As soon as the season arrives, mushroom pickers begin making pickles, including milk mushrooms and volnushki (white milk mushrooms). Sometimes the harvest is so abundant that, in addition to pickling and marinating, it's possible to make a separate, combined pickle of these different mushrooms. Besides its delicious taste, this dish is quick to prepare, allowing you to make a large stockpile of these forest bounty for the winter.
The taste of milk mushrooms and russula, and the benefits of combining them when pickling
Volnushki and russula are nutritious milk mushrooms. Mushroom pickers often refer to volnushki as russula due to their similar taste. These mushrooms are among the most delicious; russula, along with volnushki, are equally popular as winter pickles.
Before pickling, it's important to remember the safety of combining different varieties. In this case, milk mushrooms and volnushki mushrooms can be pickled together without posing any danger. Since they are agaric mushrooms, they are often pickled together.
Preparing mushrooms for pickling
First, you'll need to remove any old, damaged mushrooms. Then, these natural bounty mushrooms are thoroughly washed, which can be done in two ways. Milk mushrooms are soaked for several hours, while russula require a more thorough wash. This is due to their specific, hard-to-reach growing locations and the high levels of contamination.
Often, natural gifts are salted individually, but milk caps and russula can be salted together. When soaking mushrooms, keep in mind that milk caps soak for three days, while russula soak for five. The soaking process for these natural gifts is crucial for the product's flavor.
The salting process is prepared depending on the method used. In any case, the water should be changed frequently (preferably every six hours). This will prevent the salt from becoming sour, spreading, and losing its shape.

Recipes for winter preparations
Since these mushrooms are conditionally edible, careful preparation is essential. Salt should be at least 6% of the total weight. Cooking methods vary depending on the ingredients and cooking time, and each homemaker must choose the method that best suits their needs.
To learn cooking recipes and choose the one that suits you best, it makes sense to try all the options.
Classic recipe
This type of pickling will allow you to appreciate the delicious flavor of the mushrooms just a few days later. To do this, you'll need:
- soaked milk mushrooms (5 kilograms);
- salt (250 grams);
- saucepan or barrel.
The last water is drained from the container containing the forest harvest, and the mushrooms are cut lengthwise into 2-4 pieces, ensuring that the cap and stem are present throughout. The mushrooms are laid out in layers, evenly sprinkling each layer with salt. The mushroom contents are covered with a wooden circle or plate and pressed down with weight. This position is maintained for about three days, stirring occasionally. The prepared contents are placed in a jar and sealed with a lid.
If long-term storage is not expected, the container is sealed with a plastic lid and placed in the refrigerator.

Hot salting method
This method involves boiling milk mushrooms and russula before canning. The following ingredients are required:
- 700 grams of milk mushrooms with russula;
- 4-6 black currant leaves;
- 10 peppercorns;
- 3-5 cloves;
- 3 bay leaves;
- 3 cloves of garlic;
- salt - at individual discretion;
- water – 1.5 liters.
The cleaned and soaked mushroom mixture is placed in an enamel pot and simmered for about 30 minutes. The mushrooms are then drained in a colander, leaving most of the brine in the pot. Next, the jars are prepared (pasteurized), the mushroom mixture is transferred to the jars, and the brine is poured in until the mushrooms are completely submerged, but not floating. The jars are then filled with the remaining ingredients.
It is better to roll up the jars with iron lids rather than plastic ones to prevent oxygen penetration; store them in a cool place.

Cold salting
There's also a cold method for pickling milk mushrooms and russula. Before cold pickling, place bay leaves and peppercorns in the bottom of the container. The following ingredients are required for pickling:
- volnushki and milk mushrooms (total 1 kilogram);
- a liter of water;
- 50 grams of salt;
- 2 grams of citric acid;
- spices - at individual discretion.
The cleaned and washed mushroom mixture is cut into pieces (halves or quarters, with caps and stems removed). The small mushrooms are completely salted. Water is mixed with salt, spices, and citric acid. The mixture of forest bounty is placed in an enamel or wooden bowl, and salt and spices are added. The salted mushrooms are pressed down with weight.
After two days, top up the mushroom contents and store in a cool place for 1-2 months. If the brine has diminished or evaporated, top up with citric acid or increase the weight of the brine. The appearance of mold on wild mushrooms during cold pickling is a natural reaction. It's easy to remove by rinsing the top layer with hot water.

After how many days can I eat?
The mushroom assortment will be ready no sooner than in a month. This is approximately how long it will take salting the trumpetsBlack milk mushrooms need 40 days to be pickled. Some mushroom pickers claim that even after this period, they still taste slightly bitter, but this is rare and is influenced by the forest and soil composition. If the milk mushrooms are bitter, it's a good idea to extend the pickling process for another month. When the pickling process is complete, rinse the mushrooms lightly, cut them, add onions, and the mushrooms are ready to eat.
Important! Inspect the contents for mold every two days and remove any mold or fungi.









