Volnushki. Their name comes from the Latin word, which means “milk” or “milk-giving.” All these mushrooms belong to the Russula family. As a rule, in Europe, most species of these mushrooms are considered inedible, and some are even poisonous. While in Russia many are consumed as food after undergoing additional processing, such as salting or pickling. Such mushrooms are called conditionally edible. The mushroom about which the story will go is exactly one of them - the common milkweed.
a brief description of
Common milkweed, smooth milkweed, spurge, hollow milkweed, milkweed, blue milk mushroom, smooth mushroom... This mushroom has quite a few names. It belongs to a large species of laticifers, the Russula family. The main difference between this kind of mushrooms is the secretion of a pulp or spore-bearing layer of juice, similar to. Milk plants have a specific bitter taste. Like many other representatives of this species, smoothie is considered a conditionally edible mushroom. Mycologists classified it as this species because it requires additional processing before use and has some limitations in preparation.
In European cuisine, where they like to use everything in its natural, raw form, the common milkweed is classified as poisonous mushrooms and is prohibited for consumption. And in our area, conditionally edible mushrooms are subjected to prolonged soaking, salting or repeated boiling, with repeated removal of the broth. And only then can such mushrooms be eaten.
The milkweed has a fairly wide cap, sometimes reaching up to 18 cm in diameter. One of its names - smoothie - was given precisely because of its smooth, fleshy cap. When it rains it becomes slippery. In young mushrooms it is more convex, but with age it settles and becomes depressed. The color varies from violet-lilac to fawn or even fawn-brown. In older varieties it fades and becomes pale lilac or yellowish-brown with barely visible concentric zones, or without them at all. The leg is smooth, cylindrical in shape. Has the same color as the hat. With age, it loosens and becomes hollow. The laticifer's plates are often light-colored; when damaged, they acquire a dark grayish color, mainly due to the milky sap. The pulp of the smoothie is dense, strong, white in color with a slight creamy tint. The juice released from it is white and milky in color. When dry it turns olive yellow. The pulp is very bitter in taste and has a specific smell. The spores are elliptical with ridge-like or warty ornamentation. The spore powder is pale, yellowish or cream in color.
Distribution areas and similar species
Smoothies are widespread in deciduous and coniferous forests of Eurasia. They often form mycorrhiza with trees such as spruce, pine or birch. They love high humidity, so they can often be found in large groups along swamps or on moss-covered soil, where conditions for growth and reproduction will be most optimal. The common milkweed is one of the most common species of the genus of milkweeds. It grows in temperate latitudes, so it can be found with equal success in the forests of Europe, Siberia, the Urals, and even Far East. The peak of fruiting of the smoothie occurs at the beginning of August and lasts until the end of October - the time when the greatest amount of precipitation falls. Cool autumn evenings, filled with the fresh aroma of warm rain, are their favorite time to appear.
Gladysh, or common milkweed, is a fairly recognizable mushroom, but it is often confused with such representatives of the same species as (Lactarius flexuosus) and red milkweed (Lactarius hysginus). But if you look closely, you can note some differences that are not immediately obvious. So, for example, the surface of the cap of the serushka is dry to the touch, the stem is solid, narrowed towards the base, and short. It tastes much sharper and sharper. And the meat-red milkweed is distinguished by its dark, terracotta color and pungent strong aroma. Gladysh also has similarities with the flaccid milkweed (Lactarius vietus), the juice of which turns gray under the influence of the external environment. And also with the gray lilac milky (Lactarius uvidus), the juice of which in the air acquires a lilac-violet hue.
Composition and beneficial properties
The nutritional value of mushrooms depends on many different conditions. For example, young varieties contain much more nutrients, and fresh ones contain almost 90% of them. The lacticaria contains such valuable ones as:, leucine and. They are easily absorbed by the body and do not spend much money on breakdown. Mushrooms contain such a useful substance as lecithin. Their number ranges from 0.1 to 0.9%. They also contain fatty acids:
- palmitic acid;
- stearic acid;
- butyric acid;
- acetic acid.
Milky plants, like other representatives of this genus, contain phosphatides, essential oils and lipoids. In terms of carbohydrate composition, mushrooms are very close to vegetables, but there are others that are characteristic only of this class: sugar alcohols,. Their content reaches 16%. They do not contain glycogen, but they do contain glycogen, which in its composition resembles glycogen of animal origin. In mineral composition, laticifers are rich in, and. They contain things like and arsenic. They also contain substances such as mycoinulin and parodextrin, which are responsible for covering the mushrooms during long-term storage, as well as tregazolyte and lycosote, which provide their taste and nutritional value.
Some of the representatives of this class, due to their beneficial properties and valuable chemical composition, are used in the field of medicine. For example, from camelina and red camelina, the antibiotic lactarioviolin, which has Negative influence on bacteria - the causative agents of tuberculosis. Other types of lacticifers have a positive effect on cholelithiasis, acute and purulent conjunctivitis and other visual lesions. And some even contain antibiotics that inhibit the development of pathogenic bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus.
Use in cooking
Common milkweed is a first-class mushroom for pickling and pickling. During this processing, fermentation quickly occurs in it, due to which the smoothie acquires its characteristic sourish taste, which is so valued in Russian pickles. The mushroom is quite meaty, which allows it to be used after preliminary boiling for preparing various dishes. Most of the bitterness of the milkweed disappears when heat treatment, so well-fried mushrooms can also be eaten without subjecting them to cooking beforehand. In the finished dish, such smoothies will have a piquant, spicy, slightly bitter taste, like seasoned mushrooms. Northern peoples This mushroom has long been revered and often used for culinary purposes. After all, their natural bitter taste repels pests, so milkweeds are less susceptible to attack by insect larvae and worms than other mushrooms. And in Finland, since ancient times, there has been its own original recipe preparing smoothies baked over a fire or grill.
Salting the common milkweed
Immediately before pickling, mushrooms should be soaked in water for several days. The infused water must be changed periodically. This is done in order to remove the bitterness. After this, the milkies are blanched for about 10 minutes. The correct course of the primary processing process is important, since its violation can lead to unnecessary consequences in the form of loss of the taste of the mushroom or intestinal upset. Cold and hot methods are used for salting the common milkweed. Hot is characterized by preliminary boiling of mushrooms after primary processing. The cold method skips this process.
Mushrooms in Korean
To prepare the dish you will need:
- smoothies or other bitter mushrooms;
- soy sauce;
- sugar;
- vinegar;
- ground coriander;
- garlic;
- hot red pepper;
- sesame;
- cilantro.
First boil the mushrooms several times, draining the processed water. It is advisable to leave a slight bitter aftertaste for piquancy. Season the prepared milkweed with soy sauce, add and sprinkle with vinegar. Mix all this and taste the marinade to adjust the taste. Then sprinkle generously with spices. Pre-fry in vegetable oil and pour the resulting mixture into the mushrooms. Add fresh green cilantro, mix everything and cool. After this, the Korean mushrooms are ready and can be served. Regular, non-bitter mushrooms are not suitable for this recipe, since having their own delicate taste, they will simply get lost in the spices and the dish will not give the desired taste and effect.
Harm and dangerous properties
Since the common milkweed belongs to the conditionally edible class of mushrooms, it cannot be eaten without preliminary processing. This must be done in order to neutralize the effect of bitter milky juice, which, if it enters the human body, can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and eating disorders.
Collection and storage
It is good to pick mushrooms in dry weather, since if collected in rain or damp conditions, they can spoil faster. It is best to do this in the morning, when their aroma is stronger and their structure is stronger.
Mushroom pickers must comply with several conditions:
- collect only known types of mushrooms;
- use wicker baskets in which the mushrooms are well ventilated and remain fresh longer;
- lay with their caps down, and long-legged ones sideways.
- When collecting, twist or swing, then they are easier to separate.
It must be remembered that cutting mushrooms with a knife is not recommended, otherwise this may lead to rotting of the entire mycelium.
Fresh mushrooms are a perishable product. They need to be stored in a cool, ventilated area, or in the fresh air under a canopy. Usually they are scattered in a thin layer on a specially prepared surface: on tables, clean flooring, tarpaulins. They should not be piled up, kept in barrels, or exposed to direct sunlight or high humidity. The shelf life of milkweeds before pre-treatment should not exceed four hours.
conclusions
Common milkweed, or gladysh, is a mushroom that can only be appreciated by true mushroom pickers or gourmets. But if you prepare it correctly, using preliminary primary processing of the product, it can make itself loved by the average consumer. It turns out divine when salted, but requires a long and labor-intensive preparation process. These mushrooms bear fruit for quite a long time, when other mushrooms have already faded, so in fact they have no competitors. And thanks to their high yield, they often appear on the tables of hospitable hosts and even on store shelves.
Some of the representatives of the lacticifer species have found widespread use in modern medicine. Valuable antibiotics are extracted from their milky juice, which help in the treatment of dangerous diseases such as tuberculosis and staphylococcus. Also their beneficial features allow you to fight purulent eye infections and are effective against cholelithiasis.
It is important to remember how to properly collect and store these mushrooms so as not to expose yourself to the risk of poisoning or cause an eating disorder. And also, do not forget that in European countries this mushroom is considered poisonous, and only thanks to careful primary processing is it allowed to be consumed in our regions.
Milky-searing milky in the photo 
The color of the cap is gray-flesh or gray-olive (photo)
Milky-hot milky is a rare lamellar mushroom, which grows singly or in small groups from early August to early October. It prefers to settle on clay soils or in open, illuminated areas of mixed, deciduous and broad-leaved forest, as well as in bushes.
The mushroom is edible. The cap is 3-6 cm, smooth, slightly concave, first with a folded edge, then with an unfolded sharp edge, sometimes with drops of milky juice. The color of the cap is gray-flesh or gray-olive with faint concentric circles. In wet weather the cap is slimy. Descending thin ocher-yellow plates with droplets of milky juice. The milky juice is pungent, abundantly white, and does not change color in air. The stem of mature mushrooms is hollow, the same color as the cap or lighter, up to 5 cm long. Its surface is smooth, matte, dry, yellowish-brown. There is a lighter transverse stripe near the cap on the stem. The pulp is dense, white or grayish with a faint mushroom odor. The milky juice is bitter, white in color, which does not change upon contact with air.
Grows next to hazel and other species.
Found from August to October.
Milky-hot milky poisonous doubles does not have.
The stinging milky milkweed belongs to the third category. Suitable only for pickling, but after pre-boiling.
Camphor milkweed in the photo
Camphor milkweed is a rather rare edible agaric mushroom, which grows exclusively in small groups from mid-July to early October. A high-yielding species that bears fruit abundantly, regardless of weather conditions. Loves moist areas of soil at the foot of trees in coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests.
The mushroom cap is convex-tubercular, eventually turning into a funnel-shaped one, retaining a small tubercle in the middle. The edge of the cap is wavy and slightly ribbed.
The diameter is about 5 cm. The surface of the cap is smooth, dry, matte, reddish-brown or dark red, with a purple-burgundy middle. The spore-bearing plates are narrow, adherent, first pinkish-yellow, and then brownish.
As you can see in the photo, the leg of this species of milkweed is rounded, straight, less often curved, in young mushrooms it is solid, in mature ones it is hollow:
Its height is about 5 cm, and its diameter is about 0.5 cm. The surface of the leg is smooth, matte, and white-pubescent at the base. It is painted the same color as the cap, but the bottom is purple-red. The pulp is thin, brittle, tender, reddish-brown in color, tasteless, with a characteristic smell of camphor. The milky juice is white and does not change upon contact with air.
Camphor milkweed belongs to the second category. It is best used as food in salted form.
The milkies are sticky in the photo 
The pulp is white, dense, with a peppery taste.
Milky sticky conditionally edible. The cap is 5-10 cm, convex, with curled edges, later slightly depressed, with a dimple in the center, slimy when moistened, sticky in dry weather, olive, gray or brownish. The plates are white, often located, slightly descending, with drops of milky juice. The stem is 5-8 cm long, 1-2 cm thick, dense, hollow, lighter than the cap. The milky juice is white, abundant, and turns olive green when exposed to air. The pulp is white, dense, with a peppery taste.
Grows in deciduous and coniferous forests.
Found from July to September.
The sticky milky has no poisonous counterparts.
Pre-soaking is required. Suitable for cold pickling. With prolonged cold salting of bitter and caustic milkweeds, lactic acid fermentation occurs, which reduces the pungency and makes it more pleasant.
Milky gray-pink in the photo
Milky gray-pink is a rather rare, lamellar mushroom, in some reference books referred to as inedible milk mushroom or roan milkweed. It grows in small groups or numerous colonies, forming bunches, from the second half of July to the beginning of October. As its main habitat, it prefers mossy areas of soil in pine or mixed forests, as well as blueberry thickets and the surrounding swamps.
The mushroom is inedible. The cap is 10-15 cm, concave, dry, matte, finely scaly, at first flat with a tucked edge, then spread, widely depressed, funnel-shaped with a wavy curved edge.
Pay attention to the photo - this type of milk mushroom has a gray-pink, pinkish-beige, yellowish or brownish cap with a darker middle without concentric zones:
The plates are brittle, narrow, descending, first yellowish, then pink-ocher. The stem is up to 8 cm high, cylindrical, colored in the color of the cap; in old mushrooms, the stem is hollow, pubescent with mycelium in the lower part. The pulp is dense, brittle, not burning, pinkish-yellow or orange when freshly cut, with a strong spicy smell of hay and dried mushrooms. The milky juice is colorless, not hot. In certain weather, the funnels of old mushrooms and moss nearby are covered with white-pink spore powder
It grows among mosses in pine forests with high peat soil.
It has no poisonous counterparts, but can be confused with the burning-caustic Molokankas.
It differs from them in its colorless, non-burning juice.
The milkies are zoneless and pale
Zoneless milkman in the photo 
The hat is flat, with a recess in the center (photo)
Milky zoneless (Lactarius azonites) has a cap with a diameter of 3–8 cm. The cap is dry, matte. Grey, nut-gray in color, covered with small spots of a lighter shade. Ivory colored plates. When damaged, the pulp and plates take on a reddish-coral tint. The milky juice is white, slightly pungent.
The stem is 3–8 cm high, up to 1.5 cm in diameter, white, creamy at maturity, initially filled, later hollow, fragile.
Spore powder. Whitish.
Habitat. In deciduous forests, it prefers oak.
Season. Summer autumn.
Similarity. Similar to some other milkweeds, but distinguished by a gray cap without zones and a coral color of damaged flesh.
Use. Most likely inedible, in some Western sources it is characterized as suspicious.
Pale milkweed in the photo 
The surface of the cap is smooth, matte, dry.
Pale milkweed (Lactarius pallidus) is a rare conditionally edible agaric mushroom that grows singly or in small groups from mid-July to late August in deciduous and mixed forests. It is distinguished by its stable yield, independent of weather conditions.
Its surface is usually smooth, but it can also be cracked, shiny, covered with a thin layer of sticky mucus, and colored yellowish or fawn. The spore-bearing plates are narrow, the same color as the cap. The leg is round, straight, smooth or thinner at the base, hollow inside, about 9 cm high with a diameter of only about 1.5 cm. The pulp is thick, fleshy, elastic, white or cream in color, with a pleasant mushroom aroma and bitter, but not acrid taste. It produces a large amount of white milky juice, which does not change color when in contact with air.
Pale milkweed belongs to the third category of mushrooms. Soaking in cold water or boiling deprives its pulp of bitterness, as a result of which the mushrooms can be used for pickling.
Spore powder. Light ocher.
Habitat. In deciduous forests, it prefers beech and oak.
Season. Summer autumn.
Similarity. With pepper milk mushroom (L. piperatus), but it has a very acrid milky juice that turns gray-green in air.
Use. The mushroom can be salted.
This video shows lacticians in their natural habitat:
Oak and lilac milkmen
Oak milkweed in the photo 
Lactarius quietus in the photo
Oak milkweed (Lactarius quietus) has a cap with a diameter of 5–8 cm. The cap is first flat-convex, later funnel-shaped. The skin is dry, slightly sticky in wet weather, reddish-brown, reddish-brown with vague concentric zones. The plates are adherent or slightly descending, frequent, light brown, becoming brick-reddish with age. The pulp is light brown, brittle, the milky juice is whitish, and does not change color in air. The taste is soft, bitterish when ripe, the smell is slightly unpleasant, bug-like.
The stem is 3–6 cm high, diameter 0.5–1.5 cm, cylindrical, smooth, hollow, the same color as the cap, rusty-brown at the base.
Spore powder. Yellowish-ocher.
Habitat. In deciduous forests, next to oak trees.
Season. July – October.
Similarity. With milkweed (L. volemus), which is distinguished by its abundant white milky juice and herring smell.
Use. Edible, can be salted.
Lilac milky in the photo 
(Lactarius uvidus) in the photo
Lilac milky (Lactarius uvidus) has a cap with a diameter of up to 8 cm. The cap is convex at first, later spread out and even depressed in the center, and is mucous in wet weather. The edges are rolled up, slightly pubescent. Color light gray, gray-violet, yellowish-violet. The plates are whitish-pink. The pulp and plates become purple when damaged. At the fracture, white milky juice is released, which also changes color to purple. The taste is pungent, the smell is inexpressive.
The leg is up to 7 cm high, up to 1 cm in diameter, cylindrical, slightly tapering towards the base, dense, sticky.
Spore powder. White.
Habitat. In deciduous forests, it prefers willows and birches.
Season. Summer autumn.
Similarity. Similar to the lilac or dog milk mushroom (L. repraesentaneus), which grows in coniferous and mixed forests, mainly in the mountains, and has big sizes, a yellow cap with a shaggy edge and an almost bland taste.
Use. Consumed salted after soaking or boiling.
Milkworms non-caustic and common
The non-caustic milkweed in the photo 
The hat is smooth, bright orange (photo)
Milky non-caustic is a rare conditionally edible agaric mushroom, which grows singly or in small groups from mid-July to late October. Peak yields occur in August-September. Most often found on mossy soil areas or covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves in mixed and coniferous forests.
The mushroom cap is first convex, then prostrate and depressed, with thin wavy edges. Its diameter is about 8 cm. The surface of the cap is smooth, moist, bright orange, more saturated in the center. The spore-bearing plates are wide, adherent, pure yellow, on which small red spots appear over time.
The stem is round, at first solid, then cellular and finally hollow, about 8 cm high and about 1 cm in diameter. The surface is smooth, matte, the same color as the cap. The pulp is thin, brittle, tender, tasteless and odorless, white with a slight orange tint. Compared to other laticifers, the milky sap is released less abundantly. When in contact with air, its color does not change.
The non-caustic milkweed belongs to the fourth category of mushrooms. After preliminary soaking or boiling, young mushrooms can be pickled.
Spore powder. Yellowish.
Habitat. In deciduous and coniferous forests, usually in groups.
Season. Summer autumn.
Similarity. With oak milkweed (L. quietus), which has a brownish color and unclear concentric zones on the cap.
Use. You can add salt after boiling.
Common milkweed in the photo 
(Lactarius trivialis) in the photo
Common milkweed, Gladysh (Lactarius trivialis) has a cap with a diameter of 5-20 cm. The cap is at first convex, later it becomes flat or flat-depressed. The skin is sticky, shiny and smooth when dry. The color is initially leaden or violet-gray, later pinkish-brownish, gray-pink-yellowish, almost without zones, sometimes with spots or circles along the edge. The plates are thin, adherent or slightly descending, cream-colored, later yellowish-pink. The milky juice is white, caustic, and in air gradually acquires a grayish-green color. The pulp is brittle, whitish, under the skin with a gray-violet tint, the smell is fruity.
Leg. Height 4–7 cm, diameter 2–3 cm, cylindrical, mucous, hollow. The color is grayish-yellow or almost white.
Spore powder. Yellowish.
Habitat. In damp coniferous and mixed forests, sometimes in large colonies.
Season. August – October.
Similarity. With silverweed (L. flexuosus), which has a dry cap and a solid stem; with the lilac milkweed (L. uvidus), whose milky sap turns purple in air.
Use. The mushroom is edible and suitable for pickling after soaking or boiling.
The milkies are fragrant and white
Fragrant milkweed in the photo 
Dry, wavy hat (photo)
The aromatic milkweed is a conditionally edible agaric mushroom, also known as fragrant milk mushroom or fragrant milkweed. Grows in small groups from early August to late September. It is found, as a rule, in damp areas of soil in mixed or coniferous forests in close proximity to alder, birch or spruce.
The mushroom cap is convex, but as it grows it becomes prostrate, with a small depression in the middle and thin edges. Its diameter is about 6 cm. The surface of the cap is dry, wavy, finely fibrous, and after rain it is covered with a thin layer of mucus. It is colored pinkish or yellowish-gray with darker concentric zones. The spore-bearing plates are frequent, slightly descending, first pale yellow and then yellowish-brown.
The leg is round, sometimes slightly flattened, hollow inside, about 6 cm high and about 1 cm in diameter. Its surface is smooth, dry, light yellow or light brown. The pulp is thin, brittle, with a characteristic aroma reminiscent of coconut. It produces a large amount of sweet-tasting white milky juice, which does not change upon contact with air.
The aromatic milkweed belongs to the third category of mushrooms. It is eaten only after preliminary boiling (at least 15 minutes), as a result of which it completely loses its smell.
Milky white in the photo 
The surface of the cap is smooth, covered with a thin layer of sticky mucus (photo)
White milkweed is a rather rare conditionally edible agaric mushroom., which grows singly and in small groups from late August to early October. Most often it can be found on sandy soils, as well as in mossy areas of dry mixed and coniferous forests, especially pine.
The mushroom cap is convex, with curved edges, but as it grows it changes, becoming like a wide funnel with a diameter of about 8 cm. Its surface is smooth, covered with a thin layer of sticky mucus and has a blurry pattern of concentric yellowish zones.
The spore-bearing plates are forked, descending, and grayish in color. The leg is rounded, straight, with a thickening in the center and a thin lower part, hollow inside, about 6 cm high with a diameter of about 3 cm. Its surface is smooth, dry, matte, the same color as the plates. The pulp is thick, fleshy, elastic, dense, white, with a pleasant mushroom smell and bitter taste. It produces a large amount of white milky juice, which retains its color when in contact with air.
White milkweed belongs to the second category of mushrooms. It is consumed as food after preliminary processing - soaking or boiling. As a result, its pulp ceases to be bitter, and the mushrooms can be used to prepare various dishes.
Milkers are faded and brownish
Faded milkman in the photo 
The mushroom cap is convex, with curved edges (photo)
Faded milkweed is a conditionally edible agaric mushroom, in some reference books referred to as the marsh moth or the sluggish milkweed. It grows in small groups or numerous colonies from the second half of August to the end of September, invariably producing large harvests. Peak harvests typically occur in September. Favorite habitats are areas of mixed or deciduous forests covered with a thick layer of moss, as well as moist areas of soil near swamps.
The mushroom cap is convex, with curved edges, but gradually it becomes prostrate and depressed, with a slight bulge in the middle and wavy edges. Its diameter is about 8 cm. The surface of the cap is smooth, wet, and after rain it is covered with a thin layer of mucus that is sticky to the touch. It is painted in a grayish or brownish-lilac color, which fades to almost white in dry and hot summers.
Depending on the habitat, a poorly visible pattern of concentric zones may appear on the surface of the cap of mature mushrooms. The plates are frequent, descending onto the stem, first creamy and then yellow. The leg is round, sometimes slightly flattened, straight or curved, at the base it can be thinner or thicker, hollow inside, about 8 cm high with a diameter rarely exceeding 0.5 cm. Its surface is smooth, moist, the same color as hat, just a little lighter. The pulp is thin, brittle, grayish in color, practically odorless, but with a bitter taste. It produces a caustic milky sap, which upon contact with air changes its white color to olive-gray.
Faded milkweed belongs to the third category of mushrooms. Perfect for pickling, but requires pre-treatment, which removes the bitterness from the pulp.
Brownish milky in the photo 
The surface of the cap is smooth, velvety (photo)
Brownish milkweed is an edible lamellar mushroom, which grows from mid-July to early October. You need to look for it in thick grass, on soils overgrown with moss, as well as at the foot of birch and oak trees in deciduous, broad-leaved or mixed forests.
Over time, the convex cap of young mushrooms first becomes prostrate, with a small bulge in the middle, and then funnel-shaped, with a thin wavy edge. Its diameter in mature mushrooms is about 10 cm. The surface of the cap is smooth, dry, velvety, brown or gray-brown in color, darker in the center. In dry and hot summers, pale spots may appear on the cap or it may completely fade, becoming dirty yellow. The spore-bearing plates are narrow, adherent, white in color, which gradually changes to yellow.
The leg is rounded, thicker at the base, hollow inside, about 6 cm high and about 1 cm in diameter. Its surface is smooth, dry, the same color as the cap. The pulp is soft, first dense and then loose, cream-colored, which turns pink when in contact with air. It produces a white milky juice, pungent but not bitter in taste, which quickly turns red in the air.
Brownish milkweed belongs to the second category of mushrooms and has good taste. It can be eaten without prior soaking and boiling. In cooking, it is used for preparing all kinds of dishes and for pickling.
Milky brown and watery milky
Brown milky in the photo 
Wood milky in the photo
Brown milkweed, or wood milkweed, is a rather rare edible lamellar mushroom, which grows singly and in small groups from mid-August to late September, producing its largest harvests late in the season. It is found in coniferous forests, especially in spruce forests, at the foot of trees, as well as in thick and tall grass.
The mushroom cap is convex, with a blunt tubercle in the middle, but gradually it takes the shape of a funnel with a diameter of about 8 cm with drooping chopped edges. Its surface is dry, velvety, wrinkled, dark brown, sometimes even black, with a whitish coating in some cases. The plates are sparse, adherent, first white and then yellow.
The leg is round, thinner at the base, solid inside, about 8 cm high with a diameter of only about 1 cm. The surface of the leg is dry, velvety, longitudinally grooved, the same color as the cap, slightly lighter at the base. The pulp is thin, hard, elastic, practically odorless, but with a bitter taste. The milky juice that it secretes in large quantities, upon contact with air, changes its initially white color to yellow, gradually turning into reddish or reddish.
Brown milkweed belongs to the second category of mushrooms. Only the caps are eaten because their flesh is softer. You can prepare all kinds of dishes from them. In addition, mushrooms are used for pickling.
Watery-milky milky in the photo 
The surface of the cap is smooth, dry, matte (photo)
The watery milky milkweed is a rare conditionally edible agaric mushroom, which grows singly or in small groups from early August to late September in deciduous, broad-leaved and mixed forests. The yield of the mushroom depends on weather conditions, so it does not consistently bear abundant fruit.
Initially, the cap of the milkweed is flat-convex, but as it grows it becomes like a funnel with lobed-winding edges with a diameter of about 6 cm. The surface of the cap is smooth, dry, matte, reddish-brown, lighter at the edges. The spore-bearing plates are narrow, adherent, and yellow in color. The leg is rounded, straight, less often curved, about 6 cm high and about 1 cm in diameter.
The surface is smooth, dry, matte, yellowish-brown in young mushrooms, reddish-brown in mature ones. The pulp is thin, watery, soft, light brown in color, with an original fruity smell. The milky juice is colorless and has a sharp but not pungent taste.
Watery milky fungus belongs to the third category of fungi. It is consumed as food after preliminary soaking or boiling, most often in the form of pickles.
Milkies neutral and sharp
Milky neutral in the photo 
The surface of the cap is matte, dry (photo)
The neutral milkweed is a rare conditionally edible lamellar mushroom. Other names are oak milkweed and oak milkweed. Grows singly or in small groups from early July to late October. Peak harvests typically occur in August. Likes to settle in dense grass at the foot of old oak trees in oak forests, deciduous and mixed forests.
The mushroom cap is convex, with curved edges, and as it grows it becomes like a wide funnel with straight, sometimes wavy edges. Its diameter is about 10 cm. The surface of the cap is matte, dry, uneven, brownish-red in color with darker concentric zones.
The spore-bearing plates are narrow, first yellowish in color, and then reddish-brown with brown spots. The stem is round, straight or curved, solid in young mushrooms, hollow in mature ones, about 6 cm high and about 1 cm in diameter. Its surface is smooth, dry, the same color as the cap. The pulp is dense, brittle, fleshy, odorless, but with a bitter taste, first white and then reddish-brown. The milky juice is white; its color does not change in air.
The neutral milkman belongs to the fourth category. It can be salted, but before that it must be soaked in cold water or boiled.
Milky sharp in the photo 
The pulp is dense, elastic, fleshy (photo)
Acute milkweed is a rare conditionally edible agaric mushroom, which grows in small groups from the second half of July to the end of September, preferring areas of soil covered with dense grass in broad-leaved, deciduous and mixed forests.
The mushroom cap is convex, but gradually becomes prostrate and depressed, with a diameter of about 6 cm. Its surface is dry, matte, sometimes lumpy. Painted gray with a variety of shades of brown. The edge of the cap is lighter, as if faded. Depending on the habitat of the mushroom, narrow concentric zones may appear on the cap. The plates are thick, adherent, white-yellow in color, and turn reddish when pressed.
The leg is round, thinner at the base, hollow inside, can be slightly offset from the center, about 5 cm high and about 1 cm in diameter. Its surface is smooth and dry. The pulp is dense, elastic, quite fleshy, white, odorless. When cut, it turns pink at first, and after a while red. The milky juice is caustic, white in color, which changes to red in air.
Acute milkweed belongs to the second category of mushrooms. Most often, it is salted after first soaking or boiling it.
Milky and lilac and umber
Milky lilac in the photo 
The surface of the cap is matte, dirty pink (photo)
The lilac milkweed is a rather rare conditionally edible agaric mushroom., which grows singly or in small groups during one month - September. It is easiest to find in moist areas of soil in coniferous and deciduous forests, especially adjacent to oak or alder.
In young mushrooms the cap is flat-convex, in mature ones it becomes funnel-shaped, with thin drooping edges. Its diameter is about 8 cm. The surface of the cap is dry, matte, finely pubescent, dirty pink or lilac. The plates are narrow, adherent, and colored lilac-yellow. The leg is round, may be slightly flattened, hollow inside, about 8 cm high and about 1 cm in diameter. Its surface is smooth and dry. The pulp is thin, brittle, tender, white or pinkish, tasteless and odorless. The milky juice is bitter and retains its original white color upon contact with air.
The lilac milkweed is best salted, but first it should be soaked for several days in cold water or boiled ( drain the water!).
Umber milky in the photo 
Umber milkweed is a rare conditionally edible agaric mushroom, which grows singly or in small groups during the first autumn month. Growth areas are deciduous and coniferous forests.
The mushroom cap is convex, with curved edges, but over time it becomes like a funnel with cracked or lobed-tuberous edges. Its diameter is about 7–8 cm. The surface of the cap is smooth, matte, dry, brownish or reddish brown.
The spore-bearing plates are forked, adherent, first fawn and then yellow. The leg is rounded, thinner at the base, solid inside, about 5 cm high and about 1–1.5 cm in diameter. Its surface is smooth, dry, grayish in color. The pulp is thin, brittle, elastic, turns brown in air, and is practically odorless and tasteless. The milky juice secreted by the pulp retains its white color in air.
Umber milkweed belongs to the third category of mushrooms. Like most milkweeds, it is primarily suitable for pickling, but it must first be boiled for at least 15 minutes.
Milky spiny in the photo 
The surface of the cap is matte, covered with small scales (photo)
The spiny milkweed is a rare inedible lamellar mushroom, which grows singly or in small groups from mid-August to early October. Peak yield occurs in the first ten days of September. Most often it can be found in damp soil areas of mixed and deciduous forests, especially in birch forests.
The mushroom cap is flat-convex, but gradually a small depression forms on it, and the edges are no longer smooth. Its diameter is about 6 cm. The surface of the cap is matte, dry, covered with small scales, colored reddish-pink with darker, almost burgundy concentric zones. The spore-bearing plates are narrow, adherent, first fawn and then yellow. The stem is round, in some mushrooms it is flattened, straight or curved, hollow inside, about 5 cm high and about 0.5 cm in diameter. Its surface is smooth, dry, the same color as the cap. The pulp is thin, brittle, lilac in color, tasteless, but with an unpleasant pungent odor. The milky sap is caustic and in air it quickly changes its color from white to green.
The spiny milkweed does not contain toxins harmful to the human body, but due to its low taste and especially pungent odor of the pulp, it is not consumed as food.
Lilac milky in the photo 
The pulp is white, dense (photo)
Serushka (gray milkweed) grows in mixed forests with birch and aspen, on sandy and loamy soils, in damp low-lying areas. Occurs from July to November, usually in large groups.
The cap of the gray mushroom is relatively small - 5–10 cm in diameter, fleshy, dense, matte, dry, in young mushrooms it is convex with a rolled edge, in mature mushrooms it is funnel-shaped, grayish-violet in color with a leaden tint, with noticeable dark concentric stripes. The pulp is white, dense, the milky juice is watery or white in color, does not change in the air, and the taste is very pungent.
The plates descend along the stalk, sparse, often tortuous, pale yellow. The stalk is up to 8 cm long, up to 2 cm thick, light gray, sometimes swollen, hollow in mature mushrooms.
Conditionally edible, third category, used for pickling.
These photos show the lacticians, the description of which is given above:
Mushroom Milky hot-milky (photo)
Milky mushroom faded (photo)
Real milk has always been loved, since ancient times. It does not grow in the south of our country, but lives in the Urals, the Volga region and Belarus.
Lives in birch forests with an admixture of spruce. The name milk mushroom is translated as “heap”, as this species sits in groups in clearings. In one place you can immediately pick up a whole basket of mushrooms. You need to look for them under the leaves with a stick. Our grandfathers got up at 5 am to go hunting for the delicacy.
The cap is white, reaches a diameter of 20 cm. It is tucked down, the edges are shaggy. Mushrooms are very difficult to find, they hide under the leaves. What kind of milk mushrooms are there anyway?
Where to look for real milk mushrooms (video)
Description of edible types of milk mushrooms
Real milk mushroom
Completely snow-white, tubular cap. The milky sap at the site of damage turns yellow. The hat is terry around the edge. In Russian traditions, this mushroom is considered the best for pickling. Growing up in families. The leg is hollow inside.
Gallery: milk mushroom (25 photos)
Black breast
Black breast milk is also popularly called nigella because dark color hats. On the reverse side it is tubular, white and yellow. They are found in our forests, but not everywhere. It is believed that you need to “tinker” with them for a long time during processing, but they are good for pickling. Grows in birch trees and young forests. Pig mushrooms grow together with black milk mushrooms. Black pods like to burrow into leaves. They should be white on the inside.
Black breast
Yellow breast
Yellow milk mushrooms are valued on an equal basis with white ones. They grow near water, streams, in thickets, near dead wood. Unlike the white milk mushroom, it does not have a furry cap. The cap is funnel-shaped, the leg consists of dark dimples, and is hollow inside. Milky juice is released from the mushroom and quickly turns yellow in air. It is bitter, that's why it is soaked. Yellow milk mushrooms are used exclusively for pickles.
Young yellow milk mushrooms are buried in the moss and are difficult to see. It has a curved edge, moisture is concentrated in the plates. Rarely spoiled. Collection in September.
Bitter milk mushroom
Everyone salts this type; people call it bitter. He belongs to the genus Milky. It has a rather thin leg, but not hollow, but solid. Where you cut, bitter milky juice appears. Quite large in size. Most often funnel-shaped, reddish-brown in color. There is a small tubercle in the center of the cap. Bitterweed grows in both coniferous and mixed forests.
The pulp is dense, slightly brownish and dry. Bittersweet is often confused with rubella, but rubella has a hollow stem and is small in size.
Bitter milk mushroom
Inedible milk mushrooms
Milky gray-pink
Loves swamps, damp places, grows in mosses. It is not collected because of the smell of rusty metal. It is structured like all Milkies, funnel-shaped already at a young age, the leg is straight and not hollow. It is almost always dry, even when it rains. Its surface is fleecy and pleasant to the touch. People called him “the people’s cracker”. There is very little milky juice; large ones have a hole in the stem.
Milky brown
Rarely found in damp places. The brown milker is confused with the browning one. The brown one has a darker stem, and the color of the underside of the cap is more creamy. Some people use it for pickling.
Milkweed sluggish
The mushroom is dirty gray in color, small. The cap is funnel-shaped, the stem is hollow. Becomes grayish-greenish.
Milky gray-pink
Lilac breast
It is confused with the yellow milk mushroom. Rarely seen. When damaged, its plates begin to acquire a purple tint. The leg is hollow inside, narrows towards the bottom, and dense. The mushroom itself is yellowish on all sides. Purple mushrooms are hairier than yellow mushrooms. They go for pickles.
Redneck
Small mushrooms that release milky juice when cut. In young specimens the juice is not bitter. The mushroom is thin-fleshy and always grows in very large groups. Rarely collected.
Camphor milkweed
Has a specific smell, plates on the back of the cap Pink colour. The caps are brown with a red tint. Found in coniferous forests. It is edible, but is not taken by mushroom pickers because of its smell.
Lilac breast
Useful and medicinal properties of milk mushrooms
Lactarius resimus is also very popular in Russian cuisine. The breast is used by patients with tuberculosis. A natural antibiotic is successfully used in pharmaceuticals. It is recommended for diabetics to regulate sugar levels. Due to the increased calorie content, milk mushrooms are difficult to digest. The dry matter of the mushroom contains 32% protein. It is a source of vitamin B12.
A large amount of fiber in the composition can cause stomach problems. Improper preparation leads to botulism. Experts note that this is due to improper preservation. The mushroom is susceptible to radiation, so it cannot be collected near highways. Mushrooms provide our body with good bacteria and are an excellent vegetarian option. The benefit of the mushroom is also expressed in the fact that when it is consumed, neuroses are reduced.
When grown in liquid culture, the mycelium of Lactarius resimus produces a mixture fatty acids and various compounds such as chroman-4-one, anifinic acid, 3-hydroxyacetylindole, ergosterol and cyclic dipeptides. Eating milk mushrooms is a prevention of atherosclerosis and diseases of the genitourinary system.
How to distinguish milk mushrooms (video)
How to distinguish a false breast from a true one
Milk mushrooms have no poisonous counterparts. There is a creaking mushroom, similar to the real one, but even it is considered edible. He doesn't have that good taste, like a real milk mushroom, so you should know the differences in advance.
He has no fringe on his hat; if you rub your teeth on it, it will creak. The tubular layer under the cap is yellow. Skripun loves birch and aspen forests. Real milk mushrooms grow in mixed forests. Skripun is never wormy.
When and where are milk mushrooms collected in Russia?
The hunting season for milk mushrooms is from July to September.. Loves birch, willow, rowan plantings. Prefers damp places, where mosses and ferns grow.
Milk mushrooms are very difficult to find, they hide under the leaves
How to deliciously cook milk mushrooms
Hot salting of real milk mushrooms
- The first thing you need to do is select others from the milk mushrooms. Rinse everything several times with water. Use an old toothbrush to remove dirt and treat the surface. We trim the legs and leave to soak for a day. In this case, the water changes 3-4 times during this time. Place the peeled mushrooms in a bucket.
- Transfer the mushrooms to a large container. Now we make the brine: for 1 liter of water, 3 large tablespoons of salt. Mix everything and pour over our mushrooms. We wait for everything to boil, after 5 minutes we throw everything into a colander. At the same time, we put the brine with which the jars are filled, all in the same proportion. Turn everything off, let the water drain and the mushrooms cool.
- For pickling we use peppercorns, garlic cloves, and dill umbrellas. We take 0.5-0.7 liter jars, for one jar 3 peppercorns and 2 cloves of garlic. Stack the seasonings to leave room for the brine. Cut large mushrooms into 2-3 parts. Place the mushrooms on top of the seasonings, and then add a layer of seasonings. Fill everything with brine and leave overnight. In the morning you need to top up, as the amount of brine will decrease. Cover with a plastic lid, everything will be ready in 2-3 months.
Milk mushrooms are often prepared for the winter
Crispy marinated milk mushrooms
- To prepare the brine, we need mustard, garlic, spring grass and black currant leaves. You need dill, horseradish, salt, sugar and Bay leaf. For pickling, it is better to choose small milk mushrooms. One kg of mushrooms needs to be boiled to remove the bitterness. After boiling, cook the mixture for 10-15 minutes, do not forget to skim off the foam. All bitterness will go away.
- Place the mushrooms in a colander and rinse them with boiling water.
- We prepare the brine for 1 liter: 3 peppercorns, a sprig of dill, 3 bay leaves, 5 black currant leaves, 5 spring leaves.
- Now put it on the fire and wait until it boils, add 2 tbsp. l salt and 2 tbsp. spoons of sugar. The brine is boiling.
- Place 2 chopped garlic cloves on the bottom of the jar, and 1 tsp. mustard and a pinch of paprika, a sprig of dill. Then lay out a layer of mushrooms halfway, then add horseradish leaves, a sprig of dill, 2 cloves of garlic and continue laying the mushrooms.
- Cover everything with horseradish, dill, 1/3 tsp. mustard and a clove of garlic. Pour the mixture with boiling solution. We put the jars in a dark place, and after a day we place them in the pantry.
How to fry milk mushrooms (video)
Milk mushrooms in batter
Wash, peel, beat and sprinkle generously with salt. Then leave for 3-4 hours and cook in batter. Cut the mushrooms into pieces. We will make the batter using mineral water: 2 eggs, 300 g mineral water and 300 g of flour and a pinch of salt. Mix everything. We will fry with enough oil in a deep frying pan.
Milk mushrooms do not have poisonous copies; all representatives of the Milk mushrooms are conditionally edible. You should read about their differences before taking a walk in the woods.
Gallery: milk mushroom (40 photos)
Mushrooms of the genus Mlechnik belong to the Russula family. Their edibility category is low (3-4), however, despite this, milkweeds were traditionally revered in Rus'. They are still collected today, especially those varieties that are suitable for pickling and pickling. In the mycological classification there are about 120 species of Lactarius, about 90 of them grow in Russia.
The first of the lacticifers to grow in June are the non-caustic and pale yellow lacticaria. All laticifers are edible mushrooms, and they can be distinguished by the presence of juice at the cut or broken points. However, they, just like milk mushrooms, become edible after preliminary soaking to remove bitterness. They grow in groups.
September milkies occupy larger spaces compared to August ones, getting closer and closer to swampy areas, rivers and canals.
In October, milk mushrooms and milk mushrooms change color greatly after the first frost. This change is so strong that it can be difficult to distinguish between them. Only those milkweeds that have not changed their appearance and properties under the influence of frost can be used for food, soaked and salted.
You can find photos and descriptions of the most common types of lactic mushrooms on this page.
Habitats of the non-caustic milkweed (Lactarius mitissimus): mixed and coniferous forests. They form mycorrhiza with birch, less often with oak and spruce, grow in moss and on litter, singly and in groups.
Season: July-October.
The cap has a diameter of 2-6 cm, thin, convex at first, later spread out, and becomes depressed in old age. There is often a characteristic tubercle in the center of the cap. Central region darker. A distinctive feature of the species is the bright color of the cap: apricot or orange. The cap is dry, velvety, without concentric zones. The edges of the cap are lighter.
As you can see in the photo, the stem of this milkweed mushroom is 3-8 cm tall, 0.6-1.2 cm thick, cylindrical, dense, then hollow, the same color as the cap, lighter in the upper part:
The flesh of the cap is yellowish or orange-yellowish, dense, brittle, with a neutral odor. Under the skin, the flesh is fawn or pale orange, without much odor. The milky juice is white, watery, does not change color in air, not caustic, but slightly bitter.
The plates, adherent or descending, are thin, of medium frequency, slightly lighter than the cap, pale-orange, sometimes with reddish spots, slightly descending onto the stem. The spores are creamy ocher in color.
Variability. The yellowish plates become bright ocher over time. The color of the cap varies from apricot to yellowish-orange.
Similarities with other species. The non-caustic milky one looks like brownish milkweed (Lactatius fuliginosus), in which the color of the cap and stem is lighter and a brownish-brownish color is preferred, and the stem is shorter.
Cooking methods:
Milky pale yellow
Habitats of the pale yellow milkweed (Lactarius pallidus): oak forests and mixed forests, grow in groups or singly.
Season: July August.
The cap has a diameter of 4-12 cm, dense, convex at first, later flat-spread, slightly depressed in the middle, mucous. A distinctive feature of the species is its pale yellow, pale ocher or ocher-fawn cap.
Pay attention to the photo - the color of this milky cap is uneven, there are spots, especially in the middle, where it has a darker shade:
The edge of the cap is often heavily striated.
The stem is 3-9 cm high, 1-2 cm thick, hollow, the same color as the cap, cylindrical in shape, slightly club-shaped in mature ones.
The pulp is white, with a pleasant smell, the milky juice is white and does not change color in air.
The plates are frequent, weakly descending along the stem or adherent, yellowish, often with a pinkish tint.
Variability. The color of the cap and stem can vary from pale yellow to yellowish-ochre.
Similarities with other species. The pale yellow milkweed is similar to the white milkweed (Lactarius mustrus), which has a white-gray or white-cream cap color.
Cooking methods: edible after preliminary soaking or boiling, used for pickling.
Milky neutral
Habitats of the neutral milkweed (Lactarius quietus): mixed, deciduous and oak forests, growing singly and in groups.
Season: July-October.
The cap has a diameter of 3-7 cm, sometimes up to 10 cm, at first it is convex, later spread out, and becomes depressed in old age. A distinctive feature of the species is its dry, silky, mauve or pinkish-brown cap with noticeable concentric zones.
The stem is 3-8 cm high, 7-15 mm thick, cylindrical, dense, then hollow, cream-colored.
The flesh of the cap is yellowish or light brown, brittle, and the milky juice does not change color in the light.
The plates are adherent and descending to the stem, frequent, cream or light brown, later acquiring a pinkish tint.
Variability: The color of the cap can vary from pinkish brown to reddish brown and creamy purple.
Similarities with other species. According to the description, the neutral milkweed looks like a good edible one Oak Milkweed (Lactarius zonarius), which is much larger and has fluffy, downward-turned edges.
Cooking methods: salting or pickling after pre-treatment.
Milky fragrant
Habitats of the fragrant milkweed (Lactarius glyciosmus): coniferous and mixed forests,
Season: Aug. Sept.
The cap has a diameter of 4-8 cm, dense, but brittle, shiny, at first convex, later flat-spread, slightly depressed in the middle, often with a small tubercle in the center. The color of the cap is brownish-gray with a lilac, yellowish, pinkish tint.
The leg is 3-6 cm tall, 0.6-1.5 cm thick, cylindrical, slightly narrowed at the base, smooth, yellowish.
The pulp is brittle, brownish or reddish-brown. The milky sap is white and turns green in the air.
The plates are frequent, narrow, slightly descending, light brown.
Variability. The color of the cap and stem can vary from gray-brown to reddish-brown.
Similarities with other species. The fragrant milkweed is similar to the umber milkweed, which has an umber cap, gray-brown, white flesh, and turns brown when cut, not green. Both mushrooms are used salted after preliminary boiling.
Cooking methods: edible mushroom, but requires preliminary mandatory boiling, after which it can be salted.
Milky lilac
Habitats of the lilac milkweed (Lactarius lilacinum): broad-leaved with oak and alder, deciduous and mixed forests, growing singly and in groups.
Season: July – early October.
The cap has a diameter of 4-8 cm, at first convex, later convex-spread with a concave middle. A distinctive feature of the species is the lilac-pink color of the cap with a brighter middle and lighter edges. The cap may have faintly visible concentric zones.
The stalk is 3-8 cm tall, 7-15 mm thick, cylindrical, sometimes curved at the base, at first dense, later hollow. The color of the leg varies from whitish to yellow-cream.
The pulp is thin, whitish-pinkish or lilac-pink, non-caustic, slightly pungent, odorless. The milky sap is abundant, white, and in air it acquires a lilac-greenish color.
The plates are frequent, straight, thin, narrow, adherent and slightly descending along the stem, at first cream-colored, later lilac-cream with a lilac tint.
Variability: The color of the cap can vary from pinkish-brown to reddish-cream, and the stem from creamy-brown to brown.
Similarities with other species. The lilac milky is similar in color to the smooth one, or common milkweed (Lactarius trivialis), which is characterized by rounded edges and pronounced concentric zones with purple and brown tints.
Cooking methods: salting or pickling after pre-treatment.
Milky gray-pink
Habitats of the gray-pink milkweed (Lactarius helvus): deciduous and mixed forests, in swamps in moss among birch and spruce trees, in groups or individually.
Season: July-September.
The cap is large, 7-10 cm in diameter, sometimes up to 15 cm. At first, it is convex with curved edges downwards, silky-fibrous with a depression in the middle. Sometimes there is a small bump in the center. The edges straighten out in maturity. A distinctive feature of the species is a gray-pink, fawn, gray-pink-brown, gray-brown cap and a very strong smell. The surface is dry, velvety, without concentric zones. When dried, mushrooms smell like fresh hay or coumarin.
The leg is thick and short, 5-8 cm tall and 1-2.5 cm thick, smooth, hollow, gray-pink, lighter than the cap, solid, strong in youth, lighter in the upper part, mealy, later red-brown.
The pulp is thick, brittle, whitish-fawn, with a very strong spicy smell and a bitterish and very pungent taste. The milky sap is watery and may be completely absent in older specimens.
The mid-frequency plates, weakly descending onto the stem, are lighter than the cap. The spore powder is yellowish. The color of the plates is yellow-ocher with a pinkish tint.
Similarities with other species. By smell: spicy or fruity, gray-pink milkweed can be confused with oak milkweed (Lactarius zonarius), which is distinguished by the presence of concentric zones on the cap of a brownish color.
Cooking methods. The milkies are gray-pink foreign literature are considered poisonous. In the domestic literature, they are considered of little value due to their strong odor and are conditionally edible after processing.
Conditionally edible due to its strongly pungent taste.
Camphor milkweed
Habitats of the camphor milkweed (Lactorius camphoratus): deciduous, coniferous and mixed forests, on acidic soils, often among moss, usually grow in groups.
Season: September October.
The cap has a diameter of 3-7 cm, fragile and soft, fleshy, at first convex, then spread out and slightly depressed in the middle. A distinctive feature of the species is a well-defined tubercle in the center of the cap, often ribbed edges and a rich red-brown color.
The leg is 2-5 cm tall, brown-reddish in color, smooth, cylindrical, thin, sometimes narrowed at the base, smooth in the lower part, velvety in the upper part. The color of the stem is lighter than that of the cap.
The pulp is dense and sweet in taste. The second distinctive property of the species is the smell of camphor in the pulp, which is often compared to the smell of a crushed bug. When cut, the pulp releases a white, milky, sweetish juice, but with a sharp aftertaste that does not change color in the air.
The plates are very frequent, reddish-brown in color, wide, with a powdery surface, descending along the stalk. The spores are creamy white and elliptical in shape.
Variability. The color of the stem and cap varies from reddish brown to dark brown and brownish red. The plates can be ocher or reddish in color. The flesh may have a rust color.
Similarities with other species. Camphor milkweed looks like rubella (Lactarius subdulcis), which also has a reddish-brown cap, but does not have a strong camphor smell.
Cooking methods:
Coconut milkweed
Habitats of the coke milkweed (Lactorius glyciosmus): deciduous and mixed forests with birches, growing singly or in small groups.
Season: September October.
The cap has a diameter of 3-7 cm, fragile and soft, fleshy, at first convex, then spread out and slightly depressed in the middle. A distinctive feature of the species is its gray-ocher cap with lighter thin edges.
The stem is 3-8 cm tall, 5-12 mm thick, cylindrical, smooth, slightly lighter than the cap.
The pulp is white, dense, with a smell coconut flakes, milky juice does not change color in air.
The plates are frequent, light cream with a pinkish tint, slightly descending onto the stem.
Variability. The color of the cap varies from gray-ocher to gray-brown.
Similarities with other species. The coconut milkweed is similar to the purple milkweed (Lactarius violascens), which is distinguished by a grayish-brownish color with pale pinkish spots.
Cooking methods: salting after soaking or boiling.
Milky wet, or gray lilac
Habitats of the wet milkweed (Lactarius uvidus): deciduous forests with birch and alder, in damp places. They grow in groups or singly.
Season: July-September.
The cap has a diameter of 4-9 cm, sometimes up to 12 cm, at first convex with a downward curved edge, then spread out, depressed, smooth. A distinctive feature of the species is its highly sticky, glossy and shiny cap, fawn or yellowish-brown, sometimes with small brownish spots and faintly visible concentric zones.
The leg is 4-7 cm long, 7-15 mm thick, fawn with yellowish spots.
Poisonous milkweed is ubiquitous in forests - it is a mushroom dangerous to human health, which should not end up in a mushroom picker’s basket. Distinguish and identify inedible mushrooms The descriptions presented on this page will help the milkmen. Photos of lacticiferous mushrooms accompany all the proposed ones. botanical characteristics species.
Thyroid milky
The cap is 3-5 (10) cm in diameter, convex at first, then flat-spread, concave-spread with age, sometimes with a tubercle in the center, with a folded hairy edge. The skin is slimy or sticky, often with a vaguely defined one concentric zone, ocher-yellow, brownish-yellow, and when pressed it turns from lilac-gray to brownish-violet. The plates are attached, shortly descending, moderately frequent, narrow with plates, cream-colored, when pressed they turn purple, then become lilac-gray, brownish. The milky juice is white, quickly turns purple in the air, abundant at first, may disappear over time, the taste is changeable: from sweet through bitter to acrid. The leg is 3-5 (8) x 0.5-1.5 cm, cylindrical or widens towards the base, hard, hollow, mucous, the same color as the cap. The pulp is dense, white, quickly turning purple when cut, the taste is initially sweetish, over time it becomes acrid-bitter, with a pleasant smell. Spore powder is creamy.
Thyroid milky forms an association and. Grows in deciduous forests, in small groups, rarely, in August - October. Inedible.
Golden milky milkweed
The cap is 4-8 cm in diameter, thin-fleshy, flat, soon funnel-shaped, with a tucked, then straight, thin, smooth edge. The skin is sticky in wet weather, then dry, bare, smooth, light terracotta, cream, ocher-orange, fawn, with intermittent ocher zones that are almost invisible in mature specimens. The plates are descending, frequent, narrow, with plates, white, becoming ocher-cream. The milky juice is white, quickly turns lemon-yellow in air, and tastes pungent. Leg 3-7 X 0.7-1.5 cm, cylindrical or club-shaped, brittle, hollow, dry, bare, smooth, light ocher, with dark ocher lacunae, hairy at the base. The pulp is loose, fragile, creamy, tastes sharp, without much odor. Spore powder is creamy.
The golden milky plant forms an association with birch (Betula L.). It also grows in mixed forests, in groups, rarely, in August - September.
Milky dark brown
The cap is 3-6 (10) cm in diameter, flat-convex, then broadly funnel-shaped, with a wavy sharp edge. The skin is slightly sticky or short-velvety, smooth with age, brown, ocher-brown, grayish-brown, with a lighter edge.
The plates are descending, sparse, narrow, with plates and anastomoses, in a young state the same color as the cap, with age - grayish-ocher, ocher-yellow, powdered with spore mass, turning pink when pressed. The milky juice is white, turns red in the air, at first tasteless, then bitter. The stem is 3-8 x 0.5-2 cm, cylindrical, often narrowed towards the base, hard, hollow or hollow, thin-velvety, smooth, the same color as the cap or a shade lighter, when pressed it becomes dirty red. The pulp is dense, white, reddening when cut, with a slightly bitter taste, without much odor.
The dark brown milkweed forms an association with birch (Betula L.). Grows in deciduous and mixed forests, in small groups, merging at the base with several basidiomes, infrequently, in August - September. Inedible.
Pale sticky milkweed
The cap is 3-5 cm in diameter, convex, then funnel-shaped, prostrate, unevenly wavy, with a drooping edge. The skin is smooth, slimy, when dry it becomes glossy, from flesh-pink to dark yellow, with a purple or lilac tint, and when pressed it slowly becomes dirty gray or turns black. The plates are slightly descending, narrow, of moderate frequency, light ocher or with a rich yellow tint and with yellow droplets from milky juice. The milky juice is whitish, initially quite abundant, bitter, and after some time becomes hot and spicy. The stalk is 3-6 x 0.7-1.5 cm, slightly curved, narrowed downwards, slightly flattened, longitudinally grooved, mucous, a shade lighter than the cap. The pulp is whitish, slowly turns yellow in air, with a burning taste and apple smell. The spore powder is yellowish.
The pale sticky milkweed forms an association (Picea A. Dietr.). Grows in spruce and mixed with spruce forests, in groups, infrequently, in July - October. Inedible.
Milky gray
The cap is 3-6 cm in diameter, thin-fleshy, initially flat, then flat-prostrate, with a sharp papillary tubercle, the edge is initially lowered, then becomes straight, sharp, smooth.
The skin is dry, felt-scaly, pinkish-ocher, terracotta, the scales are lead-gray, and with age they become the same color as the surface of the cap. The plates are descending, frequent, forked, with plates, pinkish-ocher. The milky juice is white and does not change in air. Leg 3-7 x 0.4-0.9 cm, cylindrical, sometimes widened towards the base, brittle, hollow, felt, the same color as the cap, white-pubescent at the base. The pulp is white or slightly yellowish, has a slightly pungent taste, and has no particular odor. The spore powder is yellowish.
Gray milkhen forms an association with (Alnus incana (L.) Moench) and birch (Betula L.). Grows in alder forests, in small groups, on soil and wood, infrequently, in August - September, inedible.
Milky pink
The cap is 5-10 (15) cm in diameter, convex, then flat-spread, sometimes with a tubercle, often funnel-shaped, sometimes with a sinuous dissected edge. The skin is dry, finely scaly, silky-fibrous, granular-flaky in the center, becomes bare with age, cracking, yellowish-clay-brownish or brownish-brown, lilac-pinkish-grayish, pinkish-ochreous-grayish, without zones. The plates are descending, thin, frequent, whitish, yellowish, creamy-ochreous, ocher. The milky juice is watery-white, scanty, does not change in air, the taste ranges from sweetish to bitterish. The stem is 5-9 x 0.5-2 cm, smooth or slightly swollen, usually hollow at maturity, the same color as the cap, lighter at the top, with a powdery coating, with whitish fibers at the bottom. The pulp is whitish-fawn, thin, fragile, with a sweetish taste and the smell of coumarin, which intensifies when dried. Spore powder is light cream.
The pink milkweed forms an association with spruce (Picea A. Dietr.), pine (Pinus L.) and birch (Betula L.). It also grows in mixed forests, singly and in small groups, infrequently, in July - October. Inedible (poisonous).
Milky brown
The cap is 2-5 (8) cm in diameter, thin-fleshy, depressed, funnel-shaped, with a papillary tubercle and an initially drooping, soon straight wavy edge. The skin is dry, bare, smooth, chestnut to olive brown in color, darker in the middle, lighter towards the edges, fading to almost white. The plates are slightly descending, frequent, narrow, with plates, at first reddish-ocher, with age they become dirty rusty brown, often powdered with spore mass. The milky juice is watery-whitish, and after a few minutes in air it becomes dark yellow, with a pungent, pungent taste. The stem is 3-5 (7) x 0.4-0.8 cm, cylindrical, strong, becomes hollow with age, smooth, the same color as the cap, covered with white mycelium at the base. The pulp is fragile, light ocher, reddish at the stem, becomes sulfur-yellow when cut, has a pungent taste, with a slight pleasant odor. With FeSO4 after some time it turns olive-brown. The spore powder is creamy.
Forms an association with spruce (Picea A. Dietr.). Grows in spruce forests, on acidic soils, in small groups, infrequently, in September - October. Inedible.
Milky bitter
The cap is 3-5 cm in diameter, thin-fleshy, initially convex, then depressed, with a papillary tubercle and a long curved, then straight, smooth, sharp edge. The skin is dry, smooth, ocher-brown, red-brown, yellow-red, with a copper tint, fading to cream. The plates are descending, frequent, narrow, with plates, cream, ocher. The milky juice is watery-white, does not change color in air, with a mild taste, although after some time it may become bitter. Leg 3-5 x 0.4-0.6 cm, club-shaped, brittle, hollow, glabrous, smooth, the same color as the cap. The pulp is loose, white, creamy, tastes fresh, slowly spicy, odorless. Spore powder is ocher.
The bitter milkweed forms an association with oak (Quercus L.) and birch (Betula L.). Grows in deciduous, coniferous and mixed forests, in small groups, on soil and wood, infrequently, in July - September. Inedible.
Milky lilac
The cap is 5-8 (10) cm in diameter, thin-fleshy, initially flat, then flat-prostrate with a sharp papillary tubercle. The edge is initially lowered, then becomes straight, sharp, smooth. The skin is dry, thin tomentose-scaly, pale lilac, from dark lilac-pink to red, fading with age to lilac-pinkish, flesh-lilac. The plates are descending, frequent, forked, with plates, pinkish-ocher. The milky juice is white; the color does not change in air. The stem is 3-7 x 0.4-1 cm, cylindrical, sometimes widened towards the base, brittle, hollow, pinkish-ochreous. The pulp is whitish, initially sweetish in taste, then slowly acrid, without much odor. The spore powder is white (in young specimens) to creamy (in old specimens).
The lilac milkweed forms an association with alder (Alnus Mill.). Grows in alder forests, in small groups, on soil and wood, infrequently, in August - September. Inedible.
Milky wet
The cap is 2-10 cm in diameter, thin-fleshy, flat, depressed, with a tubercle and a sharp, smooth edge. The skin is greasy, slimy in wet weather, pale grayish or almost white, without zones; when dry it is grayish-brownish, yellowish-brownish, with barely noticeable zones. The plates are descending, frequent, narrow, with plates, cream-colored, and purple when wounded and pressed. The milky juice is white, quickly turning purple in the air. Leg 6-8 x 0.8-1.5 cm, cylindrical, hollow, mucous, with yellowish spots, lilac. The pulp is dense, white, quickly turns purple in the air, has a slowly bitter-sharp taste, and is odorless. Spore powder is ocher.
The wet milky plant forms an association with birch (Betula L.), pine (Pinus L.) and willow (Salicx L.). Grows in damp coniferous and mixed forests, in large groups, rarely, in August - September. Inedible.
Milky spiny
The cap is 2.5-4 (6) cm in diameter, very thin-fleshy, with thin veins on the surface, initially flat, then flat-spread, depressed, with a sharp papillary tubercle. The edge is thin, slightly ribbed, drooping, and can straighten with age. The skin is pinkish-red to lilac-carmine-red, dry, tomentose-roughly scaly (scales up to 2 mm in height). The plates are short descending, narrow, thin, frequent, forked, with plates, pinkish-ochre, when pressed they become olive-brown. The milky juice is white, does not change in air, is quite abundant, at first has a mild taste, later it becomes slightly bitter. The leg is 3-5 x 0.2-0.8 cm, lilac-pink, never has an ocher tone in color, cylindrical, slightly narrowed towards the base, initially formed, becoming hollow with age. The pulp is whitish to pale ocher, when pressed it acquires a greenish tint, with a mild taste and no particular odor. Spore powder is light ocher.
The spiny milkweed forms an association with birch (Betula L.) and alder (Alnus Mill.). Grows in moist deciduous and mixed forests, in groups, among sphagnum, infrequently, in July - September. Inedible.
Watery milky milkweed
The cap is 2-4 cm in diameter, thin-fleshy, flat, then depressed, with a papillary tubercle, with a sharp wavy edge. The skin is smooth or wrinkled, cracking when dry, dark brown, black-brown, dark brown, red-brown. The plates are descending, of moderate frequency, wide, with plates, cream-colored, with reddish-brown spots. The milky juice is watery-white, does not change in air, with a mild taste. Leg 4-7 x 0.2-0.4 cm, cylindrical, smooth, yellow, darker at the base. The pulp is loose, white, turning brown with age, tastes fresh, without much odor.
The milkweed forms an association with oak (Quercus L.) and spruce (Picea A. Dietr.). Grows in mixed and deciduous forests, in large groups, infrequently, in July - November. Inedible.
Look at the poisonous milkweed in the photo and remember it so as not to take it in the forest:
