What you need to know about porcini mushrooms. Porcini mushroom Collection time for porcini mushrooms in the middle zone

A special delicacy on any table is the porcini mushroom - not only tasty, but also healthy. It can be used not only for food, but also as a medicinal product. For a mushroom picker, it is important not to make a mistake in choosing - to look at the handsome one among the forest grass and be able to distinguish it from its skillfully camouflaged poisonous and inedible counterparts.

Porcini or boletus (Boletus edulis) belongs to the class Agaricomycetes, genus Boletus, family Boletaceae. It has many names: cow, bear, wood grouse, belevik and others. Classified as edible.

The cap is convex in shape, gradually becoming flatter, with a span of up to 30 cm. The outer part is usually smooth, but may have wrinkles and cracks in hot weather. During high humidity with a small mucous layer, shiny when dry.

The color of the porcini mushroom cap varies depending on where it grows:

  • among pine trees - closer to chocolate, perhaps pink edging;
  • in a spruce forest - brown with a coffee, sometimes green tint;
  • Near deciduous trees– light, light walnut, yellow ocher.

The pulp is dense, in newly emerging specimens it is light, turning yellow with age. When cut, the color does not change. It has a weak taste and smell when raw. A special pleasant aroma spreads during cooking or drying.

The stem of the mushroom is 8-12 cm high, up to 7 cm thick. The shape is “barrel” or “club”, elongated in aging specimens, thickened at the base. The surface shades are brown with whitish or reddish tints. The reticular layer is light, most often located closer to the cap. Rarely is it mild or absent altogether.

The tubular layer is from light in young to yellowish and greenish in older individuals; it comes off easily from the flesh of the cap.

Distribution and collection season

They grow next to many trees, but most of all they love the “community” of pine forests, birch or oak groves, and spruce forests.

In the fall, the boron form friendly shares space with the green russula in the oak forest and with the chanterelle next to the birches, appearing at the same time as the greenfinch.

There is a high probability of finding such whites in pine trees that are 20-25 years old, or pine forests that are at least 50 years old and covered with moss and lichen.

The best temperature for mushroom growth is in summer months 15-18 degrees Celsius, and in September 8-10. Serious temperature changes and rain inhibit the development of mycelium. White hare grows best after minor thunderstorms and foggy, warm nights.

They like soils with the presence of sand and loam, without excess water. Peat bogs and swampy areas are excluded. They also do not like hot places, although they prefer good lighting.

You can meet the hare on all continents except Australia. It grows especially actively in Europe, northern America and even Africa. In Asia it reaches Japan and China. In Russian forests - almost everywhere, reaching the tundra and Chukotka, but is not found in the steppes. Doesn’t like to “climb mountains” too much.

Fruiting occurs solitary, closer to autumn days - in clusters.

Porcini mushrooms grow in seasons: in more temperate climatic latitudes - from mid-June to the end of September, the most mushroom time is from the fifteenth of August. Where it is warmer, it may appear by the end of May and not disappear until October.

Species diversity and description

Scientists have counted 18 forms among white hare, but the average amateur will not want to climb into such jungle. And it’s possible to meet some only on other hemispheres of the planet. Therefore, let’s take a closer look at what grows in the forests of Russia.

Spruce

Spruce porcini mushroom (Boletus edulis f. edulis) has large sizes, up to 2 kg one copy. The hat is chestnut-brown or “brick with a red tint”, in the form of a hemisphere, turning into a plane over time. The top is wrinkled and velvety to the touch. In young mushrooms, the edges are slightly turned inward.

The tubes are white, gradually appearing yellow-green. Leg height 6-20 cm, thickness 2-5. The mesh layer is located closer to the cap.

Distribution and collection time

Collection is possible from early June to early October in spruce-pine and mixed forests– wild and park. They love the proximity to spruce.

Oak

The porcini oak mushroom (Boletus quercicola) has a cap most often of a coffee-gray color, with possible light inclusions, with a diameter of 5-20 cm, fleshy and dense. With age, it gradually begins to wrinkle. As humidity increases, the surface becomes shiny and slightly slimy.

The leg is widened or club-shaped, 6-20 cm high and 2-6 cm in diameter. The inner part is more fragile than that of other species.

Where and in what season is it collected?

Oak porcini mushrooms grow from May to October next to oak trees and mixed vegetation in the middle and southern zone of the center of the country, the forests of the Caucasus, and Primorye. They spread widely, sometimes in clusters.

Birch

Birch porcini mushroom (Boletus betulicola) – the fruiting body is much larger than that of its other counterparts. The cap reaches 5-15 cm in diameter, but at times grows to 25-27 cm. The color is light - from white to light coffee, it can wrinkle slightly and crack in the heat.

The tubes are white, with the decay of the mushroom comes a creamy tint. The interior is dense and remains white. The leg is barrel-shaped, white-brown, the mesh is closer to the cap, 5-13 cm high, 1.5-4 cm wide.

Distribution and collection time

The white birch mushroom is present throughout the forests of the European part of Russia, the middle latitudes of Northern and North-East Asia, the Caucasus, and the tundra zone - among the northern birch forests. Any soil (but does not take root on peat bogs), the main thing is that birches or at least aspens grow nearby.

You can find it from early summer until October. Some beauties can survive until the first cold weather. Trim carefully 1.5-2 cm from the ground. You need to look for birch porcini mushrooms on the outskirts of the forest and along nearby roads.

Pine

The white pine mushroom (Boletus pinophilus), also called boletus, looks like a “fat mushroom.” The height of the leg is from 5 to 16 cm, with a diameter of 4-10 cm, thicker at the base. The surface is completely “enveloped” in a reddish or light brownish mesh.

The diameter of the cap is 5-25 cm. The general color is dark brown, there may be variability in reddish shades, the outline is slightly pink, in newly grown ones it is closer to light. The lower part is white-yellow, darkening with increasing age. The flesh at the break is white, under the skin – brown with a red tint, more weak structure than that of the white birch mushroom.

Where and in what season is it collected?

Borovaya porcini mushroom is collected in Siberian taiga, coniferous forests the western half of the European part of the country and in the northeast from July to the 15th of October. Prefers sandy pine forest soils, old forests with mosses and lichens. Can be found in forests mixed with pine.

It is important to collect before the tubular layer acquires a greenish tint - old specimens can lead to poisoning!

Picking mushrooms - how to do it right?

When going to the forest, you need to understand where, when and how to collect porcini mushrooms. It is preferable to start “hunting” for them in July and August. They especially scatter across the soil after brief thunderstorms and warm fogs at night. In summer, the boletus mushroom grows for 6-9 days, in autumn – 9-15.

It is advisable to come to the forest before the sun has risen, when the white mushroom is clearly visible. Move slowly, carefully examining the ground. Especially places with sand and loam, where the soil does not flood. When the summer is damp, it is worth looking at a distance from trees, on hills and in places well lit by the sun. If the season is dry, whites hide near the trees, where the grass is thicker. They love to live next to morels.

The best specimens for collecting are those with a cap diameter of approximately 4 cm. Boletus is adored various kinds pests, so you need to look out for them carefully, especially in the cap. Be sure to cut it into pieces and remove the wormholes. Within 10 hours, the porcini mushroom must be processed (placed for drying, salting, fried, etc.), otherwise most of the beneficial properties will be lost.

Collection rules

  • cut off the porcini mushroom carefully, without damaging the mycelium;
  • can be unscrewed;
  • clean off possible pests(although it’s better to take whole ones);
  • place in a collection container with the cap down;
  • if the legs are high, lay them sideways;
  • leave overripe and questionable specimens on the ground;
  • do not trample.

Healthy porcini mushrooms are not afraid of frost, so they can be harvested even after frost. After thawing, they do not lose their taste.

Nutritional quality

Freshly picked porcini mushroom has a calorie content of 34 kcal per 100 g of mass, dried - 286 kcal. Nutritional value – 1.7 g fat, 1 g carbohydrates, 3.5 g protein per 100 g weight. Also disaccharides and saturated fatty acids.
Praised great taste in any form. Special the nutritional value the fact that it makes the stomach work actively.

90% of the weight is water, the remaining 10 is divided into proteins, fiber, carbohydrates, minerals and fats.

It contains the most important microelements - iodine, copper, manganese and zinc. Vitamins – PP, C, B1, A. 22 amino acids. The amount of protein depends on the type, age of the mushroom (the younger the better), place of growth and method of preservation. Dried porcini mushrooms are especially good at preserving proteins.

Digestibility of mushroom proteins

It happens more slowly than in animals, since the proteins of the fungus are enclosed in special walls that “do not penetrate” the enzymes of the digestive tract. To improve absorption by the body, mushrooms need to be well chopped, boiled or fried.

Usage

White mushrooms without wormholes are allowed to be eaten in any form - dried, boiled, fried, salted, pickled and fresh. When dried, they do not become dark, leaving a pleasant forest aroma. The sauce goes great with meat and rice. Powder from such mushrooms can be seasoned different dishes. Italians love them very much, adding them raw to the ingredients of a salad with Parmesan cheese, seasoning with oil, spices and lemon juice.

Dried mushrooms can be stored for 1 year by placing them in paper bags. The air temperature should be fixed and moderate, and regular ventilation is required.

The benefits and harms of porcini mushroom

Porcini mushrooms are both beneficial and harmful depending on their human use.

Beneficial features

  • in pharmaceuticals – treatment of mastopathy, oncology, angina pectoris, tuberculosis;
  • strengthen the immune system;
  • improve the condition of eyes, hair and nails;
  • are a preventative against anemia and atherosclerosis;
  • when used externally – promotes rapid healing of wounds.

Harm

  • collected near roads and industrial enterprises - absorb heavy metals and toxic substances;
  • if stored improperly, porcini mushrooms can cause serious stomach upset, especially in children;
  • excessive consumption dried mushroom can cause obesity;
  • use porcini mushroom with caution in patients with liver and kidney problems.

Mushroom look-alikes

A serious problem is created by dangerous doubles of the porcini mushroom. To distinguish the porcini mushroom from false poisonous and inedible mushrooms, use the table below.

Porcini Satanic (false white mushroom) Gall (bitter)
hat from red-brown to almost white grayish-white, coffee shades or olive light brown shade
Leg light mesh layer yellowish-red with mesh pattern dark mesh layer
Tubular layer white or cream in young and greenish in old reddish-orange, turns blue when pressed white, later pink
Pulp dense, odorless dense with an unpleasant odor soft with a pleasant mushroom smell
Behavior at fracture and shear color does not change slowly turns red, then turns blue turns pink
Edibility edible poisonous inedible

It is clear that poisonous and inedible mushrooms are in many ways similar to porcini mushrooms, but upon closer inspection they can still be distinguished. An additional look at the external condition will help - false ones have an impeccable appearance.

Symptoms of doppelgangers poisoning, first aid

In case of poisoning in an adult, serious symptoms last up to 3 days. These are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and headache. But due to the unknown impact of poisons, psychogenic reactions are real, including hallucinations, absolute loss of self-control and memory, and even lethargic sleep or death.

As soon as symptoms arise, immediately rinse the stomach and take the poisoned person to the hospital or call ambulance. The effects of doppelgangers mushrooms, especially Satanic mushrooms, have been little studied and delaying first aid can be fatal.

Compare carefully appearance caught you on " quiet hunt» a copy with a description of the porcini mushroom, as you remember it and using the photos given in the article. Place only those in your cart that you are completely sure of. And then the beauties brought home will delight all gourmets with the amazing aroma and taste of forest gifts.

A long-term study of the timing of the appearance of edible mushrooms in middle lane Russia allows us to identify a certain pattern. First in spring forest morels and strings appear - from mid-April to mid-May. This is followed by three harvests or, as experienced mushroom pickers say, “layers”, different in the composition of the mushrooms, and most importantly, in productivity.

The first harvest occurs during the period when winter rye is earing. That is why the mushrooms that appear at this time (white mushrooms, boletuses, boletus mushrooms and boletus mushrooms) are often called “spike mushrooms”. First harvest noble mushrooms in the new season is always welcome, but small and pleases collectors only very much a short time. They look for spikeworts in well-lit places: clearings, forest edges, clearings, along paths, among rare deciduous young growth.

The second layer of mushrooms appears 2-3 weeks after the first. It is much more diverse in composition, but weak in yield. Lasts no more than 2-3 weeks. Mushrooms appear mainly in open places, less often in mature deciduous forests.

The third layer is rightfully considered the main harvest of mushrooms. In terms of the variety of mushrooms, the timing of fruiting and the strength, it is unrivaled. Mushrooms are collected both in open areas and under the forest canopy.

The table summarizes information about the timing of harvests of a number of edible mushrooms. It should be borne in mind that the dates indicated here are for the Moscow region. Therefore, if you live in more northern regions, then the beginning of the mushroom harvest will be delayed by 1-2 weeks, and the end will come earlier by the same period. If you are located south of the Moscow region, then the mushroom harvest should be expected 1-2 weeks earlier than the dates indicated in the book. At the same time, the mushroom picking season is also extended by 1-2 weeks. These dates are indicative only and may vary slightly from year to year depending on specific weather conditions.

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

Acquaintance with porcini mushrooms begins in... childhood. After all, it is the porcini mushroom that is most often depicted in children’s books, and in fairy tales the “old boletus” helps lost travelers in the forest. Boletus - one of the names of the porcini mushroom - just speaks of its place of growth.

The porcini mushroom is the king among other mushrooms. Because it is the most delicious, the healthiest, the most...

The very fact that the porcini mushroom does not change its color even when dried, remains white even in the form of mushroom powder, puts it at the highest level among other mushrooms.

And it’s not without reason that mushroom pickers, both experienced and beginners, dream of returning from a mushroom hunt with a bag full of porcini mushrooms.

But the white mushroom is cunning! Despite the fact that it is found everywhere - from the Volga to the Far East, goes to the North, penetrating almost into the Arctic latitudes, not everyone manages to find it.

Where to look for porcini mushroom

Its very name - boletus, birch, oak - indicates that the porcini mushroom grows in forests: pine, birch, oak, spruce. But not in every one, but only in those where there are old-time trees no younger than fifty years old. So it will be problematic to find a mushroom in a young spruce forest or birch grove.

Porcini mushrooms do not grow densely. But if you come across a mushroom, you need to look for its friends and comrades.

The porcini mushroom loves sunny places, so it can be found on the edge of the forest, in clearings, among mighty trees, but with open crowns so that it gets as much light as possible.

The porcini mushroom grows on various soils - clayey, sandy, poor in humus, but these mushrooms do not grow on peat soil.

The porcini mushroom likes to grow among grass, lichens, ferns, moss, but in dense forest or on tall grass, the white mushroom does not grow. But it is often found where the grass cover is interrupted by paths or where cattle are often driven. But on trampled soil without vegetation, this fungus is found in isolated cases.

The porcini mushroom loves moist soils, but not swampy ones. Loves warmth, but cannot stand heat. Therefore, during frequent rains, it moves to drier elevations, and on hot, dry days it huddles closer to the trees, in the shade. The white mushroom grows well during periods when the temperature is between 10-18° Celsius, but during frosts the mushrooms disappear completely, although the mycelium itself remains viable even at extreme heat, and in the bitter cold.

Experienced mushroom pickers also pay attention to secondary signs by which they can determine whether there is a boletus mushroom in the immediate environment or not. A phenological indicator of the presence of porcini mushrooms are... fly agaric mushrooms. And also valui and nigella. If here and there these mushrooms peek out from the grass, then it means that a porcini mushroom is somewhere nearby.

When does the porcini mushroom grow?

The porcini mushroom, however, like the others, grows in “waves”, or as they call it in mycology – layers.

The first layer of mushrooms appears when the rye begins to ear. Approximately in June. Such mushrooms are called “spikelets”.

Early July a second layer of porcini mushrooms appears, which are called “stubbers”. It falls during the grain harvest.

The third layer of porcini mushrooms is for autumn - at the time of leaf fall. It is called “deciduous”.

All three periods of the appearance of porcini mushrooms are active in lowland forests. In high-mountain forests, the richest harvest of porcini mushrooms is in August.

IN northern forests The porcini mushroom grows small, with a cap up to 5 cm in diameter.

In the middle zone, the caps of porcini mushrooms range from 3 to 20 cm in diameter. But there are truly giant mushrooms, the weight of which reaches 3 kg. Once, near Vladimir, they found a white mushroom weighing 6 kg, and the cap of which was 46 cm in diameter!

But such huge mushrooms, of course, are wormy and cannot be collected.

What novice mushroom pickers should know

In the forests there are inedible and even poisonous mushrooms, which are very similar to porcini mushrooms. Therefore you need to know obvious signs differences between porcini mushrooms and inedible ones.

The cap of the porcini mushroom is juicy and fleshy, light in color, does not change color when broken, only sometimes it can turn slightly pink. The mushroom has a faint nutty odor. The legs are light with a white mesh pattern.

False valui (inedible) From a distance it looks like a white mushroom. But it has watery, bitter flesh that smells like radish.

Gall mushroom (inedible) grows in coniferous forests. The white flesh of the mushroom turns pink at the break. The lower part of the cap of an adult mushroom is dirty pink. The taste of the mushroom is very bitter.

Satanic mushroom (poisonous) very similar to a porcini mushroom. The color of the bottom of the cap is reddish, the leg below is brick-red, turns red at the break, then turns blue. The smell is unpleasant, although faint.


Prepared mushroom picker all year round can search (and find:-)!) mushrooms in wildlife. The most fruitful season for mushrooms is, of course, autumn. The most boring time is not even winter, but the turning point from winter to early spring, but even at this time you can find something to profit from in the forest.

Mushrooms all year round - how to understand the mushroom calendar

The decisive factor for the appearance of mushrooms in the forest is not the numbers on the calendar, but weather, and not even those observed in this moment, and specifically those that were observed before. After a long winter with heavy snow or after a dry summer, mushrooms do not appear at the same time as after warm winter or wet summer. On the growth of mushrooms - both in terms of period and in terms of their quantity - the most great importance factors such as humidity and temperature. But generally speaking, those years when the amount of precipitation exceeds average norms turn out to be much more beneficial for mushrooms than dry ones.

The results of ten years of observations of mushroom seasons by experienced mushroom pickers indicate that the first morels can grow in our climate around March 13, but also around May 8. So the difference in mushroom growing season is about eight weeks!

That is, I want to say that mushroom calendar gives an approximate idea of ​​when and what to look for, but you still need to navigate to a greater extent by natural phenomena.

Join our new group lovers of quiet hunting

White mushroom (lat. Boletus edulis) is a type of fungus that belongs to the department Basidiomycetes, class Agaricomycetes, order Boletaceae, family Boletaceae, . This is the most colorful representative of the mushroom kingdom. The abbreviated name of the mushroom is simply “white”, some call it boletus. Even inexperienced mushroom pickers easily recognize the “forest celebrity” and fill their baskets with it.

Why is the porcini mushroom called white?

The white mushroom got its name in ancient times, when mushrooms were often dried rather than fried or stewed. The marbled pulp of the porcini mushroom, even after heat treatment and drying, remains perfectly white. People noticed this feature and called the mushroom with a dark cap white. Another version of the name is associated with the contrast of the porcini mushroom with the less tasty and less valuable “black” mushrooms, the flesh of which darkens when cut.

White mushroom - description and photo, characteristics and properties

hat

All mushrooms of the boletus genus have a strikingly delicate aroma and piquant taste.
The brownish-brown cap of a mature porcini mushroom grows on average to 7-30 centimeters in diameter. But in certain latitudes, subject to heavy rains and mild temperature regime Porcini mushrooms with a cap diameter of 50 centimeters also appear.

Determining the age of a mushroom is quite simple: the cap of a young porcini mushroom has an almost artistically designed convex shape, while overripe mushrooms are flatter, sometimes even prostrate in appearance. The surface of the porcini mushroom cap in most cases has a pleasant to the touch, slightly velvety texture; the upper skin is tightly connected to the pulp, so it is difficult to separate from it. In dry and windy weather, the cap becomes covered with a network of small but deep wrinkles or cracks, which leads to damage to the internal pores of the mushroom. In rainy weather, a thin film of mucus can be seen on the top of the cap. The color of the porcini mushroom cap can vary - from reddish-brown to almost milky white. How older mushroom, the darker and denser the cap becomes, and the skin acquires a characteristic roughness.

Pulp

The pulp of a ripe porcini mushroom is dense, juicy and mostly fleshy, with an attractive white color. In old mushrooms, it turns into a fibrous structure, the shade of the pulp acquires a slightly yellow or light beige tone.

Leg

The height of the leg of the porcini mushroom is small, on average reaching 12 centimeters, but you can also meet “tall” representatives, the leg of which reaches 25 centimeters in height. The diameter of the leg is 7 cm, less often – 10 cm. Distinctive feature porcini mushroom is the shape of its stem: it is barrel-shaped or club-shaped, over time in old mushrooms it becomes cylindrical, slightly elongated in the center and thick at the base and cap. Its color varies from white to deep brown, sometimes with dark red spots. There are porcini mushrooms, the colors of the caps and legs of which are almost completely identical. Often, at the base of the cap, the stem has a network of light, thin veins, sometimes almost indistinguishable against the main background of the skin.

Blanket and spore powder

There are no remains of the porcini mushroom’s cover – the base of the stem is perfectly clean.
The spore powder is a juicy olive-brown hue, the spores of porcini mushrooms themselves are shaped like a spindle, their dimensions are amazingly tiny: 15.5 x 5.5 microns. The tubular layer is light, then turns yellow, acquiring an olive green hue.

Where do porcini mushrooms grow?

Porcini mushrooms grow on all continents, with the exception of arid australia And cold Antarctica. It is found throughout Europe, Northern and South America, in Mexico, in the territories of China, Japan and in the northern regions of Mongolia, in North Africa, in the British Isles, in the Caucasus, Kamchatka, Far East, in the middle and southern latitudes Russia. Very often, porcini mushrooms can be found in the northern taiga, in the European part of Russia and in the Far East.

When and in what forests do porcini mushrooms grow?

The growth cycle of porcini mushrooms is very variable and depends on the place of growth. Porcini mushrooms begin to grow in May or June, and end abundant appearance mushroom islands late autumn– in October-November (in warm regions). In the northern regions, the white mushroom grows from June to September, with mass collection beginning in the second half of August. Growth phase white boletus quite long: in only a full week he reaches mature age. Mushrooms grow in families or ring colonies, so meeting even one porcini mushroom in the forest often promises sure success for a mushroom picker.

Porcini mushrooms grow in both coniferous and deciduous or mixed forests under trees such as spruce, pine, oak, birch, hornbeam, and fir. Porcini mushrooms can be collected in places covered with moss and lichen, on sandy, sandy loam and loamy soils, but these mushrooms rarely grow on swamp soils and peat bogs. White mushroom loves sunlight, but it can also grow in dark areas. The mushroom grows poorly when the soil is waterlogged and daily air temperatures are low. Whites rarely grow in the tundra and forest-tundra, forest-steppe, and in steppe regions whites are not found at all.

Types of porcini mushrooms, names and photos

Among porcini mushrooms, the following varieties are considered the most famous:

  • Porcini mushroom (net boletus) (lat.Boletus reticulatus )

Edible mushroom. It looks similar in appearance, has a cap of brown or ocher color, sometimes with an orange tint, located on a short cylindrical stem. The mesh on the mushroom stem is white or brown. The cap has a diameter of 6-30 cm. The flesh is white.

The reticulated porcini mushroom is found in beech, oak, hornbeam, and chestnut forests of Europe, North America and Africa, in Transcaucasia. Occurs in June-September, but not too often.


  • White mushroom dark bronze (copper, hornbeam) (bronze boletus) (lat. boletus aereus)

An edible type of porcini mushroom, it is distinguished by a very dark brown color of the cap and stem - sometimes they are almost black. On the leg there is a mesh, first white, then walnut. The leg has a cylindrical shape. The flesh of the bronze porcini mushroom is white, does not change color when cut, is dense, with a pleasant smell and taste.

The dark bronze porcini mushroom can be found in oak, beech, oak-hornbeam forests from July to October, and is common in western and southern countries Europe, often found in the United States.


  • White birch mushroom (spike mushroom) (lat. Boletus betulicol a )

A special feature of the species is the very light, almost white color of the cap, which reaches 5-15 cm in diameter. Less commonly, its color has a slightly creamy or light yellow tint. The stem of the mushroom is barrel-shaped, white-brown in color, and has a white mesh in its upper part. When cut, the mushroom does not turn blue; the flesh of the mushroom is white.

It grows exclusively under birch trees and is found throughout its habitat, where there are birch forests and groves, along roads and on the edges. Fruits from June to October singly or in groups. It often grows throughout Russia, as well as in Western Europe.


  • White pine mushroom (pine mushroom, boletus pine-loving) (lat. Boletus pinophilus)

A type of porcini mushroom with a large, dark-colored cap, sometimes with a purple tint. The cap has a diameter of 6-30 cm. The flesh of the mushroom under the thin skin of the cap has a brownish-red color; in the stem it is white and does not turn blue when cut. The stem of the mushroom is thick, short, white or brown in color, and has a light brown or reddish mesh.

White pine mushroom grows in pine forests on sandy soils and in the mountains, less often in spruce and deciduous forests, found everywhere: in Europe, Central America, Russia (in northern regions European part, in Siberia).


  • White oak mushroom (lat. Boletus edulis f. quercicola)

A mushroom with a brown cap, but not brownish, but with gray tint, sometimes there are light spots “scattered” on the cap. The pulp of this species is loose and less dense than that of other white varieties.

Oak porcini mushroom can be found in the oak forests of the Caucasus and Primorsky Krai; it is often found in central Russia and its southern territories.


  • White spruce mushroom (lat. Boletus edulis f. edulis)

The most common type of porcini mushroom. The leg is elongated and has a thickening at the bottom. The mesh reaches a third or half of the leg. The hat has a brown, reddish or chestnut color.

The spruce porcini mushroom grows in fir and spruce forests in Russia and Europe, except Iceland. The white mushroom appears in June and bears fruit until autumn.


Beneficial properties of porcini mushrooms, vitamins and minerals

Due to its high mineral content, porcini mushroom is one of the most popular and healthy mushrooms. What are the benefits of porcini mushroom?

  • First of all, the pulp of the porcini mushroom contains the optimal amount Selena capable of healing oncological diseases in the early stages.
  • Ascorbic acid, which is contained in white, is necessary for the normal functioning of all organs.
  • The aromatic, delicious white pulp contains calcium, vital for the human body iron, and phytohormones, allowing to reduce inflammatory processes in organism.
  • Riboflavin, which is part of the porcini mushroom, helps normalize work thyroid gland, and also improves hair and nail growth.
  • B vitamins contained in white have a beneficial effect on nervous system, energy metabolism, memory and brain function, protect the skin and mucous membranes from infections, are responsible for sound sleep, good mood and appetite.
  • Lecithin porcini mushroom is beneficial for atherosclerosis and anemia, helps cleanse blood vessels of cholesterol.
  • The value of porcini mushroom also lies in the presence B-glucan, an antioxidant that protects immune system human and fights fungi, viruses and bacteria.
  • Ergothioneine as part of porcini mushroom, it stimulates the renewal of body cells, and is also beneficial for the kidneys, liver, eyes, and bone marrow.
  • The porcini mushroom also perfectly stimulates the secretion of digestive juices.

Porcini mushroom is low-calorie, consists of 90% water, is perfect for drying, it is fried and stewed, and pickled for future use in the winter. The taste of the cooked pulp is unusually soft; immediately after cleaning, it emits an attractive mushroom smell, which only intensifies after heat treatment. The white mushroom has the strongest aroma after proper drying, when the pulp gradually loses moisture.

Any mushroom is quite difficult for human digestion. But it is dried porcini mushrooms that are most accessible for digestion, since in dried form, the human body absorbs up to 80% of porcini mushroom proteins. This is the form of the mushroom that nutritionists recommend.

Harm of porcini mushroom

The white mushroom is edible mushroom, but they can also be poisoned in several cases:

  1. Porcini mushroom contains chitin, which is difficult for children, pregnant women, and people with diseases to digest. digestive system and kidneys. Even porcini mushroom broth can lead to exacerbations.
  2. Porcini mushrooms, like any other mushrooms, accumulate toxic heavy metals contained in the soil. That is why you need to be careful and under no circumstances collect mushrooms growing within the city or near industrial enterprises, landfills, waste, near highways.
  3. The third reason for feeling unwell when eating porcini mushrooms is the occurrence allergic reaction for fungal spores.
  4. And, of course, consumption can lead to poisoning. dangerous double white mushroom, which is called gall mushroom or bitter.

The simplest advice for people who do not understand mushrooms and may confuse a porcini mushroom with a gall mushroom is not to collect mushrooms that turn blue (pink, red) when cut and have a bitter taste!

False porcini mushroom (gall mushroom). How to distinguish a white mushroom from a false one?

  • Pulp

One of the main differences between porcini mushroom and false gall mushroom is the color of the cut. When cut, the flesh of the gall fungus darkens and becomes pinkish-brown. The pulp of the porcini mushroom does not change color and remains white.

  • Leg

The gall mushroom has a rather bright mesh-like pattern on its stalk, which the edible porcini mushroom does not have.

  • Hymenophore

The tubular layer of the false porcini mushroom is pinkish in color, while that of the true porcini mushroom is white or yellow.

  • Taste

The false white mushroom is bitter, unlike the edible white mushroom. Moreover, the bitter taste of the gall fungus does not change when boiling or frying, but may decrease when pickling due to the addition of vinegar.

Read about the inedible false porcini mushroom.

False white mushroom

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