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Summer honey mushroom is a common mushroom that is valued for its good taste and beneficial properties. He has dangerous false counterparts, so it is important to know their distinguishing features.
Summer mushrooms, their description and photos
The summer mushroom is an edible representative of the Strofariev family. It grows in dense clusters on dead wood. There are several varieties of this mushroom, which differ in appearance.
Varieties of honey agarics
The main varieties of honey agarics:
- Summer. Grows in colonies on damaged wood. Known under the names of lime honey agaric, kyuneromyces changeable and talker. Differs in good taste, grown on an industrial scale.
- Autumn (real)... An edible mushroom that grows on stumps, felled and living trees. The height of the leg is 8-10 cm, the diameter is up to 2 cm. The hat is 3-15 cm in size, convex in shape, gradually becoming flattened. There is a pronounced white ring on the stem. The pulp is white, firm and aromatic. Fruiting occurs in layers, each lasts 2-3 weeks.
- Winter. An edible fungus that parasitizes dead wood, more often willow and poplar. The leg is 2-7 cm high, the hat is 2-10 cm in size. It does not have a “skirt” on the leg, which is typical for most mushrooms. It grows from autumn to spring in a forest-park strip.
- Lugovoi. Prefers forest glades, meadows, ravines, roadsides. It has a convex cap and a thin leg up to 10 cm long. It grows from May to October.
- Fat-legged. It is found in fallen leaves, on felled spruce, beech, fir and ash. It has a low, straight leg, thickened near the base. The size of the cap is from 2.5 to 10 cm. In young specimens, it has the shape of an expanded cone with frequent plates.
What summer mushrooms look like
Description of summer mushroom:
- the convex shape of the cap in young mushrooms, as it grows, becomes flat with a wide tubercle in the central part;
- the diameter of the cap is 3-6 cm;
- in dry weather, it has a matte yellow-brown color;
- at high humidity, the cap turns brown;
- there are beards at the edges, the skin is smooth and covered with mucus;
- the hymenophore of summer honeydew is lamellar, light or dark in color;
- leg height - up to 7 cm, diameter - 0.5 cm;
- its consistency is dense, the color is light on top and dark on the bottom;
- in young mushrooms, the remains of a bedspread in the form of a thin ring are visible;
- the flesh of the cap is thin and watery, the flesh in the stem is darker and denser.
In the photo you can see what summer mushrooms look like:
Are summer mushrooms edible
Honey mushrooms are edible, but they are eaten only after heat treatment. First, they are soaked for half an hour, dirt, damaged areas are removed and cut into pieces. Be sure to throw out wormy specimens.
For primary processing, fruiting bodies are placed in boiling water. The minimum cooking time is 20 minutes.
The honey agaric contains vitamins of group B, PP, C and E, microelements (potassium, phosphorus, iron), fiber, amino acids, proteins. The product has a positive effect on the work of the heart and metabolism, slows down the development of cancer cells.
Nutritional value per 100 g of product:
- calorie content - 22 kcal;
- proteins - 2.2 g;
- fats - 1.2 g;
- carbohydrates - 0.5 g;
- dietary fiber - 5.1 g
The composition of the mushrooms is influenced by the ecological situation in the region. They absorb trace elements, radionuclides, pesticides and salts of heavy metals (mercury, cadmium, copper, lead, etc.) from the external environment. With such exposure, the fruiting body becomes toxic and, if consumed, can be fatal.
When does the mushroom season begin
Summer mushrooms are found from April to November. In coastal and other areas with mild winters, they grow year-round. Most of them are found in regions with a humid climate.
It is better to go for mushrooms early in the morning in light clothes or shoes. The leg is cut off with a knife at ground level. You can take a navigator and a stick up to 1 m long.
Where can you collect summer mushrooms
Honey mushrooms are found in shady areas with high humidity. It is better to collect them in ecologically clean areas.
Summer varieties prefer decaying or living hardwood, less often conifers. They are found in deciduous and mixed forests of the temperate zone.
It is not recommended to eat mushrooms that grow within megacities: in parks, squares, forest belts. To find them, it is better to move at least 1 km from the motorways.
Cooking applications
The collected mushrooms are frozen for the winter raw or after heat treatment. They are added to first courses, side dishes and appetizers. Honey mushrooms can be pickled, salted, fermented, dried, fried and stewed.
Dangerous doubles of the summer mushroom with the name and photo
Edible mushrooms have many counterparts. Outwardly, these mushrooms are very similar. On closer inspection, summer mushrooms can be distinguished from their dangerous counterparts.
How to distinguish a gallerina bordered from a summer mushroom
Bordered gallerina is a deadly poisonous mushroom. Its shape and color are identical to those of edible mushrooms. Galerina occurs from early August to late autumn.
Features of the bordered gallery:
- scales on the cap and leg are completely absent (edible mushrooms must have them);
- a hemispherical hat (in young honey agarics it is often asymmetrical, however, as it grows, it acquires a more regular shape);
- uniform reddish color of the cap (the honey agaric has a darker center of the cap, there is a yellow ring around it, and a dark border around the edges);
- floury smell of pulp;
- more common in coniferous forests;
- grows singly or 2-3 pcs.
If gallerin enters the body, it leads to disruption of the liver and can be fatal. The most difficult thing is to distinguish between a bordered gallery and a summer mushroom when the mushrooms have grown.
False Foam
False honey mushrooms are a group of mushrooms that mimic edible honey mushrooms. The twins have lamellar caps 5-7 cm in size and a 10 cm long stem. False heaps grow on rotten trees.
Varieties of false hornets:
- Gray yellow. Poisonous false froth of gray or brown color with a yellow tinge. The central part of the cap is darker. The plates on the back of the cap are greenish in color.
- Seroplate. In young specimens, the cap is hemispherical, becoming flattened over time. The color of false summer mushrooms changes from yellowish to brown depending on the level of humidity.
- Brick red. Large pseudo-foam with a cap diameter of more than 10 cm. It is reddish in color, with a dark center, the leg is pale yellow.
- Watery. Young mushrooms have a bell-shaped cap that thickens as they grow. The color varies with moisture levels and ranges from cream to bright brown. The leg is pale in color. Falsefoam grows from June to October.
You can distinguish summer mushrooms from false ones by the presence of a ring on a leg, a dull cap, beige or yellowish plates in edible mushrooms. Poisonous specimens have an unpleasant odor that resembles mold or damp earth. On contact with water, false heels turn blue or black.
Carbon-loving scales
Coal-loving flake is a rare fungus suitable for food, but at the same time it does not possess taste and nutritional value.
Scale is a lamellar mushroom of medium to large size. In young specimens, the cap is hemispherical, in old specimens it is flat-spread. The fruit body is always completely covered with scales. The leg is 3-6 cm long, rigid and fibrous.
Psatirella
The mushroom is considered conditionally edible. The taste and nutritional value are low. Psatirella has a yellow or brown cap with a tubercle and cracked edges.
Young mushrooms have a bell-shaped top that flattens over time. The surface of the cap is smooth and dry.
The leg is from 3 to 11 cm high, hollow, curved, with a mealy bloom. The plates are beige, gradually changing their color to brown. The pulp is brown, odorless, bitter in taste.
Is it possible to grow summer mushrooms on a personal plot
Honey mushrooms are grown on a personal plot, they successfully grow at home on sawdust or seed husks.
The mycelium is obtained independently by grinding mushroom caps. It can be purchased ready to plant.
In April or May, the mycelium is populated into growing stumps or felled trees, after which it is regularly watered. Maintaining a constant temperature (from +15 to + 20 ° C) helps to stimulate the growth of mushrooms. Logs are kept in a basement or cellar.
When the mycelium begins to grow, the wood is transferred to the site and partially buried in the ground. For growing honey mushrooms a greenhouse or any darkened patch of land will do.
In the first year, the mycelium gives a low yield. Fruiting begins in June and depends on the quality of the wood and climatic conditions. Under favorable circumstances, the next year, the yield increases by 4 times. Honey mushrooms are harvested from one mycelium within 4-6 years.
Conclusion
Summer honey mushroom is a tasty and healthy mushroom. When collecting honey agarics, it is important to distinguish them from dangerous doubles. The collected mushrooms are cleaned and cooked.
