How long to cook milk mushrooms and how to marinate them at home (+25 photos)?
Pickled milk mushrooms are considered a truly exquisite dish for the holiday table. Since these mushrooms are considered conditionally edible, they require pre-preparation. Pickling milk mushrooms is not difficult, but it's important to familiarize yourself with certain rules for processing and preserving the fruit.
Features of the species and useful properties
Milk mushrooms are quite large and substantial. There are several varieties:
- black;
- white (or real);
- oak;
- aspen;
- dry;
- yellow.
Porcini mushrooms are considered most delicious when pickled or salted. Their fleshy caps can grow up to 20 cm in diameter. The white surface is often covered with yellowish spots. When damaged, the flesh takes on a yellow tint. The hollow stem of the fruiting body grows 4-6 cm in height. The gills are white with a creamy tint.
You may be interested in:Yellow milk mushrooms are distinguished by their lack of pubescence. The cap is funnel-shaped with inward-curving edges. This variety is most often used for pickling, as the fruits are quite bitter and require prolonged soaking.
The fruiting body contains a lot of substances useful for the body:
- vitamins A, B1, B12, E, C, D, PP;
- magnesium;
- calcium
- phosphorus;
- potassium;
- sodium.
How and how long should you boil milk mushrooms before cooking?
It's important to familiarize yourself with the basic preparation rules so that the marinated appetizer becomes a delicious addition to any table.
General principles
After harvesting, the mushrooms are sorted and inspected for damage and worms. The fruiting bodies are cleaned of debris and adhering dirt, which can be removed with a soft brush. The clean mushrooms are immediately cut according to the recipe (into several pieces or by cutting off just the stem).
Before cooking, wild mushrooms must be soaked. This procedure removes the bitterness. Place the milk mushrooms in a large container and cover with salted water. It's best to cover them with a lid and a light weight to ensure they're completely submerged.
The duration of the procedure depends on the age of the harvested fruit, as older fruits require longer soaking. Soaking typically lasts 2-3 days. During soaking, it's important to change the water twice a day.
You may be interested in:Before pickling
After thoroughly cleaning and soaking, place the milk mushrooms in a large container and fill with cold water, allowing the mushrooms to float freely on the surface. Add a little salt to the water and place the container on the stove.

Some chefs recommend adding the mushrooms to boiling water. In any case, after boiling, boil them for 10-15 minutes. If you're using the cold pickling method, there's no need to boil them before pickling; the key is to soak them first.
Before frying
If the harvested crop is intended for frying, then it does not need to be soaked for such a long time.

Soak the mushrooms in cold, salted water for one hour, then boil for 10 minutes. Discard the water, and rinse the mushrooms thoroughly under running water.
Before extinguishing
Before stewing, the fruits should be soaked to remove any bitterness. After boiling, simmer for 15 minutes over low heat. As with other preparations, add a pinch of salt to the water. During this time, watch for foam and skim it regularly. Remove the cooked fruits from the pan and rinse.
Recipes for pickling milk mushrooms at home
Pickled milk mushrooms will last a long time and offer excellent taste only if you follow a specific recipe step by step.
Preparing for marinating
To pickle milk mushrooms at home, you should first choose the most suitable recipe and prepare the necessary ingredients. Fruits intended for pickling must be soaked first. The process should last 72 hours, with regular water changes (2-3 times a day).
You may be interested in:If the product will be stored in glass jars, they must be sterilized beforehand. This can be done by steaming the jars for about 10 minutes or placing them in the oven.
The classic way
To marinate 2 kg of mushrooms using the classic method, you will need the following ingredients:
- 2 liters of water;
- 50 g salt;
- 20 ml 70% vinegar;
- 5 cloves;
- 4 pieces of bay leaves and allspice peas.
Soaked milk mushrooms are cut into large pieces, filled with 1 liter of water, 10 g of salt are added and boiled for 20 minutes.
Remove the finished mushrooms from the pan, rinse, and drain completely. Meanwhile, prepare the marinade. Pour 1 liter of water into a clean container and add the remaining ingredients, except for the vinegar. Once boiling, add the mushrooms and simmer for another 15 minutes. Then add the vinegar essence and remove from heat. Divide the mushroom mixture into jars and pour the hot marinade over them, completely covering them. Seal the jars tightly with sterile lids and wrap them until completely cool.
Cold method
You can prepare mushroom preserves without pre-boiling. To do this, follow these steps:
- The mushrooms are soaked and washed well.

Soaking milk mushrooms - Pour water into a saucepan and bring to a boil, then add the mushrooms for a few minutes.
- The water is drained and the mixture is left until it cools completely.
- Place the spices and milk mushrooms in a separate container. Mix thoroughly and refrigerate for several days.
- Prepare a marinade from water and vinegar essence.
- The mushrooms are placed in jars and filled with hot marinade.

The containers are closed with metal lids and, after cooling, are transferred to the cellar for storage.
With spices
This recipe requires pre-soaking the mushrooms for two days. To prepare 2 kg of mushrooms, prepare the following ingredients:
- 3 liters of water;
- 60 g of table salt;
- 20 g sugar;
- 2 currant and cherry leaves;
- 2 bay leaves;
- 3 cloves of garlic;
- 2 cloves and 2 peppercorns;
- 60 ml 9% table vinegar.

The soaked mushrooms are boiled in 2 liters of water with a tablespoon of salt for 10 minutes. Rinse the mushrooms, and while the excess liquid is draining, prepare the marinade. Pour 1 liter of water into a clean container and add salt and sugar according to the recipe. Once the liquid boils, add the mushrooms and the remaining ingredients, except for the vinegar and garlic. Boil for 15 minutes, and 5 minutes before the end of the cooking time, add the sliced garlic.
Pour the hot product into jars and seal tightly. If the jars are liter-sized, add 30 ml of vinegar to each. If they are 0.5 liter-sized, add a teaspoon of vinegar. Then pour the hot marinade into the jars and seal tightly with lids.
You may be interested in:In tomato sauce
To prepare marinated milk mushrooms in tomato sauce, you will need the following ingredients:
- 4 kg soaked mushrooms;
- 5 liters of water;
- 1 cup vegetable oil;
- 6 onions;
- 3 tbsp. sugar;
- 4 bay leaves;
- 10 black peppercorns;
- 0.5 cups 9% vinegar;
- 700 ml tomato paste;
- add salt to taste.

The mushrooms are cut into small pieces and dropped into boiling water. The foam that appears is skimmed off and the mushrooms are boiled for 15 minutes. The finished mushroom mixture is rinsed with cold water and allowed to drain. Meanwhile, pour oil into a deep pan (preferably a large frying pan). Once heated, add the onion, cut into half rings. Fry for about three minutes, add sugar, and fry for another three minutes.
Then add the mushrooms, peppercorns, bay leaves, and salt (about 1 tablespoon) to the pan. Fry the mixture for 10 minutes, then add the tomato paste and fry for another 10 minutes. Pour in the vinegar, stir quickly, and turn off the heat. Transfer the hot mixture to sterile containers, seal, and keep warm until cool.
With vegetables
A delicious mushroom appetizer can be made by marinating milk mushrooms with tomatoes and onions. This recipe includes the following ingredients:
- 2 kg of soaked milk mushrooms;
- 1 kg of tomatoes and onions;
- 3 liters of water;
- 60 g of table salt;
- 100 ml sunflower oil;
- 20 ml 70% vinegar.

Pour 3 liters of water into a saucepan and add 2 tablespoons of salt. Once boiling, add the medium-sized mushrooms and cook until tender. Once all the mushrooms have sunk to the bottom, remove them from the heat. Pour boiling water over the tomatoes, peel them, and cut them into large pieces. Cut the onion into half rings.
Place the mushroom mixture in a preheated frying pan, season with salt to taste, and fry for 10 minutes. Transfer the fried mushrooms to a saucepan. Fry the onions until golden brown, and the tomatoes until soft. Add the vegetables to the mushrooms, add vinegar, and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring regularly. Transfer the hot mixture to prepared jars, seal, and wrap in a warm blanket.
Answers to frequently asked questions
What spices are suitable for pickling mushrooms? Sugar, salt, tomato paste or juice, vinegar, and citric acid are used for pickling. Some marinades also include wine or glutamate (a flavor enhancer).
A basket full of milk mushrooms is a great excuse to marinate mushroom appetizers for the winter. In winter, homemade marinated mushrooms make a wonderful addition to your holiday table.




















Grandfather
Any mushrooms are boiled until they start to sink in the pan, and soaking is all nonsense.
unknown,
szuchije belije gribi zsena osparivajet i szrazu vodu szlivajet,a potom otmacsivajet v teploj vode i szledujet varka.
Alexander Afanasyev
Comrade Ded has probably only seen mushrooms in the store. Milk mushrooms aren't boiled; they're soaked and salted. The tastiest are the black ones, though they take a long time to soak, at least three days, but afterward they're delicious. And interestingly, the longer they sit, the better. White milk mushrooms are fine, too, but they're very weak and break easily. But the black ones are the tastiest.