Steppe chanterelle mushrooms in the Crimea. What mushrooms grow in Crimea

I read articles on the Internet and feel the approach of autumn, although here in Crimea we don’t feel autumn yet, but in other cities located to the north we have already felt the arrival of autumn. My relatives living in the Urals and Tyumen region felt the arrival of autumn.

But the arrival of autumn is not only about cooling. I call the Urals, ask how things are going, and they answer me - yes, they came from the forest to pick mushrooms. And how envious I became, I also went mushroom picking before when I lived in the Urals, but I also went mushroom picking here in Crimea. So I wanted to tell you, my readers, about Crimean mushrooms.

In some sources, mushrooms are classified as flora , That's why I'm adding the rest of the article about mushrooms.

In Crimea, thanks to the special climate and geographical location grow very rare plants, found only in Crimea, I wrote about this in the article ““. Crimean forests are also rich in mushrooms.

Somehow it happened that in the Crimean cuisine of real peoples, and even ancient ones, there are no dishes with mushrooms. No matter how, neither the Crimeans, nor the Karaites, nor the Crimean Greeks, nor Crimean Tatars, nor the Crimean Armenians paid much attention to mushrooms. The reason seems to be that in Crimea there was always enough food and they didn’t pay much attention to mushrooms.

Perhaps in vain. It cannot be said that there are a lot of mushrooms in Crimea, but if you know mushroom places, then you will not be left without mushrooms. Mushrooms are collected in Crimea all year round. The peninsula is not large, despite this, in one place autumn mushrooms are still being collected, and in another spring mushrooms have already begun to grow.

1. Mushroom places in Crimea

Mushroom places in Crimea can be found everywhere, both in the Crimean mountains and in the steppe, and can also be found on the villages. Mushroom lovers most often climb mountains to a height of 300–700 meters and collect mushrooms in the forests. Known as a mushroom place, Ai-Petrinskaya Yayla, as well as the Bakhchisarai forest, which stretches from Sevastopol. Forests are good for mushroom hunting in the area of ​​​​the old Crimea and Feodosia.

But in Crimea the landscape is completely different; even in the steppe you can find mushrooms, especially in the Donuzlav and Sasyk regions. There are also unique mushrooms, listed in the Red Book, and written about them.

I personally went to the forests outside Simferopol, near the village of Lozovoy. My neighbor and I climbed for a long time to the top of the mountain, about 500 meters up, we climbed slowly and all the mushroom pickers overtook us; when we got to the top, it turned out that many mushroom pickers had already collected full baskets.

We went for boletus. But we had no reason to worry that we wouldn’t have enough mushrooms. No one left with empty baskets and neither did we. In the young pine forest they collected butternuts in a basket and also in bags.

2.What mushrooms are most often collected

Found on the peninsula different mushrooms and those that grow in most areas former union and very rare mushrooms.

1.Saffron milk caps

The time for these mushrooms usually comes Indian summer. They grow in forests until mid-October. If the weather is good, they can be collected until December.

Ryzhik loves mixed forest (oak and pine), shady places under pine and spruce trees, longitudinal grooves, holes and ravines. It's very easy to recognize him.

The mushroom cap is usually up to 15 centimeters in diameter. It is almost flat, but can sometimes be depressed in the middle, with the edges turned down. Later the cap straightens and becomes funnel-shaped. Its color is red, light orange, reddish or bluish green. The skin is smooth, moist and sticky. The leg is usually up to 9 centimeters long.

Everyone can cook mushrooms possible ways. In any case, it will turn out very tasty. In Europe it is generally considered a delicacy. It is very nutritious, but at the same time easily digestible.

Salted saffron milk caps are especially good. Their peculiarity is that they do not require spices. And you can eat them the very next day after salting. You can eat these mushrooms right in nature. Just chop them finely and sprinkle with salt - within an hour you will have a wonderful snack at your disposal. But the flora of Crimea is rich not only in these mushrooms.

2. Honey mushrooms

Wet and warm autumn they are collected in the Crimean forests. You can collect honey mushrooms in the garden and vegetable garden literally in buckets.

The mushroom cap is 3–10 centimeters in diameter, and the stem is very long and often reaches 15 or even 20 centimeters. The cap is grayish-yellowish with dark scales on top, lamellar and white below. The mushroom often grows in groups on stumps, hence its name. Loves fallen trees, sometimes grows in the foundations of living ones.

ABOUT taste qualities There is no consensus on this mushroom. For example, it is not popular in the West. There it is considered of little value, and sometimes even inedible. In our area, honey fungus is one of the most beloved mushrooms among the population. But it is worth remembering that honey mushrooms cannot be eaten raw. Even a slightly undercooked mushroom can cause digestive upset.

3. Butter

If you love these mushrooms, then be sure to go to the Ai-Petri plateau. The diameter of the cap of this mushroom can range from 3 to 14 centimeters. It has a hemispherical shape. The color of the cap is brown and can take on a variety of shades. The leg is from 3 to 11 centimeters long.

The mushroom grows in forests and prefers bright places, such as clearings and forest edges. Sometimes it can be found in the meadow under a tree. In Crimea, boletus often grows around stones.

In summer, at the beginning of the season, most mushrooms are eaten away by insects. But as autumn approaches, the situation improves.

Butter is loved all over the world. The most delicious mushroom is considered to be salted and pickled. Then this is practically a gourmet dish. But it is worth remembering that boletus can cause allergies in some people.

4. Gray row (mice)

Perhaps the most popular mushroom in Crimea. The cap is usually round-conical with a diameter of 4 to 12 centimeters, gray. The leg is very long - from 8 to 12 centimeters, but it is often immersed in moss. In most cases, the mushrooms are very small. But there are also real giants.

The mushroom grows from mid-September to November. It is collected in coniferous and mixed forests. Mice can be found near middle-aged pines, on sandy soil, in moss and under fallen leaves and pine needles. One of the places where row trees grow is the observatory area.

Many people consider the gray row to be very delicious mushroom. You can cook it in every possible way.

5. Chanterelles

These mushrooms have a cap and stem that are a single unit, and the color ranges from light yellow to orange-yellow. The cap is usually wavy-rimmed, with curled edges and depressed in the center. It is smooth and matte, and the skin is difficult to separate from the flesh of the cap.

The pulp tastes sour and smells a little like dried fruits or roots, and turns slightly red when pressed. The most interesting thing is that chanterelles do not harbor worms or insect larvae. Chanterelles grow in families, in open places in the grass or in moss. Chanterelles can be found in the forests near the village of Mramornoe.

6.Porcini mushroom

In the mountainous part of Crimea, in the clearings and among the bushes, you can find mountain White mushroom. His hat can be convex, less often spread out. The surface is smooth or wrinkled, in dry weather it can crack, and in wet weather it can be slightly slimy. The flesh of the mushroom is dense, white, with a pleasant smell, and does not change color when broken. The plates are adherent, sparse and white.

7.Raincoats

This mushroom belongs to the champignon family. In Crimea it can be found in deciduous forests. We have three types of raincoat: prickly (the surface is covered with soft small spines), pear-shaped (looks like a pear, covered with a rough, thin-lumpy skin) and giant raincoat - it can grow up to 34 centimeters in height.

4.Unusual fine in Ukraine

I would like to remind you that a fine of about 39 UAH has been introduced for the unauthorized collection of wild fruits, nuts, mushrooms and berries in Crimea. On all the paths into the forest there are cordons that collect money, so when going for mushrooms, do not forget to take your wallet with you.

Categories:/ from 09/14/2013 - February, 9th 2014

They can be found not only on mountain tops and forests, but also in fields. This is an unpretentious mushroom that has a delicate taste. The mushroom has a solid white color on a relatively short stalk.
Trutoviki is another pearl of Crimea. But to find them, you will have to spend more effort than when collecting champignons. These mushrooms, usually growing on the trunk of an ash tree, have a round shape without a stalk. Their color can vary from light yellow to deep orange. The pulp of such a mushroom has yellow inside and has a specific aroma. The mushroom is found on mountain slopes and forests. It is recommended to collect it in May.

Butterflies are among the first to appear in the vast expanses of the Crimean forests and open mushroom season. They grow in all regions of Crimea, are very unpretentious and tasty. They are difficult to confuse with other types of mushrooms; they have a peculiar stem shape and a brownish cap.

Beginning with early summer and ending late autumn, porcini mushroom hunting season is announced in the Crimean peninsula. The porcini mushroom is a desired trophy for every mushroom picker. It grows mainly in old forests, whose age has exceeded 60-70 years. And then, not under every tree you can find it even there. The mushroom cap has a round shape, colored in brownish shades. The leg of a porcini mushroom is very impressive size, white.

Milk mushrooms were considered a delicacy in ancient times, and are now extremely popular. They can be found under birch or oak trees, covered with leaves. They need to be collected from the end of July to mid-September. The mushroom cap has a rather complex shape, combining convexity and funnel-shape. The main color of the mushroom is white with yellow spots.

The unique climate of Crimea and the soil, rich in organic matter, create excellent conditions for the growth of mushrooms. The interesting thing is that they can be found everywhere - in the mountains, in forests and in steppe zone. This article will help you figure out which ones are edible and which ones. poisonous mushrooms growing in Crimea. She will also share delicious recipes for pickling Crimean mushrooms.

What mushrooms are edible in Crimea?

Fans of mushroom “hunting” get the greatest pleasure on the Crimean Peninsula. According to statistics, up to two hundred species of mushrooms grow in Crimea. Of these, about 100 species are suitable for consumption. It is interesting that local mushroom pickers collect no more than 40 species of mushrooms. The rest of the potential remains unclaimed.

Local “mushroom hunting” professionals give preference to porcini mushrooms, boletus mushrooms, boletus mushrooms, boletus mushrooms, chanterelle mushrooms, saffron mushrooms, champignons and honey mushrooms. Although the list of edible mushrooms is much longer. So, it is replenished with baby mice, early single-barrel mushrooms, milk mushrooms, mountain mushrooms, puffballs, russula, green moss mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, row mushrooms and morels.

Where do Crimean mushrooms grow?

Crimean mushroom pickers say that:
- in the village Kolchugino there are a lot of mice;
- V Strogonovka And Zelenogorsk boletus grows;
- V Marble they collect chanterelles;
- in District Astrophysical Observatory the rows are growing;
- near Demerdzhi and forests Radiant different types of mushrooms grow.

The forest zone from Feodosia to Old Crimea is rich in mushrooms. Mushroom pickers also love the territory from Sevastopol to Bakhchisarai. In the steppe zone of the Donuzlav and Sasyk estuaries, mushrooms are also found after rain.

Mushrooms in the forests of Crimea

Most of the mushrooms in Crimea grow in forests and forest-steppe areas. Their collection begins in early spring. So in deciduous and also coniferous forests you can find the Crimean porcini mushroom, while the little mice hide in the moss.

On a note: In the forests of Simferopol, Bakhchisarai, Belogorsk and Kirov regions there are many chanterelles; honey mushrooms often settle on stumps. There is a lot of butter in the forests of the Belgorod region, in the villages of Zelenogorskoye and Stroganovka.

Milk mushrooms grow in mountain and foothill forests. In the forests of the southern part of Crimea, saffron milk caps are often found.

Edible mushrooms of Crimea: photos, description

From the huge list of edible mushrooms found in Crimea, we can highlight the most popular among mushroom pickers. This:

• Crimean white mushroom (its second name is giant talker). Grows in groups under pine and birch trees. It is difficult to confuse it with others, since it is a white mushroom, the cap of which is smooth white or with a coffee tint, and the stem is thick and short.

• gray row (such mushrooms are also called little mice). Their cap is conical in shape with a tubercle in the center, the edges are uneven, slightly curled. Cracks may be visible. The leg is dense. On the sticky caps of such mushrooms you can often see lumps of forest debris stuck to them.

Gray row in Crimea

• chanterelles (their second name is cockerels). The main feature of this mushroom is the absence of a transition from the stem to the cap. They are yellow or orange in color.

Chanterelles in Crimea

• autumn honey mushrooms. This mushroom has a honey color. The hat is wrapped inward, with dark scales scattered across it.

Crimean autumn honey mushrooms

Pepper milk mushroom

Poisonous mushrooms of Crimea: photographs, description

Picking mushrooms in Crimea brings a lot of pleasure to mushroom pickers, thanks to the fact that they very often find real “trophies”. But, unfortunately, sometimes there are cases when tasty mushroom turns out to be poisonous and its entry into the body provokes severe poisoning and death. To avoid encountering such a mushroom and eating it, experts recommend knowing which mushrooms in Crimea are dangerous to health.

1. In the list of mushrooms from which you can die, includes:

3. The list of mushrooms that affect the gastrointestinal tract, includes:

• purple boletus (has no resemblance to edible mushrooms);
• pink trumpet (can be confused with spiny milkweed and saffron milk);
• false chanterelle (looks like a chanterelle);
• white row (can be confused with gray row);
• satanic mushroom (similar to the well-known porcini mushroom);
• dark-scaled champignon (similar to forest champignon).

Mushroom season: picking by month

Changeable weather The peninsulas do not allow us to say exactly when the mushroom season begins. It usually happens like this - in one area of ​​the peninsula no one even remembers mushrooms, but in another part, where the snow has slightly melted, “ mushroom hunting" begins in full swing. Important feature region is the growth of mushrooms both in forest areas, so in steppe soils rich in organic matter.

« Silent hunt» in Crimea begins with the first months of spring and ends in recent months autumn. Thus, marsupial morels, bigheads and puffballs appear immediately after the snow has melted.

In the summer you can find more than a hundred species of mushrooms. However, avid Crimean mushroom pickers prefer:

• Mountain porcini mushroom. It can be found in forests from June to October.
• Little mice. They grow in forests, as well as on crumbly sandy soil, and are found in early to mid-autumn season.
• Chanterelles. They choose places in sunny meadows and clearings, near birch, spruce and pine trees. Chanterelles are collected from June until the first frost.
• Honey mushrooms in autumn. Found everywhere from September to November.
• Common butter. They are found everywhere and begin to be collected by mushroom pickers from June to October inclusive.
• Georgians. They grow in forests and are found all summer.
• To the saffron milk caps. They are always found in the forest zone from mid-summer.

How to distinguish good mushrooms from poisonous

Warm and rainy weather opens the “silent hunting” season. However, for some mushroom pickers it ends in poisoning or even death. To prevent this from happening and to prevent a poisonous, life-threatening mushroom from ending up on your plate, you should carefully study the differences between edible mushrooms and false poisonous ones. Let's look at some of them.

Among all poisonous mushrooms should highlight the most dangerous mushroom- This is the well-known pale grebe. Its appearance is similar to honey mushroom, champignon and russula. This mushroom is very dangerous, since there is no antidote to the amantine toxin it contains.

You should know that the champignon, unlike the toadstool, has brown or pink plates under its cap. The grebe is characterized by white plates. The cut of the champignon pulp turns slightly red or yellow. The flesh of the poisonous mushroom does not change color. The smell of champignon has notes of almond or anise. Death cap it doesn't smell like anything.

The most easily recognizable of all poisonous mushrooms is the fly agaric. It cannot be confused with edible mushrooms thanks to its beautiful red cap strewn with white specks.

Symptoms of mushroom poisoning

Mushroom poisoning causes damage to many vital important organs. Let's take a closer look at how this manifests itself:

1. The gastrointestinal tract is affected. Periodic painful contractions appear in the abdominal area (up to 25 times a day), the temperature rises greatly, stool becomes loose and frequent, incessant nausea and vomiting occurs, and the extremities become cold. In case of poisoning with toadstool, blood appears in the stool, and the vomit takes on the color of coffee grounds.

2. The central nervous system is affected. Disruption nervous system may have different symptoms depending on the type of mushroom eaten. Thus, from the use of fly agaric, hallucinations appear and physical arousal is noted. Then the activity turns into restlessness, clumsiness and apathy. Subsequently, loss of consciousness may occur.

3. In case of poisoning false honey mushrooms the person begins to rave, his behavior may even border on insanity.
4. Heart function is impaired. There is a decrease blood pressure, the pulse quickens.
5. The functioning of the kidneys and liver is impaired. The degree of damage will depend on the amount of poison entering the body. At an early stage, oliguria is observed (decreased urine volume). Then liver failure develops, brain function is disrupted, and jaundice is diagnosed. Severe intoxication can lead to hepatic coma, and kidney damage leads to acute renal failure.

Canned mushrooms can lead to botulism. The spore-bearing bacilli of the pathogen usually sit in the soil and may end up on mushrooms. Therefore, poorly washed canned mushrooms become the cause of the disease.

When processed at home, the spore-bearing bacillus does not always die, but in a sealed jar without oxygen it receives favorable living conditions. Botulism appears 12 to 72 hours after eating mushrooms.

Botulism manifests itself as follows: vision is impaired (the picture is double), pain in the head appears, dry mouth and nausea with vomiting appear, it becomes difficult to swallow saliva, and convulsions appear. If you have 2 symptoms after taking mushrooms, you should urgently call ambulance and not resort to self-medication.

The most delicious recipes pickling Crimean mushrooms

Recipe 1. Pickled chanterelles

Ingredients: mushrooms (5 kg), water (2 liters), salt (70 g), bay leaf (5 pcs.), sunflower oil (20 ml), sugar (40 g), cloves (10 pcs.), peppercorns (10 pcs.), vinegar (100 ml).
Preparation:
1. Peeled mushrooms are filled with water and cooked for 20 minutes.
2. Mushrooms are removed from the water and washed.
3. The volume of water is added to 2 liters.
4. Add salt, sugar, as well as pepper and cloves.
5. Diced onions and chopped garlic into slices are added to the marinade.
6. Add oil and also vinegar. Cook for no more than 3 minutes.
7. Add boiled mushrooms to the solution and boil for 12 minutes.
8. Place mushrooms in sterile jars, roll them up with sterile lids and wrap them for 1 day.

Pickled chanterelles

Recipe 2. Marinated white mushrooms

Ingredients: mushrooms (1 kg), water (2 cups), salt and sugar (1 tbsp each), vinegar (3 tbsp), peppercorns (5 pcs.), cloves (3 pcs.), bay leaf (1 PC.).
Preparation:
1. Washed mushrooms are cut into small pieces.
2. Pour in water and cook for 15 minutes, skimming off the foam.
3. Take out the mushrooms, wash them, and wait for the water to drain.
The marinade is prepared as follows: salt, sugar, pepper, cloves, and bay leaf are mixed with water. Boil all this for 5 minutes, adding vinegar. Mushrooms with marinade are placed in sterile jars and sealed with sterile lids.

Recipe 3. Marinated boletus
Ingredients: collected mushrooms(1.5 kg), water (0.5 l), table vinegar (70 ml), salt and sugar (1 tbsp each), bay leaf (3 pcs.), black peas (6 pcs.).
Preparation:
1. Boil peeled and washed mushrooms for 15 minutes. Drain the water and boil again for 15 minutes in new water.
2. The water is drained through a sieve.
The marinade is prepared as follows: boil water with all the spices for 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and boil for another 10 minutes, adding vinegar and boiling for 3 minutes.
3. Mushrooms are placed in prepared sterile jars, rolled up with metal lids and wrapped for one day.

Marinated boletus

Now you know what mushrooms grow in Crimea and you can distinguish edible mushrooms from dangerous poisonous ones. Use the recipes for pickling Crimean mushrooms suggested in the article and enjoy your own homemade preserves!

Nowadays, more than one and a half thousand species of micromycetes and about four hundred varieties grow on the territory of Crimea. The descriptions and names of the most popular ones and their distribution area are known not only to specialists, but also to experienced lovers of quiet hunting. In the forest-steppe, as well as steppes and forest areas, slightly less than one hundred species of mushrooms are found. Crimean mushrooms grow not only in forest areas and steppes, but also on the outskirts settlements, in clearings and forest edges.

Steppe and field mushrooms are represented by marsupial morels, puffballs and bigheads, which appear almost immediately after the spring melting of snow. Experienced Crimean mushroom pickers prefer the so-called noble mushrooms, which include mountain porcini mushrooms, boletus mushrooms, boletus mushrooms and boletus mushrooms. Lovers of quiet hunting also value honey mushrooms, chanterelles or cockerels and saffron milk caps. Mice or black and white and are also in demand.

Mushroom picking in Crimea (video)

Photo gallery

Edible mushrooms

Majority edible species Suitable for boiling, frying, marinating or pickling. Some varieties can be used for drying. have high nutritional value and excellent taste, for which they are widely used in the cuisines of many countries and peoples of the world. In our country, mushrooms are used to prepare first and second courses, snacks and preparations for the winter.

Name	Description of the cap	Characteristics of the leg	Peculiarities
Giant pig	Smooth, lamellar, whitish in color	Short, dense, without cavity	Presence of a pleasant mealy aroma
Gray row	Conical, with rolled edges, any shade of gray	Dense and long, with a thickening at the base	After rain the surface becomes mucous
Chanterelle	Irregular shape with a wavy unfolded edge and a central recess	Medium length, with a pronounced narrowing at the bottom	The pulp becomes reddish when pressed.
Autumn honey fungus	Honey-colored with flaky dark scales	Long, same color as the cap	The presence of a filmy ring under the cap
Common oiler	Juicy, uneven in shape, brownish in color, with a slimy surface	The legs are thin and quite long, light in color	Presence of a ring on the stem in young specimens
Pepper milk mushroom	Funnel-shaped, white, with grayish spots on the surface, dry	Short, with a characteristic narrowing at the base	The plates have a bluish color
Ryzhik	Orange-brown color with reddish large plates	Hollow, shortened	The pulp is sweetish, with a fruity smell
Giant raincoat	The round white fruiting body changes color to a yellowish color with age.	Short, white, not pronounced	Edible raincoats have white flesh

Poisonous mushrooms

Based on the nature of the poisoning they cause, poisonous mushrooms are usually divided into the following groups:

• cause food poisoning;
• provoke disruption of the nervous system;
• deadly poisonous.

They differ noticeably from edibles not only in the structure of the hymenophore, but also in the shape or coloring of the fruiting body. In some cases, poisonous mushrooms have a very characteristic, unpleasant odor.

Name	Group	Description of the cap	Description of the leg	Peculiarities
Death cap	Deadly poisonous	No more than 15 cm in diameter. Gray or greenish in color. Hemisphere-shaped, with a tendency to flatten	Height no more than 18 cm with thickness up to 2.5 cm	The presence of a wide white volva at the base of the leg
Lepiota brown-red	Deadly poisonous	Thin-fleshy, covered with dark scales, lamellar, with a diameter of no more than 7.5 cm	Thin, dark cherry and white, sometimes curved, with a ring	The mushroom pulp has a distinct fruity smell
Spring white fly agaric	Deadly poisonous	White in color, flat in adult specimens, with a diameter of no more than 10.5 cm	Up to 11-13 cm high and 2.5 cm thick, thickening downwards, with a white ring	Has an ovoid volvo formation
False honey fungus sulfur-yellow	Deadly poisonous	Up to 2.5-6.5 cm in diameter, with a grayish-yellow colored surface	The surface is leveled, with fibrous	The ring on the leg is completely missing
Whitish talker		Convex or saucer-shaped, with wavy edges, up to 4.5 cm in diameter, whitish-pink	The leg is low, of medium thickness, with a cavity	Presence of powdery coating on the surface of the cap
fiberglass	Nervous system dysfunction	Silky surface, golden yellow, pale yellow or brownish	Tall, with a thin powdery coating at the top	The hat looks like a bell or an umbrella
Boletus purple		Irregular hemispherical shape, rough, pronounced brown-purple color	Barrel-shaped, with a reddish-brown tint	When pressed, a dark blue color appears
Volnushka pink	Causing food poisoning	Grayish-pink or white-pink, funnel-shaped, slimy	Cylindrical in shape, quite dense	Presence of white milky juice
Satanic mushroom	Causing food poisoning	Hemispherical, with a dry surface, grayish-white with a dark shade of color	Globular or barrel-shaped, dense, with a red tint	Similar to boletus and porcini mushroom

Collection dates and places

Crimean peninsula rich not only in his own historical heritage, which rightfully include attractions South Bank, Sevastopol and stone mushrooms in the Sotera tract. Crimea is unusually rich natural landscape and many mushroom places, which are known to all experienced mushroom pickers.

Name of the mushroom	Distribution area	Features of collection
Little mice or gray row	The village of Kolchugino or the area of ​​the Crimean Astrophysical Laboratory. Coniferous and mixed forests, moss or sandy soils	Peak fruiting occurs in early or mid-autumn
Chanterelle	Simferopol, Belogorsky, Kirov and Bakhchisaray districts, the village of Mramornoye	Collection from the first ten days of June until the onset of autumn cooling
Autumn honey fungus	Distributed almost everywhere. Prefer forested areas with wet soils	Mass collection falls between the end of August and the end of autumn
Common oiler	Belgorod district of Crimea, the village of Zelenogorskoye, Strogonovka and the Ai-Petri plateau	Mass fruiting from mid-summer until the last ten days of October
Common milk mushroom	Mixed forests throughout the peninsula	The peak harvest season is from July to the end of September
Ryzhik	Shady forest areas of Rybachy and the forests of the South Coast	Active collection begins in mid-summer
Raincoat	Foothills, forests and woodlands with abundant rotting wood	Spring-summer period, before the onset of a sharp cold snap
Rogatik yellow and bunch	Appears en masse in almost all deciduous forests of the peninsula	Mass collection is carried out from June to September

Thanks to the excellent climate, mushrooms are very common in Crimea. The hunting season for them is quite long, but it is difficult to predict its beginning due to unstable weather.

Most mushrooms can be found in forests, steppes and mountain ails, since the soil there is rich in organic matter. The variety of species is simply amazing. Several species of champignons, russula, saffron milk caps, boletus, aspen boletuses, honey mushrooms and chanterelles grow here. But of particular interest to mushroom pickers are specific species found only on the territory of this peninsula.

Giant talker, giant pig, mountain white mushroom - all these are names of the same species. The mushroom grows in damp, dark coniferous forests; in small quantities it can also be found among deciduous trees. The season opens at the beginning of summer and usually ends in mid-autumn.

These are large mushrooms that grow up to 20 cm in diameter. Smooth hat with bristles back side. The legs are dense and wide, but low. The color of the cap is usually white or beige. Inside, the color of the flesh matches the color of the cap, and its smell is specific and pleasant.

Talkers usually grow giant families. If you find 1 mushroom, search the area nearby and find a few more.

When collecting giant pig mushrooms, you should be careful, as they can easily be confused with poisonous gall mushrooms. Therefore, before you go hunting for them, carefully study the photos and characteristics of their growth.

Caesar's mushroom (Caesar's fly agaric)

One of the most famous and expensive mushrooms in the world. It has been considered an exquisite dish since the times of the Roman emperors and is valued in many countries. On the territory of Russia, it grows only in Crimea, so if you get a chance to try it, don’t miss this opportunity; you can only find this delicacy on the outskirts of Paris.

Caesar's (or Caesar's) fly agarics prefer to grow in deciduous, mainly oak, forests, and they can be found throughout the warm season.

In adulthood they reach 20 cm in diameter, although most often they are not very large. If the specimen is very young, then its cap is ovoid in shape; with age it becomes flat and slightly curved towards the middle. The stem is usually only about 2 cm in diameter, but can be very high, up to 20 cm, and has a hanging bright orange ring near the cap. The inside of the mushrooms is dense and white, slightly yellowing towards the edges, and smells pleasant.

home distinguishing feature Caesar's mushroom is its color. The cap is usually bright red and the leg is orange. Because of this color and cap shape, it can be confused with poisonous double- fly agaric, but you should not be afraid of this, because red fly agarics do not grow in Crimea.

Gray row

The most famous Crimean mushroom, also called “mice”. There are several types of rows, but all of them can be found in coniferous forest, hidden in the moss. This autumn view mushrooms

When the mouse is young, its hat has the shape of a cone with slightly curled edges; with age it becomes flat with big amount unevenness. The mushrooms are fleshy, small and low, reaching 10 cm in diameter. The legs of mice are dense, thickening towards the base and quite long (up to 12 cm). The pulp has a uniform structure and a pleasant smell.

The main color is grey. The cap is uniformly colored, and the leg closer to the top is white and turns gray towards the base.

It is most difficult to find a mouse after rain, as it becomes sticky, and blades of grass and leaves sticking to its cap disguise it from quiet hunters.

They grow in groups or singly.

There are many poisonous mushrooms with which baby mice can be confused, but the most similar to them are soap mushrooms. You can distinguish them by their smell: poisonous mushrooms smell unpleasant, often the aroma of laundry soap. In addition, when cut, the flesh of the soap bar quickly turns pink.

Horntails yellow and bunch

If, while wandering through the Crimean forests, you come across a mushroom shaped like a coral, don’t be surprised: it’s a yellow hornet. It is most often found in deciduous forests throughout the summer.

Such a “reef” grows 20 cm in height and is approximately the same in volume. Consists of many thin branches and legs of yellow or light beige color. When the Horntails age, they become darker and ocher. They are white and fleshy inside.

The younger the specimen, the tastier it is, but the older one can be poisoned.

Also in the Crimea there is a grape hornet. It is smaller and a different color. It reaches a height of only 10-15 cm. The color is cream, pinkish at the ends. Old mushrooms turn reddish-brown and you should be careful of them too.

Pear-shaped and giant raincoats

These are common steppe mushrooms. In Crimea you can find 2 species: pear-shaped and giant.
In appearance, puffballs look like a light ball and can grow up to gigantic size. They are white in color and their flesh has a similar shade (although it may turn yellow with age). Giant raincoats are smooth, round in shape and can grow up to 34 cm in diameter.

Pear-shaped get their name because of their shape, which resembles a small pear. The color is usually white, but the skin is covered with small tubercles, which makes them similar to many poisonous mushrooms of the Crimea.

Only young specimens with white, pleasant-smelling flesh are eaten.

To enjoy the taste of mushrooms without fear for your health, you need to use a few basic tips:

1. If you are not sure that a mushroom is edible, do not take it. Before going, carefully study the photos and descriptions, of which there are now many. In 2016, people were poisoned en masse due to the fact that poisonous ones also ended up in a basket of edible mushrooms.
2. Air must flow to cut mushrooms, otherwise they will quickly deteriorate. Wicker baskets are best suited for collecting, and a few hours in plastic bag can ruin the entire harvest.
3. Don't trample or kick mushrooms that you don't like; maybe they will be useful to someone else.
4. Cut the mushroom, and do not tear it out or dig up the moss next to it: this can damage the mycelium and there will be no more forest gifts in this place.
5. The best time to collect mushrooms is after a series of warm rains. They love humidity, so after wet periods the number of mushrooms increases sharply and a quiet hunt will definitely be successful.

The Crimean peninsula is unique because it combines the most diverse natural conditions. Therefore, before choosing a hunting location, you should decide which edible mushrooms are of interest to you. Thus, baby mice are most often found in the area of ​​the Crimean Astrophysical Laboratory, puffballs - in the foothills and in the steppe after heavy rains, cattails can be collected in almost all deciduous forests on the peninsula, caesarean mushrooms should be looked for near Yalta, giant talkers can be found in the eastern part of Crimea, on mountain ails and in the steppes. A lot of various types can be found in the vicinity of the Sotera Valley. There you can admire such a unique natural phenomenon as the stone mushrooms of Crimea.

In total, almost 2000 species of various mushrooms are known in Crimea, which grow throughout almost the entire year, from the first days without frost and snow to late autumn. Quiet hunting in this magical place is not only an interesting adventure, but also a great pleasure for nature lovers.

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