Where do milk mushrooms grow, their types, and descriptions (+26 photos)

Milk mushrooms can be considered a truly Russian mushroom, as they are known exclusively in Russia and the former Soviet Union. They are prized for their flavor and abundant harvest, allowing one to return from a "quiet hunt" with a full basket. Before heading into the forest, it's important to familiarize yourself with photos of the mushroom, how it differs from its false counterparts, and the rules for harvesting milk mushrooms. This will help you avoid mistakes.

Characteristic features of milk mushrooms

The term "milk mushroom" refers to various species of the genus Lactarius, which sometimes also includes several species of russula. Lactarius is the Latin name for this species, meaning "milky" or "milk-producing."

The fruiting bodies of this genus are both edible and inedible. The Slavic word "gruzd" means "hill, heap," and explains the mushroom's preferred growth habit. The white and black russula are considered the most culinary.

Appearance

Regardless of their color and species, mushrooms share similar external characteristics. A wide-brimmed, concave cap with curved edges is the distinctive feature of the milk mushroom. The color range is quite wide, from white to black. The stems appear dense and reach a height of up to 10 cm.

Structure and species differences

Depending on the growing location and soil, milk mushrooms have different color schemes, but in general, all mushrooms are similar in their morphology.

Description of the main characteristics of milk mushrooms:

1. The cap is round, reaching 20 cm in diameter, reaching 28 cm in some fruits. It is usually convex in young specimens and becomes ribbed in mature fruiting bodies. The cap has hairy, downward-curved edges. At high humidity, the surface becomes slimy. The cap is fleshy. Its color ranges from white, gray, and shades of yellow to dark gray and brown (depending on the variety).

   

   

   

2. The stem is short, reaching 10-12 cm, cylindrical, dense, and thick, without pimples or other formations. The stem's color directly correlates with the mushroom's cap and closely resembles it.
3. The plates are quite small and frequent, light, milky and pale brown in color.
4. The fruit's flesh is light-colored, turning yellow when pressed and exposed to air. It exudes a milky juice with a pleasant mushroom aroma. The flesh is dense and fleshy. Red-brown and bitter milkweeds have brittle and crumbly flesh, distinguishing them from other varieties.

   

   

   

Mushrooms always grow in clusters, which makes them easier to find in the forest.

Place of distribution

The growth area of ​​milk mushrooms is the temperate climate countries of the Eurasian continent. In Russia, they grow almost everywhere, although different varieties of mushrooms prefer certain zones and regions:

• white milk mushroom – Volga region, Siberia and the Urals;
• bitter - northern Europe and Asia;
• red-brown - in almost every country in Europe and Asia with a temperate climate;
• yellow – many European countries, mainly northern ones;
• poplar - a rare species today, grows in the mouth of the Volga;
• black – the Urals, Siberia and other territories of Russia.

Fungi form mycorrhiza with both deciduous and coniferous trees, and sometimes appear in steppe zones, choosing different types of soil, including marshy soil.

Since milkweeds prefer a variety of woodlands and soils, they can be encountered frequently. Beginners should note that the fruits are hidden among leaves, moss, and needles. Their short stems make them virtually invisible, so be sure to bend down and look closely. All species prefer fairly bright clearings and hills and grow in middle-aged forests with low grass cover.

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Consumption

For many years, the milk mushroom was the main commercial species of its kind in Russia; it was valued and used both for personal use and for sale.

Types of edible milk mushrooms and their descriptions with photos

The main edible species of milk mushrooms:

1. The true milk mushroom, also known as the white milk mushroom, has a snow-white cap of the typical milk mushroom shape, a short, hollow stem, and pleasantly aromatic flesh that turns yellow where broken. It grows in clusters. Fruiting season is July to September.

   

2. Yellow or yellow crow mushroom – this species is distinguished by its golden cap, often covered in small scales. The stem is small and firm, and the flesh is white, turning yellow when pressed. The gills have brown spots. Harvest time: July – early October.

   

3. The bitter milk cap has a brown or reddish cap, concave in shape and small in diameter. The stem is cylindrical and thinner than other species. The flesh is brittle, and the milky juice is odorless and bitter in taste. It prefers acidic soils and grows from July to October.

   

4. The reddish-brown variety is distinguished by a large cap up to 20 cm in diameter, brown in color, with inward-curving margins. The stem is velvety and sturdy, matching the cap's color. The gills are light, slightly pinkish, and darken when pressed. The flesh has an interesting aroma, reminiscent of crab meat, and is sweet to the taste. It grows from early August to October.

   

Characteristic features of conditionally edible milk mushrooms:

1. The black mushroom, or nigella, gets its name from the color of its cap. Its shape is rounded and funnel-shaped, ranging from 7 to 20 cm in diameter. The stem is tapered at the bottom, smooth, up to 3 cm in diameter, and short and dense. The gills are cream-colored, and the flesh secretes a bitter juice, which is why black milk mushrooms are considered conditionally edible. They grow from July to October, but can also be found after the first frost.

   

2. The oak milk cap has a brown or reddish cap, a small diameter, and a solid cylindrical stem up to 7 cm tall. The flesh is white and has a pleasant aroma. It is harvested from July to September, primarily in deciduous forests.

   

3. A camphor mushroom with a matte brown cap and a short, dense stem. The gills are small and dense, and the flesh is the same color as the cap, releasing a camphor scent when broken. It prefers acidic soils and grows in clumps.

   

4. The peppery milk cap is distinguished by its typical ridged cap, white or milky in color, darkening toward the center. The stem is thick and widened at the base, reaching 10 cm. The milky juice is thick, and the flesh is pungent and bitter. The mushroom can be used dried as a seasoning.

   

5. The purple milk mushroom gets its name from the fact that its cap turns purple when pressed. The flesh is dense and fleshy, creamy in color, turning bluish when cut. It should be harvested from August to October.

   

Inedible and false mushrooms similar to milk mushrooms

False milk mushrooms are easy to distinguish, as the real mushroom has a number of external characteristics that allow you to recognize the milk mushroom among other forest dwellers:

• funnel-shaped cap;
• presence of brown spots on the surface;
• narrow and frequent plates of a milky, light color;
• elastic pulp, white and yellow in color;
• milky juice that appears when the cap is cut.

Black, amber and golden yellow varieties

Inedible milk mushrooms include amber, golden-yellow and resinous-black mushrooms, which are unsuitable for consumption due to their taste, but in their structure and shape they meet all the typical criteria of this species.

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Brown mushrooms

It's also important to remember that there are mushroom varieties that require special processing conditions for culinary use. For example, the camphor mushroom, a brown mushroom similar in appearance to the edible milk mushroom, requires soaking and processing to remove its distinctive odor and harmful substances.

Useful properties and restrictions on use

The pulp of the fruiting body contains a range of chemical elements beneficial to the human body. In addition to proteins and carbohydrates, it also contains vitamins B1, B2, C, and PP, as well as monosaccharides and disaccharides. Mushrooms are widely used in folk medicine to boost immunity, combat various gastrointestinal diseases, and treat tuberculosis.

Recipes and cooking features

Before cooking, you should carry out preliminary procedures with the fruits, namely:

1. Clear the fruits of forest debris.
2. Rinse them thoroughly under running water.
3. Soak in salted water for two days, changing the water twice a day.
4. After this, you can proceed to any type of processing.

Basically, previously salted mushrooms are used to prepare dishes with the addition of milk mushrooms.

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Salad with milk mushrooms

Ingredients:

• salted mushrooms – 400 g;
• eggs – 4 pcs.;
• potatoes – 2 pcs.;
• onion – 1 pc.;
• sour cream – 3 tbsp.

Preparation:

1. Soak the mushrooms in water and chop.
2. Boil the potatoes and cut into cubes.
3. Peel and finely chop the onion.
4. Peel the boiled eggs and separate them into pieces.
5. Mix everything and season with sour cream.

You can also make a flavorful mushroom soup with milk mushrooms. For this, you'll use the same cooking method that every cook chooses and practices for themselves, with the only difference being that the mushrooms should be pre-boiled for 7-10 minutes in salted water.

Answers to frequently asked questions

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There are many varieties of milk mushrooms, which grow throughout almost all of Russia and other European countries. The fruiting season is July–November. The fruits have a distinctive structure, making it easy to identify them. There are no poisonous varieties of milk mushrooms.