Russula

Russula in our country are deservedly considered one of the most numerous groups of mushrooms. However, not everyone understands that Russula is an edible mushroom or not? To shed light on this issue, let's look into this in more detail.

Why russula?

Russula very often found in our forests. They make up to 45 percent of the mass of all mushrooms. Russula mushrooms got their name for the reason that some varieties can be eaten raw. Russula, perhaps the most mysterious mushrooms. There are always many questions regarding them. And the most important of them: Russula mushroom - edible or not? It is worth noting that there are both inedible and edible specimens. Many people have the opinion that such mushrooms can not be poisonous, because the very name "Russula" suggests that they can be eaten raw. But it is not so. In nature, there are a variety of types of russula. Some of them can be eaten, while others - not.

Family russula

Russula is a lamellar mushroom of the russula family. They have prolific fleshy bodies. To recognize them in the forest is quite simple by the bright hats of multi-colored flowers, which in diameter can reach from 2 to 20 centimeters. Hats can have a bell-shaped, spherical and hemispherical shape. Inside the mushroom pulp is white. The russula hats are very fragile and break quickly, this reduces the economic importance of the fungus. As the hats grow, they change shape, can become straight, funnel-shaped, twisted. And spores can have any shade: from white to yellow.

Russula begin to appear in July. But mass growth is observed in August and September. So still, edible or not Russula mushroom? Most species of the family are edible. However, there are those species that are not suitable for food due to mild toxicity, unpleasant odor and taste. Of course, it is impossible to poison the russula like, for example, fly agaric, since they do not have so much poison. But you should be careful when picking mushrooms.

Russula can be fried and pickled. They are included in the third category of edible species of mushrooms, in which mushrooms are collected that have an average taste. Some experts attribute them even to an even lower category, believing that they have no nutritional value.

Where do russula grow?

Any novice mushroom picker is interested in the question, under which trees such mushrooms grow. Russula is often found under deciduous plants: oak, alder, birch, pine and spruce. This type of mushroom contains a considerable amount of useful substances, including vitamins. So, for example, in a kilogram of mushrooms there are 264 mg of vitamin B, as well as 6 mg of vitamin PP.

Some people think that it is better to use those russulas for food, in which the hats are colored green, blue or yellow, but it is better not to use mushrooms with red hats.

Types of Russula

Russula found in America, East Asia, Australia and Eurasia. As a rule, they grow in coniferous and deciduous forests. In total, about 275 species of such fungi are known. In our article we will consider only the most basic varieties. Sometimes differences between interspecific groups are so insignificant that a chemical analysis is necessary to accurately determine the variety. In nature, there are russula false and real.

The load is white or dry

White underload refers to edible varieties. It appears in mixed and coniferous forests from July to October. It can be easily identified by a white hat, which may have yellow patches, and slightly downy edges. The shape of the hat gradually changes from convex to funnel-shaped. Mushrooms have a short leg, narrowed downward, white or slightly brownish in color. What are they doing with russula? In cooking, this type is used to make soups, they are fried and pickled. However, it should be borne in mind that dry breast has a pungent taste.

Outwardly, the load is very similar to the load. Mushrooms have the same hats, sometimes it is almost impossible to distinguish them. Inveterate mushroom pickers with great pleasure collect such russula, as they grow crowded. As a rule, they hide under foliage, so they have to be dug up literally.

Using the similarity of mushrooms, sellers often give out loadings as real breasts. The difference between these mushrooms can only be seen by an experienced person. Loads at home are salted and pickled, but their plates are very caustic, so the pulp needs to be processed more carefully so that the dish tastes good.

Loads are a conditionally edible species of mushrooms. Despite the fact that they have a great taste. They can only be salted and pickled.

Yellow russula

Yellow russula grows in moist birch-pine and birch forests. You can collect them from July to October. At first, the mushroom has a hemispherical yellow hat, which gradually becomes straight, and then funnel-shaped. In diameter, it can reach 5-10 centimeters. A characteristic feature is the peeling off along the edge of the hat. The mushroom has old legs and plates, which eventually become gray or pale yellow. In the air, the pulp usually turns gray.

Yellow Russula is a mushroom (the description is given in the article), which belongs to the third category of so-called edible mushrooms. It has a pungent, but sweetish taste. Yellow russula is consumed salty and fresh. Such an inexperienced mushroom picker can easily be confused with an extremely poisonous fly agaric mushroom. To avoid such a misunderstanding, it is necessary to remember the main distinguishing feature. There are white flakes on the fly agaric hat, and a fringe with a greenish ring on the leg. Russula has no such signs.

Russula blue

Another variety of the family is Russula blue. They grow in coniferous forests. Mostly they are found in spruce forests. The most common blue russula in the Baltic States and the European part of Russia. You can collect them from August to September. A mushroom cap in diameter can reach 10 centimeters. At first it has a convex shape, and then over time it becomes flat, and in the center it is depressed. It is worth noting that the color of the cap may not be completely uniform. In the middle, as a rule, the color is more saturated, and at the edges it is lighter. The peel is very easy to peel off the hat. The leg of the mushroom is white, its height is 3-5 centimeters.

The pulp is quite strong and white, it has no smell. What mushrooms are russula blue? These are edible mushrooms, but according to taste, like other members of the family, they are assigned to the third category. However, in cooking, they have found widespread use. Mushrooms taste good. What to do with russula? Yes, anything - salt, fry, cook, stew and even eat fresh. They go well with vegetables. But salted mushrooms are generally a delicacy. Salty blue russula is quite combined with other varieties of mushrooms.

Russula blue is rich in vitamins PP and B2. Such mushrooms are very good for people with gastrointestinal ailments. In addition, russula reduces the risk of blood clots. Mushrooms are low-calorie, but at the same time very nutritious, therefore they quickly saturate the body. Russula well curdled milk, resulting in the formation of a delicious dairy product, which is recommended for people with cardiovascular diseases.

Other colored russula

Continuing the conversation about whether the russula is edible mushroom or not, it is worth recalling other colored varieties of this vast family, which belong to the conditionally edible species. Russula prefers to live in deciduous or coniferous forests. It can be identified by a yellow-green hat, the diameter of which is about 10 centimeters. Outwardly, the mushroom has a completely unattractive appearance, but it tastes very good. It is boiled, fried and salted.

Collect these mushrooms very carefully, because they can be confused with a pale grebe. The russula does not have a thickening at the base of the leg and ring on it.

Edible russula also belongs to edible species. The mushroom hat has a very attractive - red color with gray spots. Russula leg is white and even. You can pick mushrooms from July to the end of September. Food russula prefers forests - coniferous and deciduous.

The forked russula appears at the very end of summer or at the beginning of autumn. It grows in deciduous forests. The mushroom cap is colored dark green and dark brown. And the white leg has brown blotches at the very bottom.

Inedible Russula

As we have already mentioned, there are russula false and real. All the species we have given earlier are edible. Now it's time to talk about inedible. Literally, there are no poisonous russula in nature. Those species that have a pungent or burning aftertaste fell into the category of false. But among them, toxic and slightly poisonous species can be found. Such fungi can cause irritation of the oral mucosa or a very slight upset stomach or intestines. Outwardly, such members of the family are very similar to their edible counterparts. It is for this reason that they are called false.

Non-toxic inedible mushrooms include russula red, pink, caustic, fragile, Kele. Let's talk about them in more detail.

The red variety prefers to grow in pine forests. Such russules appear in late summer or early September. Their hats are not as large as those of other members of the family, in diameter they reach only six centimeters. Russula smell very nice, but at the same time have a very pungent taste. Their bright color always attracts people. Hats can sometimes fade, making the mushroom similar to other varieties.

Red Russula grows not only in Europe but also in North America. In addition, this species is also known in South America and Australia. As a rule, mushrooms grow in forests, but sometimes they can be found in open spaces, prefer sandy and acidic soils.

Pink mushroom

The Russula pink has a semicircular hat with a velvet and dry surface. In wet periods, mucus may appear on it. The pulp of the legs, although dense, is very fragile. Russula pink surprisingly knows how to change the shade of his hat from red to light pink. And the white leg, in turn, can turn pink. Such mushrooms are incredibly common in the forests of North America and Eurasia. Deciduous forests are most loved by russula, but they are also found in conifers.

To inedible russula include Kele mushroom. He has a small hat that changes shape at different stages of development. Its color varies from red to burgundy. A leg, as a rule, has a purple hue. The mushroom has a very pleasant smell, but it tastes spicy.

Russula brittle, for sure, is familiar to you. It is found in absolutely any forest, forming large groups. The mushroom has a flat hat with a reddish skin. Its flesh is fragile and sharp in taste.

Ginger

There is another group of russula mushrooms - camelina. True, it belongs to the Mlechnik family. In Russia, such a mushroom was called the "prince". It was believed that with its taste properties it is only slightly inferior to ceps. In those days, camelina grew in the forests a lot. Merchants bought mushrooms from people and sent them to distant lands, including France, where they were quite expensive.

A real camelina - spruce - at first has a round-convex hat with curved edges. Gradually, it straightens and can reach a diameter of 17 centimeters. The hat is painted in bright orange or yellow-pink. Sometimes there are greenish and blue mushrooms. The flesh of the hats is orange, but in the air it oxidizes incredibly quickly and is greener. But the mushroom juice is yellow and thick, sweet in taste. Large mushrooms are often damaged by worms, which adore this particular type of russula. The legs of saffron mushrooms are hollow and have a cylindrical shape, in length they grow to 9 centimeters. Outside, they can be covered with orange spots.

On the territory of Russia there are six varieties of camelina: spruce, real, red, fir or Japanese, alpine, pine. Fir trees have a bitter taste, and when harvested, they acquire a greenish tint. But a real camelina has a denser leg, and when harvesting, it retains its color well. And inexperienced mushroom pickers constantly confuse spruce mushrooms with pink throttles. You can distinguish these two mushrooms only by the color of the plates and juice.

Redheads grow in the Urals, in the European part of Russia, in the Far East and in Siberia. Mushrooms prefer sandy soil. They need to be found in coniferous forests under young pine trees, larch trees, in a pine forest or in spruce forests among fallen needles. In mixed forests, they hide under coniferous trees, on moss and in dense grass.

Despite the bright color, they are not so easy to find, they hide well from people. They pick mushrooms from early July to October. If frost has not hit, then you can go to the forest much later for them. Ginger - this is not just edible mushrooms, but also delicious. They contain vitamins A, B1, amino acids, potassium, calcium and phosphorus. Ginger is not poisonous at all, so they can be tasted raw. Mushrooms have a lot of positive qualities. To all mushrooms have medicinal properties. They contain a natural antibiotic that is effective in combating bacterial infections, including tuberculosis. Redheads are useful for strengthening joints, bones, hair and teeth. In addition, mushrooms are very dietary.