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Serushka is a russula mushroom that belongs to the genus Millechnikovs, it is considered a close relative of the Volushek. This variety is harvested all summer, until October. Serushka mushrooms are very popular and loved by gourmets. It is not difficult to collect them: they are unpretentious to soil and weather conditions, have a high yield and grow everywhere in all regions of central Russia.
What does a mushroom serushka look like?
As the name suggests, the mushroom is gray in color. But at different times of the year, it can change. So, the cap of the autumn gray-haired mushroom is painted in different shades of gray: from violet-pink to dark lead.
Serushka has many different names that reflect its color peculiarity: gray milky, green tea, gray ryadovka, lilac milk mushroom, seruha, seryanka.
While the mushroom is growing, the entire surface of its cap is convex.
In a mature state, it takes the form of a funnel, in the middle of which there is a small smooth tubercle. Edges appear jagged and slightly sloping downward. The diameter of the cap can be up to 10 cm.
There are several main distinguishing characteristics that will help you navigate the forest and distinguish this type of mushroom from others:
- The white flesh is firm in texture and has a fruity aroma.
- Sparsely located plates are colored pale yellow. In young mushrooms, they are inseparable from the stem and only over time acquire the shape of a wave.
- If the gray mushroom is broken into 2 parts, you can see the release of a watery liquid, which has a very pungent taste. Its amount is always abundant, even in dry weather.
- In still not formed mushrooms, the light gray leg is slightly swollen or, conversely, narrowed. Its thickness is 2 cm, length - 8 cm. In mature, it becomes hollow, and its color is more saturated.
When wet, during and after precipitation, the surface of the cap becomes very slippery.
The gray mushroom is often confused with zoned and zoneless milky, whose caps are creamy and brown.
One of the distinguishing advantages of these mushrooms is that the worms usually do not show interest in them, therefore the serukh are rarely wormy. In some cases, only the lower edges of the legs may be damaged, and the caps always remain intact.
Photos and descriptions of the gray mushrooms will help novice mushroom pickers easily find them in the forest and distinguish them from other species.
Where do serushki grow
Gray mushrooms are common in deciduous and mixed forests. Experienced mushroom pickers know that they can always be found in aspen and birch thickets, the upper layers of the soil of which receive a lot of light and warm up well.
Some of the popular names for this species help to understand where they most often grow:
- plantain;
- backrest;
- gray nesting house.
This species grows in large clusters along forest roads, paths, on forest edges. The most preferred are loamy and sandy loam soils. They can also be seen in wetlands and low-lying areas, where melt water does not drain for a long time.
Serushki mushrooms are edible or not
Serushki belong to the category of conditionally edible, or semi-edible, mushrooms. This means that there are certain restrictions for eating them. Mushrooms of this variety should never be eaten raw. Before use, they are subjected to additional processing - prolonged soaking in water.
The features of this variety are clearly presented in the video:
Taste qualities of serushki
In terms of nutritional and taste qualities, this species belongs only to the 3rd food category. The 1st category includes the most delicious and healthy mushrooms, rich in valuable minerals, proteins and vitamins, such as boletus, milk mushrooms, mushrooms, champignons and all porcini mushrooms.
Representatives of the 2nd category also have high quality, but slightly lower content of vitamins and minerals - aspen mushrooms, boletus boletus, boletus, boletus. The 3rd category is represented by mushrooms of low quality, which have a good taste, but a poor composition of nutrients and useful substances. In addition to serushka, this category includes mushrooms such as mushrooms, morels, lactarius, certain types of moss and some others.
The excess content of milky juice makes the taste of serushki pungent and bitter. Only due to the content of nutrients, they did not fall into the 4th category, which includes all types of mushrooms with a mediocre taste and an insignificant content of trace elements: for example, oyster mushrooms, dung beetles, raincoats.
Benefits and harm to the body
In the Middle Ages, the use of serushki in food helped in the treatment of the stomach and related diseases. It was included as one of the components in the formulation of drugs for cholera. The trace elements contained in them are useful for maintaining the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, have a positive effect on the functioning of the brain and blood vessels.
Due to the significant concentration of polysaccharides that strengthen the immune system, this type of mushroom is often used to prepare various ointments, decoctions and tinctures. With their help, diseases of the skin are treated. Serushki have an antiparasitic effect on the body and cope with various types of worms and worms. These mushrooms are easily digestible and low in calories, therefore they are recommended even for dietary nutrition.
Mushrooms collected in ecologically clean areas and properly processed will only benefit the human body. However, you should not abuse such food and eat them in large quantities. Serushki are rich in natural chitin, useful in small doses. In case of overeating, digestive problems can occur. For young children, the inclusion of mushrooms in the diet is also contraindicated.
It is not recommended to use serushki for people suffering from diseases associated with disruption of the stomach and intestines. It is allowed to take mushrooms in small quantities, and only in boiled form. If the listed diseases are of an aggravated form, the product should be completely abandoned. Pickled mushrooms containing vinegar and various spices are especially dangerous in this state.
How to Distinguish a Serushka from a False Serushka
Serushki grow in large clusters, forming rounded rows, which is why they are called "witch's circles". In order not to get poisoned, you should know how to distinguish conditionally edible grasses from their counterparts, which pose a serious threat to life and health:
- White poisonous ryadovka. Its pulp, colored white or milky, acquires a pink tint at the break. The leg and cap are white. A distinctive feature is a pungent odor reminiscent of a radish.
- Inedible soap powder. It is characterized by a pungent soapy odor and a uniform rich color.
- Pointed serushka. It has a very pungent taste and a repulsive odor. It is easy to distinguish it from the real variety by its high pointed part in the center of the cap.
All types of false serushki can be identified by one common distinguishing feature: when broken, representatives of the species spread a pungent unpleasant odor, and some mushrooms smell repulsive even in an intact state.
Mushroom picking rules
Serushki, like all other mushrooms, perfectly absorb and accumulate harmful substances in the soil and air. Therefore, they should not be collected in unfavorable ecological zones, as well as along highways and roads with heavy traffic. Collecting seeds in the immediate vicinity of industrial enterprises that dispose of hazardous waste is very dangerous and can cause irreparable harm to health.
You can not uproot mushrooms, thus disrupting their system. Every mushroom picker knows that the gifts of the forest must be cut with a sharp knife. This will allow the root system to produce grapes in the same place for several years.
How to cook earrings
Serushka mushrooms do not differ in special taste, but, nevertheless, there are various ways of cooking them in cooking. After all, if you cook them correctly, this drawback will not be noticeable, seasonings and spices can significantly improve the taste of such mushrooms.
Features of cooking gray mushrooms
Serushki can be taken in any form. They are pickled, salted, fried, boiled, used as fillings for pies, pies and dumplings. Very tasty mushroom caviar is obtained from serushki. And if you add them to a creamy sauce, it will acquire a bright rich taste, and any dish with such a dressing will be able to sparkle with new colors. But most often these mushrooms are used canned for assorted preparations.
When preserving, the grains do not lose their consistency, practically do not boil down and do not acquire the fading and lethargy characteristic of many mushrooms that undergo heat treatment.
How to clean serushki
Methods for cleaning the grains differ depending on how they will be cooked in the future. So, if drying or freezing is planned, contact of the mushrooms with water should be minimal. In this case, they resort to the dry cleaning method.
To carry it out you will need:
- sharp knife;
- dish sponge or toothbrush;
- sunflower oil.
Cleaning of the earrings consists of several sequential actions:
- All places damaged by rodents and insects are cut off with a knife, capturing healthy parts.
- Stubborn dirt is gently cleaned.
- The rigid lower part of the leg is cut off.
- The plates under the cap are cleaned of accumulated small debris.
- The surface of the hats is wiped with a kitchen sponge or a toothbrush, previously soaked in sunflower oil. All adhering forest debris is removed - needles, leaves, grass.
You can even more thoroughly clean the earrings and remove the film from the caps. This work is quite laborious, but this way you can get rid of the product from the taste of bitterness. Mushrooms peeled in this way can be frozen and dried. If other cooking methods are planned, they are washed with plain water.
Do I need to soak the earrings
Soaking is one of the main ways to clean the earrings. With its help, you can neutralize the pungent bitterness that can spoil the taste of any mushroom dish. In addition, salted water helps open pores and removes debris more thoroughly.
How much to soak the earrings
Before soaking, the grays are cleaned and the lower part of the leg is cut off. Prepared mushrooms are placed in a saline solution prepared from 1 tbsp. l. salt per 1 liter of water. Soaking should be done within 1 to 3 days. In this case, one should not forget about the need to change the water. Otherwise, the entire mushroom crop may sour.
How much to cook earrings
Before cooking the mushrooms, you must boil them. The process is quite simple and does not require much effort. Cleared of soil and forest debris, the mushrooms are placed in a large saucepan filled with plain water. Cook 4 - 5 times for 10 minutes, each time changing the water. If small forest debris remains on the mushrooms, they can be completely cleansed during the cooking process. Foam will periodically form on the surface of the water. It is imperative to remove it. The mushroom broth obtained in this way is not suitable for other purposes.
Boiled mushrooms are placed in a colander. After all the moisture is gone, the product can be cooked further.
How to fry earrings
Fried mushrooms are the simplest and most delicious dish that can be prepared without enough time and additional ingredients.
Ingredients:
- 0.5 kg of fresh grains;
- 2 liters of water;
- 1 tbsp. l. salt;
- ground black pepper;
- vegetable oil.
To make fried mushrooms tasty, you should adhere to the following sequence of actions:
- Serushki are sorted out, cleaned and boiled in salted water.
- Boiled mushrooms are spread in heated sunflower oil and 10 minutes. fry at medium temperature, stirring every 1 - 2 minutes.
- Add salt and pepper. Keep on the stove for another 2 - 3 minutes, then the dish is served hot.
It is good to combine the fried gray salmon with fried potatoes or other side dishes to taste.
Serushk recipes
Soaking the grains and adding spices to them during the cooking process will irrevocably remove the bitterness and make the mushroom dish tasty and aromatic.
There are many traditional recipes for preparing serushki for the winter, based on canning, pickling, drying and salting. You can also show your imagination and prepare an original and unusual dish that will decorate any festive table.
Boiled mushrooms with spices
An uncomplicated recipe for cooking boiled mushrooms with spices.
Required Ingredients:
- 1 kg of mushrooms;
- 1 liter of water;
- 1 tbsp. l. salt;
- ¼ h. L. citric acid;
- Bay leaf;
- black peppercorns;
- carnation.
The cooking process consists of the following steps:
- Water is poured into a large pan, salt is poured, as well as a natural preservative - citric acid. All are mixed.
- Bring the saline solution to a boil and add the mushrooms. If there are more than 1 kg, the amount of the remaining ingredients is increased in an appropriate proportion.
- In 10 minutes. add all the spices.
- Cook for another 10 minutes. and put it in a colander.
The total cooking time on medium heat is 20 minutes. The dish can be eaten both hot and cold.
Ham envelopes with earrings
For cooking, you will need ingredients:
- 500 g of salted mushrooms;
- 400 g ham;
- 200 g of cheese;
- 2 pcs. bulbs;
- 2 tbsp. l. sunflower oil;
- salt;
- pepper.
Step by step cooking:
- Mushrooms and onions are finely chopped and fried, seasoned with salt and pepper.
- The ham is cut into squares with sides of 5 cm.
- Put the filling in the middle of each square and wrap the corners towards the center in the form of envelopes. To maintain their shape, you can secure them with toothpicks or bandage them with green onions.
- The blanks are laid out on a baking sheet and baked at 180 ° C.
The envelopes look very nice, and their taste is not inferior to the appearance.
Serushki in sour cream cheese sauce
This is a very simple but delicious dish.It will require:
- 400 g of boiled serushki;
- 100 ml sour cream;
- 100 g cream cheese (can be processed);
- 1 onion;
- 2 cloves of garlic;
- ground black pepper;
- salt.
Cooking steps:
- Finely chopped onions are fried in a pan until golden brown.
- Serushki are added and fried for 2 minutes.
- Add the cheese and stir until it is completely melted and covers all the mushrooms.
- Pour in sour cream, season with salt and pepper, stir and incubate over medium heat for several minutes.
- Add finely chopped garlic to the finished dish, mix, cover and let it brew on the switched off stove for 2 minutes.
Serushki in sour cream cheese sauce is good to serve with spaghetti, garnished with cherry tomatoes and any herbs.
Serushki baked in the oven with a creamy sauce
For a family meal, you can prepare a delicious quick recipe. It can also be a good addition to any side dish and will become a lifesaver in case of an unexpected visit of guests, it will help to treat your friends deliciously and quickly without taking a lot of time for cooking. Ingredients - mushroom mass, heavy cream and cheese - are taken in the desired volume.
The cooking steps are simple:
- Prepared mushrooms are laid out in a mold with sides.
- Pour in heavy cream, add your favorite spices and bake in the oven until tender.
- Sprinkle grated cheese on a warm dish.
Conclusion
Serushka mushrooms are not familiar to all mushroom lovers. When collecting forest products, care should be taken to select only environmentally safe locations. By following the basic rules of collection, cleaning, steeping and cooking, adhering to the recommended proportions and not forgetting about a sense of proportion, you can supplement the diet with a nutritious protein product.
