Features of "Uspensky" honey agarics
In the forests of Russia, lovers of "quiet hunting" are happy to collect rich harvests of mushrooms, including "Uspensky" mushrooms. They are found in whole placers on mossy stumps and fallen trees, from September until the beginning of frost. Delicious and healthy, they are a great addition to the main diet.
Features of Uspensky honey agarics
Description of the species
On the territory of Russia, honey mushroom grows in all regions and is considered the most popular forest mushroom (well, it concedes the palm to white, which will always be a welcome prey for a mushroom picker). Having found one stump with a family of honey agarics, it is easy to feed the whole company, to collect more than one basket.
"Assumption" mushrooms got their name thanks to the Orthodox holiday of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. At this time, there is a massive collection of them. Large harvests are harvested for 14 days, then their number goes down.
These autumn mushrooms have the following description:
- the cap is thin, yellow-brown;
- the shape of the cap is convex;
- lamellar hymenophore;
- the plates are gray or whitish;
- the leg is long, thin;
- the color of the leg is brown.
The size of the cap is usually up to 7-8 cm in diameter, the bulge on it becomes smaller with the age of the fruiting body.
On top of the cap, you can see circles, on the plates of the hymenophore, spores form over time. The spore powder is usually red or red-brown in color.
The leg is always thin, its height reaches 8-10 cm. It has a ring characteristic of edible mushrooms, under which (on the surface of the leg) scales are clearly visible.
Varieties
The concept of mushroom "Uspensky" includes many species, including poisonous ones.
They disguise well as edible, but have a number of differences:
- bluish plates;
- bright yellow body;
- gray-yellow hat;
- no scales on the surface of the cap.
False honey fungus is classified as conditionally edible. It is difficult for them to get poisoned, but they should still cook, carefully observing the technology:
- preliminary soaking;
- thorough rinsing with water;
- boiling.
Only after that they start cooking.
The edible and conditionally edible species of the mushroom group, and therefore the "Uspensky" ones, include the following: gray mushrooms, about. pine, about. brick red, oh. dark, oh. meadow (clove mushroom, marasmius meadow), about. winter (flammulina velvety-legged), about. autumn, oh. thick-legged and garlic. There are more than 30 species in total. Some of them love shaded forest thickets, old fallen trees, while others grow in open meadows and in tall grass.
Did you know? In supermarkets in the territory of the Russian Federation, under the guise of honey agarics, they sell Chinese nameko mushrooms (edible flake). The name is translated from Latin as "slippery mushroom".
It is very simple to distinguish canned nameko from the usual honey mushrooms in a bank: take a close look at two cans (one just with the inscription "Honey mushrooms" and the second, with the same inscription, but also with the inscription in small letters "nameko") - you you will see that in a jar with ordinary mushrooms the mushroom caps will be different in size, but where there is an inscription "hint" - the mushrooms will be what is called "two from the casket, the same from the face."However, both those and other mushrooms are good for the body, so you can safely buy them.
Winter mushrooms
Representatives of this species thrive on deciduous trees, willows or poplars. Sometimes found on the banks of rivers, streams, or in orchards. Those who like to walk in the winter snow-covered forest sometimes find colonies under the snowdrifts. The caps of such mushrooms are up to 10 cm in diameter, flat, yellow or brownish, and in the center - the color is more saturated than the edges. The caps are usually smooth and slimy, and when slightly dry they become glossy. The flesh is tough at the base of the leg, and softer at the cap. In color, it is usually light yellow or white and has a pleasant, albeit rather weak, smell and taste.
They have found their application in medicine in the treatment and prevention of the following diseases:
- fibroma;
- myoma;
- adenoma;
- mastopathy;
- thrombophlebitis;
- increased blood clotting, etc.
It is almost impossible to confuse them with poisonous counterparts in winter.
According to the way of feeding, winter mushrooms can be saprophytes and parasites - it all depends on which plant the fungus settles on - on a living sick or already dead fallen trunk.
Autumn mushrooms
Autumn mushrooms settle on the affected, weakened trees, in relation to which it will be a parasite, because consumes their nutrients from wood and eventually destroys it, causing white rot.
Sometimes, they are saprophytes. This happens when autumn mushrooms settle on dead wood. As a result of biochemical reactions occurring in their fruiting bodies, such mushrooms spread a mysterious bluish glow in deep thickets. They have been harvested since August. The lower temperature threshold is about + 10 ° C.
Autumn mushrooms grow on damaged trees
The size of the cap reaches 15-18 cm, the height of the leg is up to 12 cm. The color of the fruit body of the young honey fungus is greenish with an olive tint. Changes to brown with age. The edges become wavy, the scales disappear.
Irina Selyutina (Biologist):
When collecting autumn mushrooms, or as they are also called, real mushrooms, it is important not to confuse edible mushrooms with poisonous ones. For this, it is imperative to consider:
- Ring-"skirt" on the leg: this formation is the remains of a private veil (velum) that protected the plates of the hymenophore and created a favorable microclimate necessary for the development of spores. When the hat "opens", the velum will come off its lower part - the hymenophore and form a "skirt".
- The shape of the cap: in young edible mushrooms it is hemispherical, in adults it is umbrella-shaped with a tubercle, then it is flat.
- The surface of the cap: in young autumn mushrooms it is covered with small scales, in poisonous ones it is smooth, and after rain or in damp weather it is sticky.
- The color of the cap: in edible mushrooms of calm tones, in inedible twins - bright.
- Hymenophore plates: for false mushrooms, a yellow color is characteristic, but for edible ones they are cream.
By the way. Under the general name "autumn mushrooms", experts distinguish 2 types of these mushrooms:
- autumn mushrooms;
- northern autumn mushrooms.
It is almost impossible to distinguish them for an ordinary mushroom picker, because the differences are visible only at the level of microscopic imaging.
Summer mushrooms
The collection of summer mushrooms begins in the spring, in March-April, and continues until frost in November. This mushroom grows in the forest, on trees and stumps. The size of the cap is average, up to 5-6 cm, and the legs - up to 7-8 cm. Although this mushroom is classified as edible, however, due to the deteriorating environmental situation, it cannot be eaten without preliminary heat treatment (boiling). In addition, a false honey fungus can settle nearby, which will be able to "present" some of its toxic compounds through the contact of underground mycelium or spores that have fallen on the surface of an edible mushroom.
The diameter of the cap is about 9 cm.On top of it, a light tubercle is visible in a young mushroom, but somewhat dark edges look as a result, as it were, slightly wet. The color differs according to the place of growth. In a damp place, the cap becomes transparent brown, and in a dry place it becomes yellow and dull. Cracks appear along the edges. In young representatives of the species, the edges of the cap may turn inward quite a bit. By the way. The cap of the mushroom is characterized by hygrophane and, as a result, can increase in size by a maximum of 3 cm.
Beneficial features
The main positive qualities of "Uspensky" mushrooms include their ability to fight viruses and bacteria. They strengthen the immune system and improve performance.
Introducing "Uspensky" mushrooms into the diet is useful for hypertensive patients. Honey mushrooms reduce blood pressure and restore metabolism. For diseases of the thyroid gland, doctors prescribe them as a component of medical nutrition.
The beneficial effect of honey agaric on the work of the heart, a decrease in blood sugar levels has been noticed. For constipation, they serve as a laxative. These mushrooms are able to eliminate bad cholesterol and improve memory.
Harm and contraindications
Forest mushroom, in addition to benefits, can be harmful to health. It is not recommended for people with gastrointestinal problems: abuse of this delicacy will lead to an exacerbation of the disease.
There is a ban for children under the age of 14. Such food is considered heavy, poorly absorbed by a young body, since the adolescent's digestive system has not yet fully matured.
Pregnant and lactating women, as well as people suffering from allergic reactions, in particular to individual components of mushrooms, should consult a doctor in advance.
Cooking applications
Uspensky mushrooms are used for making soups, broths, snacks, pates and side dishes. They make preparations for the winter: they are dried and frozen.
Most often they are pickled. For this:
- the harvested crop is boiled, after having sorted out, removing the damaged areas, cutting off the hard parts of the legs and rinsing under running water;
- the entire crop is immersed in boiling water for 15 minutes, then the water is drained: toxins and hazardous substances will go away with it;
- fresh water is poured and boiled for 40-60 minutes, periodically removing the resulting foam; as soon as the mushrooms are ready, they will immediately sink to the bottom;
- the resulting broth is used for the marinade, to which spices are added (per 1 kg of the main ingredient): 30 ml of 9% vinegar, 250 ml of water or broth, 1.5 tbsp. l. rock table salt, 1 clove bud, 1 bay leaf and 3 allspice peas.
- boiled "Uspensky" mushrooms are put into sterilized jars, salt and spices are added, boiling broth is poured in, vinegar is added and covered with lids;
- the workpiece is put to cool and stored in a cool place before use.
Attention! Iodized table salt for preparing blanks for the winter is not suitable due to the presence of iodine in it.
Conclusion
Harvesting "forest meat" is pleasant and useful, but be sure to remember that unfamiliar or suspicious-looking specimens of mushrooms are fraught with a serious threat. It is better to take reliable and familiar ones, from which you will get delicious dishes that can please friends and relatives.
