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Having remembered the photo and description of the coppice mushroom (Agaricus sylvicola), it will be difficult to confuse it with the deadly poisonous pale toadstool or white fly agaric. Champignon growing in the forest is not inferior to store-bought mushrooms, it is just as tasty and aromatic, and worthy of the attention of mushroom pickers.
What does the coppice champignon look like?
At a young age, the coppice champignon is small in size. Thanks to its graceful silhouette, it is also called thin. The cap of adult specimens reaches 10 cm in diameter. In young fruits, it has the shape of a hemisphere, in which the plates are not visible due to the protective cover. Then it becomes convex-prostrate and slightly rough due to thin scales on its surface. The hat is of the correct rounded shape, white with a grayish tinge, it turns slightly yellow when touched. Rare tiny scales are visible on it, even in damp weather it seems dry - this is a characteristic feature of the species.
The plates are very frequent, they begin to turn gray at a young age, then turn purple and finally almost black. The leg is up to 10 cm in length, slightly hollow, its color is white with a yellowish or grayish tinge.
The leg is straight and rather long. Downward, it slightly expands, but never grows out of the vulva - this is the main difference between coppice mushroom and toadstool. The pulp is white, on the cut it acquires a yellowish tint, it has a pleasant smell, similar to anise. The cap is rather thin in specimens growing in the shade of trees and other trees, in more open places it is fleshy.
Where does thin champignon grow?
Coppice champignons prefer fertile soils rich in humus. They are found in deciduous forests, spruce forests and even city parks. These mushrooms grow most often in numerous groups, sometimes forming witch circles. You can collect them from June to September inclusive.
Is it possible to eat coppice champignon
Coral mushrooms are as tasty as the usual ones bought in the store. They belong to conditionally edible varieties. They can be:
- fry;
- extinguish;
- bake;
- cook;
- dry;
- freeze;
- marinate;
- salt.
They have a pleasant aroma typical of champignons.
You should not give mushrooms to children under six years old, they are difficult for the child's body to absorb. Their use is undesirable for people with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, food allergies, liver pathologies.
False doubles
Cossack champignon is confused with pale toadstool. The main differences between champignon:
- a rough grayish hat (in a toadstool it is smooth, with a greenish tinge).
- the plates are painted (for the toadstool - white);
- the leg is rough, growing directly from the ground (in the pale toadstool, it is smooth, sometimes with a moire pattern, and grows from the vulva);
Pale toadstool is deadly poisonous and contains toxins that damage the liver, stomach and kidneys. When eaten, death occurs in 90% of cases.
Sometimes inexperienced mushroom pickers confuse the coppice mushroom with the white amanita - a deadly poisonous species. You can distinguish these mushrooms by the color of the plates, looking under the cap. In the white amanita, they are white, and in the champignon, they are always colored even at a young age. It gives out fly agarics and an unpleasant, repulsive smell of bleach.
Collection rules and use
Coppice champignon is harvested all summer and the first month of autumn in the forest, away from industrial zones and roads, in safe ecologically clean regions. The mushrooms are carefully twisted out of the ground, keeping the mycelium intact, then after a few days new ones will begin to grow in place of the plucked specimens. In addition, this method of collection allows you to see the vulva at the base of the leg, characteristic of pale toadstools and fly agarics, and throw out the inedible mushroom in time.
At home, at the coppice mushrooms, they cut off the bases of the legs contaminated with soil, peel the skin on the cap, wash and boil. Young specimens can be eaten raw and added to vegetable salads. It is better to process mushrooms immediately upon arrival from the forest; long storage reduces their nutritional value.
Conclusion
A photo and description of the coppice champignon will help to distinguish this mushroom from its deadly poisonous counterparts. Mushroom pickers highly value this species for its excellent taste and aroma, versatility of culinary use. If you pick mushrooms in the forest correctly, you can come to the same meadow several times and find a rich harvest there.
