Content
- 1 What does a boletus mushroom look like?
- 2 Where does the boletus mushroom grow
- 3 Why was the boletus so named
- 4 Boletus is an edible mushroom or not
- 5 Taste qualities of boletus
- 6 The benefits and harms of boletus
- 7 Varieties of boletus
- 8 Collection rules
- 9 Eating boletus
- 10 How to grow boletus at home
- 11 Conclusion
A photo and description of the boletus mushroom can often be found both in specialized literature and in many cookbooks. Few people compare in popularity with this representative of the mushroom kingdom, especially in Russia. Borovik is deservedly considered one of the most coveted trophies among mushroom pickers, not inferior in this to such "royal" mushrooms as camelina or white milk mushroom.
What does a boletus mushroom look like?
Boletus is a fairly numerous genus of mushrooms in the Boletovye family. Combines several hundred species. All of them belong to tubular mushrooms.
All boletus are distinguished by similarities in appearance and structure. Their fruiting bodies have a well-defined massive stalk and cap. Boletus can reach considerable size and weight.
Boletus leg shape
The leg of the boletus is thick, massive, as a rule, club-shaped, with thickenings from the lower or middle part. On the surface, a reticular pattern is usually pronounced, sometimes it may be absent. Depending on this, the leg can be either smooth to the touch or slightly rough.
The color is light beige, sometimes dashed, with a large number of small light brown spots. The flesh of the leg is dense, white, becomes fibrous with age.
Boletus cap shape
The hat of a young boletus resembles a cap tightly put on a leg. At this stage, it is flat, round, dry, velvety to the touch, or smooth. Over time, the edges rise, the cap becomes like a semicircle. As the mushroom ages, the top becomes more and more flat, the cap itself begins to increase in volume and take on the shape of a pillow. The color of the skin covering the cap can vary from light coffee to dark brown.
The tubular layer is light yellow, with a greenish tint; as the fungus grows, it becomes more and more bright. The flesh of the cap is white or slightly creamy, in young mushrooms it is dense, over time it becomes soft, friable.
Where does the boletus mushroom grow
The growing area of boletus is wide. This mushroom is widespread in the temperate climatic zones of both hemispheres, and the northern border enters the polar regions, in the zones of the arctic tundra. Most often, boletus grow in mixed forests, forming mycorrhiza with various tree species: pine, spruce, birch.
They prefer well-lit places, forest edges, grow, as a rule, in groups. Often found in birch forests, on the slopes of ravines and hills, along forest roads and clearings.
Why was the boletus so named
The name "boletus" is associated primarily with the places of their growth. Bor is always called a pure open pine forest growing on a hill with a small number of noble deciduous trees such as oak or beech. It is in such places that these fungi are most often found, forming mycorrhiza with pine.
Boletus is an edible mushroom or not
Among the boletus, there are no deadly poisonous and relatively few inedible ones. This explains their great popularity both among experienced amateurs of "quiet hunting" and among beginners.The porcini mushroom, which is one of the boletus varieties, is especially appreciated among mushroom pickers and culinary specialists. It belongs to the highest category I in nutritional value and is always a welcome trophy.
Taste qualities of boletus
Boletus dishes have a pronounced mushroom aroma and excellent taste. In some species, fruity tones can be clearly perceived in the smell. Edible boletus can be eaten without presoaking or boiling.
The benefits and harms of boletus
In addition to nutritional value, these mushrooms contain many useful substances. Their fruiting bodies contain:
- Vitamins A, B1, B2, C, D.
- Trace elements (calcium, magnesium, molybdenum, iron).
Despite all the useful properties, it should be remembered that mushrooms are a rather heavy food, not every stomach can handle it. That is why they are not recommended for children under 10 years of age.
Varieties of boletus
Most boletus mushrooms are edible or conditionally edible mushrooms. Only a small number of species of this mushroom are not eaten for one reason or another. There are also several types of boletus classified as poisonous mushrooms.
Edible boletus
Among edible boletus mushrooms of categories I and II in terms of nutritional value prevail; these are mushrooms with excellent and good taste.
Porcini
Widely distributed in the European part of Russia, as well as in Siberia and the Far East. The diameter of the mushroom cap can be up to 30 cm. Its shape is hemispherical; with age, the edges rise more and more until the top becomes flat. At the same time, its thickness increases significantly. The cap is usually colored light brown, rough or velvety to the touch. The spore layer is pale yellow with a greenish tinge. Photo of porcini boletus mushroom:
The leg is powerful, club-shaped, usually thickened below or in the middle. Its color is white with small brown strokes. The pulp is white or slightly yellowish, firm. Remains white when cut.
Birch white mushroom
In many regions of Russia, the mushroom has its own name - spikelet, since the period of its growth coincides in time with the appearance of a spike in rye. The hat can grow up to 15 cm in diameter, it is cushion-shaped, and eventually takes on a flatter shape. The skin is light brown, sometimes almost white.
The stem is cylindrical or barrel-shaped, white, sometimes with a mesh pattern. The tubular layer is almost white, becoming light yellow as it grows. The pulp is white, does not change color at a break or cut. Spikelets usually grow from June to October along forest edges, along clearings and forest roads, forming mycorrhiza with birch.
Pine mushroom
The cap is convex, cushion-shaped or hemispherical, and becomes flatter with age. It can reach 25-30 cm in diameter. The surface of the cap is wrinkled or bumpy, dark brown in various shades.
The stem is short, massive, club-shaped, light brown with a fine mesh pattern. The tubular layer is white, turns light green or olive with age. The pulp is white, dense, the color does not change at the places of mechanical damage. It grows mainly in coniferous or mixed forests, forming mycorrhiza with pine, less often with spruce or deciduous trees. The main growth time is from July to September, although they can often be found even after frosts.
White oak mushroom
In young specimens, the cap is spherical; later it becomes semicircular and cushion-shaped. The skin is velvety to the touch, often covered with a mesh of small cracks. The color can range from light coffee to dark ocher. The tubular layer is pale yellow, with a greenish or olive tint.
The stem of a young mushroom is club-shaped, with age it takes the form of a cylinder or a truncated cone.A fine light brown mesh pattern can be seen along its entire length. The pulp is dense, yellowish-white, the color does not change at the break. Distributed in the southern regions, where it can be found in deciduous forests with a predominance of beech or oak, often grows next to chestnuts. The growth period begins in May and lasts until October.
Copper porcini mushroom (boletus bronze)
The cap is hemispherical, with age it acquires a flatter pillow-like shape. It can reach a diameter of 20 cm. The skin is dark gray, almost black, with an ashy tint, in young specimens it is velvety, pleasant to the touch. The tubular layer is white, begins to turn slightly yellow with age.
The leg is massive, club-shaped, light brown, covered with a fine mesh. The pulp is white, rather dense, becomes looser with age. Bronze boletus grows in the southern regions, usually in oak groves with chestnuts. Appears in May, there are usually several growth waves during the season. The last specimens can be found in the forest in the middle of autumn.
False boletus
It should be understood that the term "false" means an inedible or poisonous mushroom, similar in appearance to any edible one. In the case of boletus boletus, it is worth attributing, first of all, representatives of the same Boletov family to false ones, such as:
- Gall mushroom.
- Satanic mushroom.
- Borovik Le Gal.
- Boletus is beautiful.
This list includes both inedible and poisonous species. Here are some mushrooms that look like but are not edible boletus:
- Gall mushroom (gorchak)... According to the classification, it is not a boletus, although these mushrooms belong to the same family. Outwardly, it resembles an ordinary porcini mushroom, has a hemispherical or pillow-shaped cap of brown color of various shades. A distinctive feature of bitterness is the color of the tubular layer. It is pale pink, becoming darker and brighter with age. At the break, the pulp of the gall mushroom, in contrast to the boletus, turns red, it tastes bitter, and the bitterness increases during heat treatment. Gorchak is not poisonous, but it is impossible to eat it.
Important! The gall fungus is almost never wormy. - Satanic mushroom... It got its name for the similarity of the legs in color with a tongue of flame escaping from the ground. A red or orange stem is the hallmark of this mushroom. It is typical for all Boletovs, club-shaped, thick, dense. The cap of the satanic mushroom is semicircular, with age it becomes flatter, pillow-like. Its color is olive-gray, in various shades. The spore layer is greenish yellow. The pulp is dense, yellowish, usually turns blue at the break. The peculiarity of the satanic mushroom is its smell. In young specimens, it is pleasant, spicy, but with age, the pulp of the fruit body begins to smell more and more of rotten onions. The satanic mushroom grows from June to October, mainly in the southern regions of the European part of Russia, and is found in the Primorsky Territory. In its raw form, the species is poisonous, but in some countries, after prolonged heat treatment, it is eaten. This false boletus is in the photo below:
- Borovik Le Gal (legal)... It is found mainly in European countries. Kok and all boletus have a semicircular or pillow-shaped cap. Its color is dirty pink. The skin is velvety, pleasant to the touch. The tubular layer is pinkish orange. The pulp is light yellow, with a pleasant mushroom smell, turns blue at the break. The leg is dense, rounded, swollen. Its color is pink-orange; a fine mesh pattern is clearly visible on the surface. It grows in July-September in deciduous forests, forming mycorrhiza with oak, beech, hornbeam. Borovik Le Gal is poisonous, not consumed.
- Boletus is beautiful. The cap of this mushroom is olive brown, sometimes reddish, often with dark speckles. The form is hemispherical; as it grows, it becomes cushion-shaped. The pores of the tubular layer are red. The pulp is yellowish, turns blue on the cut.The leg is thickened, red-brick, with a pattern in the form of a fine mesh. The species is widespread in the coniferous forests of North America. Poisonous.
Collection rules
When collecting boletus, it is quite difficult to make a mistake. All venomous members of this family have a characteristic color with red tones, which makes the probability of error rather low. Nevertheless, in the "quiet hunt" you should adhere to the generally accepted rules:
- You cannot take mushrooms if there is no absolute confidence in their edibility and safety.
- In the process of growth, fruiting bodies literally absorb radionuclides, salts of heavy metals, and other harmful substances. Do not collect them in the immediate vicinity of busy highways or railways, or in abandoned military or industrial sites, where they usually grow in abundance.
- When picking mushrooms, you need to cut them off with a knife, and not pull them out of the ground, otherwise the mycelium threads are destroyed.
- Boletus almost always grow in groups. Often the mycelium stretches along the natural folds of the terrain: ditches, a ravine, an old car track. It is in this direction that the search should be continued.
- It is better to leave wormy specimens in the forest immediately, pricking them on a tree twig. Ripe spores will spill out of the cap and form a new mycelium. And the dried mushroom will be eaten by birds or squirrels.
- Boletus with a small amount of worms inside can be used for processing, for example, they can be dried. However, it is necessary to process the crop immediately upon returning from the forest, otherwise the larvae will not only continue to destroy wormy mushrooms, but also crawl to neighboring, clean ones.
By adhering to these simple rules of "quiet hunting", you can be confident in your health and safety.
Eating boletus
Boletus is tasty and nutritious. There are a lot of recipes for cooking dishes with these mushrooms. They are truly versatile, they can be used in any form: fried, boiled, pickled. They are dried and frozen for the winter, used as ingredients for the preparation of various salads, soups, sauces.
How to grow boletus at home
Perhaps not a single gardener will refuse to have a plantation of porcini mushrooms on his personal plot. However, this is quite difficult to do. In order for boletus to grow like in a forest, it is necessary to create suitable conditions for them that mimic natural as much as possible. This applies to literally all points: the soil, the composition of organic residues on which the mycelium should grow, the presence of trees of a suitable age for the formation of mycorrhiza, etc.
A good option for artificial breeding of boletus is the use of greenhouses or heated premises in which the necessary temperature and humidity parameters can be maintained. Mycelium can be obtained independently from mushrooms collected in the forest or purchased from the online store.
An interesting video about growing porcini mushrooms at their summer cottage:
Conclusion
Above are photos and descriptions of the boletus mushroom, its edible and inedible varieties. Of course, the list of the listed species is far from complete. However, even this information is enough to have a general idea of this fungal family, numbering about 300 species.
