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Boletus reticulated, the Latin name, Boletus reticulatus, belongs to the genus Borovikov, the Boletovye family. In Russia, it is called the White Oak Mushroom, another name is Summer. This variety is distinguished from the real Borovik only by a brown mesh leg, otherwise the species are almost identical.
What oak porcini mushrooms look like
The cap of a young mushroom is spherical, its diameter does not exceed 3 cm. With age, it becomes cushion-shaped, thick and convex, increases in size up to 10 cm, in some specimens up to half a meter. Its color is dark beige, coffee, light brown, the surface is velvety, dry.
The pulp is dense, strong, the cut site does not darken and does not crumble. On the back of the cap, under the tubes, the color of the flesh may be yellow. Its taste is rich with mushroom, aromatic.
The tubules are thin, small, and tightly interconnected. In young small mushrooms, they are white, in large and overripe ones, they can darken and turn yellow.
The leg is thick, strong, springy, not hollow inside. Its length can vary from 5 to 20 cm, diameter - from 3 to 8 cm. The color is light nut, the surface is rough, covered with a dark, dense mesh. The shape of the mushroom leg is clavate or cylindrical, the bottom is wider than the top.
Spores of oak porcini mushroom are rounded, olive or brown in color, spore powder is marsh or brown in color.
Where oak porcini mushrooms grow
Boletus reticulated grows in the temperate climate of Eurasia, in the light deciduous forests of Europe, North Africa and America. Most often it can be found under beeches, chestnuts, oaks in mountainous areas, and is common in the Crimea. White oak mushroom prefers light, dry, alkaline soil. It grows next to the grainy-footed oak tree. Insects, the mesh boletus practically do not attack.
Is it possible to eat oak porcini mushrooms
Boletus reticulated is eaten in any form after heat treatment. Some sources indicate that it can be eaten fresh after a short treatment with boiling water.
Taste qualities of porcini oak mushrooms
This mushroom belongs to the first category, due to its high taste. It can be fried, stewed, dried, rolled into jars. Dried, white oak is especially aromatic and tasty. After heat treatment, the flesh of the net boletus does not darken, it looks appetizing in any dishes. It has a sweetish taste with a nutty aftertaste.
False doubles
White oak mushroom from the Boletovye family is similar to all representatives of the genus. But he has especially many similarities with the White Spruce Mushroom. This is the same strong large specimen with dense tasty pulp.
The difference between it and the boletus reticulum is that it grows in coniferous, not deciduous forests, and its cap is dark brown, bumpy, loose. The weight of the Spruce Boletus can reach 2 kg. Both members of the family belong to the edible species of the first category.
White oak is similar to the gall fungus. He is an inhabitant of a coniferous forest, grows only on sandy soil - this is their first difference. The gall mushroom is inedible and has a pungent, bitter taste. It does not grow higher than 10 cm, the stem is covered with a dark, brown mesh pattern, similar to a loose bloom. Fruiting of the gall fungus begins in July, and in the white oak - in May.
Collection rules
They go to collect the white oak mushroom after a prolonged rainstorm, ideally if it lasted for several days - the harvest will be excellent. It is good to harvest in warm, humid weather or when it is raining lightly. At this time, large, dense caps of brown color are especially noticeable. In dry weather, it is difficult to find a good specimen. The white oak mushroom loves the edges and clearings, well lit by the sun. In deciduous forests, they are guided by oak, hornbeam, birch, it is under these trees that the reticulated boletus is hiding. The main harvesting time for the white oak mushroom is from August to October.
It is better to put small fruit bodies in the basket, the diameter of the cap of which does not exceed 7 cm. Their flesh is more tender, pliable, not spongy. They can be cut or broken off without disturbing the mycelium. The flesh of larger specimens becomes spongy, rubbery, and worms start in the legs of most old mushrooms. To determine the presence of parasites, a cut is made on the stem - it must be clean.
Use
Delicious and aromatic dishes are obtained from freshly harvested or dried mesh boletus. Do not store them for more than a day. Before cooking, the mushroom harvest is washed well, the lower part of the leg is cut off.
After peeling, porcini mushrooms are soaked in salted water. If a worm lurks in one of the legs, it will definitely leave it within half an hour. After such processing, any chosen dish is prepared from the harvested crop: julienne, casserole, mushroom sauce, roast with potatoes, rich soup. Also strong, elastic caps and legs are pickled and sent to jars, corked for the winter, or dried for future use.
In vegetable salads, you can use fresh, well-washed and blanched in boiling water for a couple of minutes mesh boletus. It is absolutely safe and tastes good even when raw.
The dried mushroom has a special, rich aroma and a sweetish, nutty flavor. Soups and casseroles are made from it.
Conclusion
Oak porcini mushroom is one of the varieties of porcini mushrooms of the Boletovye family, which are considered the best due to their high taste. Boletus is easy to distinguish from most known poisonous species, it is suitable for collection by inexperienced mushroom pickers. The summer mushroom is used to prepare any dishes, including fresh ones. It is absolutely safe for human health, even without preliminary heat treatment, and when dried it only becomes tastier.
