Pine Mushrooms (Saffron Milk Caps) in Australia 2025

When autumn comes to Australia, the season of mushrooms arrives too. After rain showers, you can go mushroom hunting and pick up as many mushrooms as you need and a little more. The most common mushrooms are orange pine mushrooms or saffron milk caps. They are red or yellow-orange mushrooms, similar in shape to a martini glass. The hat has a dimple in the center. When cut, an orange type of "milk" is secreted, which is how they received their English name.

They are usually collected under pine trees. The most common way to prepare these mushrooms is to grill or fry them with garlic and olive oil. Orange pine mushrooms on the grill are offered with pesto sauce and herbs as well. Many prefer to fry mushrooms with bacon and then add them to pasta. Some prepare a mushroom risotto, which goes really well with Parmesan cheese and a glass of good Pinot Noir wine. And of course, mushroom soup with cream is very popular in the autumn season as well.