted water for two days. During this time, change the water several times.
Next, change the water and cook for 15 minutes, drain in a colander.
Place the milk mushrooms in a wooden container, sprinkle each layer with pepper and salt. Cover the top layer of mushrooms with currant leaves, raspberries and dill sprigs, then cover with cloth or gauze. Place a circle of wood and bending on top.

Put the milk mushrooms in a cool place for 25 - 35 days. Afterwards you can try and enjoy the aromatic salted crispy mushrooms.

Bitter pungent taste and elasticity milk mushrooms They create a lot of trouble for housewives in the kitchen, especially when preparing for the winter. I want to get rid of the bitterness caused by the milky milk, and at the same time preserve their original hardness. Despite these contradictory properties of mushrooms, they still find their place in many dishes. In addition, lovers of “quiet hunting” value them for their richness in vitamins and proteins, as well as for their calorie content, which is equivalent to meat. We managed to collect advice from experienced chefs and learn in detail how to prepare delicious milk mushrooms for the winter.

Like any mushrooms, these representatives of the Russula genus are very demanding on the drying process, which can be carried out not only under the influence of sunlight, but also in the oven or over a fire.

Important! Due to their taste characteristics, milk mushrooms are included in the list of conditionally edible mushrooms. They are not toxic or hallucinogenic, but are suitable for consumption only after special processing.

If, of the many ways to prepare milk mushrooms for the winter, you have chosen this one, before starting work you should have young and not flabby mushrooms collected in sunny weather. Select undamaged specimens, carefully inspect them, and clean them of any remaining leaves and soil. After this, wipe with a damp cloth, but do not wash. Water is very quickly absorbed into the structure of forest trophies, as a result of which they lose their taste properties, and over time they can become moldy and crumble. Large mushrooms should be divided in half and the stems of all should be cut off.

Now it’s time to decide where you will harvest milk mushrooms for the winter.

How to dry milk mushrooms naturally

Mushrooms strung on pre-prepared rods made of stainless materials or raw threads are hung in the air on a sunny day or in a well-ventilated dry room. It is advisable that drying takes place away from the road, in a place protected from wind and dust. The ideal option is an attic or roof.

To cook milk mushrooms in the air and the sun, you can use a wooden sieve, a sheet of plywood, or even an ordinary table. In these cases, the workpieces are spread out in a thin layer and care is taken to turn them over in time. Mushrooms need sunbathing until they lose their juiciness and become dry and brittle. In good weather, sometimes a day is enough for this.

How to dry milk mushrooms using the oven

When the dampness outside does not allow for natural cooking, dry the milk mushrooms in the oven. First, they are kept at temperatures up to 50 degrees and placed at the top of the oven. And when the moisture has evaporated, after about 4 hours, the temperature can be gradually adjusted to 75 degrees and moved lower. Don’t forget to turn the milk mushrooms over and make sure they don’t steam. It is recommended to dry them at the original temperature. If you want to dry several baskets of forest products, you can, without waiting for the first baking sheet to complete the process, place the second one in the top row. But remember that for each batch the equipment must be washed and wiped dry.

Did you know? Gourmets refuse dried mushrooms, believing that during processing they lose their taste and acquire an unpleasant dark color.

Ready mushrooms are placed in plastic bags and stored away from strong-smelling foods. Before eating, be sure to wash them thoroughly and soak them in water for several hours so that their inherent bitterness goes away.

How to pickle milk mushrooms for the winter

Many people love salted milk mushrooms due to the variety of recipes for preparing them for the winter. It is these preparations that enjoy great success among chefs of all levels. Depending on taste preferences, there are several pickling techniques. And the risk that the mushrooms will turn out tasteless is almost always eliminated.

How to prepare milk mushrooms for pickling for the winter

Forest trophies will acquire a delicate spicy taste only after performing some culinary tricks. During the preparation process, as usual, they need to be sorted, sorted, cleaned of soil residues and weighed. Immediately throw away mushrooms covered with spots, with insects or worms living in them. Then rinse everything selected thoroughly, preferably in running water using a washcloth or toothbrush. Clean mushrooms are left to soak in an enamel pan for three days.

Moreover, the water needs to be renewed daily every 4 hours. If the kitchen where the container is located is hot, two days will be enough. Check readiness by chewing a small piece of mushroom. If they are not bitter, they are thoroughly washed and large specimens are chopped.

How to salt milk mushrooms for the winter in a cold way

Before preparing milk mushrooms for the winter using this technology, it is important to take their soaking seriously - this will affect their taste. Traditional recipes for simple salting do not require excess ingredients.

To prepare you need:

2 cups table salt;
old dill stems without caps;
several cherry leaves (can be replaced with currants);
horseradish leaves;
several cloves of garlic;
5 kg of milk mushrooms.

Salt the milk mushrooms and transfer them to the prepared container. A wooden tub or an enamel pan will do. It is important that the dishes are free of cracks and rust stains. Dip small mushrooms in salt, each separately. Then generously top them with garlic and chopped horseradish. To prevent your pickle from darkening, experienced chefs recommend loosely tying it with gauze and placing all the remaining leaves on top, including horseradish.

Then we cover it with a plate (if we are talking about a saucepan) or a mug, and pour something heavy but small on top, so that the mushrooms will soon drown in the brine that will be released. We send the barrel to the cellar and make sure that mold does not form on top.

If you are salting milk mushrooms cold for the first time, remember: to avoid this, the top layer should always be in brine. In a month, you will be able to diversify your table with pickles. The finished mushrooms amaze with their white, fleshy pulp and taste; they are transferred to glass jars or left in a tub.

Important! Under no circumstances should you seal the salted milk mushrooms with a tight lid. This promotes the development of microbes that cause botulism and poisoning.

Salted milk mushrooms are used to prepare simple salads, holiday dishes, various snacks and savory dietary cutlets. It is also served as a separate dish with sunflower oil and onion.

How to pickle milk mushrooms using the hot method (in jars)

This method is created for impatient mushroom lovers. You will be able to savor the delicious milk mushrooms in just a few weeks. The technique is also considered safer, because during harvesting the mushrooms undergo heat treatment. Salting milk mushrooms using a hot method is also not troublesome. The composition of the marinade can only be vinegar and salt, or it can be supplemented with laurel leaves, currants, cherries, horseradish; cloves of garlic, dill, allspice or black pepper. You can expand the ingredients according to your taste.

To marinate mushrooms according to the classic recipe you need:

currant leaves;
2 tablespoons salt;
1 kg of milk mushrooms;
1 liter of water;
6 tablespoons vinegar;
2 tablespoons sugar.

Cut the prepared mushrooms and place them in a pan with water. After boiling, cook for another 10 minutes, removing the foam. Mix salt and sugar with water, add vinegar and put on fire. When it boils, add the mushrooms and boil for about 20 minutes. After that, transfer to jars and roll up the lids.

When choosing a cooking method, many are interested in how to store salted milk mushrooms. When compared, the cold method loses. Such mushrooms can remain in the cellar for no more than six months, and pickled ones won’t go bad for a year. True, in both methods their hardness is lost; the pickles are suitable for filling in pies and soup.

Methods for freezing milk mushrooms

When frozen, inexperienced mushroom pickers often pierce. Subsequently, after defrosting, the milk mushrooms look like something slippery, gray and unpleasant.

Obviously, this method is not easy and requires certain knowledge:

Milk mushrooms are wet mushrooms. If you put them in the freezer without pre-treatment, they will retain their natural bitterness and will be unusable.
The less porosity, the more suitable the mushroom is for freezing.
Before freezing, milk mushrooms must be sorted by size. Large ones are cut into pieces.
When frozen, mushrooms can be stored for no more than four months at a temperature of -14 degrees.
Mushrooms can only be thawed once.
When defrosting, milk mushrooms do not thaw in the microwave or oven.
Before freezing, milk mushrooms are boiled, fried or simply scalded.

Did you know? In Western countries, milk mushrooms are not recognized, but at the same time, these mushrooms are popular in post-Soviet territory.

Freezing milk mushrooms raw

Sorted mushrooms are thoroughly washed and cleaned of dirt. In some cases, it is recommended to soak them as if for pickling. By the way, the bitterness will also go away. After this procedure, the mushrooms are poured with boiling water and packed in the freezer. You can also freeze salted mushrooms in a cold way. They must first be carefully squeezed out of excess moisture.

Boiled frozen milk mushrooms

Peeled and washed mushrooms are thrown into a pan of boiling water. After boiling, boil for another 10 minutes and discard in a colander. When the water has completely drained, the mushrooms are packed in the freezer. The less moisture remains, the better the product will be.

Freezing fried milk mushrooms

Washed and chopped mushrooms are chopped into pieces, poured into a hot frying pan and fried for 20 minutes in sunflower oil. Salt and pepper to taste. To create a golden brown crust, remove the lid in the last minutes. When the workpiece has cooled, it is distributed into containers and sent to the refrigerator. You can simmer milk mushrooms in the oven without adding oils. To ensure that the moisture evaporates well, set the temperature to 180 degrees and constantly stir the contents of the baking sheet. Cold mushrooms freeze.