The edibility of fungi of the lactecs and their description (+29 photo)

Millers (Lactarius) are one of the most popular mushrooms in our forests. They belong to this Syroezhkov family and are distinguished by a lamellar structure. The name literally means "giving milk." This is because the flesh contains juice, which is released when the fetus is damaged and resembles milk.

Overripe individuals (as well as mushrooms during a period of prolonged drought) may not have this juice at all. In Europe, the overwhelming majority of milkmen are considered inedible and even poisonous representatives of the mushroom world. In Russia, lactarias consider mushrooms to be conditionally edible, but are actively eaten because of their safety - a detailed description and photos make it easy to identify them in the forest.

The characteristic features of the mushrooms

The genus includes approximately 400 species of mushrooms. Millers have both common and individual signs, depending on the species.

Description of the appearance and photo of the mushroom

Depending on the particular species, the size of the cap may vary within 8 cm. Young individuals are characterized by the fit of the edge of the cap to the leg. As the hat grows, it becomes flat, funnel-shaped or flat-concave. The edges of the fetus are most often even, but there are also wavy ones.

The color of hats is quite diverse: from white to dark olive. The color of the hat may change as it grows. The surface structure of the hats is quite diverse: it can be either velvety or smooth, or scaly or with a slight pubescence.

The raw flesh of the mushrooms has an acute taste, but some fruits have a fresh or sweet flesh. Its color remains unchanged at the cut points. The pulp is painted in pale shades of brown, cream or fawn. Most species have a faint odor; some lack it. And some varieties have a very specific aroma.

The leg is cylindrical in shape, which is clearly visible in the photo. The color of the legs is usually the same as the hat. Leg height varies between 5-8 cm. Leg is smooth and dry, sometimes there are fruits with mucous and sticky legs.

Habitat

Mushrooms of this kind can be found almost all over the world. Fruits grow almost all over the world - in Africa, Australia, North and South America, Eurasia. These mushrooms are most common in the temperate climate of the Northern Hemisphere, where you can find them already in June.

In dry weather, the harvest is worth waiting for in August-September. Mushrooms inhabit humid forests and forest edges, in parks and meadows near trees. Millers live in symbiosis with most deciduous and coniferous trees, most often they are birch, beech, oak, spruce and pine.

This species is often found in the central districts of Russia, in Altai. You can find them in the Vladimir, Amur, Pskov, Saratov regions. In the forests of Russia, this genus is very common, so finding mushrooms will be very simple.

Terms and conditions of collection

These mushrooms bear fruit in the period from July to mid-October. Most varieties are resistant to cold and hygrophilous, which contributes to rapid growth in the autumn period. They do not grow for long, forming only two layers of fruiting bodies.

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For forest gifts, it is advisable to go to the company of an experienced mushroom picker. Lactists have a lot of inedible and poisonous doubles, the use of which can cause severe food poisoning.

Conditionally edible milkers

All edible species have some common features: the characteristic taste of milky juice and the same color of spore powder. The genus has many species, but the following conditionally edible fruits are considered the most popular:

• the young lactarius vulgaris has a dark blue color, with age the color becomes lilac and brown, then yellow or ocher. On the hat you can see dark rings. Use it only after prolonged soaking;

  

• a faded milkman has a spread or convex hat of a gray-brown color, which over time becomes light gray. The surface of the fetus is uneven, moist and sticky to the touch. Only large specimens are used for pickling and pickles, because the pulp of the fruit is very thin;

  

• the cap of the brownish lactarius has a dark brown or brown color. The velvety cap is convex at the beginning of growth, and eventually becomes depressed. Its edges are slightly bent. The mushroom is popular among mushroom pickers, it is salted, dried and pickled, previously boiled;

  

• the brown lactarius has a dark brown or black-brown depressed hat, which at a young age has a convex shape with a small tubercle in the middle. The hat is velvety to the touch, and its edges are wavy with a slight pubescence. The legs of the specimen are considered inedible, because they are too rigid;

  

• hygrophoroid lactarius - an edible mushroom. His brown hat sometimes has a red or brown hue. The flesh is white, with damage the milk protrudes. Use the fruit to prepare any dishes;

  

• a hat of a burning milky mushroom is a color from olive to cream. Mature individuals are characterized by a concave hat with a wavy edge. The taste of raw pulp is burning and has a pleasant mushroom aroma.

  

Inedible species

Inedible milkers are not considered poisonous, but because of their low palatability, they are not eaten. Among them, the most common can be distinguished:

1. The sticky milkman has a shiny sticky hat, which is painted in gray-green color. Dark circles can be seen on the surface. The taste of pulp is peppery and quite sharp.

   

2. The hat of the gray-pink lactarius reaches a diameter of 12 cm, funnel-shaped with curled edges. The color is brownish pink. The pulp is bitter in taste and has a pronounced unpleasant odor.

   

3. The hepatic miller can be found in pine forests. It has a brown-liver color and a smooth hat. The flesh is pale brown, pungent in taste.

   

4. The dark miller is quite small in size: the diameter of the hat is up to 3 cm, the height of the legs is up to 2-3 cm. The color of the hat is buffy brown.

   

5. The tarry black lactarius has a velvety brown-brown hat up to 10 cm in diameter. The pulp is white in color, at the place of the slice acquires a pink hue. The fruit body smell is fruity, and the taste is peppery.

   

Useful properties, use in medicine and restrictions on the use

Mushrooms have long been used in folk medicine to treat purulent wounds, kidney diseases, and other diseases. Most species have antitumor and antibacterial effects. The composition of the fruits contains vitamins that favorably affect the nervous system and serve as a preventive measure for the development of sclerosis.

Medications based on breasts help to cope with kidney stones. The blue lump contains a natural antibiotic that has a detrimental effect on staphylococci. In some fruits, scientists have discovered lactarioviolin, an antibiotic that helps kill tuberculosis pathogens.

Most mushrooms of this genus are conditionally edible fruits, so they need to be cooked before use. You can not harvest near motorways, factories and plants, it is better to do this in ecologically clean areas. They are not advised to eat these fruits for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, pregnancy and lactation.

Recipes and cooking features

Mushrooms of this kind can be fried, boiled and pickled, but in this form their taste is muffled. Good taste is characterized by salted and pickled milkers. The saffron milk caps do not require prolonged soaking, but the bitter, breast and threshing should be soaked for some time in cold water.

Here are some delicious recipes:

• If the basket is filled with mushrooms - this is an excellent occasion to please loved ones with fried mushrooms. Harvest washed and cleaned of forest debris. Each copy is cut into 5-7 parts and spread on a heated frying pan with sunflower oil.

  

  The fire should be medium so that the water from the mushroom mass evaporates faster. When the water boils, reduce the heat and fry for about 15 minutes. At this time, you can add the chopped onion, salt and fry for about five minutes.

• To make delicious mushrooms in Korean, you will need the following ingredients:
  • milkers (any bitter mushrooms);
  • sugar;
  • soy sauce;
  • table vinegar;
  • fresh garlic;
  • hot pepper;
  • ground coriander.

    

  The fruits are pre-boiled 2-3 times for 30 minutes, each time changing the water. It is desirable that they retain a slightly bitter taste, which will give the dish a special piquancy. Boiled fruits season with soy sauce, pour sugar and pour a little vinegar. The resulting mass is thoroughly mixed with the addition of the necessary spices. The finished dish should be allowed to brew for several hours in the refrigerator.

Answers to Common Questions

Milk mushrooms are quite common throughout Russia. They are considered an autumn crop, because they love high humidity and tolerate cold weather. Among them there are many poisonous varieties, so you need to understand the species very well so as not to endanger yourself.