Lactarius deliciosus: The Ultimate Mushroom Guide

About The Lactarius deliciosus Mushroom

Lactarius deliciosus is an edible mushroom from the russulaceae family. It’s grows on pine groves and mixed forests. The mushroom emerges in autumn and it’s highly valued in cooking.

It belongs to the Lactars or milk-bearing group. As a group the milk-bearing mushrooms are generally viewed with suspicion, but the species deliciosus receives general commendation as an esculent. It is easily distinguished from any other of the group by the orange or red color of the milk which exudes from it when cut or broken.

The flesh changes on exposure to the atmosphere, as does the milk also, and becomes a dull green color.

The flavor of Lactarius deliciosus when cooked is said to resemble that of "kidney stew".

The Saffron milkcap is pretty much the national mushroom of Spain, where it’s known as the “rovellon”, or in other regions as the “niscalo”.

Other names: Saffron Milkcap, Delicious Milkcap, Red Pine Mushroom.

Lactarius deliciosus Identification

1. Cap

   5–15 cm in diameter, convex at first, expanding and developing a central depression. The color is pinkish orange with concentric rings of lighter fibrils. Where bruised, the cap turns green.

   The surface is smooth, fibrillose when dry, slightly viscid when wet. Flesh of cap and stem are crisp when young and the mushroom breaks with a snap.

   The flesh is whitish with reddish-orange lines and flecks toward the outside where latex is being produced.

2. Gills

   Crowded, attached or slightly decurrent, pinkish tan to orange, staining green, fragile.

3. Latex

   Orange then staining green.

4. Stem

   3–4 cm long x 1.5–2 cm wide, straight and cylindrical or narrowing towards the base, hollow. The colour is initially mottled white and light pinkish orange and it becomes darker orange with age. If bruised, it turns green.

5. Spores

   8–11 x 7–9 µm, with net-like, interconnected ridges.

6. Spore Print

   Pale yellow to buff.

7. Taste

   Slightly acrid. (Briefly taste a pea-sized piece then spit it out.)

8. Habitat

   Solitary, scattered to gregarious under pines; fruiting from late fall to mid-winter. This mushroom is common in Europe and many people there pick them to eat.

Lactarius deliciosus Look-Alikes

There are no lookalikes to Lactarius deliciosus mushroom with all the characteristics mentioned above.

However, there are many orange mushrooms that may at first confuse a novice eager to find.

Please use this reference as a tool for identification only and never eat any mushroom unless you do your research and you are 100% sure. Remember if in doubt leave it out!

Lactarius deliciosus Cultivation

First of all, you need to buy or get from the mushroom spore print. Also, you can buy ready for injection mycelium and follow the next steps:

1. Draw a line on the ground around the chosen tree, that follows the margin of its canopy.

2. For young pine (4-6 years), make a furrow(10-15 cms depth) following the line and fold back the earth. In older pines you have to make 8-12 holes along this line. Where there is grass, this can be removed before seeding and left back again after seeding.

3. Dissolve the content of the bag in one litre of water, shake it & allow to rest for 10 minutes. Distribute the resulting gel in the furrow or in the holes.& cover with earth.

4. Water the first day but do not flood; thereafter keep moist.

Maintenance and gathering:

Water in dry periods during the summer Do not work the soil thereafter and avoid walking over the area. Do not fertilize.

Production, about 800g each season, should begin in about 2 years after seeding.

Repeat the sowing every two years to maintain production.

Lactarius deliciosus Taxonomy & Etymology

This mushroom was described in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus, who gave it the binomial scientific name Agaricus deliciosus. (In the early days of fungal taxonomy most gilled fungi were initially placed in a giant Agaricus genus, now largely redistributed across many other genera.) The currently-accepted scientific name Lactarius deliciosus dates from an 1821 publication by British mycologist Samuel Frederick Gray (1766-1828).

Synonyms of Lactarius deliciosus include Agaricus deliciosus L., and Agaricus lactifluus var. deliciosus (L.) Pers.

The generic name Lactarius means producing milk (lactating) - a reference to the milky latex that is exuded from the gills of milkcap fungi when they are cut or torn - although some species provide a lot more milk than others do, and the Saffron Milkcap Lactarius deliciosus is very variable in this respect.

The specific epithet deliciosus is clear evidence that Carl Linnaeus had more than a scientific interest in fungi and that he considered the Saffron Milkcap to be delicious to eat.

Recipe: Catalan Saffron Milkcaps

Ingredients

1. 8 oz fresh saffron milkcaps sliced if large, left whole if small

2. 1/2 cup chopped peeled tomatoes

3. 4 oz bulk chorizo sausage

4. 2 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley

5. 1 tsp chopped fresh garlic

6. Kosher salt and pepper to taste

7. 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil for garnishing preferably a peppery Spanish variety (optional)

8. High quality bread crust removed and toasted

Instructions

1. In a large saute pan, render the fat from the chorizo and brown it lightly. With a slotted spoon, remove the chorizo, leaving the fat in the pan.

2. Reserve the chorizo until needed.

3. Heat the remaining fat and add the saffron milkcaps. Cook the saffron milkcaps on medium-high heat until lightly browned and caramelized, about 5 minutes. Season the mushrooms lightly with salt.

4. Add the garlic, stir and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, reserved chorizo and parsley and cook for 5 minutes more. Double check the seasoning for salt and pepper, then serve immediately on toast garnished with a drizzle of the olive oil.

Recipe: Polish Salted Mushrooms

Ingredients

1. 3 to 4 pounds fresh mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed

2. Kosher or pickling salt

3. 6 to 10 juniper berries, crushed (optional)

4. 1 teaspoon dried dill, or 2 tablespoons fresh

5. 1 teaspoon caraway seed

6. 2 teaspoons cracked black pepper

7. 2 garlic cloves smashed

Instructions

1. Boil the mushrooms in salted water for 5 minutes. Drain and let them cool in one layer on a paper towel or tea towel.

2. Mix all the herbs and spices in a small bowl. Lay down a thin layer of pickling or kosher salt at the bottom of a crock or other non-reactive container, then lay down a layer of mushrooms. Sprinkle with some of the herbs and spices. Add a bit more salt. Keep layering like this until you have all the mushrooms in the crock. Finish with another layer of salt.

3. Place a clean plate or other top on the mushrooms and weigh it down. I use a quart Mason jar filled with water. Let this sit in a cool, dark place (no need to refrigerate) for 4 days. After the first day, check to see that the mushrooms are submerged in their own brine. If not, boil 1 pint of water with 2 tablespoons kosher salt and let it cool. Pour over the mushrooms and continue fermenting.

4. After 4 days, move the mushrooms and brine and spices to clean Mason jars and refrigerate. They will keep for several months.

Recipe: Saffron Milk Cap Mushroom Tart

For pastry

1. 2 cups plain all purpose flour

2. 150g/5ozs. butter, cubed and cold

3. 1 cup finely grated parmesan cheese

4. 1/2 teaspoon fine salt

5. 1 egg

6. 1/2-2/3 cup ice water

For filling

1. 5 saffron milk cap mushrooms in various sizes

2. 4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced

3. Extra virgin olive oil for frying

4. 150g/5ozs. ash brie, sliced (I used one with ash in the centre)

5. 3 eggs

6. 1 cup cream

7. 1 cup parmesan cheese

8. 2 sprigs thyme

Instructions

1. First make the pastry as it needs to rest. Place the flour, butter, cheese and salt in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the egg and 1/2 cup of water and process until it starts to come together. Knead it on a floured surface adding a bit more water if it needs it to become a cohesive dough. Cover with clingfilm and allow to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

2. Spray a 31x21cm tart tin with a loose bottom with oil spray. Flour a surface and rolling pin and roll out the dough so that it can fit your tart tin and trim off any overhang. Place in the fridge for 45 minutes or freezer for 15 minutes.

3. While it is resting, cook the mushrooms. Keep the smaller, more pristine looking ones whole and slice up the rest. Add the oil to a frypan on medium heat and cook the garlic and then the mushrooms. They should still retain a bright orange color. Season with salt and pepper and set aside to cool slightly.

4. When the pastry has rested, preheat oven to 200C/400F and spray a sheet of foil with oil and press it gently against the pastry. Fill with baking weights or dried beans or rice and bake for 20 minutes. Carefully remove the foil with beans and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until cooked.

5. Reduce oven heat to 150C/300F. Whisk the eggs and cream together with the parmesan cheese. Pour into the baked tart case and then top with the mushrooms and brie slices. Place the thyme on top and carefully move to the oven (try not to splash the cream mix onto the mushrooms). Bake for 30-35 minutes or until just set. Serve warm.

Recipe: Lactarius deliciosus in the Oven

Ingredients

1. 1 kg Red Wild Mushrooms

2. 50 ml EVOO , Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3. 3 teaspoons Dry Oregano , crushed

4. 1 tablespoon fresh Parsley , leaves picked and finely chopped

5. 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

6. 1 ½ teaspoon Sea Salt

7. ½ teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper

Instructions

1. Take a large bowl and fill it with water. Add the flour and mix well. Add the mushrooms and gently toss. The flour will help get rid of the dirt. Place each mushroom on running water and gently make sure that the dirt is gone. Place in a colander facing down so that the mushrooms dry as much as possible.

2. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C, grill element on and rack in the middle.

3. In a large rectangular non-stick oven dish add the mushrooms facing up, pour the oil allover, sprinkle with the oregano and season with salt and pepper.

4. Add in the oven and after 15 minutes of cooking take out the dish from the oven and gently toss. Cook for further 10 minutes.

5. Serve in a flat dish and sprinkle the parsley allover.

Recipe: Hungarian Soup With Saffron Milk Caps

Ingredients

1. 3 tbsp butter

2. 1 onion (diced)

3. 1 garlic clove (crushed)

4. 1 tsp sea salt

5. pinch pepper

6. 4 tsp fresh dill (chopped)

7. 12g dried saffron milk caps

8. 1 & 1/2 tbsp sweet paprika

9. 2 tbsp plain flour

10. 1 cup milk

11. 2 cups vegetable stock

12. 1 tbsp soy sauce

13. 1/2 cup saffron milk cap stock

14. 1 tsp saffron milk cap powder

15. 1/4 cup sour cream

Instructions

1. Soak dried saffron milk cap mushrooms in small bowl with one cup of hot water for 20 minutes. Swish around to wash. Save liquid for use as stock.

2. Crush garlic and chop onion and dill.

3. Melt butter (1 tbsp) in pot. Add onion and garlic and cook on medium to high heat for about 5 minutes. Add saffron milk cap mushrooms, dill, salt and pepper and cook for further 3-5 minutes. Stir in paprika and set aside.

4. In a separate pot melt butter (2 tbsp) and stir in plain flour. Cook on medium heat while continuously whisking until mixture turns golden brown.

5. Add milk, vegetable stock, soy sauce, saffron milk cap stock and saffron milk cap powder. Constantly stir until smooth and bring to boil. Stir in mixture prepared earlier. Reduce to low heat, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

6. Stir in sour cream.

7. Serve in bowls and garnish with a dollop of sour cream and fresh parsley or fresh dill.

Recipe: Creamy Pasta With Saffron Milk Caps

Ingredients

1. 1 tbsp olive oil

2. 1/2 onion

3. 2 garlic cloves (crushed)

4. 250g chicken breast (diced)

5. 1 tsp sea salt

6. pinch pepper

7. 15g dried saffron milk caps

8. 5 sun-dried tomatoes (sliced)

9. 100ml saffron milk cap stock

10. 250ml cream

11. 1 tbsp saffron milk cap powder

12. 25g parmesan cheese (grated)

13. 200g penne pasta

14. Fresh chives (chopped)

Instructions

1. Soak dried saffron milk cap mushrooms in small bowl with one cup of hot water for 20 minutes. Swish around to wash. Save liquid for use as stock.

2. Chop onion, crush garlic and slice sun-dried tomatoes. Cut chicken breast to bite sized cubes.

3. Add onion, garlic and oil to frying pan and cook on medium to high heat for 2-3 minutes or until soft. Add chicken and cook for 5 minutes or until browned. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Add saffron milk cap stock, saffron milk caps and sun-dried tomatoes and cook covered for 2-3 minutes. Reduce heat to low.

5. Stir in cream, saffron milk cap powder and parmesan cheese, cooking for further 2-3 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, cook penne pasta according to packet instructions, then drain.

7. Add penne to frying pan and stir in with sauce. Serve on plates and garnish with chopped chives.