How to Salt Milk-Cap Mushrooms for Winter

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   Once you've gathered the mushrooms, get right to work so they don't sit around drying out and spoiling. Wash the milk caps thoroughly, using a brush or sponge to clean dirt and debris off the caps and underneath them. Small mushrooms are best for salting, but if you've got large but firm, worm-free ones, you can salt those too, cut into large pieces.

2. Step 2:

   

   Put the mushrooms in a pot or basin and cover with cold clean water. To keep them from floating, weigh them down with something light, like a plate. Change the water several times a day, and leave the mushrooms in a cool spot in the water for a day so the bitterness leaches out and they come out crisp and firm after salting.

3. Step 3:

   

   Then drain off the water, rinse the mushrooms with clean water, transfer them to an enameled cooking pot, and add a tablespoon and a half of coarse salt. Cover with water and set over the heat. Once it boils, lower the heat to minimum and cook the mushrooms for about 20 minutes from the time the water boils.

4. Step 4:

   

   Use smaller jars for salting mushrooms. Sterilize the jars by any proven method—in a water bath, in the microwave, or in the oven. Boil and dry the lids.

5. Step 5:

   

   Into the sterilized 1-liter jars put the garlic cloves cut into large pieces, the peppercorns, and the bay leaf; for aroma you can add a sprig of parsley or dill. Transfer the mushrooms from the brine pot into the jars, packing them tightly and sprinkling each layer with coarse salt. Top them off with the boiling brine they cooked in and seal the jars right away with clean lids.

6. Step 6:

   

   Let the jars cool at room temperature and store them in a cool place. Salted mushrooms can be served a month after salting. Enjoy!