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Foraging for Indigo Milk Cap – and a Recipe!
Edible blue mushrooms? Surely it’s a joke – or a mushroom only found in far-off locations? Think again! The beautiful indigo milk cap, aka lactarius indigo, is not only very blue, it’s readily found in eastern North America (and more recently found on the west coast, too!), East Asia, and Central America. So, how can you find these lovely specimens? Keep reading to find out!
When to Find Indigo Milk Caps?
Indigo milk caps LOVE a good rain. They flourish with heavy downpours and warm weather, so summer into early fall is an excellent time to look for these mushrooms. I have found them as early as June and as late as September in Northern Kentucky/Southern Indiana. They usually pop up a day or two after a nice, heavy rain in small clusters or individually. You can find them in association with deciduous and conifer trees, so keep your eyes open! In our area, we most often seen them around hickory and oak trees, and sometimes cedars. So, what should you look for?
Caution When Foraging
Indigo milk caps are an excellent beginner mushroom to forage. They are very distinctive looking. A word of caution, though. Never eat mushrooms you aren’t sure of. And the information found here should not be your only source for identification. If you are new to foraging for mushrooms, you should consult an expert before consuming anything. Also, with any new mushroom, you should only eat a small portion at first, even if you are sure it is edible. Some people are sensitive to certain mushrooms, so it’s better to err on the side of caution. Lastly, wild mushrooms should ALWAYS be cooked before consuming.
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How to Identify Indigo Milk Cap Mushrooms?
Indigo Milk Caps are not hard to identify – once you know what you’re looking for. Alternatively, they are called blue milk caps – and the blue color is key. They don’t really have any look-alikes, but some have confused them with cortinarius mushrooms (poisonous) or wood blewits (edible). Both of these mushrooms are purplish though, and not blue. Again, if you have any doubts, snap some pictures, or take a specimen and ask an expert. Another identifying characteristic is the blue “milk” or latex that the caps exude. Whenever I find these mushrooms, my fingers inevitably are covered with blue pigment from the gills. The stalk is usually a pale blue color with darker blue “freckles” or splotches and is hollow in the middle. Milk caps can get big, too. I’ve found young specimens that were about 1.5″ across, and older ones that were easily 5″ across!
Look for indigo milk caps under leaf litter and in mixed or deciduous forests. They like to hide! But once you find one, keep your eyes peeled. I tend to find them in clusters of 3 or 4 and I usually see several clusters in an area. It should be noted that older mushrooms will look more green than blue – especially the gills. This is good to know for identification purposes, but I’d leave the green ones in the woods. Look for the fresher blue ones for eating. (They will also turn more greenish once you store them in the fridge, too. They are still fine to eat – the cooler temps cause the color change)
What do They Taste Like?
I have read all kinds of descriptions of this mushroom: spicy, crumbly, dry, delicious, etc. I can only speak from my own personal experience (and it is possible that there are sub-varieties that have slightly different flavors, but that’s way above my pay grade!). When I have eaten these, they remind me of portobellos, but with a firmer texture. They don’t taste spicy to me, and I think they substitute fine for the common white mushrooms or portobellos. They are great for frying (see the recipe below) and sautéing. I have read that some like to add them to scrambled eggs (they will turn the eggs green!), but I haven’t tried this…yet. I will update this post when we do!
These mushrooms do lose their coloring when cooked, turning more of a dark grey color. To preserve the color, I’ve seen recipes for pickling the mushrooms. Again, I haven’t tried it. But I’ll let you know if I do!
Final Thoughts on the Indigo Milk Cap
This beautiful blue mushroom is worth seeking out, if only for the novelty of it’s color. Some have tried to extract its color for dye, paint, and ink purposes, but those efforts have not been very successful (so far!). However, I did find an interesting article on how some scientists are using the chemical that makes these mushrooms blue. Personally, I’m always excited to find these and add them into our meals. Have you seen these mushrooms before? Have you eaten them? Let me know in the comments!
Fried Blue Milk Caps
Ingredients:
- 4-5 Indigo milk caps; stems removed.
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic
- salt and pepper to taste
- Canola/vegetable oil for frying
- 1 large egg, beaten
Step 1: Heat the oil in a large cast iron skillet of medium/medium-low heat.
Step 2: Cut the caps into 4-6 pieces (depending on how large you want your mushroom fritters).
Step 3. Mix flour and all spices together in medium bowl
Step 4: Dredge mushroom pieces in beaten egg. Allow excess to drip off. Then dredge in flour bowl. Shake off excess flour, and place gently in cast iron pan. Allow to fry for 2-3 minutes, until golden brown, then flip, frying 2-3 minutes more. Remove from skillet and allow excess oil to drain. Lightly salt and enjoy!!
Note: You could also cook these in an air fryer. Preheat to 375. Line battered mushrooms in air fryer tray and spritz with oil. Cook for 5 minutes. Turn, spritz with more oil, and cook another 5-10 minutes, until golden and crispy.
These were delicious! Note how the caps look a little green? I had stored these in the refrigerator for a couple of days before cooking them.
Other Ideas
- Cook in bite sized pieces with scrambled eggs
- Sauté in butter and serve as a side to a main dish
- Use as you would portobellos in any cooked mushrooms.
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