Everyone who does not understand mushrooms is limited to buying them in a supermarket. After all, champignons and oyster mushrooms grown under 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 do not smell of needles and are not washed with morning dew. Yes, and it is very difficult to deny yourself forest walks on a clear day off. Therefore, let's take a closer look at the external signs of popular edible mushrooms in our region.

Main characteristics of edible mushrooms

All the biological and ecological diversity of mushrooms on a planetary scale is simply impossible to cover. 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 types 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 is considered by contemporaries to be Plasmodium, which grows in central Russia. This creation of nature can walk. True, it moves at a speed of 1 meter in a few days..

Edible mushrooms are considered to be those specimens that are approved for consumption and do not carry 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 in smell and taste. Their peculiarity lies in high gastronomic properties. After all, it is not in vain that among mushroom pickers there are parallel names for mushrooms - “vegetable meat” and “forest protein”. It is scientifically proven that such gifts of nature are rich in:

  • proteins;
  • amino acids;
  • mycosis and glycogen (specific mushroom sugar);
  • potassium;
  • phosphorus;
  • gray;
  • magnesium;
  • sodium;
  • calcium;
  • chlorine;
  • vitamins (A, C, PP, D, the whole 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 disadvantage is poorly digestible shells of mushroom bodies. That is why the greatest benefit to the human body is brought by dried and powdered fruits.

Did you know? Of the entire mushroom kingdom, the rarest specimen is considered to be the mushroom Chorioactis geaster, which means "devil's cigar" in translation. It is found in isolated cases only in the central zones of Texas and on some islands of Japan. A unique feature of this natural wonder is the specific whistle that is heard when the fungus releases spores..

According to the nutritional characteristics of mushrooms, Soviet scientists divided the edible group into 4 varieties:

  1. Mushrooms, mushrooms and milk mushrooms.
  2. Boletus, boletus, duboviki, oilers, volnushki, whites and champignons.
  3. Flywheels, valui, russula, chanterelles, morels and autumn mushrooms.
  4. Rows, raincoats and other little-known, rarely collected specimens.

Today, this classification is considered a bit outdated. Modern botanists agree that the division of mushrooms into food categories is inefficient and the scientific literature provides an individual description of each species. Beginning mushroom pickers should learn the golden rule of "silent hunting": one poisonous mushroom can ruin all the forest trophies in the basket. Therefore, if you find any inedible fruit among the harvested crop, send all the contents to the trash without regret. After all, the risks of intoxication are not included in any comparisons with the time and effort spent.

Edible mushrooms: photos and names

Of the 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. Consider 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 struck 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 truthful, dubrovnik, shirak and belas.
The variety belongs to the genus Boletov 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 mushrooms can be found under birches, oaks, hornbeams, hazels, fir trees and pines.

It is characteristic that you can find both squat specimens with a small hat, and wide-legged ones, in which the leg is four times smaller than the upper part. The classic variations of mushrooms are:
  • a hat with a diameter of 3 to 20 cm, a hemispherical, convex brown color with a smoky or reddish tint (the color of the hat largely depends on the place where the fungus grows: it is purple-brown under pines, chestnut or olive green under oaks, and under birches - light brown);
  • leg length from 4 to 15 cm 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 pulp is dense, juicy-fleshy, white, which does not change when cut;
  • spindle-shaped spores, yellowish-olive, about 15-18 microns in size;
  • a tubular layer of light and greenish tones (depending on the age of the fungus), which is easily separated from the cap;
  • the smell at the site of the cuts is pleasant.

Important! Mushrooms are often confused with mustards. These are inedible mushrooms that are distinguished by pinkish spores, a black mesh on the stem, and bitter flesh.


It is worth taking note that in true porcini mushrooms, the skin from the cap is never removed. In Ukraine, the industrial harvesting of these forest trophies is carried out only in the Carpathians and Polissya. They are suitable for fresh consumption, for drying, conservation, salting, pickling. Traditional medicine advises introducing belas into the diet for angina pectoris, tuberculosis, frostbite, loss of strength and anemia.

Volnushka

These trophies are considered conditionally edible. They are used as food only by residents of the northern regions of the globe, and Europeans do not recognize them as food. Botanists call these mushrooms Lactarius torminósus, and mushroom pickers call them volnyanka, decoctions and rubella. They represent the Russula family of the Milky genus, are pink and white.

Pink waves are characterized by:
  • a hat 4 to 12 cm in diameter, with a deep depression in the center and convex, pubescent edges, a pale pink or grayish hue that darkens when touched;
  • stalk 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;
  • plates are frequent and not wide, which are always interspersed with intermediate membranes;
  • the pulp is dense and firm, 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 volatility is characteristic of volushki, which depends on their age. For example, caps can change their color from yellow-orange to light green, and plates - 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 yellow);
  • leg height from 2 to 4 cm with a volume of up to 2 cm, cylindrical shape with low hairiness, dense structure and uniform color;
  • the pulp is slightly fragrant, white in color, with a dense but brittle structure;
  • spores of white or cream color;
  • plates are narrow and frequent;
  • milky juice of white color, which does not change when interacting with oxygen and is characterized by causticity.

most often grow in groups under birches, on forest edges, rarely in coniferous forests. They are harvested from early August to mid-autumn. Any cooking requires thorough soaking and blanching. Use these mushrooms for preservation, drying, salting.

Important! Edible volnushki are easily distinguished from other lactic mushrooms by the hairiness on the hat.

But in the latter version, the flesh becomes brown, which does not look aesthetically pleasing. Undercooked specimens are toxic, can cause digestive disorders and irritation of the mucous membranes. In salted form, they are allowed to be consumed no earlier than one hour after salting.

The species also represents the Syroezhkov family of the Mlechnikov genus. In scientific sources, the mushroom is designated Lactarius résimus, and in everyday life it is called real.
Externally, this mushroom is characterized by:

  • a hat with a diameter of 5 to 20 cm, funnel-shaped with strongly fleecy edges wrapped inward, with wet mucous skin of a milky or yellowish color;
  • a leg up to 7 cm high with a volume up to 5 cm, cylindrical in shape, yellowish in color, with a smooth surface and a hollow interior;
  • firm white pulp with a specific fruity odor;
  • yellow spores;
  • plates frequent and wide, white-yellow;
  • milky juice caustic in taste, white, which in places of cuts changes to dirty yellow.
The season of mushrooms comes from July to September. + 8-10 ° С on the soil surface is enough for their fruiting. The fungus is distributed in the northern part of the Eurasian continent and is considered completely unsuitable for food purposes in the West. Most often found in deciduous and mixed arrays. In cooking, it is used for salting. Beginning mushroom pickers may confuse the trophy with a violinist, a white wave and a loader.

Important! Milk mushrooms are characterized by variability: old mushrooms become hollow inside, their plates turn yellow, and brown spotting may appear on the hat.

This bright mushroom with a peculiar shape is found on the postage stamps of Romania, Moldova, Belarus. The real chanterelle (Cantharellus cibarius) is a member of the Cantarell family.
Many people recognize her by:

  • a hat - with a diameter of 2.5 to 5 cm, which is characterized by asymmetric bulges at the edges and a leuko-shaped depression in the center, a yellow tint and a smooth surface;
  • the stem is short (up to 4 cm high), smooth and solid, identical in color to the cap;
  • spores - their size does not exceed 9.5 microns;
  • plates - narrow, folded, bright yellow;
  • pulp - differs in density and elasticity, white or slightly yellowish, with pleasant aroma and tastes.
Experienced mushroom pickers have noticed that true, even overripe specimens, are not spoiled by a wormhole. Mushrooms grow rapidly in a humid environment; in the absence of rain, spore development stops. Finding such trophies is easy throughout Ukraine, their season starts in July and lasts until November. It is best to go in search of moss-covered, damp, but well-lit, areas with a weak grassy cover.

Important! Real chanterelles are often confused with their counterparts. Therefore, when harvesting, special attention should be paid to the color of the trophy pulp. In pseudochanterelles, it is yellow-orange or pale pink.

At the same time, keep in mind that this variety is not on the forest edges. In cooking, it is customary to use chanterelles 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 the composition of carotene, but is not recommended in large quantities, since 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 varieties. The fact is that their spores are able to paralyze and digest nematodes living in the soil. Thus, the body compensates for its need for nitrogen. In addition, the variety is considered wood-destroying, as it grows in groups on the stumps and trunks of weakened living plants, as well as on dead wood.
You can find most often on oaks, birches, mountain ash, willows, aspens. As a rule, these are dense bunches of 30 or more pieces, which coalesce at the base and form multi-tiered outgrowths. It is easy to recognize oyster mushrooms by the following characteristics:

  • cap in diameter reaches about 5-30 cm, very fleshy, round ear-shaped with wavy edges (in young specimens it is convex, and becomes flat in adulthood), a smooth glossy surface and an unstable peculiar tonality, which borders on ashy, purple-brown and faded dirty yellow hues;
  • 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 imperceptible, dense, cylindrical structure;
  • the plates are sparse, up to 15 mm wide, have jumpers near the legs, their color varies from white to yellow-gray;
  • spores are smooth, colorless, elongated, up to 13 microns in size;
  • the pulp with age becomes more elastic and loses juiciness, fibrous, does not smell, has an anise flavor.

Did you know? Ukrainian mycelium from Volyn - Nina Danilyuk - in 2000 managed to find a giant mushroom that did not fit in a bucket and weighed about 3 kg. Its leg reached 40 cm, and the cap circumference - 94 cm.

Due to the fact that old oyster mushrooms are characterized by rigidity, only young mushrooms are suitable for food, the caps of which do not exceed 10 cm in diameter. In this case, the legs are removed on all trophies. The oyster mushroom hunting season begins in September and, under favorable weather conditions, lasts until the New Year. This variety in our latitudes cannot be confused with anything, but for Australians there is a risk of putting poisonous omphalotus in the basket.

This is the popular name for a certain group of fungi that grow on living or dead wood. They belong to different families and genera, and also differ in preferences for habitat conditions.
For food purposes, autumn mushrooms are most often used. ( Armillaria mellea), which represent the Physalacrian family. According to various estimates of 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 - this is one of the favorite trophies of mushroom pickers.

Important! Undercooked mushrooms cause allergic reactions and severe eating disorders in people.

Honey mushrooms are easily recognizable by external signs. 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;
  • leg solid, yellow-brown, 8 to 10 cm long with a volume of 2 cm, with small flaky scales;
  • the plates are sparse, white-cream in color, darken with age to pinkish-brown hues;
  • spores are white, up to 6 microns in size, have the shape of a wide ellipse;
  • the flesh is white, juicy, with a pleasant aroma and taste, dense and fleshy on the caps, and fibrous and rough on the stem.
The honey agaric season starts at the end of summer and lasts until December. September is especially productive, when forest fruits appear in several layers. It is best to look for trophies in damp forest areas under the bark of weakened trees, on stumps, dead plants.
They love the wood of birch, elm, oak, pine, alder and aspen left after felling. In especially fruitful years, a night glow of stumps is noted, which is radiated by group growths of honey agarics. For food purposes, the fruits are salted, pickled, fried, boiled and dried.

Important! When collecting again, be careful. The color of their hats 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 have grown from elderberry are dark gray, those from coniferous crops are purple-brown, and those from oak are brown. Edible mushrooms are often confused with false ones. Therefore, only those fruits that have a ring on the stem should be put in the basket.

Most mushroom pickers prefer green flywheels (Xerócomus subtomentósus), which are the most common of their kind. Some botanists classify them as mushrooms.
These fruits are:

  • a hat with a maximum diameter of up to 16 cm, a cushion-shaped bulge, a velvety surface and a smoky olive color;
  • a cylindrical leg, 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 flesh is snow-white, in contact with oxygen it may acquire a slight blue.
To hunt for this species, you should go to deciduous and mixed forests. also grow on the outskirts of roads, but such specimens are not recommended for consumption. The fruiting period lasts from late spring to late autumn. The harvested crop is best eaten fresh. When dried, it turns black.

Did you know? Although fly agarics are considered very poisonous, there are much fewer toxic substances in them than in pale grebe. For example, to obtain a lethal concentration of mushroom poison, you need to eat 4 kg of fly agaric. And one toadstool is enough to poison 4 people.

Among the edible varieties of oil, white, marsh, yellow, Bollini, and larch species are popular. In our latitudes, the latter variation is especially popular.
She is characterized by:

  • a hat 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, ellipsoid, 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 sections turn a little pink.
The season runs from July to September. The species is very common in the countries of the Northern Hemisphere. Most often found in groups in deciduous forests, where the soil is acidic and enriched. In cooking, these forest trophies are used for making soups, frying, salting, pickling.

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 2,000 euros..

In the people, this mushroom is also called the blackhead and. In botanical literature, it is designated as Léccinum scábrum and represents the genus Obabok.
He is recognized by:

  • a hat with a specific color that varies from white to gray-black;
  • club-shaped stem, with oblong dark and light scales;
  • white flesh that does not change when exposed to oxygen.
Young specimens are tastier. You can find them in summer and autumn in birch thickets. They are suitable for frying, boiling, marinating and drying.

Represents the 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 gifts.
From the entire mushroom kingdom of russula stand out:

  • a hat is spherical or prostrate (in some specimens it may be in the form of a funnel), with wrapped ribbed edges, dry skin of different colors;
  • a cylindrical leg, with a hollow or dense structure, white or colored;
  • plates frequent, brittle, yellowish;
  • 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! Russula with caustic burning pulp are poisonous. A small piece of raw fruit can cause severe irritation of the mucous membranes, vomiting and dizziness..

Fruiting in these representatives of the genus Obabok begins in early summer and lasts until mid-September. They are most often found in damp areas under shady trees. Rarely such a trophy can be found in coniferous forests. Aspen mushrooms are popular in Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Belarus, Western Europe and North America.
The features of this forest fruit are:

  • a hat of a hemispherical shape, with a circumference of up to 25 cm, with a bare or fleecy surface of a white-pink color (sometimes there are specimens with brown, bluish and greenish shades of the peel);
  • club-shaped leg, high, white with brown-gray scales that appear over time;
  • brown spores;
  • tubular layer white-yellow or gray-brown;
  • the flesh is juicy and fleshy, white or yellow, sometimes blue-green, upon contact with oxygen it very soon acquires a bluish tint, after which it turns black (it becomes purple in the stem).
most often harvested for marinades, drying, as well as frying and boiling.

Did you know? It is scientifically proven that mushrooms existed about 400 million years ago. This means that they appeared before dinosaurs. Like ferns, these gifts of nature were among the oldest inhabitants of the globe. Moreover, their spores have been able to adapt to new conditions for millennia, retaining all ancient species to this day.

These edible representatives of the Syroezhkov genus conquered all mushroom pickers with their specific taste. In everyday life they are called reeds or, and in the scientific literature - Lactarius deliciosus.
The harvest should be sent between August and October. Often such trophies are found in humid forest areas. In Ukraine, these are Polissya and Prykarpattya. Signs of mushrooms are:

  • hat with a diameter of 3 to 12 cm, leuco-shaped, sticky to the touch, gray-orange in color, with clear concentric stripes;
  • the plates are rich orange, when touched they begin to turn green;
  • 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 interacting with oxygen, the places of the cuts turn green;
  • the milky juice is purple-orange (becomes dirty green after a few hours), has a pleasant smell and taste.
In cooking, mushrooms are boiled, fried, salted.

Did you know? The natural antibiotic lactarioviolin was found in the composition of mushrooms.

In France, absolutely all mushrooms are called. Therefore, linguists tend to think that the Slavic name of a whole genus of organisms from the Agarikov family is of French origin.
Champignons have:

  • the hat 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-layered ring;
  • the flesh, which comes in all sorts of shades of white, becomes yellow-red, juicy, with a pronounced mushroom smell when exposed to oxygen.
In nature, there are about 200 types of champignons. But all of them develop only on a substrate enriched with organic substances. They can also be found on anthills, dead bark. It is characteristic that some mushrooms can grow only in the forest, others - exclusively among grasses, and others - in desert zones.

Important! When collecting champignons, pay attention to their records. This is the only important sign by which they can be distinguished from the poisonous representatives of the Amanitov family. In the latter, this part remains invariably white or lemon throughout life..

In the nature of the Eurasian continent, there is a small species diversity of such trophies. Mushroom pickers should beware of only yellow-skinned (Agaricus xanthodermus) and variegated (Agaricus meleagris) champignons. All other species are non-toxic. They are even massively cultivated on an industrial scale.

Outwardly, these fruits are very unattractive, but for their taste they are considered a valuable delicacy. In everyday life, they are called the "earthly heart", since they can be located underground at a depth of half a meter. And it is also the "black diamonds of cooking." Botanists classify truffles as a separate genus of marsupial mushrooms with an underground fleshy and juicy fruiting body. In cooking, Italian, Perigord and winter species are most valued.
Basically, they grow in oak and beech forests of 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, under the foliage, there will surely be an earthen heart.

You can recognize the most valuable fruit by the following signs:

  • the fruit body is potato-shaped, 2.5 to 8 cm in diameter, with a slight pleasant smell and large pyramidal protrusions up to 10 mm in diameter, olive-black;
  • the flesh is white or yellow-brown with clear light veins, tastes like roasted sunflower seeds or nuts;
  • ellipsoid-shaped spores develop only in a humus substrate.
Truffles form mycorrhiza with rhizomes of oak, hornbeam, hazel, beech. Since 1808 they have been cultivated for industrial purposes.

Did you know? According to statistics, the world's truffle harvest is declining every year. On average, it does not exceed 50 tons.

This is a type of edible mushroom from the genus Lentinula. They are very widespread in East Asia. They got their name due to the growth on chestnut trees. Translated from Japanese, the 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 the treatment of these fruits.
In everyday life, the mushroom is also called oak, winter, black. Characteristically, in the world market, shiitake is considered the second important mushroom that is cultivated in industry. Growing a delicacy is quite realistic in the climatic conditions of Ukraine. To do this, it is important to acquire an artificial mushroom substrate.

When harvesting shiitake, you need to focus on the following characteristics of the mushroom:

  • a hat of a hemispherical shape, up to 29 cm in diameter, with dry velvety skin of coffee or brown-brown color;
  • the plates are white, thin and dense, in young specimens they are protected by a membrane coating, when squeezed they become dark brown;
  • the leg is fibrous, cylindrical in shape, up to 20 cm high and up to 1.5 cm thick, with a smooth light brown surface;
  • white ellipsoid spores;
  • the pulp is dense, fleshy, juicy, cream or snow-white in color, with a pleasant aroma and a pronounced specific taste.

Did you know? The increased interest in shiitake in 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 Boletov family. In everyday life, it is called a bruise, tannery, dirty brown. The fruiting period begins in July and lasts until late autumn. August is considered the most fruitful. You should go in search of forests, where there are oaks, hornbeams, beeches, birches. 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 fungus are:

  • a hat with a diameter of 5 to 20 cm, semicircular in shape, with an 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;
  • club-shaped leg, up to 15 cm high with a volume of up to 6 cm, yellow-orange hue;
  • spores olive-brown, smooth, fusiform.
Experienced mushroom pickers are advised to pay attention to the colors of the oak caps. It is highly variable and can vary between red, yellow, brown, brown and olive tones. These fruits are considered conditionally edible. They are harvested for marinades and drying.

Important! If you eat undercooked or raw oak, severe poisoning can occur. It is strictly contraindicated to combine this product of any degree of cooking with alcoholic beverages.

Edible varieties of these fruits must necessarily undergo thorough boiling. They differ from poisonous specimens in their bright color and not too tart smell. Most often used for filling in pies, and also consumed freshly prepared.
Experienced mushroom pickers are advised to go "on a quiet hunt" from early July to the second half of October. To improve the taste of talkers, only the caps of young fruits are used for food. You can find them by:

  • a cap with a bell-shaped circumference up to 22 cm, with folded edges and a tubercle in the middle, a smooth surface of a matte or red color;
  • a stem up to 15 cm high, with a dense structure, a cylindrical shape and a color scheme corresponding to the hat (there are darker shades at the base);
  • plates of medium density brown;
  • the pulp is fleshy, dry, with a slightly pronounced almond aroma, white in color, which does not change on the cuts.

Important! Pay attention to the skin of the talker's hat. Poisonous fruits always have a characteristic powdery coating on it.

Many novice mushroom pickers are always impressed by the appearance of the bigheads. These trophies stand out from their counterparts very favorably due to their impressive size and shape.
They have:

  • a fruiting body of large size, up to 20 cm in diameter, non-standard club-shaped, which hardly fits into generally accepted ideas about mushrooms;
  • the stem can also reach 20 cm in height, there are more or less caps, in color it harmonizes with the top;
  • the pulp is loose, white color.
For culinary purposes, only young fruits are suitable, which are distinguished by light shades of the fruiting body. With age, the hat darkens, and cracks appear on it. You can harvest golovach in any forest area. Some young mushrooms are very similar to puffballs. But such confusion is not dangerous to health, since both varieties are edible. The mushroom season starts from the second decade of July and lasts until the very cold. Collected trophies are best dried.

Did you know? Mushrooms can survive at an altitude of 30 thousand meters above sea level, withstand radioactive exposure and pressure of 8 atmospheres. They also take root easily even on the surface of sulfuric acid..

He is a member of the genus Borovik. In everyday life, it is referred to as a yellow boletus or yellow boletus. It is very common in Polissya, the Carpathian region and in Western Europe. It is considered a heat-loving variety of Boletovs. It can be found in oak, hornbeam, beech plantings with high humidity and clay substrate.
Externally, the fungus 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 surface of a clay color;
  • pulp is heavy, with a dense structure, white or light yellow in color, which does not change when cut, with a pleasant, slightly sweet taste and a specific smell, reminiscent of iodoform;
  • a leg with a rough surface, up to 16 cm high, up to 6 cm in volume, club-shaped, without a grid;
  • tubular layer up to 3 cm in size, yellow at an early age and olive-lemon - in mature;
  • yellow-olive spores, up to 6 microns in size, spindle-shaped and smooth.
Semi-white mushrooms are often harvested for making marinades and drying. It is important to thoroughly boil the harvested crop before use - then the unpleasant odor disappears.

Did you know? In the history of mushrooms, a fact was captured when Swiss mushroom pickers accidentally stumbled upon a huge trophy that had been growing for a thousand years. This giant mushroom measured 800 m long and 500 m wide, and its mycelium occupied 35 hectares of the area of ​​the local national park in the city of Offenpass.

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 must follow these rules:

  1. Go in search of environmentally friendly areas, away from noisy highways and production assets.
  2. Never put items in the shopping cart that you are not sure about. In this case, it is better to seek help from experienced mushroom pickers.
  3. Never take samples from raw fruit.
  4. During the "silent hunt" to minimize the touch of the hands to the mouth and face.
  5. Do not take mushrooms that have a white tuberous formation at the base.
  6. Compare found trophies with their toxic counterparts.
  7. Visually evaluate the entire fruit: leg, plates, cap, pulp.
  8. Do not delay the preparation of the harvest. It is better to immediately carry out the planned processing, because every hour the mushrooms lose their value.
  9. Never eat water in which mushrooms have been boiled. It can contain many toxic substances.
  10. Delete instances damaged by the wormhole, as well as those that have any damage.
  11. Only young fruits should fall into the mushroom picker's basket.
  12. All trophies must be cut, not pulled out.
  13. The best time for "quiet hunting" is considered to be early morning.
  14. If you go for mushrooms 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: mushroom picking rules

Mushroom poisoning is evidenced by:

  • nausea;
  • vomit;
  • headache;
  • cramps in the abdomen;
  • diarrhea (up to 15 times a day);
  • weakened heartbeat;
  • hallucinations;
  • cold extremities.
Similar symptoms can occur within one and a half to two hours after mushroom food. When intoxicated, it is important not to waste time. It is necessary to immediately call an ambulance and provide the victim with plenty of fluids. It is allowed to drink cold water or cold strong tea. It is recommended to take activated charcoal tablets or Enterosgel.
It also does not hurt to clean the gastrointestinal tract before the doctor arrives with an enema and gastric lavage (drink about 2 liters of a weak solution of potassium permanganate to induce vomiting). Improvement in the condition with adequate treatment occurs within a day. During the "quiet hunt" do not lose vigilance, carefully inspect the trophies and, if there are doubts about their edibility, it is better not to take them with you.

Video: mushroom poisoning

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Mushrooms germinate throughout the Russian Federation from the beginning of spring until the first frost. And in some regions where the temperature does not fall below 0 degrees, winter mushrooms delight mushroom pickers even in the cold months. December, January and February, although not the most popular mushroom months, are still relevant among professionals who know all breeds not only by description and pictures, but also visually. But what about beginners who do not know most of the popular mushrooms, but want to make quiet hunting their hobby? As an option, find out the names of mushrooms with pictures, finding out which of the mushrooms are edible and which are inedible according to the description with the photo.

Today's article contains the most popular types of mushrooms with a detailed description and distinctive features that tell you how to distinguish false and poisonous species from conditionally edible and edible mushrooms. Useful information, presented in a short form, can become not only useful in the study, but also a lifesaver and an extra reminder for quiet hunting.

mushroom classification

The mushroom world is divided not only into edible, inedible, conditionally edible and poisonous species, but also classifications. Criteria divide mushrooms according to the structure of the cap into three types:

1) spongy or tubular - on the reverse side they resemble small tubes or a washing sponge;
2) lamellar - based on the name, they demonstrate the presence of plates;
3) marsupials - are wrinkled hats and most often represent a breed of morels.

Mushroom season and sprouting sites

You can find mushrooms even close to the roadway. True, it is not worth collecting the gifts of nature near polluted areas. Mushrooms - resemble a sponge that absorbs toxins and poisons. Therefore, in order not to harm their health, doctors always urge to collect only in places remote from the city. The absence of factories, roads and accumulations of garbage will protect the health of the mushroom picker and his loved ones from poisoning, intoxication and death.

It is more correct to start the hunting season in forest zones, fields and clearings. Untouched nature will allow you to collect the maximum usefulness from edible mushrooms sprouting on a coniferous or deciduous pillow. After all, clean air, lack of garbage, a favorable climate and fertile soil allow mushrooms to grow in large numbers.

The very first harvest appears in the spring. Since mid-April, mushroom pickers go hunting for morels and lines. In the month of May, there are boletus (boletus and boletus), May row, champignons, puffballs and russula.

In the summer, mushrooms become many times more. In the conifer, mushrooms and mushrooms begin to appear, in the open spaces of fields and deciduous forests - mushrooms, as well as russula and semi-porcini mushrooms. Next to the edible gifts of the forest are fly agaric and pale grebes.

From the end of summer, you can find Assumption mushrooms, boletus, porcini and Polish mushrooms, volnushki and milk mushrooms.

In autumn, noble breeds predominate: chanterelles, mushrooms, mushrooms, mushrooms and milk mushrooms.

In winter, when the temperature is kept within 0 - 10 degrees Celsius, winter mushrooms can be found in forest areas.

Useful properties of mushrooms

Regardless of the type of mushroom, it can be generalized that all edible and conditionally edible varieties are 85-90% water. The rest is proteins, fats, carbohydrates, fiber and minerals. Almost all mushrooms are low in calories. Only three varieties of mushrooms can be attributed to the exception to the rule, and then only in dried form. We are talking about boletus, boletus and porcini mushrooms.

1) Mushrooms are ideal for diet in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, diabetes and kidney disease.

2) Fresh mushrooms are low-calorie and suitable for diet food.

4) A rich number of vitamins, amino acids and trace elements, allow you to saturate the body with everything you need.

5) Some breeds are used for folk treatment of many diseases.

Edible breeds, names of mushrooms with pictures

Beginners should know what edible mushrooms look like. This will allow not to confuse valuable breeds with false ones.

Porcini

Mushrooms are the most valuable representatives of edible mushrooms. Thanks to their usefulness, rich taste, pleasant aroma and large size, cooking and eating them is a pleasure. They do not require heat treatment and are prepared without pre-boiling. From them you can cook any dishes of Russian cuisine, from light soups to gourmet snacks. In addition, mushrooms can be dried, frozen and used for harvesting for the winter.

With the collection of porcini mushrooms, you should be extremely careful. Beginners should learn to distinguish mushrooms from false and poisonous counterparts. We are talking about bile and satanic fungus.

boletus

The category of obabkovy includes boletus. They have a red-red hat, resembling a half circle and a fleshy leg. On the back of the hat there is a spongy surface resembling small tubes scribbled together.

boletus

Another edible mushroom from the category of butterflies. Its distinguishing feature is a dark brown cap, a light leg with black spots and light-colored flesh that changes color when cut to blue.

False boletus is easy to distinguish from its edible counterparts. Some have a pink sponge on the back of the cap, others are grayish or off-beige.

Dubovik

Fans of porcini mushrooms will surely like the dubovik. A massive mushroom with a large rounded cap and a fleshy stalk, have a gently lemon pulp. Unlike its false counterpart, the satanic mushroom, it has a less intense color, but turns blue in the cut in the same way.

Chanterelles

The names of mushrooms with pictures help to identify not only conditionally edible, but also tasty breeds that are of great value to mushroom pickers. Chanterelles are one of those breeds that require special attention.

A distinctive feature of false chanterelles from edible species will be the color scheme. The real mushroom has a pale orange or slightly pinkish hue. The marginal line of the cap is wavy. Chanterelle is included in the category of lamellar. On the reverse side of the cap there is a corrugated surface, fading away in the area of ​​the stem.

Oilers

It's easiest to define. They have a slimy surface on the cap. A thin film covering the hat is removed during cleaning to continue the heat treatment of the harvested crop.

False butter has a purple hue, less often - dark, close to black.

mokhovik

Another name for a mushroom with a picture that a novice mushroom picker should know is a flywheel. In young individuals, the cap is velvety, with age it becomes cracked, from greenish to burgundy. When cut, the flesh does not change color, remaining exactly the same.

Place of growth - a pillow of moss.

Champignon

Honey mushrooms

The most popular are Assumption mushrooms that grow in deciduous and mixed forests. Their distinguishing features are: small size, pimples on the hat, a ring on the leg and a light brown tint.

Meadow mushrooms are small, grow in families. They have a reddish tint. They can be found not only in meadows and fields, but also in the vicinity of cottages and village plots. Less often, they are found on the tracks.

Russula

There are many varieties of russula. They are not recommended for beginners who can confuse edible and conditionally edible varieties with false counterparts. Especially, such caution concerns russula of red and purple color.

Raincoat

It is difficult to confuse raincoats with other mushrooms. Small balls of white color with pimples, edible only at a young age, when the flesh has a dense, white color. With age, raincoats deteriorate, and their filling resembles a firecracker. No wonder people call them gypsy dust.

mushrooms

One of the most expensive and delicious gifts of the forest can be attributed mushrooms. Most often they grow in coniferous. Young pines and spruces are favorite places for the germination of mushroom mushrooms.

These mushrooms are orange-red in color. Under the cap, the ribbed surface may be green or bluish.

pink wave

Slightly similar to a ginger - a pink wave. True, unlike him, it has a pinkish tint, circles on the cap and light flesh. The place of germination is only deciduous and mixed forests.

cobweb

Umbrella

A repulsive appearance is often deceiving. Umbrella or pop, unlike other edible mushrooms, is ideal for drying, frying and even making light soups.

Ryadovki

Lines and morels

They germinate in the spring. They have a "brain-shaped" hat forum. Some are more elongated, others are shorter. Abroad, the lines are classified as inedible and even poisonous mushrooms. In Russia, there were no cases of poisoning, and they continue to be collected on a par with other edible mushrooms.

The best way to learn to recognize edible and non-edible mushrooms on your own is to familiarize yourself with their names, descriptions and photos. Of course, it is better if you walk through the forest several times with an experienced mushroom picker, or show your prey at home, but everyone needs to learn to distinguish between real and false mushrooms.

You will find the names of mushrooms in alphabetical order, their descriptions and photos in this article, which you can later use as a guide to mushroom growing.

Types and names of mushrooms with pictures

The species diversity of mushrooms is very wide, so there is a strict classification of these inhabitants of the forest (Figure 1).

So, according to their edibility, they are divided into:

  • Edible (white, boletus, champignon, chanterelle, etc.);
  • Conditionally edible (dubovik, greenfinch, veselka, breast, line);
  • Poisonous (satanic, pale grebe, fly agaric).

In addition, they are usually divided according to the type of bottom of the hat. According to this classification, they are tubular (outwardly resembles a porous sponge) and lamellar (plates are clearly visible on the inside of the cap). The first group includes butter, white, boletus and boletus. To the second - mushrooms, milk mushrooms, chanterelles, mushrooms and russula. Morels, which include morels and truffles, are considered a separate group.


Figure 1. Classification of edible varieties

It is also customary to separate them according to nutritional value. According to this classification, they are of four types:

Since there are a lot of species, we will give the names of the most popular with their pictures. The best edible mushrooms with photos and names are shown in the video.

Edible mushrooms: photos and names

Edible varieties include those that can be freely eaten fresh, dried and boiled. They have high taste qualities, and you can distinguish an edible specimen from an inedible one in the forest by the color and shape of the fruiting body, smell, and some characteristic features.


Figure 2. Popular edible species: 1 - white, 2 - oyster mushroom, 3 - volushki, 4 - chanterelles

We offer a list of the most popular edible mushrooms with photos and names(picture 2 and 3):

  • White mushroom (boletus)- the most valuable find for a mushroom picker. It has a massive light stem, and the color of the cap can vary from cream to dark brown, depending on the region of growth. When broken, the flesh does not change color, and has a slight nutty flavor. It comes in several types: birch, pine and oak. All of them are similar in external characteristics and are suitable for food.
  • Oyster mushroom: regal, pulmonary, horn-shaped and lemon, grows mainly on trees. Moreover, you can collect it not only in the forest, but also at home, sowing mycelium on logs or stumps.
  • Volnushki, white and pink, have a hat depressed in the center, the diameter of which can reach 8 cm. The wave has a sweet pleasant smell, and at the break, the fruiting body begins to secrete sticky, sticky juice. They can be found not only in the forest, but also in open places.
  • Chanterelles- more often they are bright yellow, but there are also light species (white chanterelle). They have a cylindrical leg, which expands upwards, and an irregularly shaped hat, slightly pressed into the middle.
  • Butter dish there are also several types (real, cedar, deciduous, granular, white, yellow-brown, painted, red-red, red, gray, etc.). The most common is considered to be a real oiler, which grows on sandy soils in deciduous forests. The cap is flat, with a small tubercle in the middle, and a characteristic feature is the mucous skin, which is easily separated from the pulp.
  • Honey mushrooms, meadow, autumn, summer and winter, belong to edible varieties that are very easy to collect, as they grow in large colonies on tree trunks and stumps. The color of honey agaric may vary depending on the region of growth and species, but, as a rule, its shade varies from cream to light brown. A characteristic feature of edible mushrooms is the presence of a ring on the leg, which is not present in false twins.
  • Aspen mushrooms belong to the tubular: they have a thick stem and a cap of regular shape, the color of which differs depending on the species from cream to yellow and dark brown.
  • mushrooms- bright, beautiful and tasty, which can be found in coniferous forests. Hat of the correct form, flat or funnel-shaped. The leg is cylindrical and dense, the color matches the hat. The flesh is orange, but in the air it quickly turns green and begins to secrete juice with a pronounced smell of coniferous resin. The smell is pleasant, and the taste of its flesh is slightly spicy.

Figure 3. The best edible mushrooms: 1 - butter dish, 2 - mushrooms, 3 - aspen mushrooms, 4 - mushrooms

Edible varieties also include champignons, shiitake, russula, truffles and many other species that are not so much interested in mushroom pickers. However, it should be remembered that almost every edible variety has a poisonous counterpart, the names and features of which we will consider below.

Conditionally edible

Conditionally edible varieties are slightly less, and they are suitable for eating only after special heat treatment. Depending on the variety, it must either be boiled for a long time, periodically changing the water, or simply soaked in clean water, squeezed and cooked.

The most popular conditionally edible varieties include(picture 4):

  1. breast- a variety with dense pulp, which is quite suitable for eating, although milk mushrooms are considered inedible in Western countries. They are usually soaked to remove bitterness, then salted and pickled.
  2. Row green (greenfinch) differs from others in a pronounced green color of the stem and cap, which is preserved even after heat treatment.
  3. Morels- conditionally edible specimens with an unusual shape of a hat and a thick leg. It is recommended to eat them only after careful heat treatment.

Figure 4. Conditionally edible varieties: 1 - mushroom, 2 - greenfinch, 3 - morels

Conditionally edible also include some types of truffles, russula and fly agaric. But there is one important rule that should be followed when collecting any mushrooms, including conditionally edible ones: if you have even a slight doubt about edibility, it is better to leave the prey in the forest.

Inedible mushrooms: photos and names

Inedible include species that are not eaten due to health hazards, poor taste and too hard pulp. Many representatives of this category are completely poisonous (deadly) to humans, others can cause hallucinations or mild discomfort.

It is worth avoiding such inedible specimens.(with photo and titles in Figure 5):

  1. Death cap- the most dangerous inhabitant of the forest, since even a small part of it can cause death. Despite the fact that it grows in almost all forests, it is quite difficult to meet it. Outwardly, it is absolutely proportional and very attractive: in young specimens, the cap is spherical with a slight greenish tinge, with age it turns white and stretches. Pale grebes are often confused with young floats (conditionally edible mushrooms), champignons and russula, and since one large specimen can easily poison several adults, it is better not to put a suspicious or dubious specimen in a basket at the slightest doubt.
  2. red fly agaric, probably familiar to everyone. He is very beautiful, with a bright red hat, covered with white spots. It can grow both singly and in groups.
  3. Satanic- one of the most common doubles of the white fungus. To distinguish it simply by a light hat and a brightly colored leg, uncharacteristic of mushrooms.

Figure 5. Dangerous inedible varieties: 1 - pale grebe, 2 - red fly agaric, 3 - satanic mushroom

In fact, every edible double has a false double that disguises itself as a real one and can fall into the basket of an inexperienced quiet hunter. But, in fact, the greatest mortal danger is the pale grebe.

Note: Not only the fruiting bodies of pale grebes themselves are considered poisonous, but even their mycelium and spores, so it is strictly forbidden to even put them in a basket.

Most inedible varieties cause abdominal pain and symptoms of severe poisoning, and it is enough for a person to get medical attention. In addition, many inedible varieties have an unattractive appearance and poor taste, so they can only be eaten by accident. However, you must always be aware of the danger of poisoning, and carefully review all the booty that you brought from the forest.

The most dangerous inedible mushrooms are described in detail in the video.

The main difference between hallucinogenic and other types is that they have a psychotropic effect. Their action is in many ways similar to narcotic substances, so their intentional collection and use is punishable by criminal liability.

Common hallucinogenic varieties include(picture 6):

  1. Fly agaric red- a common inhabitant of deciduous forests. In ancient times, tinctures and decoctions from it were used as an antiseptic, immunomodulatory agent and intoxicant for various rituals among the peoples of Siberia. However, it is not recommended to eat it, not so much because of the effect of hallucinations, but because of severe poisoning.
  2. Stropharia shitty got its name from the fact that it grows directly on piles of feces. Representatives of the variety are small, with brown hats, sometimes with a shiny and sticky surface.
  3. Paneolus campanulata (bell asshole) also grows mainly on manure-fertilized soils, but can also be found simply on swampy plains. The color of the cap and legs is from white to gray, the flesh is gray.
  4. Stropharia blue-green prefers the stumps of coniferous trees, growing on them singly or in groups. Eating it by accident will not work, as it has a very unpleasant taste. In Europe, such stropharia is considered edible and even bred on farms, while in the USA it is considered poisonous due to several deaths.

Figure 6. Common hallucinogenic varieties: 1 - red fly agaric, 2 - shitty stropharia, 3 - campanulate paneolus, 4 - blue-green stropharia

Most hallucinogenic species grow in places where edible ones simply will not take root (too waterlogged soils, completely rotten stumps and manure heaps). In addition, they are small, mostly on thin legs, so it is difficult to confuse them with edible ones.

Poisonous mushrooms: photos and names

All poisonous varieties are somehow similar to edible ones (Figure 7). Even the deadly pale grebe, especially young specimens, can be confused with russula.

For example, there are several doubles of the boletus - the boletus le Gal, beautiful and purple, which differ from the real ones in the too bright color of the legs or hat, as well as the unpleasant smell of the pulp. There are also varieties that are easy to confuse with mushrooms or russula (for example, fiber and talker). Gall is similar to white, but its pulp has a very bitter taste.


Figure 7. Poisonous twins: 1 - purple boletus, 2 - bile, 3 - royal fly agaric, 4 - yellow-skinned champignon

There are also poisonous doubles of mushrooms, which differ from the real ones in the absence of a leathery skirt on the leg. Poisonous varieties include fly agaric: grebe, panther, red, royal, smelly and white. Cobwebs are easily disguised as russula, mushrooms or aspen mushrooms.

There are also several types of poisonous champignons. For example, yellow-skinned is easy to confuse with an ordinary edible specimen, but during heat treatment it emits a pronounced unpleasant odor.

Unusual mushrooms of the world: names

Despite the fact that Russia is a truly mushroom country, very unusual specimens can be found not only here, but throughout the world.

We offer you several options for unusual edible and poisonous varieties with photos and names(picture 8):

  1. Blue- bright azure color. Found in India and New Zealand. Despite the fact that its toxicity is little studied, it is not recommended to eat it.
  2. bleeding tooth- a very bitter variety that is theoretically edible, but its unattractive appearance and poor taste make it unsuitable for food. It is found in North America, Iran, Korea and some European countries.
  3. bird's Nest- an unusual New Zealand variety that really resembles a bird's nest in shape. Inside the fruiting body are spores that, under the influence of rainwater, spread around.
  4. Blackberry comb also found in Russia. Its taste is similar to shrimp meat, and outwardly resembles a shaggy pile. Unfortunately, it is rare and listed in the Red Book, so it is grown mainly artificially.
  5. Golovach giant- a distant relative of champignon. It is also edible, but only young specimens with white flesh. It is found everywhere in deciduous forests, in fields and meadows.
  6. Devil's cigar- not only very beautiful, but also a rare variety that is found only in Texas and several regions of Japan.

Figure 8. The most unusual mushrooms in the world: 1 - blue, 2 - bleeding tooth, 3 - bird's nest, 4 - comb blackberry, 5 - giant golovach, 6 - devil's cigar

Another unusual representative is the brain tremor, which is found mainly in temperate climates. You can not eat it, as it is deadly poisonous. We have given a far from complete list of unusual varieties, since specimens of a strange shape and color are found all over the world. Unfortunately, most of them are inedible.

An overview of the unusual mushrooms of the world is given in the video.

Lamellar and tubular: names

All mushrooms are divided into lamellar and tubular, depending on the type of pulp on the cap. If it resembles a sponge, it is tubular, and if stripes are visible under the hat, then it is lamellar.

The most famous representative of the tubular is considered white, but this group also includes butter, boletus and boletus. Everyone has probably seen the lamellar one: this is the most common champignon, but it is among the lamellar varieties that the most poisonous ones are. Among the edible representatives, russula, mushrooms, mushrooms and chanterelles can be distinguished.

Number of mushroom species on earth

Hiking in the forest is almost always accompanied by picking wild berries or mushrooms. And if we have already studied, we will now transgress to mushrooms.

Mushrooms are a very nutritious and healthy food. Almost every culture uses them for cooking. Most edible mushrooms grow in the middle lane - in Russia and Canada.

This species is of particular value due to its composition: high protein content allows them to replace meat. Unfortunately, the high content of chitin guarantees a more complex and lengthy process of digesting mushrooms.

What are mushrooms: types, description, photo

People are accustomed to calling the mushroom directly the stem and cap, which are suitable for food. However, this is only a small part of a huge mycelium, which can be located both in the ground and, for example, in a stump. There are several common edible mushrooms.

List of inedible mushrooms

With all its diversity, the world of mushrooms is only half useful to humans. The rest of the species are dangerous. Unfortunately, the types of mushrooms that can cause great harm to humans are not much different from healthy and tasty counterparts. The only way to guarantee your safety is to collect and eat only familiar mushrooms.

They are classified as dangerous.

  1. The pig is thin. It can harm the kidneys and change the composition of the blood.
  2. Bile mushroom. Similar to white, differs by a black mesh on the base.
  3. Death cap. It is considered the most dangerous of all mushrooms. Most often they are confused with champignons. It differs from the latter by the absence of a skirt and white plates. In edible mushrooms, the plates have a color.
  4. Fly agaric. The most famous of the dangerous mushrooms. There are many subspecies, the classic one has a red speckled hat, there may also be yellow and white hats. There are also edible subspecies, however, experts urge not to eat any of the fly agarics.
  5. Ryadovka. It has several varieties that are equally dangerous to humans.
  6. False honey fungus. Looks like an edible cousin, except for the leg skirt. Dangerous mushrooms do not have it.
  7. Talker. It has a hollow leg and a small hat. Does not have a strong odor.
  8. Fiber. It grows in various forests and gardens, loves beech and linden. In case of poisoning, symptoms will appear within a few hours.

Knowledge about edible mushrooms will be useful to every mushroom picker. Edible mushrooms are those that are safe to eat and do not require special preparation. Edible mushrooms are divided into several types, the most famous of them are tubular, lamellar and marsupial. You can read more about edible mushrooms in this article.

signs

Edible mushrooms are called mushrooms that do not require special processing, they can be cooked and eaten immediately. Edible mushrooms do not contain any toxic substances that can harm the body, they are absolutely safe for humans.

The nutritional value of edible mushrooms is divided into four categories, from high quality mushrooms to low grade mushrooms.

In order to distinguish edible mushrooms from inedible mushrooms, you need to know some common distinguishing features:

  • edible mushrooms do not have a specific pungent odor;
  • the color of edible mushrooms is less bright and catchy;
  • edible mushrooms usually do not change color after cutting or breaking the cap;
  • the flesh may darken during cooking or when broken;
  • in edible mushrooms, the plates are attached to the stem more firmly than in inedible ones.

All these signs are conditional and do not give an exact guarantee that the mushroom is edible.

The video clearly shows how to distinguish edible mushrooms from poisonous ones using the example of the most common mushrooms. It also tells what to do in case of poisoning:

Conditionally edible

In addition to edible mushrooms, there are also conditionally edible mushrooms. They are classified in a separate category because they secrete a bitter juice or contain poison in very small quantities.

Such mushrooms must be subjected to special processing before cooking, namely:

  • soak (from 4 to 7 days);
  • boil (15-30 minutes);
  • scald with boiling water;
  • dry up;
  • salt (50-70 g of salt per 1 liter of water).

Among conditionally edible mushrooms, even with special processing, it is recommended to use only young specimens, without signs of aging or decay.

Some mushrooms may only be inedible when eaten with other foods. For example, dung beetle is not compatible with alcohol.

Kinds

There are 3 types, which are divided into edible and conditionally edible.

Tubular

Boletus mushrooms differ in the structure of the cap, which has a porous structure resembling a sponge. The inner part is permeated with a large number of small tubes intertwined with each other. Mushrooms of this species can usually be found in the shade of trees, where there is little sunlight, damp and cool.

Among tubular mushrooms, both edible and conditionally edible are common. Their fruits are very fleshy and have a high nutritional value.

Among the edible tubular mushrooms, there are many poisonous twins. For example, a safe white fungus can be confused with an inedible bile fungus. Before collecting, you should carefully study the signs characteristic of edible fruits.

Most popular edible

Below are tubular mushrooms that can be eaten without any precautions:

1 white mushroom or boletus

The most famous representative of tubular fungi. If you pay attention to the hat, you can see that it is slightly convex, pale brown in color, with light areas. The inner side of the cap is pierced with white or yellowish pores, depending on the age of the fungus, with a mesh structure. The pulp is white, fleshy, juicy, has a mild taste. When cooking and drying, a rich mushroom smell appears. The leg is thick, brown.

Mushroom pickers are advised to look for boletus in the forests, in the shade of pines or birches. Harvest is best between June and September.


2

The cap is conical, brown, oily to the touch due to the mucus covering it. The inside of the cap is yellowish, in early mushrooms it is covered with a light mesh, which breaks through with time. The flesh is tender and light, closer to the leg it has a brownish tint. The leg is thin, light yellow.

Butterflies usually grow in families. They can be found in the pine forest from July to September.


3

The color of the cap can be light brown or pale green, with a yellow interior. When cut, the flesh turns blue, but it is not poisonous. The leg is dense, from 4 to 8 cm in height.

The mushroom grows in the forest, in loose soil, sometimes found near swamps. The best time for the Mokhovikov Cathedral is the period from July to October.


4

Differs in a convex wide cap of orange-red color. The pulp is porous, light, but becomes darker when broken. The leg is dense, narrowed at the top, covered with dark scales.

You can find a mushroom in a mixed forest, under aspens or near pines. Productivity is observed in the period from August to September.


5 Common boletus

The gray-brown hat has the shape of a semicircle. The lower part is light, soft to the touch. The flesh is white, but darkens during cooking. The leg is long, white, covered with dark scales.

The mushroom grows in families, under birch trees. Collection time - June-September.


6

Similar to a boletus. Has a brown hat. Pulp with wide pores, pale yellow, darkens when cut. The leg is light brown, with a barely noticeable striped pattern.

When wet, the skin of the fungus is more difficult to separate.

Often found under pine trees, on loose soils. You can go on a quiet hunt for the Polish mushroom from July to October, inclusive.


7

On a hat with a matte surface there are thin scales. Color variation from brown to yellowish may be observed. The pulp is yellow, has a pronounced mushroom smell. Leg brown. In early mushrooms, you can see a yellowish ring on the stem.

Can be found in forests, in particular mixed or deciduous. They are usually harvested from August to October.


8

This mushroom is the rarest of the presented. It has a wide flat cap, slightly concave inward at the edges. The surface of the cap is dry, grayish-brown. When pressed, it acquires a blue tint. The flesh has a brittle structure, cream color, but when broken it becomes cornflower blue. It has a delicate taste and smell. The stem is long, thick at the base.

Some mushroom pickers mistake the mushroom for being poisonous because of its color-changing property. However, it is not poisonous and quite pleasant to the taste.

It is most commonly seen in deciduous forests between July and September.


Special attention should be paid to conditionally edible mushrooms. There are quite a lot of them among tubular fungi. The most common ones are described below.

1 Dubovik olive brown

Hats are large and brown. The internal structure is porous, with time it changes color from yellowish to dark orange. When broken, the color darkens. The leg is full, brown, covered with a reddish mesh. It is used in pickled form.

They usually grow near oak forests. Duboviks are harvested from July to September.


2

It has a wide hat, the shape of which is like a semicircle. The color generally varies from brown to brown-black. The surface of the cap is velvety to the touch, becomes darker when pressed. The flesh is red-brown, when broken it changes color to blue. Has no smell. The leg is high, thick, thin scales can be seen on it. Dubovik speckled is eaten only after boiling.

Can be found in forests - both coniferous and deciduous. Harvest from May to October. Peak fruiting is in July.


More details about oak trees are described.

3 Chestnut mushroom

The hat has a rounded brown color. In young mushrooms, the surface is velvety to the touch, in older ones, on the contrary, it is smooth. The pulp is characterized by white color. It has a slight hazelnut scent. The stem is close in color to the cap, thinner on top than on the bottom. Before eating, the mushroom must be dried.

Found near deciduous trees from July to September.


4

The cap of this mushroom is most often flattened. Reddish-brown in color. The peel is difficult to separate from the cap. The pulp is dense, elastic, pale yellow. Turns pink when cut. After cooking, the mushroom acquires a pinkish-purple color. The leg is high, cylindrical in shape, usually curved. The color of the legs is similar to the hat. Most often boiled before eating, salted or pickled.

Can be found next to the pines. Distributed from August to September.


5

The cap is rounded, convex. Flattens out over time. The color is yellow-brown or red-brown. May become sticky when wet. The pulp is fragile, yellow in color. Differs in the expressed sharp taste. These mushrooms have a short leg, moderately thin. The color of the stem is almost the same as that of the cap, but lighter.

The mushroom is used as a powder seasoning as a pepper substitute. It cannot be eaten otherwise.

Pepper mushroom can be found in coniferous forests. Most often it is harvested from July to October.


lamellar

Agaric mushrooms are called because of the cap, the inside of which is pierced by thin plates containing spores for reproduction. They stretch from the center to the edges of the cap along the entire inner surface of the mushroom.

Lamellar mushrooms are the most common and well-known type of fungi. Quiet hunting for mushrooms of this species lasts from mid-summer to early winter. They can grow in both deciduous and coniferous forests.

Most popular edible

The most famous of the edible agaric mushrooms are given in this list:

1 Chanterelle

It is distinguished by a concave hat with curved edges, the color of the hat is yellow-orange. The pulp is of a delicate yellow color, if you touch it, you can find that the structure is quite dense. The leg has a color identical to the hat and continues it.

Widespread in deciduous and coniferous forests. It is necessary to collect from July to October.


Chanterelles have poisonous counterparts. You should pay attention to the color of the cap, in harmful mushrooms it is usually light yellow or pinkish.


2

The hat is covered with rings, it can be concave towards the middle. Has a light orange color. The pulp also has an almost orange color, dense structure. The leg is small, identical in color to the hat.

You can find it in coniferous forests, under pine trees. Collected from July to October.


3

The cap is convex, covered with thin scales. The color ranges from honey to pale green-brown. The pulp of dense structure, light. Attractive with its delicate scent. The legs are narrow, pale yellow, darker towards the bottom, with a small ring under the hat.

Can be found in deciduous forests, on woody surfaces. Mushrooms are advised to search from September to November.


The honey agaric also has a dangerous double - a false honey agaric. Its differences lie in the absence of a ring on the leg, its color is olive or almost black, more saturated.


4

In young mushrooms, the caps are shaped like a hemisphere, in older ones they become flat. Differs in light brown, pink-brown, pink color. The inner side is fragile, whitish, becoming darker with age. The stem has a cylindrical shape, it can be dense or hollow inside, depending on the variety.

Russula can be seen in mixed forests from June to November.


5

The hat has a convex shape, cream color. The inner side is white, with a dense structure. It tastes like flour. The leg is long, white, with an orange tint at the base.

Grows in meadows and pastures. Fruiting time is from April to June.


6

The cap of this mushroom is shaped like a cap, for which it got its name. She has a warm pale yellow color, sometimes close to ocher, with a striped pattern. The inside is soft, slightly yellowish. The leg is strong and long.

It can be found mainly under coniferous trees, sometimes under birch or oak. They are usually harvested between July and October.


7

The shape of the cap is dome-like and has a yellow-brown hue. Pulp color ocher. The leg is elongated, in earlier mushrooms it is covered with a white net.

Widespread in coniferous forests. Collected from June to October.


8 Row honey agaric

The hat is convex in shape. The surface is fibrous, the color varies from red to orange-yellow. The pulp is white, with thick plates. The leg is cone-shaped, white, covered with reddish scales. It is recommended to eat only fresh.

You can find it under the pines, from March to November.


9

It has a round hat with edges wrapped inward, white or brownish in color, with the age of the fungus it opens. The flesh is light, with time it changes its color to gray. The leg is low, light, dense structure. Mushrooms darken when cooked. They have a pronounced mushroom smell.

Grow in mixed forests or meadows. It is advised to collect from June to September.


10

The hat is ear-shaped, has curved edges. Usually light or pale gray in color. Has a smooth surface. The leg is short, thin, white. Pulp with wide plates, white or pale yellow. They do not have a pronounced odor. It is recommended to be eaten young, as old mushrooms have a rigid structure.

They belong to oyster mushrooms, they usually grow in families on trees or rotten stumps. Usually can be collected in warm weather from August to September.


Champignons and oyster mushrooms are cultivated mushrooms. They are bred in artificial conditions for human consumption. They are most often found on the shelves of shops and supermarkets. Oyster mushrooms are possible.

The most popular conditionally edible

Among agaric mushrooms, conditionally edible mushrooms can also be found. You will read about some of them below:

1

The cap is white, with pale yellow spots. Rolled down. The pulp is dense, light, smells like fruit. The leg is white, cylindrical in shape. When cut, the leg releases caustic juice. Must be soaked before use.

Collected in birch groves and coniferous forests. Collection time is from June to October.


2

The hat has a swamp green color. Differs in a semicircular shape, wrapped around the edges. The pulp has a delicate yellow color. The leg is short, full, pale yellow, if the mushroom is broken, then caustic juice is released. You can eat after salting.

Distributed in coniferous forests, from June to October.


3

In early mushrooms, the shape of the cap is convex, with the edges wrapped to the bottom. The old ones are flatter, the edges are even, concave in the middle. The skin is covered with thin villi, has a pale pink or almost whitish color. The pulp is white, dense, exudes burning juice when broken. The leg is firm, pale pink, narrowed towards the top. They are eaten salted.

Grows in birch and mixed forests. Collect should be from June to October.


4

The hat is convex, gray-brown, covered with a whitish coating. The flesh is pale white in color and has an earthy odor. The leg is short, cream-colored. Before eating - boil for 25-30 minutes.

Grows in mixed forests. You can collect from March to April.


5

This mushroom has a convex cap shape, has a concave part in the middle. The structure is fragile, brittle. The color of the cap is brown, with a glossy surface. The underside is light brown. The pulp is bitter in taste. The stem is medium in length, brownish in color. This mushroom can be eaten after salting.

Found under beech or oak from June to October.


6

The hat is light, completely covers the leg. There is a brown tubercle at the end of the cap. The surface is covered with brownish scales. The pulp is white. Leg long, white. Dung beetle should be cooked in the first 2 hours after cutting, having previously boiled.

It can be found in loose soil in pastures and meadows. Grows from June to October.


7

The cap is rounded in young mushrooms, but becomes flat with age. The color varies from yellow to brown. The surface of the value is shiny and slightly slippery when touched. The pulp is light, rather fragile, bitter. The stem has a barrel-shaped shape, it is light, covered with brown spots. Before eating, the mushroom must be peeled, soaked in salted water or boiled for 15-30 minutes. Mushrooms are usually salted.

It grows in coniferous forests, occurs from June to October.


8

The cap is semicircular, with a tubercle in the middle. The color of the mushroom varies from dark gray to brown with a purple tint. The pulp has a light color, it has a fruity smell. The stem is medium in height, hollow, has the same color as that of the cap. Mushrooms are soaked and salted.

Grows in clearings and forest edges. You can find from July to September.


9

These mushrooms have a wide cap, white in color, covered with small villi. The pulp is dense, firm, emits caustic juice. The stem is short, hairy. Before salting, it is recommended to soak.

They grow in groups, under needles or birch. Harvested from July to October.


10 Bitter

The cap is bell-shaped, with raised edges. Outwardly, it resembles chanterelles, but differs in brown-red color. The surface is smooth, covered with small villi. The color of the pulp is lighter than that of the cap, fragile, emits caustic juice. Leg of medium length, reddish color, covered with villi. The mushroom should also be soaked and salted.

Gathered near coniferous trees and birch groves. Mostly found from July to October.


marsupials

This category includes all mushrooms in which spores are in a special bag (ascus). Therefore, the second name of this type of mushroom is ascomycetes. The bag of such mushrooms can be located both on the surface and inside the fruiting body.

Many mushrooms of this species are conditionally edible. Among the absolutely edible can be called only black truffle.

The fruit body has an irregular tuberous shape. The surface is coal-black, covered with numerous irregularities. If you press on the surface of the fungus, it changes color to rusty. The flesh is light gray in young mushrooms and dark brown or black-purple in older ones. Pierced with white veins. It has a pronounced aroma and pleasant taste.

Black truffle is considered a delicacy.

It grows in deciduous forests, at a depth of about half a meter. The best time to look for truffles is from November to March.


Conditionally edible marsupial mushrooms include:

1

The fruiting bodies are irregularly shaped, with numerous protrusions. The color ranges from light to yellowish. Old mushrooms are covered with reddish spots. The pulp is white, has a pronounced smell and a nutty taste. When used, it needs additional culinary processing.

It occurs among coniferous trees in the cold season.


2 Line ordinary

The hat is irregularly shaped, dotted with numerous furrows. The color is most often brown, with a dark tint, but there are representatives of brighter colors. The pulp in its structure is quite brittle, smells like fruit, pleasant to the taste. The leg is full, light.

This mushroom should be boiled before eating, for 25-30 minutes. Most often, the line is dried.

Can be found in coniferous forests and under poplars. Fruiting from April to June.


3

The hat is rounded in shape, elongated at the end. The color may vary from yellowish to brown. The surface is uneven, covered with cells of various shapes and sizes. The pulp has a very brittle and tender structure, it is creamy in color and pleasant in taste. The leg is cone-shaped. In young mushrooms, it is white; in older mushrooms, the color becomes close to brown. Suitable for use after boiling or drying.

It grows in well-lit places, mainly in deciduous forests. Can be found in parks and apple orchards. You can collect from April to October.


4

The fruits of the blade have an irregular shape, while the leg fuses with the cap. The leg is covered with small notches. The fruits are usually light or cream in color. Eat after boiling.

It is advised to search in coniferous forests from July to October.


5 Otidea (donkey's ear)

The fruiting body is a bowl with curved edges. The color can be dark orange or ocher yellow. Equipped with a barely noticeable false leg. Before use, boil for 20-30 minutes.

Distributed in deciduous forests from September to November. Mostly grows in moss or on old wood.


The marsupials also include yeast, which is often used in confectionery.

It should be remembered that not all mushrooms are safe - there are many poisonous counterparts, and without knowledge of the distinguishing features it is difficult not to be mistaken. Therefore, it is better to eat only well-known edible mushrooms, use the advice of experienced mushroom pickers, and if in doubt, it is better not to take such a mushroom.

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