Gruzdi are representatives of the Rusulov family (russula), the genus of lactic (which means that when the fruit body is broken, which has increased fragility, milky juice follows) and lamellar order. In European countries, all varieties of mushrooms are considered inedible due to the bitter taste, and some are classified as poisonous mushrooms, but in Russia he was always the "king" of mushrooms. They are classified as conditionally edible species and inedible.
Description of appearance
The hat of all species is fleshy, usually in size reaches 7-10 cm, less often - up to 20 cm. Initially, it is flat with a dented center and wrapped shaggy edges. Later takes the form of a "funnel." The peel of the fungus is mucous, sticky, with rare exceptions. Therefore, it is often covered with needles, blades of grass and other natural debris. The leg is hollow inside, flat. In some species, it has a thickening to the bottom.
In all types of bruises, white milky juice appears on the kink, in the air it instantly coagulates and changes its color. For some varieties, this is a characteristic feature by which they are determined. The taste of the juice is usually bitter or pungent. The greater the hotness, the more time is required for the preliminary processing of the mushrooms - soaking.
Nutritional value
Although the mushrooms, for the most part, belong to conditionally edible mushrooms (they must undergo heat treatment or soaking before use, they are forbidden to be used fresh), by nutritional value they fall into all 4 categories. The first is the real breast. To the second - a pile of oak, blue, aspen and yellow. To the third category - black breast, and peppermint and parchment breasts are included in the 4th category.
Nutritional Information
100 g of raw mushroom contains:
- protein - 1.8 g;
- fats - 0.8 g;
- carbohydrates - 1.1 g;
- fiber - 1, 5;
- ash - 0.4 g;
- water - 88 g.
The energy value of 100 g of mushroom is only 18.8 kcal.
Mushrooms are rich in B vitamins - thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), ascorbic acid (C), they contain a small concentration of nicotinic acid (vitamin PP). But in terms of mineral composition, the mushrooms occupy the last positions among the remaining mushrooms, since they practically do not contain macro- and microelements.
Where to find mushrooms?
Each breast has its own preferences for soils and forests, so their distribution area is great. They collect them throughout the European part of Russia, in the south of the country, mushroom pickers of the Volga, Transbaikalia, Siberia, the Urals and the Far East are not deprived of them. In each locality one or another breast is found, in some areas the breast is widely represented by various species. Some species live only in oak forests, others in birch forests, coniferous or deciduous forests. But they all love well-moistened soils. Therefore, if you went into the forest, and there is dry or sandy land, then you will not find mounds in it. Usually they go for a “quiet hunt” for the breasts in July - September.
Varieties
There are several varieties of bruises, among them there are similar, therefore it is very important to correctly distinguish them from each other:
Real chest
The most valuable representative of this family. In different regions, he has his own name - a lump of raw or white, right or wet, whitewash. The name reflects the main feature of the mushroom, by which it is easy to recognize - it is a milky white color of a hat that resembles marble. And also no less remarkable feature - fluffy fringe, which is located on the edges of the hat.
The size of the breast can be of different sizes. In some, the hat reaches 25 cm in diameter, in others it grows up to 9 cm. The mushroom stands on a small, cylindrical and smooth leg, which is painted white or yellow. The pulp has a fruity odor, milky juice in air acquires a yellow color. He prefers to settle in birch groves, less often in mixed forests. Distributed throughout Russia, appears from the beginning of June to September, in the southern regions - August-September.
Parchment and Peppercorns
They are very similar to each other in appearance. Both of them relate to conditionally edible, low-grade mushrooms. It is easy to distinguish them by the "behavior" of milky juice in the air. With a parchment loaf, it does not change its color, and with a pepper mushroom it instantly turns blue. In addition, cutting pepper breast, you can see the same metamorphosis with its pulp, it acquires a blue-blue color.
The hats of young mushrooms are flat, slightly convex, over time they take the form of a “funnel”. And its white color gradually disappears and gives way to a yellow tint. And also they are distinguished by the height of the legs - in parchment mushroom it is longer (10 cm versus 6 cm) and narrowed down.
These species appear at the same time in summer and autumn, preferring mixed forests. However, the peak of the collection falls on August - September. Peppermint is more often found in birch-oak groves on well-drained clay soils in the middle lane, parchment mushroom - in mixed forests and conifers.
Yellow breast
It grows in the northern regions and has a remarkable appearance. The local population also calls him the wavelike or scratching. In search of it they go to the fir forest or spruce forest; occasionally with great luck they find it in mixed forests. These are bright yellow mushrooms with 10-centimeter hats are clearly visible under the dark plant litter. However, there are giant record holders whose hat grows to 28-30 cm.
The hat is covered with wool and is very mucous. The leg is short, strong the same color as the hat. When pressed, the flesh darkens. Milk juice, when reacted with air, becomes yellowish and smells slightly of fruit.
Dog or blue chest
This conditionally edible mushroom did not find great popularity among mushroom pickers. Often it belongs to grebes and pass by. Perhaps due to the fact that the breasts usually grow in families, and this species prefers to grow in proud solitude. You can find it in damp places under willows and birches. The yellow hat is covered with villi, and the milky juice in the air turns purple or purple. The mushroom justifies its name by pressing the pulp. In the place of pressure, a “bruise” appears on the white surface.
Bluish chest
"Meteorodependent" edible mushroom. Weather conditions strongly affect its taste. The velvety-white funnel-shaped hat can be seen on calcareous soils in deciduous forests. Milky juice coagulates very quickly in the air and turns green. The pulp also turns green on the cut and smells pleasantly of wood-honey aroma.
Swamp breast
Marsh lumps grow in clusters, preferring lowlands and soils with high humidity. Collect it from the beginning of summer until the end of autumn. Reddish hats with a tubercle in the center eventually fade to yellow-brown. The leg is long, covered with fluff. Milky juice in the air turns yellow.
Rubella, submilk or red breast
Unlike its "cousins," the rubella has a dry orange-brown hat, covered with cracks. The milky juice of this mushroom is sweetish in taste, in air it quickly acquires a brown color and becomes viscous, resembling molasses. This rare species is found in coniferous or deciduous forests from July to October.
Water zone
This chest has shaggy wrapped edges of the hat. It grows very closely. The surface of the cap is covered with a small amount of mucus. The older the mushroom, the more funnel-shaped it takes. The pulp has a strong pleasant aroma. Milky juice in the air quickly turns yellow. Quite often, this type of loaf is confused with a white thunder, although in size it is much larger than the "double", a dry loaf and a violin. The latter have similarities in appearance, but the former does not have milky juice, and the latter lacks shaggy edges.
Next, consider the mushrooms that cannot be recognized by a change in the color of the milky juice. They are distinguished by their appearance - the color of the hats and plates.
Ginger oak
Such a lump grows in oak and hazel. His hat has a saturated yellow-orange color, on the surface of which brown rings are noticeable. The fungus ripens in the soil, appears above the surface in a mature form in September. Therefore, his hat is constantly covered with garbage.
Poplar or aspen breast
Harvested in July-September under poplars and aspens. This species is quite rare, but it is easily recognized. The hat is like a big deep plate (30 cm in diameter). After rain, water usually accumulates in it, forest residents are well aware of this and come to the watering place specifically for these mushrooms. On a gray-white hat you can easily see pink watery rings. A characteristic feature of poplar milk is pale pink plates.
Bitter or bitter breast
This breast has a red-brown color of the hat (closer to the brick color), and it settles on acidic coniferous soils. The saturation of the color depends on the lighting of the place of its growth. In young mushrooms, the hat is similar to a bell, but over time it acquires a funnel shape. The flesh smells like wood resin. Mushrooms appear from mid-summer and delight mushroom pickers until mid-October. They fully correspond to their name - their flesh is burning-bitter.
Black breast
Appears in birch groves in August - September. It is also popularly known as nigella, nigella or gypsy. But in fact, the hat is not black, but saturated olive or black and olive. On the surface, if you look closely, you can notice concentric zones.
Mushroom benefits
Mushrooms are rich in protein, so vegetarians often use them. Moreover, plant protein is better absorbed by the body. They remove toxins from the body, toxins, cholesterol, prevents vascular obstruction. Facilitate the course of tuberculosis and urolithiasis.
Peppermint negatively affects the development of tubercle bacillus, inhibiting it. An extract with antifungal and antibacterial properties is made from this species.
Experts believe that when salting in the breasts, chemical compounds are formed that help fight inflammation and sclerosis.
Mushroom harm
Mushrooms are not recommended for children, and their use by adults should be within reason. Raw breasts are forbidden, they contain substances harmful to the human body and can cause poisoning. They should be used with caution in people with digestive system, liver, and kidney problems. They are contraindicated in patients suffering from diarrhea.
How to collect mushrooms?
Mushrooms love to hide under fallen leaves and needles. Therefore, going to a "silent" hunt, be sure to take a stick. It will be convenient for her to scoop up natural trash. In addition, experienced mushroom pickers can find a place with mushrooms by smell, as the mushrooms are fragrant from a distance. Mushrooms are searched in low grass, the leg is carefully cut with a knife. Finding one mushroom, be sure to well look through the area nearby.
Unfortunately, mushrooms have poisonous doubles that are dangerous to humans. If there are doubts about the suitability of the fungus for food, it is not cut, but left in place. The black breast also contains toxic substances. But with proper heat treatment and soaking, the mushroom becomes harmless.
What mushrooms can be confused with mushrooms?
Confusing the breasts, despite the numerous varieties, is difficult. But still they have a pair of doubles, some of which can be poisoned.
- The first double is the violinist. It is significantly inferior in nutritional qualities to a real loaf, but edible. It is easy to distinguish between these two species to an attentive mushroom picker. The violinist has no fringe around the edge of the hat, the plates are denser and thicker, and they are darker compared to the color of the hat. If doubts still remain, then the behavior of the milky juice will dot all the “and”. With a violinist, he does not immediately change the color in the air immediately, but after a long time. When the juice dries, it turns red, with the juice, the juice changes instantly.
The remaining doubles are inedible mushrooms that, when consumed, cause poisoning, since they accumulate a large amount of toxins. Camphor and golden yellow look like marmosas. - Camphor Lactarius at a young age it has a strong specific unpleasant odor, reminiscent of camphor, over time it is replaced by a light coconut aroma. The red hat grows to 12 cm, the edge of the hat dries, falls down and becomes covered with scales. Mushroom grows on acidic coniferous soils, prefers rotting bedding or wood.
- Yellow golden lactarius grows under chestnuts and oaks. The convex hat gradually takes on a depressed shape. The hat is covered with dark spots, when, as on the breasts, usually rings. Milky juice quickly turns yellow in the air. In some sources, it is classified as a poisonous mushroom.
How to grow breasts yourself?
Mushrooms are grown at home in two ways:
- From purchased mycelium - it is laid in the prepared substrate. The first crop is harvested after a year, the mycelium pleases with mushrooms for 5 years.
- From self-collected spores - of them, mycelium is first grown, and then only planted. The cost method is more economical than the first, but the result is unpredictable. Since it is difficult to independently grow mycelium from spores.
Sowing preparation
First, select a site for mycelium. Young trees should grow on it - birch, willow, poplar, hazel, whose age does not exceed 4 years. And also it must be protected from direct sunlight. The soil is disinfected with a lime solution (50 g of lime is dissolved in 10 l of water), spilling it, and fertilized with peat.
Prepare the substrate. It consists:
- from sterilized wood chips (they are digested);
- disinfected soil;
- from forest moss and fallen leaves. They are collected from places where breasts grow.
Sowing of seed material is carried out in open ground from May to October. When grown indoors, the mycelium is planted year-round.
Sowing
On a site near the roots of trees, dig holes and fill them half with prepared substrate. The mycelium is distributed over the entire surface and completely fill the hole. Tamped the earth, covered with fallen leaves and moss.
In the room, the prepared substrate is mixed with mycelium and filled with bags, on which incisions are made in a checkerboard pattern.
After planting, the plantation is regularly watered. In hot weather, at least 30 liters of water are poured under each tree. For the winter, mycelium is covered with foliage and moss.
First, the temperature in the room is maintained at +20 C, as soon as the first sprouts of mushrooms appear, it is reduced to +15 C. They provide the mushrooms with good lighting and humidity of 90-95%.
So, milk mushrooms are considered valuable commercial mushrooms. They are used not only for cooking, but are used in traditional medicine. Extracts, elixirs are made from them, using young mushrooms for these purposes. Some healers with the help of milky juice remove warts.