Champignon: types and varieties Champignons are very popular and varied. These are aromatic, tasty and nutritious mushrooms. Numerous species of mushrooms can be found in the wild throughout the world. At the same time, all varieties are quite easy to grow, which allows

5. Champignon Agaricus (Psalliota) campestrisOrder Hymenomycetes (Hymenomycetes) family. Agaricaceae is distributed throughout Europe, Asia and North. America. Champignon is the only mushroom that we still know how to grow successfully and profitably. Near all important European cities champignons

Champignons are one of the most common mushrooms in the world. Unlike the few representatives of the mushroom culture, champignons can be grown on special mushroom farms and at home.

Champignons are among the most common mushrooms in the world.

In appearance, champignons look like small balls. The structure of the cap is dense and slightly scaly, white, beige or brown. As the mushroom grows, the shape of the cap straightens, becoming flatter. Capable of reaching 10 cm in diameter.

The pulp of the fruiting body has a dense structure and is white in color with a yellowish or reddish tint. The mushroom aroma is pronounced. Legs with a smooth surface are characterized by the presence of a single-layer or two-layer ring.

Champignons grow throughout almost the entire European territory, Asia, African countries and North America. They prefer to settle in mountainous areas and low-lying forests, as well as on lawns and garden plots. They can be found in desert and semi-desert areas. You can especially often see mushrooms in landfills and manure heaps, since champignons love fertilized soil.

The benefits and harms of champignons

Since spherical mushrooms are rich in folic acid, which is essential in the production of red blood cells, metabolism, and the functioning of the cardiovascular, nervous and digestive systems, they have a positive effect on the human body. In addition, acid plays an important role in a woman’s reproductive system, participating in the formation of the placenta and the healthy development of the fetus. The presence of amino acids, vitamins and minerals in the forest product also benefits pregnant women.

Mushrooms are low in calories, high energy value, include a large amount of proteins and antioxidants, which makes them dietary and accessible to patients with diabetes. For example, champignons contain more B vitamins than fresh vegetables. Thanks to the large amount of plant fiber and beneficial properties, dishes made from this product not only quickly satisfy hunger, but also help improve metabolism. That is why nutritionists recommend eating champignons for those who want to lose extra pounds, as well as for strengthening muscle mass in the gym. In addition, the dietary product improves memory and concentration.

To prepare traditional Russian food from champignons, you should use sunflower oil, which is used for frying and seasoning all tubular mushrooms. Processing champignons includes both cooking and preparation for consumption.

Collecting champignons it is important not to confuse them with their poisonous counterparts, which will be harmful to health. It is not recommended to collect mushrooms in unsafe areas (near industrial enterprises, highways, landfills), since the fruiting bodies absorb harmful substances from the surrounding atmosphere. A canned product made from raw materials that was stored incorrectly or in violation of the preparation technology can cause harm to health. It is advisable for pregnant women not to eat salted, pickled and dried mushrooms. If you have allergies or problems with the digestive system, you should also avoid the herbal product.

Due to the large amount of chitin, which is practically not absorbed by the body, experts do not recommend introducing champignons into children's diets.

How to grow champignons (video)

Types and varieties of edible champignons

Scientists have divided champignons into 3 groups, which are:

• field, growing in open space;
• forest, which grow in various forests;
• herbophiles who prefer to live in grass.

Experts know about two dozen different types of champignons, both edible and conditionally edible, inedible or poisonous.

Common champignon

Other names for this edible species: meadow, real. The height of the specimen does not exceed 10 cm. The color of the cap is usually white, but may have a brown tint. Diameter up to 15 cm. At a young age, the shape of the cap is hemispherical, the edges are strongly curved inward. With age, it straightens, becoming flat. The leg, up to 2 cm in diameter, slightly thickens at the base. The pulp of the fruiting body is white, turning pink when oxidized.

Forest champignon

Most often it grows in mixed and coniferous forests, less often in deciduous ones. Forms large colonies. Juveniles have ovoid-bell-shaped caps. Then it turns into a flat-prostrate one with a diameter of up to 10 cm and a brownish-brown surface with dark scales. The height of the leg is no more than 6 cm. The white flesh at the break changes color, becoming reddish.

Field champignon

The second name is sidewalk. Likes to settle in flat or mountainous areas with soil abundantly covered with grass. It can form mycorrhiza with spruce, but does not grow near deciduous trees.

The fleshy, cream or white, bell-shaped cap has rolled edges. Over time, it straightens, but a tubercle remains in the central part. The surface of the cap is smooth, silky or covered with yellow fibrous scales. In old mushrooms, the shade of the cap changes, becoming ocher. The white pulp with a pleasant anise aroma turns yellow when exposed to air. Because field mushrooms are similar to poisonous mushrooms such as toadstool and yellow-skinned mushroom, they must be harvested with care.

Champignon coppice (thin)

Most often, mycorrhizae form on beech and spruce.. It grows both singly and in numerous settlements. The egg-shaped caps of young individuals over time take on the appearance of a disk with a diameter of up to 10 cm. The top layer of the cap is silky, painted in light colors, which over time acquires a light brown color. After contact, lemon-yellow spots form on the cap. The fruit body has a pronounced anise aroma.

Dark red champignon

A rather rare species forms small colonies in sparse deciduous forests. Grows under fallen leaves. Young mushrooms have smooth brownish-brown conical caps with a blunt top that straighten as they grow. Gradually, the cracked top layer of the cap becomes covered with a fibrous-scale structure. Slender legs of light gray color reach 10 cm in height. The pulp is white with a slightly sour odor. At the fracture site it becomes deep red.

August champignon

Quite a rare species, found in countries with temperate climates. It lives in coniferous and deciduous forests, as well as in city parks. Colonies often form near anthills. Like other species, the caps of young mushrooms are spherical in shape, which then becomes flat.

A characteristic feature of the August champignon is that the brown cap is covered with numerous dark orange scales. The size of the cap reaches 15 cm in diameter. The pulp is dense and has a pleasant almond aroma. At the cut site, the white color becomes yellow or slightly brown. The leg is dense, hollow inside, can grow up to 10 cm. The top is covered with yellow-brown scales. Mushroom picking time begins in mid-August and lasts until mid-October.

Names and descriptions of dangerous twin mushrooms

Champignon has doubles that pose a great danger to human life, because they pose a mortal threat:

• death cap;
• light fly agaric (white, smelly).

Since dangerous look-alikes have a similar light color, and are also found in coniferous and mixed forests in the summer and autumn months, mushroom pickers may confuse them with coppice champignon. Juveniles of both species have the same appearance: caps, plates, presence of rings and scales on the stem. As they grow older, the plates of a real champignon change color, but those of a toadstool remain the same.

Unlike champignon, if you press on a poisonous mushroom, it will not turn yellow. In addition, toadstools have root sacs (volvas) into which the legs are inserted. Pale toadstool is dangerous because it does not have an unpleasant, repulsive odor, like fly agaric. To obtain fatal poisoning, it is enough to consume 1 gram of toxic raw materials per 1 kg of weight.

Signs of poisoning by poisonous doubles begin to appear some time after their consumption, so it may be too late to provide any life-saving action. In view of this, before harvesting forest products, it is important to carefully study the distinctive features of real and false champignons.

How to distinguish a false champignon from a real one

Inedible representatives of the mushroom culture can be confused with edible mushrooms, having a similar appearance:

• yellow-skinned;
• flat-headed;
• red-haired.

Inedible species begin to bear fruit in July. They are most often found in mixed and deciduous forests, and also appear in park areas, meadows and other places close to human settlements.

Despite the fact that false champignons have an external similarity, they are endowed with individual characteristics:

• the cut site acquires a bright yellow color, and then completely orange;
• the aroma resembles a pharmacy smell, similar to carbolic acid, iodine and phenol;
• When inedible raw materials are immersed in hot water, the unpleasant odor intensifies, and the liquid and mushrooms acquire a bright yellow color.

Since even heat treatment does not eliminate toxic substances, mushrooms should not be eaten, otherwise colic, vomiting and other intestinal disorders will occur.

Technology for growing champignons in the garden

Those who want to grow mushrooms in an open area need to know some nuances, since champignons are quite whimsical. They do not like bright light, so any shaded area is a suitable place to build beds. To protect the soil from drying out, you should make a canopy.

The first step is to prepare the compost. To do this, lay layers of straw, manure and litter. Water every day, avoiding drying out. After 3 weeks the compost will be ready.

It is necessary to sow mycelium (a kind of mushroom seeds that can be purchased in the store) onto the loosened soil, cover with a 5-centimeter layer of compost and water. Fruiting occurs after 2.5 months.

For those who plan to grow mushrooms all year round, it is important to know that champignons do not need lighting, so for the winter they can be moved to any damp and warm room with an air temperature of at least +15 degrees.

How to cook champignons in the oven (video)

How to properly propagate champignon mycelium

Under natural conditions, fungi reproduce by spores or vegetatively using fungal tissue. In order to propagate mycelium yourself, you need to collect mushrooms along with soil and mycelium. Then, in a greenhouse, greenhouse or any container, lay a layer of compost (preferably from horse manure), add pieces of the prepared mycelium to a depth of 10 cm, keeping a distance of at least 30 cm from each other. To avoid drying out, sprinkle moist humus soil (5 cm) on top. If mycelium is planted on shelves, they should be covered with film. After half a month, the first mycelium will appear, looking like a white coating. The ambient temperature should be between 20–25 °C. After the main layer is pierced with white threads (strands), the mycelium can be used for planting.

If the grown mycelium needs to be planted after a certain time, the removed pieces of mycelium must be dried in a shady place and stored in baskets in a cool room.

Champignons are very popular because they are considered a delicacy and are a wonderful table decoration. Preparation does not require serious effort. The main rule is not to confuse it with poisonous representatives of the mushroom culture. Inexperienced mushroom pickers are advised not to collect suspicious or unfamiliar mushrooms.

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Forest champignon (lat. Agaricus silvaticus) is a mushroom belonging to the genus champignon, to the class Agaricomycetes, order Agariaceae, of the Champignonaceae family. Popularly called: wolf mushroom, cap, benefactor.

Where and when does it grow

They are found almost throughout European territory, Africa, Asia, and North America. They grow in lowland forests and mountainous areas, in garden plots and lawns, in deserts and semi-deserts. Also selects places on and near anthills. On the territory of the Russian Federation they often grow in temperate zones. Forest champignon is a saprophytic species. They grow on manure and humus, that is, where the soil is well fertilized with organic matter. They bear fruit from July to October.

Botanical description

The young forest champignon has an ovoid-bell-shaped cap, covered with large brown scales. In a mature mushroom, it flattens out and takes the form of a plate.

Its color ranges from light gray to brownish brown. Depending on the conditions, it may acquire a lilac or violet hue. When pressed, the cap turns red and then changes color to brown. At an older age, a dark spot in the middle is visible. The size of the cap can reach 15 cm.

The leg is long, thin, curved, white or grayish in color, cylindrical in shape. In young fruiting bodies it is solid, in mature ones it becomes hollow. The height varies from 5 to 10 cm, but some specimens reach 20 cm, with a diameter of 1 to 2 cm. In the lower part the leg is thickened, and closer to the cap it becomes thinner. There is a ring at the top. In adulthood it disappears.

The pulp is white, thin, and turns red when cut. Because of this, inexperienced mushroom pickers avoid this mushroom. No juice will ooze out at the break.

The plates are light with a delicate pink tint or dirty red. As they mature, they acquire a dirty red color, then a brownish-purple tint; in older mushrooms they are almost black. Their width is 4-8 mm.

Spore powder is dark brown in color.

The smell is mushroom, pronounced, woody.

Forest champignon is eaten in all forms, even raw.

Related species and lookalikes

There are 2 dangerous doubles of this representative of the mushroom kingdom:

Variegated or dark scaly champignon. It is very similar to the forest variety and can only be recognized by its pulp, which turns yellow or red at the break point and has an unpleasant odor.

Death cap. Poisonous and very dangerous mushroom. It is distinguished by white plates, while those of champignon are pinkish or reddish. When broken, it is colorless; in an edible mushroom, the flesh turns red. In the double, the base of the leg has a thickening with a sac.

Related edible species of forest champignon:

Dark red. It is a relative of forest champignons. They are very similar, but this species is larger in size. The scales on the cap are also more visible. Juveniles have slightly pinkish plates.

Crooked. The leg is cylindrical and may thicken at the base. Its length ranges from 10 to 12 cm, its flesh is grayish. The cap is 8-12 cm. In young fruiting bodies it is ovoid, with age it straightens and becomes broadly conical, later straightens. Inside the mushroom the flesh is thin and white. The skin is pure white or cream-colored, slightly fibrous, and bright yellow spots appear when pressed. The plates are often located, free, at first white, and with development they reach a black-brown color.

Bisporous. A very rare relative of the forest champignon in nature. It can be found in places where there is no grass at all. The hat is from 3 to 8 cm in diameter. Its edge is curved. The remains of the bedspread hang from it, looking like flakes. The color of the cap ranges from white to brown. The pulp is dense, juicy, and also turns red or pink when cut. The plates of young mushrooms are pinkish, while those of mature ones are dark brown with a purple tint. The leg is smooth, cylindrical, 3-10 cm high, 3-4 cm wide. There is also a ring on it.

Edibility

The wild champignon is an edible mushroom, and many consider it a delicacy. Almost any dish can be prepared from them. They are pickled, fried, stewed, eaten, boiled, dried and even eaten fresh. Those who have once tried dishes with it claim that they are the most delicious of their kind. Experienced chefs recommend using a fresh product, since the taste, filled with mushroom aroma, is especially strong in its raw form in combination with freshly picked herbs and vegetables.

Benefits and harms

Forest champignon is safely used in pharmaceuticals. It is used to produce a drug that is effective in the treatment of typhus. This type of mushroom, like all representatives of the mushroom kingdom, is extremely difficult food for the stomach. Therefore, their use should be limited to children under 5 years of age and the elderly. Studies have proven the presence of the substance chitin in large quantities, in those specimens that grew in inappropriate conditions:

near hazardous production;

near landfills;

along the routes;

One of the most common mushrooms in nature are champignons. Those mushrooms that we see every day on the shelves of shops and markets are most likely grown in artificially created conditions. Champignons growing in nature have a different smell and taste. These are mushrooms that grow until frost, have a very subtle and specific aroma and nutty taste. They begin to grow from the first days of summer, and some species even at the end of spring. True connoisseurs and lovers of “silent hunting” know exactly what forest, meadow and mountain champignons look like.

To prevent mushroom picking from turning into a waste of time, it is important to learn as much as possible about the mushrooms that you are going to collect. This means that you need to know exactly where champignons grow in nature, and where to go in search of such attractive prey.

Experienced mushroom pickers will be able to tell you how champignons grow in nature. The place where they can be collected should be rich in well-fertilized soil. These are not agricultural fields, which are regularly fertilized with chemicals, but clearings near livestock complexes, dairy farms, and pig farms. In other words, champignons grow in nature:

• in places with wet soil;
• on soil with a large amount of natural fertilizers;
• on lands rich in compost.

Such different champignons

In Russia, they can be found not far from human habitation, in the forest, in the meadow, in a forest clearing. The variety of species is so wide that it sometimes surprises even experienced mushroom pickers. The most common is the common meadow mushroom, which can be bought in any store and is successfully grown in a mushroom farm, turning this activity into a very profitable business. All types of champignons are somewhat similar, but they also have noticeable differences.

Meadow, or ordinary

The mushroom is white in color and has a rounded cap, the edges of which are curved inward and pressed against the stem. Its weight ranges from 10 to 150 g. Meadow champignon is unpretentious and is able to grow near people’s homes, especially in rural areas. The cap changes shape as the mushroom grows. It retains its convexity, but becomes increasingly flatter. The plates underneath are loose, thin and wide. They are pinkish in color and gradually acquire a brown tint. The color of the cap itself is white, with grayish scales in the middle. There are meadow species with white-pink or gray caps, the surface of which is soft and silky to the touch.

The stem of this mushroom is dense, fibrous, and quite wide. Its diameter reaches 1-3 cm. The height of the leg is 3-10 cm. It is smooth, widened at the base. While the mushroom is young, its cap is connected to the stem by a white blanket, but over time this connection disappears, and a thin white ring remains. It may persist or completely disappear with the growth of the fungus.

A distinctive feature is its pulp, or more precisely, its color. Dense, white, when scrapped it changes, becoming pinkish. These mushrooms have a rather strong and pleasant mushroom aroma. Not just edible, but very tasty, meadow champignons are used to prepare a wide variety of dishes and are even eaten raw.

From the end of spring, that is, from May, until the latest frosts, this mushroom grows in pastures and forest edges. Field champignon can also be found in those places that are considered a tourist recreation area; it is also found in parks. Knowing what field champignons look like, you can spot them even in city squares.

What makes it special is its unique smell. It is difficult to confuse this aroma with anything else, because it smells like a mixture of anise and nutmeg. It is very similar to meadow. It’s just that it has a larger cap, up to 20 cm in diameter, that is supported on a short thick stem.

A distinctive feature is a scaly surface, a conical shape, which as the mushroom grows becomes round, resembling a bell. When you press it, the cap of the field champignon turns yellow. The plates are white; with age they become pinkish-brown or even black.

Mountain

The habitat of this mushroom is mountain spruce forests or wild slopes covered with bright flowers and a variety of herbs. What does mountain champignon look like? At first glance it is difficult to distinguish it from meadow.

The large white cap is clearly visible on mountain slopes; in young mushrooms its edges are curved and practically touch the massive stem. As the mountain champignon ripens, it seems to open up, and a neat white skirt remains on the stem. The surface of the cap is soft, sometimes covered with a small number of scales. The pulp is white and juicy, the plates are wide, free, becoming dark, almost black in old mushrooms.

Forest champignons are mushrooms that, unlike their counterparts, grow exclusively in coniferous forests and not in open space. They can be found in spruce forests. It is here that the soil has a high nitrogen content, which is the most favorable environment for such fungi. Champignons are rare in the forest, but they grow in fairly large families, so the catch will delight the lucky mushroom picker.

Among the many mushrooms that can be found in the forest, it is important to correctly determine which one the mushroom picker has encountered and what he is holding in his hands. When going on a “silent hunt” in the hope of finding a wild mushroom, you need to know exactly what this beautiful, tasty wild mushroom looks like. Its cap has the same shape as the others, it is rounded, the edges are strongly curved. The plates are wide and loose, darkening as the mushroom ages.

The flesh is white, juicy, and changes color when cut, but the stem is tall and fibrous. It has a rich taste and pleasant aroma.

Royal

Another variety is the royal champignon, so named for its size and taste. It is large, brown, stands on a dense large stalk, has a large cap, reaching a diameter of 10 cm, with characteristically curved edges. As it ripens, it opens, and a thin, light, single ring remains on the stem.

The leg itself is low, up to 3-4 cm in diameter. The second name for the royal champignon is portobello. Its characteristic feature is a pronounced musk aroma. This mushroom is used to prepare the most delicious dishes of European cuisine. Its meaty caps are stuffed and baked, cooked on charcoal and grilled. The legs, dense and juicy, are used to prepare special sauces.

Dangerous species

The champignon family also has poisonous relatives, which you need to learn to distinguish.

One of the well-known poisonous mushrooms, which is often confused with field or common champignon. The yellow-skinned champignon has a rounded cap and a high stem. The edges of the cap gradually straighten and open. Those who have never encountered yellow-skinned champignon need to know that the skin of this mushroom is actually white, but when damaged or cut, the stem acquires a characteristic yellow color.

The caps of adult mushrooms have a grayish-brown tint and, unlike edible ones, are not convex in the middle, but rather depressed, yellow in places where their surface is damaged. The ring on the leg is also different. Its edges are not raised, but lowered. The ring is double, dense. Another characteristic feature is the strong smell of carbolic acid, which is released when the mushroom is damaged.

The flat cap champignon is also dangerous. It is noticeably different from other species in appearance. The rather large, flat cap with a slight convexity rests on a thin and rather high stem; the height of the bark reaches 15 cm with a thickness of only 1.5-2 cm in diameter. The color of the cap is pale cream, and its middle is dark or even black. It is covered with dark radial scales. The white pulp turns yellow when damaged, but it is possible that when cut it will acquire a reddish tint. Emits a strong phenol odor. The base of the smooth stalk is thickened. The edges of the ring are lowered, and the edges of the cap of an adult mushroom are raised. The flat-headed champignon is poisonous and dangerous.

If you cut the mushroom at the very base, a bright yellow color will appear on the cut. It is quite rare and grows in mixed forests. It is impossible to find it in fields and meadows.

Is it possible to get poisoned by champignons?

When collecting mushrooms, it is important to know their characteristics and distinctive features, since even an edible mushroom can be fraught with danger. Speaking about whether it is possible to be poisoned by champignons, it should be remembered that not all of their varieties are suitable for consumption. It is worth recalling species such as flat-headed and yellow-skinned champignons, and it will immediately become clear that the likelihood of poisoning if collected incorrectly is quite high.

Of course, we can repeat many times about the need to be careful and attentive when picking mushrooms, but if it happens that poisonous mushrooms get into the basket, and then into the pan, you need to pay attention to changes in your well-being. Symptoms of champignon poisoning are very similar to other types of poisoning:

• nausea,
• temperature increase,
• weakness,
• sweating,
• dizziness,
• colic in the stomach,
• diarrhea,
• vomit.

First aid will make it possible to reduce the concentration of toxins in the body, but without the help of doctors, coping with a problem such as mushroom poisoning is difficult and even impossible.

To avoid trouble, you must remember that there are a huge variety of poisonous mushrooms, and false champignons are among them.

Every lover of quiet hunting should know how to distinguish real ones from false ones. When picking mushrooms in the forest or in the field, it is important to remember that two dangerous enemies await the mushroom picker here. The first is the false field mushroom, which is actually a very dangerous mushroom hiding behind an attractive white cap. Another danger is the false wild mushroom. Each one is different:

1. lack of bulge on the cap;
2. presence of an unpleasant pungent odor;
3. yellowness on the cut or at the site of damage;
4. the lowered edges of the ring on a thin stem.

To distinguish champignons from toadstools, which they may be very similar to, you need to know the characteristics of their appearance, smell and consistency. The main feature of the field crop is its ability to accumulate toxins as it matures. In addition, it is extremely similar to one of the most dangerous mushrooms - toadstool. Poisonous mushrooms grow next to real ones, and when collecting, the mushroom picker will need not only knowledge, but also special care.

The benefits and harms of champignons

Champignons are, according to nutritionists, a product equivalent to meat. Their composition is of great importance for humans - every 100 grams of such a product contains a daily dose of B vitamins, and in addition:

• protein;
• carbohydrates;
• amino acids;
• minerals.

The beneficial properties of champignons lie mainly in the fact that it is an excellent antioxidant - a product that allows you to rid the human body of excess cholesterol. The nutritional value is so great that 10 mushrooms can replace 500 g of meat product.

The benefits and harms of champignons have become the reason for numerous discussions, but one thing is indisputable - the low calorie content of champignons. Only 27,000 calories are contained in 100 g of fresh mushrooms, however, in a dried product this value increases markedly.

The benefits and harms of raw champignons depend on the conditions in which the collected and cooked mushrooms grew. If they were brought from pasture, then heat treatment is necessary, but in the case where it was possible, eating them raw will be much more beneficial. After all, it is in this form that they retain all their exceptional properties, having only a positive effect on the human body.