Breast is one of the most massive Russian mushrooms. It grows over the entire area of the European part of the country, in Transbaikalia, in Siberia, in the Urals. Various varieties of breasts are most often found in spruce, birch, pine forests. An interesting feature is that these mushrooms hide under last year's fallen leaves, so finding them is not so simple. Almost all varieties of mushrooms grow in groups. You can “hunt” them from mid-summer to September.
These mushrooms are great for salting, preservation for the winter. All varieties of mushrooms are considered conditionally edible. In order to make them edible, some processing is required. As a rule, in order to remove the bitterness, the mushrooms are soaked. There are ten types of breasts. The following is a description of the five most common.
Real chest
This variety is considered to be one of the best in taste, although pre-treatment before eating is also required. Whatever the mushrooms, you still need to soak them. The cap of this mushroom is convex or flat, and closer to the center - funnel-shaped. Its edges are lowered and slightly brought inward. The diameter is 5-20 cm, the height of the legs is 5-7 cm. The peel on the hat has a milky white color, it is slimy to the touch. When damaged, the flesh gives off a rather caustic juice, which gradually becomes grayish. Under the hat are frequent yellowish plates.
Aspen subspecies
This variety of mushrooms is characterized by an interesting shape of a hat. At the edge, it is downward and slightly convex, but closer to the center, the bulge increases. The diameter of the hat is 8-12 cm, and the thickness is noticeably less than that of a real loader. The skin is sticky. It is white, slightly grayish in color, and even with pink spots. Leg height does not exceed 5 cm. In aspen subspecies, the plates are frequent and thin. The pulp secretes juice. In the air, he does not change his color.
Pepper breast
The hat has a diameter of 6-18 cm for this subspecies. Its skin is smooth, dull white. The edges of the cap are convex (wavy in old mushrooms), forming a funnel closer to the center. The leg of this breast is slightly thinner than the two previous species. Height - up to 8 cm. With incisions, the fungus secretes milky juice, which acquires a greenish tint in the air.
Bluish chest
The mushroom has a flat hat with the edges bent down. With age, it becomes funnel-shaped and can reach a diameter of 30 cm. The height of the legs is 1-4 cm. The skin is dry and smooth. Over time, creamy or yellowish spots appear on it. The pulp of this mushroom is very brittle. With damage, milky juice is secreted, which quickly coagulates in the air, acquiring a greenish or bluish tint.
Black breast
Different varieties of breasts are largely similar, but this subspecies is slightly more different from its relatives. Firstly, he has an olive-black skin on a hat (diameter up to 15 cm). Secondly, concentric circles can be seen on it, which is not characteristic of most subspecies. The edges of the cap are bent inward, then it becomes slightly convex, and forms a funnel closer to the center. On the inside there are frequent plates, white at the legs and yellowish closer to the edges. The pulp is quite dense, damaged areas darken. From breaks and cuts, a lot of milky juice is secreted. Leg is high - up to 8 cm.
