What mushrooms are the healthiest? Edible mushrooms: Classification, categories, features.
Everyone loves mushrooms - some pick them, some eat them salted, pickled, fried, etc. But what are they made of and what is useful about them?
Many people believe that the main component of mushrooms is water. Yes, there is a lot of water, but not nearly more than, for example, beets or turnips. Water in the fruiting body of the porcini mushroom is 88 percent, almost the same amount of water in boletus (87 percent) and boletus (90 percent). The lowest water content is 84.9 percent in the raincoat. This is almost the same as in beets (84 percent) and less than in turnips (89.5 percent).
Mushrooms depending on the type according to their nutritional properties can be equated to fruits, vegetables, potatoes and well-baked bread. By the way, the Indians - the aborigines of North America - know a mushroom that is called Indian bread. This mushroom weighs 30 pounds (12 kilograms).
Mushrooms are rich in substances that are very valuable for the human body, such as potassium, phosphorus, and sulfur. They also contain vitamins: thiamine (B, riboflavin (Ig), pyridoxine (B6), biotin (H), sterols (vitamins D), nicotinic acid (PP), panto-tonic acid.
Mushrooms have many biochemical features that bring them closer to animals. Thus, biochemical analyzes have shown that the fruiting bodies of mushrooms, like the bodies of animals, contain a polysaccharide - glycogen, but do not contain starch, similar to plant starch. Many mushrooms, especially the fleshy tubular ones (porcini, boletus, butterfly), contain sugar.
For example, the cap and stem taste sweet, which is due to the presence of glucose or grape sugar, which is found in the green parts of many plants, fruits, berries, and honey. In addition, mushrooms contain trehalose. Since this sugar is characteristic mainly of mushrooms, it is called mushroom sugar.
Like many fruits and vegetables (carrots, onions, olives, pineapples), mushrooms also contain volutin, a compound similar in structure to sugars. The distribution of sugars in the fruiting body of the mushroom is uneven: most of them are in the thick legs and the upper part of the cap, and very little in the hymenial layer - apparently, they are quickly consumed during the formation of fungal spores.
The distribution of fats in the body of the mushroom is also uneven. Their total content ranges from 1 to 6 percent. In the porcini mushroom, for example, fats are distributed as follows: in the stem - 4.4 percent, and in the cap - 6.2, in the upper part of the cap - 5.8, in the hymenal layer - 7.9 percent.
Under the influence of putrefactive bacteria, a number of highly active compounds, most often toxic to humans, are formed, and, in particular, ptomains (from the Greek word ptoma-corpse), that is, cadaveric poisons. Ptomaines include cadaverine, putrescine and other breakdown products of protein compounds. Similar substances are formed in stale meat or fish.
Ptomains are not even in large quantities may cause poisoning with severe digestive disorders, nervous system, shortness of breath, decline in cardiac activity and even death. Therefore, you should eat only freshly picked mushrooms, relatively young ones that have not yet stopped growing.
The collected mushrooms must be sorted and processed immediately, without delay until another day.
Protein substances are also unevenly distributed in mushrooms: the leg of a porcini mushroom contains 31 percent of protein in terms of dry weight, and the cap contains 44 percent, and greatest number protein is concentrated in the hymenium. A similar pattern is characteristic of many tubular mushrooms.
Therefore, they most often use hats for recycling, and they are more valuable. In agaric mushrooms, the difference in nutrient content between the cap and the stem is smaller, and in milk mushrooms, the stem contains even more carbohydrates than the cap. But in general, as a general rule, the cap is always more nutritious than the stem.
Various organic acids have been found in mushrooms: formic, palmitic and others. The milky juice of mushrooms of the genus Lactarius contains 128 chactaric acid. It gives a sharp, piquant taste to saffron milk caps, milk mushrooms, and fried mushrooms.
It is interesting to compare the nutritional value of mushrooms with other foods. An indicator of the nutritional value of products is usually the amount of digestible proteins, fats, carbohydrates in 100 grams of a product, as well as its calorie content.
In terms of the amount of proteins (33), fats (14), carbohydrates (26) and, therefore, calorie content (224), dried porcini mushrooms are significantly superior to all main vegetables: green pea and beans, carrots, beets, potatoes, turnips, cauliflower, kohlrabi, fresh and pickled white cabbage, fresh and pickled cucumbers, sorrel, spinach, celery and parsley roots, garlic, onions and leeks, tomatoes, lettuce, rutabaga, asparagus .
For comparison, we can say that of the vegetables listed, potatoes are considered the most nutritious (65). Thus, dried white mushrooms exceed potatoes in calorie content by almost 3.5 times, pickled white mushrooms - by 2 times, salted milk mushrooms and saffron milk caps - by 3 times. But the calorie content of potatoes is mainly due to the high content of carbohydrates (starch) with an almost complete absence of proteins and fats.
In addition to carbohydrates, mushrooms contain a significant proportion of proteins and fats. In terms of protein content, mushrooms can compete with high-protein foods such as beef, veal, ham, chicken, and Swiss cheese. Dried and pickled white mushrooms, salted saffron milk caps, and dried black mushrooms are superior in protein content to all of the above products, and the higher calorie content of these products compared to mushrooms is due only to their high fat content.
As for meat and mushroom broths, the latter, having an equal amount of proteins with meat, significantly exceeds it in the content of fats and especially carbohydrates. The total calorie content of mushroom broth is 7 times higher than meat broth!
The calorie content of white and black dried mushrooms is approximately equal to the calorie content of white wheat and black rye bread, respectively. Various cereals, flour, noodles and pasta are superior to mushrooms in terms of calories, mainly due to their higher carbohydrate content.
So, there is every reason to conclude that mushrooms are a high-protein, high-calorie product that can successfully compete with various meat and dairy products in its culinary qualities and calorie content. It is necessary, however, to note that the cell walls of fungi contain the carbohydrate polymer chitin, which is almost not digested in gastrointestinal tract person.
In addition, the chitinous shell makes it difficult for digestive enzymes to access proteins and carbohydrates in the cytoplasm of fungal cells. Therefore, the more the mushrooms are crushed, the more useful substances are extracted from them, the better they are absorbed by the body.
Nutritionists classify mushrooms as hard-to-digest foods and do not recommend them for people suffering from diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
When it comes to edible mushrooms, the difference between an ordinary survivalist and a master of his craft becomes obvious. The first one knows which mushrooms you definitely can’t eat, but the second one understands which ones you definitely need, which ones you can, and which ones you’ll have to tinker with a little more before using. And let such mastery begin with a good knowledge of the theory, in which, if possible, we will try to help.
Let's start with the simplest thing - classification. But here’s the rub... There is no global classification of mushrooms, except perhaps a taxonomic one, which has practically no practical significance. Therefore classifications edible mushrooms in Russia and somewhere in Poland can differ significantly. However, we will use the Russian classification simply because it is quite visual and convenient.
Most often, classifications of edible mushrooms are used by category, by ripening season, by economic importance and the structure of the spore-bearing layer. So.
According to the structure of the spore-bearing layer edible mushrooms there are:
- Tubular. Their lower part of the cap resembles a sponge, in the holes of which spores are hidden. An example is the boletus, White mushroom, boletus, butterdish.
- Lamellar. Their lower part of the cap is covered with lamellar structures. Example - saffron milk caps, milk mushrooms, russula, honey mushrooms, champignons.
- Marsupials. They have no difference between the cap and the stem, and the spores are contained in a special organ - the ascus. Example - morels, lines.
- Uncertain. All mushrooms that do not belong to the previous groups are included here. An example is chanterelles. They, it turns out, are not tubular, but folded or “pseudotubular.” And raincoats which, instead of ascus, have numerous reproductive organs on the surface.
- First. The most delicious and nutritious mushrooms. These include: white mushroom, yellow milk mushroom, white milk mushroom, real saffron milk cap, real chanterelle.
- Second. Quite tasty mushrooms, but their nutritional value is much lower. Boletus, boletus, oak, all other milk mushrooms, champignons, white russula.
- Third. The taste is average, the nutritional value is also average, but you can eat it. Russula, volnushki, morels, valui, green moss mushroom, autumn honey fungus.
- Fourth. The taste is so-so, the nutritional value is low. Collect only as a last resort if there are no other options. , talkers, dung beetles and all other edible mushrooms.
This classification was proposed back in the USSR by someone B.P. Vasilkov. What's great about it is that it is extremely simple and straightforward, and has specific applications. It also follows from it that the taste of mushrooms, in principle, weakly depends on the structure of the spore-bearing layer, so the common misconception that only tubular mushrooms are tasty is purely a misconception. And it appeared due to the fact that it is much easier to collect tubular mushrooms, but it is more difficult to confuse them with conditionally edible or poisonous ones.
According to their economic importance, mushrooms (all) are divided into:
- Edible mushrooms. All 4 categories of the previous classification.
- Conditionally edible mushrooms.
- Inedible mushrooms. Just tasteless mushrooms without toxins and hallucinogenic mushrooms.
Actually, we are only interested in edible mushrooms, since dealing with conditionally edibles means exposing yourself to unnecessary risk. But we will also talk about this someday, because if there is nothing to eat at all, and such mushrooms are in abundance around, then they are better than starvation.
Of greatest interest to us are edible mushrooms first category, so further conversation will go specifically about them.
White mushroom - Boletus
Quite a large mushroom with a wide convex cap and a fleshy stem. The pulp of young samples is white and fleshy, with age it turns yellow and separates into fibers. The leg is high (up to 25 cm sometimes), thick, barrel-shaped or club-shaped, covered with a light mesh. The cap is wide, massive, from reddish to almost white. It is found in forests, no matter what kind, and is widespread almost to arctic zones. Vasilkov, already mentioned above, described 18 (!) varieties of porcini mushrooms, depending on the place of growth, period and external conditions. That is, the variability of the fungus is significant, which can lead to errors in identification.
Most often it is confused with gall fungus (bitter). Fortunately, this mushroom is not poisonous, but simply disgusting in taste and does not threaten health. The main distinguishing criteria are that the flesh of the gall fungus turns pink at the cut site; the mesh on the leg is darker and more pronounced; the tubular layer is pinkish rather than yellowish-white.
There is also a risk of confusion boletus With satanic mushroom, which, unfortunately, is poisonous. You need to pay attention to the following points: a rough cap, a yellowish-red leg, blue and pink flesh when cut.
Real milk mushroom
Or white milk mushroom. The cap is wide, white, smooth, moist, slimy, with an edge turned inward (conical with age). The leg is short, smooth, cylindrical. The pulp is fleshy, with a pleasant fruity smell; milky juice is released when broken. The plates are wide and frequent.
Most often confused white milk mushrooms With white loading pads (white russula). The main criterion is mucus and milky juice, which only real milk mushrooms have. But even if you mix it up, nothing bad will happen. Pogruzdok - too edible mushroom.
They are also sometimes confused with white milkmen. Here you only need to focus on the smell - in the milkweed it is extremely unpleasant. And here it is better not to make mistakes, because you can easily get an upset stomach.
Milk mushrooms are also confused with pale toadstools - but which ones? lamellar mushrooms are they not confused with them?
The fox is real
Due to the special structure, confuse chanterelles It is extremely difficult with popular poisonous mushrooms. But to confuse it with false fox, which is dangerous to health - extremely easy. Especially when you consider that there is actually one criterion here - false fox grows on dead wood, and not in the ground like normal. Besides, false foxes ki grow singly rather than in groups.
Camelina pine and spruce
They slightly resemble milk mushrooms, since they belong to the same genus of milkweeds. In the same way, they are covered with mucus and secrete juice when broken. Even the shape is similar. But the color is significantly different - in saffron milk caps it is richly red, almost red, due to the high content of beta-carotenes.
They confuse saffron milk caps with pink mushrooms, which are also edible, but they are so tasty. A distinctive feature is that the juice of real saffron milk caps is not colorless, and the cap is slimy and not rough.
And a couple of tips. Mushroom pickers love to write “the taste is bitter, the juice is acrid.” But we will not advise you to put something in your mouth that may turn out to be poisonous. Let’s not go there and that’s it, fortunately there are a lot of other indicators that are much safer to pay attention to. We also remind you that there may be problems with identifying young mushrooms that do not yet have classical morphological manifestations. In this case, it is better to leave them alone. You can, of course, take a closer look at the surrounding mushrooms, but there remains a risk that it was still another mycelium. So it's better not to take risks.
Anyone who does not understand mushrooms is limited to buying them in the supermarket. After all, champignons and oyster mushrooms grown under the artificial sun inspire more confidence than unknown natural gifts. But true mushroom pickers will not be able to be satisfied with the taste of fruits that have not smelled of pine needles and have not been washed with morning dew. And it’s very difficult to deny yourself forest walks on a clear weekend. Therefore, let's take a closer look at the external signs of popular edible mushrooms in our region.
Main characteristics of edible mushrooms
It is simply impossible to cover all the biological and ecological diversity of fungi on a planetary scale. This is one of the largest specific groups of living organisms, which has become an integral part of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Modern scientists know many species of the mushroom kingdom, but today there is no exact figure in any scientific source. In different literature, the species number of mushrooms varies from 100 thousand to 1.5 million. It is characteristic that each species is divided into classes, orders, and also has thousands of generic names and synonyms. Therefore, it is easy to get lost here, just like in the forest. 
Did you know? The most unusual mushroom in the world, contemporaries consider plasmodium, which grows in central Russia. This creation of nature can walk. True, it moves at a speed of 1 meter every few days.
Edible mushrooms are considered to be those specimens that are approved for consumption and do not pose any risks to human health. They differ from poisonous forest fruits in the structure of the hymenophore, the color and shape of the fruiting body, as well as the smell and taste. Their peculiarity lies in their high gastronomic properties. It’s not for nothing that among mushroom pickers there are parallel names for mushrooms - “vegetable meat” and “forest protein”. It has been scientifically proven that such gifts of nature are rich:
- proteins;
- amino acids;
- mycosis and glycogen (specific mushroom sugar);
- potassium;
- phosphorus;
- gray;
- magnesium;
- sodium;
- calcium;
- chlorine;
- vitamins (A, C, PP, D, all group B);
- enzymes (represented by amylase, lactase, oxidase, zymase, protease, cytase, which are of particular importance because they improve the absorption of food).
Many types of mushrooms in their nutritional value compete with potatoes, vegetables and fruits traditional for the Ukrainian table. Their significant drawback is the poorly digestible shells of mushroom bodies. That is why greatest benefit Dried and ground into dust fruits are brought to the human body. Did you know? Of the entire mushroom kingdom, the rarest specimen is considered to be the mushroom Chorioactis geaster, which translated means “devil’s cigar.” It is found in isolated cases only in the central zones of Texas and on some islands of Japan. Unique feature this natural wonder is a specific whistle that is heard when the mushroom releases spores.
Soviet scientists, based on the nutritional characteristics of mushrooms, divided the edible group into 4 varieties:
- Boletuses, saffron milk caps and milk mushrooms.
- Birch boletus, aspen boletus, oak boletus, buttercup, trumpet mushroom, white mushroom and champignon.
- Moss mushrooms, valui, russula, chanterelles, morels and autumn honey mushrooms.
- Rowers, raincoats and other little-known, rarely collected specimens.
Today this classification is considered a little outdated. Modern botanists agree that dividing mushrooms into food categories is ineffective and the scientific literature provides an individual description of each species. Beginner mushroom pickers should learn Golden Rule“silent hunt”: one poisonous mushroom can ruin all the forest trophies in the basket. Therefore, when detected among harvested any inedible fruit, throw all contents into the trash without regret. After all, the risks of intoxication cannot be compared with the time and effort spent. Edible mushrooms: photos and names
Of the entire variety of edible mushrooms known to mankind, there are only a few thousand. At the same time, the lion's share of them went to representatives of fleshy micromycetes. Let's look at the most popular types.
Did you know? Real mushroom giants were found by Americans in 1985 in the states of Wisconsin and Oregon. The first find was striking with its 140-kilogram weight, and the second with the area of the mycelium, which occupied about a thousand hectares.
In botanical literature this forest trophy is designated as or ( Boletus edulis). In everyday life it is called pravdivtsev, dubrovnik, shirak and belas. 
The variety belongs to the Boletaceae genus and is considered the best of all known edible mushrooms. In Ukraine it is not uncommon and occurs from early summer to mid-autumn in deciduous and coniferous forests. Often, boletus can be found under birch, oak, hornbeam, hazel, spruce and pine trees.
- a cap with a diameter of 3 to 20 cm, a hemispherical, convex shape, brown in color with a smoky or reddish tint (the color of the cap largely depends on the place where the fungus grows: under pine trees it is purple-brown, under oak trees - chestnut or olive green, and under birch trees - light brown);
- leg from 4 to 15 cm long with a volume of 2-6 cm, club-shaped, cream-colored with a grayish or brown tint;
- white mesh on the top of the leg;
- the flesh is dense, juicy, white, and does not change when cut;
- fusiform spores of yellowish-olive color, about 15-18 microns in size;
- a tubular layer of light and greenish tones (depending on the age of the mushroom), which is easily separated from the cap;
- The smell at the cutting site is pleasant.
Important! Boletuses are often confused with bitterlings. These are inedible mushrooms that are distinguished by pinkish spores, a black mesh on the stem and bitter pulp.
It is worth noting that the skin of true porcini mushrooms is never removed from the cap. In Ukraine, industrial harvesting of these forest trophies is carried out only in the Carpathian region and Polesie. They are suitable for fresh consumption, drying, canning, salting, and pickling. ethnoscience advises introducing belas into the diet for angina, tuberculosis, frostbite, loss of strength and anemia. Volnushka
These trophies are considered conditionally edible. They are used for food only by residents of the northern regions of the globe, and Europeans do not recognize them as food. Botanists call these mushrooms Lactárius torminósus, and mushroom pickers call them tormentos, decoctions and rubellas. They represent the Russula family of the genus Mlechnik, and are pink and white.
Pink waves are characterized by:- cap with a diameter of 4 to 12 cm, with a deep depression in the center and convex, pubescent edges, pale pink or grayish in color, which darkens when touched;
- leg about 3-6 cm high with a diameter of 1 to 2 cm, cylindrical in shape, powerful and elastic structure with specific pubescence on a pale pink surface;
- cream or white spores;
- the plates are frequent and narrow, which are always interspersed with intermediate membranes;
- the pulp is dense and hard, white in color, does not change when cut and is characterized by abundant, sharp-tasting juice secretion.
Important! Mushroom pickers should pay attention to the fact that mushrooms are characterized by variability, which depends on their age. For example, the caps can change their color from yellow-orange to light green, and the plates can change from pinkish to yellow.
White waves are different:- a cap with a diameter of 4 to 8 cm with white, densely pubescent skin (in older specimens its surface is smoother and yellower);
- stem with a height of 2 to 4 cm with a volume of up to 2 cm, cylindrical in shape with slight hairiness, dense structure and uniform color;
- the pulp is slightly aromatic, white, with a dense but brittle structure;
- white or cream-colored spores;
- the plates are narrow and frequent;
- white milky juice, which does not change when interacting with oxygen and is characterized by causticity.
Most often they grow in groups under birch trees, on forest edges, and rarely in coniferous forests. They are collected from early August to mid-autumn. Any cooking requires careful soaking and blanching. These mushrooms are used for preservation, drying, and pickling. Important! Edible volnushki can be easily distinguished from other milky mushrooms by the hairiness on the cap.
But in the latter version, the pulp becomes brown, which does not look aesthetically pleasing. Undercooked specimens are toxic and can cause digestive tract disorders and irritation of the mucous membranes. In salted form they are allowed to be consumed no earlier than an hour after salting.
The variety also represents the Russula family of the Mlechnikov genus. In scientific sources, the mushroom is designated Lactárius résimus, but in everyday life it is called real. 
Externally, this mushroom is characterized by:
- a funnel-shaped cap with a diameter of 5 to 20 cm with highly fleecy edges turned inward, with a wet, mucous skin of a milky or yellowish color;
- stalk up to 7 cm high with a volume up to 5 cm, cylindrical in shape, yellowish in color, with a smooth surface and hollow interior;
- firm white pulp with a specific fruity smell;
- yellow spores;
- plates frequent and wide, white-yellow;
- milky juice, pungent in taste, white in color, which changes to dirty yellow in the cut areas.
Important! Milk mushrooms are characterized by variability: old mushrooms become hollow inside, their plates turn yellow, and brown spots may appear on the cap.
This bright mushroom with a peculiar shape found on postage stamps Romania, Moldova, Belarus. The true chanterelle (Cantharellus cibarius) is a member of the genus Cantharelaceae. 
Many people recognize her by:
- cap - with a diameter of 2.5 to 5 cm, which is characterized by asymmetrical bulges at the edges and a watering can-shaped depression in the center, a yellow tint and a smooth surface;
- stem - short (up to 4 cm in height), smooth and solid, identical in color to the cap;
- spores - their size does not exceed 9.5 microns;
- plates - narrow, folded, bright yellow in color;
- pulp - is dense and elastic, white or slightly yellowish, with a pleasant aroma and taste.
Important! Real chanterelles are often confused with their counterparts. Therefore, when harvesting it is necessary Special attention pay attention to the color of the trophy's flesh. In pseudo-chanterelles it is yellow-orange or pale pink.
Please note that this species is not found on forest edges. In cooking, chanterelles are usually consumed in fresh, pickled, salted and dried forms. They have a specific aroma and taste. Experts note that this variety exceeds all mushrooms known to mankind in terms of carotene composition, but is not recommended in large quantities because it is difficult to digest in the body.
In the scientific literature, oyster mushrooms are simultaneously called oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatu) and belong to predatory species. The fact is that their spores are capable of paralyzing and digesting nematodes living in the soil. In this way, the body compensates for its nitrogen needs. In addition, the variety is considered wood-destroying, since it grows in groups on stumps and trunks of weakened living plants, as well as on dead wood. 
It can most often be found on oaks, birches, rowan trees, willows, and aspens. As a rule, these are dense bunches of 30 or more pieces, which grow together at the base and form multi-tiered growths. Oyster mushrooms can be easily recognized by the following characteristics:
- the cap reaches about 5-30 cm in diameter, very fleshy, rounded ear-shaped with wavy edges (in young specimens it is convex, and in mature age becomes flat), smooth glossy surface and unstable peculiar tonality, which borders on ashen, violet-brown and faded dirty yellow shades;
- mycelial plaque is present only on the skin of mushrooms that grow in a humid environment;
- leg up to 5 cm long and 0.8-3 cm thick, sometimes almost invisible, dense, cylindrical in structure;
- the plates are sparse, up to 15 mm wide, have bridges near the legs, their color varies from white to yellow-gray;
- spores are smooth, colorless, elongated, up to 13 microns in size;
- The pulp becomes more elastic with age and loses its juiciness, it is fibrous, has no smell, and has an anise flavor.
Did you know? In 2000, a Ukrainian mycelium hunter from Volyn, Nina Danilyuk, managed to find a giant boletus mushroom that did not fit in a bucket and weighed about 3 kg. Its leg reached 40 cm, and the circumference of the cap was 94 cm.
Due to the fact that old oyster mushrooms are characterized by rigidity, only young mushrooms whose caps do not exceed a 10-centimeter diameter are suitable for food. In this case, the legs are removed from all trophies. The oyster mushroom hunting season begins in September and, under favorable weather conditions, lasts until the New Year. This species cannot be confused with anything in our latitudes, but for Australians there is a risk of putting the poisonous omphalotus in the basket.
This is the popular name for a certain group of mushrooms that grow on living or dead wood. They belong to different families and genera, and also differ in their preferences for living conditions. 
Autumn honey mushrooms are most often used for food purposes. ( Armillaria mellea), which represent the Physalacriaceae family. According to various estimates by scientists, they are classified as conditionally edible or generally inedible. For example, honey mushrooms are not in demand among Western gourmets and are considered a low-value product. And in Eastern Europe, these are one of the favorite trophies of mushroom pickers.
Important! Undercooked honey mushrooms cause people allergic reaction and severe eating disorders.
Honey mushrooms are easily recognizable by their external features. They have:- the cap develops up to 10 cm in diameter, is characterized by a convexity at a young age and a flatness at a mature age, it has a smooth surface and a greenish-olive coloring;
- the leg is solid, yellow-brown, from 8 to 10 cm long with a volume of 2 cm, with small flocculent scales;
- the plates are sparse, white-cream in color, darkening with age to pinkish-brown shades;
- spores are white, up to 6 microns in size, have the shape of a wide ellipse;
- the pulp is white, juicy, with a pleasant aroma and taste, on the caps it is dense and fleshy, and on the stem it is fibrous and rough.
They love the wood left after cutting: birch, elm, oak, pine, alder and aspen. In particularly fruitful years, there is a night glow of stumps, which is emitted by group growths of honey mushrooms. For food purposes, the fruits are salted, pickled, fried, boiled and dried. Important! When collecting honey mushrooms, be careful. The color of their cap depends on the soil in which they grow. For example, those specimens that appear on poplar, mulberry and white acacia are distinguished by honey-yellow tones, those that grow from elderberry are dark gray, those from conifers are purple-brown, and those from oak are brown. Edible honey mushrooms are often confused with false mushrooms. Therefore, only those fruits that have a ring on the stem should be placed in the basket.
Most mushroom pickers prefer green moss mushrooms (Xerócomus subtomentosus), which are the most common of their kind. Some botanists classify them as boletus mushrooms. 
These fruits are characterized by:
- a cap with a maximum diameter of up to 16 cm, a cushion-shaped convexity, a velvety surface and a smoky olive color;
- the leg is cylindrical, up to 10 cm high and up to 2 cm thick, with a fibrous dark brown mesh;
- brown spores, up to 12 microns in size;
- The pulp is snow-white; upon contact with oxygen it may acquire a slight blue tint.
Did you know? Although fly agarics are considered very poisonous, they contain much less toxic substances than the toadstool. For example, to obtain a lethal concentration mushroom poison you need to eat 4 kg of fly agarics. And one toadstool is enough to poison 4 people.
Among the edible varieties of boletus, white, swamp, yellow, Bollini, and larch species are popular. In our latitudes, the latter variation is especially popular. 
She is characterized by:
- cap up to 15 cm in diameter, convex in shape, with a bare sticky surface of lemon yellow or rich yellow-orange color;
- the stem is up to 12 cm high and 3 cm wide, club-shaped, with granular-mesh fragments at the top, as well as a ring, its color exactly matches the tone of the cap;
- spores are smooth, pale yellow, ellipsoidal, up to 10 microns in size;
- the flesh is yellow with a lemon tint, brownish under the skin, soft, juicy with hard fibers; in old mushrooms, the cuts turn a little pink.
Did you know? Truffles are considered the most expensive mushrooms in the world. In France, the price per kilogram of this delicacy never falls below 2 thousand euros..
This mushroom is also popularly called blackhead and. In botanical literature it is designated as Léccinum scábrum and represents the genus Obabok. 
He is recognized by:
- a cap with a specific color that varies from white to gray-black;
- club-shaped leg, with oblong dark and light scales;
- white pulp that does not change when in contact with oxygen.
Represents a family and includes about fifty species. Most of them are considered edible. Some varieties have a bitter aftertaste, which is lost with careful pre-soaking and cooking of forest products. 
Of the entire mushroom kingdom, russula stands out:
- the cap is spherical or prostrate (in some specimens it may be in the form of a funnel), with rolled, ribbed edges, dry skin of different colors;
- a cylindrical leg, with a hollow or dense structure, white or colored;
- the plates are frequent, brittle, yellowish in color;
- spores of white and dark yellow tones;
- the pulp is spongy and very fragile, white in young mushrooms and dark, as well as reddish in old ones.
Important! Russulas with caustic, burning pulp are poisonous. A small piece of raw fruit can cause severe irritation of the mucous membranes, vomiting and dizziness..
Fruiting for these representatives of the Obabok genus begins in early summer and lasts until mid-September. They are most often found in damp areas under shady trees. Rarely can such a trophy be found in coniferous forests. Boletuses are popular in Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Belarus, Western Europe and North America.
The signs of this forest fruit are:
- a hemispherical cap, up to 25 cm in circumference, with a bare or fleecy surface of a white-pink color (sometimes there are specimens with brown, bluish and greenish shades of the peel);
- the leg is club-shaped, tall, white with brown-gray scales that appear over time;
- brown spores;
- the tubular layer is white-yellow or gray-brown;
- the pulp is juicy and fleshy, white or yellow color, sometimes blue-green, upon contact with oxygen it very soon acquires a bluish tint, after which it turns black (it turns purple in the stem).
Did you know? It has been scientifically proven that mushrooms existed about 400 million years ago. This means that they appeared before dinosaurs. Like ferns, these gifts of nature were one of the most ancient inhabitants of the globe. Moreover, their spores were able to adapt to new conditions for thousands of years, preserving all ancient species to this day.
These edible representatives of the Russula family have captivated all mushroom pickers with their specific taste. In everyday life they are called ridz or, and in scientific literature - Lactarius deliciosus. 
The harvest should be done between August and October. Often such trophies are found in damp forest areas. In Ukraine, these are Polesie and the Carpathian region. Signs of saffron milk caps are:
- cap with a diameter of 3 to 12 cm, watering can-shaped, sticky to the touch, gray-orange in color, with clear concentric stripes;
- the plates are deep orange and begin to turn green when touched;
- spores are warty, up to 7 microns in size;
- the stem is very dense, exactly matches the cap in color, reaches up to 7 cm in length, and up to 2.5 cm in volume, becomes hollow with age;
- the flesh is yellow in the cap and white in the stem; when exposed to oxygen, the cut areas turn green;
- The milky juice is purple-orange (it turns dirty green after a few hours) and has a pleasant smell and taste.
Did you know? A natural antibiotic, lactarioviolin, was found in saffron milk caps..
In France they call absolutely all mushrooms. Therefore, linguists are inclined to think that the Slavic name of a whole genus of organisms from the Agarikov family is of French origin. 
Champignons have:
- the cap is massive and dense, hemispherical in shape, which becomes flat with age, white or dark brown, up to 20 cm in diameter;
- the plates are initially white, which turn gray with age;
- leg up to 5 cm high, dense, club-shaped, always having a one- or two-layer ring;
- the pulp, which comes in all sorts of shades of white, when exposed to oxygen becomes yellow-red, juicy, with a pronounced mushroom smell.
Important! When collecting champignons, pay attention to their plates. This is the only important sign by which they can be distinguished from poisonous representatives of the Amanitov genus. In the latter, this part remains invariably white or lemon throughout their lives..
In the nature of the Eurasian continent, there is a small species diversity of such trophies. Mushroom pickers should only beware of yellow-skinned (Agaricus xanthodermus) and variegated (Agaricus meleagris) champignons. All other types are non-toxic. They are even mass-cultivated on an industrial scale.
Outwardly, these fruits are very unattractive, but in terms of their taste they are considered a valuable delicacy. In everyday life they are called “earth heart”, since they can be located underground at a depth of half a meter. They are also the “black diamonds of cooking.” Botanists classify truffles as a separate genus of marsupial fungi with an underground fleshy and juicy fruiting body. In cooking, the Italian, Perigord and winter varieties are most valued. 
They mainly grow in oak and beech forests in Southern France and Northern Italy. In Europe, specially trained dogs and pigs are used for “silent hunting”. Experienced mushroom pickers advise paying attention to flies - in places where they swarm, there will probably be an earthen heart under the foliage.
You can recognize the most valuable fruit by the following signs:
- the fruiting body is potato-shaped, with a diameter of 2.5 to 8 cm, with a weak pleasant odor and large pyramidal protrusions with a diameter of up to 10 mm, olive-black in color;
- the flesh is white or yellow-brown with clear light veins, tastes like fried sunflower seeds or nuts;
- ellipsoidal spores develop only in humus substrate.
Did you know? According to statistics, the world's truffle harvest is decreasing every year. On average, it does not exceed 50 tons.
This is a species of edible mushroom from the genus Lentinula. They are very widespread in the area East Asia. They got their name from growing on chestnut trees. Translated from Japanese word means "chestnut mushroom". In cooking, it is used in Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and Thai cuisines as a gourmet spice. In oriental medicine there are also many recipes for treatment with these fruits. 
In everyday life, the mushroom is also called oak, winter, black. It is characteristic that in the world market shiitake is considered the second important mushroom that is cultivated industrially. It is quite possible to grow the delicacy in the climatic conditions of Ukraine. To do this, it is important to acquire an artificial mushroom substrate.
When collecting shiitake, you need to focus on the following characteristics of the mushroom:
- a hemispherical cap, up to 29 cm in diameter, with a dry, velvety skin of coffee or brownish-brown color;
- the plates are white, thin and thick, in young specimens they are protected by a membrane covering, and when squeezed they become dark brown;
- the leg is fibrous, cylindrical, up to 20 cm high and up to 1.5 cm thick, with a smooth light brown surface;
- white ellipsoidal spores;
- the flesh is dense, fleshy, juicy, creamy or snow-white color, with a pleasant aroma and a pronounced specific taste.
Did you know? The increased interest in shiitake on the world market is due to its antitumor effect. The main consumer of this delicacy is Japan, which annually imports about 2 thousand tons of the product.
The mushroom belongs to the Boletaceae family. In everyday life it is called bruise, poddubnik, dirty brown. The fruiting period begins in July and lasts until late autumn. August is considered the most productive. To search, you should go to forest areas where there are oaks, hornbeams, beeches, and birches. They also prefer calcareous soil and well-lit areas. These forest fruits are known in the Caucasus, Europe and the Far East. 
The signs of the mushroom are:
- cap with a diameter of 5 to 20 cm, semicircular in shape, with olive-brown velvety skin that darkens when touched;
- the pulp is dense, odorless, with a mild taste, yellow in color (purple at the base of the stem);
- the plates are yellow, about 2.5-3 cm long, green or olive in color;
- the leg is club-shaped, up to 15 cm high with a volume up to 6 cm, yellow-orange in color;
- spores are olive-brown, smooth, fusiform.
Important! If you eat undercooked or raw oak, severe poisoning can occur. It is strictly contraindicated to combine this product to any degree. culinary processing with alcoholic drinks.
Edible varieties of these fruits must undergo thorough boiling. They differ from poisonous specimens in their bright color and not too tart odor. Most often used for filling pies, and also consumed freshly prepared. 
Experienced mushroom pickers advise going on a “quiet hunt” from the beginning of July to the second half of October. For improvement taste qualities Only the caps of young fruits are used for food. You can recognize them by:
- a bell-shaped cap with a circumference of up to 22 cm, with folded edges and a tubercle in the middle, a smooth surface of a matte or red color;
- stem up to 15 cm high, with a dense structure, cylindrical shape and corresponding cap color scheme(there are darker shades at the base);
- medium thick brown plates;
- The pulp is fleshy, dry, with a weak almond aroma, white in color, which does not change when cut.
Important! Pay attention to the skin of the talker's cap. Poisonous fruits always have a characteristic powdery coating on it.
Many novice mushroom pickers are always impressed by the appearance of bigheads. These trophies stand out very favorably against the background of their counterparts due to their impressive size and shape. 
They have:
- the fruiting body is large, can develop up to 20 cm in diameter, has a non-standard club-shaped shape, which hardly fits into generally accepted ideas about mushrooms;
- the leg can also reach 20 cm in height, it can be larger or smaller than the cap, its color is in harmony with the top;
- The pulp is loose, white in color.
Did you know? Mushrooms can survive at an altitude of 30 thousand meters above sea level, withstand radioactive radiation and pressure of 8 atmospheres. They also take root easily even on the surface of sulfuric acid.
He is a representative of the Borovikov family. In everyday life it is referred to as the yellow gill or yellow boletus. Very common in Polesie, Carpathian region and Western Europe. It is considered a heat-loving variety of Boletaceae. It can be found in oak, hornbeam, and beech plantings with high air humidity and clay substrate. 
Externally the mushroom is characterized by:
- a cap with a diameter of 5 to 20 cm, a convex shape, which becomes flat with age, with a smooth matte clay-colored surface;
- heavy pulp, with a dense structure, white or light yellow color, which does not change when cut, with a pleasant, slightly sweet taste and a specific smell, reminiscent of iodoform;
- leg with a rough surface, up to 16 cm high, up to 6 cm in volume, club-shaped, without mesh;
- a tubular layer up to 3 cm in size, yellow at an early age and olive-lemon at maturity;
- spores of yellow-olive color, up to 6 microns in size, fusiform and smooth.
Did you know? The history of mushrooms records a fact when Swiss mushroom pickers accidentally stumbled upon a huge trophy that had been growing for a thousand years. This giant honey fungus measured 800 m in length and 500 m in width, and its mycelium occupied 35 hectares of the local national park in the city of Ofenpass.
Basic rules for picking mushrooms
Mushroom hunting has its risks. In order not to be exposed to them, you need to clearly understand that it is extremely important to be able to collect mushrooms and understand their varieties. 
To safely harvest forest trophies, you need to follow these rules:
- To search, go to environmentally friendly areas, away from noisy highways and production assets.
- Never put items in your cart that you are not sure about. In this case, it is better to seek help from experienced mushroom pickers.
- Under no circumstances should samples be taken from raw fruits.
- During a “silent hunt,” minimize touching your hands to your mouth and face.
- Do not take mushrooms that have a white tuberous formation at the base.
- Compare found trophies with their toxic counterparts.
- Visually evaluate the entire fruit: stem, plates, cap, pulp.
- Do not delay cooking the harvested crop. It is better to immediately carry out the planned processing, because every hour the mushrooms lose their value.
- Never drink water in which mushrooms have been boiled. It may contain many toxic substances.
- Remove copies damaged by the wormhole, as well as those that have any damage.
- Only young fruits should fall into the mushroom picker’s basket.
- All trophies should be cut, not pulled out.
- The best time for “silent hunting” is considered to be early morning.
- If you go mushroom picking with children, do not lose sight of them and explain to the kids in advance about the potential danger of forest gifts.
Did you know? Soft mushroom caps can break through asphalt, concrete, marble and iron.
Video: rules for picking mushrooms
First aid for poisoning
Mushroom poisoning is indicated by:
- nausea;
- vomit;
- headache;
- abdominal cramps;
- diarrhea (up to 15 times a day);
- weakened heartbeat;
- hallucinations;
- cold extremities.
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Fungi are ancient heterotrophic organisms that occupy a special place in the general system of living nature. They can be either microscopically small or reach several meters. They settle on plants, animals, humans or on dead organic matter, on the roots of trees and grasses. Their role in biocenoses is great and varied. In the food chain, they are decomposers - organisms that feed on dead organic remains, subjecting these remains to mineralization into simple organic compounds.
In nature, mushrooms play a positive role: they are food and medicine for animals; forming a fungal root, they help plants absorb water; Being a component of lichens, fungi create a habitat for algae.
Fungi are chlorophyll-free lower organisms, uniting about 100,000 species, from small microscopic organisms to such giants as polypores, giant raincoat and some others.
In the system of the organic world, mushrooms occupy a special position, representing a separate kingdom, along with the kingdoms of animals and plants. They lack chlorophyll and therefore require ready-made organic matter for nutrition (they belong to heterotrophic organisms). In terms of the presence of urea in the metabolism, chitin in the cell membrane, and a reserve product - glycogen, and not starch - they are close to animals. On the other hand, in their method of nutrition (by absorption, not ingestion of food), and unlimited growth, they resemble plants.
Mushrooms also have characteristics that are unique to them: in almost all mushrooms the vegetative body is a mycelium, or mycelium, consisting of threads - hyphae.
These are thin, thread-like tubes filled with cytoplasm. The threads that make up the mushroom can be tightly or loosely intertwined, branched, fused with each other, forming films like felt or strands visible to the naked eye.
In higher fungi, the hyphae are divided into cells.
Fungal cells can have from one to several nuclei. In addition to nuclei, cells also have other structural components (mitochondria, lysosomes, endoplasmic reticulum, etc.).
Structure
The body of the vast majority of fungi is built from thin filamentous formations - hyphae. Their combination forms the mycelium (or mycelium).
By branching, the mycelium forms a large surface, which ensures the absorption of water and nutrients. Conventionally, mushrooms are divided into lower and higher. In lower fungi, hyphae do not have transverse partitions and the mycelium is one highly branched cell. In higher fungi, the hyphae are divided into cells.
The cells of most fungi are covered with a hard shell; zoospores and the vegetative body of some protozoal fungi do not have it. The cytoplasm of the fungus contains structural proteins and enzymes, amino acids, carbohydrates, and lipids not associated with cell organelles. Organelles: mitochondria, lysosomes, vacuoles containing storage substances - volutin, lipids, glycogen, fats. There is no starch. A fungal cell has one or more nuclei.
Reproduction
In fungi, vegetative, asexual and sexual reproduction are distinguished.
Vegetative
Reproduction is carried out by parts of the mycelium, special formations - oidia (formed as a result of the disintegration of hyphae into separate short cells, each of which gives rise to a new organism), chlamydospores (formed in approximately the same way, but have a thicker dark-colored shell, tolerate unfavorable conditions well), by budding of mycelium or individual cells.
For asexual vegetative reproduction, no special devices are needed, but not many offspring appear, but few.
During asexual vegetative reproduction, the cells of the filament, no different from neighboring ones, grow into whole organism. Sometimes, animals or environmental movement tear the hypha apart.
Happens when it comes unfavorable conditions the thread itself breaks down into individual cells, each of which can grow into a whole mushroom.
Sometimes growths form on the thread, which grow, fall off and give rise to a new organism.
Often, some cells grow a thick membrane. They can withstand drying out and remain viable for up to ten years or more, and germinate in favorable conditions.
During vegetative propagation, the DNA of the offspring does not differ from the DNA of the parent. This type of reproduction does not require special devices, but the number of offspring is small.
Asexual
During asexual spore reproduction, the fungal filament forms special cells that create spores. These cells look like twigs that are unable to grow and separate spores from themselves, or like large bubbles within which spores form. Such formations are called sporangia.
In asexual reproduction, the DNA of the offspring is no different from the DNA of the parent. Less substances are spent on the formation of each spore than on one offspring during vegetative propagation. Asexually, one individual produces millions of spores, so the fungus has a greater chance of leaving offspring.
Sexual
During sexual reproduction, new combinations of characteristics appear. In this type of reproduction, the DNA of the offspring is formed from the DNA of both parents. In fungi, DNA combining occurs in different ways.
Different ways to ensure DNA unification during sexual reproduction of fungi:
At some point, the nuclei and then the DNA strands of the parents merge, exchange pieces of DNA and separate. The descendant's DNA contains sections received from both parents. Therefore, the descendant is in some ways similar to one parent, and in some ways - like the other. A new combination of traits can reduce or increase the viability of the offspring.
Reproduction consists of the fusion of male and female sex gametes, resulting in the formation of a zygote. Fungi are distinguished between iso-, hetero- and oogamy. The sexual product of lower fungi (oospore) germinates into a sporangium in which spores develop. In ascomycetes (marsupial fungi), as a result of the sexual process, bags (asci) are formed - single-celled structures usually containing 8 ascospores. Bags formed directly from the zygote (in lower ascomycetes) or on ascogenous hyphae developing from the zygote. In the bag, fusion of the zygote nuclei occurs, then meiotic division of the diploid nucleus and the formation of haploid ascospores. The bursa is actively involved in the spread of ascospores.
Basidial fungi are characterized by a sexual process - somatogamy. It consists of the fusion of two cells of vegetative mycelium. The reproductive product is a basidium, on which 4 basidiospores are formed. Basidiospores are haploid; they give rise to haploid mycelium, which is short-lived. By fusion of haploid mycelium, dikaryotic mycelium is formed, on which basidia with basidiospores are formed.
In imperfect fungi, and in some cases in others, the sexual process is replaced by heterokaryosis (heterogeneity) and a parasexual process. Heterokaryosis consists of the transition of genetically heterogeneous nuclei from one segment of mycelium to another through the formation of anastomoses or fusion of hyphae. Nuclear fusion does not occur in this case. The fusion of nuclei after their transition to another cell is called the parasexual process.
The fungal filaments grow by transverse division (the filaments do not divide along the cell). The cytoplasm of neighboring fungal cells forms a single whole - there are holes in the partitions between the cells.
Nutrition
Most mushrooms look like long threads that absorb nutrients over their entire surface. Fungi absorb the necessary substances from living and dead organisms, from soil moisture and water from natural reservoirs.
Fungi release substances that break apart molecules organic matter into parts that the fungus can absorb.
But under certain conditions, it is more beneficial for the body to be a thread (like a mushroom) rather than a lump (cyst) like a bacterium. Let's check if this is true.
Let's follow the bacteria and the growing thread of the fungus. A strong sugar solution is shown brown, weak - light brown, water without sugar - white.
We can conclude: the filamentous organism, growing, may end up in places rich in food. The longer the thread, the greater the supply of substances that saturated cells can spend on the growth of the fungus. All hyphae behave as parts of one whole, and sections of the fungus, once in places rich in food, feed the entire fungus.
Molds
Molds settle on moist remains of plants and, less commonly, animals. One of the most common molds is mucor, or capitate mold. The mycelium of this fungus in the form of the finest white hyphae can be found on stale bread. Mucor hyphae are not separated by septa. Each hypha is one highly branched cell with several nuclei. Some branches of the cell penetrate into the substrate and absorb nutrients, while others rise upward. At the top of the latter, black round heads are formed - sporangia, in which spores are formed. Ripe spores are spread by air currents or with the help of insects. Once in favorable conditions, the spore grows into a new mycelium (mycelium).
The second representative of mold fungi is penicillium, or blue mold. The mycelium penicillium consists of hyphae divided by transverse partitions into cells. Some hyphae rise upward, and branches resembling brushes are formed at their ends. At the end of these branches, spores are formed, with the help of which penicillium reproduces.
Yeast mushrooms
Yeasts are single-celled, immobile organisms of oval or elongated shape, 8-10 microns in size. True mycelium is not formed. The cell has a nucleus, mitochondria, many substances (organic and inorganic) accumulate in the vacuoles, and redox processes occur in them. Yeast accumulates volutin in cells. Vegetative propagation by budding or division. Sporulation occurs after repeated reproduction by budding or division. It occurs more easily when there is a sharp transition from abundant nutrition to insignificant nutrition, when oxygen is supplied. The number of spores in a cell is paired (usually 4-8). In yeast, the sexual process is also known.
Yeasts, or yeasts, are found on the surface of fruits and on carbohydrate-containing plant residues. Yeast differs from other fungi in that it does not have a mycelium and consists of single, mostly oval cells. In a sugary environment, yeast causes alcoholic fermentation, which results in the release of ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide:
C 6 H 12 O 6 → 2C 2 H 5 OH + 2CO 2 + energy.
This process is enzymatic and occurs with the participation of a complex of enzymes. The released energy is used by yeast cells for vital processes.
Yeast reproduces by budding (some species by division). When budding occurs, a bulge resembling a kidney forms on the cell.
The nucleus of the mother cell divides, and one of the daughter nuclei becomes a bulge. The bulge grows quickly, turns into an independent cell and separates from the mother one. With very rapid budding, the cells do not have time to separate and the result is short, fragile chains.
At least ¾ of all mushrooms are saprophytes. The saprophytic method of nutrition is associated primarily with products of plant origin (the acidic reaction of the environment and the composition of organic substances of plant origin are more favorable for their life).
Symbiont fungi are associated primarily with higher plants, bryophytes, algae, and less often with animals. An example would be lichens and mycorrhiza. Mycorrhiza is the coexistence of a fungus with the roots of a higher plant. The fungus helps the plant to absorb hard-to-reach humus substances, promotes the absorption of mineral nutrition elements, helps with carbohydrate metabolism with its enzymes, activates the enzymes of higher plants, and binds free nitrogen. From a higher plant, the fungus apparently receives nitrogen-free compounds, oxygen and root secretions, which promote the germination of spores. Mycorrhiza is very common among higher plants; it is not found only in sedges, cruciferous plants and aquatic plants.
Ecological groups of fungi
Soil mushrooms
Soil fungi are involved in the mineralization of organic matter, the formation of humus, etc. This group includes fungi that enter the soil only during certain periods of life, and fungi of the rhizosphere of plants that live in the zone of their root system.
Specialized soil fungi:
- coprophylls- mushrooms that live on soils rich in humus (dung heaps, places where animal droppings accumulate);
- keratinophylls- fungi that live on hair, horns, hooves;
- xylophytes- fungi that decompose wood, among them there are destroyers of living and dead wood.
House mushrooms
House mushrooms are destroyers of wooden parts of buildings.
Aquatic mushrooms
These include the group of mycorrhizal symbiont fungi.
Fungi growing on industrial materials (metal, paper and products made from them)
Cap mushrooms
Cap mushrooms settle on forest soil rich in humus and obtain water, mineral salts and some organic substances from it. They get some of their organic matter (carbohydrates) from trees.
The mycelium is the main part of every mushroom. Fruiting bodies develop on it. The cap and stem consist of mycelium threads tightly adjacent to each other. In the stem, all the threads are the same, and in the cap they form two layers - the upper one, covered with skin, colored with different pigments, and the lower one.
In some mushrooms, the bottom layer consists of numerous tubes. Such mushrooms are called tubular. In others, the lower layer of the cap consists of radially arranged plates. Such mushrooms are called lamellar. Spores form on the plates and on the walls of the tubes, with the help of which the fungi reproduce.
The hyphae of the mycelium entwine the roots of trees, penetrate them and spread between the cells. A cohabitation that is beneficial for both plants is established between the mycelium and plant roots. The fungus supplies plants with water and mineral salts; By replacing root hairs on the roots, the tree gives up some of its carbohydrates to it. Only with such a close connection of the mycelium with certain tree species is the formation of fruiting bodies in cap mushrooms possible.
Education dispute
Special cells called spores form in the tubes or on the plates of the cap. Ripe small and light spores spill out and are picked up and carried by the wind. They are spread by insects and slugs, as well as squirrels and hares that eat mushrooms. The spores are not digested in the digestive organs of these animals and are thrown out along with the droppings.
In moist, humus-rich soil, fungal spores germinate and mycelium threads develop from them. A mycelium arising from a single spore can form new fruiting bodies only in rare cases. In most species of fungi, fruiting bodies develop on myceliums formed by fused cells of filaments originating from different spores. Therefore, the cells of such a mycelium are binuclear. The mycelium grows slowly, and only after accumulating reserves of nutrients does it form fruiting bodies.
Most species of these fungi are saprophytes. They develop on humus soil, dead plant debris, and some on manure. The vegetative body consists of hyphae that form a mycelium located underground. During development, umbrella-like fruiting bodies grow on the mycelium. The stump and cap consist of dense bundles of mycelium threads.
In some mushrooms, on the underside of the cap, plates diverge radially from the center to the periphery, on which the basidia develop, and in them the spores are hymenophores. Such mushrooms are called lamellar. Some types of fungi have a veil (a film of infertile hyphae) that protects the hymenophores. When the fruiting body ripens, the covering breaks and remains in the form of a fringe along the edges of the cap or a ring on the stem.
In some mushrooms the hymenophore has a tubular shape. These are tubular mushrooms. Their fruiting bodies are fleshy, rot quickly, are easily damaged by insect larvae, and eaten by slugs. Cap mushrooms reproduce by spores and parts of mycelium (mycelium).
Chemical composition of mushrooms
IN fresh mushrooms water makes up 84-94% of the total mass.
Mushroom proteins are digested only 54-85% - worse than other proteins plant products. Absorption is hampered by poor protein solubility. Fats and carbohydrates are absorbed very well. Chemical composition depends on the age of the mushroom, its condition, type, growing conditions, etc.
The role of mushrooms in nature
Many mushrooms grow together with the roots of trees and grasses. Their cooperation is mutually beneficial. Plants provide sugar and proteins to the fungi, and the fungi destroy the dead remains of plants in the soil and absorb water with the dissolved water in it over the entire surface of the hyphae. minerals. Roots fused with fungi are called mycorrhiza. Most trees and grasses form mycorrhizae.
Fungi play the role of destroyers in ecosystems. They destroy dead wood and leaves, plant roots and animal carcasses. They convert all dead remains into carbon dioxide, water and mineral salts - something that plants can absorb. As they feed, the mushrooms gain weight and become food for animals and other mushrooms.
The most necessary things for every mushroom picker are a mushroom picker's calendar and a mushroom guide. After checking with mushroom calendar, you can easily understand which mushrooms to pick at this particular time. Despite the fact that the timing of the appearance of a particular type of mushroom is not constant and depends on weather conditions, each mushroom has its own specific dates for the beginning and end of the season. These are what the mushroom picker’s calendar for 2017 contains. If you have forgotten the main differences poisonous mushrooms from edible, be sure to refresh your memory by looking at the mushroom guide.
Mushroom picker calendar for summer
- Mushrooms in June. According to the mushroom picker's calendar, in the first ten days of June, those who like to pick mushrooms should look for boletus in the pine forest, and boletus mushrooms in the birch groves. In the second half of June, the mushroom season begins for white mushrooms. Pogruzdki are fruitful mushrooms; they are collected all summer and until late autumn.
- Mushrooms in July. In early July, the season of saffron milk caps begins, and at the end of the first ten days of July, the most desirable for mushroom pickers are porcini mushrooms. At the same time, according to the calendar, the first russula appear - the most productive mushrooms. They can be found in almost any forest from July until late autumn frosts. In the second half of July in coniferous and mixed forests milk mushrooms begin to appear, black milk mushrooms, and at the edges and forest clearings Mushroom pickers are delighted with chanterelles and pigs.
- Mushrooms in August. August is considered the most mushroom month. In fruitful years, mushroom pickers in August collect porcini mushrooms, milk mushrooms, saffron milk caps, boletus mushrooms, porcini mushrooms, russula, boletus and other mushrooms in baskets. At the beginning of August, the first honey mushrooms appear, and in the middle of the month - moths and white mushrooms. Second half of August and first ten days of September - best time for collecting mushrooms.
Mushroom picker calendar for autumn
- Gibs in September. Mushroom pickers are happy in September. As the mushroom picker’s calendar says: many summer mushrooms continue to grow, while at the same time they appear in large numbers autumn mushrooms. In the second half of September, some species of mushrooms disappear, but honey mushrooms, volushkas, white mushrooms, boletus mushrooms, pigworts, and white cape mushrooms are still abundant.
- Mushrooms in October. At the end of October, you can postpone the mushroom picker's calendar until next year, because the mushroom season is ending. In the second ten days of October, when the average daily air temperature drops to 4-5 degrees Celsius and night frosts begin, the mushroom picking season will end. However, you can still find young honey mushrooms preserved under the foliage and grass of saffron milk caps, saffron milk caps and white mushrooms.
Mushroom picker calendar for 2017
The mushroom picker's phenological calendar will come to the aid of beginning mushroom pickers. The mushroom picker's calendar marks the most popular mushrooms and the period when to collect these mushrooms in the forest. Of course, everything depends on the region and the weather in each season, but the mushroom picker’s calendar fully provides some of the useful knowledge of when to pick mushrooms. You will also find it useful
| What mushrooms to collect |
When to pick mushrooms |
||||||
| April | May | June | July | August | September | October | |
| Morels | + | + | + | - | - | - | - |
| Stitches | + | + | + | - | - | - | - |
| May mushroom | - | + | + | - | - | - | - |
| Oyster mushroom | - | + | + | + | + | + | + |
| Meadow honey fungus | - | - | + | + | + | + | - |
| boletus | - | - | + | + | + | + | - |
| Oiler grainy | - | - | - | + | + | + | - |
| Summer honey fungus | - | - | + | + | + | + | + |
| The fox is real | - | - | - | + | + | + | - |
| Porcini | - | - | + | + | + | + | + |
| Boletus | - | - | + | + | + | + | + |
| Pluteus deer | - | - | + | + | + | + | + |
| Spiky raincoat | - | + | + | + | + | + | + |
| Common champignon | - | - | + | + | + | + | - |
| Field champignon | - | - | - | - | + | + | - |
| Valuy | - | - | - | + | + | + | - |
| Funnel talker | - | - | - | + | + | + | - |
| White umbrella mushroom | - | - | - | + | + | + | - |
| Variegated umbrella mushroom | - | - | - | + | + | + | + |
| Real milk mushroom | - | - | - | - | + | + | - |
| Poddubovik | - | - | - | + | + | + | - |
| Ivyshen | - | - | - | - | + | + | + |
| Loader white | - | - | - | - | + | + | - |
| Loader black | - | - | - | - | + | + | - |
| Fat pig | - | - | - | - | + | + | - |
| Russula yellow, food, etc. |
- | + | + | + | + | + | - |
| Green moss | - | - | + | + | + | + | + |
| Yellow hedgehog | - | - | - | - | + | + | - |
| Ringed cap | - | - | - | + | + | + | - |
| Larch oiler | - | - | - | + | + | + | - |
| Volnushka pink | - | - | - | - | + | + | + |
| Black breast | - | - | - | + | + | + | + |
| Spruce green camelina | - | - | - | - | + | + | + |
| Pine mushroom | - | - | - | - | + | + | + |
| Gray talker | - | - | - | - | + | + | - |
| Late oiler | - | - | - | - | + | + | - |
| Winter mushroom | - | - | - | - | - | + | + |
| Loader black and white | - | - | - | - | - | + | + |
| Polish mushroom | - | - | - | - | + | - | - |
| Autumn oyster mushroom | - | - | - | - | - | + | - |
| Gray row | - | - | - | - | - | + | - |
| Autumn stitch | - | - | - | - | - | + | + |
| Autumn honey fungus | - | - | - | - | - | + | + |
| Row purple | - | - | - | - | + | + | - |
| Greenfinch | - | - | - | - | + | + | + |
| Hygrophor brown | - | - | - | - | - | + | + |
Mushroom picker calendar 2017
for the Moscow region and central Russia
| Types of mushrooms | May | June | July | August | September | October | ||||||||||||
| Decades | ||||||||||||||||||
| I | II | III | I | II | III | I | II | III | I | II | III | I | II | III | I | II | III | |
| Morel | ||||||||||||||||||
| Porcini | ||||||||||||||||||
| Boletus | ||||||||||||||||||
| boletus | ||||||||||||||||||
| Chanterelle | ||||||||||||||||||
| Oiler | ||||||||||||||||||
| Mosswort | ||||||||||||||||||
| Honey fungus | ||||||||||||||||||
| Ryzhik | ||||||||||||||||||
| Volnushka | ||||||||||||||||||
| Gruzd | ||||||||||||||||||
| Valuy | ||||||||||||||||||
| Russula | ||||||||||||||||||
| Champignon | ||||||||||||||||||
| Belyanka (white volnushka) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Gorkushka | ||||||||||||||||||
| Greenfinch | ||||||||||||||||||
| Serushka | ||||||||||||||||||
| Kozlyak | ||||||||||||||||||
| Raincoat | ||||||||||||||||||
| Cap | ||||||||||||||||||
| Ryadovka | ||||||||||||||||||
| Violin | ||||||||||||||||||
Mushroom picker calendar 2017
for the Leningrad region and northern places of Russia
The mushroom season in the forests of the Leningrad region is from August to November. Mushroom places There are countless varieties in the Leningrad region, the main thing is to know when to pick this or that mushroom. The mushroom picker calendar for the Leningrad region will help with this. Edible mushrooms in the Leningrad region are varied: these are bright aspen boletuses and delicious boletus mushrooms, valuable porcini mushrooms and boletus mushrooms, red chanterelles, slippery boletus and moss mushrooms, as well as milk mushrooms, milk mushrooms and honey mushrooms. If you check the mushroom picker’s calendar, you can pick up delicious morels, puffballs, and russula. Don’t be lazy, if the weather is right after the rain, look at the mushroom calendar and get ready for a mushroom trip. Refer to the mushroom picker calendar below for the Leningrad region.
| Mushroom picker calendar for the Leningrad region | ||
| When to pick mushrooms | What mushrooms to collect | Where to pick mushrooms |
| March | Oyster mushroom, tree mushrooms, talker | There are practically no mushrooms, but at the end of the month the first snowdrops may appear. If the winter is warm, you can find fresh oyster mushrooms. Oyster mushrooms usually grow on trees, the cap of such a mushroom is one-sided or rounded, the plates run down to the stem, as if growing to it. It is not difficult to distinguish oyster mushrooms from inedible mushrooms - it has a cap that is completely leathery to the touch. |
| April | Oyster mushroom, tree mushrooms, govorushka, morel, stitch | Snowdrop mushrooms are quite common - morels and stitches |
| May | Morel, stitch, oil can, oyster mushroom, raincoat | Most mushrooms can be found not under trees, but in clearings, in thick grass. |
| June | Oiler, boletus, boletus, oyster mushroom, morel, honey fungus, chanterelle, porcini mushroom, puffball | In June, mushrooms of the highest (first) category begin to appear. |
| July | Oiler, boletus, boletus, oyster mushroom, morel, puffball, honey fungus, chanterelle, porcini mushroom, moss mushroom | There are already quite a lot of mushrooms - both in the clearings and under the trees. In addition to mushrooms, strawberries and blueberries are already found. |
| August | Oiler, boletus, boletus, oyster mushroom, morel, honey fungus, chanterelle, porcini mushroom, moss mushroom | At this time, mushrooms can be found almost everywhere: in the grass, under trees, near stumps, in ditches and on trees, and even in city squares and on the sides of roads. In addition to mushrooms, lingonberries have already ripened, and cranberries are appearing in the swamps. |
| September | Oiler, boletus, boletus, oyster mushroom, morel, honey mushroom, chanterelle, porcini mushroom, moss mushroom, | September is the most productive month for mushrooms. But you need to be careful: autumn is coming to the forests, and in the bright foliage it is difficult to see the multi-colored mushroom caps. |
| October | Valuy, oyster mushroom, camelina, honey fungus, champignon, boletus, porcini mushroom, milk mushroom, moss mushroom, russula | The number of mushrooms in the clearings begins to decrease. In October, it is better to look for mushrooms near stumps and under trees. |
| November | Butterfly, greenfinch, oyster mushroom, tree mushrooms. | Frosts are beginning, but there is a high probability of finding frozen mushrooms. |
You will also find useful material about mushrooms with a mushroom picker’s calendar:
Mushroom key
There are no reliable methods for distinguishing edible and poisonous mushrooms by eye, so the only way out is to know each of the mushrooms. If the species identity of mushrooms is in doubt, you should under no circumstances eat them. Fortunately, among the hundreds of species found in nature, many have such clearly defined characteristics that it is difficult to confuse them with others. However, it is better to always have a mushroom identification guide on hand.
Mushroom Guide - How to distinguish edible mushrooms |
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| 1 - breast; 2 - saffron milk cap; 3 - cone mushroom; 4 - greenish russula; 5 - edible russula; 6 - fox. |
7 - oiler; 8 - morel; 9 - porcini mushroom; 10 - large umbrella; 11 - row; 12 - field champignon. |
Mushroom identification guide - How to distinguish poisonous mushrooms |
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| 1 - paneolus; 2 - gray float; 3 - glowing talker; 4 - common veselka; 5 - death cap; 6 - white fly agaric (spring). |
7 - red fly agaric; 8 - variegated champignon; 9 - russula emetic; 10 - value; 11 - entoloma |
Taking a mushroom guide and a mushroom picker's calendar with you as you make your way through the forest in search of mushrooms, you can entertain yourself with a conversation about mushrooms. Share interesting facts about mushrooms with your friends.
The most poisonous mushrooms
There are about one hundred species of mushrooms in Europe that are undoubtedly poisonous. Of these, only eight are deadly poisonous.
- The most poisonous mushroom is Galerina sulciceps, which grows in Java and Sri Lanka. Even one eaten fruit leads to death in half an hour or an hour.
- In Europe and North America, the most poisonous are the white (spring) fly agaric and the stinking fly agaric.
- The most poisonous and deadly to humans is the toadstool, for which no antidote has yet been found.
The largest edible mushrooms
The largest mushroom in the world grows in Malheur National Park in the Blue Mountains (Oregon, USA). This mushroom covers an area of 890 hectares. However, we are interested in edible mushrooms.
- The largest edible mushroom was discovered in Canada by Jean Guy Richard. The unique raincoat (Calvatia gigantean) had a circumference of 2.64 meters and a weight of 22 kilograms.
- The largest champigno was found in Italy by Francesco Quito in the province of Bari. The mushroom weighed 14 kilograms.
- The largest truffle found weighed even less - only 7 kilograms.
The most expensive mushrooms
- Of course, the most expensive mushrooms are truffles, white and black. Incredibly expensive white truffles grow mainly in Italy, in the Piedmont region. The Perigord black truffle or Tuber melanosporum is also considered a real masterpiece of nature.
- The matsutake mushroom competes with truffles for the title of the most expensive mushroom. This mushroom is often called the king of mushrooms due to its rich mushroom aroma and excellent taste. No one has yet managed to grow matsutake artificially, which is why the price for them has increased significantly, unlike truffles, which the Chinese have learned to successfully cultivate.
Now, thanks to the mushroom picker's calendar, you know what mushrooms to pick and when to pick them in the Moscow and Leningrad regions. A short mushroom guide will help you distinguish edible and poisonous mushrooms. Happy quiet hunting.
