Surprisingly tasty boletus mushroom. Typical representatives of boletus with description

Any admirer of “silent hunting” knows that each mushroom grows in its own time and only in places specially chosen by it. This rule also applies to boletus mushrooms, which have several other names: red mushroom, red mushroom, aspen mushroom, red mushroom.

Boletus is a bright and presentable mushroom.

Its location gives away its name. Although, it should be noted, experienced mushroom pickers claim that in pure aspen forests there are significantly fewer boletuses than in mixed forests, where oaks, birches, spruce, pine, and rowan grow next to aspens.

But this also plays into the hands of mushroom pickers, because sometimes it’s impossible to walk through aspen forests! And in a mixed forest, if it’s not easy, you can at least walk. Well, pick mushrooms. Moreover, boletuses are conspicuous mushrooms and their bright caps on high stems are easy to see. The main thing is to look at your feet carefully. After all, if one boletus catches your eye, you can definitely find several more nearby.

When do aspen boletuses appear?

Boletuses, like many mushrooms, grow in layers. The first mushrooms may appear as early as the beginning of June - together with other “spikelets,” as the mushrooms of the first layer are called, which begin to crawl out of the ground during earing of winter crops and haymaking.

But at this time there are still only a few boletus boletuses. Mushrooms appear en masse a little later, in July. And they are already growing, taking short breaks to rest, until October, almost until the first frost.

Inexperienced mushroom pickers are amazed by the abundance of colors of boletus caps, sometimes doubting whether it’s a toadstool asking for a basket instead of a boletus? But the boletus is such a unique mushroom that there is no other similar to it, much less poisonous.

In order not to make mistakes when picking mushrooms, mushroom pickers should know what this or that boletus looks like. The thing is that the color of boletuses directly depends on the place where they grow. That's why there are several forms of boletus.

Boletus yellow-brown considered the largest of the boletuses. In some adult specimens, the cap size reaches thirty centimeters in diameter! It has a yellow-brown hemispherical cap and a white leg covered with black-brown scales.

This mushroom grows in mixed forests, where, in addition to aspens, birch and spruce predominate.

Rocky, sandy or peaty soil is more favorable for it.

A distinctive feature of this boletus is that its dense, white flesh turns pink at the break and then turns purple.

The yellow-brown boletus appears in June and grows until October.

Red boletus most often grows in aspen forests from June to October.

It has a red or brownish-red cap with white, dense flesh, which turns purple at the break and later almost black. The stem of the mushroom is white with almost the same scales.

White boletus found in mixed forests where birch, aspen, and pine grow.

It appears in late summer and autumn.

This mushroom has a white cap and the same white stem. At the break, the flesh turns pink, and later becomes black-brown.

Oak boletus has a velvety red-brick cap. It grows in mixed forests dominated by aspens and oaks.

All boletuses love edges, clearings, and damp places. Boletuses grow in shady places, hiding under fern leaves.

Boletuses grow very quickly, but they deteriorate just as quickly. Therefore, young mushrooms are collected, which are called chelas. Young boletuses have a cap that looks like a thimble placed on a finger. Old boletuses, even if they are not wormy, are avoided, since they can begin to deteriorate while still in the basket.

Moreover, mushrooms strongly absorb harmful substances, especially radioactive ones, both from the soil and from the air.

Collected boletuses quickly deteriorate, so after collection they are immediately sorted, sorted and processed.

Boletuses are tasty both fresh and pickled, salted and dried.

They are rich in vitamins B1, C, D, PP, as well as microelements: phosphorus, sulfur, potassium, magnesium, sodium, calcium...

Dried boletus, like other tubular mushrooms, contains more protein than meat.

In terms of nutritional value, boletus belongs to the second category.

Look at the boletus mushroom in the photos, which demonstrate the richness of shades and colors:

To begin the description of the spruce boletus mushroom, it is worth starting with the fact that this mushroom is edible and has excellent nutritional value. The cap is 6-15 cm in diameter, hemispherical, then convex, fleshy. The surface of the cap is fine-fibrous, matte dark brown, brown, light brown. The skin does not come off. The tubular layer is first white, then beige, the pores in the tubes are dark gray. The leg is 7-15 cm long, 2-4 cm thick, fleshy white, covered with black scales. The pulp is dense white, later pinkish, at the break it becomes violet-gray or violet-black, when cut it turns purple-pink, and then gray-violet.

Look at the boletus mushroom in the photo and in the description, this information will allow you to accurately identify it in the forest:

Large harvests of spruce boletus are harvested in deciduous, mixed and pine forests.

The spruce boletus has no poisonous or inedible counterparts.

Thanks to its dense pulp, the spruce boletus is the best edible mushroom. The mushroom is rarely wormy.

Yellow-brown boletus is edible. The cap is up to 6-15 cm, red, at first hemispherical, then cushion-shaped, later convex, fleshy, finely fibrous, matte, moist in the rain, but not slimy. The skin does not come off. The tubular layer is initially white, then light grey-brown. The leg is 7-15 cm long, 2-4 cm thick, fleshy white, covered with brown scales. The pulp is dense white, when cut it turns rusty red-brown.

Found from July to October.

The dense pulp of the yellow-brown boletus makes it the best mushroom for cooking roasts, it fries little and does not stick to the pan. Pickled boletuses are tasty and beautiful. Boletuses are rarely wormy.

Blood red boletus in the photo

The mushroom is edible. The cap is up to 6-15 cm, red, at first hemispherical, then cushion-shaped, then cushion-shaped, later convex, fleshy, finely fibrous, matte, moist in the rain, but not slimy. The skin does not come off. The tubular layer is initially white, then light grey-brown. The leg is 7-15 cm long, 2-4 cm thick, fleshy white, covered with brown scales. The pulp is dense white, when cut it turns rusty red-brown.

Grows in coniferous and mixed forests. There is a lot of it on the banks of the Volga.

Found from July to October.

The blood-red boletus has no poisonous or inedible counterparts.

The dense flesh of the blood-red boletus is ideal for frying. Pickled boletuses are tasty and beautiful. Boletuses are rarely wormy.

The mushroom is edible. To begin the description of what the red boletus mushroom looks like, you need to say that its cap is up to 6-18 cm, matte orange, initially hemispherical, then cushion-shaped, later convex, fleshy, finely fibrous. The skin does not come off. The tubular layer is first white, then ocher. Leg 7-18 cm long, 2-4 cm thick, fleshy white, covered in at a young age white scales, later - brown scales. The pulp is dense white, when cut it turns pink-gray and then gray-blackish.

Look at what the boletus mushroom looks like in the photo, and let’s continue to study this species in detail:

Red boletus mushroom in the photo

Grows in forest belts with aspen and in birch groves, singly or in small groups. Forms mycorrhiza with birch and aspen.

Found from July to October.

The red boletus has no poisonous or inedible counterparts.

The dense pulp of red boletus is suitable for making soups and stews. Pickled boletuses are tasty and beautiful. Boletuses are rarely wormy.

Pine boletus mushroom in the photo

Pine boletus mushroom- edible. The cap is 6-18 cm, fleshy, finely fibrous orange-brown or yellow-brown, matte, moist in the rain, but not slimy, at first hemispherical, then cushion-shaped. The skin does not come off. The tubular layer is initially white, then light grey-brown. The leg is 7-15 cm long, 2-4 cm thick, fleshy white, covered with brown scales. The pulp is dense white, when cut it turns purple-pink and then gray-violet.

Where to look for boletus mushrooms in the nearby forest? Large harvests of pine boletus are harvested on moss-covered peat soils in pine forest. Forms mycorrhiza with pine: boletus mushrooms grow quite quickly and spread over vast territories. These are the main places where boletus mushrooms grow; you should look for them there and in this case you will never be left without prey.

Found from July to October.

The pine boletus has no poisonous or inedible counterparts.

The dense pulp makes the pine boletus the best mushroom for preparing any dishes. Pickled boletuses are tasty and beautiful. Boletuses are rarely wormy.

First forest beauties in bright hats under an aspen leaf can be found by mid-June. Not a single mushroom picker can pass by such a “trophy”, even those who came to “ quiet hunt"for the first time in my life. The boletus mushroom looks so bright and “juicy” - slender, bright and noticeable from afar. This “worthy” appearance is truly matched by the best mushroom qualities.

Boletus is a general name for a number of mushrooms of the genus Leccinum. Class Agaricomycetes, family Boletaceae. Other names: aspen mushroom, chelish, redhead, obabok, red mushroom.

Main types: red, yellow-brown and white. There are also oak, pine, black-scaled and painted-legged. Although the genus of the latter is controversial. Most of them can be immediately distinguished by their characteristic appearance - a “headdress” of orange-red tones (very rarely white), a stocky, fairly high leg with dark scales.

A special feature of any boletus is the flesh that turns blue when cut, not only the stems, but also the caps. Staining in Blue colour occurs due to the interaction of chemical compounds of quinometides from the juice of the mushroom with oxygen. When broken, they form chemical substances quinones, which consistently color the boletus cut and the entire pulp slightly pink, and then bright blue and black. Such changes do not pose a health hazard.

White

White boletus (Leccinum percandidum) or White aspen. The representative from the Red Book is considered a rare species.

• The size of the cap is 4-12 cm in diameter, can “reach” up to 25, fleshy. Ivory in color, cream or light brown, becoming yellowish with age. Dry to the touch, felt-like or bare. Sticky in wet weather. In young fruiting bodies, they are hemispherical in shape and gradually become cushion-shaped.
• Pulp white, compacted, yellowish or greenish closer to the base of the leg. At the site of the break it quickly turns blue, reaching a purple tint in the stem. Then it turns black.
• The leg is up to 15 cm long, 1-2.5 cm in girth. Club-shaped, thickened downwards. White, with oblong scales of the same color, which later acquire a dark, almost black color.
• The tubular layer is at first light milky, then acquires a shade of gray with orchid.

Yellow-brown

Yellow-brown boletus (Leccinum versipelle), otherwise red-brown, variegated boletus.

• The color of the cap ranges from yellow-brown to bright orange. The diameter of the surface can grow up to 25 and even 30 cm. The shape is hemispherical, gradually expanding into a pillow-like shape. The skin is slightly fluffy, dry, and with increasing humidity it becomes slightly sticky and may hang slightly over the edge of the cap.
• The pulp is light milky, strong, when cut it turns slightly pink, successively turns gray, then becomes pink-lilac, blue and violet-black.
• The length of the leg can reach 22 cm, thickness up to 5 cm in diameter. The shape resembles a mace, placed on the ground with the wide part. Covered with frequent longitudinal scales, gray-black along the entire length.
• The tubular layer is pale gray to orchid gray.

In the northern territories, such aspen trees grow up to 2 kg, and are rarely affected by worms.

Red

Red boletus (Leccinum aurantiacum) or Redhead. Other names: krasyuk, krasik, krasnik.

• Hat. Standard shape for boletuses. In span it grows from 4 to 20-25 cm. In small mushrooms it is practically “put on” the stem and gradually straightens. The surface is smooth or slightly velvety. The color depends on the place of collection. Mixed forests “color” the cap in orange or red-yellow, in aspen forests the mushroom “dresses” in dark red, and near poplars in different variations of whitish-gray shades.
• The pulp is no different from the yellow-brown boletus.
• Leg dimensions: height from 5 to 15 and maximum 28 cm, girth 1.5-5 cm. Cylindrical with thickening at the base. With longitudinal fibers of whitish brownish scales that darken to almost black color as they mature.
• The tubular layer is whitish with a gray coating, becoming yellowish or olive with age.

The red boletus differs from the yellow-brown one in its “solidity” and lighter scales along the leg.

Spreading

These mushrooms grow throughout almost the entire forest area, from Europe and the Caucasus to the Far East and Western Siberia. They are collected throughout the summer, from the beginning of June until September inclusive. Some species delight lovers until the first frost. They grow especially well in the wet season.

Mushrooms can take a fancy different places mixed and deciduous forests. One thing is for sure - where aspen boletuses grow, there are always cool breezes and there is no directly scorching sun. More about the preferences of the most known species can be viewed below.

Is there a false boletus? Mushroom look-alikes

Some mushroom lovers are afraid of being poisoned by false boletus. Others generally doubt that false boletus mushrooms exist in reality. Which one is right? There really is no such species.

All boletus “doubles” are edible and do not pose a health hazard. Let's see how this mushroom differs from each of them.

• Differences between boletus and boletus: red cap, thicker stem, cap flesh is denser, turns blue when broken throughout the mushroom and quickly turns black.
• U porcini mushroom pine shape: the leg is less thick, there are no scales on it.
• From Polish: red color of the cap (in Polish it is rich chestnut), the flesh is tougher. Polish is common only in oak groves and occasionally in conifers, while boletus is ubiquitous.

How to collect

White boletus, listed in the Red Book, should not be collected at all. By picking just one mushroom, a person will destroy thousands of spores, from which mycelium can develop.

As for the other representatives, it is best to collect them in young deciduous forests, although they also grow in mixed forests, but in smaller quantities. In hot and dry conditions, they actively “move” to aspen forests. Each species prefers its own growth sites, as mentioned earlier. The boletus grows in 3-6 days, so if you visit old gathering places twice a week, you can always stay with the “prey”.

The description of the boletus certainly includes a bright cap, but you need to keep in mind that this is not always the case. The less it gets sunlight, the lighter the shade can be. This fact should also be taken into account when collecting boletus mushrooms. The brightest caps can be immediately seen on the edges and in rare aspen trees. Even beginners who joyfully see the tall “handsome creatures” in the clearings will not pass by such mushrooms.

Collecting boletuses is not difficult, since they grow in “families” and, if you see one, you can pick up a whole “cart” at once, if you’re lucky. You need to cut at the base so as not to damage the mycelium. You should not take only old mushrooms, as they will have time to spoil before the mushroom picker brings them home.

Primary processing and preparation

Some housewives are faced with the question of what to do with blue mushrooms that are different from the boletuses they saw in the photographs? After harvesting, boletus mushrooms must be processed and cooked immediately! If the mushrooms have lain for more than two days, even in the refrigerator, all that remains is to throw them away.

If you plan to prepare them for salting, pickling or frying, you must first wash them, then clean them and remove possible worm damage, and then boil them in two waters. They do not wash it for drying, but they must clean it, preferably with a brush.

Small fruit bodies are good to pickle or salt; large ones are preferably fried, stewed or dried. Mushrooms have an excellent taste and go well with other foods, in particular potatoes, buckwheat and rice. Good in soups and salads. You can “roll” mushroom spawn.

When processed, all aspen trees darken, and when dried they almost turn black, unlike white ones, which do not change color when dried.

Nutritional qualities, benefits and harms

In addition to its wonderful taste, boletus is “praised” for other properties that make it useful for people:

• low calorie content (22 kcal) allows use in dietary nutrition;
• the taste is rich and original;
• protein content is higher than in meat;
• in terms of the amount of vitamin PP it can compete with the liver, and in group B with grain crops;
• lots of vitamin C.

Aspen trees retain their beneficial properties only if they are processed in a timely manner. Every 100 g of product contains 49% of the daily requirement of vitamin PP, 25% of vitamin B2, 20% of dietary fiber and a little more than 16% of potassium.

From the mushroom, the body can replenish its reserves of iron and phosphorus, potassium and vitamin A. Amino acids are absorbed without problems by almost 80%. Boletuses help during the recovery period after illness, strengthen the immune system, and when dried, fight cholesterol and cleanse blood vessels. Promote wound healing.

The benefits and harms of boletus, like any mushroom, depend on the state of the human body. Digestion of such a product occurs slowly, with additional stress on the kidneys, liver and stomach. Therefore, those who suffer from them should consume these mushrooms in limited quantities. Aspen mushrooms should not be given to children under 3 years of age, when the food digestion system has not yet fully adapted to all foods.

If storage times are not observed, even young mushrooms can cause poisoning. To prevent this from happening, take your health seriously.

Boletus is an amazing gift from our forests, healthy, tasty and nutritious. It is quite difficult to confuse it with other mushrooms, it is easy to prepare, and the aromas are impossible to forget. Collect boletus boletuses in your basket without hesitation (except for white boletus, which, as already mentioned, is a rare species and is listed in the Red Book). It is not for nothing that this mushroom occupies the second position in “importance” after the white one. This is a kind of “prime minister” of the mushroom kingdom!

He is also aspen or redhead - a combined name various types mushrooms of the genus Leccinum (lat. Leccinum) or Obabok. Young boletus with reddish caps are very noticeable in the forest. The boletus mushroom got its name due to the close connection between its mycelium and aspen, because it is in aspen forests that mushrooms are most often found. And also because of the obvious similarity of the color of the caps with the autumn color of aspen foliage.

Boletus - photo and description

All types of boletuses are characterized by a brightly colored cap, a stocky leg and a dense structure of the fruiting body.
The diameter of the cap, depending on the species, can range from 5 to 20 (sometimes 30) cm. At a young age, almost all types of redheads are distinguished by a hemispherical shape of the cap, which tightly compresses the top of the stem. The cap of a young red mushroom looks like a thimble placed on a finger. As the boletus grows, the cap acquires a convex, cushion-shaped shape; in completely overgrown mushrooms, it becomes noticeably flattened. The skin covering the cap is usually dry, sometimes velvety or felty; in some species it hangs from the edge of the cap and in most mushrooms is not removed.
The porous layer under the cap, characteristic of all members of the boletaceae family, has a thickness of 1 to 3 cm and can be pure white, greyish, yellow or brown.
Redhead mushrooms have mostly smooth, spindle-shaped spores, and the color of the powder obtained from mushroom spores can be ocher-brown or olive-brown. The flesh of the red mushroom cap is fleshy, elastic, with a dense structure; in the stem it is characterized by a longitudinal arrangement of fibers. Initially, the boletus pulp is white, but when cut it immediately turns blue and then turns black.

Where do boletuses (redheads) grow?

The boletus mushroom is one of the most common mushrooms, a favorite of mushroom pickers throughout the temperate forest zone of Eurasia and North America. Each boletus species has one or more mycorrhizal tree partners certain type, with the roots of which is in close symbiosis. Thus, boletuses grow not only under aspens, but also under other trees: spruce, birch, oak, beech, poplar, and willow.
Redhead mushrooms often grow in small groups, but are often found alone. Prefers moist, low-lying deciduous and mixed forests, shady thickets, are found in woodlands overgrown with grass, blueberries and ferns, in moss and along the sides of forest roads.

When do boletuses grow?

The boletus bears fruit at different times:

• spikelets grow from the end of June and the first week of July, but do not differ in abundance. TO this period fruiting species include yellow-brown boletus and white boletus. These are the first boletuses to appear in the forest.
• reapers begin to appear in mid-July, bear fruit until August-September and are distinguished by a rich harvest. These types of mushrooms include black-scaled boletus, red boletus, and oak boletus.
• deciduous appear from mid-September and are characterized by a long period of fruiting, right up to October frosts. Until mid-autumn, redhead pine and redhead spruce grow well, because the coniferous litter in the place where they grow is quite for a long time protects mycelium and already grown mushrooms from the cold.

Types of boletuses - photos and names

Most boletus species are edible and taste equally good. But for a more interesting mushroom hunt, it doesn’t hurt to know the differences and individual characteristics of the varieties of these mushrooms:

• Red boletus(lat. Leccinum aurantiacum) – edible mushroom, unlike other species of redheads, does not gravitate towards a specific mycorrhizal partner, but is in symbiosis with the most different types deciduous trees: aspen, poplar, willow, birch, beech, oak. The diameter of the cap ranges from 4 to 15 cm (sometimes up to 30 cm). The leg grows up to 5-15 cm and has a thickness of 1.5 to 5 cm. The color of the boletus cap can be red, red-brown or bright red. The skin is smooth or slightly velvety, tightly adjacent to the pulp. The surface of the stalk consists of gray-white scales that turn brown as the fungus grows.
  When cut, the red boletus turns blue and then turns black. Mushrooms grow in groups or singly in deciduous and mixed forests, especially abundantly in young aspen growth, as well as along ditches and forest paths. Red boletus is distributed throughout the Eurasian territory; in the tundra it grows under dwarf birch trees. It is found throughout the European part of Russia, as well as in the Caucasus, Siberia and Far East. The boletus collection season is from June to October.
• Yellow-brown (red-brown) boletus (variegated boletus)(lat. Leccinum versipelle)– edible mushroom, forms mycorrhiza with birch trees. Boletuses grow in lowland forest belts with a predominance of birch and aspen, in spruce-birch forests, as well as in pine forests in all regions with a temperate climate. The diameter of the cap is usually 5-15 cm, but can reach up to 25 cm. The leg of the yellow-brown boletus is tall, up to 8-22 cm, about 2-4 cm thick. The cap is painted sandy-orange or yellowish-brown.
  The dry skin of young mushrooms often hangs over the edge of the cap. The leg is white or grayish, covered with granular scales Brown, which turn black with age. Most often it grows singly. The cut flesh of the boletus turns pink, then blue, with a clear purple tint, and sometimes turns green in the stem. The collection time for boletuses is from June to September. Sometimes red-brown boletus grows until the end of autumn.
• White boletus(lat. Leccinum percandidum)– edible mushroom, grows in moist, coniferous forests with an admixture of birch, in dry seasons- in the aspen thickets. The cap of a young mushroom is white, becomes grayish-brown with age, and often reaches 20-25 cm in diameter. The flesh of the boletus is strong; when cut, the boletus turns blue and then turns black. The leg is tall, creamy white, covered with light scales.
  White boletus- enough rare view, found in the vicinity of Moscow, St. Petersburg, Murmansk and Penza, as well as in Chuvashia, Komi, Siberia, the Baltic countries, western Europe and North America. White boletuses grow from June to September.
• Oak redcap(lat. Leccinum quercinum)- edible mushroom, looks very similar common boletus and is in close mycorrhizal contact with oak roots. The diameter of the cap is from 8 to 15 cm. The leg grows up to 15 cm with a thickness of up to 1.5-3 cm. The color of the cap is coffee brown with an orange tint. The leg is covered with small red-brown scales. Oak boletuses grow like summer months, and in the fall in any forest areas temperate climate northern hemisphere.
• (lat. Harrya chromapes, Tylopilus chromapes, Leccinum chromapes)– an edible mushroom, belongs to the genus Harrya and is very different from other redheads. The cap is flat or convex with a characteristic pinkish color. The leg is covered with red or pink scales.
  The white-pink color of the upper part of the leg gradually turns into ocher-yellow at the base. This species of boletus can be found in eastern North America, in Costa Rica, in the countries eastern Asia. Forms mycorrhiza with foliage and coniferous trees. Insects are very fond of this edible mushroom, so it is often wormy. The collection time for boletuses is from late spring to late summer.
• Redhead pine(lat. Leccinum vulpinum)- an edible mushroom, differs from its fellows by a red-brown cap with a bright dark crimson hue. It prefers pine and bearberry as mycorrhizal partners. The dry velvety cap has a diameter of up to 15 cm or more. The length of the leg reaches 15 cm, thickness up to 5 cm. The leg of the redhead is covered with small, brownish scales. The cut boletus pulp first turns blue, then turns black. A fairly common species, but less common than the red boletus, with which it is often confused. Redhead pine grows in damp coniferous forests throughout the temperate zone of Europe.
• Black-scaled boletus (lat. Leccinum atrostipiatum)- edible mushroom. The mushroom cap is red-orange, dark reddish or brick-red. The young mushroom is dry and slightly velvety, semicircular in shape. Later it becomes smooth, cushion-shaped, 4-12 cm in diameter. The leg is 13-18 cm high and covered with reddish scales. The flesh of the boletus is hard, white, and when broken it immediately changes color to purple or gray-black.
• Redhead spruce(lat. Leccinum piceinum)- an edible mushroom with a cap of a rich brownish-chestnut color. The skin of the cap hangs slightly over its edge, the cylinder-shaped leg is covered with light brown scales and slightly widens towards its base.
  The diameter of the cap is 3-10 cm. The flesh is dense, white, and forms dark spots at the break. The length of the stem is 8-14 cm, the thickness of the stem is 1.5-3 cm. Spruce boletuses grow in groups and are found in coniferous forests (usually under spruce trees), oak forests, and mixed plantings. Boletus collection can be carried out from July to October.

False boletus - description and photo. How to distinguish boletus?

Boletus mushroom- not only one of the most beautiful mushrooms, but also the safest. Almost all boletuses, without exception, are edible, and knowing the mushrooms by sight, you can safely collect them without fear of poisoning. Although cases of poisoning from raw and cooked boletus have been reported in North America, this moment There is no exact information which of the boletus species growing in America are poisonous.
And yet, mushroom pickers have questions about whether there is a false boletus, what it looks like and how to distinguish an edible boletus from a false one. In fact, false boletus does not exist. The only thing is that boletus can be confused with gall fungus(gorchak), which in principle does not look like a real redhead.
The gall mushroom has a bitter taste, turns pink or brown when cut and has a brown mesh on the stem. Boletus has a pleasant taste, black scales on the stem and turns blue when cut.

Boletus - benefits and medicinal properties.

Boletuses are stewed and boiled, pickled and fried, frozen and dried - in any form these gifts of the forest are good and tasty. To prevent boletuses from darkening (turning black), they are soaked in a 0.5% citric acid solution before cooking.
What are the benefits of boletus for the human body?

• Like most mushrooms, 90% of the mass of boletus consists of water. Proteins make up about 4%, fiber - up to 2%, carbohydrates account for 1.5%, fats contain no more than 1%, and 1.5% of the composition of the mushroom comes from minerals.
• The calorie content of boletus is only 22 kcal, so this mushroom can be considered as one of the components dietary nutrition. Combined with zero glycemic index, these red mushrooms are recommended for people suffering from diabetes.
• Boletus protein contains a significant amount of essential amino acids for humans, which are absorbed by the body by 80%. In this beneficial property, mushroom proteins are similar to animals, so broth from young boletuses is deservedly compared to meat broth.

A significant amount of vitamins was found in redheads: according to the content of vitamin B boletus mushrooms can be compared with cereals, and the amount of vitamin PP is the same as in the liver. Boletus also contains vitamins A and C.
The predominant substance in the mineral composition of the red cap is potassium; to a lesser extent, the pulp of the mushroom contains magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, sodium and iron.

• Scientists have proven that regular consumption of boletus helps remove toxins and waste from the body.
• Boletus broth will help restore immunity after viral diseases, and also has a beneficial effect on blood composition in anemia.

Boletus - harm and contraindications

• Do not forget that any edible mushroom is a heavy food, so it is not recommended to overuse mushroom dishes. People suffering from kidney and liver failure should completely exclude boletus from their diet.
• Despite their beneficial features, boletus mushrooms tend to accumulate more than other mushrooms from environment harmful substances and heavy metals that can lead to poisoning. Therefore, you should not collect overgrown mushrooms, as well as any mushrooms growing along busy highways and near industrial enterprises.
• To avoid botulism, which is caused by soil bacteria, boletus should be cut higher, leaving the mycelium and part of the stem in the soil, and the whole home canning All mushrooms must undergo thorough heat treatment.
• If the boletus tastes bitter, it means you have confused it with another mushroom - perhaps a gall mushroom.

• The boletus mushroom is almost impossible to confuse with any poisonous mushroom: its spectacular bright cap, crowning the leg, stands out in the forest thicket.
• In some countries of North America, boletus is used to prepare National dish on wedding ceremony: the caps of young redheads are stewed with paprika and clove buds, flavored with spices and served to the young ones in a necessarily new clay pot. It is believed that such food forever seals the union of newlyweds.

When going on a “silent hunt”, every mushroom picker would like to find boletus, since it is highly valued for its taste qualities. But to collect this valuable mushroom, you need to know where boletuses grow and what they look like.

General information about boletus

Each mushroom has a different taste and appearance. Thus, the boletus is a beautiful, noble mushroom with a bright cap (on average 5 cm) on a large thick stem (stretches up to 20 cm). IN different regions They call it “redhead”, “krasnyuk”, “aspen mushroom”, “red mushroom”. Such names give an idea of ​​what the boletus looks like and where it can be found. Firstly, with a red hat. But still, depending on the place where it grows, external characteristics may change. It is important to note that young specimens bear little resemblance to mature redheads.

Secondly, from the name you can understand where boletuses grow - near aspen trees. But experienced mushroom pickers note that redhead is not so common in aspen forests. Usually he chooses

When can boletuses be found?

Like most other mushrooms, these too grow in layers. The mushrooms of the first layer are called “spike mushrooms” because they begin to be collected at the time when winter crops are harvested. This usually happens in early June. That's when the first boletuses begin to appear. But this harvest is usually scarce, and if you are lucky, the mushroom picker will find a few pieces. But already in July, redheads begin to emerge from the ground en masse. With short breaks they grow until the first October frosts.

What if it's a toadstool?!

Beginning mushroom pickers may not have a very clear idea of ​​what boletus looks like and may be frightened by the vibrant variety that they encounter while “hunting.” Doubt may arise: what if it is a toadstool. Interestingly, the boletus is amazing mushroom and, knowing what it looks like, it is simply impossible to confuse it with another, especially with a poisonous fellow.

But still, in order not to doubt and know what kind of mushroom you cut, you need to find out what the redhead looks like. Interestingly, the color of the cap depends entirely on where the boletus grows. So, several types of these mushrooms can be distinguished.

Yellow-brown boletus

This representative is the largest of the boletuses. Sometimes you can find an already mature mushroom whose cap has reached 30 centimeters in diameter. A hemispherical boletus cap rests on a white stalk with black-brown scales. If you have doubts whether it is the same mushroom, you can look at the fracture. Its white, dense flesh should turn pink and gradually turn purple.

This type of boletus is found in mixed forests, where mainly aspen, spruce and birch grow. The mushroom loves sandy, peaty or rocky soils.

Red boletus

This representative is distinguished by a rich red, sometimes brownish cap. The stem of the mushroom is white, with light scales. Its flesh is dense. It appears at the fracture but gradually darkens and acquires an almost black tint. This beauty can be found in a young aspen forest from July to October. If the summer turns out to be hot, red boletus can be found near perennial aspens.

White boletus

The name of this mushroom suggests that both the cap and the stem are white, but only when young. Over time, the cap becomes gray, and when mature it is dirty gray with a brown tint. The fracture acquires a pink or bluish color, gradually becoming brownish-black. It can be found in late summer, and collection continues in the fall. with white hats? These mushrooms love mixed forests, where the predominant trees are pine, birch and aspen.

Oak boletus

This mushroom differs from other boletus mushrooms in its velvety red-brick-colored cap. It is usually found in mixed oak-aspen forests.

Regardless of the species, the boletus in the forest chooses clearings, edges and slightly damp areas. It can be found under ferns and in shaded corners. If you come across one boletus, look for its “relatives” nearby.

Features of boletuses

Redheads grow quite quickly. But they also soon become unusable and wormy, and that is why it is better to collect them as young mushrooms (experienced mushroom pickers call young mushrooms chelishami). As already mentioned, chelyshis do not at all look like an adult mushroom. Young specimens resemble a thimble placed on a finger. If the boletus is already old, it is better not to touch it, since it may begin to deteriorate on the way home, in the basket. Mushrooms also tend to absorb radioactive substances from the soil and air. How older mushroom, the more he managed to accumulate harmful elements.

Boletus mushroom: description of beneficial properties

Redhead quickly darkens when cut, and this explains its chemical composition. These mushrooms are very tasty and healthy. It contains proteins, dietary fiber, proteins, fatty acids, fats, B vitamins, carbohydrates, disaccharides, monosaccharides. Boletus can also enrich the body with potassium, calcium, iron, and phosphorus. The protein found in this mushroom is easily digestible.

After harvesting, it is important to immediately go home and begin processing the mushrooms, as they quickly begin to deteriorate. If you put boletus in the refrigerator, they will disappear. Brought mushrooms can be pickled, dried, salted, or immediately prepared for some dish. It is worth noting that after cooking the mushroom becomes black in color, but you should not be afraid of this, since this phenomenon is quite natural for boletus.