Among all the mushrooms that grow in our forests, pine camelina is one of the most delicious. This mushroom has been known for many years. Its orange color is the reason for such an interesting name. Moreover, this mushroom was almost never called by other "nicknames".
From pine camelina, housewives make a lot of delicious dishes. There are many variations on this theme. To properly collect this variety of mushrooms, you need to know its main signs and areas of its growth. On a walk in the forest, this knowledge will not interfere with any person.
Appearance
Ryzhik, the description of which can often be found in various sources, is characterized by the orange color of the hat. This is their calling card. If the saffron milk cap is young, its cap will be flat or slightly depressed. The older he gets, the more his upper part becomes like a funnel.
Hat diameter - 3-12 centimeters. Its surface is smooth. There are quite a few shades of pine camelina. These include orange (light or dark), rich copper and even green-bluish tones. Concentric circles, spots and stripes are visible.
Records underthe hat is also orange in color. Ginger pine has a resinous smell. Its top is fleshy. The juice is orange in color but may turn green when exposed to air. The leg can also be orange. It has notches and stripes.
Mushroom species
There are two forms of mushrooms in total. There are other varieties, but they are rarer. Pine, or upland, camelina is the most common type of this mushroom. The hat reaches 5-10 centimeters in diameter. Mushrooms prefer sandy loamy soil. Their color (even in cross section) is bright orange. Copper-red hues may also predominate. The cut does not lose this color for a long time.
The second variety of mushrooms presented are spruce mushrooms. They are slightly smaller than their pine counterparts (the hat reaches a size of 5-8 cm), but their appearance is also quite bright. True, blue or greenish shades may predominate in their color. This is especially true for the center of the hat.
The cut of the spruce camelina is also bright orange. But in the color of the legs and hats, more muted shades can be distinguished. Due to the small size of these mushrooms, they can be pickled even in a bottle with a narrow neck. Many housewives use this technique.
Rare varieties
Among the representatives of this group of mushrooms, there are also rarer mushrooms. Their description will be interesting to study mushroom pickers. Red saffron caps are slightly larger in diameter - 6-12 cm. It can have a color from orange-pink to dirty salmon. The cap has well-defined concentriccircles. The incision in the air acquires a wine-red hue. The pulp of the mushroom can be described as fragile, with a yellowish-white color. The mushroom does not have a pronounced smell.
Another fairly rare species is the milky red saffron milk cap. Its hat can reach from 3 to 10 cm. Its color is orange, but not bright. Zoning is expressed along the edges. The juice of the mushroom is characterized by an orange color. But from being in the air it becomes red or burgundy. The leg is broken. It is hollow in the middle. The smell of the camelina of this group is also neutral. Its flesh is fragile and orange in color.
Inedible double
The considered varieties are edible mushrooms. They are eaten, subjected to various processing technologies. But they can be confused with another mushroom. This is an amber milky. The characteristic coloration makes this almost impossible for experienced mushroom pickers, but those who do not often go to the forest should take note of this information.
Ryzhiki do not have poisonous twins. Therefore, it is quite possible to collect them even for inexperienced mushroom pickers. Amber milky has a reddish or yellowish-red color. Its difference can be easily established by cutting the mushroom. The juice will be watery. It dries quickly in the air. Juice tastes either sweet or bitter.
The difference is also in the smell. It looks like chicory or even a bouillon cube. Fresh milky amber is not eaten. But when dry, it can be used as a seasoning.
Where and when does the camelina grow
You also need to knowwhere and when pine mushrooms grow. They prefer shallow forest. From the name of the fungus it is clear that they prefer pine or spruce groves. They grow in groups. They can be large or small.
Saffron mushrooms appear in the middle of summer. Sometimes they can be found in the forest even in mid-June. But this is rather an exception. A large crop is harvested in August-September. In October, mushrooms can be found, but much less often.
This mushroom is not afraid of frost. In summer, saffron milk caps can be described as more watery. In autumn, when it starts to get colder, they become stronger. Mushroom pickers believe that it is during the cold period that mushrooms are the most delicious.
How to collect mushrooms?
Search for noble pine camelina should be in well-lit groves, along long ditches. Mushrooms are very well camouflaged, so finding them is not so easy. Bright coloring should not be misleading. Sometimes it is possible to determine that there are mushrooms here only by the crunch that is heard under the foot. They start growing under the moss. Therefore, at first only a small tubercle is visible. Many mushroom pickers simply step on them without seeing the bright hat.
If you look closely and find the coveted saffron milk cap, you need to pick it correctly. Can't be cut. This will damage the mycelium, and new individuals will not appear here. It will be right to just carefully pick the saffron milk cap. You can even unscrew it, and then sprinkle the place with needles or moss. Drying out is bad for the mycelium.
How to cook
Pine camelina is a delicacy mushroom. Its taste qualities have been appreciated for a long time. This mushroom can be pickled, fried, s alted or stewed. Mushrooms retain their bright colors even after processing.
In terms of their taste, they surpass even mushrooms. According to the description, they are somewhat reminiscent of russula. They can be eaten even after just a few hours of s alting, right in the forest.
If the hostess plans to fry mushrooms, only a few minutes are given to heat treatment. This presented species is significantly different from other mushrooms.
It is believed that the smaller the mushroom cap, the higher its selling price. Ryzhik is even exported to neighboring countries, to Europe. Some types of medicines are obtained from them.
After getting acquainted with such a mushroom as pine mushroom, everyone can go to the forest for it. The day off will leave a lot of positive impressions. You can prepare the harvested crop in various ways. This is a very tasty and he althy mushroom.
