Aspen (poplar, poplar) breast: photo and description, recipes for cooking for the winter

The aspen mushroom represents the Syroezhkov family, the genus Mlechniki. The second name is poplar mushroom. The view has many distinctive features. Before collecting, it is important to familiarize yourself with the description and photo of the poplar mushroom.

What does an aspen mushroom look like and where does it grow

The mushroom has a whitish, dense and brittle flesh with a fruity aroma and a bright taste. Aspen mushrooms can abundantly secrete white bitter juice. The plates of representatives of this species are not wide, sometimes forked, cream or light pinkish in color. The spore powder of the fungus has the same color.

Cap Description

The breast is characterized by a rather fleshy and dense cap with a diameter of 6 to 30 cm. It has a flat-convex shape and is slightly depressed in the center, and its fluffy edges in young specimens are slightly bent down. In the photo you can see that the cap of a ripened poplar mushroom straightens out and becomes slightly wavy. The surface of the fungus is covered with white or mottled skin with pinkish spots and fine fluff. In wet weather, it becomes quite sticky, and fragments of earth and forest litter stick to it.

Description of the leg

The height of the leg of the aspen breast varies from 3 to 8 cm. It is quite dense, tapering towards the base. Can be dyed white or pinkish.

Where and how to grow

The aspen mushroom is able to form mycorrhiza with willows, aspens and poplars. Its habitats are damp aspen forests and poplar forests. The mushroom grows in small groups in warm areas of the temperate climate zone. On the territory of Our Country, poplar mushrooms can often be found in the Lower Volga region. The fruiting time of the species begins in July and lasts until October.

Twins and their differences

Most often, the aspen (poplar) breast can be confused with the white wave (whitefish), which belongs to the edible species. Differences in the hat: at the wave it is densely pubescent.

Another twin of the species is the real edible mushroom. The mushroom has pubescence along the edges and white plates. In the poplar mushroom, they are painted pink.

Other representatives of the Mlechniki genus – violin, pepper mushroom – also have external similarities with the species, but they can be easily distinguished by the color of the cap: only in the aspen mushroom its underside is pink.

How to cook aspen mushrooms

Aspen mushroom is a conditionally edible mushroom that requires special preparation before use. The most popular methods are salting or pickling fruiting bodies. It is extremely important to follow the mushroom cooking technology correctly, otherwise they may become bitter due to the milky juice contained in the pulp.

Mushroom preparation

Before cooking, poplar milk mushrooms need careful preparation, which will help eliminate toxic substances in the product and a bitter taste.

How to wash poplar mushrooms

Immediately after harvesting, the mushrooms must be thoroughly washed and sticking removed. If this is difficult to do (grass and leaves stick tightly to the hat due to the juice), the fruiting bodies are poured with water in a capacious container.

How much to soak poplar milk mushrooms

To get rid of toxic substances, a small amount of which is present in the fruiting bodies, you can also soak them in salt water for 2-3 days, while changing the liquid every 7-10 hours. For this purpose, use a wooden or enameled container.

Before soaking, it is necessary to check that all fruiting bodies are immersed in water, otherwise the mushrooms on the surface will quickly change color.

Soaking poplar mushrooms is a necessary step: it helps to eliminate all toxic substances, as well as remove all bitterness from the mushrooms.

What can be prepared from aspen mushrooms

Aspen mushrooms are only suitable for pickling and pickling. When frozen (regardless of the method), the mushrooms lose all the liquid, because of which the taste quality suffers, bitterness appears. The same thing happens when frying fruiting bodies.

Recipes for making poplar mushrooms for the winter

The most popular options for preparing aspen milk mushrooms are pickling and salting mushrooms: this will help preserve their taste throughout the winter.

How to cook salted poplar milk mushrooms

The classic option for preserving aspen mushrooms for the winter in a cold way:

1. Fruiting bodies must be thoroughly cleaned and washed as above.
2. After that, you can start the salting process. For 1 kg of aspen mushrooms, 50 g of salt is consumed, which is sprinkled on the bottom of the container and covered on top with blackcurrant leaves, cherries or dill sprigs. This will help protect fruiting bodies from mold during storage.
3. Each new layer with a thickness of 5 to 10 cm is sprinkled with salt, adding a little bay leaf, pepper and garlic.
4. At the very top, currant leaves or dill are again laid out. After that, cover with a wooden circle according to the diameter of the vessel. A slightly smaller enamel pot lid will also work. The circle is wrapped with gauze and pressed down with oppression: a stone, a clean enameled pan with a load inside, etc. You should not use dolomite or limestone for this purpose. Dissolving, it can spoil the product.
5. After 2 days, the mushrooms should give juice and settle. The readiness of the fruiting bodies comes after a month and a half. You need to store them at a temperature of + 5-6 ° C in a ventilated basement or refrigerator. Higher rates contribute to the souring of aspen mushrooms. If the temperature is lower, the mushrooms become brittle and lose their taste.
6. If fruiting bodies are salted in a large container, they are reported in parts, as they are collected, and oppression is put.
   Important! During storage, mushrooms should be in brine and not float. If there is not enough liquid, you need to add cold boiled water.
7. If mold is found on a wooden mug, gauze or the walls of the container, the dishes must be washed in hot salted water.
8. If there are few mushrooms, it is better to pickle them in a small glass jar, putting a cabbage leaf on top. The container must be closed with a plastic lid and stored in the refrigerator.

This method of processing poplar mushrooms is only suitable for raw mushrooms.

Another option for cold pickling

Ingredients (for 8 servings):

• 5 kg of mushrooms;
• 500 g coarse salt;
• 1 horseradish root;
• 10 cloves of garlic;
• cherry, horseradish or black currant leaves.

How to cook:

1. On the third day after washing, the fruiting bodies must be removed from the water, dried and rubbed with salt.
2. Transfer the mushrooms in layers to a large barrel. Between them should be put garlic cloves and pieces of horseradish root.
3. Cover with several layers of gauze on top, cover with dill, currant, cherry or horseradish leaves.
4. Re-place milk mushrooms under oppression (2,5-3 kg).
5. Remove the salting in a cool place for 30 days. After that, sterilized jars are suitable for storing mushrooms, which do not need to be tightened with lids.

Store the product at a low temperature.

Hot salting of aspen mushrooms

With this salting method, mushrooms do not require pre-soaking. To remove bitterness, they need to be boiled for about 20-30 minutes. After that, drain the water, and rinse the milk mushrooms under cold water and dry in a colander. To make the glass liquid better, boiled mushrooms can be hung in a bag of rare material.

Then the fruiting bodies must be placed in a jar, pan or tub and sprinkled with salt. Proportion – 50 g per 1 kg of raw materials. In addition to salt, you need to add a little garlic, horseradish and dill. Boiled milk mushrooms are salted for 5 to 7 days.

For the hot salting method, another type of heat treatment may be suitable – blanching. To remove all the milky juice, washed and peeled fruiting bodies must be placed in boiling water for 5-8 minutes. If there are few mushrooms, you can use a colander. After the time has elapsed, the milk mushrooms should be immediately washed in cool water until completely cooled.

Then the mushrooms are placed in layers in a container, as described above, salt and seasonings are added: garlic, parsley, horseradish, dill. Sometimes celery, oak, cherry and currant leaves are also used. Mushrooms reach readiness on the 8-10th day. You need to store the finished salting in a cool place.

Another hot pickling method

Ingredients:

• 5 kg of mushrooms;
• 1 L of water;
• 2 Art. l. salt
• black peppercorns (15-20 pcs.);
• allspice (10 pcs.);
• 5 cloves of garlic;
• Bay leaf;
• 2-4 currant leaves;
• carnations.

How to cook:

1. For 1 liter of water, 2 tbsp. l. rock salt. Place the mushrooms in the resulting solution, which should float freely in the liquid. If there are a lot of mushrooms, it is better to cook them in several approaches or use different pans. Mushrooms need to be cooked for 20 minutes over medium heat.
2. Next, you need to prepare the brine. Add salt and all the indicated spices to a liter of water, except garlic. Put the liquid on fire.
3. Drain the boiled fruit bodies in a colander and transfer to a saucepan with boiling brine. Cook for 30 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat, add the garlic and stir.
4. Cover with a smaller lid (an inverted plate will do as well) and set a pressure that is not too heavy so that the mushrooms do not turn into a “porridge”. Milk mushrooms should be completely in brine without air access.
5. After removing the salting in a cool place and let stand there for a week. Then the mushrooms can be laid out in sterile jars, poured with brine, and vegetable oil is added on top, this will prevent air from entering. Put back in a cool place for 30-40 days until fully cooked.

How to pickle poplar lumps for the winter

Quick pickling of milk mushrooms for the winter will be obtained according to the following recipe.

Ingredients:

• cargo – 1 kg;
• salt – 1 Art. l .;
• granulated sugar – 1 tsp;
• allspice – 5 peas;
• cloves and cinnamon – 2 pcs.;
• Bay leaf;
• citric acid – 0,5 g;
• 6% food grade acetic acid solution.

Procedure:

1. The marinade must be poured into an enameled pan and brought to a boil, after which the prepared fruit bodies should be placed there. After boiling, cook over moderate heat, regularly removing the accumulated foam.
2. When the foam completely disappears, you can add some spices to the pan: granulated sugar, allspice, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf and citric acid so that the mushrooms retain their natural color.
3. Then the milk mushrooms are removed from the fire and cooled by placing gauze or a clean towel on top of the pan.
4. Mushrooms must be decomposed into glass jars and pour the marinade in which they were located. Close the jars with plastic lids and put them in a cool place for further storage.

How to marinate cruciferous vegetables for the winter with lavrushka

Ingredients for 1 kg of mushrooms:

• water – 100 g;
• vinegar – 125 g;
• salt – 1,5 Art. l .;
• sugar – 0,5 st. l .;
• bay leaf – 2 pcs .;
• black peppercorns – 3-4 pcs.;
• cloves – 2 pcs.

How to cook:

1. The fruit bodies are thoroughly washed under cold water, after which they are laid out on a sieve or colander so that all the liquid is glassed.
2. A separate container is filled with water, adding salt and sugar. After that, the pan is placed on the fire and brought to a boil.
3. Prepared milk mushrooms are placed in a boiling liquid. After 10 minutes, it is necessary to remove the resulting foam and add spices.
4. Mushrooms are boiled on fire for about 25-30 minutes. If the mushrooms are small, they can be removed after 15-20 minutes. When fully prepared, the fruiting bodies will sink to the bottom, and the liquid will become clearer.
5. After removing the mushrooms from the fire, they are cooled, laid out in well-washed glass jars and covered with parchment paper. After that, the blanks are placed in storage in a cold place.

Another way to pickle aspen milk mushrooms for winter storage

Ingredients:

• water – 2 l (per 5 kg of product);
• salt – 150 g;
• 80% solution of vinegar essence – 30 ml;
• allspice – 30 peas;
• cloves – 2 pcs.

Cooking steps:

1. The fruiting bodies are thoroughly washed, then placed in an enamel pan with boiling water and blanched for 2-3 minutes.
2. After that, the mushrooms are transferred to a colander and placed for 5-7 minutes in cool water, and then in a well-washed wooden barrel, while adding salt and various spices.
3. The finished salting is left for a while so that the mushrooms can extract the juice. After that, they are washed, poured with marinade, tightly closed with a lid and placed in a cool place for storage.

Additional recipe for pickled mushrooms

Ingredients for 3 kg of mushrooms:

• water – 2 l;
• 80% solution of vinegar essence – 20 ml;
• salt – 100 g;
• bay leaf – 20 pcs .;
• allspice – 30 peas.

Mushrooms are washed and placed in an enamel container with salted boiling water for 15-20 minutes. Then they are discarded in a colander and loaded back into the pan. Pour in the prepared marinade and cook for 30 minutes. After that, the mushroom mass is taken out with a slotted spoon, cooled, laid out in well-washed jars and tightly closed with lids on top.

Storage Rules

Freshly harvested aspen mushrooms should not be stored for a long period. Mushrooms tend to accumulate toxic substances that poison the human body.

If it is not possible to quickly process the raw material, it must be placed in a dark place for 10-15 hours. You can use the lower shelves of the refrigerator, basement, cellar or underground. The maximum shelf life in this form is 1 day.

Conclusion

Aspen breast is a conditionally edible representative of the forest kingdom. The mushroom does not differ in taste, but it is actively used for salting and pickling for the winter. The aspen mushroom has a number of distinctive features, which are important to familiarize yourself with before harvesting, having carefully studied the photo and description.