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Waves are very common in the forests of northern Russia. These mushrooms are considered to be conditionally edible because of the bitter, pungent milk-colored juice contained in the pulp, but after special processing they can be eaten. But, unfortunately, wave poisoning is also not uncommon. It can be the result of the mushrooms not being soaked or boiled, not cooked properly, or the resulting dish has been stored for too long.
In addition, if a person for whom such mushrooms are contraindicated for health reasons decides to eat a meal from the waves, this can also have bad consequences. At the first signs of poisoning, it is necessary to urgently provide the victim with emergency assistance and be sure to consult a doctor.
What are the waves
It is customary to call several types of tubular mushrooms belonging to the genus Mlechnik by volnushki. They grow on moist soil in mixed forests, usually near birches, and are often seen along roads and in wide open clearings. The wave season lasts a long time - from June to October. They are usually found for mushroom pickers in large groups, uniting several dozen young and old specimens.
The three most common types of wavelines in Russia are very similar to each other and are considered conditionally edible:
- Pink volnushka, or volnyanka, volzhanka, krasulya, broth. It is characterized by a convex cap with a diameter of 5 to 15 cm, which becomes flat with age with a small notch in the middle. Its color is pale or grayish-pink, on the surface of the skin of the fungus, a pattern of concentric circles ("waves") of a darker color is clearly visible, diverging from the center to curved down, slightly pubescent edges. The stem is pink, dense, cylindrical in shape, 3-7 cm long and up to 2 cm thick. The pulp of these mushrooms is white or light cream in color, with a faint coniferous odor. A pungent white juice appears abundantly at the fracture.
- The whitewash is white, or white. It is very similar to the pink wave described above, however, it is slightly smaller, less massive in appearance and prefers more sunny, open places. The size of its cap is 3-8 cm, it is white, convex in a young mushroom and acquires a funnel-shaped shape in an older one. On its surface there are also concentric circles, their color is yellowish. The leg of this mushroom is up to 4 cm long, pinkish in color. She, like the cap, is covered with light pubescence. The pulp of the mushroom is not very hard, white; at the site of damage, a bitter juice is released, which looks like milk.
- Marsh wolf, or pale milky, gray cracker. Less popular among mushroom lovers than the previous two types, however, pickles are often made from it after preliminary processing for the winter. Its cap can be 3 to 8 cm in diameter, with dry, damp or slightly sticky skin on the surface. It is usually grayish or even gray-lilac in color, with a darker color in the middle. The stem of the mushroom is long (up to 8 cm) and 1-2 cm thick, colored a little lighter than the cap in brown tones. The pulp is thin, brittle, white or grayish, practically odorless. The caustic milky juice of this mushroom becomes grayish under the influence of air, and when completely dried it acquires a gray-green color.
In what cases can you get poisoned by waves
In a number of countries of Central and Southern Europe (Czech Republic, Poland, Italy, France), the waves are classified not just as inedible, but as poisonous mushrooms. However, in the Scandinavian countries (Sweden and Finland), they are eaten with pleasure in fried or boiled form, after soaking well and processing them in boiling water. In the villages of Belarus and Russia, from the earliest times, they were not afraid to salt, stew, pickle waves, collecting them in whole baskets during the season. Undoubtedly, you need to know well how to prepare these mushrooms so that they can be eaten without fear of poisoning, and who should not eat dishes from the waves at all in order to avoid trouble.
Violation of the rules for preparing mushrooms for cooking
The most common cause of poisoning is violation of the rules for preliminary processing of freshly harvested waves. It happens that inexperienced mushroom pickers do not pay enough attention to this step at all. Such frivolity can lead to intestinal upset or manifest itself in mild to moderate poisoning.
Here are the main recommendations that must be strictly followed by those who are going to cook waves:
- immediately upon returning from the forest, the mushrooms need to be sorted out - to discard the wormy and spoiled ones, to remove the blades of grass, twigs and other debris, to clean the caps from the remnants of leaves and moss;
- the lower third of the leg of each wave must be cut off and discarded;
- remove the "fringe" from the mushroom caps, gently prying its edge with a sharp knife and removing it towards the center;
- rinse the waves well in cold water;
- cut large specimens of mushrooms into 3-4 parts;
- put the waves in a wide enameled container and pour cold water in which salt is dissolved (50 g per 1 l) so that it completely covers them;
- cover the mushrooms with a wide saucer and soak for 3 days, changing the water every 4-6 hours to avoid souring.
Violation of dosage and recipe during preparation
According to the reviews of mushroom pickers, you can get poisoned with volnushki if the cooking technology is not clearly followed, the proportions of key ingredients are incorrectly calculated and all the necessary subtleties are not taken into account.
Whatever culinary recipe is taken as a basis, it is imperative to adhere to several general rules:
- fresh waves for cooking the vast majority of dishes must first be boiled in one or more waters, but the first broth must be drained in any case, and then the mushrooms must be rinsed with cold water;
- if it was not possible to process and cook these mushrooms immediately after collection or purchase, it is advisable to leave them in the refrigerator whole and unwashed;
- you should definitely use clean knives and kitchen utensils, and it is also important that these items are not made of copper, tin or cast iron;
- ready-made meals from boiled, stewed or fried waves should not be stored in the refrigerator for more than a day to avoid poisoning;
- it is advisable to eat canned pickles or marinades from these mushrooms as soon as possible after the jar has been opened.
I would especially like to dwell on some of the intricacies of the recipe for such a popular method of making waves for future use, like salting.
The so-called cold salting of these mushrooms (without heat treatment) has many of its features:
- in order to avoid poisoning, it is carried out only in wooden barrels or in glass jars;
- at the stage of soaking the waves, in addition to salt, a little citric acid must be added to the water (2 g per 1 l);
- it is necessary to ensure that the mushrooms are completely immersed in the brine;
- after soaking, it is imperative to rinse the waves;
- such salting can be eaten no earlier than 40-60 days after preparation;
- before serving salted waves to the table, they are poured with clean cold water for 1-2 hours in order to get rid of excess salt;
- store such mushrooms in the cold at temperatures from 0 to 10 ° C, but not more than 12 months.
There are the necessary rules for the little ones prepared for the future by the "hot" method - preserved in glass containers along with spices and brine:
- after soaking, the mushrooms are washed and allowed to drain off excess water;
- then the waves are poured with clean water and boiled for 15-25 minutes until the product settles to the bottom of the pan;
- canning these mushrooms in half-liter jars washed with soda and sterilized, rolling them up with tin lids;
- such waves can be served after 2 weeks;
- store blanks from these mushrooms should be in a dark place at a temperature of 16-18 ° C.
Violation of the rules of use for those who have gastrointestinal diseases
It must be remembered that eating any dishes from the waves is contraindicated for people with acute and chronic diseases of the digestive system.
In particular, poisoning with these mushrooms can occur in those who suffer from:
- low acidity of gastric juice;
- cholecystitis;
- pancreatitis or gastritis.
Waves are forbidden for those who have removed the gallbladder or pancreas, as well as if less than six months have passed after any operation on the digestive organs.
The list of contraindications also includes individual intolerance to these mushrooms, which may result in an allergic reaction.
Other reasons
Despite the rich chemical composition and useful properties of the waves, they, like all mushrooms, are difficult to digest in the stomach, are a very strong allergen, and are also capable of accumulating toxic, radioactive substances and heavy metal salts contained in the air, soil and water. Moreover, any non-observance of the rules for pre-processing or preparation of waves further increases the risk of food poisoning by them.
That is why any dishes from these mushrooms must be excluded from the diet of pregnant and lactating women, as well as children under 7 years old.
After the age of seven, mushrooms should be given to children with extreme caution and in small quantities. Doctors advise to start with relatively safe oyster mushrooms or mushrooms that have undergone thorough heat treatment. Of forest mushrooms, white and mushrooms are considered optimal for further gradual "acquaintance". It is advisable to give the waffles to the child to try as late as possible, and only in boiled or stewed form. Fried mushrooms, pickles or pickles are not dishes for a children's table.
Symptoms of poisoning with waves
Symptoms and signs of wave poisoning usually become noticeable after 1-6 hours and manifest as a severe gastrointestinal upset:
- feeling of weakness, dizziness;
- attacks of nausea, turning into vomiting;
- stomach ache;
- loose stools occur.
This picture is typical for 4 (the mildest) type of mushroom poisoning. The disease usually lasts 1-2 days, then recovery gradually begins.
Symptoms of botulinum toxin poisoning appear 0.5-3 days after eating the contaminated product:
- headache;
- difficulty swallowing;
- feeling of dry mouth;
- nausea, vomiting, diarrhea;
- convulsions;
- blurred vision (objects in front of the eyes double or blur).
You should be aware that botulism is deadly. If you find one or two signs of such poisoning, you need to see a doctor without wasting time. Self-medication is contraindicated in this case.
How to recognize mushroom poisoning and how to properly collect "gifts of the forest" in order to avoid health problems, in the video:
First aid for poisoning with waves
Even in spite of the fact that poisoning with wines in the case of improper preparation, as a rule, does not lead to death, the victim in any case should be provided with first aid measures. They will improve the condition of the body and will contribute to the elimination of toxic substances.
It is required to induce vomiting as soon as possible. To do this, dissolve 1 tbsp in a glass of warm water. l. table salt or 1 tsp. mustard powder and give the victim a drink. It will even be enough to give a person with signs of poisoning to drink with cool clean water, and then press hard with two fingers on the root of his tongue. This will induce a gag reflex and help flush out the stomach. At the end of the procedure, you need to give the person suffering from poisoning activated charcoal (10 tablets) or any similar sorbent.
Also (if there is no loose stool), it is necessary to give a cleansing enema.
Then you should put the victim of mushroom poisoning to bed with warm heating pads applied to the legs and arms. Be sure to drink plenty of strong tea or lightly salted water to help the body replenish fluid losses.
Treatment for poisoning with waves
If necessary, the doctor will refer the victim of poisoning with waves for inpatient treatment at the toxicology department. There he will undergo gastric lavage with a medical probe. Additionally, a saline laxative will be prescribed and the body will be intoxicated with the use of intravenous infusions of the necessary solutions and drugs.
When is it worth seeing a doctor
For any suspicion of mushroom poisoning, a doctor should be called in without fail and as soon as possible.
Delay is especially dangerous if:
- poisoning is difficult (accompanied by convulsions, hallucinations or loss of consciousness);
- it cannot be ruled out that it could have been caused not by a wave, but by another poisonous mushroom that accidentally got into a basket or a dish being prepared;
- poisoned pregnant women, children or the elderly.
All mushrooms that have not been eaten must be preserved; their laboratory examination will allow a more accurate diagnosis to be made.
And, finally, even if all the signs of poisoning have passed after a few days, you should still not neglect the consultation with a doctor: later serious complications may appear.
Conclusion
Poisoning with volvushki, as a rule, can occur due to the fact that these mushrooms were poorly processed after collection, the dish was improperly prepared, or it was stored in violation of the necessary conditions. In addition, some categories of people, in particular, pregnant and lactating women, children under 7 years of age and people with certain health problems, are strictly contraindicated in eating waves. Despite the fact that poisoning with these mushrooms usually proceeds relatively easily and does not lead to death, at the first signs of intoxication, it is necessary to urgently provide the victim with first aid measures and consult a doctor.
