Porcini(lat. Boletus edulis) is a type of fungus that belongs to the department Basidiomycetes, class Agaricomycetes, order Boletaceae, family Boletaceae, . This is the most colorful representative of the mushroom kingdom. The abbreviated name of the mushroom is simply “white”, some call it boletus. Not even experienced mushroom pickers They easily recognize the “forest celebrity” and fill their baskets with it.
Why is the porcini mushroom called white?
The white mushroom got its name in ancient times, when mushrooms were often dried rather than fried or stewed. The marbled pulp of the porcini mushroom, even after heat treatment and drying, remains perfectly white. People noticed this feature and called the mushroom dark hat exactly white. Another version of the name is associated with the contrast of the porcini mushroom with the less tasty and less valuable “black” mushrooms, the flesh of which darkens when cut.
White mushroom - description and photo, characteristics and properties
hat
All mushrooms of the boletus genus have a strikingly delicate aroma and piquant taste.
The brownish-brown cap of a mature porcini mushroom grows on average to 7-30 centimeters in diameter. But in certain latitudes, subject to heavy rainfall and mild temperatures, porcini mushrooms with a cap diameter of 50 centimeters also appear.
Determining the age of a mushroom is quite simple: the cap of a young porcini mushroom has an almost artistically designed convex shape, while overripe mushrooms are flatter, sometimes even prostrate in appearance. The surface of the porcini mushroom cap in most cases has a pleasant to the touch, slightly velvety texture; the upper skin is tightly connected to the pulp, so it is difficult to separate from it. In dry and windy weather, the cap becomes covered with a network of small but deep wrinkles or cracks, which leads to damage to the internal pores of the mushroom. IN rainy weather a thin film of mucus can be seen on the top of the cap. The color of the porcini mushroom cap can vary - from reddish-brown to almost milky white. How older mushroom, the darker and denser the cap becomes, and the skin acquires a characteristic roughness.
Pulp
The pulp of a ripe porcini mushroom is dense, juicy and mostly fleshy, attractive white. In old mushrooms, it turns into a fibrous structure, the shade of the pulp acquires a slightly yellow or light beige tone.
Leg
The height of the leg of the porcini mushroom is small, on average reaching 12 centimeters, but you can also meet “tall” representatives, the leg of which reaches 25 centimeters in height. The diameter of the leg is 7 cm, less often – 10 cm. Distinctive feature porcini mushroom is the shape of its stem: it is barrel-shaped or club-shaped, over time in old mushrooms it becomes cylindrical, slightly elongated in the center and thick at the base and cap. Its color varies from white to deep brown, sometimes with dark red spots. There are porcini mushrooms, the colors of the caps and legs of which are almost completely identical. Often, at the base of the cap, the stem has a network of light, thin veins, sometimes almost indistinguishable against the main background of the skin.
Blanket and spore powder
There are no remains of the porcini mushroom’s cover – the base of the stem is perfectly clean.
The spore powder is a juicy olive-brown hue, the spores of porcini mushrooms themselves are shaped like a spindle, their dimensions are amazingly tiny: 15.5 x 5.5 microns. The tubular layer is light, then turns yellow, acquiring an olive green hue.
Where do porcini mushrooms grow?
Porcini mushrooms grow on all continents, with the exception of Australia, which is too dry and cold Antarctica. It is found throughout Europe, North and South America, Mexico, China, Japan and the northern regions of Mongolia, North Africa, in the British Isles, in the Caucasus, Kamchatka, Far East, in the middle and southern latitudes of Russia. Very often, porcini mushrooms can be found in the northern taiga, in the European part of Russia and in the Far East.
When and in what forests do porcini mushrooms grow?
The growth cycle of porcini mushrooms is very variable and depends on the place of growth. Porcini mushrooms begin to grow in May or June, and the abundant appearance of mushroom islands ends late autumn– in October-November (in warm regions). IN northern regions the white mushroom grows from June to September, and mass gathering begins in the second half of August. Growth phase white boletus quite long: it takes only a full week to reach adulthood. Mushrooms grow in families or ring colonies, so meeting even one porcini mushroom in the forest often promises sure success for a mushroom picker.
Porcini mushrooms grow in both coniferous and deciduous or mixed forests under trees such as spruce, pine, oak, birch, hornbeam, fir. Porcini mushrooms can be collected in places covered with moss and lichen, on sandy, sandy loam and loamy soils, but these mushrooms rarely grow on swamp soils and peat bogs. The porcini mushroom loves sunlight, but can also grow in dark areas. The mushroom grows poorly when the soil is waterlogged and daily air temperatures are low. Whites rarely grow in the tundra and forest-tundra, forest-steppe, and in steppe regions whites are not found at all.
Types of porcini mushrooms, names and photos
Among porcini mushrooms, the following varieties are considered the most famous:
- Porcini mushroom (net boletus) (lat.Boletus reticulatus )
Edible mushroom. It looks similar in appearance, has a cap of brown or ocher color, sometimes with an orange tint, located on a short cylindrical stem. The mesh on the mushroom stem is white or brown. The cap has a diameter of 6-30 cm. The flesh is white.
The reticulated porcini mushroom is found in beech, oak, hornbeam, and chestnut forests of Europe, North America and Africa, in Transcaucasia. Occurs in June-September, but not too often.
- White mushroom dark bronze (copper, hornbeam) (bronze boletus) (lat. boletus aereus)
An edible type of porcini mushroom, it is distinguished by a very dark brown color of the cap and stem - sometimes they are almost black. On the leg there is a mesh, first white, then walnut. The leg has a cylindrical shape. The flesh of the bronze porcini mushroom is white, does not change color when cut, is dense, with a pleasant smell and taste.
The dark bronze porcini mushroom can be found in oak, beech, oak-hornbeam forests from July to October, and is common in western and southern countries Europe, often found in the United States.
- White birch mushroom (spike mushroom) (lat. Boletus betulicol a )
A special feature of the species is the very light, almost white color of the cap, which reaches 5-15 cm in diameter. Less commonly, its color has a slightly creamy or light yellow tint. The stem of the mushroom is barrel-shaped, white-brown in color, and has a white mesh in its upper part. When cut, the mushroom does not turn blue; the flesh of the mushroom is white.
It grows exclusively under birch trees and is found throughout its habitat, where there are birch forests and groves, along roads and on the edges. Fruits from June to October singly or in groups. It often grows throughout Russia, as well as in Western Europe.
- White pine mushroom (pine mushroom, boletus pine-loving) (lat. Boletus pinophilus)
A type of porcini mushroom with a large, dark-colored cap, sometimes with a purple tint. The cap has a diameter of 6-30 cm. The flesh of the mushroom under the thin skin of the cap has a brownish-red color; in the stem it is white and does not turn blue when cut. The stem of the mushroom is thick, short, white or brown in color, and has a light brown or reddish mesh.
White pine mushroom grows in pine forests on sandy soils and in the mountains, less often in spruce and deciduous forests, found everywhere: in Europe, Central America, Russia (in northern regions European part, in Siberia).
- White oak mushroom (lat. Boletus edulis f. quercicola)
A mushroom with a brown cap, but not with a brownish, but with a gray tint, sometimes light spots are “scattered” on the cap. The pulp of this species is loose and less dense than that of other white varieties.
Oak porcini mushroom can be found in the oak forests of the Caucasus and Primorsky Krai; it is often found in middle lane Russia and its southern territories.
- White spruce mushroom (lat. Boletus edulis f. edulis)
The most common type of porcini mushroom. The leg is elongated and has a thickening at the bottom. The mesh reaches a third or half of the leg. The hat has a brown, reddish or chestnut color.
The spruce porcini mushroom grows in fir and spruce forests in Russia and Europe, except Iceland. The white mushroom appears in June and bears fruit until autumn.
Beneficial properties of porcini mushrooms, vitamins and minerals
Due to its high mineral content, porcini mushroom is one of the most popular and healthy mushrooms. What are the benefits of porcini mushroom?
- First of all, the pulp of the porcini mushroom contains the optimal amount Selena, capable of curing cancer in the early stages.
- Ascorbic acid, which is contained in white, is necessary for the normal functioning of all organs.
- The aromatic, delicious white pulp contains calcium, vital for the human body iron, and phytohormones, allowing to reduce inflammatory processes in the body.
- Riboflavin, which is part of the porcini mushroom, helps normalize work thyroid gland, and also improves hair and nail growth.
- B vitamins contained in white have a beneficial effect on nervous system, energy metabolism, memory and brain function, protect the skin and mucous membranes from infections, are responsible for sound sleep, good mood and appetite.
- Lecithin porcini mushroom is beneficial for atherosclerosis and anemia, helps cleanse blood vessels of cholesterol.
- The value of porcini mushroom also lies in the presence B-glucan, an antioxidant that protects immune system human and fights fungi, viruses and bacteria.
- Ergothioneine as part of porcini mushroom, it stimulates the renewal of body cells, and is also beneficial for the kidneys, liver, eyes, and bone marrow.
- The porcini mushroom also perfectly stimulates the secretion of digestive juices.
Porcini mushroom is low-calorie, consists of 90% water, is perfect for drying, it is fried and stewed, and pickled for future use in the winter. The taste of the cooked pulp is unusually soft; immediately after cleaning, it emits an attractive mushroom smell, which only intensifies after heat treatment. The white mushroom has the strongest aroma after proper drying, when the pulp gradually loses moisture.
Any mushroom is quite difficult for human digestion. But it is dried porcini mushrooms that are most accessible for digestion, since in dried form human body Up to 80% of porcini mushroom proteins are absorbed. This is the form of the mushroom that nutritionists recommend.
Harm of porcini mushroom
Porcini mushroom is an edible mushroom, but it can also cause poisoning in several cases:
- Porcini mushroom contains chitin, which is difficult for children, pregnant women, and people with diseases to digest. digestive system and kidneys. Even porcini mushroom broth can lead to exacerbations.
- Porcini mushrooms, like any other mushrooms, accumulate toxic heavy metals contained in the soil. That is why you need to be careful and under no circumstances collect mushrooms growing within the city or near industrial enterprises, landfills, waste, or near highways.
- Third reason feeling unwell when consuming porcini mushrooms – this is the occurrence allergic reaction for fungal spores.
- And, of course, poisoning can result from eating a dangerous double of the porcini mushroom, called gall mushroom or bitter.
The simplest advice for people who do not understand mushrooms and may confuse a porcini mushroom with a gall mushroom is not to collect mushrooms that turn blue (pink, red) when cut and have a bitter taste!
False porcini mushroom (gall mushroom). How to distinguish a white mushroom from a false one?
- Pulp
One of the main differences between porcini mushroom and false gall mushroom is the color of the cut. When cut, the flesh of the gall fungus darkens and becomes pinkish-brown. The pulp of the porcini mushroom does not change color and remains white.
- Leg
The gall mushroom has a rather bright mesh-like pattern on its stalk, which the edible porcini mushroom does not have.
- Hymenophore
The tubular layer of the false porcini mushroom is pinkish in color, while that of the true porcini mushroom is white or yellow.
- Taste
The false white mushroom is bitter, unlike the edible white mushroom. Moreover, the bitter taste of the gall fungus does not change when boiling or frying, but may decrease when pickling due to the addition of vinegar.
Read about the inedible false porcini mushroom.
False white mushroom
The mushroom season in the forests near St. Petersburg is considered to be from August to November, but edible mushrooms can be found Leningrad region almost all year round.
And so - you gathered your courage, stocked up on tools, got acquainted with and even learned! Let's figure out whether you got ready for the forest on time. We look at the mushroom picker's calendar according to the most popular ones edible mushrooms known in the forests of the Leningrad region.
| Mushroom picker calendar | ||
| Collection month | Types of mushrooms | Features of collection |
| January | Oyster mushroom | For mushroom pickers, this is the emptiest month; there is practically nothing to look for in the forest. But if the winter is warm, you can find fresh oyster mushrooms. Oyster mushrooms usually grow on trees, the cap of such a mushroom is one-sided or rounded, the plates run down to the stem, as if growing to it. Distinguish oyster mushroom from inedible mushrooms It’s not difficult - it has a cap that is not leathery to the touch at all. |
| February | Oyster mushroom, tree mushrooms | If there is no thaw, there is practically nothing to look for in the forest |
| March | Oyster mushroom, tree mushrooms, talker | There are practically no mushrooms, but at the end of the month the first snowdrops may appear. |
| April | Oyster mushroom, tree mushrooms, govorushka, morel, stitch | Snowdrop mushrooms – morels and stitches – are quite common |
| May | Morel, stitch, oiler, oyster mushroom, raincoat | Most mushrooms can be found not under trees, but in clearings, in thick grass. |
| June | Oiler, boletus, boletus, oyster mushroom, morel, honey fungus, chanterelle, porcini mushroom, puffball | In June, mushrooms of the highest category begin to appear. |
| July | Oiler, boletus, boletus, oyster mushroom, morel, puffball, honey fungus, chanterelle, porcini mushroom, moss mushroom | There are already quite a lot of mushrooms - both in the clearings and under the trees. In addition to mushrooms, strawberries and |
| August | Oiler, boletus, boletus, oyster mushroom, morel, honey fungus, chanterelle, porcini mushroom, moss mushroom | At this time, mushrooms can be found almost everywhere: in the grass, under trees, near stumps, in ditches and on trees, and even in city squares and on the sides of roads. In addition to mushrooms, it is already ripe, and appears in swamps. |
| September | Oiler, boletus, boletus, oyster mushroom, morel, honey fungus, chanterelle, porcini mushroom, moss mushroom, oyster mushroom | September is the most productive month for mushrooms. But you need to be careful: autumn is coming to the forests, and in the bright foliage it is difficult to see the multi-colored mushroom caps. |
| October | Valuy, oyster mushroom, camelina, honey fungus, champignon, boletus, porcini mushroom, milk mushroom, moss mushroom, russula | The number of mushrooms in open areas - clearings - begins to decrease. In October, you need to look for mushrooms in closed places - near stumps and under trees. |
| November | Butterfly, greenfinch, oyster mushroom, tree mushrooms. | The weather is getting worse, there may be frosts in full swing, and there is a high probability of finding frozen mushrooms. |
| December | Oyster mushroom, tree mushrooms | There are almost no mushrooms, but if it is fantastic Warm autumn, and even if you’re lucky, you can find leftovers from the autumn mushroom harvest. |
May your quiet hunt be successful, and may dinner in good company at home or at a recreation center be a good reminder of our northern nature.
A special delicacy on any table is the porcini mushroom - not only tasty, but also healthy. It can be used not only for food, but also as a medicinal product. For a mushroom picker, it is important not to make a mistake in choosing - to look at the handsome one among the forest grass and be able to distinguish it from its skillfully camouflaged poisonous and inedible counterparts.
The white mushroom or boletus (Boletus edulis) belongs to the class Agaricomycetes, genus Boletus, family Boletaceae. It has many names: cow, bear, wood grouse, belevik and others. Classified as edible.
The cap is convex in shape, gradually becoming flatter, with a swing diameter of up to 30 cm. External part usually smooth, but may have wrinkles, and cracks in hot weather. During high humidity with a small mucous layer, in dry time shiny.
The color of the porcini mushroom cap varies depending on where it grows:
- among pine trees - closer to chocolate, perhaps pink edging;
- V spruce forest– brown with a coffee, sometimes green tint;
- Near deciduous trees– light, light walnut, yellow ocher.
The pulp is dense, in newly emerging specimens it is light, turning yellow with age. When cut, the color does not change. It has a weak taste and smell when raw. A special pleasant aroma spreads during cooking or drying.
The stem of the mushroom is 8-12 cm high, up to 7 cm thick. The shape is “barrel” or “club”, elongated in aging specimens, thickened at the base. The surface shades are brown with whitish or reddish tints. The reticular layer is light, most often located closer to the cap. Rarely is it mild or absent altogether.
The tubular layer is from light in young to yellowish and greenish in older individuals; it comes off easily from the flesh of the cap.
Distribution and collection season
They grow next to many trees, but most of all they love the “community” of pine forests, birch or oak groves, and spruce forests.
The boron form in autumn friendlyly shares space with green russula in the oak forest and with the chanterelle next to the birches, appears at the same time as the greenfinch.
There is a high probability of finding such whites in pine trees that are 20-25 years old, or pine forests that are at least 50 years old and covered with moss and lichen.
The best temperature for mushroom growth is in summer months 15-18 degrees Celsius, and in September 8-10. Serious temperature changes and rain inhibit the development of mycelium. White hare grows best after minor thunderstorms and foggy, warm nights.
Soils are preferred with the presence of sand and loam, without excess water. Peat bogs and swampy areas are excluded. They also do not like hot places, although they prefer good lighting.
You can meet the hare on all continents except Australia. It grows especially actively in Europe, northern America and even Africa. In Asia it reaches Japan and China. In Russian forests - almost everywhere, reaching the tundra and Chukotka, but is not found in the steppes. Doesn’t like to “climb mountains” too much.
Fruiting is solitary, closer to autumn days– heap.
Porcini mushrooms grow in seasons: in more temperate climatic latitudes - from mid-June to the end of September, the most mushroom time is from the fifteenth of August. Where it is warmer, it may appear by the end of May and not disappear until October.
Species diversity and description
Scientists have counted 18 forms among white hare, but the average amateur will not want to climb into such jungle. And it’s possible to meet some only on other hemispheres of the planet. Therefore, let’s take a closer look at what grows in the forests of Russia.
Spruce
The white spruce mushroom (Boletus edulis f. edulis) is large in size, up to 2 kg per specimen. The hat is chestnut-brown or “brick with a red tint”, in the form of a hemisphere, turning into a plane over time. The top is wrinkled and velvety to the touch. In young mushrooms, the edges are slightly turned inward.
The tubes are white, gradually appearing yellow-green. Leg height 6-20 cm, thickness 2-5. The mesh layer is located closer to the cap.
Distribution and collection time
Collection is possible from early June to early October in spruce-pine and mixed forests - wild and park. They love the proximity to spruce.
Oak
The porcini oak mushroom (Boletus quercicola) has a cap most often of a coffee-gray color, with possible light inclusions, with a diameter of 5-20 cm, fleshy and dense. With age, it gradually begins to wrinkle. As humidity increases, the surface becomes shiny and slightly slimy.
The leg is widened or club-shaped, 6-20 cm high and 2-6 cm in diameter. Interior more brittle than other species.
Where and in what season is it collected?
Oak porcini mushrooms grow from May to October next to oak trees and mixed vegetation in the middle and southern zone of the center of the country, the forests of the Caucasus, and Primorye. They spread widely, sometimes in clusters.
Birch
Birch porcini mushroom (Boletus betulicola) – the fruiting body is much larger than that of its other counterparts. The cap reaches 5-15 cm in diameter, but at times grows to 25-27 cm. The color is light - from white to light coffee, it can wrinkle slightly and crack in the heat.
The tubes are white, with the decay of the mushroom comes a creamy tint. The interior is dense and remains white when dried. The leg is barrel-shaped, white-brown, the mesh is closer to the cap, 5-13 cm high, 1.5-4 cm wide.
Distribution and collection time
The white birch mushroom is present in all forests of the European part of Russia, the territory of the middle latitudes of Northern and Northeast Asia, Caucasus, tundra zone - among the northern birch forest. Any soil (but does not take root on peat bogs), the main thing is that birches or at least aspens grow nearby.
You can find it from early summer until October. Some beauties can survive until the first cold weather. Trim carefully 1.5-2 cm from the ground. You need to look for birch porcini mushrooms on the outskirts of the forest and along nearby roads.
Pine
The white pine mushroom (Boletus pinophilus), also called boletus, looks like a “fat mushroom.” The height of the leg is from 5 to 16 cm, with a diameter of 4-10 cm, thicker at the base. The surface is completely “enveloped” in a reddish or light brownish mesh.
The diameter of the cap is 5-25 cm. The general color is dark brown, there may be variability in reddish shades, the outline is slightly pink, in newly grown ones it is closer to light. The lower part is white-yellow, darkening with increasing age. The flesh at the break is white, under the skin it is brown with a red tint, with a weaker structure than that of the white birch mushroom.
Where and in what season is it collected?
Borovaya porcini mushroom is collected in the Siberian taiga, coniferous forests western half the European part of the country and in the northeast from July to the 15th of October. Prefers sandy pine forest soils, old forests with mosses and lichens. Can be found in forests mixed with pine.
It is important to collect before the tubular layer acquires a greenish tint - old specimens can lead to poisoning!
Picking mushrooms - how to do it right?
When going to the forest, you need to understand where, when and how to collect porcini mushrooms. It is preferable to start “hunting” for them in July and August. They especially scatter across the soil after brief thunderstorms and warm fogs at night. In summer, the boletus mushroom grows for 6-9 days, in autumn – 9-15.
It is advisable to come to the forest before the sun has risen, when the white mushroom is clearly visible. Move slowly, carefully examining the ground. Especially places with sand and loam, where the soil does not flood. When the summer is damp, it is worth looking at a distance from trees, on hills and in places well lit by the sun. If the season is dry, whites hide near the trees, where the grass is thicker. They love to live next to morels.
The best specimens for collecting are those with a cap diameter of approximately 4 cm. Boletus is loved by various kinds of pests, so you need to look out for them carefully, especially in the cap. Be sure to cut it into pieces and remove the wormholes. Within 10 hours, the porcini mushroom must be processed (placed for drying, salting, fried, etc.), otherwise it will go away most of useful properties.
Collection rules
- cut off the porcini mushroom carefully, without damaging the mycelium;
- can be unscrewed;
- clean from possible pests (although it is better to take whole ones);
- place in a collection container with the cap down;
- if the legs are high, lay them sideways;
- leave overripe and questionable specimens on the ground;
- do not trample.
Healthy porcini mushrooms are not afraid of frost, so they can be harvested even after frost. After thawing, they do not lose their taste.
Nutritional quality
Freshly picked porcini mushroom has a calorie content of 34 kcal per 100 g of mass, dried - 286 kcal. Nutritional value – 1.7 g fat, 1 g carbohydrates, 3.5 g protein per 100 g weight. Also disaccharides and saturated fatty acids.
Praised for excellent taste in any form. Special the nutritional value the fact that it makes the stomach work actively.
90% of the weight is water, the remaining 10 is divided into proteins, fiber, carbohydrates, minerals and fats.
It contains the most important microelements - iodine, copper, manganese and zinc. Vitamins – PP, C, B1, A. 22 amino acids. The amount of protein depends on the type, age of the mushroom (the younger the better), place of growth and method of preservation. Dried porcini mushrooms are especially good at preserving proteins.
Digestibility of mushroom proteins
It happens more slowly than in animals, since the proteins of the fungus are enclosed in special walls that “do not penetrate” the enzymes of the digestive tract. To improve absorption by the body, mushrooms need to be well chopped, boiled or fried.
Usage
White mushrooms without wormholes are allowed to be eaten in any form - dried, boiled, fried, salted, pickled and fresh. When dried, they do not become dark, leaving a pleasant forest aroma. The sauce goes great with meat and rice. Powder from such mushrooms can be used to season various dishes. Italians love them very much, adding them raw to the ingredients of a salad with Parmesan cheese, seasoning with oil, spices and lemon juice.
Dried mushrooms can be stored for 1 year by placing them in paper bags. The air temperature should be fixed and moderate, and regular ventilation is required.
The benefits and harms of porcini mushroom
Porcini mushrooms are both beneficial and harmful depending on their human use.
Beneficial features
- in pharmaceuticals – treatment of mastopathy, oncology, angina pectoris, tuberculosis;
- strengthen the immune system;
- improve the condition of eyes, hair and nails;
- are a preventative against anemia and atherosclerosis;
- when used externally – promotes rapid healing of wounds.
Harm
- collected from the roads and industrial enterprises– absorb heavy metals and toxic substances;
- if stored improperly, porcini mushrooms can cause serious stomach upset, especially in children;
- Excessive consumption of dried mushrooms can cause obesity;
- use porcini mushroom with caution in patients with liver and kidney problems.
Mushroom look-alikes
A serious problem is being created dangerous doubles white mushroom. To distinguish the porcini mushroom from false poisonous and inedible mushrooms, use the table below.
| Porcini | Satanic (false white mushroom) | Gall (bitter) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| hat | from red-brown to almost white | grayish-white, coffee shades or olive | light brown shade |
| Leg | light mesh layer | yellowish-red with mesh pattern | dark mesh layer |
| Tubular layer | white or cream in young and greenish in old | reddish-orange, turns blue when pressed | white, later pink |
| Pulp | dense, odorless | dense with an unpleasant odor | soft with a pleasant mushroom smell |
| Behavior at fracture and shear | color does not change | slowly turns red, then turns blue | turns pink |
| Edibility | edible | poisonous | inedible |
It is clear that poisonous and inedible mushrooms are in many ways similar to porcini mushrooms, but upon closer inspection they can still be distinguished. An additional look at the external condition will help - false ones are impeccable appearance.
Symptoms of doppelgangers poisoning, first aid
In an adult with poisoning serious symptoms last up to 3 days. These are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and headache. But due to the unknown impact of poisons, psychogenic reactions are real, including hallucinations, absolute loss of self-control and memory, and even lethargic sleep or death.
As soon as symptoms arise, immediately rinse the stomach and take the poisoned person to the hospital or call ambulance. The effects of doppelgangers mushrooms, especially Satanic mushrooms, have been little studied and delaying first aid can be fatal.
Carefully compare the appearance of the one you come across to “ quiet hunt» a copy with a description of the porcini mushroom, as you remember it and using the photos given in the article. Place only those in your cart that you are completely sure of. And then the beauties brought home will delight all gourmets with the amazing aroma and taste of forest gifts.
The porcini mushroom (boletus) is the real king of mushrooms and perhaps the most desirable prey during a “silent hunt”. Knowing where porcini mushrooms grow and when exactly the mycelium produces the largest harvest is the cherished dream and goal of any avid mushroom picker.
The porcini mushroom is considered the most valuable, tasty, aromatic and nutritious.
The boletus has won enormous popularity and even the love of many admirers of one of the most “natural” types of leisure not only for its appearance, regal bearing and rich taste. It is very practical to prepare and prepare in a variety of forms - dried, salted and pickled. In addition, searching for it in the forest is in itself an exciting activity that develops in a person the healthy qualities of a true seeker.
But before we go to the places of the most widespread, traditional habitat of this spore plant, let’s briefly get acquainted with their varieties and their distinctive features.
White mushroom and its main types
There are several versions of why this mushroom was popularly called white (although it also has another, more official name - boletus). But despite the diversity of all versions, most likely, the etymology of the usual name is associated with unique property this forest beauty- it is the only one among the huge kingdom of various tubular mushrooms that retains its pleasant white color during drying, heat treatment, and also in cut areas.
According to tradition, experienced mushroom pickers easily distinguish white mushrooms by their special color scheme and shape of the cap and stem, as well as by the density of its pulp and excellent taste.
Moreover, in size and shape different parts we can determine whether the mushroom in front of us is young or old.
Yes, in my early age The boletus has an almost spherical cap. The legs of the noble mushroom “young growth” are usually characterized by a pronounced barrel shape, regular color legs - either light gray or light brown.
Over time, the cap of a growing boletus straightens out more and more, often so much that it becomes almost flat. At its maximum, the cap of this plant sometimes reaches a size of 20-30 cm. Noticeable metamorphoses also occur with the stem. As it grows, it becomes more and more elongated in height and therefore gradually turns from barrel-shaped into a fairly slender cylinder. On average, the height of the porcini mushroom stalk reaches 10-15 cm, and its diameter reaches 5-7 cm.
Usually its strong, fleshy pulp is white in color and has a pleasant, pronounced mushroom aroma.
Porcini mushrooms form in their “colonies” forest area mycorrhiza - a symbiosis of mushroom mycelium with tree roots, mainly spruce, pine, oak and birch. Due to the fact that the mycelium penetrates the roots of higher plants, both “cohabitants” receive mutual benefit.
Most often white birch mushroom can be found on the edges and along roads.
By the way, the color of its cap depends on which tree the boletus forms a close connection with, the spectrum of which ranges from light brown to brown and dark brown. In total, there are 3 main varieties of porcini mushrooms:
- Birch. Most often it grows in small groups or singly. Its cap is usually either white or light yellow. The pale brown stalk of the birch porcini mushroom has characteristic difference from the stems of other porcini mushrooms - the light mesh on it can only be distinguished near the cap.
- Oak. A characteristic feature of this species is its fairly large size, light-colored legs of brownish, ocher or coffee color, and the presence of a velvety skin. A white (brown) mesh completely covers the entire cylindrical leg.
- Pine. The most brightly colored type among all the described varieties. In adulthood, its cap grows up to 20 cm in diameter and acquires the color of dark red wine. The tubular layer of the cap is olive-colored, and the leg is covered from bottom to top with a reddish mesh.
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When and where do boletus grow?
Oak porcini mushroom grows in deciduous forests: under oaks, hornbeams, beeches, lindens and chestnuts.
Porcini mushroom in general is enough capricious creature. The fact is that it is extremely sensitive to the temperature conditions of the area in which it grows, to the level of humidity and other climatic parameters. This main reason, according to which boletus usually does not produce too much harvest.
At the same time, if climatic conditions They suit him, he grows quite quickly. The period of growth and full maturation takes only a few days, and within a week (maximum 10 days) aging begins with all negative consequences- loss of unique taste qualities, increased worminess and accumulation in the body of the fungus of toxic waste products of microorganisms, which, just like people, love this plant.
Therefore, the mushroom picker should prepare in advance for active “silent hunting” and try to catch the period when this can be done with maximum results. Of course, you need to know exactly where to look for the “mushroom king”.
If we talk about the distribution area of the boletus, it can be noted that almost the entire world has been “mastered” by it. The only exceptions are Australia and the polar (Arctic) zone. True, in Russia this mushroom is occasionally found in the southern regions of the tundra on the Chukotka and Kamchatka peninsulas, in the Khibiny tundra.
Mostly pine white mushroom grows in coniferous forests in the summer-autumn period.
Colonies of this noble plant grow quite actively in Siberian taiga. But the richest harvest of porcini mushrooms in the Russian Federation is traditionally the European part of the country, where they thrive especially well in vast mixed forests. The most unloved areas for boletus are the steppe regions.
Boletus can grow in both old and young forests. However, he loves the first ones more. It is in them that abundant mosses and lichens are often found. At the same time, this mushroom also does well on loamy and sandy soils, which predominate in coniferous forests.
At the same time, different types of boletus mushrooms demonstrate individual preferences regarding the place of their settlement. Thus, white birch trees grow mainly along forest roads and paths, on forest edges. The oak species, in addition to oak forests, also gravitates towards lindens, chestnuts and hornbeams. Pine boletus gets along equally well both in fairly light and warm meadows and in the shade of dense tree crowns. It should always be borne in mind that this mushroom never grows in completely open areas.
You can search for our forest delicacies from June to September inclusive. However, the second half of August is traditionally considered the most productive period, when almost ideal conditions for development with short but heavy rains and warm nights with fogs. However, if the spring turned out to be quite warm and rainy, the appearance of young mushroom shoots is possible in May.
The mushroom season begins in mid-April - early May. On the northern slopes of ravines, in forest thickets, where the sun rarely peeks, there is still snow, and on the edges of broad-leaved and deciduous forests, warmed by the sun, morels appear in clearings and along forest roads. Massive growth of morels is observed from the first to the third ten days of May. At the same time, you can collect the lines. These mushrooms love pine forests and settle in clearings and roadsides on sandy soil.
Morels and lines in fresh poisonous. Before eating, they are carefully processed: boiled 2-3 times, draining the broth, or dried.
In early June, the mushroom picker will encounter the first russula. There are many varieties of russula. These are the most harvest mushrooms and you can collect them until late autumn. Russulas are easy prey; in other parts of the forest there are a lot of them, and it seems that extraordinary flowers of the most varied colors and shades have grown in the emerald greenery.
In June, you need to look into the birch forests if you want the basket to be filled with the first boletus mushrooms, and in the sparse, light-colored pine forests you can collect boletus. At this time, green moss mushrooms are also common in the forest. From the second half of June, the growth of mushrooms increases noticeably: more than 15 species of cap mushrooms can already be found in the forest.
In pine forests overgrown with heather, aspen and often birch forests, very noticeable mushrooms appear - boletuses. Their red hat is visible from a distance on the green carpet. These mushrooms grow until late autumn, but most of them occur from the first ten days of August to the second ten days of October. In June, when the first warm rains pass, chanterelles will appear in abundance, settling in cheerful flocks in grassy and mossy forest clearings. At this time you can search in the light pine forest and the king of mushrooms - boletus, and in early July porcini mushrooms appear in birch forests.
In June, pigs are found, mushrooms are found in forest clearings and edges, and in July, families of milk mushrooms begin to be found in coniferous, birch and birch forests. You need to take a closer look at the hummocks, because under a layer of last year’s needles and leaves, the mushroom often hides from the eyes of the mushroom picker.
August is considered the most mushroom month, of course, and its best gift is saffron milk caps. From the first days of the month they pour out in the young growth of spruce and pine forests. Second half of August and first ten days of September - Golden time for a mushroom picker: just have time to collect abundant harvests of mushrooms that are valuable for drying, salting and pickling. At this time there are a lot of boletus, boletus, boletus, saffron milk caps, and milk mushrooms. Grow and less valuable mushrooms- waves, rows, loading. In August you can find autumn honey mushrooms, but their time has not yet come. There are many honey mushrooms in September, when other mushrooms begin to disappear. The sky is frowning more and more often, watering the thinned forest with fine cold rain. Fallen leaves are everywhere - a flowery outfit of autumn, among which it is already difficult to find a mushroom, but honey mushrooms are in plain sight. Having surrounded the stump, they climb up in a crowd, as if they were damp and cold on the ground. Before the first snow, you can carry baskets full of these tasty and clean mushrooms from the forest.
The mushroom calendar is capricious. Not one year coincides with another in terms of the number of types of mushrooms and their yield. Only the order in which mushrooms appear is almost constant.
A real mushroom picker meets the sun in the forest with trophies in a basket. Early in the morning, when there are no obliques yet sun rays, the mushroom is clearer. Those who are late can only get overgrown mushrooms and trimmed mushroom stems. Walk slowly through the forest, some will run around it and return home with an empty basket, but mushrooms love to play hide and seek. Under a thick branch, in moss, among a heap of leaves, they often hide from the eyes of mushroom pickers, especially after a summer dry wind. IN rainy summer mushrooms settle in clearings and along forest edges. If you find a mushroom, then circle around: mushrooms often grow in groups. There is no need to pull the mushroom out of the ground by the roots; it is better to cut it with a knife without scattering the forest floor. If you save the mycelium, you will get good harvest and in the future.
The Russian writer S. T. Aksakov wrote that mushrooms have favorite places where they will certainly be born every year in larger or smaller quantities. And he had such places in mind; he would not come from the forest without mushrooms. “I always have a lot of spotted mushrooms, mostly white,” said Aksakov, “and I take them at the age that I need, or leave them to reach their full development and beauty.”
(S. T. Aksakov. Collected works, vol. 4. M., ed. art literature, 1956, pp. 594-595.)
It is best to collect mushrooms in baskets made of willow twigs, placing them with their caps down or sideways if the mushrooms have long stems. In buckets due to lack of inflow fresh air mushrooms can “burn” and spoil. You cannot collect mushrooms in backpacks and bags - in these containers they wrinkle and crumble.
Fresh mushrooms brought home must be immediately sorted, cleaned and processed; they cannot be stored.
Who, in an exciting mushroom hunt, has not had to wander through an unfamiliar forest, looking for the way to home! Of course, it’s good to have a compass with you, but it’s not always at hand. Therefore, when picking mushrooms, you should often pay attention to the features of the area: a noticeable tree, clearings, bends in the road, etc. It is useful to look back occasionally to remember the way back from the forest.
At night it is easy to navigate by the moon. Full moon opposes the sun, which means that at 7 o'clock. it is in the west, at midnight - in the south and at 19 o'clock. - in the east. A straight line drawn through the two outermost stars of the Big Dipper, which has the shape of a bucket, will go to the bright Polar Star, which is always in the north in our hemisphere.
It's lonely standing tree the crown is always thicker and more luxuriant on the south side. On sections of stumps, the thickness of annual rings is wider towards the south. Resin appears on the trunks of pine trees on the southern side, and moss and lichens grow on stones and trees on the northern side. Anthills are usually located on the south side of a tree or stump.
The sides of the horizon can be easily determined using a watch. To do this, the hour hand is directed towards the sun.
A line running from the center of the clock through the middle of the angle formed by the hour hand and the direction of the number 1 will indicate where north and south are. Before lunch, south will be to the right of the clockwise direction, and after lunch, to the left. Exactly at 13 o'clock. the sun is in the south. The minute hand is not taken into account. The watch should be kept in a horizontal position.
Nature can help the mushroom picker determine the weather for the coming days. Before bad weather, wood sorrel and wood groats are drooping, meadow clover is folding its leaves, sweet clover is smelling strongly, and the flowers of dandelion, thistle and coltsfoot are closing. Yellow acacia flowers usually have a strong scent in the evening. If their aroma is felt on a sunny morning, it means a thunderstorm.
When going to the forest to pick mushrooms, pay attention to your flower garden. Morning glory, mallow, marigolds have folded their petals and seem to have withered - which means it will rain and you need to put on rubber boots and take a raincoat with you.
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