The image, above, shows an image of Saffron Milk Cap(Lactarius deliciosus) mushrooms showing three views of
the growing mushroom and its cap, top and bottom right and bottom
left. The image, top left shows the mushrooms's characteristic
saffron colour and reveals its stipe and gills..
| Common Name: Hedgehog Mushroom |
| Scientific Name: Lactarius deliciosus |
| Other Names: Dentinum repandum, Hedgehog Fungus, Pied de Mouton, Sweet Tooth, Wood Hedgehog, Wood Urchin, Yellow Tooth Fungus, Spreading Hedgehog, Pig's Trotter and White Wood (for the variety alba), Red Pine Mushroom, Cap Llaeth Saffrwm (CY) |
| Family: Russulaceae |
| Range: A distinct European species, introduced into South Africa, Chile, Australia and New Zealand |
Physical Characteristics
Lactarius deliciosus is a mycorrhizal fungus, growing to 15cm (6 in) in diameter and 6cm (2 1/2 in) tall. It is typically associated with coniferous woodland on acidic soil and fruits from September to November (but is most commonly found in October.
|
| Edible Parts: Caps and Stipes |
 Spore Print: Tan
|
 Cap: Depressed
|
 Hymenium: Decurrent
|
 Gills: Gills on hymenium
|
 Stipe: Bare
|
 Edibility Rating: 5 
|
 Known Hazards: None Known.
|
Welcome to the summary page for FabulousFusionFood's Wild Food guide to Saffron Milk Cap along with all the Saffron Milk Cap containing recipes presented on this site, with 1 recipes in total.
This is a continuation of an entire series of pages that will, I hope, allow my visitors to better navigate this site. As well as displaying recipes by name, country and region of origin I am now planning a whole series of pages where recipes can be located by meal type and main ingredient. This page gives a listing of all the Cornish recipes added to this site.
These recipes, all contain Saffron Milk Cap as a major wild food ingredient.
Saffron Milk Cap, Lactarius deliciosus (also known as Red Pine Mushroom) is an edible species of basidomycete fungus (filamentous fungi composed of hyphae that reproduce sexually) and is a member of the Russulaceae (Russula) family of mushrooms with a pale yellow spore print. It is widespread in Europe and North America and is associated with pine trees. It a mushroom of pine woodland and can be found on the ground in the acidic soil of coniferous woods. Typically it fruits between September and November (but is most common in October) and can be locally very common. The mushroom is medium sized (growing maximally to about 9cm tall) and the cap is initially convex in form, flattening with age and with a small central depression and grows, maximally to about 15cm in diameter. The skin is slightly-sticky to the feel and tends to be cream to pinkish-orange in colour, with concentric bands of deep orange that are a distinguishing feature of this mushroom. It can be slightly hoary in feel, but the colour fades with age and slight green staining can be seed on older specimens. The margin is initially inrolled, but later becomes rolled and wavy. The gills are crowded, slightly decurrent and coloured bright orange. If these are scratched, a mild-tasting, carrot-coloured milk is produced that slowly turns dark green and stains the gills. The stipe (stem) is short, stout and hollow, about 6cm in length and up to 2cm in diameter. It is typically paler than the cap, but with carrot-coloured pits near the base and bruises green. The flesh of the saffron milk cap is firm and pale yellow but exudes a milk when cut and rapidly turns orange and then green. There is a faint, pleasant odour and can be a slightly bitter taste. Older specimens often develop a bitter note, particularly if sampled raw and it's often recommended that this mushroom is blanched before cooking.
The saffron milk cap mushroom is an excellent (and much sought-after) eating species. However, it can be maggot-infested, particularly in the stem and should be checked carefully before cooking. One of the best ways to store is to simply in butter and then freeze. The firm texture of this mushroom means that it dries well and can also be preserved in vinegar, brine or oil. Unusually for mushrooms it can also be blanched and frozen. Typically it's recommended that saffron milk caps are cooked slowly and this makes it particularly suited for use in stews, soups, casseroles or for sweating down gently be frying in butter.
The colour, shape, season of fruiting, association with coniferous forests and presence of concentric rings on the cap means, in the UK at least, that there are no poisonous species with which the careful forager can confuse this mushroom. However, it can often be confused with Lactarius deterrimus a milky cap associated with spruce trees that has an orange cap but no rings, has orange flesh that turns wine red and then green on cutting. It is bitter, but edible one blanched. Lactarius salmonicolor has an orange cap and is associated with fir trees but has no rings on the cap and its orange milk changes orange brown. This is bitter, but can be eaten when blanched. Two poisonous species to be avoided are: Lactariaus helvus, associated with pine or birch on wet ground. The cap is rough and yellow brown with no banding and the stem and gills are the same colour as the cap. The milk looks like water and the fungus has a strong smell of fenugreek. The other mushroom to avoid is Lactarius torminousu (the Wooly Milk Cap), as the cap has concentric rings. It is, however, associated with birch trees and not pines. The cap is also shaggy and wool-like, particularly on the margins, and the milk is white and peppery. As always, however, take a good field guide with you when collecting wild mushrooms and if in doubt, do not try!
The mushroom is used extensively in numerous cuisines: In Spain, they are lightly washed, fried whole cap down in olive oil with a small amount of garlic and served drenched in raw olive oil and parsley (they are also prepared by roasting or barbecuing and by stewing and are common accompaniments to meat dishes). They are also collected in Poland, where they are traditionally served fried in butter, with cream, or marinated. In Russian cuisine these mushrooms are prepared with pickling and then eaten with sour cream. They are also well known in Cyprus, where they are usually cooked on charcoal and marinated with olive oil and lemon, or fried with onions with red wine.
For other edible mushrooms, see the guide to edible mushrooms
[2]. Huxley, A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992
[3]. Tanaka, T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.
[4]. Lim T.K. Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants, Vols 1–8.
[5]. Thomas, G. S. Perennial Garden Plants
[6]. Milner, E. Trees of Britain and Ireland
[7]. Rose, F. & O'Reilly, C. The Wild Flower Key (Revised Edition) – How to identify wild plants, trees and shrubs in Britain and Ireland
[8]. Streeter, D. & Garrard, I. The Wild Flowers of the British Isles
[9]. Clapham, A.R.; Tutin, T.G. & Moore, D.M. Flora of the British Isles
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[11]. Jordan, P. & Wheeler, S. The Complete Book of Mushrooms: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Edible Mushrooms
[12]. Bunker, F.; Brodie, J.A.; Maggs, C.A. & Bunker, A. Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland.
[13]. Facciola, S. Cornucopia — A Source Book of Edible Plants
This is a continuation of an entire series of pages that will, I hope, allow my visitors to better navigate this site. As well as displaying recipes by name, country and region of origin I am now planning a whole series of pages where recipes can be located by meal type and main ingredient. This page gives a listing of all the Cornish recipes added to this site.
These recipes, all contain Saffron Milk Cap as a major wild food ingredient.
Saffron Milk Cap, Lactarius deliciosus (also known as Red Pine Mushroom) is an edible species of basidomycete fungus (filamentous fungi composed of hyphae that reproduce sexually) and is a member of the Russulaceae (Russula) family of mushrooms with a pale yellow spore print. It is widespread in Europe and North America and is associated with pine trees. It a mushroom of pine woodland and can be found on the ground in the acidic soil of coniferous woods. Typically it fruits between September and November (but is most common in October) and can be locally very common. The mushroom is medium sized (growing maximally to about 9cm tall) and the cap is initially convex in form, flattening with age and with a small central depression and grows, maximally to about 15cm in diameter. The skin is slightly-sticky to the feel and tends to be cream to pinkish-orange in colour, with concentric bands of deep orange that are a distinguishing feature of this mushroom. It can be slightly hoary in feel, but the colour fades with age and slight green staining can be seed on older specimens. The margin is initially inrolled, but later becomes rolled and wavy. The gills are crowded, slightly decurrent and coloured bright orange. If these are scratched, a mild-tasting, carrot-coloured milk is produced that slowly turns dark green and stains the gills. The stipe (stem) is short, stout and hollow, about 6cm in length and up to 2cm in diameter. It is typically paler than the cap, but with carrot-coloured pits near the base and bruises green. The flesh of the saffron milk cap is firm and pale yellow but exudes a milk when cut and rapidly turns orange and then green. There is a faint, pleasant odour and can be a slightly bitter taste. Older specimens often develop a bitter note, particularly if sampled raw and it's often recommended that this mushroom is blanched before cooking.
The saffron milk cap mushroom is an excellent (and much sought-after) eating species. However, it can be maggot-infested, particularly in the stem and should be checked carefully before cooking. One of the best ways to store is to simply in butter and then freeze. The firm texture of this mushroom means that it dries well and can also be preserved in vinegar, brine or oil. Unusually for mushrooms it can also be blanched and frozen. Typically it's recommended that saffron milk caps are cooked slowly and this makes it particularly suited for use in stews, soups, casseroles or for sweating down gently be frying in butter.
The colour, shape, season of fruiting, association with coniferous forests and presence of concentric rings on the cap means, in the UK at least, that there are no poisonous species with which the careful forager can confuse this mushroom. However, it can often be confused with Lactarius deterrimus a milky cap associated with spruce trees that has an orange cap but no rings, has orange flesh that turns wine red and then green on cutting. It is bitter, but edible one blanched. Lactarius salmonicolor has an orange cap and is associated with fir trees but has no rings on the cap and its orange milk changes orange brown. This is bitter, but can be eaten when blanched. Two poisonous species to be avoided are: Lactariaus helvus, associated with pine or birch on wet ground. The cap is rough and yellow brown with no banding and the stem and gills are the same colour as the cap. The milk looks like water and the fungus has a strong smell of fenugreek. The other mushroom to avoid is Lactarius torminousu (the Wooly Milk Cap), as the cap has concentric rings. It is, however, associated with birch trees and not pines. The cap is also shaggy and wool-like, particularly on the margins, and the milk is white and peppery. As always, however, take a good field guide with you when collecting wild mushrooms and if in doubt, do not try!
The mushroom is used extensively in numerous cuisines: In Spain, they are lightly washed, fried whole cap down in olive oil with a small amount of garlic and served drenched in raw olive oil and parsley (they are also prepared by roasting or barbecuing and by stewing and are common accompaniments to meat dishes). They are also collected in Poland, where they are traditionally served fried in butter, with cream, or marinated. In Russian cuisine these mushrooms are prepared with pickling and then eaten with sour cream. They are also well known in Cyprus, where they are usually cooked on charcoal and marinated with olive oil and lemon, or fried with onions with red wine.
For other edible mushrooms, see the guide to edible mushrooms
References:
[1]. David Evans Notes from field observations, tastings and cookery experiments.[2]. Huxley, A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992
[3]. Tanaka, T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.
[4]. Lim T.K. Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants, Vols 1–8.
[5]. Thomas, G. S. Perennial Garden Plants
[6]. Milner, E. Trees of Britain and Ireland
[7]. Rose, F. & O'Reilly, C. The Wild Flower Key (Revised Edition) – How to identify wild plants, trees and shrubs in Britain and Ireland
[8]. Streeter, D. & Garrard, I. The Wild Flowers of the British Isles
[9]. Clapham, A.R.; Tutin, T.G. & Moore, D.M. Flora of the British Isles
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[11]. Jordan, P. & Wheeler, S. The Complete Book of Mushrooms: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Edible Mushrooms
[12]. Bunker, F.; Brodie, J.A.; Maggs, C.A. & Bunker, A. Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland.
[13]. Facciola, S. Cornucopia — A Source Book of Edible Plants
The alphabetical list of all Saffron Milk Cap recipes on this site follows, (limited to 100 recipes per page). There are 1 recipes in total:
Page 1 of 1
| Mushroom Pudding Origin: Britain |
Page 1 of 1