"Silent hunting", starting in the second half of summer (and often before), attracts crowds of mushroom pickers to the forests. Someone already knows the secret paths and "bread" places, someone barely began to master the subtle science of finding prey. And such can easily be fooled by a Molokan - a mushroom similar in appearance to a white breast, but very different in taste. And not for the better.
Mushroom description
Molokanka - a mushroom that has other names in the people. It is called either a felt load, then a creak, then a milkweed, then a violin. Molokanks of very large sizes grow: a hat in diameter can reach a quarter of a meter, and the height of the leg is 10 centimeters. With age, the white color of the fungus acquires a yellowish tint, and the cap acquires a funnel-like shape. The plates below it are rare, sometimes with dark spots.
Molokanka is a "family" mushroom. There are whole clearings planted with specimens of all ages and sizes. Skripuny settle under birch and aspen, but only solitary: they rarely climb deep into the forest. They love the sun, moss or leafy bedding.
How to distinguish a molokanka from a loaf
The main nuisance for a beginner mushroom picker is to pick up a full basket of pseudo-loads, brag to the neighbors, spend time cooking, and then bashfully throw the crop into the trash. Find them much easier: experienced "hunters" pass by without paying attention to these mushrooms. So you need to know the special signs that a Molokan can boast. The mushroom really looks like a breast, but you can still identify it.
Firstly, the breasts are fringed, with concentric zones, and the “fake” is smooth. Secondly, the “milk” secreted by the cargo quickly turns yellow in the air. The violin juice keeps its original color. Thirdly, the flesh of a molokanka is denser and drier. And the mushroom caps, in spite of their striking resemblance, have a slightly different shape: the edges of the mushrooms are slightly tucked down, and the violinists are slightly turned up.
Molokanka mushrooms: how to cook. Preparatory stage
The whole problem is bitter juice. In addition, the felt breast has a rather stiff flesh, and somehow it is necessary to deal with this. Therefore, in the Union, squealers belonged to the fourth category of edibility, and “beyond the hill” they are generally considered inedible. Nevertheless, there may be some sense from them. And the preparation of molokanka mushrooms begins with their careful soaking. For him, the production is sorted and sorted. All areas tested by the worms are deleted. Holes from punctures of branches and needles, if any, are also cut off with part of the hat. Mushrooms are washed and soaked several times - water is poured into the basin, which will cover the molokanka completely, and not very heavy oppression is placed on top so that the mushrooms do not float.
Change water as often as possible. After the first night spent in the water, a foam is sure to form. Before pouring new water, the mushrooms are washed several times again. Soaking will last about five days. At the same time, the mushrooms will decrease in volume - bitterness, which takes up to a fifth of the weight, is removed from the water with them. “Loading” the basin with new Molokans is not worth it, it is better to soak them in another vessel, otherwise the bile from them will not be completely eliminated.
Ideally, it would be nice to have a stream under the house with running (and clean!) Water. Then the initial stage would not require excessive efforts - loaded into the grid and tied to the nearest birch. Unfortunately, in the city this is an unattainable dream. But if you are engaged in pickling in the country, take an interest in the nearest ponds or unused wells.
Second stage: boiling
The next step is much less time consuming. Soaked molokanks are loaded into a larger pan, poured with fresh water and brought to a confident, but not excessive boil. You need to cook for a short time, about five minutes, during which your task is only to remove the rising foam with trash residues with a slotted spoon. It is not enough to drain the water; it must be well drained. Usually mushrooms are laid out portionwise in a colander. When drops do not fall after shaking, you can lay the next portion.
Direct salting
So, you have fully prepared molokanka mushrooms. How to salt is a separate song, although not too difficult to perform. In the absence of a tub, it is recommended to put an enameled bucket into the case without chips on the inner surface.
Large hats can be cut - purely for ease of use. Mushrooms are interbedded with halved garlic (about a head will go away), thin circles of horseradish root, leaves of lemongrass and blackcurrant, dill seeds (or its umbrellas). For example, black pepper and peas, but not too much. Each layer wakes up with a coffee spoon of salt. The top of the bucket is covered with clean gauze, a wide plate is placed on it and a load - a three-liter bottle of water will be enough. It is vigilant to monitor the condition: if mold forms on the gauze, it must be washed. And it’s better to replace it with a new one, it’s not so expensive.
Molokanka will be salted from a couple of weeks to a month, depending on temperature. The warmer - the faster, the colder - the tastier. It is better to keep them cool, and to use them like any other salted mushrooms.