Autumn is a real expanse for avid mushroom pickers. The measured rustling of leaves underfoot, a cool breeze and the unforgettable aroma of a rain forest are the main companions of hunting for mushrooms: russula, chanterelles, champignons…
In order for such a pastime to bring only joyful memories and pleasant moments, you should be well versed in mushrooms. For example, edible and inedible russula. How to distinguish them so that in the process of use there are no unpleasant surprises? Our article will be devoted to this topic.
You will find answers to such interesting questions: where do these mushrooms grow? What are their varieties? You will also be able to see photos and descriptions of edible and inedible russula, and detailed instructions for their identification.
So, meet - a delicious beauty, a forest princess, an appetizing component of any dish … And simply - russula is edible!
Attractive family
Russula family - a very common type of mushrooms growing in the vastness of our country. They are named so because they can be eaten not only after heat treatment, but also raw. And although this family is not considered a delicacy or rare, its taste andthe nutritional qualities are very appealing and tempting even for the pickiest of gourmets.
The mushroom family grows in mixed and coniferous forests, next to the roots of tall trees, entering into a kind of friendly symbiosis with them (the biological name of the association is mycorrhiza).
Ordinary edible russula consists of a cap, plate, stem, pulp and spore powder. Different types of russula differ from each other in color, shape and other external features and properties.
To find out what edible russula looks like, you should get acquainted with the main types of this delicious mushroom.
Russula greenish
Most often found in forests planted with deciduous or coniferous-deciduous trees. He loves the neighborhood of such crops as oak, beech and birch. It begins its growth in the second decade of July and pleases mushroom pickers with its presence until the beginning of October.
What do these edible russula look like? A photo and description of this species is below.
The cap of the mushroom usually reaches five to fifteen centimeters in diameter, at an early stage it has a hemispherical shape, and then becomes convex, slightly depressed in the middle. The usual color of the hat, as the name suggests, varies between gray-green and dark green. The skin of the cap is not smooth, as it tends to crack and come off.
Mushroom plates are cream colored. Near the base, they intertwine and separate from the stem, which has a cylindrical shape and white (less often - red-brown)color. Closer to the root, the leg is covered with small scales.
The pulp of greenish russula is strong and white. It has a sweet, slightly nutty flavor and a subtle smell.
Hunt for this mushroom should be very careful not to confuse it with pale grebe. Although there is a similarity in these two plants, there is still a main difference - the poisonous fruit has a ring on the leg and Volvo.
How to cook a greenish russula? First of all, it should be boiled (no more than fifteen minutes), and then you can already eat it. Pickled and pickled mushrooms are also good.
Russula ocher
Grows in southern latitudes, mainly from the second decade of August to the first decade of September. Prefers to settle near firs, birches and oaks, burrow into moss and damp foliage.
The cap of these edible russula is yellow in color and convex in shape, in wet weather its skin is slightly sticky to the touch, and in hot weather it is quite dry.
The thick stem of the mushroom, four to eight centimeters high, is white or slightly yellowish.
The plant's blades are thin and frequent, cream or yellow in color. The pulp is white and dense, slightly pungent and spicy in taste. Very tasty ocher russula in s alted or pickled form.
Russula
This species is found in almost all forests and forest plantations, it does not grow only in the mountains. Prefers to settle near birches and oaks. Below you can see photos of edible food russula.
Hatof this species, five to eleven centimeters in diameter, has a flat, slightly convex shape and a variety of colors: from pure white or light gray to lilac brown or deep red.
The plates of the fungus, adherent to the stem, are located quite often. At the first stage they are white, then light cream.
Russula leg is strong and cylindrical, most often white, with a slight shade of the color of the cap.
The pulp of the plant also has a shade corresponding to the hat. It has a pleasant delicate taste of hazelnut and a slightly open aroma. It is recommended to boil the mushroom for fifteen minutes before eating.
Russula blue-yellow
Another kind of edible mushroom. It grows in mixed forests, forming a symbiotic association with the roots of deciduous plants such as birch, oak, aspen. Begins to grow from the beginning of June until the first days of September.
The russula hat is quite large, can reach fifteen centimeters in diameter, two-tone (the color of the hat is usually green or brown, and the edges have a purple tint). The surface is wrinkled and fibrous.
The plates are wide and silky, light cream or white.
The stem of the mushroom is also large, about seven to twelve centimeters long and two to three centimeters thick. The color is white, with a purple tint.
The pulp is light, strong, very tasty after cooking in the form of a pickled or s alted product.
Russula graying
Another kind of edible russula. Its other name isfading. This species is found in coniferous forests with high humidity, likes to settle near pines, in moss thickets and blueberries.
The mushroom cap can reach eleven centimeters in diameter. The brown-orange skin is difficult to remove.
The plates of fading russula are firmly attached to the stem, are often arranged and ornate. The stem itself, slightly tapering at the top, takes on a dark gray hue with age and becomes heavily wrinkled.
The pulp of the mushroom is strong and white, but quickly takes on a dark color when exposed to air. Slightly sweet in smell and taste, often used for cooking second courses, very tasty in the form of pickles.
So, we have examined in detail several types of edible russula. What are their inedible relatives? Let's find out.
Mushrooms unsuitable or poisonous?
Before considering the differences between edible and inedible russula, it should be noted that there are practically no truly poisonous mushrooms of this family. If the plant is considered unfit for human consumption, it is only because it strongly irritates the mucous membranes of the stomach (thus causing pain and vomiting). An incident like this is not a classic case of mushroom poisoning.
What are the types of inedible russula?
Biliary
Most often this fungus grows in acidic soils, especially near beech, oak and spruce. Appears at the very end of June and grows until September.
The plant has a small hat (four to nine centimeters in diameter) with a straw yellow color and frequent light orange plates.
The hollow, club-shaped stem of the mushroom, three to seven centimeters long, also has a light yellow tint.
Russula pulp is white, unpleasantly bitter in taste and smell. Despite this, many use it in its s alty form after long boiling and soaking in several waters.
Corrosive Russula
This type of mushroom is also considered conditionally unsuitable for food. According to some foreign sources, it even has a certain dose of toxicity, which is due to the minimum proportion of the muscarine alkaloid found in the plant. However, mushroom pickers in our region sometimes use this russula in pickles (after thorough soaking and heat treatment).
Burning or emetic - two more names for the fungus, indicating its bitter and pungent taste, causing disturbances in the functioning of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract.
This russula has a small reddish hat (up to eight to nine centimeters in diameter) and a cylindrical pinkish leg (up to seven centimeters high).
Birch russula
This species is considered inedible or conditionally inedible due to its sharp, slightly bitter taste. After eating this mushroom, cases of low-dangerous poisoning were recorded.
This russula loves to settle in birch and spruce forests, swamps and other wetsurfaces. Grows from mid-June to November.
The mushroom cap is small (three to five centimeters in diameter), slightly depressed in the center, fleshy and easily brittle. The color of the surface is very variable: from burning red to bluish-pink.
Russula plates are also very fragile (due to their thinness and rarity).
Fragile light leg of the mushroom, soaking in rainy weather, often thins upwards. It is wrinkled on the outside and hollow on the inside.
Sardonyx russula
Considered inedible due to its bitter taste, raw can provoke various poisonings and disorders in the gastrointestinal tract.
This mushroom has a brown or red color with an obligatory purple tint. The diameter of the hat varies from four to ten centimeters.
Frequent, stalk-grown plants have a lemon, slightly greenish color, and the fusiform stalk may change color depending on the age of the individual specimen. At the very beginning, it can be white, and then darkens and becomes purple or purple.
Flesh, strong and yellow in appearance, has a rich pungent taste and a delicate fruity smell.
Sardonyx (or spicy) russula loves to settle near pine trees, creating a symbiotic association with the roots of this tree.
So, we got acquainted with many varieties of edible and inedible russula. Get to know them in detaildescription and place of growth, taste and nutritional properties, methods of preparation.
Now let's discuss some general rules on how to distinguish edible russula from unsuitable and poisonous.
Universal signs
Before picking this or that appetizing mushroom beauty, you should stop and carefully examine its appearance.
Inedible varieties are characterized by the following distinctive features:
- The end of the leg is colored pink.
- The cap plates are rough and hard.
- There is a film or “skirt” on the leg.
- The plant is not damaged by worms.
- The color of the hat often has a bright and rich red color.
If you still plucked a mushroom unfamiliar to you and doubt its nutritional qualities, take a closer look at it during the cooking process. During heat treatment, the flesh of inedible plants changes color, which can also occur when the cap or stem of the mushroom is fractured.
And yet, the signs listed above can also apply to edible russula.
What to do if food poisoning occurs
First of all, it should be remembered that eating any kind of russula does not pose a serious danger to the human body.
However, if poisoning occurs, some urgent and important actions should be taken. For example, it is recommended to immediately flush the stomach with artificially induced vomiting and diarrhea. After that, it is necessary to rinse the mouth area thoroughly and drink activated charcoal. The dosage of the drugmost likely you are familiar with: one or two tablets per ten kilograms of weight.
If unpleasant symptoms and pain continue, you should urgently consult a doctor.
And finally
As you can see, russula are very common and tasty mushrooms, rich in vitamins and minerals, growing next to the roots of such mighty trees as oaks, spruces, birches, pines, beeches and others.
However, unfortunately, not all of them are pleasant and he althy to taste. This article provided a lot of photos of edible and inedible russula. Such illustrations will serve as good informative and visual clues if you are going to the forest in search of unfamiliar mouth-watering mushrooms.
Have a nice and useful pastime!
