Milktails are edible and inedible. Gray-pink milkweed, also known as inedible milk mushroom

The gray-pink milkweed is a mushroom of the genus Milky, of the Russula family.

The Latin name of the mushroom is Lactarius helvus.

Russian synonyms - inedible milk mushroom, gray-pink milk mushroom, common milk milk, roan milk milk, amber milk milk. This mushroom is considered conditionally edible.

Description of the gray-pink milky

The cap of the gray-pink milkweed is large - its diameter is 8-15 centimeters. The shape of the cap is more or less round. In the central part there may be a tubercle or, on the contrary, a depression. With age, both signs can appear simultaneously. In young mushrooms, the edges are neatly tucked in, and with age they gradually open up. The color of the cap is difficult to describe; there are dull grayish, brown, and pinkish tones. The surface is velvety, dry. The hat is not prone to hygrophany.

The pulp is brittle, thick, whitish in color, with a strong pleasant odor and pungent taste. The milky juice is watery and is secreted sparingly. Adult mushrooms may not have milky juice at all. The plates are of medium frequency, weakly descending onto the stem, the same color as the cap or a little lighter. Spore powder is yellowish in color.

The leg is quite short and thick, its height is 5-8 centimeters, with a width of 1-2 centimeters. But when gray-pink lacticaria grow in mosses, their legs can be much longer. The surface of the leg is smooth, gray-pink in color. The structure of the leg is strong.

Distribution of inedible milk mushrooms

These mushrooms grow in swamps. They can be found in mosses, among birch and pine trees. Inedible milk mushrooms bear fruit from August to September. Under favorable conditions, they can grow in huge numbers.

Edibility of the gray-pink milkweed

The gray-pink milkweed is a conditionally edible mushroom. And in foreign literature they are classified as mildly poisonous mushrooms. In our country, these mushrooms are sometimes considered inedible. These are low-value mushrooms; they are collected when there are no commercial species of mushrooms. They have a strong specific smell, which is why they make an unpleasant impression on mushroom pickers.

Related species of inedible milk mushroom

The zoneless milkweed is common in Eurasia. These mushrooms are found in deciduous forests. They form mycorrhizae with oak trees. They live alone or in small groups. They bear fruit from July to September. In lean years, they may not bear fruit at all.

The cap of the zoneless milkweed is flat, with a tubercle in the middle, and its edges are even. The diameter of the cap is 9-11 centimeters. Its surface is velvety, sandy, brown, pale brown or dark brown. The leg is hollow and shaped like a cylinder. The stem and cap are plain. The height of the leg is 7-9 centimeters. Young specimens have dense legs, but with age they become hollow.

The zoneless milkweed is an edible species. Suitable for pickling and salting. It is recommended to collect only young milkweeds.

The zonal milkweed or oak milkweed is distributed almost everywhere, preferring broad-leaved forests with beeches, oaks and birches. They bear fruit singly or in small groups. Found from July to September. These mushrooms are conditionally edible; they must be soaked before cooking to remove bitterness.

The diameter of the cap of the zonal milkweed reaches 10 centimeters. The cap is very fleshy, at first funnel-shaped, then becomes flat with raised edges. The surface of the cap is dry, and in the rain it becomes sticky.

The color of the cap is cream or ocher. The leg is central, very dense, cylindrical in shape, hollow inside. Its color varies from white to ocher. There may be a red coating on the leg.

Written by Nikolay Budnik and Elena Mekk.

In Russian reference books, gray-pink milkweed is classified as a conditionally edible mushroom (it is salted after soaking or boiling). Now this mushroom is classified as mildly poisonous. It grows among sphagnum moss in damp places, sometimes in large groups. This is a large, dense, reddish mushroom, always dry and rough, even in rainy weather.

The gray-pink milkweed on Uloma Zheleznaya is called “swamp rusk” and is collected extremely rarely. We don’t take it because of the strong smell, which in the literature is defined as the smell of “coumarin” or the smell of hay. Of course, I would like to know what coumarin is, but we call this stench the smell of “rusty iron”. This mushroom grows in the swamps where iron was mined.

1. Gray-pink milkweed is a rather large and fleshy mushroom.

2. It can be found in damp places.

3. A mushroom rarely grows alone.

4. Usually these are whole groups of mushrooms.

5. This mushroom is already quite old.

6. This one is a little younger.

7. And here you see very young mushrooms.

8. Here are the favorite places of the gray-pink milkweed.

9. This is the edge of the pine swamp.

10. You see sphagnum moss and blueberry bushes among the pines.

10. Milky gray-pink relatively large mushroom

12. He is quite tall.

14. The mushroom stands on a rather long stalk.

15. In this photo we see already mature mushrooms.

16. Their hats have already become funnel-shaped.

17. This is the average size of a gray-pink milkweed.

18. The mushroom cap seems dry in any weather.

19. She is rough and fleecy.

20. The middle of the cap is slightly darker than the edges.

21. In young mushrooms, the edges of the cap are curved inward.

22. Gradually the cap opens and becomes funnel-shaped.

23. This is what it looks like after heavy rains. She's soaking wet.

24. Some mushrooms have something like concentric rings on their caps.

24a. This is how the cap is attached to the leg.

25. The plates of the gray-pink milkweed are frequent.

26. They are slightly lighter than the cap.

27. Here you see the attachment of the plates to the leg.

28. And this is the same thing, only larger.

29. Sometimes white milky juice appears on the plates.

30. It is not rich, but quite bitter.

31. And this is again the connection of the plates and legs.

32. The same thing, only larger.

33. The leg of the gray-pink milkweed is straight and rather thin.

34. Sometimes the leg bends a little at the base.

35. Inside the leg is solid, non-hollow.

36. It is almost the same color as the hat.

37. This is what the leg looks like in a longitudinal section.

38. The leg is dense, without cavities, light in section.

39. The plates are adjacent to the stem in a special way.

40. The flesh of the mushroom is dense.

41. Let's look at the roughness of the cap again.

42. The pulp has a light fawn color.

43. She is quite meaty and thick.

44. Almost no milky juice comes out on the cut.

45. Here they are - gray-pink milkies.

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The milkweed is a conditionally edible or poisonous mushroom that belongs to the Russula family. The name of the mushroom comes from their appearance - usually white drops of juice appear on the pulp, which flow from the site of damage to the fruit. The mushroom has many other names - gladysh, hollow mushroom, gray milk mushroom, alder.

The milkweed is a conditionally edible or poisonous mushroom that belongs to the Russula family.

Among the species of the Russula family there are also poisonous specimens, which, as a rule, differ from others in their striking appearance.

• The cap of the common milkweed has a smooth, shiny surface, regardless of weather conditions. Its diameter can reach twenty centimeters, and its color has dark circles. The color and shape of the mushroom may change during the formation of the fruit - young mushrooms have a dark or bluish color, and the cap is convex. Mature ones, on the contrary, have a brown color and a depressed shape. The edges of the cap are wavy, rolled inward.
• The leg can be about 4-10 cm long and has a regular cylindrical shape. Occasionally, after mechanical damage, it may be slightly swollen, but at the same time hollow inside.
• The plates located under the cap are quite thin and often located. They have a yellow or beige color.
• The fruit pulp is fragile and thick. It has a beige tint and is filled with milky juice. When damaged, it immediately changes color to yellow or green. The smell is unusual - its aroma is similar to fish.

Used in folk medicine and cooking.

Features of the common milkweed (video)

Edible and inedible species of laticifers

The most popular types of lacticaria include red-brown mushroom, yellowish-brown lacticaria, meat-red, woody, papillary, pepper, hot-milky, as well as sluggish, pale, bitter lacticaria.

Red-brown milky

The mushroom has a cap about 8 cm in diameter, dense and fleshy pulp, as well as a tubercle in the middle. In young fruits the shape is convex, while in more mature ones it straightens as it grows. The plates are narrow, descending, and pink or yellow in color. The juice that comes out is white. When combined with oxygen, it does not change color. At the same time, it has a pleasant sweet aroma and bitter taste. The leg is cylindrical in shape up to 4 centimeters, hard. Usually has a color that matches the cap or is several shades lighter. The pulp is creamy, tasteless and odorless.

Grows in coniferous and mixed forests, forming small groups. The fruiting season begins in July and lasts until October.

Red-brown milky

Faded milky

The cap of this mushroom is gray or lilac, and occasionally purple. Over time, it may fade due to direct sunlight. There is a hollow in the center, and the surface of the mushroom itself is uneven, sticky, with forest debris stuck to it. The leg can be either straight or curved, cylindrical. Its color varies from cream to gray. The pulp is also gray in color, and when damaged, it releases juice.

The mushroom has no doubles, and it itself is formed from mid-August to early October. It grows in larch and spruce forests, especially likes to combine mycorrhiza with birch.

Faded milky

Hygrophoroid laticifer

This type of mushroom is edible and has a cap with a diameter of 4 to 10 cm. The color of the fruit may vary depending on weather conditions, but most often the mushroom is red or brown. The hat is convex, dry to the touch, but shines in the glare of the sun. The plates are located under the cap, light cream in color and descending.

The hygrophorous milkweed grows from the end of June to mid-October. It bears fruit especially in temperate climates. Requires mineral-rich soil for growth. grows only in deciduous forests adjacent to oaks and birches.

Where to collect lacticaria (video)

Inedible and poisonous milkweeds

Among the poisonous mushrooms, the most notable are the thyroid-shaped, golden-sticky, gray, pink, wet, as well as lilac and bitter.

Milky bitter

The fruit has a cap with a diameter of 5 cm, a thin stalk and descending plates. The shape of the mushroom is convex, but there is a small tubercle in the center, which distinguishes lacticifers from other species. The color of the cap is yellow. When the pulp is pressed, a juice is formed, which has a watery structure and does not change color when in contact with air. The pulp is dense, juicy and brittle.

Grows in deciduous forests, forms mycorrhizae with oak and birch. Not edible for humans.

Milky bitter

Milky brown

The cap is five centimeters in diameter, slightly pressed inward. The edge is wavy, and a tubercle is formed in the center. The skin of the mushroom is smooth, dry and shiny, regardless of weather conditions, and can be olive, brown or dark in color. The plates are descending, slightly embedded in the stem. Through them, a milky juice is released, which has a watery consistency, but does not have a characteristic aroma or smell. Leg of regular cylindrical shape, other. As the mushroom matures, it becomes hollow inside. The flesh is light orange, becoming reddish closer to the stem. When cut, it turns from white or orange to sulfur yellow. The taste of brown milkweed is pungent and it is unbearable to eat.

It grows in spruce and mixed forests, the mycelium is formed in groups. The season for mycelium growth and fruit formation is from late September to late October.

Milky brown

Thyroid milky

The cap of the shield lactifer can grow up to 10 cm in diameter. At first it has a hemispherical shape, but as the fruit ripens, it changes, and the edges become more and more uneven. It has a whitish color and exactly the same pulp, which does not change color in the air if the mushroom is damaged. The leg is regular in shape, about 8 cm in length, covered with small scales. The milky juice secreted by the mushroom is white. When oxidized in air it turns purple.

It forms mycorrhiza together with spruce, willow or birch. It grows in larches and can be found from late August to early October.

Thyroid milky

Places and dates for collecting milkweeds

For the normal development of the milkweed, it needs moist soil rich in minerals. This is what is most often found in broad-leaved forests, as well as coniferous and mixed ones. Geographically, lacticifers grow in Eastern and Western Europe, as well as in the central districts of Russia, in Altai.

The mycelium is formed several times, but the mushrooms themselves can be harvested only once a year. The fruiting season begins in late August-early September and continues until the first frost.

How to distinguish milkweed from russula (video)

Milkies in cooking

A characteristic feature of mushrooms is their pulp and the presence of milky juice. The “cheesy” consistency makes it easy to crumble the mushroom and store it for future use. At the same time, the taste of milkweeds can be both sweet and cloying and radically caustic. It is because of the bitterness and causticity that not all types of milkweeds can be eaten. Some of the species are called conditionally edible and require soaking or other heat treatment before use.

Edible varieties can be prepared for future use by salting or pickling. During cooking, the lacticaria undergoes fermentation too quickly and acquires a sour taste. Most of the bitterness goes away during boiling.

You can also cook the mushroom in a frying pan along with onions and black pepper, and make assorted dishes from it.

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Milky (lat. Lactarius) is a genus of mushrooms of the Russulaceae family, order Russulaceae, class Agaricomycetes, department Basidiomycetes.

Milkweeds are distinguished by the presence of white or colorless juice in their pulp. Thanks to this feature, the Latin name appeared Lactarius- “giving milk”, “milk”. Milk mushrooms, volnushki, bitter mushrooms, serushki - all these mushrooms are part of the genus Lacticaria and are distinguished by similar characteristics.

Milky: photo and description of the genus of mushrooms. What do lacticians look like?

Milky mushrooms are mushrooms with thin or thick fleshy, dense but brittle fruiting bodies, mostly of medium or large size. Their cap and stem are homogeneous (homogeneous) and do not separate from each other without breaking, as, for example, in. There are stocky mushrooms with a thick stem, approximately equal in length to the diameter of the cap ( Lactarius deliciosus, Lactarius pubescens, Lactarius turpis), and there are also species in which a small cap fits on a long, relatively thin stalk ( Lactarius camphoratus, Lactarius lignyotus). Fungi of this genus lack both a private and a general veil.

The cap of milkweeds can be funnel-shaped, depressed, convex-spread or convex. In young mushrooms it is straight or convex with the edge turned down. White or brightly colored (yellow, orange, grey, pink, brown, blue, lilac, olive black), with a wavy, straight or ribbed edge. With age, some mushrooms change the color of their fruiting bodies.

The surface of the milky cap is dry or slimy, smooth, scaly, fleecy or velvety, plain or with concentric circular zones and depressions - lacunae. Cap size – from 8 to 40 cm ( Lactarius vellereus). The stunted milkweed (lat. Lactarius tabidus) and dark milky (lat. Lactarius obscuratus) the cap is capable of swelling by absorbing water.

The hymenophore of these mushrooms is lamellar. The lamellar plates descend to varying degrees on the stalk, attaching to it strongly in some species and slightly in others. The plates with anastomoses or notched are either white or painted in bright colors: pink, bluish, pale ocher, cream. Can change color when touched. For example, the plates of the lilac milky (lat. Lactarius violascens) are initially white or creamy yellow, turning purple when squeezed.

A characteristic feature of laticifers and russula in general is the mesh pattern on their spores. The cells themselves, intended for reproduction, are often spherical, broadly oval or oval in shape. The spore powder is white, ocher or yellowish-cream.

Spores of the aromatic milkweed under a microscope. Photo credit: Jason Hollinger, CC BY-SA 2.0

The leg of the milkweed is attached to the cap in the center; its shape is regular cylindrical, flattened or narrowed towards the base. It is white or the same color as the cap, sometimes hollow inside, more often with chambers or filled. The surface is smooth, dry, less often mucous and sticky.

Some species have depressions (lacunae) that are colored slightly darker than the rest of the skin of the leg. The height of the leg of the milkweed is 5-8 cm, its diameter is 1.5-2 cm.

The pulp of the milkweeds is fragile, white or with a brown, cream or fawn tint. In air it can change color. It contains conducting thick-walled hyphae with milky juice.

The color of the milky sap and its change in air are an important systematic feature by which species of the genus are distinguished. Most often it is white, but in some species in the air it slowly turns green, gray, yellow, purple, red, etc. In the North American milkweed it is blue (lat. Lactarius indigo) the juice, like the entire fruiting body, is blue.

Where and when do milky mushrooms grow?

Mushrooms of the genus lacticaria grow throughout the world, found on the following continents: Eurasia, Africa, Australia, North America, South America. But they are especially abundant in the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere. Here the laticifers form fruiting bodies in the summer in June-July. If the summer is dry, then “fruiting” is postponed to August-September. Since most species are cold-resistant and moisture-loving, they can bear fruit especially abundantly in the fall. But lacticifers do not grow for long, forming only 2 layers of fruiting bodies.

If there are prolonged rains in the spring, then the lacticifers will be very rare, since they do not like excessive moisture.

Mushrooms of this genus live in symbiosis with many species of deciduous (usually with) and coniferous trees. Brown milkman (lat. Lactarius lignyotus) forms mycorrhiza with, white milkweed (lat. Lactarius musteus) – s, brownish milky (lat. Lactarius fuliginosus) – with and beech, pale milky (lat . Lactarius vietus) - with birch.

Mushrooms usually grow in damp places of the forest or on its edges, but they are also found in parks and meadows where there are tree roots. They most often settle in the soil, sometimes on rotten wood or in moss. The temperature favorable for their development ranges from 10-20°C. The fruiting bodies live for 10-15 days, after which they rot. More often, lacticaria grow in groups, some of them can form “witch rings”, for example saffron milk caps and milk mushrooms.

Types of milkmen, names and photos

There are about 120 species of this genus in the world. About 90 of them are known in Russia. Their fruiting bodies vary in shape, color and size. Among the laticifers there are good edible mushrooms, conditionally edible and inedible, but there are no poisonous or deadly ones. And yet, some authors mention the inedible orange milkweed (lat. Lactarius porninsis) as poisonous. Perhaps the wet milkweed (lat. Lactarius uvidus).

Edible milkweeds

• The saffron milk cap is real,pine, or ordinary (lat. Lactarius deliciosus, “delicacy milky”)

Other synonyms: saffron milk cap, noble, autumn. Grows in pine forests from June to October.

Young mushrooms have a convex cap, while mature mushrooms have a funnel-shaped cap. Its diameter is 3-11 cm, it is orange with olive dark zones. The flesh of the camelina is orange, brittle, the milky juice is orange, changing color in the air. The leg is 2-8 cm long, 2-2.5 cm in diameter, hollow, smooth, orange.

• Black breast, or nigella (lat. Lactarius necator, Lactarius turpis)

Edible mushroom. Russian synonyms: black duplyanka, chernysh, olive-black milk mushroom, gypsy, black lips, black spruce milk mushroom, pigtail, varen, olive-brown milk mushroom. Forms mycorrhiza with birch. Grows in August-October in birch and mixed forests, on the edges, prefers bright places.

The mushroom cap is often spread out, with a slightly depressed center and the edge turned downwards. Its diameter is from 7 to 20 cm, the color is olive-brown, almost black with or without barely noticeable dark olive circles. The pulp is white, browning when cut, brittle. The milky juice is white and has a sharp taste. The leg is up to 2.5 cm thick, up to 6 cm high, tapering downwards. There are depressed spots (lacunae) on its surface. The fruiting body of the blackberry becomes slimy in damp weather.

Basically, the mushroom is eaten salted; when pickled, it turns dark cherry. The preparation is stored for several years without losing its taste.

• Real breast milk (lat. Lactarius resimus)

In Russia, this milk mushroom has local and popular names: white, wet, raw or pravsky. It is found in the European part of Russia, Western Siberia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan. Grows in forests and groves where there are birch trees, from July to September.

The cap of the true milk mushroom is up to 20 cm in diameter, initially white and convex, later funnel-shaped and yellowish, with a curved, pubescent edge. There are faint watery rings on the cap. The leg is thick, cylindrical, 3-7 cm high, up to 5 cm in diameter. White or yellowish, with indentations of different colors, hollow. The plates are white with a yellowish tint, slightly descending along the stem.

The mushroom is eaten salted. It is recommended to soak it before salting.

• The breast is red-brown (lat. Lactarius volumemus)

Russian synonyms: milkweed, euphorbia, poddubyonok, podresnik, rednushka, gladykh, smoothysh. Grows in deciduous and coniferous forests in groups in July-October.

The cap is fleshy, yellowish or reddish-brown, without concentric zones, often with a tubercle in the middle, up to 15 cm in diameter. The flesh is yellowish or whitish, dense and sweet, the milky juice is white. The leg is up to 6-10 cm long, up to 3 cm in diameter, tapering downwards, white or the same as the cap, velvety.

Red-brown breast milk is considered edible, even a delicacy in European countries. Still, to get rid of the unpleasant odor, it is advisable to boil it first. You can also fry, salt, marinate.

• Milky blue (lat. Lactarius indigo)

Edible mushroom. Found in Asia, North and South America. Forms mycorrhiza with deciduous and evergreen trees.

The diameter of its cap is 5-15 cm. It is bright, indigo-colored, with lighter concentric zones. In young milkweeds the cap is sticky and convex, in mature ones it is spread out or funnel-shaped with a rolled edge. The plates are also blue, turning green when damaged. They lighten with age. The leg of the milkweed is up to 6 cm high, up to 2.5 cm in diameter, and has a regular cylindrical shape. Sometimes the surface of the entire mushroom may have a silvery tint. The pulp of the milkweed is either light or blue, turning green in the air. The milky juice is caustic, also blue and also turns green when oxidized.

• Red saffron milk (lat. Lactarius sangu i fluus )

Edible mushroom. It grows in summer and autumn in coniferous forests in areas dominated by mountains.

A mushroom with an orange-red or blood-red cap, 5-15 cm in diameter, with greenish spots and zones. With a cylindrical stalk up to 6 cm high, tapering towards the cap and covered with a powdery coating. With wine-red milky juice that does not change color in the air or acquire a purple tint.

• Spruce mushroom (spruce) (lat. Lactarius deterrimus )

Edible mushroom. Found in coniferous forests in summer and autumn.

The cap is orange, with dark rings, 2-8 cm in diameter, with a non-pubescent edge. The stem is 3-7 cm high, 1-1.5 cm in diameter, orange, hollow in mature mushrooms. The pulp is orange, when damaged it quickly turns red, then turns green, and has a pleasant fruity aroma. There is a lot of milky juice in the body of the mushroom. Initially it is red or with an orange tint. Turns green when in contact with air.

The taste of the mushroom is pleasant, not pungent.

Conditionally edible milkweeds

• Oak milk mushroom,zonal laticifer,milk mushroom group, or oak camelina (lat. Lactarius insulsus , Lactarius zonarius var. insulsus )

Conditionally edible mushroom. Forms mycorrhiza with beech, hazel, oak, grows in deciduous forests in July-September.

The cap is 5-15 cm in diameter, dense, fleshy, convex at a young age, later funnel-shaped or irregularly shaped, resembling an ear. The edge of the cap of a young mushroom is turned down; in a mature one it is unfolded, thin and wavy. The skin of the cap is yellowish-brown with an ocher tint, sometimes very light, almost yellow or skin-colored, with watery concentric zones. The leg is short: up to 6 cm in length, up to 3 cm in diameter. Cylindrical or narrowed towards the base, first white, then yellowish with brownish pits, not pubescent. The milky juice is watery-white and does not change in air.

• Gruzd yellow (lat. Lactarius scrobiculatus)

Conditionally edible mushroom. Russian synonyms: podskrebysh, yellow podgruzd, yellow volnukha. It grows in coniferous and birch forests in August-September, often forming mycorrhiza with spruce or birch.

The hat is 10-20 cm in diameter, flat-concave, with a rolled fluffy edge. The skin of the cap is first white, then yellowish with faint watery concentric zones. The milky juice is very bitter, white, and turns sulfur-yellow in air. The stem is up to 9 cm high, up to 4 cm in diameter. Cylindrical, white, smooth, hollow in mature mushrooms.

Consumed salty. Bitterness is removed by pre-soaking or boiling.

• Volnushka pink (lat. Lactarius torminosus)

Other Russian names: volnyanka, volzhanka, volvenka, volvyanitsa, volminka, volnovha, rubella, krasulya, decoction. This conditionally edible mushroom grows in symbiosis with birch in mixed and deciduous forests. Found from June to October.

The cap of the moth is initially convex, later straight, up to 15 cm in diameter, with a depressed darker center, pink, pinkish-red, yellowish-orange, light walnut, fleecy, with a downward-turned edge. The villi form circular zones that differ in tone. The pulp is pale yellow, sharp in taste, the milky juice is white and does not change color in the air. The leg is up to 7 cm long, up to 2 cm in diameter, pubescent, pale pink, empty inside. It tapers slightly towards the base.

The mushroom is most often consumed salted and pickled. Volnushki are eaten 40-50 days after salting. If insufficiently cooked, pink trumpet can cause intestinal disorders.

• Volnushka white, in Siberia - whitefish (lat. Lactarius pubescens)

Conditionally edible mushroom. It forms mycorrhiza with birch and grows in deciduous and mixed forests from August to September.

The cap is white or pinkish, up to 15 cm in diameter, without concentric rings, pubescent, and may be mucous. The stalk is cylindrical, gradually tapering towards the base, white, often covered with villi. Its length can reach 4 cm, thickness - 2 cm. With age, the entire mushroom turns yellow.

It is usually eaten salted.

• Violin (lat. Lactarius vellereus)

In Russia, this mushroom is also called felt milk mushroom, squeaky mushroom, squeaky mushroom, milkweed, milk scraper, and subshrub. Violin grows in mixed and coniferous forests, in groups, in summer and autumn.

The mushroom cap is white, slightly pubescent, with yellow spots, up to 26 cm in diameter. The pulp is very bitter, white. The leg is short, up to 6 cm long and up to 3.5 cm thick. It is consumed salted after soaking and boiling.

• Gorkushka (lat. Lactarius rufus)

Synonyms: red bitter, bitter, bitter milk, bitter goat, putik. Grows in symbiosis with birch and coniferous trees. Found in groups in pine forests, deciduous forests, under hazel from June to October.

The cap is reddish-brown with a tubercle in the middle, up to 8-10 cm in diameter. The pulp has a peppery taste, the milky juice is thick and white, and does not change color in the air. The leg is up to 8 cm long, up to 1.5 cm thick, reddish, covered with white down.

The mushroom is eaten salted, after preliminary boiling.

• Gruzd aspen (lat. Lactarius controversus)

A conditionally edible mushroom that grows in moist deciduous forests in August-September. Forms mycorrhiza with aspen, poplar and willow.

The cap is fleshy, convex in young mushrooms, funnel-shaped in mature mushrooms with a wavy or downward fluffy edge. White with reddish or pink spots and faintly visible concentric zones, sticky in wet weather. The diameter of the cap is 6-30 cm. The flesh is white. The milky juice is white, caustic, and does not change color in air. The leg is up to 6-8 cm high, up to 3 cm in diameter.

Eaten salty.

• Serushka, or gray nest ( aka gray milkweed, gray-lilac milk mushroom, subordice, plantain, serukha) (lat. Lactarius flexuosus)

Grows in June-October in mixed, aspen and birch forests and on their edges.

The cap is 5-10 cm in diameter, convex in young mushrooms, funnel-shaped with a wavy edge in mature ones. The skin of the cap is smooth, brownish-gray or light leaden, with barely noticeable rings. The flesh of the mushroom is dense and white. The milky juice is caustic, white, and does not change color in air. The leg is up to 9 cm long, up to 2.5 cm in diameter, cylindrical, hollow, the same color as the cap. The species differs from other laticifers by its rare yellowish plates.

The mushroom is eaten salted.

• Milky neutral (lat. Lactarius quietus)

The cap is up to 8 cm in diameter, dry, brown, with darker, clearly visible or indistinct circles. At first it is convex, then concave, but always with a smooth edge. The milky juice is watery-white, non-caustic, and does not change color in air. The stem is up to 6 cm high, up to 1 cm in diameter, light, cylindrical, hollow in mature mushrooms.

Due to its specific smell, oak milkweed is not particularly popular, although it is found quite often. Some sources classify the neutral lacticaria as an edible mushroom and call it the oak lacticaria.

• Common milkweed, or smoothy (lat. Lactarius trivialis)

A conditionally edible mushroom, it forms mycorrhiza with soft tree species, especially birch, and is often found in damp coniferous and deciduous forests. Common in the northern temperate zone.

A species with a large fleshy cap, which often becomes spotted, with well-defined concentric zones. The color of the entire fruiting body varies from violet-gray to yellow-gray. The brittle white pulp secretes an acrid white juice, which, when dried, leaves greenish spots on the plates. The cap is 6-20 cm in diameter, smooth, slippery, spread out with a depressed middle and a folded edge. It may fade with age. The leg has the same shade as the cap. It can be very long - from 4 to 10 cm, 1-3 cm in diameter.

• Pepper milk mushroom (lat. Lactarius piperatus)

Mycorrhiza-forming plant with trees in well-drained soil. Found in deciduous and mixed forests of the northern temperate zone.

A large mushroom with a whitish fruiting body, brittle flesh, very dense plates and a smooth, outstretched cap pressed in the center. The diameter of the white or cream-colored cap is 8-20 cm. The stem is up to 15 cm long, up to 4 cm in diameter. The milky juice is caustic, white, and in air either does not change or becomes olive-green or yellowish.

Due to its pungent taste, milk mushrooms are considered inedible. But, in fact, it is conditionally edible, since it can be salted after soaking and boiling.

• Camphor milkweed,camphor milk mushroom (lat. Lactarius camphoratus)

It forms mycorrhiza with conifers, less often with deciduous trees. Grows in mixed, coniferous and deciduous forests on loose, acidic soil. Sometimes found in moss or on rotting wood.

A dark red-brown mushroom with a depressed cap in the center or with a central tubercle. The diameter of the cap is 3-6 cm. The leg is quite long - 3-6 cm and thin - with a diameter of 4-8 mm with a purple-brown base. The milky juice is watery, white, and does not change color when flowing out.

The camphor lacticaria exudes a very strong characteristic odor, making it difficult to confuse it with other species of the genus.

• Milky spiny (lat. Lactarius spinosulus)

Grows in symbiosis with birch. It is found infrequently, in mixed and deciduous forests in August-September.

The cap of the mushroom is pinkish-red with red-burgundy rings and red scales. Its diameter is 2-6 cm. A mature mushroom has a straight cap with a depressed middle and a curved or straight, often wavy edge. The plates are fawn or bright orange. The stem is up to 0.8 cm in diameter and up to 5 cm in height. The milky juice is not caustic, initially white, turning green in the air, tastes sweetish at first, then pungent.

Usually this milkweed is considered inedible, but many classify it as a mushroom suitable for pickling.

• Fragrant milkweed (lat. Lactarius glyciosmus)

Synonyms: aromatic milkweed, fragrant milkweed, coconut milkweed, fragrant milkweed, sweet milkweed. Grows in mixed and coniferous forests in August-September.

The cap is up to 7 cm in diameter, brownish-gray, with a lilac, yellowish or pink tint, pubescent and dry. Flesh-colored plates. The pulp is whitish or reddish-brown. The milky sap is white and turns green in the air. The stem is lighter than the cap, up to 6 cm long, up to 1.2 cm in diameter, empty inside with age.

A conditionally edible mushroom, it is used salted and as a seasoning.

• Non-caustic milkweed (orange milkweed) (lat. Lactarius mitissimus , Lactarius aurantiacus )

It grows in symbiosis with birch, oak and spruce and is quite common. Settles in forest litter and moss.

A hat with a diameter of up to 6 cm, apricot color, without rings. In mature mushrooms it is funnel-shaped with a tubercle in the middle, thin, dry and velvety. The milky juice is watery and white, and does not change color when flowing out. Leg up to 8 cm high, up to 1.2 cm in diameter. It is hollow, cylindrical, the same color as the cap.

The mushroom cap is 4-6 cm in diameter, convex, then widely funnel-shaped, depressed, with a blunt, initially finely pubescent, then smooth edge. Mucous, shiny when dry, yellowish-white, brownish in the center, very rarely with barely noticeable watery zones. The stem is 3-6 cm high, 1-2.5 cm in diameter. Cylindrical, tapering towards the base, white, longitudinally wrinkled. The pulp is white, the milky juice is watery-white and not pungent.

This genus includes the well-known clams, saffron milk caps, milk mushrooms and more than 400 species, most of which are considered poisonous. All milkweeds found in Russia are used for food, most often salted or pickled. What all these species have in common is the ability to secrete a slightly bitter milky juice when damaged.

When salted, they turn out dense, tasty and have a pleasant crunch. They can be cooked hot or cold. Any species is suitable for pickling, but milk mushrooms and duplyanka are especially good for the first method, and saffron milk caps and trumpets for the second. To get a delicious snack, follow a few simple steps:

1. Clean the mushrooms from debris, as the stem retains bitterness during cooking, cut it off. Soak the mushrooms in a large saucepan, press down on top, completely submerging with water.
2. Soak the milkweeds for a day, draining the water twice and refilling with clean water. During this time, the color of the solyushki will turn yellow, the nigella will turn burgundy, and the plates of the pepper milk mushrooms will turn green.
3. Boil the mushrooms in unsalted water. After 15 min. Once boiling, remove from heat and cool.
4. For pickling, take an enamel pan or bucket, wash and scald with boiling water. Lay out dill with currant leaves and mushrooms in layers, placing their caps up, sprinkle each with salt, periodically add garlic, cut in half. Place a flat plate or lid on top and place a weight.

Place the pan in a cool place, taste the mushrooms after a week, add salt if necessary. After a month, the mushrooms will be salted. They can be put into jars and stored in the refrigerator.

Recipe for fried milk mushrooms

They make a tasty and satisfying second course. It will require the following ingredients:

• mushrooms – 0.5 kg;
• sour cream 2 tbsp. l.;
• butter – 50 g;
• onion – 1 piece;
• bay leaf - 3 pcs.;
• garlic – 1 clove;
• salt to taste.

It is best to use saffron milk caps or volnushki; other types may be a little bitter. To get rid of the unpleasant aftertaste, cook milkweed as follows:

1. Peel the mushrooms, remove the stem, cut into pieces. Soak them for 5 hours, rinsing and changing the water.
2. Boil for 15 minutes. in unsalted water, add bay leaf for flavor. Cool, rinse.
3. Fry the chopped onion until golden brown, add the mushrooms to the pan, and after 10 minutes. sour cream, salt and spices, simmer for another 7 minutes.

Serve mushrooms with boiled or fried potatoes. Prepare immediately before serving, as the dish cannot be stored for more than a day.

The milkweed contains microelements that are beneficial for the body. It can be used to prepare various dishes, but it tastes best when salted.