Black milk mushrooms have long been considered almost the most suitable mushrooms for pickling. Collecting them is not difficult. Dark hats stand out against the background of bright autumn foliage, and they grow in groups. Having seen one fungus, you will certainly find several more nearby.
What does a black lump look like?
The black mushroom is a strong lamellar mushroom with a dense dark cap, sometimes reaching 20 cm in diameter. Its leg is the same color as the hat. It is difficult to confuse it with other mushrooms, but it is still possible. For example, in coniferous forests there are similar mushrooms with fringed edges. You do not need to collect them, they are most often inedible. Black milk mushrooms grow in both birch and mixed forests. It is usually harvested in August. Like other milk mushrooms, black gives off a sticky juice, the smallest droplets of which can be found on the plates.
Never pick mushrooms in the forest that you don't know. Some mushrooms, while not poisonous, can be bitter.
Cooking mushrooms for salting
Like other milk mushrooms, black can be salted cold and hot. Mushrooms must be prepared in advance. Returning from the "quiet hunt", thoroughly rinse the milk mushrooms, remove leaves, earth and other dirt. If there are wormy parts, they must be cut off. The legs of black milk mushrooms are also edible, so you can not throw them away. Pour cold water into a large basin and place the milk mushrooms there, caps facing down. This is necessary so that the salted mushrooms do not turn out to be bitter. Soak the milk mushrooms for a couple of days, remembering to periodically change the water. This should be done at least once a day, but twice is better.
Try to pick mushrooms that have no worm marks at all.
Cold salting
When salting black mushrooms, it is very important to correctly calculate the amount of salt. If there is too little of it, the mushrooms will disappear; if there is too much, it will turn out tasteless. The usual calculation is 4% of the total weight of the soaked mushrooms. The choice of dishes also depends on the number of milk mushrooms. This can be a wooden (preferably oak) barrel or glass jar. Do not use metal utensils.
We put mushrooms
Wash the jar cleanly and pour over boiling water. Pour a layer of salt on the bottom. Add a couple of garlic cloves as well as the leaves. Suitable for pickling milk mushrooms:
- currants;
- cherry:
- horseradish;
- dill.
The leaves should be in one layer. Lay the milk mushrooms on it - as with soaking, with the caps down. Put a few black peppercorns and sprinkle it all with salt. Then alternate layers of leaves, mushrooms and salt until the jar is full, with a layer of leaves on top. Put a round lid on top, and it should fit freely into the jar. Put a stone on the lid (which must first be washed and even boiled). A jar of water can also be used as oppression. Place the entire structure in a cool place (for example, on the lower shelf of the refrigerator) for about a month.
Hot way
Black milk mushrooms can also be salted hot. As in the previous case, they need to be washed and sorted out, but soaking is not necessary. Place the mushrooms in a saucepan, bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes. Remember to remove the foam. If you cook milk mushrooms in portions, the water needs to be changed every time. Throw the milk mushrooms in a colander, rinse with cold running water, then put in a salting container, adding dill, onion and garlic along with salt. Salt will be needed a little more than for cold salting - 5-6%, and seasonings are added to taste.
