Before heading into the forest, you need to be sure which mushrooms are edible. Photos of mushrooms, with names, descriptions, information about the place of growth will help to understand this difficult process. With an inattentive attitude to these truly delicious gifts of nature, it is very easy to make a mistake, because a mushroom growing in the shade can differ significantly from a fellow heated by the sun's rays, and an old mushroom is completely different from a young one.
When picking mushrooms, you need to carefully look at the color of the cap, crumb, plates and even rings on the stem. But the smell can let you down, sometimes poisonous mushrooms smell very pleasant, and this can be misleading.
- Edible;
- inedible;
- Conditionally edible.
Edible mushrooms, photo and name, and description, of course, will help determine the identification of a valuable food product rich in proteins and vitamins, minerals and aromatics. The number of edible mushrooms reaches 500 species, but no more than 100 species are known to a wide range, and no more than 10-15 species are known to most mushroom pickers.
Great lovers and connoisseurs of mushrooms will always help a beginner to deal with their findings, but one should not completely trust, it is human to err. Therefore, carefully peering into the photo, and remembering exactly how the most common and valuable mushrooms look, you can easily and independently determine the edibility of the mushroom.
Mushrooms are divided into
- Marsupials or Ascomycetes.
This family includes morels and lines. Most morels are good, edible mushrooms, but unboiled lines can be poisonous.
Truffle, just as wonderful, delicious edible mushrooms with a tuberous body.
- Basidiomycetes
It is to this class that most of the edible and tasty mushrooms familiar to us belong.
Agariaceae or champignon family
Probably the most popular and well-known champignon mushroom belongs to this family. Translated from French, it is called mushroom. Fleshy, large, white, with wide, loose plates under the cap. This mushroom has been cultivated by man for over 200 years. Distributed in the steppes and forest-steppes on manured, nutrient-rich soil.
Champignon is forest, elegant, two-ringed, thin, and the most valuable are:
- Meadow or common. The cap of a young mushroom is from 2 to 6 cm, spherical, becomes prostrate with age, and increases to 12 cm. White, dry, clean, finely scaly. When broken, the white flesh turns slightly pink and emits a pleasant smell. The plates are slightly pink, wide. The stem of the mushroom is expanded at the base, white, annular;
- August. It differs from the rest in that with age the hat becomes scaly with a more intense color in the center.
Bolaceae family
Types of edible mushrooms, photos and names from this family are familiar to many.
(gray, granular, marsh and others), but the real or autumn butter dish is considered the most delicious. The cap of the mushroom is covered with a film, slippery, brown, shiny, which must be removed before cooking. The cap itself of a young mushroom is slightly spherical, and prostrate with age. Tubular layer from light yellow to olive color covered with a white veil. The flesh is white to creamy yellow. Fruits fruitfully, especially in rainy summer and autumn in pine plantations, on sandy soils.
White (boletus)
Depending on the place of growth, its forms may differ in the hat, the shape of the legs, and the reticulation of the pattern. This mushroom can be found both in summer and in autumn, both in a pine forest and in an oak forest, and its hat will depend on this. But it grows in groups, where one is there and the other is not a clue. But it is “white” because under any circumstances the color of its pulp does not change, it remains snow-white.
The hat of the mushroom is spherical, and aging becomes flat. But the lower part, the pipes turn slightly yellow when they age. The leg of the mushroom is covered with a mesh, from light brown to burgundy.
Polish
Delicious, beautiful and very fragrant. By its qualities it will not yield to white. The fungus is not picky about the neighborhood, it grows under both pine and oak, both in summer and autumn. The cap resembles a convex brown slimy cushion, and in dry weather it dries out.
Polish can be easily distinguished from all the others by the cyanotic color that enters at the place where the tubular section was injured. The tubes themselves, at the beginning, are light yellow, and then acquire a more intense green color. The flesh also turns blue when cut, and then becomes brownish.
The mushroom stem is dense, strong, white in a young mushroom, and slightly yellowed in an old one. By smell, this mushroom does not differ from a real porcini mushroom.
boletus
White, turning pink, marsh, gray and many other of his fellows grow on wet soils, both under pines and birches, both singly and crowded. Depending on the neighborhood with the tree, the hat of the mushroom can be dark brown, brown, light yellow. When it is humid, the hat is wet, in dry weather it is dry. Sometimes the mushroom grows, and the hat, as it were, lags behind, then the pulp with tubes is exposed and slightly twisted.
When cut, the mushroom is light, and when weathered, it turns pink, then darkens. Tubules at the ends are jagged, gray-brown. The leg is scaly, light up to 5 cm in height. The young fungus has a leg thickened from below, with age it becomes more slender.
boletus
The name is completely unrelated to aspens, the fungus can grow under different trees in mixed forests.
The hat of this mushroom can be both brown and red, yellow-brown and just brown. The young mushroom has a bright, juicy, rich color and convex shape, large. With age, it becomes smaller, as if drying up, and becomes much paler. The flesh is white, but turns pink when cut. The leg is long, dense, white with gray-brown scales.
The tubes of the fungus are small, gray at a young age, and then gray-brown.
Boletus white
Significantly different from their counterparts. Very large, with a fleshy top, white or with a slight pinkish-grayish tint. Underparts with fine pores when young are white, then slightly greyish.
The leg is slender downwards with expansion, the pulp of the base of the leg is blue reaching black.
White boletus, as a rule, is more autumnal than all the others.
There are also at least 150 species of inedible mushrooms, and even poisonous ones. Some inedible mushrooms are not poisonous at all, but their smell and taste are so disgusting that they cannot be eaten.
Flywheel green
It can be both brown and red, olive green and burgundy. With a small convex, matte and dry cap. Tubular underlayer with large yellow pores, turns blue under mechanical action.
The leg is dark gray with a green tint, in the upper part with small scales.
Mushroom summer-autumn, sometimes until frost. Grows in both mixed and pure coniferous forests.
Mokhovik brown
It is very similar to the previous one, but its flesh does not turn blue, but the tubes turn blue when pressed.
Kozlyak
The hat is brown with dark and light shades, slimy in the rain and dull, velvety in dry weather.
The pulp is elastic, yellow. Tubes with a yellow and greenish tint. The leg is smooth and even.
He loves wet places in a coniferous forest.
Strophariaceae family
Basically, edible mushrooms are “registered” in this family. However, a large category of connoisseurs classify them as "conditionally edible mushrooms." The fact is that the same mushroom has only an edible hat and 2-3 cm legs, closer to the hat, the rest of the mushroom is not edible. On the other hand, if white mushrooms can be safely eaten raw, then conditionally edible mushrooms should be boiled in salted water for at least 40 minutes with the obligatory draining of water, and even better twice for 20-25 minutes with a change of water.
summer honey agaric
Like all strophariaceae, honey agaric loves company. These mushrooms grow in large groups, mushroom pickers are very fond of collecting these "seeds". These mushrooms can be harvested from mid-summer until frost. Favorite place of growth is old wood, stumps, the foot of dried trees.
The young fungus has a hemispherical hat, its edges are bent and turn into a veil that covers the plates. The mushroom can be any brown shade with a transition to both yellow and olive green. The plates of the fungus are thin and frequent. A young mushroom wears a ring from the veil, with age it falls off leaving a light trace.
The leg of the fungus can reach 10 cm, and not more than 1 cm in diameter. When cut, the leg is filled, and only aging, it becomes hollow.
The body of the fungus is soft with a very pleasant mushroom smell, watery in the rainy season.
All summer and autumn mushrooms are very similar to each other, but the honey agaric is a dark, more powerful mushroom and grows both as a family and alone.
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The best way to learn to recognize edible and non-edible mushrooms on your own is to familiarize yourself with their names, descriptions and photos. Of course, it is better if you walk through the forest several times with an experienced mushroom picker, or show your prey at home, but everyone needs to learn to distinguish between real and false mushrooms.
You will find the names of mushrooms in alphabetical order, their descriptions and photos in this article, which you can later use as a guide to mushroom growing.
Types and names of mushrooms with pictures
The species diversity of mushrooms is very wide, so there is a strict classification of these inhabitants of the forest (Figure 1).
So, according to their edibility, they are divided into:
- Edible (white, boletus, champignon, chanterelle, etc.);
- Conditionally edible (dubovik, greenfinch, veselka, breast, line);
- Poisonous (satanic, pale grebe, fly agaric).
In addition, they are usually divided according to the type of bottom of the hat. According to this classification, they are tubular (outwardly resembles a porous sponge) and lamellar (plates are clearly visible on the inside of the cap). The first group includes butter, white, boletus and boletus. To the second - mushrooms, milk mushrooms, chanterelles, mushrooms and russula. Morels, which include morels and truffles, are considered a separate group.
Figure 1. Classification of edible varieties It is also customary to separate them according to nutritional value. According to this classification, they are of four types:
Since there are a lot of species, we will give the names of the most popular with their pictures. The best edible mushrooms with photos and names are shown in the video.
Edible mushrooms: photos and names
Edible varieties include those that can be freely eaten fresh, dried and boiled. They have high taste qualities, and you can distinguish an edible specimen from an inedible one in the forest by the color and shape of the fruiting body, smell, and some characteristic features.
Figure 2. Popular edible species: 1 - white, 2 - oyster mushroom, 3 - volushki, 4 - chanterelles We offer a list of the most popular edible mushrooms with photos and names(picture 2 and 3):
- White mushroom (boletus)- the most valuable find for a mushroom picker. It has a massive light stem, and the color of the cap can vary from cream to dark brown, depending on the region of growth. When broken, the flesh does not change color, and has a slight nutty flavor. It comes in several types: birch, pine and oak. All of them are similar in external characteristics and are suitable for food.
- Oyster mushroom: regal, pulmonary, horn-shaped and lemon, grows mainly on trees. Moreover, you can collect it not only in the forest, but also at home, sowing mycelium on logs or stumps.
- Volnushki, white and pink, have a hat depressed in the center, the diameter of which can reach 8 cm. The wave has a sweet pleasant smell, and at the break, the fruiting body begins to secrete sticky, sticky juice. They can be found not only in the forest, but also in open places.
- Chanterelles- more often they are bright yellow, but there are also light species (white chanterelle). They have a cylindrical leg, which expands upwards, and an irregularly shaped hat, slightly pressed into the middle.
- Butter dish there are also several types (real, cedar, deciduous, granular, white, yellow-brown, painted, red-red, red, gray, etc.). The most common is considered to be a real oiler, which grows on sandy soils in deciduous forests. The cap is flat, with a small tubercle in the middle, and a characteristic feature is the mucous skin, which is easily separated from the pulp.
- Honey mushrooms, meadow, autumn, summer and winter, belong to edible varieties that are very easy to collect, as they grow in large colonies on tree trunks and stumps. The color of honey agaric may vary depending on the region of growth and species, but, as a rule, its shade varies from cream to light brown. A characteristic feature of edible mushrooms is the presence of a ring on the leg, which is not present in false twins.
- Aspen mushrooms belong to the tubular: they have a thick stem and a cap of regular shape, the color of which differs depending on the species from cream to yellow and dark brown.
- mushrooms- bright, beautiful and tasty, which can be found in coniferous forests. Hat of the correct form, flat or funnel-shaped. The leg is cylindrical and dense, the color matches the hat. The flesh is orange, but in the air it quickly turns green and begins to secrete juice with a pronounced smell of coniferous resin. The smell is pleasant, and the taste of its flesh is slightly spicy.
Figure 3. The best edible mushrooms: 1 - butter dish, 2 - mushrooms, 3 - aspen mushrooms, 4 - mushrooms Edible varieties also include champignons, shiitake, russula, truffles and many other species that are not so much interested in mushroom pickers. However, it should be remembered that almost every edible variety has a poisonous counterpart, the names and features of which we will consider below.
Conditionally edible
Conditionally edible varieties are slightly less, and they are suitable for eating only after special heat treatment. Depending on the variety, it must either be boiled for a long time, periodically changing the water, or simply soaked in clean water, squeezed and cooked.
The most popular conditionally edible varieties include(picture 4):
- breast- a variety with dense pulp, which is quite suitable for eating, although milk mushrooms are considered inedible in Western countries. They are usually soaked to remove bitterness, then salted and pickled.
- Row green (greenfinch) differs from others in a pronounced green color of the stem and cap, which is preserved even after heat treatment.
- Morels- conditionally edible specimens with an unusual shape of a hat and a thick leg. It is recommended to eat them only after careful heat treatment.
Figure 4. Conditionally edible varieties: 1 - mushroom, 2 - greenfinch, 3 - morels Conditionally edible also include some types of truffles, russula and fly agaric. But there is one important rule that should be followed when collecting any mushrooms, including conditionally edible ones: if you have even a slight doubt about edibility, it is better to leave the prey in the forest.
Inedible mushrooms: photos and names
Inedible include species that are not eaten due to health hazards, poor taste and too hard pulp. Many representatives of this category are completely poisonous (deadly) to humans, others can cause hallucinations or mild discomfort.
It is worth avoiding such inedible specimens.(with photo and titles in Figure 5):
- Death cap- the most dangerous inhabitant of the forest, since even a small part of it can cause death. Despite the fact that it grows in almost all forests, it is quite difficult to meet it. Outwardly, it is absolutely proportional and very attractive: in young specimens, the cap is spherical with a slight greenish tinge, with age it turns white and stretches. Pale grebes are often confused with young floats (conditionally edible mushrooms), champignons and russula, and since one large specimen can easily poison several adults, with the slightest doubt, it is better not to put a suspicious or dubious specimen in a basket.
- red fly agaric, probably familiar to everyone. He is very beautiful, with a bright red hat, covered with white spots. It can grow both singly and in groups.
- Satanic- one of the most common doubles of the white fungus. To distinguish it simply by a light hat and a brightly colored leg, uncharacteristic of mushrooms.
Figure 5. Dangerous inedible varieties: 1 - pale grebe, 2 - red fly agaric, 3 - satanic mushroom In fact, every edible double has a false double that disguises itself as a real one and can fall into the basket of an inexperienced quiet hunter. But, in fact, the greatest mortal danger is the pale grebe.
Note: Not only the fruiting bodies of pale grebes themselves are considered poisonous, but even their mycelium and spores, so it is strictly forbidden to even put them in a basket.
Most inedible varieties cause abdominal pain and symptoms of severe poisoning, and it is enough for a person to get medical attention. In addition, many inedible varieties have an unattractive appearance and poor taste, so they can only be eaten by accident. However, you must always be aware of the danger of poisoning, and carefully review all the booty that you brought from the forest.
The most dangerous inedible mushrooms are described in detail in the video.
The main difference between hallucinogenic and other types is that they have a psychotropic effect. Their action is in many ways similar to narcotic substances, so their intentional collection and use is punishable by criminal liability.
Common hallucinogenic varieties include(picture 6):
- Fly agaric red- a common inhabitant of deciduous forests. In ancient times, tinctures and decoctions from it were used as an antiseptic, immunomodulatory agent and intoxicant for various rituals among the peoples of Siberia. However, it is not recommended to eat it, not so much because of the effect of hallucinations, but because of severe poisoning.
- Stropharia shitty got its name from the fact that it grows directly on piles of feces. Representatives of the variety are small, with brown hats, sometimes with a shiny and sticky surface.
- Paneolus campanulata (bell asshole) also grows mainly on manure-fertilized soils, but can also be found simply on swampy plains. The color of the cap and legs is from white to gray, the flesh is gray.
- Stropharia blue-green prefers the stumps of coniferous trees, growing on them singly or in groups. Eating it by accident will not work, as it has a very unpleasant taste. In Europe, such stropharia is considered edible and even bred on farms, while in the USA it is considered poisonous due to several deaths.
Figure 6. Common hallucinogenic varieties: 1 - red fly agaric, 2 - shitty stropharia, 3 - campanulate paneolus, 4 - blue-green stropharia Most hallucinogenic species grow in places where edible ones simply will not take root (too waterlogged soils, completely rotten stumps and manure heaps). In addition, they are small, mostly on thin legs, so it is difficult to confuse them with edible ones.
Poisonous mushrooms: photos and names
All poisonous varieties are somehow similar to edible ones (Figure 7). Even the deadly pale grebe, especially young specimens, can be confused with russula.
For example, there are several doubles of the boletus - boletus le Gal, beautiful and purple, which differ from the real ones in the too bright color of the legs or hat, as well as the unpleasant smell of the pulp. There are also varieties that are easy to confuse with mushrooms or russula (for example, fiber and talker). Gall is similar to white, but its pulp has a very bitter taste.
Figure 7. Poisonous twins: 1 - purple boletus, 2 - bile, 3 - royal fly agaric, 4 - yellow-skinned champignon There are also poisonous doubles of mushrooms, which differ from the real ones in the absence of a leathery skirt on the leg. Poisonous varieties include fly agaric: grebe, panther, red, royal, smelly and white. Cobwebs are easily disguised as russula, mushrooms or aspen mushrooms.
There are also several types of poisonous champignons. For example, yellow-skinned is easy to confuse with an ordinary edible specimen, but during heat treatment it emits a pronounced unpleasant odor.
Unusual mushrooms of the world: names
Despite the fact that Russia is a truly mushroom country, very unusual specimens can be found not only here, but throughout the world.
We offer you several options for unusual edible and poisonous varieties with photos and names(picture 8):
- Blue- bright azure color. Found in India and New Zealand. Despite the fact that its toxicity is little studied, it is not recommended to eat it.
- bleeding tooth- a very bitter variety that is theoretically edible, but its unattractive appearance and poor taste make it unsuitable for food. It is found in North America, Iran, Korea and some European countries.
- bird's Nest- an unusual New Zealand variety that really resembles a bird's nest in shape. Inside the fruiting body are spores that, under the influence of rainwater, spread around.
- Blackberry comb also found in Russia. Its taste is similar to shrimp meat, and outwardly resembles a shaggy pile. Unfortunately, it is rare and listed in the Red Book, so it is grown mainly artificially.
- Golovach giant- a distant relative of champignon. It is also edible, but only young specimens with white flesh. It is found everywhere in deciduous forests, in fields and meadows.
- Devil's cigar- not only very beautiful, but also a rare variety that is found only in Texas and several regions of Japan.
Figure 8. The most unusual mushrooms in the world: 1 - blue, 2 - bleeding tooth, 3 - bird's nest, 4 - comb blackberry, 5 - giant golovach, 6 - devil's cigar Another unusual representative is the brain tremor, which is found mainly in temperate climates. You can not eat it, as it is deadly poisonous. We have given a far from complete list of unusual varieties, since specimens of a strange shape and color are found all over the world. Unfortunately, most of them are inedible.
An overview of the unusual mushrooms of the world is given in the video.
Lamellar and tubular: names
All mushrooms are divided into lamellar and tubular, depending on the type of pulp on the cap. If it resembles a sponge, it is tubular, and if stripes are visible under the hat, then it is lamellar.
The most famous representative of the tubular is considered white, but this group also includes butter, boletus and boletus. Everyone has probably seen the lamellar one: this is the most common champignon, but it is among the lamellar varieties that the most poisonous ones are. Among the edible representatives, russula, mushrooms, mushrooms and chanterelles can be distinguished.
Number of mushroom species on earth
Not all varieties of mushrooms are edible. Therefore, going to the forest, you need to know how edible mushrooms differ from inedible ones.
Photos and names of mushrooms
Differences
Sometimes poisoning occurs due to one piece of pale toadstool or red fly agaric that fell on the table along with edible mushrooms. In order not to confuse edible and inedible mushrooms, it is necessary to accurately understand which specimens are common in the area, how they look. They put in the basket only the mushroom that is well known.
These are the main differences between edible and non-edible mushrooms. Of the poisonous species in Russia, the most common are pale grebe (green fly agaric), red fly agaric, thin pig and satanic mushroom. Pale grebe is deadly.
If the above signs are absent, but there is no certainty that the specimen found does not contain toxic substances, it should not be taken.
Types of edible mushrooms
There are different classifications of mushrooms. They are divided into categories depending on the growing area (forest, steppe), fruiting time (spring, summer, autumn, winter), structures (tubular, lamellar), etc. To recognize whether an edible mushroom or not, it is not necessary to know about the existence of these categories, a fairly accurate and complete description.
The list of edible mushrooms is huge. On the territory of Russia, mushrooms, mushrooms, mushrooms, boletus, boletus, volnushki, chanterelles, russula, boletus and milk mushrooms are most often found.
Mushrooms
This mushroom is also known as "white". He owes this name due to the snow-white color of the pulp. Due to their taste and rich aroma, mushrooms are considered a delicacy.
Boletus has a tubular hymenophore structure. The size of the cap varies from 10 to 30 cm. In small mushrooms, the shape of the cap resembles a hemisphere. As they grow older, it straightens a little and becomes flat-rounded. The cap is covered with a matte cuticle of medium thickness, colored light brown or brown, less often dark orange. The edges of the cap are always slightly lighter than its center. After rain, it acquires a slight sheen. The fleshy pulp has a rich mushroom aroma and a dense structure.
The height of the leg varies from 10 to 25 cm. It is painted light brown, sometimes there is a slight reddish tint. At the base, the stem is slightly wider than at the junction with the cap (this is a typical shape). In shape, it resembles a barrel or cylinder. The tubular layer is painted white or olive.
This species is easy to find in both coniferous and deciduous forests. Collection time is summer. Borovik is unpretentious to the climate and grows well even in the north.
Honey mushrooms
This type of mushroom is most often found near stumps and trees. Honey mushrooms grow in numerous groups, which is their characteristic feature. They have a lamellar structure of the spore-bearing layer. The diameter of the hat varies between 5-10 cm. It is painted in beige, honey or brown. In young specimens, the color of the cap is more saturated than in old ones. Changes with age and its shape. From hemispherical, it turns into an umbrella-shaped. The surface of the skin on the cap at a young age is covered with a small number of scales, and later becomes smooth.
Irina Selyutina (Biologist):
Experienced mushroom pickers advise collecting only young mushrooms that meet all the requirements for appearance, according to which they clearly differ from poisonous counterparts:
- scales on the surface of the cap;
- "skirt" on the leg;
- plates of cream, white or slightly yellowish color;
- calm color of the fruiting body.
The height of a thin cylindrical leg varies between 5-13 cm. The color of the flexible leg matches the color of the cap. At the base of the leg, it is more saturated than in other areas. Many representatives have a membranous “skirt” on the leg - the remnant of the film that covered the hymenophore. The harvest time is autumn.
mushrooms
These edible mushrooms prefer coniferous forests. The structure of the hymenophore (spore-bearing layer) of the fungus is lamellar. The diameter of the hat varies from 3 to 9 cm. It is painted in a soft orange color. The color of the cap corresponds to the dense pulp. In shape, it is hemispherical in young specimens, and funnel-shaped in old specimens, smooth edges are slightly bent inward. The smooth skin covering the hat becomes sticky after rain and high humidity.
Irina Selyutina (Biologist):
The mushrooms rise above the ground to a height of 3-8 cm. The brittle leg is painted in a color corresponding to the color of the cap, and becomes hollow inside with age. Sometimes there are spots of a lighter or darker shade on the leg. The first mushrooms appear in early summer. They can be found in coniferous forests.
Oilers
Forest butterflies have a tubular hat, as if covered with oil, which is their characteristic feature. Therefore, such a name arose. At a young age, the cap has a hemispherical shape, then becomes flat-rounded. The diameter of the cap varies from 7 to 15 cm. The color of the thin skin, which looks more like a film, varies from light beige, reddish, chocolate or ocher shades with spots. To the touch it is sticky or velvety. It depends on the type of oil and the weather. Their hymenophore is tubular (spongy).
A dense low leg (4-10 cm) has a barrel-shaped or straight shape. It is decorated with a white skirt and has a cream or light yellow color. Butterflies are harvested already in the middle of spring.
Aspen mushrooms
The boletus is popularly called aspen or redhead. And he owes his name to what grows next to aspens, and the color of the skin covering the hat and the color of the autumn aspen are almost identical.
The hemispherical fleshy cap with a tubular structure of the spore-bearing layer has a bright red-orange color. Its diameter varies from 5 to 30 cm. In young specimens, the shape of the cap resembles a thimble. It is difficult to remove the skin from the hat. It feels dry or velvety to the touch. The flesh is colored milky or creamy.
The height of the leg varies from 15 to 20 cm, which is why the boletus is clearly visible above the ground. The characteristic shape of the boletus leg is club-shaped. She is painted white. On the surface there are a large number of small scales, painted in brown or black. Aspen mushrooms are harvested in mid-summer and early autumn. They grow both in the south and in the northwest. They feel comfortable in any climatic conditions.
Volnushki
Volnushki attract not only with an unusual color, but also with a hat pattern. They prefer to grow near birches on sandy soils. The lamellar cap at a young age is hemispherical, at the old one it is funnel-shaped with edges turned inward. Its diameter varies from 4 to 12 cm. The skin covering the hat is colored pinkish or pink-orange, but white specimens are also found. On the hat there are rings of various shades. They have different widths and jagged edges. The fleshy pulp is pungent in taste. The bottom of the cap (hymenophore) is painted light pink. Even in a white wave, the bottom of the cap has a pinkish tint.
A thin solid leg becomes hollow with age and has a length of 2 to 6 cm. It is painted in light or pale pink. Collect volnushki in mixed forests or birch groves from late summer to mid-autumn.
Chanterelles
This type of edible mushroom is distinguished by the external features of the cap. It is lamellar, funnel-shaped, with wavy and slightly curved edges. The diameter of the cap varies from 6 to 13 cm. The skin covering the cap is yellow-orange. Fleshy and dense in structure, the pulp is creamy or light yellow.
The length of the straight leg varies from 4 to 7 cm. It is painted in a color that matches the color of the hat. Rarely, the leg and cap of the chanterelle differ in color. Chanterelles are harvested in coniferous forests from late spring to late autumn.
Russula
A feature of russula is the variety of colors in which the hat is painted. There is red-yellow or reddish, light purple, raspberry, white, cream and greenish, which greatly complicates the recognition of russula. The diameter of the lamellar cap varies from 5 to 17 cm. The top is hemispherical in shape, but with age it becomes reminiscent of a funnel. The skin is thick. It is difficult to separate it from the pulp. Often the cap is covered with shallow cracks. These colorful mushrooms have a rich aroma.
The height of the light leg varies from 4 to 11 cm. It has a cylindrical shape. Sometimes at the base it is 3-4 mm thicker than at the junction with the cap. Russula collection time begins in July and ends in September. In nature, they are found in deciduous or mixed forests.
boletus
The boletus grows in birch groves. The diameter of its gray, brown or dark brown hat varies from 5 to 12 cm. Its shape in young mushrooms is spherical, because. fits snugly to the leg, and in adults it resembles a hemisphere. Boletus mushrooms belong to tubular mushrooms and have high taste qualities. The fleshy pulp has a dense structure. Mature mushrooms do not have a rich aroma.
The white stem, on which there are a large number of brown and black scales, slightly tapers upwards. The first boletus trees appear in May. Collect them until September.
Milk mushrooms
It is easy to recognize a breast by its size. The diameter of a yellow, light gray or brown hat is sometimes 25-30 cm. Small scales are present on its surface. The flat-round shape becomes funnel-shaped with age. The edges are slightly bent inwards.
The height of the stem, the color of which corresponds to the color of the cap, varies from 5 to 14 cm. It is hollow, but strong. There are notches on the leg. It is sticky to the touch. It is better to look for a breast in spruce forests or next to aspens. myceliums form mushrooms from early spring to late autumn. As a place of growth, they choose mixed forests. They develop in the forest floor. To see them, you need to pay attention to all the "suspicious" tubercles of foliage.
This list of common edible mushrooms can be expanded with the following types: kolchak, chimney (grandfather's tobacco), bear ears, raincoat or rain mushroom, bordered galerina, cyanosis, ringed cap (they are sometimes called "Turks"). But they are much less common in Russia, which is why their description is not presented.
Mushroom picking rules
By following simple rules, it will be possible to avoid poisoning:
- Unknown mushrooms should not be taken, even if they have a pleasant smell and have a velvety skin.
- It is advisable for novice mushroom pickers to have a memo with a description and photographs of non-dangerous varieties. This may be a table in which dangerous varieties are also presented.
- Also, it would not be superfluous to look at an atlas of mushroom places or Internet services, the task of which is to determine the type of mushroom from a photo.
- At first, it is better to go to the forest with people who understand mushrooms. They will help you find mushroom glades and identify varieties, help you understand them and teach you to distinguish edible specimens from harmful ones.
- Each mushroom is best tested by breaking it open and looking at the color change.
To protect themselves from poisoning, people grow certain categories of mushrooms at home. Mushrooms and oyster mushrooms are the most popular cultivated species. Oyster mushrooms, in which the hat is covered with gray skin, are easier to grow.
If, after eating a mushroom dish, there are signs characteristic of food poisoning, you should immediately seek medical help and save the mushroom dish for laboratory analysis to facilitate the identification of the toxin that caused the poisoning.
The forest areas of Russia are very rich in mushrooms, and residents do not miss the opportunity to take advantage of this gift of nature. Traditionally, they are fried, pickled or dried. But the danger lies in the fact that many poisonous species are skillfully disguised as edible mushrooms. That is why it is important to know the characteristic features of the varieties allowed for consumption.
Mushrooms are not only tasty, but also very healthy food. They contain substances such as salts, glycogen, carbohydrates, as well as vitamins of groups A, B, C, D. If the mushrooms are young, then they also contain many trace elements: calcium, zinc, iron, iodine. Their intake has a positive effect on the metabolic processes of the body, increased appetite, the functioning of the nervous system and the gastrointestinal tract.
In fact, there are no exact criteria by which one can distinguish safe mushrooms from poisonous ones. Only existing knowledge about the appearance, signs and names of each species can help in this matter.
Characteristic features of edible mushrooms
General criteria for edible mushrooms include:
- Absence of a sharp bitter smell and taste;
- They are not characterized by very bright and catchy colors;
- Usually the inner flesh is light;
- Most often they do not have a ring on the leg.
But all these signs are only averaged, and there may be exceptions. For example, one of the most poisonous representatives of the white grebe also does not have a pungent odor at all and its flesh is light.
Another important point in this matter is the territory of growth. Usually edible species grow away from their dangerous counterparts. Therefore, a proven harvesting site can significantly reduce the risk of running into poisonous mushrooms.
Common misconceptions
Among the people, there are many signs and non-standard ways to determine the safety of mushrooms. Here are the most common misconceptions:
- Silver spoon. It is believed that it should darken upon contact with an inedible fungus;
- Onion and garlic. They are added to a decoction of mushrooms and if they darken, then there is a poisonous species in the pan. It is not true;
- Milk. Some people believe that when a fungus dangerous to humans is lowered into milk, it will definitely turn sour. Another myth;
- Worms and larvae. If they eat certain types of mushrooms, then they are edible. But in fact, some species edible for worms can harm human health.
And another common myth says that all young mushrooms are edible. But this is not true either. Many species are dangerous at any age.
An extended list of edible mushrooms and their description
In order to indicate the names of all edible mushrooms and give them descriptions, you will need a whole book, since there are so many varieties of them. But most often people opt for the most famous, already trusted species, leaving dubious representatives to professional mushroom pickers.
It is also known as "boletus". This mushroom has earned popularity due to its nutritional value and aromatic taste. It is suitable for any type of processing: frying, boiling, drying, salting.
White fungus is characterized by a thick light stem and a large tubular cap, whose diameter can reach 20 cm. Most often it has a brown, brown or red color. At the same time, it is completely heterogeneous: the edge is usually lighter than the center. The lower part of the cap changes color from white to yellow-green with age. On the leg you can see the mesh pattern.
The internal pulp of a dense consistence and its taste reminds a nut. When cut, its color does not change.
Ginger
Very high calorie and nutritious. Great for marinating and pickling. You can use other types of processing, but it is better not to dry it. It is characterized by a high degree of digestibility.
The main feature of mushrooms is their bright orange color. Moreover, the color is characteristic of all parts of the fungus: the leg, the hat and even the pulp. The cap is lamellar and has a recess in the center. The color is not uniform: the redhead is diluted with dark gray spots. Plates are frequent. If you cut the mushroom, the flesh changes color to green or brown.
boletus
A common species, which, as the name suggests, prefers to grow next to a cluster of birches. Ideal fried or boiled.
The boletus has a cylindrical light leg covered with dark scales. It is quite fibrous to the touch. Inside light pulp of a dense consistence. It may turn slightly pink when cut. The hat is small, similar to a pillow of gray or brown-brown color. At the bottom are white tubes.
boletus
A beloved nutritious mushroom that grows in temperate zones.
It is not difficult to recognize it: a plump leg expands to the bottom and is covered with many small scales. The cap is hemispherical, but over time becomes flatter. It can be red-brown or white-brown in color. The lower tubes are close to a dirty gray tint. When cut, the inner pulp changes color. It can turn blue, black purple or red.
Oilers
Small mushrooms that most often go for pickling. They grow in the northern hemisphere.
Their cap is usually smooth and in rare cases fibrous. From above, it is covered with a mucous film, so it may seem sticky to the touch. The stem is also predominantly smooth, sometimes with a ring.
This type necessarily requires pre-cleaning before cooking, but the skin is usually easily removed.
Chanterelles
One of the earliest spring representatives of mushrooms. Grow in whole families.
The hat is not standard. Initially, it is flat, but over time it takes on the shape of a funnel with a depression in the center. All parts of the mushroom are colored light orange. The white flesh is dense in texture, pleasant to the taste, but not at all nutritious.
mokhovik
A delicious mushroom that can be found in temperate latitudes. Its most common types are:
- Green. It is characterized by a grey-olive cap, yellow fibrous stem and dense light flesh;
- Bolotny. Looks like a boletus. The color is predominantly yellow. When cut, the flesh turns blue;
- Yellow-brown. The yellow cap takes on a reddish tint with age. The stem is also yellow, but has a darker color at the base.
Suitable for all types of cooking and processing.
Russula
Fairly large mushrooms growing in Siberia, the Far East and the European part of the Russian Federation.
Hats can have different colors: yellow, red, green and even blue. It is believed that it is best to eat representatives with the least amount of red pigment. The hat itself is rounded with a small indentation in the center. The plates are usually white, yellow or beige. The skin on the hat can be easily removed or come off only along the edge. The leg is not high, mostly white.
Honey mushrooms
Popular edible mushrooms growing in large groups. They prefer to grow on tree trunks and stumps.
Their hats are usually not large, their diameter reaches 13 cm. They can be yellow, gray-yellow, beige-brown in color. The shape is most often flat, but in some species they are spherical. The leg is elastic, cylindrical, sometimes has a ring.
Raincoat
This species prefers coniferous and deciduous forests.
The body of the fungus is white or gray-white in color, sometimes covered with small needles. It can reach a height of 10 cm. The inner pulp is initially white, but begins to darken over time. It has a pronounced pleasant aroma. If the pulp of the fungus has already darkened, then you should not eat it.
Ryadovka
It has a fleshy convex hat with a smooth surface. The inner pulp is denser with a pronounced smell. The leg is cylindrical in shape, expanding towards the bottom. In height, it reaches 8 cm. The color of the mushroom, depending on the species, can be purple, brown, gray-brown, ashy and sometimes purple.
You can recognize it by its cushion-shaped hat of brown or brown color. The surface is slightly rough to the touch. The lower tubes have a yellow tint, which turns blue when pressed. The same thing happens with the pulp. The leg is cylindrical inhomogeneous in color: darker above, lighter below.
Dubovik
A tubular edible mushroom that grows in sparse forests.
The hat is quite large, grows up to 20 cm in diameter. In structure and shape, it is fleshy and hemispherical. The color is usually dark brown or yellow. The inner flesh is lemon-colored, but turns blue when cut. The high leg is thick, cylindrical, yellow. Towards the bottom it usually has a darker color.
oyster mushrooms
It is characterized by a funnel-shaped cap, up to 23 cm in diameter. The color, depending on the species, can be light, closer to white, and gray. The surface is slightly matte to the touch, the edges are very thin. The bright legs of oyster mushrooms are very short, rarely reaching 2.5 cm. The flesh is fleshy, light, with a pleasant aroma. The plates are wide, their color can vary from white to gray.
Champignons
Very popular edible mushrooms due to their pleasant taste and high nutritional value. Their description and characteristics are familiar not only to mushroom pickers.
These mushrooms are familiar to everyone for their white color with a slight grayish tint. The cap is spherical with a bent down edge. The leg is not high, dense in structure.
Most often used for cooking, but for salting they are used extremely rarely.
Conditionally edible mushrooms
The edibility of mushrooms in the forest can be conditional. This means that such species can only be eaten after a certain type of processing. Otherwise, they can harm human health.
Processing involves a thermal process. But if some species need to be boiled several times, then for others, soaking in water and roasting is enough.
Such representatives of conditionally edible mushrooms include: real mushroom, green row, purple cobweb, winter honey mushroom, common flake.
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