Content
Brown russula is a very healthy and tasty mushroom, which in many areas is considered a real delicacy. In order not to pass by this fungus in the forest and properly process it after collection, you need to read the detailed description.
Where russules grow brown
You can meet the brown russula in the entire middle lane, as well as in the more northern regions of Russia. Most often, mushrooms grow in coniferous forests, mainly pine, but they can choose oak and birch forests as their habitat.
Fungi grow both singly and in small families, but single mushrooms come across more often. You can see the fungus in the forest as early as July, and fruiting continues until October.
What russules look like when they turn brown
Like other mushrooms from the russula family, young fungi of a brownish species have a convex cap, and in adults it is flat with slightly curved edges. The diameter of the cap grows to about 8 cm, the color of the skin in the upper part varies from dark olive to burgundy at a young age, and in adulthood it often becomes brown-yellow. The mushroom cap looks and feels dry, smooth and matte. The lower surface consists of frequent white plates, in old mushrooms it is yellow-brown.
A photo and description of a brown russula indicate that the fungus usually rises above the ground by no more than 7 cm, a rounded leg reaches 2 cm in girth. In young mushrooms, the leg is dense and with pulp inside, but over time it becomes hollow. The color at the leg is white or with reddish tints. On the cut, the flesh of the fungus is elastic and dense, slightly yellowish and darkening in air.
Is it possible to eat brown russules
The mushroom belongs to the edible category - it is definitely allowed to eat it. Moreover, the brown russula is considered a delicious delicacy, it is highly valued not only in Russia, but also in European countries.
Taste qualities of russula turning brown
Storming fungus has two great advantages at once. First of all, it tastes very good, and not only when salted, but also after boiling or roasting. A fresh mushroom can scare off the strong smell of herring, but if you boil the pulp for a short time, the specific aroma will completely disappear.
In addition, the browning russula requires minimal heat treatment. It is not even necessary to soak it, like most other mushrooms, it is enough to rinse peeled and washed fungi in cold water before boiling or frying. This also raises the culinary popularity of the fungus.
Benefit and harm
Delicious pulp can have a very beneficial effect on the human body.The fungus contains vitamins and minerals, fiber and organic acids, amino acids and enzymes.
As a result, the fungus provides the following health benefits:
- improves metabolic processes and helps to cleanse the body;
- increases endurance and strengthens the immune system;
- has a healing effect on blood vessels and heart;
- prevents the development of atherosclerosis and lowers cholesterol levels;
- helps to lose weight without harm to health - in 100 g of mushrooms there are only 19 kcal.
At the same time, useful browning russules can also have a negative effect on the body. You need to refuse to use them:
- if you have an individual allergy;
- under the age of 7, it is generally better for young children not to try mushrooms;
- with acute gastric ailments;
- with pancreatitis;
- with severe intestinal diseases.
It must be remembered about the norms of use, you can eat brown fungi in an amount of no more than 150 g per day. Also, it is not recommended to eat fungi in the evening, they are digested for a long time, and if you eat them too late, it will prevent you from falling asleep and cause stomach discomfort.
Collection rules
It is necessary to collect browning russula in ecologically clean areas closer to autumn. Most of the mushrooms are found in August and September, when they grow especially abundantly.
For food purposes, it is best to cut young mushrooms. It is quite easy to recognize them - the cap of young brown russules usually still retains a slight bulge, and the plates on the underside remain completely white and intact. It is better to bypass old mushrooms, most often they are strongly affected by insects, and they simply cannot be used for food. In addition, the taste qualities of overgrown brown russules are much worse, their flesh is tough and dense, they do not have a delicious taste.
False doubles of russules growing brown
The fungus has a fairly recognizable appearance, but it can still be confused with some other mushrooms. Mostly fungi from the same family become false counterparts of the brown russula.
Almond russula
In structure and size, mushrooms are very similar to each other. However, the cap of the almond variety is buffy or honey-tinged. The main difference is in taste and smell, as the name suggests, almond russula clearly smells like almonds, and it tastes quite pungent.
Golden red russula
Another mushroom similar to the brown russula differs from it in its red-orange brick cap with a slight purple tint. The taste of the fungus is quite pleasant, sweetish, but you can distinguish it by its smell, or rather, by its absence, because the golden-red variety does not emit any aroma.
Whole russula
This mushroom is similar to the brownish variety, but the shade of the cap is yellow-olive, brown or deep red. You can recognize a whole russula by the yellowish specks on the stem and by the pungent taste of the pulp in adult mushrooms.
The use of russula russules
In cooking, the fungus is used everywhere, it is salted and fried, boiled, consumed in the first and second courses, added to the fillings for meat pies and dessert baked goods. The advantageous advantage of the brown russula is the short processing time, for example, when salting, the fungus can be eaten in a couple of weeks.
The fungus is used not only in cooking, but also in medicine.The rich chemical composition of the fruiting bodies of this species of russula makes it possible to use it for the creation of pharmacological preparations. Extracts and extracts from the fungus can be found in the composition of anticancer drugs, it is also used to treat infectious diseases and get rid of parasites.
Conclusion
Brown russula is a very tasty, easy-to-handle and useful mushroom. It can be used in most culinary dishes, the fungus has a high value for health and also saturates well, although its calorie content is low.
