Mildew belong to one of the brightest representatives of the temperate and northern climatic zones. Mushroom in the forest is quite common, so hundreds of fans of "quiet hunting" are sent annually to this forest dweller. And this is no accident - the milk mushrooms differ in excellent taste, and their collection does not require additional efforts. However, having gathered a rich harvest, many still fail to produce it for the winter. That is why, today we decided to get more closely acquainted with this favorite product of many mushroom pickers, as well as with the main subtleties of its pickling.
How to prepare milk mushrooms
High-quality harvesting of mushrooms includes many stages. Everything begins even during the collection of the product in the forest: during this period, it is necessary to correctly identify the milk mushrooms in the forest among other varieties of mushrooms, as well as to be able to remove them from the substrate qualitatively. And after that the process of cleaning and preliminary preparation of the product for salting begins.
How to collect
Gruzdy harvesting is carried out throughout the mushroom season. The first fruits can be found in early June, after short summer rains. At this time, small moss meadows are often massively overgrown with mushrooms, among which it is not uncommon to find mushrooms. But the high season begins at a later time.
Important! Before collecting mushrooms, you must be familiar with their morphological features, otherwise there is a high probability of encountering a poisonous counterpart of edible arthritis.
Traditionally, the harvesting of this product starts in early August and lasts until the end of September. During this period, there is a persistent cooling, a gradual decrease in average daily temperature to + 10-15 ° C, as well as an increase in precipitation. All this contributes to the ideal climate regime for active growth of the fungus. That is why at the beginning of autumn in the forest more often the following types of wetlands can be found:
- fragrant;
- marsh;
- felt;
- oak;
- yellow;
- golden yellow;
- camphor;
- red-brown;
- present;
- ordinary;
- aspen;
- pepper;
- fluffy;
- gray violet;
- papillary;
- the black.
The coniferous forest with a small admixture of deciduous species (birch, aspen, oak, etc.) considers the best place for dwellers to be found. Here they can be found on small forest glades, along slopes, ravines and on other fairly wet areas. But if you are not an expert in mycology, then you should not go to the slopes or to the forest thicket, because you can also meet the fungus on the edge or small forest glades.
Check out a more detailed description of the types of mushrooms.
Mushrooms are harvested in the early morning, before sunrise. At this time, the most favorable conditions for orientation to the terrain are created, since bright solar radiation often helps the moorings to disguise among the forest litter. In addition, the morning dew creates a bright glossy glare on their caps, which only improves the contrast of the mushrooms against the general background of the forest. The main rule of "hunting" for representatives of the genus Mlechnik - "I found one, look for the nearby and the rest", since these fungi are characterized by group distribution in small families.
Only young Georgian mushrooms are suitable for gathering, as mature members of the genus Mlechnik accumulate all sorts of bitterness in their tissues, which impairs their taste characteristics. Each collected specimen must be inspected: a high-quality mushroom will have a dense and fleshy structure, as well as be able to stand firmly when pressed. Excessively damaged milk mushrooms are recommended to be discarded on site, as cleaning of such specimens is not advisable.
Important! Each mushroom must be examined for the presence of a small skirt on the leg. It is a clear sign of a double of wetlands - poisonous members of the Mukhomorovye family.
Despite the prevailing opinion, the mushrooms should not be cut with a knife. In this case, a small stumps remain on the soil surface, which soon rot. In the final result, it causes serious damage to mycelium (mycelium). Milk mushrooms should be removed from the soil with bare hands, with light unscrewing movements. In this case, it is possible to completely eliminate the entire above-ground part of the fungus, which helps the mycelium to recover in a short time. 
For gathering, they use any container that is dense and convenient for transportation, however, traditionally, a wicker basket is used for these purposes, which excludes mechanical damage to the harvested crop. After filling the hand tanks, the mushrooms are poured into a large common container, in which they are further transported. Cooking mushrooms start immediately, a few hours after the collection of moorie. This is due to the fact that their composition contains a huge amount of water, which leads to their rapid deterioration and darkening.
We recommend to learn about the ways of harvesting wetlands for the winter.
How to clean
The process of cleaning the seeds is practically no different from the treatment of other mushrooms. Primary cleaning is carried out on site. To do this, the crop must be carefully removed from excess soil, as well as forest litter and debris with a small brush or kitchen sponge. But in case of lack of time, this procedure can be performed after leaving the forest. After the primary elimination of large contaminants, thorough mechanical cleaning of the mushrooms follows. 
It consists of several stages:
- First, with each mushroom you need to remove a thin transparent skin that contains the main amount of pollutants. The operation should be carried out smoothly, without sudden movements - otherwise it is possible to damage the delicate flesh. The removal of the skin begins with the base of the stem, moving in the direction of the cap. The hat is cleaned at the very end, removing small areas from the edge to the center.
- After removing the skin, proceed to pruning residual mycelium. To do this, use a sharp knife to make an even cut of the base, parallel to the cap.
- The final stage of complete cleaning is cutting all kinds of spots and rotten areas. The operation is carried out carefully with a small kitchen knife. In this case, it is necessary to remove all the affected flesh, otherwise the dishes from mushrooms can get an unpleasant taste and aroma.
Did you know? Mushrooms are one of the most ancient foods used by humans. They were actively used by the ancient Egyptians about 5 thousand years ago.
How to wash
After pruning, proceed to thoroughly washing the harvest. Conducting the procedure under running water, while you should definitely pay attention to the hymenophore of the fungus: this part of the fruit body is particularly susceptible to various pollutants, among which sand and other small debris are often found. 
Therefore, in order to completely eliminate it from the surface of the plates, it is necessary to thoroughly rinse them at least 2-3 times under an intensive stream of water. Only cold water is used for the procedure, since high temperatures adversely affect the elasticity of the tissues, which will affect the quality of future dishes.
Learn how to marinate delicious milk mushrooms.
Next, the mushrooms must be soaked in clean and cool water. This simple and effective measure will make it possible to remove unpleasant bitterness from the tissues, which is a consequence of natural physiological processes during the growth and development of the fungus. Soaking is carried out for 4-8 hours, replacing water 1 time per hour.
The process of salting gruzdey hot
Hot pickling is one of the most common methods for preserving milk products for long-term storage. This method of preparation of the product makes it possible to preserve in it all sorts of useful substances and vitamins, as well as provide the raw mushroom with an exquisite and unique taste. But not many manage to efficiently stock up milk mushrooms for the winter, therefore, we will consider the main subtleties of this process, and also reveal the main secrets of successful salting of mushrooms by the hot method. 
Ingredients you need
For harvesting milk mushrooms in a hot way (1 liter of pickles) we will need:
- clean water - 3-4 liters;
- salt - 4 tbsp. spoons;
- black pepper - 20-30 peas;
- allspice - 10 peas;
- Carnation - 1-3 pcs. (taste)
- bay leaf - 2-4 leaves;
- dry leaves of currant or cherry - 2-4;
- garlic - 2-3 cloves;
- Horseradish root - 1 pc. (medium size);
- refined sunflower oil - 300 ml;
- milk mushrooms - 0.5-1 kg.
Did you know? On the planet there are so-called "live mushrooms", capable of active movement. These include some representatives of the Slyazevik who, in search of food, are able to move at a speed of about 1 millimeter per minute.In addition, for the preparation of pickles will require:
- enamel pan or any stainless steel container;
- spoon or kitchen spatula for mixing products;
- porcelain plate (1-2 cm smaller than the diameter of the pan);
- liter jar filled with water (as cargo).
Prepare stainless steel tank
Cook mushrooms
Pre-pickled and cleaned mushrooms are always boiled before pickling. To do this, use any enamelware available in the household or stainless steel containers. They make it possible to subject products to uniform heat treatment, and also due to a reliable and inert coating, to avoid saturation of the dish with any harmful substances from the container material.
Learn about the beneficial and harmful properties of salmon.
The main stages of the process:
- The required amount of water is poured into a clean pan (depending on the volume of the mushrooms), and then it is brought to a boil. At the same time, the water should provide free-floating to the moorings in the pan, otherwise you can get a homogeneous half-mushroom mass.
- In boiling water at the rate of 1 liter you need to put 1-2 tbsp. tablespoons of salt, and then add milk mushrooms.
- Boiling is carried out for 10-15 minutes, after which the milk mushrooms are discarded in a colander and thoroughly washed under running water.
Important! In case of heterogeneity of mushrooms, they should be crushed to the same size - to separate the stem and, if necessary, cut the cap into several pieces. This will give the product a more aesthetic look..
Cooking pickle
After we boil the main component of pickles, you can proceed to cooking the marinade. To do this, pour a sufficient amount of clean water into the saucepan and bring it to a boil, after 1-2 liters of boiling liquid should be dissolved in 1 liter of boiling liquid. tablespoons of salt, and then add all the dried spices based on 1 liter of the product from the above list (bay leaf, currant leaves or cherry, peas, allspice, cloves). 
After a short boil (2-3 minutes), the marinade is fully prepared for salting. In this case, it should not be removed from heat, since hot salting is carried out with the help of boiling marinade.
Hot pickle pickling
To start hot salting, pre-boiled mushrooms are placed in a boiling brine, in which they are prepared on medium heat for 10-15 minutes. The overall process of heat treatment of the product should not exceed 25-30 minutes.
After boiling, the mushrooms are removed from the heat, and then cloves of garlic and horseradish root are added to the brine. After that, the contents fit the plate, which is put a liter jar (as oppression).
It only has to press down gently to the bottom of the pot so that they fully dip into the hot pickle, so its mass must be adjusted, otherwise it will lead to deformation of the mushrooms.
You will probably be interested to learn how to prepare porcini mushrooms, boletus, and mushrooms for the winter.
After the pan with the contents has completely cooled down, without removing the oppression, it must be moved to a cool, protected from direct sunlight place for 5-7 days. It can be a cellar or a balcony, but if they are not available, you can also use a regular refrigerator. After a week, the milk mushrooms become suitable for the next stage of salting.
They are taken out of brine, after which they are transferred to glass jars cleaned and dry-sterilized and poured with the same brine in which they were marinated before, then covered with clean plastic caps.
Familiarize yourself with how to sterilize cans at home.
The contents of the cans should not be in contact with free air, so refined sunflower oil must be poured over the mushrooms. Otherwise, the taste of the final product will be significantly reduced. 
Further salting is carried out for 30-40 days in the refrigerator. After the product is completely ready for use as a main dish or in combination with other ingredients in salads, soups and other dishes.
Did you know? Mushrooms are the only living creatures on our planet that occupy an intermediate position between the animal and plant worlds. Like plants, they lead an attached way of life, absorbing the necessary substances directly from the soil, however, like in animals, they form urea as one of the end products of metabolism.
Storage of blanks
Salts are often kept in the cellar, the fridge or on the balcony. In such conditions, at a temperature of about + 5 ° C, the blanks are able to be preserved, without losing their quality and taste, up to 6 months. In the case of saving pickles at room temperature, they must be consumed over the next 3 months.
Unfortunately, milk mushrooms today remain an undervalued product, so not many people decide to send it to their basket. But despite this, the mushroom managed to conquer a lot of domestic mushroom pickers with a delicate and rich taste. Today there are a lot of recipes for salting salmon, but one of the most popular is the hot method. It makes it possible not only to preserve mushrooms until next spring, but also to transform an extraordinary inhabitant of a forest thicket into a truly exquisite dish.
