One of the representatives of the lactifers - the serushka mushroom (the official name is Lactarius flexuosus) - is found quite often in coniferous and mixed forests. It is considered conditionally edible, that is, it can be eaten after prolonged soaking and further processing. For this reason, the serushka mushroom is not very popular. It is collected last, when nothing else comes across to lovers of "quiet hunting".
The only advantage of this type of milkers is their early appearance. The first fruiting bodies ripen at the very beginning of summer, when the rest of the mushrooms are just about to be born. The serushka mushroom, the photo of which can be seen in the article, has earned its name for its strict color. All shades of gray are inherent in this species - from the lightest to dark lead and dark purple. You can meet an early specimen in coniferous forests and under birches, with them it forms mycorrhiza. Often found in aspen forests and deciduous groves. The only place where, perhaps, serushki do not grow is a pine forest. If you find a similar mushroom in a pine forest, then you should take a closer look at it, for sure it issome other kind.
Lactarius flexuosus grows in groups, sometimes forming large clusters. They love edges, edges of roads, groves, dry woods. A real serushka mushroom on the cut secretes milky juice, and in excess. Even drought and hot summers do not affect this feature.
The cap of the mushroom is at first slightly convex, then straight, and later becomes funnel-shaped, with a tubercle in the center. An attentive mushroom picker will surely notice concentric rings on a purple-gray hat. The pulp is white, dense, elastic, with caustic white juice, bitter in taste. Medium serushki (photo on the left) rarely grow more than 10 cm in diameter.
The leg is located in the center. The uneven edges of the cap sometimes cover it. The height of the fungus is only 4-8 cm. In young fruiting bodies, the stem is dense, later it becomes loose and contains a small cavity inside. The plates are rare, thick, of a yellowish tint, smoothly transitioning to the hat.
This species has no similar analogues. Therefore, having seen and recognized once Lactarius flexuosus, it is difficult to confuse it with other milkers. In addition, it is rarely affected by worms (unless the summer turned out to be dry). Parasites begin to gnaw on the leg, but rarely reach the cap.
The special bitter juice contained in the mushroom loses its pungent taste after prolonged processing. In terms of taste, the serushka mushroom is slightly inferior to the creakers, but surpasses the black mushroom. It is approximately on the same level as the waves, and these mushrooms look verylooks like.
Dense flesh has almost no special taste, but for a category 4 mushroom this is not necessary. To complement the mushroom platter, serushka is an ideal option. Due to the nutritious pulp and dense structure, the mushroom is used as a filler for cooking first and second courses.
Soaking in s alted water is carried out for several days, periodically changing the stained water to a new brine. Further processing methods are s alting, marinade, processing into caviar. You can also boil and fry serushki, but after boiling, the water is drained and the mushrooms are washed.
