When young, indigo milk caps are one of the most stunningly beautiful mushrooms in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Lactarius indigo flaunts a deep blue convex cap that is typically 2 to 4 inches wide. As the indigo ages, the cap hue turns to a grayish blue and flattens. The stem is 2 to 3 inches high and indigo blue as well, and the white flesh becomes blue when cut … then green. This species typically grows in oak forests, but also occasionally in pine glades.
Jeff Huffman, my mushroom mentor and a member of the New River Mushroom Club, recommends cooking milk caps in butter until they become “brown and a little crispy,” which gives them a pleasant nutty flavor. As is the case with the vast majority of edible mushrooms, indigos should not be consumed raw as they emit a foul, fishy odor then.
Indigo milk caps release a blueish liquid when cut, which is part of the identification process. Unfortunately, there are some poisonous lookalikes …specifically members in the Cortinarius family.
“Cortinarius mushrooms can be confused with the indigo,” Huffman says. “However, they don’t exude the milky substance when cut, and the indigo has a different color spore print … creamy.
Always consult field guides and expert sources before consuming a mushroom new to you. New River Mushroom Club: https://sites.google.com/site/newrivervalleymushroomclub/home.
Bruce and Elaine Ingram will profile a different wild edible every month. For more information on their book Living the Locavore Lifestyle, contact them at bruceingramoutdoors@gmail.com.
