Introduced on its mycorrhizal host plant, Pinus radiata, and now widespread throughout pine plantation and groves throughout Southern Australia from Perth to Hobart, Melbourne to New South Wales, this mushroom is considered a favourite by amateur hunters, fresh-produce markets and foodies alike.
Excuding a milky substance on cutting and eventually bruising greenish on damage or age, this mushroom has an interesting unique crunchy texture and mild flavour and bright colour that suits a wide variety of dishes or recipes. Now often seen sold at markets and on the menus of many restaurants its culinary versitility make it an increasingly prized and popular wild species in Southern Australia.
Our pine mushrooms are picked locally in the southern foothills of the Dandenong Ranges on private property to ensure a quality product. During a solid season in April to September we can collect these in their thousands. We pick only fresh, healthy and young specimens. These mushrooms are by far our biggest seller.
Our price this season is $35-$40 per kilo fresh depending on availability.
We also sell 50g bags of this mushroom dried for $5 each.
Selby Shrooms taste rating for this species: very good.
Frequently Asked Questions
Saffron Milk Caps (Lactarius deliciosus) grow under Pinus radiata (Monterey Pine) throughout southern Australia. In the Melbourne area, they are commonly found in the southern foothills of the Dandenong Ranges and anywhere pine groves or plantations exist from Perth to Hobart. They are mycorrhizal and only grow in association with pine trees.
Saffron Milk Caps typically fruit from April through to September in Victoria, with peak season usually in May and June. During a solid season they can appear in their thousands under pine plantations. Yields vary significantly year to year depending on rainfall and soil temperature.
Lactarius deliciosus has several distinctive features: an orange to salmon-coloured cap with concentric ring markings, orange gills that exude bright orange-saffron coloured milk when cut, and flesh that eventually bruises green on damage or with age. It is always found growing under pine trees. The unique crunchy texture and bright colour make it one of the easier wild mushrooms to identify, though proper confirmation is always recommended before consumption.
