Edible and inedible mushroom umbrella
Picking mushrooms is fun and exciting. The umbrella mushroom is a real find, it is tasty, healthy and aromatic. The peculiarity is that its pulp does not contain harmful substances, which is typical for such plants. It is best to go for umbrellas at the edge of the forest or in the field, immediately after a heavy rain. Every mushroom picker should know what an edible and poisonous mushroom looks like, be able to determine their distinctive features and signs.
Mushroom umbrella - description
After heavy rains, umbrellas can grow very large. The cap of such a mushroom reaches a diameter of 35 to 45 cm, and the height of the leg grows to 30-40 cm.
On average, the mushroom has a stem length of about 8-10 cm and a cap diameter within 10-15 cm. The surface of the cap is dry and finely scaly; at the edges, the skin may crack and hang in the form of a fringe. The pulp and juice are of a light shade with a pleasant mushroom smell and delicate taste. The leg is thickened at the base, it has a characteristic mobile membranous ring. In young umbrellas, the cap is connected to the base of the leg and has a spherical shape. As it grows, it separates from the stem and opens, forming a dome with a slight elevation in the center.
Varieties of umbrellas
The umbrella mushroom is considered common; it grows in coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests, found in fields and forest edges, in steppes and meadows, in gardens, vegetable gardens and reserves.
Mushroom umbrella photo - edible and poisonous:
- The umbrella is white or field. The mushroom is edible and common. It grows in steppes and pastures, along clearings and forest edges. Representatives of the species reach small sizes - the diameter of the cap is within 5-10 cm. The skin is thin, whitish-grayish in color. The center of the cap is raised and smooth, of a darker color, flakes hang along the edge. The leg is hollow, slightly thickened at the base. It is a delicacy in Chinese cuisine, but you must be careful not to confuse it with the fly agaric, which is deadly poisonous. The main difference between the fly agaric is the mucus covering the cap and the membranous cover around the leg.
- The umbrella is blushing or shaggy. An edible species that prefers fertile soil rich in humus. When pressed and cut, the pulp instantly oxidizes, becoming reddish brown. The edge of the cap of a young mushroom, first tucked up, and then straightened, becoming covered with cracks. The color of the cap can be beige or gray, the arrangement of the scales is circular, the middle is raised and has a dark color. It can be confused with a rough umbrella, an extremely poisonous member of the family. Mushroom pickers distinguish an inedible representative by the pungent smell and pungent taste of the pulp.
- The umbrella is colorful or large. The edible mushroom prefers open and lighted areas near the forest. Growth period - from the beginning of summer to the end of autumn, occurs singly or in rare families.It is large and fleshy, the thickness of the leg can reach from 1 to 3 cm, the diameter of the cap varies from 10 to 30 cm. The color of the cap is brownish-gray with angular scales and a well-visible dark eminence in the middle. The leg is brown, in old plants it can be covered with well-circumscribed scales.
Edible mushroom and poisonous counterparts
The difficulty in collecting umbrellas lies in the fact that their poisonous counterparts exist. Outwardly, they look like edible umbrellas, but they contain toxic substances, so their consumption is prohibited.
All umbrella doubles are deadly poisonous and threaten human life. When picking umbrella mushrooms, you should be careful and careful, as it is very easy to confuse a false mushroom with a real one. Most inedible mushrooms give off an unpleasant odor and have a bitter taste.
Mushroom umbrella - photo and description, poisonous twins:
- Chlorophyllum is dark brown. The mushroom is poisonous, reaches medium size. It looks like an umbrella, but fleshy and shorter. At the base of the stem, there is a characteristic tuberous growth that rises above the ground. The pulp is white, in places of cut and damage it immediately becomes reddish. The mushroom contains a hallucinogenic toxin, its effect on the nervous system is not fully understood.
- Amanita is smelly. Eating any kind of fly agaric is deadly, the action of the poison leads to death in 90% of cases and to severe poisoning in 10%. The whole body of the fungus is smooth, has a whitish-gray color. The stem is high and thickened at the very base. It is covered with a bloom, and the ring characteristic of the umbrella is missing. The pulp is light and does not change color. Amanita muscaria has an unpleasant chlorine smell.
- Chlorophyllum is lead and slag. The mushroom is poisonous, has an external resemblance to an umbrella, reaches large sizes. In young plants, the body structure is spherical; in adults, the cap opens and becomes almost flat. The characteristic difference between a poisonous and an edible mushroom is the stem. In an inedible representative, it is completely smooth, in the upper part there is a fixed ring.
How to properly prepare umbrellas
Umbrellas, like many other mushrooms, are healthy and nutritious and should be picked young when the cap is not fully open. Mature representatives may start to taste bitter. How to cook umbrella mushrooms? The leg is removed, and the hat must be heat-treated - fried, boiled, stewed, pickled, salted. Umbrellas can be pre-dried or frozen, and then used to prepare a wide variety of dishes - soups, snacks, salads, fillings for baking and pancakes.
Umbrella mushrooms should not be picked near industrial plants, garbage dumps, major highways and railways. They can accumulate harmful and hazardous substances that threaten human health and life.
Mushroom umbrella cooking recipes:
- the large umbrella hat is cleaned of scales and washed well, salt and pepper to taste, and then fried on both sides in vegetable oil - simple and very tasty;
- you can fry the caps, previously dipped in batter, or rolled in breadcrumbs or flour, this is original and fast;
- special lovers prepare grilled umbrellas on the grill of an oven or outdoor barbecue, pickling them for a while in lemon juice with herbs and garlic, an interesting and affordable option;
- dry and fragrant umbrella cooks quickly, it is good for broth, as an additional ingredient for snacks and sandwiches.
The peculiar taste and rich mushroom aroma are the main advantages of the umbrella. Nutritionists note their unique composition and high nutritional value, content of amino acids, fiber, salts, vitamins and minerals. A useful mushroom is widely used in folk medicine for prophylactic and therapeutic purposes.