What is a scaly tinder fungus? What properties does the mushroom have? What does it look like and where does it grow? Edible or not a scaly tinder? All this will be discussed in our publication.
Appearance
The scaly fungus, a photo of which is presented in our material, can be recognized by the following external signs:
- Hat - has the form, remotely resembling a plate with a slightly concave inward middle. In some cases, it can reach a diameter of 30 cm or more. Young representatives of the species often have a kidney-shaped hat. The surface here is covered with scales of a brownish or yellow hue.
- Leg - at the tinder fungus of scaly, it has a dense structure, impressive thickness and can have a length of up to 10 cm. The lower part is dark in color. Closer to the hat, the leg is lighter.
- Pulp - in old mushrooms, it resembles a cork tree in structure. Young scaly polypants have a juicy and fairly supple flesh with a pleasant, somewhat floury smell.
Habitat
The scaly tinder fungus described above is widespread in the deciduous forests of Europe and North America. In domestic latitudes you can meet him in the Crimea, Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories. A scaly tinder fungus also grows in the Caucasus, in the eastern part of Siberia, in Kamchatka and the Far East.
You can see such a mushroom not only in the forests, but also in park areas. He prefers trunks of old, weakened trees. On conifers rarely grows, preferring beech, maple and elm. Often, the fungus forms small colonies.
By its nature, a scaly tinder fungus acts as a parasite, which absorbs nutrients from wood tissue. Even after the death of the "owner", he continues to live on the trunk for years. Among other things, tinder fungi contribute to the infection of trees with all kinds of diseases, in particular, they often cause the spread of rot.
Healing properties
Scaly tinder is not officially used for the manufacture of pharmacological preparations. The product is widely used in traditional medicine. It is believed that the use of tinder fungus helps to absorb into its pulp and the speedy removal of toxic substances from the body. The people often resort to such a decision when poisoning with heavy metals and poisons. For centuries, powders have been made from scaly tinder fungi, which are used in the treatment of fungal infections.
Such mushrooms contain a whole mass of resinous components in the structure. The latter are able to support the body in the treatment of tuberculosis, liver ailments. At one time, Japanese healers became interested in such properties. It was their experience with the use of the fungus that proved that the use of a scaly tinder fungus promotes the active secretion of enzymes by the liver cells that break down fats. Therefore, such a product is often advised to use for weight loss.
Related species
There are several varieties of mushrooms related to the scaly tinder fungus:
- The tuberous tinder fungus is an inedible mushroom. Most often grows at the roots of trees. It has a fan-shaped shape of a hat and a solid cork structure. It can have a variety of colors, starting with a dark brown and ending with an orange tint.
- Cellular tinder fungus - acts as an edible relative of a scaly look. Usually it has an oval hat of yellow, orange or reddish hue. The surface of the cap is densely covered with small dark indentations. It has a very short smooth leg. The pulp is extremely hard, almost tasteless and does not have a pronounced aroma.
Degree of edibility
The mushroom is a tinder fungus scaly, a photo of which can be seen in our publication, belongs to the category of conditionally edible products. Only young samples with delicate pulp, whose structure has not yet begun to stiffen, are suitable for consumption. Determine the suitability of the tinder as food as follows. To do this, break off a piece of the edge of the cap. If the sample breaks up easily, then the mushroom can be collected.
Such a product is often used to create all kinds of marinades and pickles, boiled and fried. From a scaly tinder fungus it is most expedient to prepare forcemeat. For these purposes, the prepared pulp is passed through a blender or a meat grinder. Use the resulting product in the preparation of salads, cabbage rolls, pilaf, cutlets. The tinder fungus gives such dishes an extraordinary taste and aroma.
When do you need to collect tinder fungus?
Going on a “hunt” for a scaly tinder fungus is recommended in mid-May, when moderately humid and warm weather is observed. In fact, fungal colonies thrive throughout the summer. However, during this period, the structure of the tinder fungus becomes rough and practically unsuitable for consumption. The fungus develops extremely quickly. For this reason, you need to have time to collect young samples, going to the forest as early as possible.
Preparation for use
After assembly, the fungus, the tinder fungus scaly quickly acquires an extremely solid structure. Therefore, it is extremely important to soak its flesh in a timely manner. Put the mushroom in water for about 5-6 hours. In this case, it is necessary to periodically drain the liquid and fill in a new container.
As soon as the tinder funnel is wet, they resort to cleaning its upper skin. Having removed the scales from the hat, they cut off the legs. The latter are most often thrown away, since they are rather tough.
In order not to be poisoned by such mushrooms, they are boiled several times, previously cut into small parts. To remove toxic substances from the structure, boiling the product for an hour is sufficient. Further in our publication, we will consider several recipes for cooking using a scaly tinder.
Pepper stuffed with tinder
As noted above, minced meat can be prepared from tinder. To do this, pre-soaked and boiled mushrooms are carefully crushed together with carrots and onions. Boiled rice is added to the composition. Minced meat seasoned with spices and salt.
Cores, stalks are removed from peppers and seeds are removed. Vegetables are stuffed with minced meat based on tinder, and then stewed over low heat in a deep bowl. You can add tomato juice or chopped tomatoes to the liquid.
Tinder soup
Finely chopped tartar boil thoroughly in a saucepan. Potatoes, onions, carrots and spices are added here. You can use any cereal for your soup, at your own request. A few minutes before removing the dish from the fire, greens are added to it in the form of chopped feathers of green onions, parsley or dill.
Fried tinder
To begin with, cut onions into rings and fry in vegetable oil until a light golden crust appears. A previously boiled tinder fungus is thrown here. Fry the mushrooms for about 15 minutes. The ingredients are mixed occasionally. At the end are added spices and salt to taste.
