Many mushroom pickers believe that best mushrooms- these are saffron milk caps. These mushrooms are superior to their counterparts both in taste and in the content of valuable microelements. These representatives are valued for their spectacular and beautiful appearance.
Collecting saffron milk caps is a pleasure, because they grow large families on well-lit forest edges. They can be found especially often on high hills.
Saffron milk caps are difficult to confuse with other mushrooms. After all, almost everyone knows what they look like and where to collect them. They are easily recognizable by their bright, slightly convex orange cap with characteristic circles. Its diameter usually does not exceed 15 cm. When to collect and where do these bright and delicious mushrooms?
Features and subtleties of collection
Of particular value are small saffron milk caps, which can be easily passed through the neck of a narrow bottle.
Do not be alarmed if the mushroom turns green during pickling - this is its characteristic feature.
Most often they are collected in pine and spruce forests. Therefore, saffron milk caps themselves are divided into pine and spruce. The latter have thinner caps with a greenish or blue tint. In addition, the cap of spruce trees is brittle, loose, with faintly visible circles, but milky juice, on the contrary, bright orange color.
Collection time
When to pick these mushrooms? Experienced mushroom pickers They begin collecting in July and continue until the start of frost. However, collection requires special skill and attention. These mushrooms grow in families, arranged in ribbons or lines.
If you find at least one mushroom, your efforts will be rewarded. After all, there’s probably a whole family of “cunning” saffron milk caps lurking nearby.
Saffron milk caps prefer to grow up in small families
Places of growth
So where do the different species grow? Spruce forests with dense grass and foliage are loved by representatives of the spruce species. Accordingly, their pine counterparts chose young pine forests and sandstones.
It is important to know what these mushrooms look like. The pine saffron milkweed is very similar to the moth, and it can be extremely difficult to distinguish them. In addition to spruce forests and pine forests, both of these true individuals willingly settle in larch plantings.
Despite its bright coloring, the saffron milk cap shows miracles of secrecy and perfectly camouflages itself in the grass. In order to detect it, you need to thoroughly examine the grass.
If there are no worms in the mushroom stem, then there are none in the entire fruit body
Spruce species
These representatives are also called greeners. They live on acidic and calcareous soils. They are considered sciophytes because they do not particularly need good lighting.
When to collect spruce saffron milk caps? The best time is from June to October. Moreover, the size of the mushroom cap is greatly influenced by the place where it grows. Mushrooms growing in shaded spruce forests have small caps, while those that live in hummocks and mosses have large caps. In young mushrooms they are convex, with curved edges. Over time they become flat or funnel-shaped. During the rainy season the caps turn pink. Because of this, they are often confused with pink moths. Spruce representatives are characterized by orange pulp with an aromatic fruity smell and viscous milky juice. The plates are quite frequent and can change color when pressed. The leg sometimes takes on a green tint when deformed, white inside and orange outside.
According to their own nutritional quality Spruce camelina is a mushroom that is easily digestible. In terms of calories, they are often compared to beef and eggs. Moreover, mushrooms are superior to the latest products.
An undoubted advantage of saffron milk caps is the absence of poisonous analogues.
Saffron milk caps are Slavic name several types of valuable edible mushrooms belonging to the genus (lat. Lactarius), family Russulaceae, order Russulaceae, class Agaricomycetes, department Basidiomycetes. The name of the mushroom “saffron milk cap” was also borrowed by some non-Slavic peoples, for example, Hungarians and Germans.
There is a version that the mushroom was called saffron milk cap not because of the color of its cap and stem, since they can be not only orange, but because of the red milky juice that is released at the break of the pulp. The origin of the word “red” is explained simply in dictionaries. On the basis of the Proto-Slavic stem ryd “ore, rust” the word rydiь “something red” arose. Subsequently Eastern Slavs this word became "red".
Rizhik (mushroom): photo and description. What do saffron milk caps look like?
Saffron milk caps are cap mushrooms, they have a well-formed fruiting body, consisting of a cap and a central stalk, which are tightly connected to each other. Their separation does not occur without tissue rupture.
hat of young saffron milk caps at first it looks like a cap, it is hemispherical, often flattened on top, velvety, later convex with thin edges slightly curled towards the stem or convex-spread. As it develops, it changes to a funnel-shaped shape with a straight, thin edge, sometimes with a small tubercle in the center. Its diameter ranges from 1-3 cm to 20 cm.
The color of the cap and the entire fruiting body of the camelina has a protective coloring. The brightest saffron milk caps are those that hide in the grass under the spruce trees. Depending on the place of growth, the cap can be yellowish-ochre, gray-olive, dark orange, blue, sometimes fading to whitish (in pine and spruce forms) with darker green or red-brown concentric circular zones (rings). The surface of the cap is smooth, bare or velvety (felt), glossy or dry, after rain it is sticky and slimy.
Leg camelina 4-6 cm long, 1-2.5 cm in diameter. Initially filled, then cellular, almost hollow, brittle. It is the same color as the cap or a little lighter, lighter at the top under the plates, tapering towards the base or regular, cylindrical.
Its surface may be hairy and covered with dark green spots and small pits, darker than the rest of the skin of the leg. When squeezed, the leg turns green.
Pulp The camelina is dense, light, often changes color in the air, becoming green or red. It is whitish in the stem; when cut, it first turns red, then may turn green. The flesh of camelina contains groups of round vesicle-like cells, spherocytes, which is why it is usually brittle. It also contains conducting (“vascular”) hyphae with milky juice, which can be abundant or insignificant, watery or thick. Its color is orange, unchanged or slowly changing in the air. In the oak saffron milk cap it is white. Mushroom juice is not pungent, but tart and often sweet.
Saffron milk caps absorb forest aromas, which is why they become fragrant, sometimes giving off a fruity, sometimes resinous or mossy smell.
Hymenophore in saffron milk caps it is lamellar. The plates are frequent, thin, forked, slightly converging on the stem. At first yellowish, later orange, when squeezed they turn green, and then become dark olive. They do not separate from the cap.
Spore powder yellow, yellowish cream or light ocher.
The taste of saffron milk caps may be soft, sweet, bitter, tart, astringent or sour.
Where do saffron milk caps grow?
The habitat of saffron milk caps covers North America, Eurasia, they were brought to Australia, Peru and New Zealand. Most of these mushrooms grow in temperate latitudes Eurasia and North America. In Russia, saffron milk caps are represented by everyone known species. Mushrooms form mycorrhizae with coniferous trees, so they are found next to or fir trees. Only the oak mushroom, which is more often called milk mushroom, lives in symbiosis with broad-leaved tree species.
Although saffron milk caps grow in mixed and coniferous forests, they cannot stand shadows. Most often they are found in clearings, edges, on the borders of forests or among young trees that have not yet closed and do not form heavily shaded areas. Mushrooms do not like very dry or excessively wet soil. They grow on sandy loam soil in groups, sometimes forming “witch circles.”
When do saffron milk caps grow?
These delicate mushrooms practically cannot stand the cold. The optimal temperature for their growth is in the range from 15 to 27°. Saffron milk caps appear en masse from July to September. At this time they should be collected, but they grow in “waves”, with breaks. You can meet them later, until November and even after slight frosts. But at this time they are already few in number.
Types of saffron milk caps, names and photos
Modern taxonomy classifies these mushrooms into sections Dapetes or Deliciosi subgenus Piperites. Species differ in the color of the skin and pulp, the size of the fruiting body, the change in color of the milky juice when oxidized in air, their relationship to the woody plants under which they grow, and the size of the spores. Below is a description of mushrooms.
- Ryzhik, aka real camelina (common, pine, bog), or delicious milkweed (lat. Lactarius deliciosus, syn. Lactarius pinicola ). Other names for the species are often found, with the following specific epithets added to the word “saffron milk cap”: autumnal, noble, delicious.
A valuable edible mushroom that successfully defends first place in taste qualities in a dispute with . It has a fleshy, convex-depressed, red or orange-yellow cap with distinct blue-green circles and indentations. With age, it straightens out and becomes funnel-shaped. The diameter of the cap is 3-17 cm. If you press on its surface, the place of the dent will turn greenish. The plates are yellow-orange or ocher, bifurcated, and turn green when wounded. The spores are light ocher. The stem of the camelina is no different in color from the cap, its height is 3-7 cm, its diameter is 1-2 cm, at first it is filled with pulp, later it is empty. The shape of the leg is cylindrical, with fistulas, that is, depressions on the surface. Turns green when pressed. The pulp is brittle, but dense, yellowish or white, immediately under the skin of the cap and stem it is orange, at the break it first turns red, then turns green. Common saffron milk cap has a pleasant resinous smell and taste. The pulp secretes a rich, bright orange, non-caustic, but slightly pungent milky juice, which turns grayish-green in air after a few hours.
Growing pine mushroom in Russia, Foreign Europe, East Asia, North America on high places and pine glades, less often mixed forests. Together with woody plants The species was introduced to Chile, Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand. In the Northern Hemisphere it occurs from July to the end of November. When harvesting, the saffron milk caps are cut off with a full stalk and placed with their caps down so as not to damage them.
This species is similar to the blood-red and green-red saffron milk caps. It can be distinguished by the clear concentric rings of the cap and the milky juice that turns green in the air.
This is the most delicious saffron milk cap. It is fried, salted, pickled and even eaten raw. The mushroom does not require pre-soaking.
- Spruce mushroom (green), or fir tree (lat.Lactarius deterrimus , syn. Lactarius deliciosus var. deterrimus, Lactarius deliciosus var. picei). According to one classification, it is considered a subspecies of the true camelina, according to another - a separate species. The cap is orange, with greenish or brown spots, fleshy, but thinner than that of the common camelina, smaller in size (3-8 cm) and brittle, without pubescence at the edges. In the sun it fades slightly and becomes whitish. The skin of the cap is often orange, but can change to pale pink with faint concentric rings and spots. The surface of the cap is smooth, slippery in wet weather. When damaged and aged it turns green. In comparison with the real saffron milk cap, its leg is shorter: 3-6 cm in length, 1.5-3 cm in diameter, slightly curved. The color is the same as the cap, first filled, then almost hollow inside. The milky juice is orange-red, less often almost red, and turns green when in contact with air. The blades are usually lighter than the rest of the fruiting body. The pulp is looser than that of the common camelina, orange, at the break it first turns red, then turns green, and has a pleasant fruity smell. Spore powder is light orange.
Spruce saffron milk caps grow in spruce forests with an abundance of grass, on the forest floor among pine needles, from August to October. This species is found more often than the real one, sometimes forming entire thickets. In Europe, it is he who is considered a truly real saffron milk cap.
Spruce saffron milk cap can be confused with pink saffron (lat. Lactarius torminosus). It differs from the true camelina in its smaller size and location of growth. In Russia it is considered a tasty edible mushroom, used fresh, pickled and salted. In preparations it changes color and becomes green. When collecting spruce saffron milk caps, 2/3 of the stems should be cut off.
- Rizhik red, blood red (lat. Lactarius sangu i fluus ). A rare edible mushroom with an orange-red or blood-red cap and juice of the same color, which darkens but does not turn green in the air. The cap is from 5 to 15 cm in diameter, smooth, with or without faint greenish concentric rings. In wet weather it is a little sticky. The leg is 3-6 cm high and 1.5-2.5 cm in diameter, tapering towards the bottom. It is the same color as the cap and is hollow in mature mushrooms. The plane of the leg is covered with a powdery coating and red depressions. The flesh of the camelina is dense, under the skin of the stem and under the plates it is blood-red, in other places it is yellowish or white with reddish spots. With a pleasant smell and pungent taste, it turns green when cut. The plates of the hymenophore are light ocher, acquire a wine tint with age, and extend deeply into the stalk. Anastomoses (unions) are formed between the plates. When pressed, they first turn brown, then greenish. White spore powder.
Red saffron milk caps grow in pine and mixed forests, in mountainous areas in summer and autumn. They form mycorrhiza with pine and Siberian cedar. Found in the Czech Republic, Great Britain, Italy, France, Russia.
- Red pine saffron milk cap, semi-red, or green-red (lat. Lactarius semisanguifluus). An edible mushroom with an orange-red or orange cap and green concentric zones. The juice is orange, turning red in the air. The diameter of the cap is from 3 to 10 cm. It is medium-fleshy, convex or flat-spread, slightly concave in the center. With age it becomes funnel-shaped. In young mushrooms the edge is bent towards the stem, in mature ones it is spread out and thin. When squeezed, the cap first turns red, then greenish. The plates do not differ in color from the cap; in places of damage they gradually turn green. Spore powder is light ocher. The stem is from 3 to 8 cm long and 0.8-2.5 cm thick, often cylindrical, less often slightly narrowed towards the base, orange-pink with green spots, in “ripe” mushrooms with a narrow cavity inside. The pulp is yellowish, white in the central part, greenish under the skin of the cap; in young mushrooms it is dense, in old ones it is loose.
Red pine camelina forms mycorrhiza with pine. Found in Italy Northern Ireland, Great Britain, France, Russia. The mushroom picking season is from July to October.
- Japanese camelina, fir (lat. Lactarius jap o nicus ). Edible mushroom. The cap is 6-8 cm in diameter; in young mushrooms it is straight with the edge turned down; in mature mushrooms it is funnel-shaped with a small depression, with pronounced concentric zones. Its color is light brown or light ocher. The plates are brighter than the top of the cap, pinkish-orange, with red tints. The leg is bright, red-orange with a white line on top, 4.5-7.5 cm long, 1.2-2 cm in diameter. The pulp is light, rarely turns green when cut, more often it remains red-orange or blood-red, which and was originally. The taste of the pulp is fresh.
Japanese saffron milk caps grow in Russia in the south of Primorsky Krai and in Japan, in mixed forests under black fir (lat. Abies holophylla). They are collected in September-October.
Taken from the site: wikigrib.ru
- Salmon saffron, or alpine (lat. Lactarius salmonicolor). Edible mushroom. It has the largest and brightest cap among all saffron milk caps. Its diameter is from 6 to 20 cm, the color is catchy and rich, carrot-orange at the edges, yellow-orange in the center with alternating concentric zones of salmon-pink and bright orange. The plates are pink, sometimes with an orange tint. The leg is 3-5 cm long and 1-3 cm in diameter, pinkish-orange, with darker notches. The flesh of the mushroom is white in the middle, carrot-like closer to the skin. The milky juice is plentiful, also orange. Both the juice and the pulp do not change color when cut.
Edible salmon saffron milk caps form mycorrhiza only with fir, so they can only be found where these coniferous trees. They grow from August to October.
- oak mushroom, or oak milk mushroom (lat. Lactarius ins. u lsus ) - conditionally edible mushroom. Grows widely deciduous forests, forms mycorrhiza with, hazel and beech. Distributed in Finland, France, Great Britain, Spain, as well as in the European part of Russia. The time for collecting oak saffron milk caps is from July to September.
The cap of the oak saffron milk cap is initially flat-rounded, often irregular shape, later funnel-shaped, red or orange-brick, with more dark rings. Its diameter is 5-12 cm. The plates are yellowish, converging on the stem. The spore powder is ocher or yellowish-cream. The leg is the same color as the cap, or lighter, with dark grooves, thickening towards the bottom, 3-7 cm high, 1.5-3 cm in diameter. The flesh is creamy or white, turning pink when cut. The milky juice is liquid, caustic, white, and is released in small quantities. Typically, oak saffron milk caps are soaked to remove bitter juice and then salted.
Taken from the site: wikigrib.ru
Taken from the site: wikigrib.ru
- Ginger is dark, dim or reddish brown (lat. Lactarius queticolor). The cap is from 5 to 12 cm in diameter, bluish-orange with a gray tint or darker with bluish tones. In places of damage it turns green. The rings on the cap are weakly expressed, sometimes they are completely invisible, often leaving only large spots of different shades. The flesh in the center of the mushroom is white, orange closer to the surface, and has a slightly pungent taste. The milky juice of camelina is red-orange, turning green when flowing out. The plates are frequent, slightly tapering, pinkish-orange with a creamy tint or orange, turning green when wounded. The stem is 3-5 cm high, 1.5-3 cm in diameter, dense, cylindrical or tapering towards the base, hollow in mature mushrooms, gray-orange or lilac-red.
The mushroom grows in symbiosis with pine and is found in mixed and coniferous forests where this tree grows. The season for collecting camelina is August-October. This is very rare mushroom north of the European part of Russia, it belongs to the edible species.
- Camelina, or wine red (lat. Lactarius vinosus, syn. Lactarius sanguifluus var. violaceus). According to some data, it is an independent species, according to others, it is a variety of red camelina. The cap is 4-12 cm in diameter, its skin is non-sticky, wine-red, shiny and smooth, with clearly defined annular zones. The plates are not wide, orange in young mushrooms, lilac-pink in mature ones, wine-colored in old ones. The pulp is white, brittle, dense, closer to the skin it is wine-red or red-lilac; when cut, it changes color to red-brown or red. The milky juice is wine-red and turns purple-brown when oxidized. The leg is 4-6 cm high, 1.5-3 cm in diameter, narrowed towards the base, orange-pink or purple with wine-red fistulas. The surface of the cap and stem in places of compression turns blue.
Camelina grows from July to October in the forests of the northern temperate zone in ecosystems involving pine. This is an edible mushroom.
- Finnish saffron milk cap, turning blue (lat. Lactarius fennoscandicus). The cap is 3-8 cm in diameter, sticky, with well-defined zones. The coloring of the inner and outer concentric zones differs only in tone. In the center it is darker, rich brown or cinnamon with an olive tint, becoming duller at the edges. The plates are narrow and frequent, from peach to yellowish-orange, turning green when wounded. The flesh of the mushroom is white in the center, orange at the edges, and turns blue or blue-green when broken and cut. The milky juice of Finnish camelina is orange; when oxidized, it changes to greenish-gray. The stem is 4-11 cm high, 1-2.5 cm in diameter, regular cylindrical or slightly thickened at the base.
Blue camelina is an edible mushroom that grows in symbiosis with spruce, preferring the edges of spruce and mixed forests in Karelia, the environs of Arkhangelsk and Vologda region.
False mushrooms. Photos and descriptions of doubles
Young edible saffron milk caps cannot be poisoned. IN Ancient Rus' they were eaten raw. Today, before eating, they are advised to at least scald them with boiling water. But you can eat them only if you are sure that these are saffron milk caps.
Below are mushrooms with which inexperienced mushroom pickers may confuse saffron milk caps.
How to distinguish saffron milk mushrooms from roseate mushrooms
Saffron milk caps are often confused with conditionally edible mushroom, requiring more thorough heat treatment (soaking and boiling), pink flea (lat. Lactarius torminosus), which also belongs to the genus of laticifers. Sometimes it is called false saffron milk. At the same time, the difference between volnushka and saffron milk cap may not be noticeable during a cursory superficial examination.
- The fruiting body of the saffron milkweed is pinkish, while the saffron milk cap is most often ocher.
- The cap of the saffron milkweed is heavily pubescent, while the cap of the saffron milk cap is smooth or slightly felted.
- Another difference: in the milkweed, the milky juice is white, which does not change color in the air; in the camelina, it is usually orange, oxidizing when interacting with air.
- Volnushka grows under small-leaved trees: and
What is the difference between saffron milk caps and chanterelles?
Saffron milk caps can only be confused by inexperienced mushroom pickers. Below are their similarities and differences.
- Both saffron milk caps and chanterelles contain a lot of carotene, which is why they have bright colors.
- The shape of the cap of a mature common chanterelle is deep funnel-shaped with a wavy edge. In the saffron milk cap it is straight, with a slight depression in the center.
- The cap of the saffron milk cap almost always has rings.
- The chanterelle's cap transitions into the stem smoothly and imperceptibly; there is no clear separation between these parts of the mushroom. Although the cap of the saffron milk cap is tightly attached to the stem, their separation is clearly visible.
Do not confuse chanterelles and saffron milk caps with false chanterelles, namely: with inedible talker orange and poisonous olive omphalot. What these mushrooms look like and how to distinguish them, read the article about chanterelles.
Ryzhik is first-class highest category a mushroom with which numerous different legends are associated. Not many mushrooms are pickled using such interesting methods as saffron milk caps.
The name of the camelina mushroom is quite accurate, because it has a red tint. It is noteworthy that this mushroom has practically no synonyms, due to the colorfulness of the name.
The cap of a young mushroom is flat. Over time, it becomes arched. The flesh of the cap is orange in color. The cap has a resinous aroma.
The juice is not pungent, but rather has a bittersweet aftertaste. As for the leg, its shade matches the tone of the cap. Often the leg is equipped with darker colored indentations.
There are several types of camelina: pine and spruce. Let's talk about each of them.
Pine
It is an elegant-looking mushroom, the color of which is mainly dominated by copper and orange shades. It has a stocky, powerful leg.
Spruce
This form is slightly smaller than the previous type and has a less striking color. Spruce saffron milkweed can be recognized by its shade, which contains a maximum of blue and also green shades.
Sometimes the color of the cap can be compared to patina-coated copper. A section of such a mushroom is red in color.
Inedible camelina
The edible camelina has an inedible counterpart - the amber milkweed. To see the similarity, look at the photo of the saffron milk cap below. The mushroom has a velvety reddish or reddish-tinged cap.
Milk inedible mushroom watery and air-drying quickly. The taste is bittersweet.
Thanks to the brothy smell, dry milkweed can be used as a seasoning. However, eating fresh mushrooms is prohibited!
Where and at what time does it grow?
Mostly mushrooms grow in small forests, sometimes in deciduous forests if fir trees and pine trees grow in them. The mushroom can be found in groups.
Many people look for mushrooms near trees, focusing on their northern side, because they are sure that it is in these places that real delicious edible saffron milk caps grow.
Saffron milk caps appear from the end of June. Rich harvests can be harvested closer to the beginning of autumn. Mushrooms are not afraid of the first frost.
At the same time, summer harvests are watery in comparison with autumn ones, since it is in autumn that mushrooms are stronger and very tasty.
Benefits of saffron milk caps
It is impossible to underestimate the properties of camelina, because they contain substances belonging to the azulene series.
Thus, mushrooms are considered an excellent way to obtain a special antibiotic, lactarioviolin, which prevents the development of many pests, including tuberculosis bacilli. In addition, camelina is enriched with carotene.
Pickling
The saffron milk cap, whose beautiful, eye-catching color is retained even when pickled, is considered an excellent mushroom for pickling. Wipe the well-washed mushrooms with a cloth, then separate the caps and stems. After that, cut the caps big size, placing them in a small container with salt.
Sprinkle a small amount of salt on the plates on the caps. Cover the container and leave for 2-3 hours.
During this time, the mushrooms will release juice. In this case, excess salt must be removed using a napkin. That's it, you can start your meal with pleasure.
Fried saffron milk caps
Since saffron milk caps are considered special mushrooms, they are fried in a special way. The main difference lies in the fact that the frying process takes just minutes. At the same time, a huge number of recipes have been proposed.
A wonderful recipe: caps that are fried covered in a frying pan on both sides over low heat. Then the saffron milk caps should be salted to your own taste. It tastes great if you add garlic and herbs. Mushroom stems are cooked along with other mushrooms.
Another wonderful recipe. Its essence is that the caps must first be boiled for several minutes in sufficiently salty water.
Then they are rolled in batter or flour and fried on both sides until a pink crust forms. In this case, cut the legs well into half rings, rings, then lightly fry and serve along with the caps.
Pickles in bottles
Here good recipe camelina mushrooms, photos of which can be viewed on the resource: the point of pickling is that only small mushrooms that can fit into a small neck get there.
Their salting is carried out without the use of spices, that is, without the use of horseradish, garlic, and dill.
Exclusively saffron milk caps with salt. Must be kept in a cool place. You may initially not like the taste of saffron milk caps prepared in this way. However, after a couple of months, the original tart autumn smell will appear.
Marinated mushrooms also taste great. They don't need adding large quantity vinegar, but you need to add as much spices and granulated sugar as possible. Mushrooms should be cooked for no more than ten minutes.
Photos of saffron milk caps
In accordance with their taste, all representatives of the mushroom kingdom are divided into several categories. Among those that have been classified by gourmets in the first category are saffron mushrooms. Simple agaric, known to almost every mushroom picker, received a “prize” place for a reason.
Saffron milk caps are a group of mushrooms belonging to the genus Lactarius, which includes several subspecies. Each of them has common features, characteristic features groups, so mushroom pickers do not strive for accurate identification.
Camelina mushrooms look recognizable: the caps are brightly colored, with yellow, orange-red and pinkish tones predominating. The shape of the cap is round, often broadly funnel-shaped with age; the leg is proportionate. The pulp, which is typical for all milkweeds, secretes juice. All saffron milk caps are edible; moreover, in a number of countries they are considered a delicacy.
Real or pine (Lactarius deliciosus)
Pine camel, or true one, grows in pine or spruce forests. It has a fairly large cap (from 4 to 18 cm in diameter); at the beginning of development, the cap is convex with a notch in the middle and tucked edges, then it straightens out, taking on a funnel-shaped shape. The skin is shiny and smooth, slightly sticky when wet. Unevenly colored, mottled with spots and circles, the main color is from yellowish-orange to dark orange.
The leg is proportionate (1.5-3 cm in diameter, height from 3 to 7 cm), matching the cap; cylindrical, smooth, tapering towards the base. The surface is often pitted; the leg is hollow inside.
The plates are thin, not sparse, and slightly descend onto the stem. They are painted in a bright orange-red tone and turn green when pressed.
Real camelina has orange-yellowish flesh that turns green in the air. Produces abundant and thick orange milky juice.
Spruce (Lactarius deterrimus)
The spruce mushroom prefers to settle in places with generous spruce litter; Peak fruiting occurs in August and September.
It has a small cap, from 2 to 8 cm in diameter; in young mushrooms it is convex in shape with a small depression and the edges are tucked downwards, then flat-concave. The skin is smooth and dry, slimy in wet weather.
The color varies from pale pink to dark orange. Darker spots of blue-green and greenish color and faint concentric circles are clearly visible on the surface.
The leg is from 3 to 7 cm long, thin up to 2 cm in diameter, cylindrical, quickly becomes hollow; painted to match the hat.
The plates are frequent, slightly running down the stem, slightly lighter than the cap, orange-yellow in color, sometimes with spots of greenish and blue-green shades. When damaged they turn green.
The flesh is brittle, orange in the cap, and whitish in the stem. When damaged, it abundantly secretes orange-red milky juice that turns green in the air.
Red (Lactarius sanguifluus)
Another representative of the group is the red saffron milk cap. The species is not very common; it lives only in mountainous areas, in coniferous forests. These saffron milk caps appear in the summer (starting in July) or autumn (until October) after heavy rains.
They have a medium-sized flat, less often convex, fleshy cap with a depressed center. Young mushrooms have folded edges. The skin is smooth and shiny, concentric circles are visible; becomes sticky in wet weather. Colored in orange, often light red.
The leg is low (from 4 to 6 cm in length), narrows towards the base, and becomes hollow with age. Color can vary from orange-pinkish to purple. The surface is often dotted with red pits and covered with a powdery coating.
The plates are frequent, bifurcated, not wide, significantly descending down the stem. In young specimens they are buffy or pinkish-orange, then deep red.
The pulp is dense and brittle. Unevenly colored: mostly whitish with dark red streaks and spots. When damaged, it produces a thick blood-red or purple-brownish milky sap.
Distribution, how to collect
Saffron milk caps are mushrooms that grow in pine or spruce forests on a bed of pine needles. Saffron milk caps are collected in the summer, starting in July, and in the fall, until October. Fruiting bodies germinate only with sufficient moisture, so they begin active growth after heavy rains. In dry years, fruiting will most likely not occur.
Saffron milk caps do not grow alone, but gather in families. They prefer illuminated ones, which means more warm places. You need to look for saffron milk caps on the edges and clearings. At the same time, they hide under a layer of litter, sometimes in the grass. Despite their bright coloring, these mushrooms are not so easy to notice - which is why inexperienced mushroom pickers rarely “come across” them.
To collect saffron milk caps, you need to arm yourself with a long stick to push apart the grass and “suspicious” tubercles, and tune in to collecting this particular mushroom. If you just wander around, collecting everything you come across, you are unlikely to find saffron milk caps (as well as porcini and many other mushrooms). You need to purposefully look for clearings where saffron milk caps grow (or could grow), and carefully, centimeter by centimeter, inspect them.
Young mushrooms with caps of small diameter are most valued. Their flesh is denser and tastier. In addition, saffron milk caps worm very quickly, so adult, large specimens will most likely be infected with insects.
Mushroom look-alikes
Ryzhik is real, like other representatives of the group, poisonous doubles does not have. These mushrooms can be confused with the conditionally edible pink mushroom (Lactarius torminosus). Indeed, the external resemblance is quite strong, so that volnushki can even be called false saffron milk caps. They are distinguished by the pubescent surface of the cap and light milky juice.
There is a distant resemblance to the inedible amber or gray-pink milkweed (Lactarius helvus). This mushroom has a velvety surface, colored reddish-ocher or brownish-pink. Its leg is longer and has no narrowing. The smell is pungent, one might say unpleasant. But there is no need to worry about the apparent similarity. Knowing what saffron milk caps look like, it is difficult to confuse them with other Milkies.
Primary processing and preparation
Rizhik is a mushroom belonging to the first category. This is one of the Milkies that does not require additional soaking before cooking. You can cook any dishes with saffron milk caps: they are fried, boiled, pickled, salted and frozen. Goes great with vegetables. When salted they turn greenish-brown. By the way, salted or pickled saffron milk caps can be used in okroshka.
Before cooking, the fruiting bodies are cleaned of adhering particles of litter and soil. Moreover, many mushroom pickers advise using a soft brush rather than water for this: after washing, the caps become fragile and the aroma is partially lost. Check the mushrooms for the presence of worms, removing the affected areas.
The pulp has a bitter aftertaste, for which this mushroom is loved. If you want to get rid of the bitterness, you can lower the fruiting bodies into boiling water for a few minutes.
Nutritional quality
In terms of nutritional and taste qualities, saffron milk caps are no different from others. premium mushrooms. Their pulp contains vitamins A, B and others necessary for a person microelements.
Biologically found in mushrooms active substances, which help improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and natural antibiotics (in particular, lactarioviolin). This dietary product. 100 grams contain only 23 kcal, of which only 15 are fats and carbohydrates.
Benefits and harms
Ryzhiki are not only tasty, but also healthy. First of all, the natural antibiotic included in the composition helps suppress pathogenic microflora. The amino acids and proteins they contain are easily digestible, so saffron milk caps can be recommended as a dietary supplement for people who abstain from eating meat.
Like any mushroom, saffron milk can also cause harm. People with pancreatitis, cholecystitis and other gastrointestinal diseases should avoid this delicacy.
Rizhik has earned the love of mushroom pickers due to its massive fruiting and excellent taste. It is worth trying this unique mushroom once - and it will become the most desirable and long-awaited delicacy.
Ryzhiki belong to the first category of mushrooms, that is, those that, in terms of their taste, are the most valuable among all edible mushrooms. They are truly universal - they can be eaten raw, added to first and second courses, salted, pickled and dried. And their wonderful aroma and the taste gives dishes a unique flavor, characteristic only of these royal mushrooms.
They can be collected from July to September, and it is very difficult to confuse them with other mushrooms, once you see this mushroom in the picture. Although they also have doubles, for example, red chanterelles, an experienced mushroom picker will never make a mistake and bring something else in the basket instead of saffron milk cap.
Camelina is difficult to confuse with other mushrooms. Its cap can have the following dimensions - diameter 4 - 14 cm, concave, with a fairly deep funnel, quite massive. Its color directly depends on the quantity sun rays that fell on her. The more sun there is, the brighter the color of the cap. Usually the cap is orange with a reddish or grayish tint; because of the color of the cap, the mushroom is called saffron milk cap. On the upper surface there are concentric circles of a darker color. The underside of the cap is lamellar. In rainy weather it becomes sticky and slightly slimy. When broken, they change color to green. The plates match the color of the cap, or yellow – from lighter to darker shades. When you click on them they change color and turn green, this is distinctive feature saffron milk caps.
Ryzhiki belong to the first category mushrooms
Their pulp is the same as that of caps, in the center of the stem - white, at the break of the edges of the cap - orange with a reddish tint. If you cut it, its color gradually changes to green, and juice is released, which over time also becomes greenish with a gray tint.
The leg is quite thick (up to 3 cm wide and up to 7 cm high), round, can be the same color as the cap, or lighter, smoothly turning into a plate-like cap. Old saffron milk caps have a hollow leg inside.
The taste of saffron milk caps is pleasant, slightly pungent; the aroma depends on the place where they are collected. Saffron milk caps growing in coniferous forests acquire the distinct smell of dormouse or spruce.
Can grow in pine, spruce or oak forests, in clearings or clearings. On the north side of tree trunks, these mushrooms grow larger. They usually grow up in “families”.
Gallery: saffron mushroom (25 photos)
How and where to collect saffron milk caps (video)
Description of types of saffron milk caps
The description of each type of these fungi varies slightly. Each species has its own characteristics depending on where it grows. These fungi are most often found in the central black earth, more northern regions, in the Urals and Siberia.
Camelina milky red
These brightly colored mushrooms are found in pine forests. The cap is dense, up to 4.5 cm in radius, flat in shape, its center is slightly depressed, and the edges are bent inward. The center of the cap is orange, light, the edges are pinkish. In aging mushrooms, the skin acquires a greenish tint. The plates are often located, narrow, orange in color with a pinkish tone. Old mushrooms become reddish in color.
Camelina milky red
Pine mushroom
Pine camel (or real) can be found among pines or spruces. The cap is large, up to 17–18 cm in diameter; in young fungi it is convex in shape, has a notch in the middle, and with age changes to a funnel-shaped shape. The top side is shiny, smooth to the touch, and begins to stick when moistened. Its color is uneven, spots and circles are visible on the surface, the main color is orange with a change in shade from yellow to dark.
The leg is small - up to 2.5 cm in diameter and up to 6.5 cm in height, cylindrical in shape, tapering towards the cap, the surface may be pitted, but the inside is empty.
The plates are sparse, slightly descending onto the stem. Their color matches the cap, when pressed they turn green, and at the break they release a thick orange juice.
Pine mushroom
Red saffron milk cap
This type of saffron milk cap is not very common; it can only be found in the mountains between pine or spruce trees. They begin to grow only during the rainy season or from the first days of July, or in September - October.
The hat is flat-shaped, quite thick, flat, slightly concave in the center. In young saffron milk caps, the edges are concave inward. Concentric circles are clearly visible on the surface. The color of the cap is orange, more often red.
The stem is up to 6 cm in height, tapers towards the cap, and becomes empty inside with age. Its color can vary from pinkish to light purple, and may be covered with a light coating.
The plates can bifurcate and run down the top of the stem. Inhomogeneous color, pale with specks and streaks of a reddish tint. If it is damaged, a thick liquid flows out from the fracture site. Dark red or brownish juice.
Red saffron milk cap
Spruce mushroom
Hats and legs spruce camelina juicy orange color, up to 8 - 9 cm in diameter, a small tubercle may appear in the center. Old mushrooms have a greenish tint on the surface of the cap. The shape of the cap of the spruce mushroom (Lactanus deterrimus) is similar to the cap of milk mushrooms - concave or similar to a small funnel. It breaks easily, the edges are slightly pubescent.
If you break the pulp, you will notice how it first turns reddish and then turns green. The juice of this mushroom also changes color when in contact with air. The pulp has a pleasant taste and a light fruity aroma.
The legs are cylindrical in shape, the same color as the caps and flesh, very tender, break easily when pressed, grow up to 7–8 cm in height, in young mushrooms they are solid, but with age a void forms inside. They got their name because they are found only in spruce forests, especially among young Christmas trees. From the second ten days of August until the last ten days of September, spruce forests are strewn with the red caps of these mushrooms.
Spruce mushroom
This type of saffron milk cap is popularly called spruce saffron or green saffron milk cap.
Doubles of saffron milk caps
Only experienced mushroom pickers will not confuse saffron milk caps with their doubles. But they often, instead of these valuable mushrooms the first category can put their doubles, very similar to them, into the basket. Saffron milk caps, fortunately, do not have poisonous counterparts; they have edible, but less tasty ones.
Pink wave
One of these doubles is the pink wave. Although she appearance and is similar to its noble brothers, however, there are characteristic differences, knowing which, it is impossible to confuse these mushrooms. When broken, this mushroom produces not orange, but white juice that does not change its color. And it grows in deciduous forests, near birch trees, and is found in the north of our country. The cap is pink, the edges are lightly fringed, concave inward, the flesh at the break is white.
This mushroom must be cooked thoroughly - boil for at least half an hour, and pickle for at least 1.5 months, otherwise mild diarrhea may occur.
Pink wave
Chest papillary
This type of milk mushroom is classified as conditionally edible and is found in pine or spruce forests, sometimes on sandy loam soils. The cap is dry to the touch, brown with a grayish tint; a white juice appears at the break, which does not change its color. The pulp is white, with a slight smell of coconuts. Before eating, soak for at least 3 hours, then lightly salt.
Chest papillary
Milky fragrant
The mushroom is small in size, the radius of the cap is about 3 cm, its color is beige or dark yellow, the edges are slightly turned inward. The pulp at the break is white with light juice that does not change its color. The aroma is very strong, smells like coconut.
Milky fragrant
It is consumed only in salted form.
When and how to collect saffron milk caps
Saffron milk caps are usually collected after long rains. They usually grow in groups on forest edges, in young spruce forests, or among pine trees. The first mushrooms of this species appear in July, but the main harvest of saffron milk caps is harvested from the second half of August to the beginning of October.
IN dry time there won’t be any, but after the rains, especially in the fall, red caps appear under the pine and spruce needles, lifting the needles. Experienced mushroom pickers, armed with long sticks, walk from tree to tree, stirring up the needles, and if they find one mushroom, they begin to look nearby, because these mushrooms never grow alone.
And you should never cut these mushrooms with a knife; it is better to carefully unscrew its stem, and cover the place where it grew with pine needles so that the mycelium does not dry out.
Pickled saffron milk caps for the winter (video)
How to properly clean saffron milk caps
First, these mushrooms should be thoroughly rinsed under running water to remove any stuck needles, dirt, and milky juice. Then saffron milk caps are placed in a container with warm water for 2 – 3 hours. After this, the damaged parts of the mushrooms are removed, and the caps are carefully scraped with a knife to remove the skin.
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