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Due to their high taste and useful properties, mushrooms are used for any culinary purposes. They are especially loved in salted and pickled form. I must say that mushrooms are considered the only mushrooms that can be tasted after salting in one and a half to two weeks.

Most housewives are very fond of canning mushrooms, as well as preparing first and second courses from them. Any food made from these mushrooms will certainly conquer even the most capricious gourmet. However, in the process of processing, one unpleasant feature may be revealed: the mushrooms turn black. Most often this happens when salting, cooking or soaking. This unpleasant picture immediately sows panic among the housewives, as it suggests that the product has become unusable. But is the situation as hopeless as it seems at first glance? If the mushrooms have turned black, can they be eaten?

Interestingly, mushrooms are the only fruiting bodies that have a thick and sweet milky juice. This suggests that such mushrooms do not need to be steeped like other milkers. In addition, eating saffron milk caps does not cause a feeling of heaviness in the stomach. These gifts of nature can rightfully be considered one of the best candidates for salting, pickling, frying, etc.

So, is it dangerous to eat mushrooms that have darkened? No, it is not dangerous, because such a feature can appear for various reasons, absolutely not related to possible poisoning. To understand why the mushrooms turn black after salting, cooking and other processes, you must first take into account various factors, which will be discussed in this article. Knowing about them, each housewife will be able to correctly determine the degree of darkening of the fruit bodies, as well as provide "first aid", if necessary. In addition, this article provides practical tips on what you can do to keep the mushrooms from turning black.

Why did the mushrooms turn black during salting and photos of blackened mushrooms

As already noted, salting saffron milk caps is the most popular processing method. By their nature, these fruiting bodies have a pleasant orange color. However, after salting, they can turn black, which can completely ruin their appetizing appearance. Sometimes this problem may appear within a couple of days after the start of salting, or it may take a month or two before it happens. But if blackened saffron milk caps have no unpleasant odor and no mold, then, as a rule, there is nothing wrong with that. Just darkened salty fruiting bodies are not a pleasant sight. So, why then do mushrooms turn black when salted, if there are no obvious signs of spoilage? There are several reasons for this:

• The mushrooms were not completely immersed in the brine. Upon contact with air, the pulp of the mushroom turns black, but this is an absolutely safe phenomenon, which is not a sign of inedibility and does not affect the taste. If there is no desire to eat such mushrooms as an independent snack, then they can be fried or added to the soup.
• Were collected different types of saffron milk caps, for example, spruce. It is known that this type of fruit bodies can turn black with various types of processing.
• A lot of spices were added during the salting. So, mushrooms do not need a lot of spices, often just one salt is enough. For example, dill seeds can cause blackness in mushrooms.

Some of the reasons mentioned why the mushrooms turned black during salting are shown in the photo:

Reasons why mushrooms turn black when cold salted

Interestingly, but most often mushrooms turn black when cold salted, why is this happening? As with hot salting, the following reasons can be added to all of the above:

• The mushrooms were in the fresh air for a long time before salting. This often happens with purchased fruit bodies. The longer fresh mushrooms wait for processing, the more likely they will turn black after salting.
• Mushrooms were collected in polluted places, near industrial enterprises and highways.
• In the process of collecting mushrooms, they could be very wrinkled. If you press on the flesh of a fresh mushroom, then this area darkens, and when salted, it turns black.
• When storing saffron milk caps, improper conditions were observed, for example, in warmth or in sunlight.
• Ready-made mushrooms were kept in an open jar for a long time. Even the first discovery of conservation disrupts its environment, so the oxidation process begins to go faster.

What to do if salted mushrooms turn black and how to salt mushrooms correctly?

What to do if salted mushrooms have turned black, can they be eaten and subjected to further culinary manipulations? Yes, you can, if the conditions for pre-processing and storage of the finished product are correctly followed. In this case, the color change is absolutely normal for this type of fruit body. If blackened mushrooms don't make you hungry, use them in first and second courses, as well as in salads and sauces.

And what is the best way to salt the mushrooms so that they do not turn black? Here are some tips:

• Carry out neat transportation so that the mushrooms do not wrinkle.
• Mushrooms must be processed immediately after harvest.
• Limit yourself to the minimum amount of spices and herbs.
• Make sure that the mushrooms are completely immersed in the brine.
• Close salted mushrooms in jars with a volume of no more than 1 liter.
• Store the preservation in a dark and cool room, the temperature of which does not exceed + 10 °.
• Collect mushrooms only in proven environmentally friendly places.

Why did the brine turn black when salting saffron milk caps and what to do if the surface turns black?

Many housewives are interested in why the brine turned black when salting saffron milk caps. This does not happen often, and as a result, it can be very scary. Sometimes such an unpleasant feature can really be a cause for concern. But if there is no unpleasant smell in the brine, as well as black mold, then nothing terrible has happened. You can safely eat them after rinsing them in water. Otherwise, if black mold is visible on the darkened brine, then the mushrooms should be thrown away, not sparing the time and effort spent.

So, why can the pickle in salted mushrooms turn black? It should be noted that the brine in salted mushrooms should have a rich dark brown color, this indicates its high-quality condition. So, if the mushrooms were crumpled during the collection process, were poorly processed, stored improperly, and also often came into contact with air, then this may affect the color of the brine. The same can be said about when the brine of salted mushrooms turns black only on the surface.

What to do if the brine has turned black in the mushrooms, what are the recommendations for this? It is necessary to remove the top layer of mushrooms, and drain the liquid. Then rinse the mushrooms, sprinkle them with salt again and fill them with new brine. In addition, if you want to play it safe, then boil the mushrooms for 10 minutes and salt them hot.

Reasons why mushrooms turn black when soaked

As already mentioned, mushrooms do not need soaking, as they belong to the 1st category of edibility. However, some housewives still consider it necessary to soak these fruiting bodies for several hours. Often this process helps with severe fungi contamination. But sometimes, when soaking, it turns out that the mushrooms turn black, why is this happening?

• The main reason for the blackening of saffron milk caps when soaking is their contact with air. Perhaps at that time not all mushrooms were in the water. This is a natural reaction and there is nothing wrong with it. It must be ensured that the product has been completely submerged in water. It is also best to add a little salt to the water.
• In addition, if mushrooms are soaked in metal containers, this can also lead to oxidation and the product will turn black. Therefore, it is necessary to use any non-metallic container.

What needs to be done so that boiled mushrooms do not turn black?

Sometimes mushrooms turn black during cooking, why does this happen? And although black mushrooms do not get the most appetizing look, it is still absolutely safe. There are also several reasons for this:

• Almost all mushrooms react with air and turn black, and mushrooms are no exception. With heat treatment, this reaction is significantly accelerated.
• As in the case of soaking, mushrooms are oxidized during cooking if metal dishes are selected.

But what can be done to prevent boiled mushrooms from turning black?

• When cooking, add salt and citric acid to the water, which will help keep the mushrooms attractive.
• Carry out heat treatment exclusively in enameled dishes, without chips or damage.
• Rinse the mushrooms thoroughly before cooking in ice water with the addition of vinegar.