How much milk mushrooms need to be soaked and how to do it
Milk mushrooms are edible mushrooms widespread in Russia; they are popular in home preservation in a number of regions. There are several varieties: white and black, squeaky mushroom and pepper, poplar mushroom, yellow and many other species. However, most of them have a bitter taste, which, on the one hand, scares away worms, but on the other, it can harm humans. Therefore, the main stage in preparation is soaking the milk mushrooms. We will tell you about important nuances, recipes and useful tips further.
Correct soaking of milk mushrooms
Cleaning
Upon returning from the forest, the mushrooms should be placed in metal or plastic dishes, covered with water and soaked for 20 minutes. This initial soaking is necessary so that the forest mud particles become slightly acidic and easily cleaned.
Each mushroom should be carefully examined for rottenness or the presence of worms. Dirt is removed from a good mushroom with a knife along with the surface skin - a film. After processing the outside of the cap and stem, remove the spore-bearing plates from the inside of the cap. This procedure is carried out only with large (mature) mushrooms. Carefully trim the thin outer edge, which is wrapped inside the cap, and remove the white plates with a knife, moving from the leg to the edge. Some mushroom pickers use spoons for these purposes. Rinse with clean running water.
Soaking features
It should be explained why the stage of soaking the milk mushrooms is key and its poor performance can lead to health problems. All types of milk mushrooms contain small quantities of poisonous substances in the composition of milky juice, which give a specific "bitter" taste and can cause poisoning.
Therefore, we advise you not to neglect the following recommendations:
- In order to avoid the occurrence of chemical reactions, we do not recommend using aluminum pots or soaking tanks, it is better to give preference to enameled or wooden dishes.
- Water must completely wet the entire volume of the mushrooms, otherwise, upon contact with air, raw mushrooms may oxidize and change color. If this happens, the mushrooms need to be washed and filled with new water, placing oppression on top, which will make them completely disappear under water.
- If you decide to use warm water (in which the milk mushrooms soak faster), add more salt and change the water frequently.
- Do not under any circumstances skip the water change time - otherwise the milk mushrooms may turn sour and become unsuitable for eating.
Proven Soaking Recipe
Soaking relieves toxins from mushrooms
If you soak mushrooms for 2-3 days in salted cold water (10 g of salt per liter of water) and change it 2 times a day, all toxic substances will go away.
Our ancestors even collected peeled mushrooms in a bag with nettles and sent them to a river or reservoirs with running water for 3 days. You can try this simple method at your summer cottage.
Other recipes
Correctly soak the milk mushrooms, taking into account the characteristics of the variety.
White milk mushrooms are considered the safest, because contains the least amount of toxins. It is enough to soak it overnight (10-15 hours). The water will darken but remain clear. Soaked "king mushroom" (another name for the white milk mushroom) is used in pickles and for pickling.
Very outwardly, a squeaky mushroom looks like him. If you slide your fingernail over the cap, you hear a quiet creak, and because of the white liquid - milky juice, which appears when broken and looks like milk, it is also called "spurge". Skripun is the most bitter mushroom of the entire family. It should be soaked for at least 4 days, while the water turns red. It is very much saturated with the taste of salt, so it is better to use it in a marinade - then the mushroom smell will persist.
Irina Selyutina (Biologist):
Indeed, in terms of the amount of toxins in the fruiting body, the milk mushroom can be called “pure” with certainty. For soaking, 10-15 hours is enough for it. If you put it to soak in the evening, then in the morning it will be ready for cooking. Pay attention to the water in which this mushroom was soaked: if the process went as it should, then the water will be a little darkish, but transparent. You can also break off a piece of mushroom for a taste test - it should not be bitter.
Black milk will remain so black no matter how long it takes to soak it. And even very frequent water changes will not help. And all because there are a lot of coloring pigments in it, but they have nothing to do with the toxicity of the mushroom in principle.
Black mushrooms are used more for salads in fried or salted form. It will not lose pigmentation after soaking, but it is rarely pickled because of its unattractive appearance. Before frying fresh, the milk mushrooms should be rolled in a breading of eggs and flour, as they will release a lot of liquid.
Tips from experienced mushroom pickers
- After collecting the mushrooms, a bitter smell remains on your hands and can haunt you for several days. To avoid this, wash your hands with sunflower oil and then with soap;
- You can clean the milk mushrooms with thin rubber gloves;
- Use a hard toothbrush instead of a knife to improve the quality of cleaning and not deform the appearance of the mushroom;
- To get rid of the bitterness exactly, cut the mushrooms into wedges;
- Iodized salt gives an unpleasant aftertaste, so you should only use ordinary salt;
- For barrel storage, check once a week for mold on the bend and remove it promptly.
Conclusion
Milk mushrooms must be soaked before cooking. This is done in order to avoid poisoning and to make the taste more pleasant. It does not take much time for this, but health will be in perfect order.
