Ingredients
This recipe is for a fixed batch — the ingredient proportions cannot be scaled proportionally.
- Rufous Milkcaps3 kg
- Salt500 g(non-iodized)
- Citric acid20 g
- Garlic80 g
- Allspice20 pcs
- Blackcurrant leaves80 g(and raspberry)
- Vegetable oil80 ml
Nutrition
per 100 g
- Calories
- 38 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Carbohydrates
- 2 g
Instructions
Rufous Milkcap (bitter milkcap) is a mushroom traditional in Russian and Scandinavian cuisine, known for its piquant flavor. The cold-salting of mushrooms is one of the oldest preservation methods, used by our ancestors before they had access to modern preservation techniques. This method is especially valued for producing crunchy, springy mushrooms with a concentrated forest aroma.
How to properly salt Rufous Milkcaps using the cold method at home for the winter?
✅ Who will appreciate this recipe: Mushroom pickers and gardeners who want to preserve their harvest. Fans of traditional Russian cuisine and homemade preserves. Beginner cooks looking for a simple and reliable recipe. Anyone who appreciates natural products without preservatives.
✅ Ingredient substitutions: Blackcurrant/raspberry leaves: can be replaced with horseradish, cherry, oak leaves, or dill umbels. Garlic: if desired, can be omitted or replaced with a small amount of hot chili pepper. Allspice: can be well replaced or supplemented with black peppercorns, coriander seeds, or mustard seeds.
✅ Serving options: Classic: drizzle with unrefined vegetable oil and sprinkle with onion. As a salad component: slice into a salad with boiled potatoes, sauerkraut, and scallions. As a filling: finely chop for pies, blini, or tartlets.
✅ Interesting facts: Rufous Milkcap is one of the few mushrooms almost never damaged by worms because of their acrid milky juice. The cold salting method preserves the densest and crunchiest texture, unlike the hot method. In Scandinavia, a similar method is traditionally used to salt saffron milk caps, close relatives of Rufous Milkcap.
How to calculate the number of jars, why jars explode and how to avoid it, as well as secrets and life hacks, read in the article about winter preserves.
How to properly sterilize jars for preserves, as well as how to sterilize (pasteurize) preserves for long-term storage, why do this at all, and which sterilization method is the most reliable and convenient, read in this article.
Since the degree of saltiness, sweetness, bitterness, spiciness, sourness, and heat is individual for everyone, always add spices, seasonings, and condiments according to your own taste! If you are using a seasoning for the first time, keep in mind that some spices are especially important not to overdo (for example, chili pepper).
How to choose the ideal pot, read in the article about pots.
