Ryzhiki are mushrooms that are often equated in taste and useful qualities to boletus mushrooms. They are used to prepare a variety of dishes in many European countries. The most popular among these forest mushrooms are spruce, real and red camelina.
Experienced mushroom pickers can always determine where saffron milk caps are located in the forest. They can mainly be found in well-lit areas near young coniferous trees. Saffron milk caps usually grow in the same place every year.
These forest mushrooms develop in whole families on sandy soil in moss or grass. Very often they grow in forest clearings or open clearings. The largest mushrooms grow at the foot of pine trees on the north side.
To recognize a saffron milk cap in the forest, just look closely at the mushroom cap. Thanks to its pronounced reddish-red color, these mushrooms got their name. On the surface of the smooth cap, stripes are clearly visible, diverging from the center to the edges.
In the forest you can find saffron milk caps of different shades. Color ranges from light orange tones to rich copper color. The surface of an old mushroom sometimes turns green. The caps themselves are flat in shape with the edges turned down. In the middle there is a small depression, which increases with the age of the mushroom and becomes like a funnel.
The surface of the saffron milk cap is moist and slightly sticky to the touch. The size of the mushroom cap can reach eighteen centimeters in diameter. The flesh of the mushroom is also orange in color and emits a distinct resinous aroma. Since saffron milk cap is a mushroom from the genus Lactaceae, when you press on the cap, an orange liquid comes out of it. This juice turns green when exposed to air.
The stem of the mushroom is the same color as the top. Its optimal length is ten centimeters, and its thickness is two centimeters. The cylindrical stem sometimes has small indentations, which are usually darker than it.
Varieties of saffron milk caps
The most common are three types of saffron milk caps - red, real and spruce. They differ slightly in appearance and grow in different forest areas. The main features of each type are:
Spruce saffron milk cap
Lactarius deterrimus - Spruce mushroom Among the varieties of saffron milk caps, this mushroom is relatively small in size. The height of its stem usually reaches only seven centimeters, and the diameter of the cap is no more than nine centimeters. Such mushrooms appear among the spruce trees in August and grow until the beginning of October. The spruce saffron milk cap is distinguished by its color. The light orange cap has greenish tints, which is why it is sometimes called green saffron milk cap.
Red saffron milk cap
Mushroom bright pink or deep orange color with a strong leg slightly widened at the top, the height of which can stretch up to nine centimeters in height. Red saffron milk caps grow in the forests among deciduous trees. Mushroom pickers begin collecting them in the middle of summer and finish in the middle of the first month of autumn. The stem of this type of camelina often has small powdery coatings or small indentations.
It is not difficult to see such an adult mushroom in the forest thanks to its wide cap, up to fifteen centimeters in diameter, and a high stem - ten centimeters. The surface of the true camelina can be various shades of orange and red. A shiny hat with rims characteristic of saffron milk caps, and sometimes with a coating white. These mushrooms grow in moss among pine trees from June to the end of September.
False saffron milk cap
Also, false saffron milk caps are not suitable for consumption. fresh amber milkies. The color of the cap of this mushroom is reddish-red. The juice from the pulp flows amber in color. This watery milk dries out in the air. This false camelina smells like chicory. Sometimes it is dried and used as a seasoning.
Inexperienced mushroom pickers sometimes confuse saffron milk caps with pink mushrooms. It qualifies as conditional edible mushroom, which has no beneficial nutritional values. It is easily distinguished by the colorless liquid released when pressed and the pubescent cap.
These mushrooms contain many valuable vitamins. The main component of camelina is water, of which it contains about ninety percent. All other elements are substances useful for the human body:
- vitamins – A and B1;
- cellulose;
- ash;
- minerals - calcium, phosphorus, potassium, iron, magnesium and sodium;
- proteins;
- carbohydrates;
- amino acids.
Ryzhiki are a nutritious, easily digestible product. Their dietary value is seventeen kilocalories per hundred grams of mushrooms. In terms of protein content, they are equal to meat.
Common and red camelina contain substances that I use to obtain lactarioviolin, an antibiotic that stops the growth of tuberculosis bacillus. All components of the mushroom, especially vitamins, are good for the health of hair and skin. In addition, saffron milk caps are highly valued because of the carotene they contain in considerable quantities. The younger the mushroom, the greater its saturation with useful components.
Mushrooms are very healthy, but like any product, they have several caveats to their use. It is not recommended to add saffron milk caps to the diet for people with diseases;
- chronic constipation;
- cholecystitis;
- low level of gastric acidity;
- pancreatitis.
You should not eat mushrooms after removal of the gallbladder and if you are individually intolerant to this product. Overweight people should not eat salted mushrooms, as this product has high level calorie content. Low-calorie fresh saffron milk caps are best suited for dietary nutrition.
Such mushrooms in their raw form are not suitable for consumption, but some mushroom pickers like to eat fresh mushrooms, experiencing all the subtleties of the mushroom taste. Ryzhiki have no bitterness and are suitable for preparing any dishes.
These mushrooms should not be cooked for a long time. It is enough to pour boiling water, wait until they release the juice and boil for fifteen minutes. After this, you can simply eat them with a little salt or use them in various culinary recipes.
These mushrooms go well with potatoes, sour cream and vegetables. They fill any food with their aroma. Often saffron milk caps are stewed with meat. Many people love mushrooms with apples. They are also used as a filling for dumplings or pies. Saffron milk caps give the soup a unique special aroma and taste.
These mushrooms are popular in many countries. They are valued in Italy, Poland and France. Spicy saffron milk caps are often prepared from mushroom sauce, the taste of which complements many dishes. Many people love salted or pickled mushrooms, which always decorate the table in winter.
Pickled mushrooms are very delicious snack, which is usually prepared for the winter. Before preparing saffron milk caps for marinade, you must first prepare for pouring:
- sort out the mushrooms and remove any debris;
- wash well in running cool water;
- trim the legs from below by no more than three centimeters;
- sterilize glass jars.
For two kilograms of mushrooms you will need:
- fifteen grams of salt;
- three hundred milliliters of water;
- three grams of citric acid.
To prepare the marinade, add salt and citric acid to boiling water. Place the prepared saffron milk caps into the boiling marinade and cook for twenty-five minutes. Then remove the mushrooms and fill the jars with them.
Then pour in the liquid in which they were cooked. Roll up the jars with sterilized lids and set them to cool upside down on flat surface. This snack is not only tasty, but also very healthy. It preserves many substances with which fresh saffron milk caps are enriched.
Saffron milk caps are usually salted in wooden barrels. First they prepare. To do this, you need to pour boiling water into it and wrap it in warm material. After half an hour, the water is drained. To pickle saffron milk caps you need:
- mushrooms cleared of debris are placed in a barrel in layers, which consist of saffron milk caps, horseradish leaves, dill sprigs, oak leaves, cherries and garlic cloves;
- The mushrooms are covered on top with a gauze bag with salt in the middle;
- The salt is pressed down with a circle cut out of wood, and a heavy weight is placed.
Gradually the wooden circle lowers and the mushrooms become covered with juice. Saffron milk caps are salted for two months. Properly salted mushrooms have excellent taste. One hundred grams of this product contains a little more than twenty-two kilocalories.
Many people think that to freeze mushrooms it is enough to collect them, wash them and put them in a bag in the freezer. To ensure that the product is suitable for consumption after freezing, you must follow all the rules for storing mushrooms at low temperatures.
Initially, the saffron milk caps are sorted out and cleared of forest debris. Then only whole mushrooms, without wormy parts or other lesions, are set aside for freezing. Young, strong saffron milk caps are best suited for this.
Mushrooms should not be washed, as they will become saturated with moisture and will become unsuitable for storage in the freezer. To remove dirt you need to wipe the camelina with a slightly damp cloth napkin and then dry with a towel.
Only such properly prepared mushrooms can be placed in plastic bags and stored in the freezer. Saffron milk caps are stored in this form at a temperature of eighteen degrees below zero for six months. It is advisable to use them during this time. At maximum frosts with minus temperatures below twenty-five degrees, the product can be kept for up to a year.
You can prepare various dishes from frozen saffron milk caps. They are boiled or fried in a frying pan. Also, from such mushrooms it turns out very tasty soup, which is easy to prepare according to the recipe:
- Thaw half a kilogram of saffron milk caps and fry them on butter;
- Place the fried mushrooms in a pan of boiling water and leave to cook for half an hour;
- then add peeled potatoes cut into cubes - five pieces;
- then put onions and carrots into the mushroom broth, after grating them and frying them in oil;
- salt and pepper the soup to taste;
- cook until done.
This saffron milk soup is served with sour cream and herbs.
Very tasty mushrooms with sour cream. This combination of products gives the dish an exquisite taste. To prepare fried mushrooms with sour cream sauce you need:
- wash and clean the mushrooms from dirt;
- simmer over low heat for at least fifteen minutes;
- drain the water through a colander;
- cool and cut into small pieces;
- put mushrooms and prepared fried onions into a frying pan with butter
- cover with a lid and simmer for twenty minutes over low heat;
- pour sour cream on top and fry for ten minutes.
Ingredients used to prepare this dish:
- a tablespoon of butter;
- ten pieces of large saffron milk caps;
- a glass of high fat sour cream;
- one onion;
- salt to taste.
You can sprinkle grated cheese on top of the still hot saffron milk caps. These fried mushrooms are very tasty and nutritious.
To prepare this soup you need to prepare:
- three hundred grams of fresh or frozen saffron milk caps;
- one hundred grams of fat sour cream;
- four large potatoes;
- one processed cheese;
- medium sized onion;
- one small carrot;
- a spoonful of butter;
- greenery;
- salt and pepper.
Prepare wild saffron milk cream soup according to the step-by-step recipe:
- wash the boiled mushrooms and cut into four parts;
- fry them in butter until a light crust forms;
- pour two liters of water into a saucepan and boil;
- add mushrooms to the water;
- chop the onion and carrots and sauté in oil;
- Boil potatoes separately;
- Mash all cooked vegetables until pureed;
- add the resulting mass of onions, potatoes and carrots to the water with mushrooms;
- Bring the mixture to a boil and add grated cheese into it;
- Dilute flour in half a glass of mushroom broth and pour into the soup, stirring constantly;
- add pepper and salt to taste;
- sour cream is poured into the soup five minutes before the end of cooking.
The finished dish is allowed to brew a little. This puree soup has a delicate consistency, very tasty and aromatic.
Silent hunt……. on saffron milk caps: video
Rizhiki are the highest grade of mushrooms in terms of nutritional value and taste. It contains many substances beneficial to humans. But, having nevertheless gone into the forest for this valuable product, you should know exactly all the inherent external characteristics of saffron milk cap, so as not to become a victim of inedible mushrooms.
Most often saffron milk caps are found on sandy soils in coniferous forests. Colonies of saffron milk caps grow abundantly near young pines and larches. In cooking, such types of saffron milk caps are used as real camelina, spruce, red, Japanese or fir, pine, and alpine.
Saffron milk caps belong to the genus (Lactarius) of the Russulaceae family. The name of these mushrooms is associated with their characteristic yellow-pink or orange-red color, as well as with a red milky juice. Mushrooms acquire this shade due to the high content of beta-carotene, a precursor of retinol (vitamin A). Camelinas also contain ascorbic acid and B vitamins (B1, B2, B9).
Camels are highly prized as edible mushrooms around the world, and are even considered a delicacy.
Characteristics of the camelina mushroom
hat
The diameter of the mushroom cap is 5-10 cm, it is fleshy, broadly funnel-shaped, the edge is smooth, in young mushrooms it is tucked, later straight. The surface is smooth, ocher-orange in color, fading to cream with age, with uneven dark zones located throughout the surface.
Pulp
The pulp is fragile, creamy-yellow in color, does not change color when cut, the taste is pungent, the smell is not pronounced. The milky juice is orange in color, does not change in air, is not caustic, the taste is pungent.
Leg
The leg is 3-7 cm high, 1-2 cm thick, cylindrical in shape, brittle, hollow inside, moist, ocher-orange in color.
Saffron milk caps usually grow near young coniferous trees on the edges or forest clearings with good lighting. Large colonies of saffron milk caps grow on sandy soil in moss or grass. From year to year they appear in the same places.
Saffron milk caps are widespread in northern and central regions Eurasia.
Finding saffron milk caps can be difficult, as they are well camouflaged under fallen pine needles and leaves.
The fruiting season for saffron milk caps begins in July and lasts until October. Mass appearance of these mushrooms occurs in August. The best time to look for them is after heavy rain.
Camelinas are edible, delicious mushrooms, and have many beneficial properties. They are pickled, salted, dried, boiled and fried. Before cooking, the saffron milk caps do not need to be specially soaked, just wipe with a damp cloth and pour over boiling water. The taste of saffron milk caps enriches first and second courses, and nutritional value These mushrooms are good for health.
The amino acids that make up saffron milk caps are well absorbed by the body. As a source of protein, this type of mushroom is equal to meat.
Salted and pickled saffron milk caps are also quite high-calorie product, in energy value superior to beef, chicken, eggs, herring.
Types of saffron milk caps
Edible mushroom.
The diameter of the cap is 4-18 cm, the shape of young mushrooms is convex, later it straightens and becomes funnel-shaped, the edge is curled, and in mature mushrooms it is straight. There is a small tubercle in the center of the cap. The surface of the cap is smooth, shiny, becomes sticky in wet weather, colored orange with dark rings and spots. The diameter of the stem is 1.5-2 cm, height 3-7 cm, the color matches the cap, the shape is cylindrical, tapering towards the base, hollow inside, covered with pits. The pulp is dense, yellowish-orange in color, turning green at the break. The milky juice is abundant, thick, orange, turns green in the air, has a sweet taste with the smell of fruit.
Grows in groups in pine and spruce forests, in the grass and in the moss. The fruiting season lasts from July to October.
Edible mushroom.
The cap is 2-8 cm in diameter, convex in shape in young mushrooms, with a tubercle in the center, the edges are curved down, in mature mushrooms it is flat-concave or funnel-shaped, brittle. The surface is smooth, slippery in wet weather, orange in color with dark spots, and turns green when cut. The stem is 3-7 cm high, 1-1.5 cm thick, cylindrical in shape, brittle, solid in young mushrooms, later hollow, color like a cap. At the break it turns green. The pulp is orange, turns red and green when cut, the aroma is weak fruity, the taste is pleasant. The milky sap is abundant, orange-red in color, non-caustic, and turns green in the air.
Common in spruce forests, grows in summer and autumn.
Edible mushroom.
The cap is 5-15 cm in diameter, flat or convex in shape, depressed in the center, dense and fleshy. The edge is folded. The surface is smooth, shiny, orange, non-sticky. The pulp is dense, brittle, white with dark red spots. A thick red stands out on the scrap milky juice. The leg is 4-6 cm high, cylindrical in shape, strong, tapering towards the base, covered with a powdery coating and pits.
A rare species, found in groups in mountain coniferous forests. Fruits in summer and autumn.
Edible mushroom.
The diameter of the cap is 6-8 cm, the shape is initially flat, depressed in the center, the edge is tucked, later it becomes funnel-shaped, pink-ocher or light brown in color with dark zones. The leg is 4.5-7.5 cm tall, 1.2-2 cm in diameter, brittle, hollow inside, bright red-orange in color, decorated with a white line in the upper part. The pulp is orange, does not turn green when cut, the milky juice is red, the taste is insipid.
Grows in coniferous deciduous forests, under the fir trees, from September to October. Distributed in the south of Primorsky Krai and in Japan.
Poisonous and inedible types of saffron milk caps
Saffron saffron milk caps are confused with the conditionally edible mushroom, the pink moth (Lactarius torminosus), which is distinguished by its colorless milky sap and heavily pubescent surface of the cap. Others poisonous or inedible similar species mushrooms for saffron milk caps are not described.
The cap is 4-12 cm in diameter, convex in young mushrooms, later flat, with a depression in the center, the edge is pubescent, turned down. The surface is covered with thick villi, which are arranged in circles, the mucous membrane is pale or gray-pink in color, darkens when touched. The pulp is white, strong and dense, the taste is sharp. The milky juice is abundant, pungent, white, and does not change color in air. The stem is 1-2 cm thick, 3-6 cm tall, cylindrical in shape, hard, solid, later becomes hollow, pale pink, tapering towards the base. The surface is covered with fluff and pits.
Found in northern birch and mixed forests, in groups. The fruiting season is from late June to October.
It is considered a conditionally edible mushroom and is used in salted and pickled forms. Before cooking, the volushka must be thoroughly soaked and blanched. Insufficiently cooked volushka is slightly poisonous, causing irritation of the mucous membranes and intestinal disorders.
Saffron milk caps grow well only in conditions that are as close as possible to natural in terms of lighting levels, air humidity, soil conditions and the age of the trees. Saffron milk caps prefer shaded places with good ventilation, moist soil with rotting leaves and pine needles.
The following methods are used to inoculate camelina mycelium:
- Collect the caps of old mushrooms, chop them finely and dry them on a cloth, after which they are planted in wet ground. Next, the area is well compacted and irrigated with warm water.
- Fill the old caps with warm sweetened water and after a day pour the resulting mixture under the trees.
- Transfer of the finished mycelium, which is very carefully dug out in a layer 25 cm thick. The layer is planted in moist soil under the same tree where the mycelium was dug.
- Next, the area with saffron milk caps is regularly watered with rainwater so that the ground remains moist at all times, especially in dry weather.
The first harvest of saffron milk caps appears only the next year after the mycelium is planted. Mushrooms are collected by carefully trimming the stem so as not to damage the mycelium and reduce the yield.
Calorie content of saffron milk caps
100 g of fresh saffron milk caps contain 17 kcal. Energy value is:
- Proteins……………………..1.9 g
- Fats………………………..0.8 g
- Carbohydrates…………………2.7 g
The antibiotic lactrioviolin was isolated from the pulp of saffron milk caps, which even suppresses the activity of the tuberculosis bacillus.
Saffron milk caps are rich in iron, potassium, sodium, phosphorus, magnesium, and calcium salts, which, when consumed as food, have a positive effect on the condition of the skin, hair, and nails.
2017-11-01 Igor Novitsky 
As with most other edible mushrooms, common name- saffron milk cap - refers not to one species, but to several similar ones at once. All of them are edible, and some are deservedly considered one of the best mushrooms. Mushroom pickers love and respect saffron milk cap for its prevalence and complete absence poisonous doubles.
Types of saffron milk caps
The name camelina is applied to six independent species that have similar external characteristics. So, the following types are known under this term lamellar mushrooms biological genus Milky:
- The ginger is real. When they say “saffron milk cap,” in most cases they mean this particular mushroom. He has high nutritional value, excellent for salting and pickling, not to mention standard heat treatment. In addition, a powerful antibiotic is obtained from this mushroom, which helps in the fight against such serious diseases as tuberculosis.
- Spruce mushroom. Although in Western literature this species is considered unsuitable for food due to its bitterness, in Russia spruce saffron milk caps are considered good edible mushrooms.
- The saffron milk cap is red. Quite a rare, but also quite edible mushroom. Like real camelina, it is used in the pharmaceutical industry.
- Pine mushroom. A good edible mushroom, although quite rare. Despite the fact that some biologists consider it simply a variety of spruce saffron milk cap, mushroom pickers have always distinguished between these two mushrooms.
- Japanese saffron milk cap. On the territory of Russia it is found exclusively in the southern part of Primorye. Quite suitable for eating.
- Salmon or alpine saffron milk cap. It is found in the north of the European part of our country. Nutritional characteristics closest to pine saffron.
It is noteworthy that such a thing as false saffron milk historically does not exist. There are no poisonous mushrooms on the territory of Russia that would be similar to edible varieties saffron milk caps.
However, today on the Internet the term “false saffron milk cap” is still used. We owe its appearance to the fact that general level knowledge of the population about forest mushrooms fell catastrophically low level. “False saffron milk caps” are any that are even remotely similar, but inedible mushrooms. Also sometimes this term is used to call a pink wave - conditionally edible mushroom, which has a lot of external differences from camelina and grows not in coniferous forests, but in birch groves.
Saffron milk caps - photo and description
So, you decided to go to quiet hunt looking for saffron milk caps, but you don’t know what they look like or where to look for them. Let's look into this issue and look at the photos and descriptions of saffron milk caps.
These mushrooms got their name from the characteristic color of the fruiting body. Despite some external differences All saffron milk mushrooms bear one or another shade of red, ranging from light yellow-pink mushrooms to rich orange-red ones. One more characteristic feature camelina is the presence of red or orange milky juice oozing from the cut site.
All mushrooms in this group have almost the same cap shape. In young mushrooms it is convex, and with age it becomes funnel-shaped. In this case, the edges of the cap are first curled, then straightened. Also, in all saffron milk caps the leg has a shape close to a regular cylinder.
Now let’s look at what specific types of saffron milk caps look like:
Fried, boiled, salted and pickled saffron milk caps
Ryzhiki are edible even with minimal processing. They can be served even just by scalding with boiling water. Of course, they can also be boiled, fried, salted and pickled. Saffron milk caps prepared in any of these ways are perfect for boiled vegetables, including adding them to salads and making a filling for pies and dumplings. Soup from saffron milk caps is a unique dish in its deliciousness. Finally, these mushrooms make a good mushroom sauce for meat.
There is no need to boil the saffron milk caps before cooking. Simply scald with boiling water for disinfection. However, mushrooms need to be washed and peeled before use.
If you want to prepare saffron milk caps for the winter, you can pickle or marinate them. But it is somehow not customary to dry these mushrooms, although it is quite possible.
For pickling, mushrooms are cleaned and placed in a large saucepan or bucket, sprinkled with salt and spices. The filled bucket is covered with a lid, pressed down with some weight and placed in a dark, cool place. After about two weeks, you can already try these mushrooms. Salted saffron milk caps go well in salads and hot vegetable dishes. If you plan to store such mushrooms for more than a couple of months, then it is recommended to boil them for 5-10 minutes before salting.
There is also a more emergency method of salting. Thoroughly peeled mushrooms are placed in a deep bowl with the legs up and covered with salt. After just two hours, these mushrooms can be served, after washing them first, of course. However, it will not be possible to store mushrooms salted in this way for a long time.
An alternative method of preparation is pickled saffron milk caps. Water with salt and spices is used as a marinade. After boiling for a short time, add a little vinegar to it, and then pour this mixture into jars with mushrooms that have been previously washed and scalded with boiling water. Pickled saffron milk caps are ready in about a month, but they can be stored for quite a long time.
If you only have a couple of kilograms of these wonderful mushrooms at your disposal, then it would be wiser to use them right away. Especially good are saffron milk caps fried with onions in butter. Suitable for them braised cabbage, fried potatoes, other vegetables.
Another option is saffron milk caps stewed with sour cream, meat, vegetables and even apples. Finally, as reviews indicate, saffron milk caps are great for making soup.
Is it possible to grow saffron milk caps at home?
The vast majority of forest mushrooms are almost impossible to cultivate. They live only in natural conditions and categorically refuse to grow in industrial breeding conditions - indoors or greenhouses on artificial compost soil. And saffron milk caps are no exception here.
Of course, you can ensure that these mushrooms grow in your dacha garden, but immediately keep in mind that the harvest will be quite meager and will hardly be enough to pamper your family with fresh mushrooms. We are not talking about any commercial cultivation for profit here: too much hassle for little result. If you want to make money on mushrooms, then it is better to turn your attention to more productive species - champignons, oyster mushrooms, shiitake, etc.
To grow saffron milk caps at home, you need to create conditions for them that would most accurately reproduce a coniferous forest. Ideally, they should be planted under a spruce or pine tree. Moreover, to increase the likelihood of a successful outcome of this enterprise It is recommended to bring a couple of cubic meters of real forest soil and forest litter from the forest.
Also try to recreate as accurately as possible the level of light and humidity that is typical for a coniferous forest. You can rest assured that saffron milk caps will refuse to grow in sun-hot soil or in acidic, swampy soil. Saffron milk caps prefer shaded areas with good circulation. air masses. At the same time, they need moderately moist soil containing a large number of rotting needles and foliage. Areas that are flooded with water during spring floods or summer downpours are strictly unsuitable.
The classic and easiest way to plant wild mushrooms is to use mushroom spores. To do this, you will need old saffron milk caps, or rather their caps, which should be cut as finely as possible, then dried, carefully scattered over damp soil and sprinkled with damp soil on top. The sowing site should be moderately compacted and watered a little with water at room temperature.
An alternative way is to pour the same caps of old mushrooms with warm water with sugar dissolved in it. After a day, the mushrooms need to be mashed into a pulp with your hands and poured along with water at the planting site. For greater reliability, it is also recommended to cover the planted material with a thin layer of soil.
Or gourmet (Lactarius deliciosus), is considered a first-class mushroom of the first category. It is not for nothing that it is called the “royal” mushroom. There are many legends and traditions associated with saffron milk caps. Few of the lacticiferous mushrooms can be pickled so in interesting ways. For example, there are calibrated tiny saffron milk caps that fit into the narrow neck of a bottle. At all times, vigorous saffron milk caps, salted in birch bark dishes, were highly valued.
The name of the mushroom is very accurate. This is both the red (or carrot) color tone and the emotional perception of the saffron milk cap. It is interesting that saffron milk cap either has no popular synonyms, or very few of them. Its “main” name is so colorful and succinct.
Real saffron milk cap (photo from Wikipedia)
Description of saffron milk cap
Hat. The cap of young saffron milk caps is flat or slightly depressed. Its edge looks down. Over time, the cap takes on the shape of a funnel. The diameter of the cap is from 3 to 12 cm. It is smooth. The color is rich in colors and their shades: orange, light orange, copper-red and bluish-green, copper patina, etc. Concentric stripes, grooves and spots are clearly visible on the cap. The skin of old mushrooms often turns green. The attached plates descending to the stem are orange; when pressed, they turn green. Their arrangement is dense.
The flesh of the cap is orange. It has a resinous smell. The milky juice cannot be called caustic; it is rather sweetish with some bitterness. The juice is orange, after a while it turns green when exposed to air.
Leg. The color of the cylindrical hollow stem of the saffron milk cap matches the color of the cap. There may be grooves on the leg, their color is darker.
There are two forms of real (delicious) camelina: pine camelina and spruce camelina. According to another classification, these are separate types of camelina.
Pine (hog) saffron milk caps
These are strong, elegant mushrooms, the color of which is dominated by bright orange or copper-red tones. They have a strong, stocky leg. The cut of the boletus saffron remains bright orange for a long time. Judging by the fact that I often had to clean sand from these mushrooms, pine mushrooms often grow on sandy loam soil.
Spruce saffron milk caps
This form of saffron milk cap is somewhat smaller and has a less bright appearance. Spruce saffron milk caps are recognized by their color, which has more green tones and bluish tints. Sometimes you want to compare the color of the cap to copper covered with patina. central part the surface of the cap may be greenish-brown. The plates are grayish-orange or brown. There is a certain mutedness of the colors that are present in the color of the cap and stem of the mushroom. Sections of spruce saffron milk caps are red in color.
Spruce saffron milk cap (photo from Wikipedia)
Real saffron milk cap (delicacy) - not the only kind saffron milk cap There are several other edible, rarer species.
Inedible counterpart of camelina
Saffron milk caps have such a characteristic appearance, that only “with very great desire» you can find a vague resemblance to inedible amber milky (Lactarius helvus), what I am doing. An adult mushroom has a velvety skin on the cap. Its color is reddish-ocher or yellowish-reddish. The milk of the amber milkweed is watery and dries quickly when exposed to air. Taste descriptions range from sweet to bitter. Ocher colored plates. An adult mushroom has the smell of chicory or... a bouillon cube. Therefore, dried amber milkweed can be used as a seasoning. The mushroom is not eaten fresh.
Where and when does camelina grow?
Saffron milk caps often grow in spruce and pine forests. Especially in small forests. It also appears in deciduous forests if at least a few pines or fir trees grow there. This mushroom is usually found in large or small groups. Some mushroom pickers first look for saffron milk caps on the north side of the trees. They believe that this is where the largest real saffron milk caps grow.
When talking about it, we need to remember the same young pines or grassy edges of older pine forests, where butter pine trees also grow. These are companion mushrooms. Where in June, July, and August you collect strong boletus, there in September and October look for vigorous saffron milk caps, like young carrots (V.A. Soloukhin “The Third Hunt”).
The saffron milk cap appears in mid-summer. In some years they are found at the end. The largest harvests occur in -. From the end of September, these mushrooms become smaller as well. We once picked a lot of wonderful, strong saffron milk caps in September, although that year there was frost on the grass in the mornings. Saffron milk caps are found in summer and autumn, but the mushroom has a reputation autumn mushroom. It is not afraid of autumn frosts, which are not an obstacle to growth. Summer saffron milk caps are more watery, autumn ones are stronger, they are vigorous and the most delicious.
IN Lately saffron milk caps in the Moscow region began to be found less and less often. Find them - great luck. But in the old days:
Once I went to pick mushrooms in Barki, I thought, I’ll walk among the Christmas trees and look. I went behind the first Christmas tree, and there were flocks of saffron milk caps, rows in all directions, you couldn’t even walk. It’s a shame to go mushroom hunting. I will kneel down, choose around me, take one step. I crawl like this between the fir trees, but the saffron milk caps are not decreasing. I cut and cut, and there is no end in sight. The more I cut, the more saffron milk caps spill out around me. I got tired and went home to get my horse. Well, life was simple then. I harnessed Lenya (that is, my father Alexey Alekseevich) Golubchik and put the box on the dray. I picked up a whole box of saffron milk caps. I still remember these saffron milk caps. You will kneel down, and they will be around in lines, flocks in the green grass (from the memoirs of V.A. Soloukhin’s eighty-four-year-old mother).
Rizhik and medicine
Common camelina and red camelina contain substances of the azulene series, therefore they are raw materials for the production of the antibiotic lactarioviolin. It inhibits and stops the growth of the tuberculosis bacillus and the development of a number of pathogenic organisms. Some azulenes are antioxidants. In addition, saffron milk caps contain a lot of carotene.
This is very delicious mushroom, however, it is not without interest to know that after eating it, the urine can turn the same color as its milk.
According to taste qualities All representatives of the fungal 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 mushroom, 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
The real saffron milk cap, like other representatives of the group, has no poisonous counterparts. 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. Worth trying this one unique mushroom once - and it will become the most desired and long-awaited delicacy.
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