What and why do mushrooms turn blue on the cut?

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:48

Mushroom pickers are a special people. They prefer the silence and loneliness of forest paths to stormy and fun fishing or hunting. Although, in terms of the degree of ability to concentrate, concentrate and wait, these hobbies are quite equivalent, because it is not for nothing that picking mushrooms is called “silent hunting.”

And in terms of patience, when ignorant people ask questions about this hobby, mushroom pickers are also masters. What are they most often asked about? It turns out that the leader among the questions about "silent hunting" is the following: "If the mushrooms turn blue on the cut, then they are poisonous?"

Looking for an answer

Let's find out the detailed answer to this question. As it turned out, the blue of the pulp is a sign of a variety of mushrooms. From ordinary boletus to the deadly satanic mushroom. And this phenomenon is not at all evidence of the presence of toxins in the pulp. Why do mushrooms turn blue in this case? This is due to air entering the pulp at the time of the break. Contained inin its tissues, substances are oxidized and, due to the reaction with oxygen, acquire a blue tint. And, as it turned out, very many representatives of the mushroom kingdom are subject to such a color change. Even very tasty and he althy.

Which mushrooms turn blue when cut?

Yes, very different! The leader in the azureness of the pulp is considered to be a mushroom with the speaking name bruise. In appearance, it is completely inconspicuous, has a grayish-brown hat with a diameter of about 15 centimeters. But if you press it on the surface, it will quickly turn blue. The bruise is suitable for food in dried and pickled form, although it can be found infrequently - it is listed in the Red Book.

Another rare species of bluing mushrooms is chestnut. Outwardly, it very much resembles a boletus in the shape and size of a hat. Therefore, if the porcini mushroom you found turns blue on the cut, you are mistaken, and this is a chestnut or, maybe, a Polish mushroom. There are differences between them - if the first one turns blue when pressed on the leg or if the pulp is damaged quite slightly, then the Polish one turns bright blue pigment. In addition to them, two types of boletus also stain their legs with azure: reddish and Frost's boletus.

Often confused with white dangerous satanic mushrooms. They, by the way, also fit into the category that we list. Satanic mushrooms turn blue on the cut, but very slightly. And before that, when cracked, they tend to turn pink first, like many other poisonous representatives of the Berendey kingdom.

And here are others, well knownmost of the names of mushrooms belong to completely edible and very tasty species. For example, boletus and boletus turn blue on the cut. Some types of oaks and mossinesses also have azure pulp.

Conclusion

Thus, we see that the most diverse mushrooms turn blue on the cut. However, it is worth noting that of the poisonous species, only satanic has such an ability. Therefore, if you find a fungus in the forest with a bluish tint of a hat on a break or legs, you can most likely eat it. And in order not to confuse it with a satanic mushroom, it is worth remembering that the poisonous hat most often has a dome, but the spores are red or orange, like the characteristic mesh on the stem.