Warm summer with enough rain and a long, fine autumn - excellent conditions for mushroom hunting on pot-bellied boletus.
In order for this hunt to be successful and without unpleasant health consequences, it is important to know how to distinguish White mushroom from false. After all, no one wants to taste forest gifts, find yourself in a hospital room with nausea, persistent diarrhea and other symptoms of poisoning.
How to determine the authenticity of a porcini mushroom
Types of porcini mushroom
Let's find out what real porcini mushrooms are and what they are external signs.
Oak white mushroom (Boletus reticulatus)
- Grows in warm places With deciduous forests: under oaks, chestnuts, lindens and hornbeams.
- It has a rich aroma that is well preserved after drying mushrooms.
- Slightly velvety hat oak boletus reaches 30 cm in diameter. It is usually colored in coffee, ocher and light brown tones. In dry weather, the cap may become covered with mesh due to cracking.
- The tubular layer of the fungus is painted white, acquiring a yellowish or greenish tint with age.
- The cylinder-shaped leg along its entire length is decorated with a white or brown mesh.
Birch white mushroom (Boletus betulicola)
- Birch boletus grows in groups or singly in cool climates, along roads and in forest edges.
- The light yellow cap of the mushroom reaches 15 cm in diameter.
- The tubular layer of a young mushroom is completely white, while that of an older mushroom is light yellow.
- The upper part of the leg is light brown and covered with white mesh.
Pine white mushroom (Boletus pinophilus)
- Pine boletus prefers to grow both under dense pine crowns and in sunny meadows of spacious forests.
- The maximum diameter of the cap is 20 cm, the color is rich red-brown, over time turning into a dark wine-red tone.
- The tubular layer is distinguished by a thick olive green color.
- The stem of the pine porcini mushroom is completely covered with a reddish mesh.
General characteristics of porcini mushroom species
To know how to distinguish a white mushroom from a false one, let’s remember several qualities that all edible species have.
- Thick, tasteless pulp with light pleasant mushroom aroma or odorless, does not change white after cutting and cooking.
- The tubular layer is only yellow, white or olive in color.
Important: it is better to eat young mushrooms that have not been devoured by larvae and worms, since the consumption of waste products of these creatures (which are difficult to clean) causes intestinal diseases and food poisoning. In addition, in old mushrooms, due to the decomposition of their own proteins, toxins that are hazardous to health accumulate.
How to identify a false white mushroom from a real one
Not in baskets experienced mushroom pickers often turn out to be false mushrooms, dangerous to health and sometimes life. The main catch is that such mushrooms can be located next to real ones. How to identify a false white mushroom? Let's look at the main signs of false boletus.
Unlike genuine boletus, it has:
- Barrel-shaped leg.
- A pillow-shaped cap up to 30 cm in diameter with an orange or reddish tubular layer.
- Bright carmine red shade of mesh on the leg (middle).
- Pulp that changes color when cut (turns blue) within the first 5 minutes.
- The smell of rotten onions coming from old mushrooms.
It differs from a genuine porcini mushroom:
- A tubular layer painted in an off-white or pink tone.
- The pulp turns pale pink when cut (hardly noticeable, you need to look closely).
- Extremely bitter taste.
False porcini mushrooms are especially dangerous in their raw form: after eating only 10 g satanic mushroom the person is completely paralyzed and soon dies!
Now you know how to distinguish a white mushroom from a false one, and avoid the risk of poisoning and death. Therefore, if you have even the slightest doubt about the authenticity of a mushroom you come across, it is better to leave it in the forest.
Sometimes in common people or in everyday life you can hear a whole collection of names - bitter, bitter, hare mushroom, false white or false boletus - but this does not mean that acquaintances talk about several absolutely different mushrooms, but vice versa.
Its official name is gall mushroom (lat. tylopilus felleus), known for its belonging to the boletaceae family. Mainly distributed in regional areas middle zone Russia and is not popular among foresters due to its dubious reputation, because even if you have numerous processing recipes at hand, you cannot consume gall mushroom.
Gall mushroom. Description of appearance
And yet, the object of our attention received the name false white for a reason. Possessing the most similar appearance, bitterberry has a massive and strong leg, the diameter of which often reaches 7 cm, and even more in length - up to 9 cm.
The base is expanded, on the outside there is a characteristic fibrous mesh layer, predominantly brown or brown in color. At the fracture sites, the color palette instantly changes, acquiring all the shades of the pink palette.
As for the cap, it is many times larger than the stem itself and takes the shape of a hemisphere, painted in a light brown color scheme.
But with age, the gall fungus changes its color to chestnut, and the cap becomes elongated and convex even more.
How more mushroom years, the more the hemisphere is subject to cracks and breaks, resembling a pillow. Changes also affect color - the older the gall fungus, the brighter the yellow-brown hue.
Distinctive feature The amazing inviolability of the false boletus is also considered - not a single chip or dent. This is due to the fact that insects purposefully avoid the mushroom, not daring to taste it. Which is not recommended for humans either.
Attention! Don't forget to check appearance among foresters in their region, due to the wide variety of color palettes, representatives of the species can have a “headdress” of both reddish and gray shades.
Where and when does gall fungus grow?
See the collection in the forest gall mushrooms possible from August until the cold days of October, especially low temperatures significantly shorten the period until September. In most cases, the false boletus prefers exclusively coniferous soils, which are abundant among the growth of fir trees and pine trees.
Sometimes you can see a representative of the species under a birch tree, which happens extremely rarely. But the bitterbush does not like to grow in the wilderness, choosing the outskirts and clinging to the roots of trees (especially many near rotten trunks and stumps).
Most often, a single representative or a group in modest numbers is found in one place; it is not possible to see the concentration of bile copies in one sector.
It is for this reason that the gall fungus often ends up in the basket along with the others; only an experienced specialist can distinguish the substitution.
Gall mushroom. Difference between gall fungus and boletus
And the most important thing to mention is accommodation healthy mushrooms noticeably different from the preferences of bitterling; the same boletus cannot be found near a rotten tree, rhizome or stump.
The similarity between porcini and gall mushrooms is undeniable, but there are some nuances here too. For example, pay attention to the color scheme of the “headdresses” - the cap of the porcini mushroom is dark on top and greenish-yellow on the inside, while false white is known for its pink interior.
The leg should also be of interest to an avid forester - in the porcini mushroom it is pronounced light shade than that of bitterling. A distinctive feature is the dullness of the mesh on original representatives, the bitter woman cannot boast of this.
And, as mentioned earlier, gall mushrooms are never eaten by insects, which cannot be said about boletus or porcini mushrooms. As can be observed, even such an exact identity has differences.
But in order to avoid mistakes in choosing, a specialist is advised to be sure to look at a photo of the gall fungus before going hunting. This will make it much easier to distinguish the substitution and choose useful product for future dishes.
Gall mushroom. Edible or not? Taste qualities
A representative of the species fully lives up to its name - just lick the cap of the mushroom, after which you will instantly feel bitterness, and as a result, a burning sensation.
The bitterness produced by the gall fungus is not destroyed by exposure to high temperatures, neither boiling nor frying will help - all this only increases the amount of bitter substance. Moreover, one piece of gall mushroom is enough to “infect” the entire dish.
Marinade or vinegar has a softening effect, which makes it possible not to notice bitterness in food. But it is still not recommended to use it to avoid further health problems.
Photo of gall fungus
The porcini mushroom (boletus) is the most valuable mushroom first category. In terms of taste, nutritional value, its taste and aroma have no equal. It contains many valuable substances and is more easily absorbed by the human body than others. At proper preparation Since ancient times it has been considered a delicacy. Boletus mushrooms are one of the most beloved mushroom pickers. But, like many edible mushrooms, it has doubles, false porcini mushrooms, which are very similar to them. Therefore, everyone who likes to collect them needs to know the special distinguishing signs in order to avoid food poisoning and other troubles. One of these boletus doubles are the insidious false porcini mushrooms (bile mushrooms).
False white mushroom: botanical description
Bile mushroom (Tylopilus felleus, genus Tilopil) is classified as a non-poisonous, but inedible mushroom due to its very bitter pulp. Apparently that’s why its popular name is bitterling. This is a beautiful, presentable mushroom, which at first glance looks like a boletus (especially a spruce mushroom) with dry, slightly pubescent or smooth skin on the cap. After rain it becomes a little sticky. The diameter of the caps can reach fifteen centimeters. Young specimens have a convex shape, while older specimens have a flatter, prostrate shape. The color of the cap with thick, plastic white flesh ranges from yellowish-brown to dark brown. The powerful, fibrous stalks of gall mushrooms can reach a diameter of three to seven centimeters and a length of up to ten. They have a characteristic swelling at the base and are cream to yellow-brown in color.
There is a dark brown or black mesh running along the top of the legs. Young mushrooms have virtually no odor, but as they grow it becomes quite unpleasant, reminiscent of rotting onions. Even a single specimen that gets into a prepared dish or preparation will certainly ruin it taste qualities.
The gall fungus prefers well-lit clearings and edges of coniferous (especially pine) forests with sandy or loamy soil, densely strewn with pine needles. Also can settle on rotten trees and stumps. It grows in almost all regions of our country, forming groups of five to fifteen pieces, but can also grow in single specimens. Fruiting begins in July and ends in October. IN folk medicine used as a choleretic agent.
Gorchak: characteristics (video)
Differences from real porcini mushroom
The true white mushroom (Boletus edulis) has a convex or prostrate cap from seven to fifty centimeters in diameter with a smooth or wrinkled, dry, matte surface, which high humidity becomes slimy, sticky and shiny. Skin color depending on boletus variety(birch, oak, pine, spruce) ranges from cream to cherry brown. The dense, elastic thick pulp is white in color and does not change color when cut. It also does not change color either during heat treatment or drying. It is easily separated from the tubular layer, which is white and hard in young mushrooms. Over time it turns yellow, and in very old specimens it becomes olive green, soft and wet.
The height of the barrel-shaped legs can reach twenty-five centimeters, and the thickness up to ten. The color of their surface can be light cream or brown, the veins of the mesh are usually white. Fresh mushrooms have a very weak odor; it begins to clearly manifest itself during heat treatment. Dried porcini mushrooms have a particularly strong, pleasant aroma.
The collection process begins in May and ends in September. A distinctive feature of the gall fungus from boletus is a spongy layer from light pink to dirty pink in color, reddening when pressed, and brown-black patterns at the top of the stalk. Some people try to lick a section of the spongy layer to identify the gall fungus. When the juice gets on the tongue, a strong bitterness and burning sensation is felt. Of course it's not The best way identify this mushroom, as in the future they may appear serious problems
, because it is never affected by worms, insects, or forest animals, apparently because of its bitterness.
How to distinguish boletus from bitterweed (video)
Signs of poisoning Although the gall mushroom is not poisonous, nevertheless Scientific research have proven the presence of very harmful toxic substances in it, which very quickly enter the bloodstream even with normal contact with the skin. The consequences of such contacts are usually accompanied by symptoms similar to food poisoning: dizziness, weakness and painful sensations
in the muscles. These troubles pass pretty quickly. But after a few weeks, problems with the separation of bile may begin. Those mushroom pickers who constantly test the bile fungus on the tongue run the risk of developing cirrhosis over time due to large amounts of toxins entering the liver cells. Also dangerous tarry substances contained in these mushrooms, oral cavity And gastrointestinal tract, which causes significant discomfort.
Despite the fact that gall mushrooms are inedible, some mushroom pickers still collect them and soak them for a long time. Then they can them with big amount salt, sugar, vinegar and spices to dull any remaining bitterness.
Experts do not recommend doing this, because despite soaking and heat treatment, they still contain toxic substances , the concentration of which cannot be determined in home environment. In addition, their specific taste is unlikely to give anyone pleasure. Therefore, you should not waste time collecting them. And if there is not enough practical experience in order to distinguish edible mushrooms from inedible ones, then you need to go into the forest with knowledgeable mushroom pickers.
How to collect porcini mushrooms (video)
When buying mushrooms at the market, you need to inspect them carefully, especially pay attention to the color of the cut, which will immediately give away a false porcini mushroom.
Due to the external similarity, inexperienced mushroom pickers often confuse gall mushrooms with porcini mushrooms or boletus mushrooms. However, such a trophy is of little use. Even a small piece of this mushroom that gets into a frying pan while frying along with others can make the dish completely unsuitable for consumption.
The gall mushroom is not poisonous, but you should not eat it. It’s not for nothing that people call it bitter and bitter - the pulp of these mushrooms (especially young specimens) is very bitter, and during heat treatment the bitterness does not disappear, as happens with some mushrooms, but intensifies several times. Mushrooms like mustard, which for one reason or another are not eaten, are classified as inedible.
Why is gall mushroom inedible?
There are many reasons why mushrooms are not considered edible. As a rule, it is impossible to be poisoned by such mushrooms, but it is almost impossible for a person to eat them. Some mushrooms have a rare unpleasant smell, others are so hard that it is very difficult to chew them, the fruiting bodies of others are covered with dense spines and growths, which prevents them from being eaten. Some mushroom pickers say that soaking the gall mushroom in water helps get rid of bitterness, and vinegar and other spices help mask the unpleasant taste of bitterness in pickles.
However, most fans quiet hunt“They agree that the gall mushroom is simply not worth collecting. Interestingly, some people do not feel the strong bitterness of the gall fungus and can safely eat it. It turned out that the reason for this phenomenon is genetic - such people do not have a certain type of receptor that allows them to distinguish bitter taste. But what compounds give the mushrooms themselves a bitter taste is still not known.
An important alliance
This species was first described by the French mycologist Pierre Bulliard in 1788. He attributed this mushroom to the boletus genus. Subsequently, changes occurred in the taxonomy of fungi, and experts recorded the inedible mustard as Rodtilopilus.
The gall fungus prefers dry coniferous forests, grows near old rotten trees, but is also found on the trunks themselves and decaying stumps. You can often find quite numerous clusters of bitterlings - when favorable conditions they grow and reproduce well. Bile fungi form mycorrhiza with the roots of spruce and pine trees. This cooperation between fungal hyphae and roots higher plants beneficial for both parties to the union. Mushrooms receive amino acids and carbohydrates necessary for growth, and the tree has the ability to absorb phosphorus compounds and other minerals along with water.
Multi-colored hats
It’s not difficult to spot gall mushrooms in the forest: strong bitterlings with round, neat caps look quite attractive. They can be of different shades: there are reddish-brown, yellowish and olive. Like most other mushrooms belonging to the bolethaceae family, in dry weather the cap of bitterlings feels velvety to the touch, and in rainy time becomes slippery.
The hymenophore, the layer in which spores ripen, has a tubular structure in the gall fungus. It is located on the underside of the cap and is quite easily separated from it. In young mushrooms, the tubes are colored light pink, while in older specimens they darken, acquiring a brownish tint. The stem of bitterling is quite dense, the outside is covered with a dark pattern resembling a mesh.
Twin mushroom
Another name for gall fungus is false porcini mushroom. It is not at all difficult to confuse bitterling with dense boletus; porcini and gall mushrooms appear in forests at approximately the same time - they can be found from July to September. These mushrooms belong to the same family and are really quite similar.
Important hallmark- the color of the mesh on the leg: in bitterling it is dark, while in boletus and its brothers it is a lighter shade. When cut, the white flesh of the mustard mushroom acquires a pinkish tint, but the light pulp of the porcini mushroom does not change color.
In order not to confuse the gall mushroom with boletus, do not forget that the scales on the stem of bitterling, characteristic of boletus, are absent.
Some mushroom pickers simply taste the pulp of the mushroom - the sharp bitterness of the gall mushroom is felt immediately. However, this is still not worth doing - the unpleasant taste remains in the mouth for a long time.
Mycorrhizae are formed by all gymnosperms and a large number of angiosperms. Pines, for example, cannot live at all without mycorrhiza and only thanks to fungi they receive the necessary mineral compounds. Other plants can exist without the help of fungi, but mycorrhiza increases the ability of plants to absorb nutrients from the soil several dozen times.
There is a subspecies of gall fungus, the raw pulp of which has a rather pleasant sweetish taste. However, this mushroom, which is externally distinguished by a lighter color of the cap and stem, is not usually eaten. When it is cooked, the pulp also becomes unbearably bitter.
a brief description of
Kingdom: mushrooms.
Department: basidiomycetes.
Class: Agaricomycetes.
Order: boletovye.
Family: Boletaceae.
Genus: tilopilus.
Type: gall mushroom.
Latin name: Tylopilus felleus.
Size: cap diameter - up to 15 cm, stem height - 3-7 cm.
Color: cap yellowish or dark brown, leg yellow or cream.
Inexperienced and novice mushroom pickers, due to their ignorance, sometimes expose themselves to the danger of collecting inedible or poisonous mushrooms- in the kingdom of mushrooms there are a lot of specimens that look very similar to edible species, but are actually poisonous. How to distinguish a false porcini mushroom from an edible one, what are the symptoms of bitter bitter poisoning, where does it grow, and what does it look like - read more in the article.
Edible or not
Due to the fact that bitterling is often confused with a real porcini mushroom, it got its name - false. It belongs to the group of inedibles that cannot be eaten even after heat treatment. 
Due to the fact that this inedible species It produces bitterness, which is why it was given the nickname bitter mushroom (also called bitter mushroom and hare mushroom). It is noteworthy that bittersweet is not poisonous, but it is impossible to eat because of the inedible bitter pulp.
What does a false white mushroom look like?
The white mushroom's counterpart is very similar to its edible counterpart, and these two specimens can only be distinguished by minor external differences.
hat
The size of the bitterling cap can vary from 5 to 15 cm in diameter - when wet, it, like the boletus cap, becomes a little sticky and rough. The shape of the cap is standard for boletus mushrooms - a hemisphere.
The older the bitterling, the more rounded the cap becomes. The color varies from light brown to brown and may have light streaks. 
Pulp
The bitter pulp is medium hard, white-pink in color, with pronounced fibers. A characteristic feature is that it is not susceptible to worm damage and, as a result, rarely rots. It does not have a rich smell, but its taste is very bitter, with a sour note. When cut and exposed to air, the flesh begins to turn red.
Important! Although bittersweet does not have a distinct aroma, with age it acquires a suffocating, putrid odor. Even one small instance of bitters, once in a dish, will immediately spoil the taste of the food with its pungent odor and bitter taste.
Tubular layer
It consists of small white tubes that are attached to the stem of the bitter plant. The color smoothly flows from milky to pink.
Leg
The stem of the bitterling plant is strong, wide and heavy. Its thickness ranges from 1 to 3 cm, and can grow up to 13 cm in height. Its characteristic feature is a swollen fibrous base, which is shaped like a club. 
The color of the leg has shades of brown, without turning into a rich brown. In the upper part there is a yellow or gray mesh pattern that appears on the stem during the ripening process - the older the bitter, the more clearly this mesh is drawn.
Where and when does it grow
The favorite place for bitters to grow is coniferous or mixed forests. They like it sour fertile soil- can grow both on sandstones and near half-rotten pine stumps or on the base of trees.
Bittersweet is widespread - it can be found on all continents. Time of formation and growth - warm months(from mid-June to October). It loves bright light and moist soil, so bittersweet can often be found in open meadows and marshy areas. Formed in groups of 5 to 15 specimens.
Did you know? There is a mushroom museum in Zagreb, Croatia, which has more than 5,000 living exhibits.
How to distinguish from edible counterparts
In order not to make a mistake in choosing a mushroom, and not to pick a poisonous or inedible specimen, you need to know exactly what external characteristics a particular species has. main feature bitter, by which it can be distinguished from the edible species is that when cut, the bitter immediately begins to darken, and the place of the break becomes a rich brown color.
Real white mushroom
There are three main points by which bittersweet can be distinguished from the edible white specimen:
- the color of the cap (the bitter mushroom has brown shades, and the white mushroom may have a reddish or cherry color of the cap);
- shape of the leg - bitterling always has a thickening, which gives the leg a resemblance to a mace;
- the ability of a bitter mushroom to darken when in contact with air, whereas in a real porcini mushroom the flesh does not change its color.
Important! Inexperienced mushroom pickers, in order to distinguish a false porcini mushroom from a real one, taste the pulp, or lick the cap of the mushroom - the juice of the bitter mushroom has a characteristic bitterness, and also burns strongly. And although this method is very effective, it is not recommended to use it - there is a danger of getting food poisoning, and with frequent testing of bitters on the tongue - cirrhosis of the liver.
boletus
Another edible double bitterling - . Unlike bitterweed, boletus has a less thick stem, which does not have a thickening at the bottom.
Remember that bitterweed always looks perfect, it is not affected by worms and rarely rots (its bitterness repels insects and worms), but boletus often attracts worms that destroy its outer shell.
Also, the boletus mushroom has a pleasant smell and white flesh, while the gall mushroom has no smell, and its pulp and tubular layer are pinkish in color. 
Symptoms of poisoning
Unfortunately, not a single person is immune from mushroom poisoning - it happens that even experienced mushroom pickers cannot escape this scourge. Although bitter is not poisonous looking, its active components, when released into the human blood, cause severe intoxication.
Also, the use of mustard has a negative effect on the liver and work gallbladder- even 20 days after consuming such an inedible specimen, disturbances in the drainage of bile may still be observed.
Did you know? There are many cases in history when famous people and monarchs poisoned themselves with mushrooms. Thus, it is recorded that the Roman emperors Claudius and Tiberius (1st century BC), Emperor Alexander I (18th-19th centuries), French monarch Charles V (16th century), and Pope Clement VII (15th century) all fell victims of mushroom poisoning.
Symptoms of bitter bitter poisoning include:
- sharp abdominal pain, cramps;
- bitterness and dry mouth;
- dizziness, general weakness;
- temperature increase;
- gagging;
- in some cases - paleness skin, the appearance of bruises under the eyes.
If there is even one symptom from the list, it is necessary to perform gastric lavage - for this you need to give the patient a large amount warm water with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, and immediately seek medical help.
You cannot give regular tablets for abdominal cramps - the active components of such drugs, as a rule, come into conflict with the bitter substances, which can lead to a worsening of the condition. Remember: any delay in the case of mushroom poisoning can cost your life, so you need to act quickly and confidently.
Bitterweed is the most famous and widespread double of such edible species, like boletus and porcini mushroom. Knowledge external characteristics bitters and her characteristic features, will make it easy to distinguish this inedible mushroom from its edible twins, and protect yourself from possible poisoning.
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