Content
- 1 What does a coral hedgehog look like?
- 2 Doubles and their differences
- 3 Where and how does the coral hedgehog grow
- 4 Coral hedgehog mushroom edible or not
- 5 How to cook coral hedgehog
- 6 The medicinal properties of coral urchins
- 7 How to grow coral hedgehogs on the site
- 8 Some interesting facts about coral hedgehogs
- 9 Conclusion
Coral Hericium is an edible mushroom with a very unusual appearance. It is not difficult to recognize the coral hedgehog in the forest, but it is interesting to study its features and properties.
What does a coral hedgehog look like?
The coral hedgehog is known by several names. Among them are coral and trellate hedgehog, coral hericium, branched hericium. All these names characterize the unusual appearance of the fungus - it differs significantly from most related species.
Description of the hat
The coral hedgehog has a very unusual appearance, most of all it resembles a spreading coral, capable of reaching 40 cm in width and 30 cm in length. The fungus does not have a clearly defined cap - the fruiting body consists of long dense shoots, or branches, 5 mm in diameter, covered with small thorns. The thorns also lengthen as the fungus develops, reaching up to 1 cm in length and hanging from the branches of the fungus. The branches of the bushy coral urchin are hollow from the inside.
In color, the mushroom usually has a milky, light beige or pale yellow tint. Its pulp is white or slightly pinkish, fleshy and with well-defined fibers, and when it dries it becomes brownish-orange. The pulp has a rich mushroom smell, quite pleasant.
Leg description
Due to its structure, the coral urchin has almost no legs. The coral shoots of the fungus grow from a short base, almost indistinguishable at first glance. The base reaches 1 cm in diameter and is covered with small scales. The color at the stem of the fruiting body is the same as that of the whole mushroom.
Doubles and their differences
It is rather difficult to confuse the coral hericium with other mushrooms - according to the description of the coral hedgehog, it is clear that it looks very unusual. It looks much more like a bizarre plant or coral than a mushroom. However, in the absence of experience, he can be mistaken for related hedgehogs, also distinguished by a non-standard appearance.
Crested hedgehog
This related species, growing on tree trunks, in adulthood may slightly resemble a coral hedgehog, since a long, frequent fringe of a light beige or whitish color hangs from its cap very abundantly. Thanks to this, the mushroom is also called "airy fish". Sometimes the fringe of the mushroom can be slightly raised above the surface of the cap, in which case it becomes especially similar to the coral hedgehog.
However, it is easy to distinguish mushrooms - the coral species has a more bushy and uneven structure.The long fringe of the crested blackberry is usually directed downward, the needles themselves are even and straight, in contrast to the curved spines of the coral mushroom.
Hericium's antennae
Another similar species is the barbel hedgehog, which grows on tree trunks, usually arranged in tiled order, several caps next to each other. The tips of the barbel urchin are white or slightly pinkish, turning yellow with age, covered from above with densely appressed spines. From the underside of the caps hang dense long spines with sharp tips, whitish in young mushrooms and yellowing in old ones.
It is possible to distinguish the barbel hedgehog from the coral one by the shape - the spines of the fungus are directed downward from the hymenophore, while in the coral hericium they grow in all directions in a bushy order. Like the coral hericium, the barbel hedgehog is edible at a young age, as long as its flesh remains tender enough.
Where and how does the coral hedgehog grow
You can meet coral gericium on the territory of Russia in almost all regions - in Kamchatka and the Far East, in the Caucasus, in the Urals and in Siberia, in the European part of the country.
Coral-like hericium grows on the trunks of deciduous trees, most often it comes across on birches and alder. The mushroom chooses both dead and living trees as its place of growth. Fruiting occurs throughout the warm season - from early July to the very end of September.
Coral hedgehog mushroom edible or not
Coral gericium can be eaten - it does not possess toxic properties. Mushroom pickers highly appreciate the taste of the barnacle; it is considered a great success to find it in those areas where mushroom picking is not officially prohibited.
How to cook coral hedgehog
The culinary use of the coral mushroom is very wide, it can be processed at high temperatures and dried, pickled and frozen. The composition of Gericium coral is very useful, and the calorie content is low, only 30 kcal per 100 g of pulp.
Mushroom preparation
Due to its unusual structure, it is not customary to clean coral-like gericium before cooking. However, you still need to rinse the mushroom and remove forest debris from it. To do this, the fruit body is placed in a colander and washed under the tap, and then poured with boiling water and left for 15 minutes.
After this time, the blackberries need to be thrown into a colander, once again rinsed with boiling water, and then cut off the spines and the lower part of the fruiting body - the remains of the mycelium. If the fruit bodies are heavily contaminated, you can fill them with salt and fill them with warm water, and after an hour rinse them in the standard way.
How to fry coral hedgehogs
A popular recipe is frying coral hedgehogs - this cooking method is very quick and simple, few ingredients are required:
- Fresh hedgehogs are cleaned of debris, thorns removed and the bottom base is cut, then boiled in salt water for about 20 minutes.
- The mushrooms are thrown into a colander, and then cut into pieces of suitable size and sent to a frying pan greased with vegetable oil.
- The mushrooms are fried until excess moisture evaporates from them. In the process of frying, onions, cut into half rings, are added to the hedgehogs, salt and pepper to taste.
After the onion has become translucent, the dish can be removed from the heat. In total, the process of frying the black man's men takes no more than 10 minutes; vegetables, herbs and sour cream can be added to the finished dish.
How to pickle
For long-term storage, coral hedgehogs are usually pickled - this allows you to enjoy their taste and useful properties even in winter. The recipe looks like this:
- A clove of garlic and onion are finely chopped and placed in a sterile jar.
- Add 1 large spoonful of salt and 10 black peppercorns, 2 bay leaves and 1 large spoonful of sunflower oil.
- Pour the ingredients with 2 large tablespoons of vinegar, and then pour in 100 ml of boiling water.
- Lastly, 500 g of chopped hedgehogs are placed in the jar and another 150 ml of boiling water is added.
After that, the jar must be tightly closed, turned over with the lid down and left to cool under a warm blanket. Finished pickled mushrooms are stored in the refrigerator.
How to freeze
Coral Hericium can be frozen for long-term storage. It is very simple to do this - the fruit bodies must be cleaned of debris and rinsed under the tap, and then dried on a napkin or towel. The dried mushrooms are cut into slices, placed in a plastic container or bag and sealed, and then sent to the freezer.
The shelf life of the freezer depends on the temperature. So, at -12 ° C, coral-like gertium will retain useful properties for about 3 months, and at -18 ° C - up to six months.
How to dry
Drying the barnacles is another good way to preserve them for a long time. Fresh fruit bodies should be wiped with a paper towel and cut into thinner slices, and then put on a baking sheet and sent to the oven preheated to 45 ° C.
After the mushrooms have dried up a little, the temperature will need to be raised to 70 ° C and the barnacles should be kept in the oven until the moisture completely evaporates. In this case, the door must be left open so as not to exceed the recommended temperature. There is no need to wash the fruits before drying.
Salting
A quick simple recipe suggests salting coral gericium - salted mushrooms can be added to salads, main courses and even soups. The cooking algorithm is very simple:
- about 1.5 kg of mushrooms are cleaned of debris and washed, and then soaked in salt water for about 4 hours;
- after this time, the onion head is cut into half rings, 2 cloves of garlic, 5 branches of dill or other herbs and 50 g of horseradish are chopped;
- the mushrooms are cut into small pieces and placed in a saucepan, after which they are boiled for 15 minutes;
- Ready-made hedgehogs are washed and laid in layers in a prepared jar, sprinkled with chopped spices, herbs and salt.
When the jar is full, it is covered with thick gauze on top and the load is installed. After a week, salted black man's feet will be completely ready to eat.
Other recipes from coral hedgehogs
The recipes given are considered basic, but there are other ways to prepare gericium. All of them allow you to fully reveal the taste of the mushroom.
Coral hedgehog soup
To prepare the soup, you will need not only hedgehogs, but also chicken fillet, some potatoes, processed cheese and onions. The recipe looks like this:
- first, boil 200 g of chicken fillet in a saucepan and cut into cubes;
- put a frying pan on the fire and grease it with butter;
- 300 g of peeled blackberries and 1 onion are cut and sent to fry;
- mushrooms and onions are salted and pepper to taste, at the same time chicken broth is again put on the fire and 2-3 medium chopped potatoes are added to it.
After 20 minutes, the fried mushrooms and onions are poured into the potatoes in chicken broth, boiled for another 5 minutes and served, not forgetting to add boiled chicken pieces to the soup. For a more piquant taste, finely chopped processed cheese is added to the hot soup already on the plate.
Hericiums with vegetables
Coral gericium with vegetables and spices has a very pleasant and pungent taste. Mushrooms are prepared like this:
- cut 1 onion and fry it until golden brown in a pan, then add 300 g of chopped mushrooms;
- after 7 minutes, 1 chopped carrot is poured into the pan and covered with a lid;
- while mushrooms and vegetables are fried, prepare a special sauce - mix salt, pepper, coriander and sesame seeds in 1 small spoon, add 1 large spoonful of honey and 500 ml of soy sauce;
- the sauce is stewed in a separate skillet for 5 minutes.
After the mushrooms with onions and carrots are ready, they will need to be poured with sauce and served.
Stewed hedgehogs
You can put out coral gericium with sour cream and onions. They do it like this:
- chop the onion, and cut 300 g of mushrooms into thin slices;
- the onions are fried in a frying pan until golden brown, after which the black sheep are added;
- the ingredients are salted and pepper to taste and fried for another 15 minutes.
After that, it remains to add 3 large tablespoons of sour cream, cover the pan with a lid and simmer the dish over low heat for only 5 minutes.
The medicinal properties of coral urchins
Coral Hericium attracts with its pleasant taste and decorative appearance. But its value also lies in its medicinal properties; it is very useful to use the mushroom. In the composition of the hedgehogs there are vitamins and mineral salts, amino acids and protein compounds, as well as the substance hericenone B.
Due to its composition, coral urchins:
- improve the condition of the nervous and muscular system;
- contribute to the improvement of blood vessels and the heart system;
- prevent the appearance of blood clots and have a very beneficial effect on varicose veins;
- reduce harmful blood cholesterol;
- help in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and fight cancer.
Scientists also note the anti-inflammatory properties of blackberries - it is useful to use them for colds. Coral Hericium is able to accelerate the healing process of wounds and abrasions.
Tincture on coral hedgehogs on alcohol
Herbal tincture is a valuable medicine - in combination with alcohol, mushrooms fully reveal their beneficial properties. They prepare it like this:
- 30-40 g of dried coral hedgehogs are crushed to a powder state and poured into a glass vessel;
- pour raw materials with 500 ml of vodka;
- the vessel is closed and removed for 2 weeks in a cool, dark place.
You need to take the tincture a few drops a day shortly before eating. The remedy helps with inflammatory processes and tumors, and tincture can also rub sore spots with joint ailments. The drug has pronounced antiseptic, bactericidal and regenerating properties.
How to grow coral hedgehogs on the site
It is not necessary to go to the forest for coral hericium - in specialized stores you can buy spores of this mushroom for growing a coral hedgehog at home. It is necessary to sow spores from the end of April to October; in greenhouse conditions, planting is allowed throughout the year:
- Since the hedgehog grows on trees, for its cultivation you will need to take 2 fresh logs without shoots and internal defects, about 20 cm in diameter and 1 m in length.
- In the logs, you will need to make small holes up to 4 cm in diameter, located 10 cm from each other, and immerse the wood in water for a couple of days.
- After that, the tree is slightly dried in the fresh air, the spores are placed in the prepared holes and the logs are wrapped in foil to create a greenhouse effect.
The first time you need to keep the wood in a warm and dark place, remembering to moisten the logs twice a week. After the appearance of the mycelium, the logs are allowed to be brought to light. When growing a coral hedgehog in the country, the first harvest, subject to all the rules, will appear in six months. You will need to cut the mushrooms almost immediately, without waiting for them to turn yellow and begin to dry.
Some interesting facts about coral hedgehogs
Coral gericium is considered a medicinal mushroom in many countries.For example, in China, it is actively used to treat the nervous system and strengthen the immune system.
The composition of the fungus contains compounds toxic to intestinal parasites. Due to this, the black man's mane becomes very useful in the treatment of nematodes - in combination with medications, it helps to get rid of parasites faster.
At the end of the 1990s, the substance erinacin E was discovered in the composition of coral gertium, which stimulates the growth of nerve cells. The mushroom's medical significance has increased dramatically as scientists have concluded that drugs based on it have the potential to cure Alzheimer's disease.
Conclusion
Coral Hericium is a rare and very beautiful mushroom with numerous beneficial properties. Not every mushroom picker manages to meet him, however, the coral-shaped gericium is suitable, including for growing in a summer cottage.
