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The horned horned mushroom is an edible and very tasty mushroom, but it is difficult to distinguish it from its poisonous counterparts. It is an endangered species, therefore it is not recommended to collect valuable specimens.
Where do ungulate horns grow
The ungulate hornbeam belongs to the department Basidiomycota, the Gomphaceae family, and the Ramaria genus.
Has a number of other names:
- ramaria is uviform;
- chicken legs;
- Clavaria or Corallium botrytis.
It is a very rare species that grows singly or in colony. For the active development of the aciniform mushroom, special environmental conditions are required: the air temperature is not lower than +15 ° C, the soil warmed up to + 18 ° C.
In favorable conditions, the aciniform stag grows in deciduous, pine or mixed forests, bears fruit from July to October. Most often, the mushroom can be found next to beeches, oaks and birches.
Sighted in the forests of Karelia, in the Far East and the Caucasus, in Western and Eastern Siberia, in the Crimea. Loves wet, shaded, hilly and mountainous terrain, calcareous soils.
What do ungulate slingshots look like
The cluster-shaped specimens outwardly resemble underwater coral or a head of cauliflower: they consist of a large number of processes with pointed tips emerging from a single base - a wide and dense leg of light beige.
They grow up to 20 cm in height and up to 15 cm in girth. The thickness of each process reaches 1 cm. The color of the branches at a young age is pale yellow, turning over time into brown-yellow, in the old one it is ocher or reddish-pink. The tips of the processes are always darker than the base. The flesh of the aciniform slag is light yellow, the mushroom is fragile and slightly watery. Has a pleasant herbal or fruity scent.
On the entire surface there are ocher-colored oval oily spores, which impart a roughness to the horn.
The height of the leg is not more than 4 cm, the diameter is up to 7 cm.
Is it possible to eat ungulate horns
The bristle-shaped slingshot is ranked in the fourth class in terms of nutritional value, oyster mushrooms and mushrooms are also included there.
It is not recommended to pre-boil the grape-like horns because of the appearance of bitterness, therefore they are fried, for example, as in Italy - completely deep-fried.
Taste qualities of the mushroom ungulate horned
According to mushroom pickers, the grape-headed horn is the most delicious of its family, with a pleasant aroma. Does not require heat treatment. It is added to salads, side dishes, soups, fried.
It will not work to prepare for the winter - the slingshot loses its taste, becomes bitter and rubbery after 4-5 days.
Only young mushrooms are eaten, old ones also taste bitter. After roasting, the slingshots become elastic, they taste like honey mushrooms. Mushrooms do not become wormy.
Benefits and harm to the body
In natural conditions, it is very rare to find an ungulate horned spear. But mushrooms are grown commercially in Japan, Korea and Nepal.
Korean scientists have found that due to certain substances in the composition, the horned spear can repair the damaged liver. Doctors in Nepal use the aciniform mushroom for muscle pain.
In addition to its high nutritional value, slag has powerful antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, it is a strong antioxidant. An extract from it is capable of stopping the growth of tumors: Ehrlich's carcinoma and sarcoma-180 (Crocker's).
The harm from the use of aciniform lies in the individual intolerance of the constituent substances, the use of food can cause mild indigestion. No cases of severe poisoning with these mushrooms have been recorded.
False doubles
Adult ungulate horns are outwardly similar to the following species:
- Beautiful (Lovely) Romaria, not edible, up to 20 cm high with a thick pink stem and yellow processes with pinkish-yellow tips. The pulp turns red when pressed. With age, it turns brown. When ingested, the fungus causes intestinal upset.
- Clavulin coral (comb), inedible, bitter in taste. It comes in white or yellow. It grows up to 10 cm in height.
- Ramaria yellow (Horny yellow, Deer horns)... It grows to a height of 20 cm, light yellow at the base and bright sunny at the tips. When you click on the mushroom, it darkens. The variety is edible, but it is used for food only after soaking and heat treatment.
There are no poisonous twins among other mushrooms.
Collection rules
Collect only young specimens of ungulate hornbeam. The old mushroom is very bitter and the taste does not improve after soaking and boiling.
You should not pick mushrooms near industrial and military facilities, railways and highways, because they are capable of accumulating radionuclides and heavy metals. The collection of horned animals in the territories of reserves and parks is prohibited.
If there is any doubt about the edibility of a grape-shaped specimen, it is better not to take it.
Use
The mushroom has a complex structure, the shoots need to be thoroughly cleaned of branches and debris, they do this under running water. If the slingshots are pre-boiled (15 minutes with salt), the liquid must be drained and not used anywhere.
It is usually fried with a variety of vegetables or used for sauces, soups, salads and side dishes.
For mushroom soup you will need:
- 1 kg of potatoes;
- 1 large carrot;
- 1 medium onion;
- 1/2 large bell pepper;
- 15 g butter;
- salt to taste;
- 200 g of horned horns.
Cooking process:
- Peel and chop all vegetables.
- Pour potatoes with water and cook until half cooked.
- Fry onions until golden brown, add carrots and peppers, fry for 10 minutes.
- Add mushrooms to onions and vegetables, fry for 10 minutes.
- Add mushrooms with vegetables, butter to a saucepan with potatoes.
- After boiling, add salt to taste and cook for another 15 minutes.
When serving, add fresh dill and a spoonful of sour cream to the finished soup.
You can fry the mushrooms on your own or with vegetables and serve as an addition to mashed potatoes or porridge.
To make mushroom dishes tasty, you need to cook them immediately after harvesting, do not marinate or preserve, do not season the dishes.
Conclusion
The groin-shaped hornbeam may seem poisonous to an inexperienced mushroom picker due to its unusual appearance, therefore it is not popular. Considering that the mushroom is on the verge of extinction, it is better to refuse to collect it.
