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Hericium white belongs to the family Hericium, genus Gidnum. Sometimes it is called "white hedgehog", where the stress in the first word falls on the last syllable. The mushroom is classified as an edible variety, but its taste is of low value. Despite this, mushroom pickers do not interfere with using it in cooking.
Description of the white hedgehog
A distinctive feature of the white hedgehog is the presence of spines located on the inside of the cap.
The fruiting body of the white hedgehog consists of a pronounced cap and a leg. The needles are short, white or pale pink. They have a conical shape, pointed at the ends, slightly descending to the stem. At a young age, elastic and densely located, in mature they become brittle, which contributes to easy shedding. The pulp is dense, white. Has a weak mushroom aroma, in some cases with a floral tinge. The spores are ellipsoidal, the spore powder is white.
Description of the hat
At the initial stage of ripening, the cap is slightly convex, with the edges bent down. Subsequently, it takes on a prostrate shape, with a concave center. The diameter of the cap reaches about 15-17 cm. The surface is dense, dry, velvety to the touch. The color ranges from white to yellowish or grayish shades. On some specimens, blurred spots in similar tones can be found.
White hedgehogs are recommended to be eaten young, since the flesh of overripe specimens becomes very tough
Leg description
The leg is dense, white, solid, the maximum height of which can reach 6 cm, and the width is 3 cm. There is no cavity inside even in adult specimens.
One of the main conditions for fruiting is a soil rich in limestone.
Where and how it grows
A favorable time for growth is the period from July to October within a temperate climate. Forms mycorrhiza with almost all coniferous and deciduous tree species. Gives preference to wet places and moss.
Widely distributed in Europe, North America and Asia. It is believed that the white hedgehog appeared in Russia relatively recently. Found in its southern part, in the temperate forest zone. It can grow both singly and in large groups under favorable conditions.
Doubles and their differences
As a rule, you can find a white hedgehog on the territory of Russia from the beginning of summer to mid-autumn.
White Hericium is quite difficult to confuse with other gifts of the forest because of the specific hymenophore. However, it has external similarities with other subspecies of this family. It is worth considering the main differences between each instance separately:
- Hericium is yellow. The hat of this variety is flat, irregular in shape.The pulp is dense, white with a pleasant aroma. It can grow together with the caps of other mushrooms growing in the vicinity. Grows in mixed and deciduous forests, prefers moss cover. The color ranges from pale yellow to orange, depending on growing conditions. The faded old white hedgehog is quite easy to confuse with a double, however, it will give out its inherent bitter taste, which yellow does not have even in adulthood.
- The reddish-yellow Hericium has a small cap, the size of which reaches about 5 cm in diameter. Irregular in shape, reddish-reddish color with wavy and very thin edges. In drought, the surface of the cap fades. On the underside of the cap there are needles of a reddish-yellow tone. The length of the leg is no more than 4 cm, colored in reddish shades. Its surface is covered with a felt down. The pulp is fragile, light shades, becomes firm with age, especially for the leg. It is edible, but eaten only at a young age. Older specimens are very bitter and taste like a rubber stopper.
White hedgehog edible or not
This specimen is edible, but edible only at a young age. This is due to the fact that overripe mushrooms become tough and start to taste bitter. Some sources mention the similarity of the species under consideration with chanterelles, not only in appearance, but also in taste. White hedgehog can be eaten fried, boiled, pickled. Also, this specimen is great for drying.
How to cook white hedgehog mushroom
Hericium white scares off many people with its unusual appearance. However, experienced mushroom pickers know that it is an edible and healthy mushroom, and therefore they gladly eat it fried, pickled, boiled. In addition, this species is considered an excellent option for freezing or drying. But before cooking, it is necessary to pre-process the gifts of the forest. To do this, using a toothbrush, you need to remove the needle growths under the cap. After that, each copy is washed under running water.
Important! As you know, white hedgehog is bitter only at old age. You can eliminate the unpleasant taste as follows: pour boiling water over the overripe specimens and leave for 15 minutes, then rinse under running water.
How to fry
The process of cooking fried white herringbones will not take much time. This will require the following ingredients:
- mushrooms - 600 g;
- one onion;
- vegetable oil;
- 1 clove of garlic
Step-by-step instruction:
- Peel the onion, cut into half rings.
- Chop the garlic.
- Fry the prepared ingredients in hot sunflower oil.
- Process the mushrooms, cut into medium pieces.
- Once the contents in the pan are golden brown, you can add the gifts of the forest.
- Cook for 10-15 minutes over low heat.
Important! Do not cut the mushrooms too finely, because under the influence of the temperature regime, they can decrease significantly.
It is recommended to cut out the needle layer before cooking the white hedgehog.
How to pickle
Before pickling, white hedgehogs must be processed, for this it is enough to clean them of dirt and debris with a brush, and then rinse under running water. Removing the needle layer is recommended, but not a prerequisite, as this will not affect the taste. You will need the following ingredients:
- mushrooms - 0.5 kg;
- onion - 1 pc.;
- garlic - 1 clove;
- vinegar 5% - 2 tbsp. l;
- vegetable oil - 1 tbsp. l .;
- bay leaf - 1 pc .;
- boiling water - 250 ml;
- salt and pepper to taste.
Cooking process:
- Chop garlic and onion, send to a prepared jar.
- Add salt, pepper, vinegar and oil to the common dishes.
- Pour the contents of 100 ml of boiling water.
- Place the treated hedgehogs, put a bay leaf on top, then pour boiling water over it.
- Roll up the jars with lids and gently turn over several times to shake the contents.
- Place in the refrigerator upside down.After a day, pickled mushrooms can be eaten.
How to dry
Dried mushrooms are perfect as a preparation for soups, gravy, sauces, broths. Before drying, the gifts of the forest should not be washed, it is enough just to clean it from dirt and wipe it with a dry cloth. Then they need to be cut into slices of about 5 mm and placed on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Initially, mushrooms are dried in an oven at a temperature of 45 degrees, when they are a little dry, they are raised to 70. To prevent the specimens from burning, drying should be carried out with a slightly open door. The process takes at least 8 hours.
You can tell about readiness by the elasticity of the mushroom: it should bend, but not break. White hedgehogs are kept in this form for about 2-3 years. In addition, dried mushrooms can be ground in a coffee grinder, making a mixture that can be added to various dishes as a seasoning.
How to freeze
Before freezing white hedgehogs, you need to sort them out. First, it is important to remove all wormy and rotten specimens. Secondly, the mushrooms should be cleaned of dirt, twigs and leaves. For such a purpose, firm and young white hedgehogs are suitable. Rinsing them is not recommended, since they tend to take in all the moisture. But if the mushrooms were still subject to water procedures, then after that they should be dried with a towel. Then dry specimens should be transferred in a thin layer into a special bag. You can store frozen white hedgehogs for up to a year at a temperature of - 18 degrees.
The medicinal properties of white urchins
White Hericium is considered not only a tasty mushroom, but also useful
The composition of the white hedgehog includes a lot of useful vitamins and minerals that have a beneficial effect on the body, namely:
- normalize blood pressure, improve heart rate;
- improve the work of the respiratory system;
- lower cholesterol levels;
- prevent the occurrence of malignant tumors;
- smooth the symptoms of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's;
- have a therapeutic effect on the digestive tract.
Based on the above, the white hedgehog is quite popular and is used in folk medicine.
Is it possible to grow a white hedgehog at home
Growing a white hedgehog at home is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. They can be artificially bred both indoors and outdoors. Thus, a white hedgehog can be grown in the country, but this option implies planting exclusively from April to October, and breeding, for example, in a basement or a barn will allow you to harvest all year round.
The algorithm for growing white hedgehogs at home is as follows:
- Prepare hardwood logs 1 m long and about 20 cm wide in diameter. The branches can be removed, but the bark must be retained.
- Soak dry wood in water for 2 days, then leave it in a warm ventilated room for the same time.
- Drill holes in the prepared logs staggered at a distance of 10 cm, 4 cm long, and 0.8 cm wide in diameter.
- Put mushroom sticks into the holes.
- Wrap the logs with plastic and leave in a warm place. It is important that they always remain moist, so watering should be carried out every 2-3 days.
- After the white filaments of mycelium are visible on the surface, the logs should be placed in cold water and then placed vertically in a bright and warm room.
Conclusion
White Hericium is an edible mushroom that has a positive effect on the body. However, like any other mushroom, it contains chitin, which is difficult to digest. In this regard, the use of forest gifts is not recommended for people with gastrointestinal problems, as well as young children, pregnant and lactating women.
