Common champignon (meadow, pepper mushroom): photo and description of how to cook

Meadow champignon, also called “pecheritsa” (lat. Agaricus campestris), is a large mushroom with a white cap, which is hard to miss against the green background of grass. Among mushroom pickers, this mushroom is popular not only for its excellent taste, but also for its high content of highly digestible proteins, as well as vitamins and minerals. In particular, champignons are rich in trace elements such as phosphorus and potassium necessary for the body, which are responsible for the normal functioning of the cardiovascular system.

However, do not forget that the meadow mushroom has poisonous counterparts, which are dangerous to eat. Therefore, it is important to know what real champignons look like and be able to distinguish them from false mushrooms by their appearance.

The meadow mushroom has poisonous counterparts

What does meadow mushroom look like?

The peppermushroom, a photo and a detailed description of which is given below, is the most popular all over the world. The first to cultivate peppers began in Italy about a thousand years ago. In Europe, mushrooms began to be grown in the 17th century in France, where they were considered a delicacy, along with truffles.

Meadow champignon has a light (white, off-gray or cream) color of the cap and legs. The pulp on the cut is white, acquiring a pinkish tint when pressed, elastic, dense, becomes soft and yellowish with age. Mushrooms have a pleasant characteristic aroma, reminiscent of almonds or anise, and a rich mushroom, slightly sweetish taste.

Below is a detailed description and photo of common champignon.

Meadow champignon smells nice of almonds and has a slightly sweet taste

Description of the hat

The cap is spherical or hemispherical, dry, has a diameter of 8 to 15 cm. In young individuals, the edge is turned down, and the coverlet partially covers the plates. At maturity, the cap becomes covered with small scales that form a brownish spot in the center. The blades of the meadow champignon are frequent, thin and wide (up to 12 mm). At an early age, they are white, with time they acquire a pinkish tint.In mature mushrooms, they turn red-brown or brown, with a purple tint.

In the meadow champignon, the cap plates acquire a red-brown color over time.

Leg description

A 1-2 cm wide stem of a meadow champignon grows from 3 to 10 cm in height. The shape is cylindrical, with a thickening at the base (sometimes it can narrow). The pulp is solid, fleshy, without cavities, fibrous, light in color. In a mature mushroom, it can acquire a brown tint at the base. A clear ring is visible on the leg, located closer to the middle, it disappears with age.

The ring on the leg of the meadow champignon disappears over time

Types of meadow mushrooms

In total, there are four types of meadow mushrooms in nature:

1. Ordinary - an edible mushroom with a cap diameter of 9-12 cm and a leg height of 8-11 cm, with a wide white ring in the center.
2. Field - widely used in cooking, has a cap up to 20 cm in diameter and a leg up to 11 cm in height.
3. Two-ring (sidewalk) - an edible, medium-sized representative of the family, a dirty gray cap rarely grows more than 10 cm in a circle.
4. Bernard - also belongs to edible mushrooms, a scaly soft cap, reaching 12 cm in diameter, cracks over time and becomes flat.

It is important to be able to distinguish edible mushrooms from poisonous ones and not to confuse them with pale toadstool or white fly agaric, which at a young age are very similar to real meadow mushrooms.

Where and how do meadow mushrooms grow

The meadow mushroom is widespread throughout Russia and can be found from the end of May to the beginning of October. Prefers open terrain and humus-rich soils. Appears abundantly after rains in meadows, pastures (therefore sometimes you can find the name "horse mushroom"), as well as in gardens, vegetable gardens, parks and roadsides. It grows both singly and in groups, forming wide rings.

Doubles and their differences

Meadow mushroom has false counterparts, very similar in appearance. Below are photos and descriptions of doubles of meadow mushrooms. It is important to know how to distinguish them from edible mushrooms in order to avoid the danger of poisoning.

Mushroom flat-lipped

This representative of the mushroom family is inedible, moreover, it is poisonous. After eating, after two hours, signs of poisoning are observed.

Mushroom mushroom is considered a poisonous mushroom and is not edible

The cap is covered with characteristic scales, grayish-brown in color, converging towards the center and forming a dark spot. The fibrous leg, 1-1.2 cm thick, reaches 6-9 cm in length, a tuberous thickening is visible at the end.

Red champignon

This poisonous mushroom is also called yellow-skinned peppers. It is very similar to what meadow mushrooms look like, but the cap is covered with a yellowish skin with brownish blotches closer to the center. You can distinguish it from a real champignon by the white flesh of the leg, which is yellow at the base and, during heat treatment, emits an unpleasant phenolic odor.

Red champignon is poisonous, it is easy to recognize it by brownish blotches on the cap

At a young age, the cap is rounded, but over time it acquires a bell-shaped shape. It is the young yellow-skinned peppers who end up in the basket of amateur mushroom pickers.

Pepper Mushroom Edible Or Not

Champignon meadow - an edible mushroom, according to its gastronomic qualities it belongs to the second category. Delicious and aromatic, can be eaten raw. In terms of the content of digestible protein, it is comparable to porcini mushroom, and therefore is widely popular in cooking.

There are many ways to prepare meadow mushrooms: they are boiled, fried, baked in the oven, pickled, salted and used as the main ingredient for making salads.

How to cook meadow mushrooms

Peppers are widely used in cooking, as the mushroom goes well with most common and commonly eaten foods.It is served with meat and vegetable dishes fried or grilled; various mushroom soups, pates, sauces, casseroles, snacks and salads are prepared.

How to choose, store and prepare mushrooms for cooking:

• mushrooms must be whole, without spots or dents;
• fresh meadow mushrooms can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than five days;
• before eating, you should clean the leg and cap from dirt and rinse under running water;
• in the fresh air, the flesh of the peppers quickly darkens, therefore, after cutting, you must immediately proceed to cooking.

The most popular recipes with photos and descriptions of how to cook meadow mushrooms are given below.

How to cook fried meadow mushrooms with sour cream and onions

The most common way to cook meadow mushrooms is frying. It's simple, fast and incredibly delicious.

You will need:

• 0.5 kg of meadow mushrooms;
• 1 large onion;
• 2 cloves of garlic;
• 50 g butter;
• 2 tbsp. l. sour cream.

Fried meadow mushrooms are tender and fragrant

Cooking method:

1. Peel the mushrooms and cut into thin slices.
2. Heat a deep frying pan, add oil and, as soon as it melts, add meadow mushrooms.
3. After the liquid has evaporated, add finely chopped onion, squeeze the garlic through a press, pepper and salt.
4. When the bakers turn golden, reduce heat, add sour cream and simmer covered for 10 minutes.

The mushrooms will be tender, fragrant and, thanks to the garlic, spicy.

How to cook meadow mushrooms in the oven

To cook mushrooms in the oven, small specimens should be selected so that they bake well.

You will need:

• fresh peppers;
• dried aromatic herbs (any);
• 1 tbsp. l. lemon juice;
• 1 tbsp. l. soy sauce;
• 2 tbsp. l. vegetable oil.

For cooking in the oven, it is better to select small specimens of meadow mushrooms.

Cooking method:

1. Wash the mushrooms and dry with a paper towel.
2. In a deep bowl, mix the peppers with all the ingredients.
3. Put on a baking sheet in one layer and send to bake in the oven at 180 ° C for 15-20 minutes.

Mushrooms cooked in the oven will turn out juicy, saturated with the aroma of herbs.

How to cook a salad with peppers mushrooms

This salad is made from raw meadow mushrooms. The dish turns out to be incredibly tasty, bright and juicy.

You will need:

• 400 g of fresh meadow mushrooms;
• 3 pcs. sweet peppers (red, yellow and green);
• 1 red onion;
• 100 ml of olive oil;
• 50 ml wine vinegar;
• 2 tbsp. l. soy sauce;
• dry spicy herbs (oregano, Italian, dill).

It is better to prepare a salad from young chicken.

Cooking method:

1. Cut the pepper into strips, the onion in half rings, put everything in a bowl.
2. Cut the mushrooms into several pieces and send them to the vegetables.
3. Combine soy sauce, wine vinegar, oil and spices and pour the resulting dressing into a bowl of vegetables and peppers.
4. The ingredients of the salad should be marinated for half an hour, after which the finished dish can be served.

This salad should be prepared only from young, store-bought bakers. It is better to pre-heat the meadow mushrooms collected from nature.

How to make peppers mushroom soup

The meadow mushroom soup will turn out not only tasty and aromatic, but also nutritious.

You will need:

• 450 g of mushrooms;
• 500 g potatoes;
• 1 small carrot;
• 1 onion head;
• greens.

Champignon soup turns out to be not only tasty, but also nutritious

Cooking method:

1. Wash and chop vegetables. Cut large mushrooms in half, small ones leave intact.
2. Fry the carrots and onions in oil for 3 minutes, add the mushrooms and cook for another 5-7 minutes.
3. Boil 2.5 liters of water in a saucepan and add the diced potatoes.
4. When the water boils again, transfer fried vegetables and meadow mushrooms from the pan, and cook after boiling for 15 minutes.

Pour the finished dish into plates and sprinkle with fresh herbs.

How to pickle meadow mushrooms for the winter

Pickled peppers are a versatile and popular winter preparation. Such mushrooms go well with meat and vegetable dishes.

You will need:

• 1.5 kg of meadow mushrooms;
• 200 ml of table vinegar;
• 2 tbsp. l. salt;
• 2 tbsp. l. granulated sugar;
• 3 pcs. bay leaf;
• 5 black peppercorns.

Pickled champignons can be served with meat and vegetable dishes

Cooking method:

1. Clean the mushrooms from dirt, rinse under running water and dry with a paper towel.
2. Boil two liters of water, add pepper, bay leaf, dissolve salt and sugar, add vinegar.
3. After waiting for the second boil, pour the mushrooms and cook over low heat for 40 minutes.
4. Arrange in jars and cover with marinade. Lock the covers.

Pickled peppers can be stored throughout the winter in the closet or on the glassed-in balcony.

How to freeze

Freezing is one of the most common methods for storing mushrooms for future use. Meadow mushrooms should be sorted out, cleaned of debris and quickly rinsed under running water so that they do not have time to absorb moisture, and then blot with a paper towel.

Arrange the prepared, dry peppers on a flat surface (you can take a baking sheet) in one row and place in the freezer for 10-12 hours. Frozen peppers are stored in a bag or container at -18 ° C.

Canning meadow mushrooms for the winter

To preserve the bakers for the winter, you should choose fresh, strong, medium-sized mushrooms of approximately the same size.

You will need:

• 1 kg of ovens;
• 1 liter of water;
• 1 tbsp. l. vegetable oil, the same amount of vinegar;
• 25 g sugar;
• 30 g salt;
• 4 carnation buds;
• 4 things. bay leaf;
• 5 pieces. allspice.

Canned meadow mushrooms can be stored for up to 10 months in a cool place

Cooking method:

1. Boil the peppers for 10 minutes.
2. Once they settle to the bottom, add spices, salt, granulated sugar, oil and vinegar and cook for another 15 minutes.
3. Arrange in jars, pour marinade on top and pasteurize in boiling water for 20 minutes, then roll up.

These mushrooms can be stored for up to 10 months in a cool place (on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator or in the cellar).

Useful properties of meadow mushrooms

Regular consumption of summer meadow mushrooms has a very beneficial effect on the health of the whole organism. These mushrooms contain a lot of nutrients that a person needs, such as:

• amino acids (there are 18 of them in total);
• vitamins (B1, B2, B9, B12, C, E, D, PP);
• organic acids (folic, oxalic);
• minerals and trace elements (iron, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, potassium, iodine, selenium).

In addition, the pulp of meadow mushrooms contains lecithin, which has a positive effect on the functioning of the nervous and cardiovascular systems.

Meadow mushrooms contain vitamins, amino acids and trace elements

Application in traditional medicine

The beneficial properties of champignons have long been used in folk medicine to treat diseases such as influenza, bronchitis, tracheitis and bronchial asthma. The pulp of the fruiting body of meadow mushrooms has antiviral, expectorant and anti-inflammatory properties.

The extract from these mushrooms is used to successfully treat purulent skin diseases, ulcers, psoriasis, since it has a disinfecting effect. In addition, the antioxidants found in meadow mushrooms have a rejuvenating effect on the body.

Limitations and contraindications

Champignons are considered the safest mushrooms and have no contraindications (except for individual intolerance). However, it is still not worth abusing, since they contain chitin, which is poorly absorbed by the body. Therefore, it is recommended to heat the field mushrooms before eating.

It is undesirable for children under 12 years old to introduce mushrooms into the diet, since they are heavy food. Also, mushrooms should be eaten with caution by people with gastrointestinal diseases.

Growing meadow mushrooms at home

Meadow mushrooms can be cultivated at home. They love coolness and high humidity, so they will feel good in boxes or containers located in the basement, cellar, shed. The containers must be at least 20 cm deep. The mycelium can be purchased in a specialized store or you can take a natural mycelium. The substrate for planting should be rich in humus, since the peppers grow quickly and require active nutrition.

Champignons can be grown in shaded areas with high humidity

You can also grow mushrooms in the open field, for this it is important to choose a well-shaded place (under a tree, in the shade of a house), protected from wind and direct sunlight.

Interesting facts about peppers mushrooms

There are many interesting details in the history of bakers:

• these are the first mushrooms to be grown in an environment unnatural for them;
• the unique properties of champignons are widely used in cosmetology: they are part of masks, lotions;
• eating peppers relieves fatigue well;
• arginine and lysine, contained in the fruiting body, stimulates human mental activity;
• in the amount of phosphorus, peppers even surpass seafood.

Conclusion

In addition to the fact that the meadow mushroom is very tasty, it is also useful, since it is a storehouse of microelements necessary for the body. The rich mushroom aroma gives the dish a special zest, and the nutritional value of such a dish is comparable to that of meat.

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