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Why do birch trees turn pink. Boletus mushrooms: varieties, benefits, how they look

Kira Stoletova

If put in time silent hunting"an inedible or poisonous mushroom in a basket, then you can endanger your health and spoil the harvest. One of these species is the false boletus.

Description of this boletus

Boletus belongs to category 2 nutritional value edible mushrooms and belong to the genus Leccinum or Obabok of the Boletaceae family. There are about 40 species of such mushrooms in the world. The most common of them are: common boletus, n. gray or hornbeam, n. blackening or chess, n. black, n. marsh, n. multi-colored, n. harsh and n. pinking. Their main difference is the place of growth and the color of the hats.

This inhabitant of birch groves has a hemispherical hat, which becomes pillow-shaped with age. Its diameter ranges from 15-18 cm. The surface of the cap in rainy weather is covered with mucus, in dry weather it has a smooth and velvety structure. pulp white color and dense consistency, darkens when cut. As it ages, it becomes loose and watery, which worsens the food and taste characteristics.

Its leg is long - up to 15 cm, cylindrical in shape, up to 3 cm in diameter. Its surface is covered with grayish scales along its entire length, outwardly resembling a birch trunk. In the old fruiting body, it is hard and fibrous, in the young it is fleshy and dense. The color of the spore powder is olive-brown.

The mushroom grows in deciduous forests, preferring light and spacious birch forests, edges of clearings, paths and slopes of ravines. Mostly found singly or in small groups. The fruiting period is from early June to late October. During the day, the fruiting body grows by 4 cm, ripens in 6 days. Then it quickly ages and is affected by pests.

This mushroom is considered tasty and healthy. It is easy to prepare and does not require special processing. Its only drawback is that it darkens almost to black with any type of processing, although this does not affect its taste in any way. It is added to soups, side dishes, used for filling pies. It is good in salted and pickled form.

Differences inedible mushroom

The boletus is false, or the gall fungus looks like a representative edible type. That is why it is often confused with obabok or white fungus if a person does not know their main differences. False boletus is considered inedible, and when consumed in large quantities causes food poisoning.

The main differences that make it possible to identify an inedible gall fungus include the following features:

  1. Hat: in the gall fungus it has a velvety surface, in a real boletus it will be smooth and shiny. Bright poisonous brown or fiery red color makes it noticeable in the forest.
  2. Dimensions: the inedible mushroom is more massive, the stem has a tuberous shape and a thickening at the bottom, like a fly agaric.
  3. Leg: a real boletus is outwardly similar to a birch trunk (due to the presence of dark scales), in a bile one it has red-brown bloody streaks.
  4. Hymenophore: the bottom of the cap of the false organism has a pale pink hue at a young age, aging, acquires a dirty color. A real boletus on the back of the cap is white with a creamy tint.
  5. Discoloration when damaged: real boletus does not change color, while its counterpart darkens, especially at the base of the stem.
  6. Taste: the gall fungus has a specific taste, it is bitter, causes burning, therefore it is rarely affected by worms and insects, and in medicine, choleretic preparations are prepared on its basis.

False boletus is considered relatively safe, unlike poisonous pale grebe or fly agaric. Before putting a mushroom in a basket that raises doubts about its edibility, it is worth breaking off a small part from it and licking it to make sure there is no bitterness.

Just a few pieces of gall fungus in a dish can spoil its taste with their bitterness and cause indigestion.

Symptoms of poisoning and first aid

False boletus cannot be eaten because of bitterness and, therefore, they cannot be poisoned. However, for some people, especially children and those with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, liver and gallbladder, a small dose is enough to intoxicate the body. Therefore, after eating dishes with mushrooms, one cannot ignore the deterioration in well-being.

Signs of poisoning are as follows: nausea, dizziness, pain in the stomach and upset stool. In this case, drugs that absorb toxins in the intestines will help: activated charcoal, enterosgel, phosphalugel and others.

Irina Selyutina (Biologist):

Mushroom poisoning is always severe, they require the mandatory intervention of a doctor. Therefore, before the ambulance arrives, you need to:

  • Clear the victim's stomach, i.e. induce vomiting to remove large pieces of mushrooms:
  1. using a weak solution of potassium permanganate, mustard powder (1 tsp per glass of water) or table salt (1 tbsp per glass of warm water).
  2. drinking plenty of cool water, followed by finger pressure on the root of the tongue.
  • After gastric lavage, give activated charcoal at the rate of 1-2 tablets per 1 kg of body weight or other sorbents.
  • Put the victim to bed and give plenty of fluids ( cold water, cold strong tea or coffee, honey and milk).
  • Put heating pads on the stomach and legs of the patient.

Attention! It is strictly forbidden to give alcohol, because alcohol facilitates the absorption of mushroom poisons into the circulatory system.

If, after taking sorbents, the symptoms do not disappear, but intensify (there is an increase in body temperature, fainting and signs of dehydration), it is necessary to contact the doctor as soon as possible. medical institution seek medical attention to rule out poisoning by more poisonous species. You need to take with you the mushroom dish that, in your opinion, caused a deterioration in well-being (this will facilitate laboratory studies to determine toxins).

False and real boletus

Grabovik - a bluing twin of a boletus, an excellent edible mushroom GRABOVIK Leccinum carpini

Gorchak is the inedible counterpart of Bely.

Conclusion

False boletus is an unpleasant double of an edible species that can cause severe poisoning. Knowing the description of its external structure and features will not allow you to spoil the harvest of mushrooms you have harvested.

Collecting mushrooms is an extremely exciting activity, but at the same time not easy. A novice (and sometimes experienced) mushroom picker is waiting in the forest for unexpected difficulties, and sometimes dangers, the main of which may be a meeting with poisonous mushrooms. Today we will tell you about the boletus. Perhaps someone does not know that this edible mushroom has a double - this is a false boletus.

Boletus "common"

Today there are more than 40 varieties of boletus. In our country, the following types are most often found:

  • "ordinary";
  • "grey";
  • "harsh";
  • "rosy";
  • "colorful".

All these species settle in close proximity to birch, but many mushrooms feel great next to poplar or aspen. Most often, they take root in places well warmed by the sun, but the soil should always remain slightly moist.

The common boletus has a red-brown cap with a slightly slimy, smooth surface. In dry and hot weather, it shines. In young mushrooms, it is in the form of a convex hemisphere. Mature mushrooms are covered with a pillow-shaped hat. It reaches 15 cm in diameter. The pores under the cap of young mushrooms are painted in cream shades, in mature ones they are grayish. The stem of the mushroom sometimes reaches 17 cm in height and about four centimeters in diameter, cylindrical in shape, expanding towards the bottom. The leg is covered with brownish scales. The flesh is pure white, without any specific smell.

Boletus "black"

This variety is distinguished by a dark brown, and sometimes black color of the cap and a dense leg, which is covered with small black scales. "Black" boletus is most often found in damp, wetlands.

Boletus "rosy"

This mushroom has an ocher cap, off-white stem covered with darker scales, and dense flesh that turns pink when cut.

Boletus "marsh"

It has a whitish-cream, sometimes with a bluish or greenish tint, a hemisphere-shaped hat, a thin gray leg covered with whitish scales, and watery flesh.

These types of boletus belong to category II edible mushrooms. They are well kept. When dried, they become almost black, which does not affect their taste. These mushrooms are usually fried, boiled or pickled.

Edible boletus contains about 35% protein, which are enriched with various amino acids. They contain a huge amount of vitamin PP and other micro and macro elements.

What does a false boletus look like?

A mushroom, outwardly very reminiscent of a boletus, can often be found in forests in various regions of our country. Today, many manuals for mushroom pickers are published, in which you can find a description of the gall fungus (aka false boletus). His photo shows a striking resemblance to an edible mushroom. Therefore, it is quite difficult to recognize it. It grows mainly on loamy soils and sandstones, covered with a thick layer of fallen needles.

We have already mentioned that the false boletus has a second name - bile. This is due to the fact that its pulp is unusually bitter in taste. The false boletus has a leg gray with a mountain ash, the same color and shape of the cap as that of an edible mushroom, which successfully imitates a true boletus. A small piece of this “double” is enough to spoil the taste of real boletus pans with bitterness. It will be impossible to eat such a treat. After cooking, the already very bitter and unpleasant taste becomes more pronounced.

And yet it is possible to identify the deceiver. The method is quite simple, somewhat unpleasant, but very effective. If you have doubts about a picked mushroom, touch its tubular surface with the tip of your tongue. This does not threaten poisoning, and a feeling of bitterness will be an occasion to throw such a find away.

We want to warn you right away that doctors do not recommend this method of testing. They claim that after a while the mushroom picker will have slight dizziness, and direct contact with the skin will allow toxins to enter the internal organs. Therefore, you need to learn to visually determine the double.

False boletus: signs

Almost every edible mushroom has poisonous counterparts. The boletus is no exception. Beginning mushroom pickers are often interested in what signs a false boletus can give out.

To begin with, carefully examine the find: because of the terrible bitterness, even insects and worms do not eat false boletus. Therefore, if the mushroom does not have the slightest speck, this should alert you.

The false boletus, the photo of which you can see in our article, has a hat with a velvety surface, while the real boletus has an absolutely smooth surface. Although the place where the mushroom grows can change its appearance, color and texture - they can become dry and smooth, a little velvety or wet, even in hot and dry weather. Wet caps of mature false mushrooms lose their shape when touched.

This boletus has a thin leg or slightly thickened towards the bottom. His hat is no more than 18 cm in diameter. The false mushroom is most often massive, does not have veins in the form of tubules. At a more mature age, a tuberous leg appears in him, then the hat straightens out and takes the form of a saucer.

The gall fungus often grows in places unusual for boletus: in oak groves or deciduous forests, near rotten stumps and in ditches.

In a real boletus, spots are clearly visible on the leg, resembling a pattern on a birch trunk. If it is missing, discard your find. On the leg of the false boletus, you can see veins resembling thin blood vessels.

False boletus has a reddish-greenish or bright brown hat. If you find a green color on it, it is strictly forbidden to eat such a mushroom. An edible boletus cannot have these colors. pay attention to lower part hats. In the gall fungus, it is pinkish in color, while in the edible mushroom it is pure white.

Poisoning

Among experienced mushroom pickers, there is an opinion that because of the incredible bitterness, they do not eat false boletus. Poisoning by this fungus has not been proven by scientists. Rather, they cannot come to a consensus. Some experts argue that the bitterness of the false boletus is not dangerous to humans. Others are sure that its pulp contains toxins that can be absorbed into the bloodstream even when touched by the mushroom. After that, they gradually penetrate into the internal organs, destroying them.

Therefore, going on a quiet hunt, study edible mushrooms and their counterparts well. To avoid unpleasant consequences, do not pick mushrooms that cause you the slightest suspicion.

Spongy mushrooms are considered the most delicious; it is they who most often turn out to be the main target of quiet hunting. Among the especially valuable representatives of the third kingdom, such a mushroom as the common boletus stands out. According to its nutritional qualities, it is equal to white, has a pleasant "mushroom" taste and aroma. Each mushroom picker must know exactly what a boletus looks like, so as not to confuse it with an inedible double.

Let us consider in more detail the description of the common boletus, which belongs to spongy mushrooms.

Common boletus (Leccinum scabrum) - belongs to the class Agaricomycetes, the family Boletaceae. Other common names: birch, blackhead, obabok, common obabok.

  • The hat is always convex (at first hemispherical, then cushion-shaped), medium in size (from 6 to 15 cm in diameter), from gray-brown to brown, the color is even. The skin is smooth, silky, slightly hanging over the edge of the cap.
  • Hymenophore. The tubules are light, then gray, easily separated from the cap.
  • The stem is white to grey, club-shaped in young specimens, then cylindrical with a thickening at the base. Elongated (in height from 10 to 20 cm), not massive (diameter from 1 to 3 cm), with a clear pattern on the entire surface (gray, brown, sometimes black scales).
  • The flesh is whitish, does not change color on the cut; looser in the cap, dense and fibrous in the stem. Has a pleasant smell.

All members of the boletus group are edible.

Species diversity and description

Boletus is the collective name for a number of fungi of the genus Leccinum (Lekcinum). Excellent growing conditions have led to the fact that the species of boletus have minor external differences. It is important to know what this or that boletus looks like in order to be able to distinguish it from other mushrooms.

Swamp (Leccinum holopus)

Boletus marsh, or white, got its name from the place of growth. This mushroom differs markedly from other boletus mushrooms. The cap is on average from 3 to 10 cm in diameter, but can reach 16 cm. The convex, pillow-shaped shape is characteristic only of young mushrooms; with age it becomes flat. The surface is smooth, sometimes wrinkled. The hat is painted in a color uncharacteristic for this group: whitish-cream or grayish with a bluish or greenish tint.

The leg is thin (1-3 cm), elongated (from 5 to 15 cm), whitish or grayish in color, covered with scales of the same color. Scales turn brown only after aging, drying of the fungus; it is better not to collect such specimens.

The tubular layer is white at first, then a dirty grayish color. The pulp is watery, white with a slight greenish tint; denser in the stem, at the base its color becomes bluish-greenish. Does not change color when exposed to air.

Harsh (Leccinum duriusculum)

The hat is rarely more than 15 cm. The shape is hemispherical, later - pillow-shaped, convex. In young mushrooms, the skin is silky, even pubescent, then becomes smooth; in rainy weather becomes slimy. Depending on the conditions, the color can vary from light gray-brown, sometimes with a violet tint, to brownish-red or ocher-brown.

Tubes are light, cream, then yellowish or grayish. When pressed, olive-brown marks remain.

The leg is cylindrical, rarely pointed at the base; covered with brownish scales that form a reticulate pattern. It is unevenly colored: creamy above, brownish below. The flesh in the cap is dense, white, reddens at the cut point. In the leg it is denser, harsh; yellowish-green at the base, lighter above. The smell is weak.

Gray (hornbeam) (Leccinum carpini)

This mushroom is most similar to the common boletus. The cap is hemispherical, eventually cushion-shaped, up to 8 cm in diameter, rarely up to 14 cm; in young specimens, the edge is bent, straightens with age. The surface is dry, velvety, slightly grainy; painted in brownish-gray tones. In rainy weather, the color darkens to olive brown.

The leg is cylindrical, rather thin (up to 4 cm), long (from 5 to 13 cm); in the lower part it has a club-shaped thickening. The color is uneven: at first brownish, closer to the hat is grayish. Its entire surface is covered with whitish scales, which turn yellow over time, then acquire a dark brown hue.

The tubular layer is watery, freely separated from the pulp, whitish or sandy-gray in color; a notch is visible in the area of ​​contact with the leg. The flesh is white: soft in the cap and fibrous in the stalk, in old mushrooms it becomes harsh. In the air it changes color first to pinkish-violet, then darkens almost to black.

Black (Leccinum scabrum)

The black boletus has a small (5-9 cm) dark brown or almost black hat. The skin cracks with age, partially exposing the flesh. The leg is proportionate, cylindrical, white, covered with small dark scales. Tubules are brownish-gray. The flesh is white, darkens at the break.

Rosy (Leccinum roseofractum)

The pinking boletus has a convex, cushion-shaped hat of medium size (up to 15 cm) with age. The skin is gray-brown, pinkish-brown, may be darker, up to dark brown; dry.

The stalk is thin, long, cylindrical, with a thickening at the base in young specimens; sometimes curved, white with brownish scales, which become almost black with age. The tubular layer is light, becoming dirty gray with age. The pulp is dense. On the cut, this boletus turns pink.

Spreading

The boletus mushroom is widely distributed. It can be found in Europe, and in Asia, and in America; successfully this representative of the third kingdom mastered even the climate of the tundra. Prefers light mixed or deciduous forests with the obligatory presence of birches. Forms mycorrhiza with birches, and selects young trees. It grows especially well in mixed coniferous forests with young birch forests.

Fruiting begins in July and lasts until late autumn. If the summer is not too dry, single specimens can be found already at the end of June. A characteristic feature of boletus is a massive, industrial return.

Fruiting bodies germinate together, filling large areas; the intensity of germination after the first harvest does not fall. At the same time, the fungus can completely disappear for a long time and for no apparent reason, and after a "break" return with the same industrial volume.

Where to look and how to collect

If you set out to find boletus, examine young birch forests or areas interspersed with birches. You can ignore dark, overgrown places - boletus trees are demanding on light. Despite this, only single specimens are found on the edges. Massively, the boletus grows only in well-lit glades in the depths of the forest.

Young fruiting bodies can hide under a layer of litter, forming a "bump" known to all mushroom pickers. The search is greatly facilitated by an even long stick, with the help of which the litter is moved apart in “suspicious” places. The mushroom can be cut or twisted. There is no unequivocal opinion, but experienced mushroom pickers advise carefully cutting off the leg so as not to damage the mycelium. In boletus at a certain age, the tubular layer darkens and becomes loose; the pulp remains firm for some time. If you find such a mushroom, separate the hymenophore and leave it in the forest: the spores that have matured in it will give rise to new myceliums.

Mushrooms doppelgangers

The common boletus has several twins. The most dangerous of them is gall fungus. It refers to inedible mushrooms and can cause food poisoning. You can distinguish false boletus by the following features:

  • the size of the cap and stem is larger, the mushroom produces a feeling of massive;
  • the leg is painted in distinct pinkish or reddish tones;
  • on the leg there is a mesh pattern resembling a vascular network;
  • hymenophore grey-pinkish;
  • the flesh at the cut site turns pink;
  • all mushrooms, even old ones, have no traces of insect damage;
  • the fungus grows in a ditch, near a stump, in other shaded places.

Another mushroom similar to the boletus is the boletus. This mushroom belongs to the same genus, is edible, processed and prepared using a similar technology. Boletus can form mycorrhiza with various conifers and deciduous trees, including birch, so it can be found in birch forests, like boletus.

The hat is brown, but if the boletus has grayish shades mixed with the main color, then the boletus has reddish, orange-yellow. But this sign is rather conditional. So, marsh boletus (Leccinum holopus) and white boletus (Leccinum percandidum) are painted in the same white-cream colors. They are similar, but they are very different from other representatives of their groups. The leg of the boletus is thicker, a characteristic bluish color appears on the cut. The pulp of the boletus is denser, so they are valued even more. During heat treatment, it does not fall apart, it becomes crispy. Most mushroom pickers, however, do not strive for an exact definition: spongy mushrooms are mostly edible and have high nutritional qualities, so they take "everything in a row."

Primary processing and preparation

After collecting the boletus, you need to start processing as soon as possible (no longer than after 12 hours). Unpeeled, these mushrooms quickly deteriorate. If they grew on a moss-covered area, it is enough to rinse and clean the hat and base of the leg from foreign particles. If the mushrooms were collected on sandy soils, they are washed several times; it is better to scrape the surface with a knife.

Then the fruiting body is cut, the places of the cuts are carefully examined for passages left over from the worms. If there are any, the damaged areas are cut off. Too damaged mushrooms are best thrown away. In old mushrooms, the tubular layer is removed.

After cleaning, the mushrooms are boiled in two waters. In the first - to get rid of debris that could not be reached during cleaning. When the water boils, the mushrooms will release a lot of foam, a slotted spoon should be at hand. Remove the foam, pour the contents of the pan into a colander. Transfer mushrooms to a clean saucepan, pour clean water, salt and boil for 20 minutes. Boiled mushrooms are thrown into a colander and cooled. In this form, they can be left for a short time (no more than 2 days) in the refrigerator. If you need to keep boiled mushrooms longer, put them in the freezer. Raw boletus cannot be frozen - the process of protein destruction does not stop at low temperatures.

Further preparation of common boletus depends on taste preferences. They can be pickled, salted, used to make soups, fried.

Nutritional qualities. Benefit and harm

Boletus mushrooms belong to the second category of nutritional value. This is a delicious food product. Each 100 grams of pulp contains only 31 kcal. At the same time, the composition contains a significant amount of vitamins (B, PP, E, C) and minerals; proteins, including leucine, tyrosine, and glutamine. The fibrous pulp acts like a "brush", cleansing the intestines of toxins.

If you are trying boletus for the first time, start with small portions. In rare cases, it can cause idiosyncrasy. Like any mushroom, it belongs to heavy foods - a single serving should be moderate. No cases of poisoning by this fungus have been recorded.

Boletus is a pleasant-tasting mushroom that is easily recognizable by its typical appearance. The tendency to mass fruiting has made him a favorite of all mushroom pickers. Despite the fact that it does not appear every year, they are waiting for the boletus, fearing to miss the peak of the harvest. When collecting, you need to carefully look at each instance so as not to be confused with an inedible gall mushroom.

One of the popular objects of "silent hunting" - boletus mushroom, as its name implies, prefers to grow under birch trees, so it can most often be found in white-trunked groves.

But often such mushrooms grow in mixed forests.

Let's find out what a boletus looks like and see a photo of this handsome forest.

Boletus: description

An edible representative of cap spongy mushrooms, common boletus, belongs to the genus Obabok of the Boletov family. Meet the boletus in the forests middle lane it is possible from the second half of June to the end of October in damp deciduous forests.

Interesting fact! In the tundra, the fungus prefers to grow next to dwarf birches and is called birch.

In numerous photos you can see the following characteristics common boletus (namely, this is how the well-known mushroom is called in science):

Hat

Leg

pulp

  • It has no pronounced taste or aroma.
  • From false poisonous mushrooms can be distinguished due to the uniform color: at the places of the cut or break, the color of the leg does not turn red, but may slightly blacken.

Knowing this description of the mushroom will help the novice mushroom picker not make a fatal mistake and not bring a whole basket of poisonous mushrooms into the house.

Boletus: Wikipedia

The most popular online encyclopedia contains an article on this wonderful mushroom. Here you can see his photo, as well as find out general description, the most popular varieties, how to recognize a mushroom and where to find it.

The composition of the boletus is very valuable, since it includes a whole arsenal of vitamins: B, D, C, E, P. P. This mushroom also contains manganese, calcium and phosphorus - trace elements necessary for the human body.

This delicious mushroom has several varieties with slight differences in description. Consider them:

In total, the boletus has about 40 varieties, but not every one of them can be found in Russian forests.

Most of the described varieties are good in cooking, have amazing taste and are very nutritious.

false mushroom

It is very important to be able, according to the description and appearance of the fungus, to distinguish it from its counterpart, the gall fungus, otherwise - bitterness. It is not poisonous, but has a very unpleasant taste, so one such specimen, once in a dish, will nullify all your efforts. What are its features?

  • Leg. Similar in color to boletus. But it’s worth taking a closer look: in an edible mushroom, the scales resemble a pattern on a birch trunk, but in a false one, they are located in a completely different way. And the prominent veins on the leg are similar in location to the capillaries of the human leg.
  • Hat. In a false mushroom, the shade itself will be different than that of an edible one: the bile inhabitant of the forest has a characteristic greenish or brick hue. When broken, his hat turns pink.

Knowing these features will help you not to make a mistake and not bring home a gall fungus.

Boletus mushrooms: how to cook

Mushroom pickers are sure that in terms of their taste characteristics, obabki are second only to the true monarchs of the forest - porcini mushrooms. Therefore, they are safely used in a huge number of recipes: fried, marinated, salted, added to salads and soups. Pies stuffed with these fragrant mushrooms are very tasty, and for the winter, boletus can be dried or frozen. Some housewives first fry the mushrooms with onions, and only then freeze them.

Such dishes from boletus are delicious:

  • fried mushrooms with sour cream and herbs;
  • julienne;
  • stew;
  • gourmet soup.

Advice! If you picked mushrooms in the immediate vicinity of the road or bought from an unverified seller, it is best to boil them in lightly salted water for at least 40 minutes before cooking.

Mushroom boletus




Secrets for mushroom pickers

Boletus is considered to be one of the most delicious representatives of the kingdom of mushrooms. The possibilities of using them in cooking are truly endless, the resulting dishes come out fragrant and nutritious, perfectly satisfy hunger and become real decorations for any table.

Boletus boletus (Leccinum) is an edible mushroom that belongs to the genus Leccinum (butterflies), the Boletaceae family. The name of the fungus comes from its growth near birch roots. All members of the family are edible, differing very slightly in taste.

Boletus - description

The appearance of all mushrooms of this species, numbering more than 40 varieties, is similar to each other. The color of the cap may be white in young mushrooms and become dark brown with age. Mushroom boletus grows both singly and forming small groups. The cap of the boletus has the appearance of a hemisphere, turning into a pillow-shaped one as it ages. With high humidity, it becomes sticky and covered with mucus. The pulp is white, dense, slightly darkening on the cut. In adulthood, it becomes loose and watery. The diameter of the cap of an adult mushroom can reach 18 cm.

The leg of the boletus is cylindrical in shape, gray or white, can be up to 15 cm long and up to 3 cm in diameter. The surface of the leg is covered with longitudinally arranged dark gray scales. As it ages, its fleshy flesh becomes tough and fibrous. Spore powder has an olive-brown hue.

Boletus mushrooms have a rapid growth rate - they can rise by 4 cm per day, fully ripening by day 6. After that, a period of aging begins: soon the body of the fungus becomes a "canteen" for worms.

Types of boletus

The division of boletus into species is carried out according to the criteria appearance and places of growth. Types of boletus:

  • common boletus
  • black boletus
  • tundra boletus
  • marsh, white boletus
  • pinkish, oxidized boletus
  • gray boletus, hornbeam
  • harsh boletus
  • chess, or blackening boletus
  • ash gray boletus
  • colorful boletus

About 9 species are found on the territory of Russia, among which the most common are common boletus and hornbeam. There are other nicknames among the people: obabok, birch, grandmother, etc.

The most common. Due to its excellent taste, it is deservedly considered very valuable in terms of cooking. The cap of the common boletus has a uniform brown or reddish color (depending on the place of growth), the leg is dense, massive, thickened below, with grayish scales.

quite often found on excessively moist soils. The cap of the mushroom has a color of light gray or light brown tones, the leg is thin, the pulp of the mushroom is friable, but has an excellent taste.

The color of the mushroom cap varies from grayish and brown to purple. In young species it is often covered with scales, in older species it becomes smooth. The stem is cylindrical, creamy at the bottom and almost white at the cap. The pulp of the mushroom is slightly sweet, darkens when pressed and has a rich mushroom smell.

has a grayish, orange, pinkish or light brown hat, often with yellowish tan marks. In dry weather, the surface of the fungus is dry; when it rains, the cap is usually slimy. The stem of the mushroom is white, sometimes covered with gray scales.

grows in the forest zone of northern latitudes, most often occurs in autumn. The hat is usually red-brick or brown shades, while the color may be heterogeneous. The stem is short, usually curved due to a sharp bend towards the light.

the smallest of its fellows, because it grows under dwarf birch trees in the tundra, where lighting and a long warm period can often only be dreamed of. The cap of the mushroom is small, very light in color, almost whitish or light beige.

has a dark, sometimes almost black cap and a thick, short leg covered with dark gray scales. Black boletus is a rather rare guest in the baskets of mushroom pickers, but for its taste qualities is highly valued.

may have a hat different colors: ash, brown-gray, ocher, light, whitish. In Russia, it grows mainly in the Caucasus, found in deciduous forests, mainly hornbeam.

Where do birch trees grow?

You can go to collect boletus in any light deciduous and mixed forests, the main thing is that they have birches. These mushrooms can be found in North and South America, as well as in Eurasia. The boletus mushroom grows even in the harsh conditions of the tundra and forest-tundra, under dwarf birches. As soon as bird cherry blossoms, mushroom pickers go to the forest. Mushroom picking continues until mid-autumn. Due to the fact that boletus loves light, it is better to look for them in forest edges and open clearings.

How to grow a boletus yourself?

Boletus can be grown on suburban area, however, an indispensable condition is the presence of birches on it. A special aqueous solution of the spore body is prepared for planting. Carefully opening the roots of the tree from the sod, they are watered with the prepared solution. After that, it is necessary to moisten the planted mycelium without flooding the soil. Watering should be done in the late afternoon. To protect from the direct rays of the sun, you need to plant some plants around. Do not use fertilizers.

Useful properties of boletus

Boletus is not only tasty, but also useful mushroom from a medical point of view. Being a low-calorie product containing the necessary trace elements, it is suitable for dietary nutrition. Mushroom boletus has a beneficial effect on nervous system and regulates blood sugar. Eating it helps to eliminate toxins from the body and improves kidney function.

The boletus mushroom is not poisonous, but if there is an individual intolerance, allergic reactions may occur. After tasting mushrooms that have been stored for a long time in inappropriate dishes, you can get poisoned - they appear heat and vomiting.

Where and how to collect boletus?

It is better to collect mushrooms in willow baskets or in enameled buckets. It is not recommended to cut off mushrooms growing in an uncharacteristic place for them. If there is no certainty that the mushroom belongs to the edible category, it is better not to touch it. Harvest processing should be started immediately upon arrival home. Mushroom boletus is suitable for all types of cooking. It can be boiled, stewed, fried. For harvesting for future use, boletus is dried, pickled and frozen.