Black Milk Mushroom: 20+ Photos, Description, Where to Find, How to Cook, Reviews

Many mushroom pickers, especially beginners, are prejudiced against milk mushrooms and consider them inedible. In fact, they are just as beneficial and tasty, if not more so, than regular mushrooms, if you know the secrets of preparing and using them.

Black milk mushroom (Lactarius necator): description and photo

The black milk mushroom is able to hide in the grass, which is facilitated by its inconspicuous appearance.

hat

The cap is flat, with a depressed center and folded, fringed edges. It can reach 20 cm in diameter and is greenish or brown in color, with the center darker than the edge. The skin becomes slimy when the air humidity increases.

Leg

The stem is 8 cm tall and reaches 3 cm in diameter. It is cylindrical in shape, tapering at the base. The surface is smooth and the same color as the cap.

Pulp

The flesh is light-colored and very fragile. When cut, it turns grayish and begins to ooze a caustic, milky-like juice. This pungent flavor makes the black milk cap inedible when fresh.

When cooked, the color of the pulp changes to purple, and its volume decreases significantly.

Spore powder

The spore-bearing layer is represented by cream-colored plates with spores of the same color.

Read about different types of milk mushrooms in the articleMilk mushrooms (milk caps): 67 species, photos, what they look like, when and how to collect them, what forests they grow in.

Where and when does the black milk mushroom grow?

The black milk cap rarely grows alone. It forms a mycosis with birch trees, so it can be found in well-lit deciduous forests. Many mushrooms are found in open clearings and along paths.

The harvest typically begins in mid-July. Fruiting continues until October. The greatest number of black milk mushrooms can be harvested from August to September.

What mushrooms can be confused with the black milk mushroom, how to distinguish it

The black milk mushroom has a lookalike, with which it is often confused. It's called the "black milk mushroom" and has the following distinctive features:

There is no fringe on the edge of the cap.
The color of the cap and stem is black, there is no hint of a greenish or brownish tint, like in the milk mushroom.
The mushroom does not have milky juice, therefore, unlike milk mushrooms, it can be wormy.

Photo gallery of black milk cap mushrooms

Read the articleRussula: 37 species with 253 photos and descriptions, where and when they grow, benefits and harms.

Is the black milk mushroom edible or not?

The black milk mushroom is considered conditionally edible. It should never be eaten fresh, and to remove its bitterness, it must be soaked in water for a long time. However, milk mushrooms are indispensable for pickling. This dish is considered a true delicacy in some regions.

The benefits and harms of black milk mushrooms

Black milk mushrooms are widely used in folk medicine. They are believed to have powerful anti-inflammatory properties. Furthermore, periodic consumption of salted milk mushrooms helps:

Strengthen the immune system.
Prevent the formation of kidney stones.
Strengthen liver health.

But milk mushrooms are considered conditionally edible for good reason. They contain a dangerous toxin that causes severe poisoning in humans. Therefore, these mushrooms are never eaten fresh. They are also contraindicated for the following individuals:

For children under 12 years of age.
For pregnant and lactating women.
People over 65 years of age.
For people suffering from gastrointestinal diseases.

It's also important to remember that mushrooms, like sponges, absorb toxins from the environment. Therefore, they should only be harvested in ecologically clean areas.

Rules for collecting black milk mushrooms

Black milk mushrooms grow in clusters; when picking, it's best to select young ones. They have short stems and convex caps. It's best not to pick mushrooms with caps longer than 18-20 cm. Their flavor becomes less pronounced, and the hollow stems impair the quality of pickling.

Recipes with black milk mushrooms

Black milk mushrooms are used for pickling. Their flavor is not fully revealed in other dishes. Fresh milk mushrooms are completely unsuitable for consumption due to their toxic milky juice.

How to prepare milk mushrooms for cooking

First, wash the mushrooms thoroughly under running water, removing any forest dirt and sand. Next, soak them in cold water for at least three days to remove the bitterness from the juice. Change the water daily; more frequently, but not less frequently.

Pickling milk mushrooms

Salted milk mushrooms are considered one of the most successful ways to prepare mushrooms. This method reveals their full flavor. There are two main methods of salting:

Cold. Soak the milk mushrooms for 3-4 days and place them in an enamel container (never use galvanized or aluminum). It's important to arrange them cap-side down in layers, sprinkling each layer with salt and seasoning with your favorite herbs and spices. Once the container is full, cover it with cheesecloth and place a heavy plate on top. Juice should begin to flow after 48 hours. If this doesn't happen, increase the weight and add a little salt water to the mushrooms. Rinse or change the cheesecloth every three days. The pickling period is 40 days. After this time, the mushrooms are considered ready.
Hot. Place the washed and soaked mushrooms in an enamel saucepan, cover with water, and simmer for 1 hour. Add the cloves, bay leaf, and allspice berries and simmer for another 10 minutes. Then place the mushrooms in jars and pour the solution over them, removing the bay leaf first.

Pickled milk mushrooms

The washed milk mushrooms are boiled in water for 30 minutes, then rinsed and cooled.

Prepare the marinade separately. The quantities listed are based on 1 liter of water.

Salt – 1 tbsp.
Sugar – 1 tsp.
Bay leaf – 3 pcs.
Black pepper – 10 peas.
Cloves – 2-3 pcs.
Vinegar 9% - 50 ml.

Pour water into a saucepan, add the ingredients (except vinegar) according to volume, bring to a boil, and simmer for 45 minutes. Add the vinegar three minutes before the end of the simmering process. Pack the mushrooms tightly into sterilized jars, fill to the rim with hot marinade, and seal.

Fried milk mushrooms

Although milk mushrooms are most often used for pickling, they are sometimes fried and served as a side dish.

in sour cream

Ingredients:

Black milk mushrooms – 500 g
Sour cream – 350 ml.
Dill - 1 tbsp finely chopped
Water – 300 ml
Salt – 1 tsp.

Cooking steps:

The mushrooms must be soaked thoroughly, then cut into medium-sized pieces and placed in a preheated frying pan. Fry them for 5 minutes over high heat, stirring constantly.
Next, add water, salt and leave to simmer for about an hour.
Dill is mixed with sour cream.
Once the water has boiled away, add the sauce to the mushrooms and simmer for another 20 minutes.

in flour

Ingredients:

Black milk mushrooms – 500 g.
Salt – 1 tbsp
Onions – 100 g
Butter – 50 g
Flour – 2-3 tbsp.

Method of preparation:

Pre-soaked mushrooms are cut and boiled for 30 minutes.
Place in a colander and rinse.
Dry and roll in flour.
Place in a heated frying pan with oil and fry for 5 minutes.
Add chopped onion and fry for another 7 minutes.

It will be even tastier if you transfer the mushrooms to a heat-resistant container, sprinkle with dill, add oil and place in the oven for 10 minutes.

Black milk mushroom caviar

Ingredients:

Black milk mushrooms – 2 kg.
Onions – 300 g.
Vegetable oil – 14 tbsp
Salt – 5 tsp.
Ground pepper – 1 tsp.

Method of preparation:

The mushrooms are washed and soaked for several hours.
Cook for an hour over low heat.
They are thrown into a colander and washed.
Finely chop the onion and fry in vegetable oil until golden brown.
Mushrooms and onions are combined.
Salt is added
The mass is ground with a blender until smooth.
The caviar is placed in sterilized jars.

Preserving black milk mushrooms

Ingredients:

Black milk mushrooms – 1 kg.
Onion – 1 pc.
Bay leaf – 2 pcs.
Spices – 1 tsp.
Vinegar 9% - 2 tbsp.

Method of preparation:

Soak the milk mushrooms and boil them for 5 minutes in salted water.
Place in a colander, let the liquid drain and fry in butter for 15 minutes under a closed lid over low heat.
Add salt, onion, spices and simmer for another 60 minutes.
Add vinegar 3 minutes before cooking is done.
Place into jars, roll up and place with the lids down under a blanket.
After 48 hours, you can re-sterilize to increase the shelf life of the mushrooms.

How to keep black milk mushrooms fresh

If you've collected a large quantity of fresh mushrooms, you can freeze them for the winter. There are two ways to do this:

Boil the peeled mushrooms for 40 minutes, then cool. Place them in bags and store in the freezer.
Clean the mushrooms from debris and sand, rinse, cut, remove signs of worms, divide into portioned containers and put in the freezer.

Reviews of the black milk mushroom

Yesterday we collected 3 baskets of black mushrooms, soaked them in cold water, then at home I boiled them in 3 waters, salted them with garlic and dill in a saucepan, but what to do with the rest They say they didn't even soak them in the past, but rather placed them in a river under running water for a week, then weighted them down and stored them in the cellar for the winter! Share your advice on how to preserve these mushrooms for the winter. :dolf

User baraban, Moscow, Medvedkovo-Sergiev Posad, September 13, 2008

What to do with the rest? The same as with the first ones. There are two ways to pickle mushrooms: cold (soaking) and hot (boiling).
In any case, black milk mushrooms are a thing! Before serving, lightly rinse the salted black milk mushrooms with dill, garlic, and currants, sprinkle with thinly sliced and washed onions. Drizzle with sour cream and stir. Let them sit for half an hour and then serve them cold—the perfect appetizer.

You need to soak them, changing the water—ideally several times a day, and the water should be cold. That's why we put them under running water. Otherwise, they'll taste bitter. By the way, try boiling some and pickling them—then compare. The tastes are completely different, and everyone has their own preferences.