Naming: Twany Milkcap (Lactifluus Volemus), also known as Weeping milkcap and orange-brown milky, the fishy milkcap, and the apricot milk cap
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What does tawny milkcap mushroom (Lactifluus Volemus) taste like?
The tawny milkcap mushroom (Lactifluus volemus) is pretty weird! First of all, it smells totally fishy, like herring or something when raw. But when you actually cook and eat it, the taste is amazingly aromatic and complex – every bite is bursting with mild, nutty, and pleasant flavors. It has a firm consistency, so you get a full mouthful of deliciousness to savor and chew. This mushroom is a true culinarily delight that surprises your senses with the nutty, umami taste when cooked.
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Is tawny milkcap mushroom (Lactifluus Volemus) edible?
Yes, the tawny milkcap is an edible mushroom and a very tasty one. It is beginner friendly, because it is very easy to recognize and find. Its cap colors pop against the green background, and because of the distinct markings, it is hard to mistake it for any other mushroom. Learn below how you can identify this amazing mushroom. It is easy if you pay attention to all the identifying marks. It is not even easy to mix up with something else because of the smell. The fishy odor is so intense that I can smell it on my foraging basket weeks after I’ve picked them up.
How can you identify the Tawny Milkcap (Lactifluus Volemus)?
The cap can grow anywhere from 5 to 20cm wide. It’s usually orange to different shades of tawny, sometimes the mushroom has red splotches on top of the cap positioned centrally. Cap is matte and smooth.
When you cut this little guy, it oozes out white milk that turns brown over time. So you gotta be careful prepping it or you’ll make a mess! It literally colors everything brown. You have to see how my fingers look when I collect them. It smells extremely like fish. This smell even intensifies over time.
The stem is a paler color from the cap and gets brown if you squeeze it, ranging from 1.5 cm in diameter up to 3 cm.
This mushroom pops up in mixed forests in the early summer through fall. It likes to hang out with tree roots.
The tawny milkcap is one of the best edible milk caps, if not the best tasting mushroom!
| Parts | Description | Speed check |
|---|---|---|
| Cap | Orange to different shades of tawny, sometimes the mushroom has red splotches. Cap is matte and smooth. In diameter ranging from 5 – 20cm | Tawny shades, matte, smooth |
| Gills | Gills are pale, positioned very close together, sometimes forking. Gills are cream colored. When gills are cut across or damaged, they ooze white milk (natural occurring latex). With time, bruises will turn brown and milk drops as well (look at the image). Spores are white. | When damaged, ooze white milk, damaged places turn brown over time |
| Stem | Cylindrical shape, ranging from 1.5cm – 3 cm diameter. Paler colored than cap. When squeezed can turn brown. When cut, latex milk will form, with time turns light brown. | |
| Flesh | Whitish, full and firm. Later or when injured staining light brown. | |
| Taste/Smell | When bruised, it will start smelling like dead fish. The smell will intensify with time. Very strong fishy smell. | Very strong fishy smell |
| Habitat | Because it is symbiotic with a lot of trees, it can be found in mixed forests. Tawny milkcap season is from early summer until the beginning of autumn, very rarely in late autumn. | |
| Possible Confusion: | Lactifluus Rugatus (milking white, lightly coloring to brown, gills are not coloring brown when damaged, no fishy smell), Lactarius Rusufs (milking white, but not changing color, no fishy smell) Lactarius Helvus – in literature it is marked as poisonous: Can cause very strong diarrhea (transparent milk, not changing color), Lactarius Hysginus (milking white, but not changing color, no fishy smell). | None of the dangerous lookalikes have milk that turns brown and the smell is missing too. | Tawny Milkcap lookalikes don’t turn brown or smell fishy when damaged |
How to prepare Tawny Milkcap (Lactifluus Volemus)?
Like everybody using them for the first time just clean it and throw it right on a hot pan and bake on butter. When done, sprinkle with a little bit of salt and spread over buttery baked bread. Amazing flavour!
Delicious Lactifluus Volemus Recipes you can find below
Is it possible to preserve Tawny Milkcap (Lactifluus Volemus)?
I’ve tried to freeze them for the first time this year(2023 season). I’ve never before had the opportunity to collect as many Tawny Milkcap (Lactifluus Volemus) as I did this year. I’ve tested two ways of freezing: full caps, cooked, and then frozen. I’ll let you know if my attempts are fruitful. If they are, I’m praying they are, I’ll finally have my favorite mushrooms all year long at my disposal 🙂