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From time immemorial, people have used mushrooms for food and other economic and medical purposes. All raw mushrooms, including milk mushrooms, are bitter in taste. They are able to absorb toxins, so salting milk mushrooms in a barrel must be done with precautions, otherwise a delicious snack can turn out to be a deadly poison. One more rule must be observed: it is forbidden to collect the gifts of nature in ecologically unfavorable areas, namely, near industrial enterprises and along highways.
Features of salting milk mushrooms in a barrel
Previously, mushrooms, including milk mushrooms, were salted in wooden tubs. A characteristic feature of such a preparation for the winter is the moment that the product, from the absorption of tannins into itself, becomes fragrant and crispy.
But the main advantage was that new batches could be added to the barrels as they were collected.
Barrels were placed in cold cellars, where mushrooms could be stored all winter. On the table, the peasant always had delicious high-calorie food, while salted milk mushrooms were a fragrant treat.
How to pickle milk mushrooms in a barrel
The very first and very tedious step is the preparation of the source material for salting. Before salting, milk mushrooms are recommended to be carefully sorted and discarded with worms and damage. Wipe heavily soiled places with a sponge or a soft brush, if, nevertheless, the dirt is strongly absorbed and it is problematic to clean it, then the milk mushrooms should be soaked for two to three hours in cool water.
The next step is soaking. If this procedure is ignored, the finished snack will be bitter. For soaking milk mushrooms are placed in cold water with full coverage. To prevent the mushrooms from floating up, they are placed under oppression (a lid with a small load). Soaking continues for 3 days. Water must be changed twice a day. It is allowed to take wooden, glass and enameled dishes, you can also salt only in such a container.
For a long time, mushrooms had to be salted in barrels. After soaking, the milk mushrooms were washed in several waters and placed in prepared containers.
Preparation of wooden barrels for salting is divided into stages:
- Wash container thoroughly.
- Scald with boiling water to disinfect.
- You can steam it with boiling water with the addition of juniper.
Next, the actual salting process begins. Salt can be done in two ways: cold and hot methods. Regardless of which one is chosen, with the right action, the fleshy hats will acquire the desired flavor, and toxins will be eliminated.
How to salt milk mushrooms in a barrel in a cold way
As already noted, it is possible to prepare milk mushrooms in a barrel for the winter according to two schemes: cold salting or hot. For all options, forest gifts require pre-soaking in water for three days. After that, in the first case, milk mushrooms should be immediately salted and then put under pressure, at least a month barrels with salted semi-finished products are sent to the cold.
Milk mushrooms prepared for the winter in a cold way are especially valuable. This option goes without heat treatment. When salting milk mushrooms in a cold way, the maximum amount of vitamins and microelements is preserved in the barrel, spices and herbs are added to give strength and crunch. It is thanks to them that the appetizer turns out to be fragrant and acquires an excellent taste.
How to pickle milk mushrooms in a barrel in a hot way
With hot salting, milk mushrooms are first boiled in brine, put under load for a day, then boiled again and laid out in barrels.
Required components:
- for 10 kilograms of white mushrooms you will need 0,5 kg of salt (it is better to take coarse grinding);
- 6 medium garlic cloves;
- sheets of currant, horseradish, cherry;
- dill in umbrellas.
Hot-cooked mushrooms provide several advantages:
- Unpleasant smell is excluded.
- When cooked, the natural bitterness will go away.
- The original taste will bring a lot of pleasure to guests and owners.
- Hot salt is completely safe in terms of the incidence of intestinal infections.
Hot salting is suitable for processing large volumes of mushroom preparations. For very busy hostesses, this is a real way out with a lack of time.
Cooking process:
- For preservation, the peeled milk mushrooms are boiled, cooled, poured with freshly prepared brine.
- Placed under oppression, and after 3 days they begin to lay out in barrels.
barrel mushroom recipes
Each hostess has her own signature recipe on how to properly salt delicacies. It never hurts to know some of the traditional options most commonly used in practice. Here, for example, is how you can salt with hot salting.
For 5 kg mushrooms you will need:
- dill umbrellas – 10 pcs.;
- horseradish leaves – 3-5 pieces;
- water (enough for the entire volume);
- salt – 500 g;
- bay leaves – 5-6 pieces;
- garlic – 10 pcs.
Procedure:
- Pour the peeled milk mushrooms with water, salt to taste and cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Monitor brine level. At the end of cooking, add spices and lay oppression on top.
- After 5-6 days, you need to transfer the contents into a barrel, pour in brine and put the milk mushrooms in the cold for a month and a half.
One of the easiest ways is quick salting. This is a variant of hot salting, in which the mushroom mass is boiled, salted and placed under load for several days. The amount of brine is controlled, you need to add the remaining broth. The result of such actions is a tasty treat with a crispy texture. Milk mushrooms can be eaten within a week.
The old proven way of salting in barrels
For cooking, you need simple ingredients:
- cargo – 5 kg;
- salt – 1 cup (1 g of salt is taken per 50 kg of mushrooms);
- greens, currant leaves, cherries, horseradish.
Cooking process:
- Before cold salting of milk mushrooms, dill, currant and horseradish leaves are laid out on the bottom of the tub, dense layers of mushrooms are placed (caps should look down) 5-7 cm high.
- Salt, lay out the next layer.
- After filling the tub, the product is covered with a clean cloth, a smaller diameter lid or plate, and pressed down with oppression from above.
- After a few days, the mushrooms shrink, so new layers can be added.
- The tubs with the delicacy are placed in a cold cellar for 40-50 days.
Altai salting recipe
Milk mushrooms are sorted, cleaned, cut off the legs and washed thoroughly. For three days, they are placed for soaking in cold water, changing it once a day. After 3 days, filter through a sieve or colander and lay out in layers in a barrel, alternating salt and spices. From above they cover with gauze or a clean napkin, put under a lid or a wooden circle, put a load on top.
For 10 kg of mushrooms you will need:
- dill (umbrellas);
- grated horseradish – 20 grams;
- garlic – 10 cloves;
- peppercorns – to taste;
- bay leaf – approximately 7-8 pieces;
- salt – 400 grams;
- currant leaves.
Method of preparation:
- Milk mushrooms are sorted, cleaned, cut off the legs and washed thoroughly.
- For three days, they are placed for soaking in cold water, changing it once a day.
- After 3 days, filter through a sieve or colander and lay out in layers in a barrel, alternating salt and spices.
- From above they cover with gauze or a clean napkin, put a lid of a smaller diameter than a barrel, or a wooden circle, put a load on top.
After salting, the volume of the mushroom mass decreases by about 30%. Therefore, it is necessary to regularly lay new layers. A brine should appear above the circle. If after two days he did not appear, it is necessary to weight the oppression. After 4-5 weeks, the finished treat can be eaten.
Black mushrooms in cabbage leaves
It is better to salt black mushrooms in a cold way. This rule is recommended by experienced mushroom pickers. Salting with cabbage leaves is a simple and original recipe. Their juice soaks milk mushrooms, destroys the bitter taste and gives the dish its zest.
Composition:
- five kg of black mushrooms;
- seven pieces of cabbage leaves;
- 400 g salt;
- horseradish root;
- dill umbrellas;
- 1 medium head of garlic;
- currant leaves.
Procedure:
- Milk mushrooms are soaked for two days, changing the water twice every day.
- Two tablespoons of salt are dissolved in five liters of water, mushrooms are poured into a container and allowed to stand for 10-12 hours.
- After washing, you need to change the water and leave for another five hours.
- Dry the main ingredient. Peeled garlic cloves cut into 3 or 4 parts. Wash, finely chop the dill.
- Spread the mushrooms in layers, sprinkling each layer with salt, dill and garlic, and add cabbage leaves.
- Set the oppression on top and put the container with salt in a cold place (cellar or basement) for salting for two months.
After the specified time, the finished appetizer is served to the table, adding vegetable oil and onion, cut into rings.
Useful Tips
Recommendations of experienced specialists for salting milk mushrooms in a barrel:
- Fresh mushrooms cannot be stored for a long time, as they lose their juice and dry out. There are only a few hours to go through and prepare them for canning.
- So that the milk mushrooms do not turn sour during soaking, the water should be slightly salted.
- For oppression, natural insoluble stone is best suited. Do not use bricks, limestone, dolomite, metal objects subject to rust and oxidation. If there is no suitable weight, you can take enamelware and fill it with water.
- It is better to salt milk mushrooms at a room temperature of 6 to 8 degrees, otherwise the product may become moldy or sour.
The temperature of the room where there are barrels with pickles should be less than +8 °C. In addition, it is necessary to monitor the level of brine: the liquid should completely cover the mushroom mass.
Conclusion
Salting milk mushrooms in a barrel is a simple and enjoyable activity, if you do it with all your heart, then after 30-40 days you can please your family, friends, guests with a healthy and tasty product. For gourmets, crispy mushrooms cooked in barrels according to folk recipes will bring real pleasure.