Aspen milk mushroom (poplar, poplar): photo and description, recipes for the winter

Aspen milk mushroom represents the Syroezhkov family, the genus Millechniki. The second name is poplar mushroom. The view has many distinctive features. Before collecting, it is important to familiarize yourself with the description and photo of the poplar mushroom.

What does an aspen mushroom look like and where does it grow?

The mushroom has a whitish, firm and brittle flesh with a fruity aroma and bright taste. Aspen mushrooms can produce abundant white, bitter sap. The plates of representatives of this species are not wide, sometimes bifurcated, cream or light pinkish in color. The spore powder of the mushroom has the same color.

Description of the hat

The lump is characterized by a rather fleshy and dense cap with a diameter of 6 to 30 cm. It has a flat-convex shape and is slightly depressed in the center, and its fluffy edges are slightly bent down in young specimens. In the photo, you can see that the hat of the ripe poplar mushroom straightens out and becomes slightly wavy. The surface of the mushroom is covered with a white or mottled skin with pinkish spots and a fine downy. In wet weather, it becomes quite sticky, and fragments of soil and forest debris stick to it.

Leg description

The height of the leg of the aspen mushroom varies from 3 to 8 cm. It is rather dense, tapering towards the base. It can be painted white or pinkish.

Where and how it grows

Aspen mushroom is capable of forming mycorrhiza with willows, aspens and poplars. The places of its growth are damp aspen and poplar forests. The mushroom grows in small groups in warm areas of the temperate climate zone. On the territory of Russia, poplar mushrooms can often be found in the Lower Volga region. The fruiting time of the species begins in July and lasts until October.

Doubles and their differences

Most often, aspen (poplar) milk mushroom can be confused with a white wave (whitewash), which belongs to the edible species. Differences in the hat: it is densely pubescent in the wave.

Another double of the species is the real edible milk mushroom. The mushroom has pubescence at the edges and white plates. In the poplar tree, they are colored pink.

Other representatives of the genus Millechniki - violin, peppermint - also have external similarities with the species, but they can be easily distinguished by the color of the cap: only in the aspen milkcap its underside is pink.

How to cook aspen milk mushrooms

Aspen milk mushroom is a conditionally edible mushroom that requires special preparation before use. The most popular methods are salting or pickling fruit bodies. It is extremely important to correctly follow the technology for preparing mushrooms, otherwise they can become bitter due to the milky juice contained in the pulp.

Mushroom preparation

Before cooking, poplar milk mushrooms need careful preparation, which will help to eliminate toxic substances in the product and a bitter taste.

How to wash poplar mushrooms

Immediately after harvesting, the mushrooms must be thoroughly rinsed and adhesions removed. If it is difficult to do this (the grass and leaves stick tightly to the cap due to the juice), the fruit bodies are poured with water in a spacious container.

How much poplar mushrooms need to soak

You can also get rid of toxic substances, a small amount of which is present in the fruit bodies, by soaking them in salt water for 2-3 days, while changing the liquid every 7-10 hours. For this purpose, use a wooden or enameled container.

Before soaking, it is necessary to check that all fruit bodies are immersed in water, otherwise the mushrooms on the surface will quickly change color.

Soaking the poplar mushrooms is a necessary step: it helps to eliminate all toxic substances, as well as remove all the bitterness from the mushrooms.

What can be cooked from aspen mushrooms

Aspen milk mushrooms are only suitable for pickling and pickling. When frozen (regardless of the method), the mushrooms lose all the liquid, due to which the taste suffers, and bitterness appears. The same thing happens when frying fruit bodies.

Recipes for making poplar mushrooms for the winter

The most popular options for how to cook aspen milk mushrooms are pickling and salting mushrooms: this will help maintain their taste throughout the winter.

How to cook salted poplar milk mushrooms

The classic option for preserving aspen mushrooms for the winter in a cold way:

1. Fruit bodies must be thoroughly cleaned and rinsed as described above.
2. After that, you can start the salting process. For 1 kg of aspen mushrooms, 50 g of salt is used, which is sprinkled on the bottom of the container and covered with black currant leaves, cherries or dill sprigs. This will help protect the fruit bodies from mold during storage.
3. Each new layer 5 to 10 cm thick is sprinkled with salt, adding a little bay leaf, pepper and garlic.
4. At the very top, currant leaves or dill are again laid out. After that, cover with a wooden circle along the diameter of the vessel. A slightly smaller enamel pot lid will also work. The mug is wrapped with gauze and pressed down with oppression: a stone, a clean enameled pan with a load inside, etc. Do not use dolomite or limestone for this purpose. Dissolving, it can spoil the product.
5. After 2 days, the mushrooms should give juice and settle. The fruiting bodies are ready after a month and a half. They need to be stored at a temperature of + 5-6 ° C in a ventilated basement or refrigerator. Higher rates contribute to the souring of aspen mushrooms. If the temperature is lower, the mushrooms become brittle and lose their taste.
6. If the fruit bodies are salted in a large container, they are reported in parts, as they are harvested, and oppression is applied.
   Important! During storage, the mushrooms should be in the brine and not float. If there is not enough liquid, add cold boiled water.
7. If mold is found on a wooden mug, gauze or container walls, the dishes must be rinsed in hot salted water.
8. If there are not many milk mushrooms, it is better to salt them in a small glass jar, placing a cabbage leaf on top. The container must be closed with a plastic lid and placed in the refrigerator for storage.

This method of processing poplar mushrooms is only suitable for raw mushrooms.

Another option for cold salting

Ingredients (for 8 servings):

• 5 kg of mushrooms;
• 500 g of coarse salt;
• 1 horseradish root;
• 10 cloves of garlic;
• cherry, horseradish or black currant leaves.

How to cook:

1. On the third day after washing, the fruit bodies must be removed from the water, dried and rubbed with salt.
2. Transfer the milk mushrooms in layers into a large barrel. Between them, you should put cloves of garlic and pieces of horseradish root.
3. Cover with several layers of cheesecloth on top, cover with dill, currant leaves, cherry or horseradish.
4. Replace the milk mushrooms under oppression (2.5-3 kg).
5. Remove salting in a cool place for 30 days. After that, sterilized jars are suitable for storing mushrooms, which do not need to be tightened with lids.

Store the product at a low temperature.

Hot salting of aspen mushrooms

With this method of salting, mushrooms do not require pre-soaking. To remove the bitterness, they need to be boiled for about 20-30 minutes. After that, drain the water, and rinse the milk mushrooms under cold water and dry in a colander. To make the glass liquid better, boiled mushrooms can be hung in a bag made of rare material.

Then the fruiting bodies must be placed in a jar, pan or tub and sprinkled with salt. The proportion is 50 g per 1 kg of raw material. In addition to salt, you need to add a little garlic, horseradish and dill. Boiled milk mushrooms are salted from 5 to 7 days.

For the hot salting method, another type of heat treatment may be suitable - blanching. To remove all the milky juice, the washed and peeled fruit bodies must be placed in boiling water for 5-8 minutes. If there are few mushrooms, you can use a colander. After the time has elapsed, the milk mushrooms should be immediately washed in cool water until completely cooled.

Then the mushrooms are placed in layers in a container, as described above, salt and seasonings are added: garlic, parsley, horseradish, dill. Celery, oak, cherry and currant leaves are sometimes also used. Mushrooms reach readiness on the 8-10th day. You need to store the finished salting in a cool place.

Another way of hot salting

Ingredients:

• 5 kg of mushrooms;
• 1 liter of water;
• 2 tbsp. l. salt
• black peppercorns (15-20 pcs.);
• allspice (10 pcs.);
• 5 cloves of garlic;
• Bay leaf;
• 2-4 currant leaves;
• carnation.

How to cook:

1. For 1 liter of water, you will need 2 tbsp. l. rock salt. Place the mushrooms in the resulting solution, which should float freely in the liquid. If there are a lot of milk mushrooms, it is better to cook them in several approaches or use different pots. Boil mushrooms for 20 minutes over medium heat.
2. Next, you need to prepare the brine. Add salt and all specified spices to a liter of water, except for garlic. Put the liquid on fire.
3. Topple the boiled fruit bodies in a colander and transfer to a saucepan with boiling brine. Cook for 30 minutes, then remove the pan from heat, add garlic and stir.
4. Cover with a smaller lid (an upside-down plate will do as well) and put on a not too heavy pressure so that the mushrooms do not turn into "porridge". Milk mushrooms should be completely in the brine without air access.
5. Then remove the salting in a cool place and let stand there for a week. Then the mushrooms can be arranged in sterile jars, filled with brine, and vegetable oil on top, this will prevent air from entering. Put back in a cool place for 30-40 days until fully cooked.

How to pickle poplar milk mushrooms for the winter

A quick pickle of milk mushrooms for the winter will turn out according to the following recipe.

Ingredients:

• milk mushrooms - 1 kg;
• salt - 1 tbsp. l .;
• granulated sugar - 1 tsp;
• allspice - 5 peas;
• cloves and cinnamon - 2 pcs.;
• Bay leaf;
• citric acid - 0.5 g;
• 6% solution of food grade acetic acid.

Cooking procedure:

1. The marinade must be poured into an enamel pan and brought to a boil, after which the prepared fruit bodies must be placed there. After boiling, cook over moderate heat, regularly removing the accumulating foam.
2. When the foam has completely disappeared, you can add some spices to the pan: granulated sugar, allspice, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves and citric acid so that the mushrooms retain their natural color.
3. Then the mushrooms are removed from the heat and cooled by placing gauze or a clean towel on top of the pan.
4. The mushrooms must be arranged in glass jars and filled with the marinade in which they were located. Close the jars with plastic lids and put them in a cool place for further storage.

How to pickle milk mushrooms for the winter with lavrushka

Ingredients for 1 kg of mushrooms:

• water - 100 g;
• vinegar - 125 g;
• salt - 1.5 tbsp.l .;
• sugar - 0.5 tbsp. l .;
• bay leaf - 2 pcs.;
• black peppercorns - 3-4 pcs.;
• cloves - 2 pcs.

How to cook:

1. Fruiting bodies are thoroughly washed under cold water, after which they are laid out on a sieve or colander so that all the liquid is glass.
2. A separate container is filled with water, adding salt and sugar. After that, the pan is placed on fire and brought to a boil.
3. Prepared milk mushrooms are placed in a boiling liquid. After 10 minutes, it is necessary to remove the resulting foam and add spices.
4. The mushrooms are boiled over the fire for about 25-30 minutes. If the milk mushrooms are small, they can be removed after 15-20 minutes. When fully prepared, the fruiting bodies will sink to the bottom, and the liquid will become more transparent.
5. After removing the mushrooms from the heat, they are cooled, laid out in well-washed glass jars and covered with parchment paper. After that, the workpieces are stored in a cold place.

Another way to pickle aspen milk mushrooms for winter storage

Ingredients:

• water - 2 l (for 5 kg of product);
• salt - 150 g;
• 80% solution of vinegar essence - 30 ml;
• allspice - 30 peas;
• cloves - 2 pcs.

Cooking steps:

1. Fruiting bodies are thoroughly washed, then placed in an enamel pot with boiling water and blanched for 2-3 minutes.
2. After that, the mushrooms are transferred to a colander and placed in cool water for 5-7 minutes, and then in a well-washed wooden barrel, while adding salt and various spices.
3. The prepared salting is left for a while so that the mushrooms can extract juice. After that, they are washed, filled with marinade, tightly closed with a lid and placed in a cool storage place.

Additional recipe for pickled milk mushrooms

Ingredients for 3 kg of mushrooms:

• water - 2 l;
• 80% vinegar essence solution - 20 ml;
• salt - 100 g;
• bay leaf - 20 pcs.;
• allspice - 30 peas.

The mushrooms are washed and placed in an enamel container with salted boiling water for 15-20 minutes. Then they are thrown into a colander and loaded back into the pot. Pour the prepared marinade and cook for 30 minutes. After that, the mushroom mass is taken out with a slotted spoon, cooled, laid out on well-washed jars and tightly closed with lids on top.

Storage rules

Freshly harvested aspen mushrooms should not be stored for a long period. Mushrooms tend to accumulate toxic substances that poison the human body.

If there is no way to quickly process the raw material, it must be placed in a dark place for 10-15 hours. You can use the bottom shelves of the refrigerator, basement, cellar or underground. The maximum shelf life in this form is 1 day.

Conclusion

Aspen milk mushroom is a conditionally edible representative of the forest kingdom. The mushroom does not differ in taste, but it is actively used for pickling and pickling for the winter. Aspen milk mushroom has a number of distinctive features, which it is important to familiarize yourself with before harvesting by carefully studying the photo and description.

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