Oak breast (oak camelina): what it looks like, benefits, cooking recipes

Oak breast is an edible agaric, highly valued in salted form. It belongs to the Russula family, the genus Mlechniki, a characteristic feature of which is the release of juice at the break of the pulp. In scientific publications, it is called Lactarius zonarius or Lactarius insulsus. Known as oak camelina, podryzhik, podoreshnik.

Description of the oak tree

The bright color of the surfaces of the cap and stem of oak mushrooms, as their location, allows you to quickly determine the species. It stands out significantly from other members of the family.

Cap Description

Young mushrooms appear with a flat round cap, which eventually grows to 10-11 cm and takes on a funnel shape with tucked, wavy edges. The texture of the border is slightly felt. The skin of the oak mushroom, as in the photo, is bright: reddish or orange, to various terracotta shades. Sometimes separate, darker zones are visible.

From below, densely spaced wide plates converge to the stem. The color is also variable – from whitish-pink to yellowish or orange. The mass of spores is yellow-cream or ocher.

The dense pulp of oak camelina is white-cream, on the cut it emits a pleasant smell, turns slightly pink. A little white watery juice comes out, acrid, like most lactic, which does not change color in the air.

Description of the leg

The smooth leg of the oak mushroom is dense downwards, slightly narrowed, when cut, a cavity is visible. The walls are whitish-pink. The height of the stem is up to 7 cm, the diameter is up to 3 cm. The shade of the surface is lighter than that of the cap, the small depressions are darker.

Where and how to grow

Oak mushrooms are found in the southern zone of the temperate climate, where warm weather and broad-leaved forests predominate. The species creates mycorrhiza:

• with oaks;
• hornbeams;
• beeches;
• hazel.

Oak mushrooms are common, sometimes solitary, but usually in families. Fruiting bodies are formed underground. They are shown already large, with a stem up to 1,5 cm wide, 3 cm high and a cap up to 4-5 cm. The species is found in the Caucasus, in the Krasnodar Territory, Crimean forests and in other areas with broad-leaved plantations. Sometimes there are oak mushrooms in pine forests. Fruiting from July to September, early October. Especially successful mushroom hunting for oak mushrooms occurs at the end of August and in September.

Twins and their differences

Since the genus of milkers is extensive, the mushrooms are similar in shape to other representatives of various types of milk mushrooms, but not in color. It is necessary to remember the distinctive characteristics of oak mushrooms:

• conspicuous yellow-orange or terracotta hat;
• the leg is slightly lighter;
• juice remains white-watery;
• the flesh turns slightly pink at the break;
• found in the southern regions of the temperate zone under broad-leaved trees.

Mushrooms of the species are similar to other milky ones with skin aged in warm colors:

• common camelina;

  

• spruce camelina;

  

• japanese camelina;

  

• blue breast;

  

• watery-milky breast.

  

Mushroom pickers are not too afraid to confuse oak mushrooms with any similar mushrooms, since they all belong to the same genus, and among them there is no fruiting body with toxins. All representatives of the genus of milkers are conditionally edible.

Oak mushroom most often grows in broad-leaved forests, and mushrooms and other types of lactifers prefer coniferous and mixed forests, where spruce, pine, aspen, and birch trees alternate.

The difference between twins and oak breast:

• common mushrooms can be found mainly in pine and spruce forests;
• the flesh of the real camelina at the break becomes greenish, orange juice comes out, which also turns green in the air;
• in spruce camelina, even after pressing, the affected areas on the stem and on the plates turn green, and the juice is reddish;
• although the Japanese camelina is identical in shape to the oak mushroom, the skin on the hat is light pink or reddish, it has clearly defined concentric zones of a darker color, and the juice is intense red;
• Japanese camelina is found only in the south of Primorsky Krai in mixed and coniferous forests;
• the skin on the cap of the bluish milk mushroom is yellowish, the edges break off easily;
• when pressed, bluish spots appear on the surface of the stem of a bluish appearance, and whitish juice appears on the sections, which becomes blue-violet under the influence of air;
• blue mushrooms grow most often under pines and birches, although they are also found under other trees;
• in the watery-milky breast, the color of the cap is brown-ocher, and the stem is darker than the top, brownish.

Are oak mushrooms edible or not?

Like all species of the lactic genus, which have a bitter juice, the mushrooms are considered conditionally edible. But they belong to the second category in terms of nutritional value after salting. To free the fruit bodies from the caustic component, they are soaked for at least a day.

How to cook oak mushrooms

Cooking oak mushrooms before turning mushrooms into a delicious dish, in addition to soaking, sometimes requires hot cooking.

Mushroom preparation

Fruiting bodies of an oak species are often found under a layer of fallen leaves, therefore, after picking, the mushrooms are sorted out and cleaned of large debris. The mass is placed in a container with water and after some time the hats are cleaned with a soft brush or a kitchen sponge. Prepared mushrooms are placed for soaking for 2-3 days in a spacious container. Water is changed in the morning and evening. The procedure helps to remove bitter components from the pulp. Experienced mushroom pickers recommend adding 2 tablespoons of salt to each liter of liquid for a faster result.

How to pickle oak mushrooms for the winter

How to cook oak mushrooms, you can see in the photo and video. Soaked caps are placed in a container for cooking, cold water is poured, brought to a boil for 15-25 minutes. Make the marinade at the same time. Ratio for 1 kg of raw materials:

• water 2 l;
• 1 Art. liter. sugar;
• 2 Art. l salts;
• 3-5 leaves of currant, laurel;
• 2-3 cloves of garlic and black peppercorns.

Pickling sequence:

1. Boiled mushrooms are placed in a boiling marinade and continue boiling for another 14-17 minutes.
2. Spread out in a steamed container.
3. Add 10-20 ml of vinegar.
4. Top up with marinade and roll up.

The product is soaked in brine and spices for 30-40 days and is ready for use.

Salting oak mushrooms in a cold way

They use similar recipes for salting oak mushrooms, which differ in a set of spices:

• soaked hats are placed in layers with spices in enameled or glassware for pre-salting;
• 1-45 g of salt is consumed per 60 kg of raw materials, which is evenly poured into layers;
• enhance the taste with bay and currant leaves, chopped horseradish leaves, dill, allspice or black pepper;
• cover with a clean cloth on top, put a load.

After a few days, the mushrooms, along with spices, are transferred to jars for storage.

Hot salting of oak mushrooms

Some housewives prefer a different recipe for oak mushrooms. Among the spices – currant greens, cherries, laurel, dill, horseradish, celery, choose the ones you like or all together. Put to taste pepper – black peas, fragrant or bitter chillies, as well as a few cloves of garlic or parsley roots.

Algorithm of actions:

1. Washed and cleaned of debris, mushroom caps are cut into 2-3 parts if they are too wide and do not fit entirely in a jar.
2. Pour cold water and bring to a boil, which lasts 18-27 minutes over low heat.
3. The finished product is discarded through a colander or gauze bag.
4. Milk mushrooms are laid out in prepared jars in layers, sprinkled with salt and spices.
5. Pour boiling brine in which the mushrooms were boiled.

Is it possible to dry and freeze

The oak species, like other milk mushrooms, is not dried. Freeze peeled and cooked caps after the liquid has drained. You can put hats fried after boiling in the freezer.

What are the benefits of oak mushrooms

There are enough amino acids and a lot of vitamins in the fruiting bodies of the lactiferous species of oak, especially of group B and vitamin D, and there is even more protein than in beef. It is believed that representatives of the species:

• beneficial effect on the gallbladder, liver, kidney function;
• useful for patients with diabetes, if there are no other contraindications;
• regulate the work of the nervous system;
• help to get stronger faster with lung diseases.

Salted mushrooms are contraindicated in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, allergies, limit the use of the product for pregnant and lactating women, do not give to children.

Is it possible to grow oak mushrooms at home

Oak milk mushrooms are grown from mycelium purchased in specialty stores. A prerequisite is the growth of any tree of broad-leaved species, on the roots of which the mycorrhiza of the species develops. They prepare sawdust and leaves from the same species, moss, and in the warm season they dig grooves near the tree. The substrate is laid, then the mycelium. Sprinkle with a substrate on top, sowing regularly and thoroughly watered. It will be possible to collect mushrooms in a year.

Conclusion

Oak mushrooms are most often found growing in families in oak forests. Before any cooking and for winter harvesting, the fruiting bodies must be soaked for a long time.