False and real chanterelles. Description of false chanterelles, places of distribution

Chanterelle is a small, yellowish-orange mushroom that is prized by mushroom pickers. They grow in conifers and mixed forests alone, but more often in a group. Useful qualities appreciated by more than one generation of collectors. The yellow or orange cap makes this mushroom representative stand out from its relatives. They are unpretentious and therefore not afraid of weather changes and long transportation. Even a novice mushroom picker, knowing what a mushroom looks like, will not confuse chanterelles.

Characteristic signs of a chanterelle

Mushrooms with bright caps, a pleasant aroma and taste feel great in the forests and shelterbelts of Russia, especially in the Moscow region and Leningrad region. Chanterelles are a favorite delicacy of gourmets and a healthy product. It is known that the mushroom has 5 genera and almost 100 species in its kingdom.

The chanterelle can be called a universal forest inhabitant, since it tolerates drought or heavy rainy seasons without changes. The mushroom looks equally good in any weather conditions except frost. It is noteworthy that chanterelles do not have poisonous representatives; all red beauties are either edible or conditionally suitable for consumption.

  • color and appearance;
  • hat shape;
  • leg;
  • smell;
  • place of growth.

Color and umbrella

One of characteristic features The description of the mushroom is its color, hence the name. Most often, chanterelles are found in fairly warm sunny shades. The color palette ranges from soft yellow, almost white, to deep orange with a hint of brown. However, among this family there are also gray or deep black species.

Externally, the mushroom is small, and the diameter of its wavy umbrella with uneven edges can reach both 6 and 12 cm. In young representatives of the group, the cap is usually straight with a kind of torn border along the edges, and the older the chanterelle becomes, the more curved it is at the ends and concave in the center a hat is made.

An important feature of the edible chanterelle from its unedible counterpart is that if you press on it, it turns red.

Leg and aroma

The shape of the cap of a real mushroom is never even and geometrically correct. It is also interesting that the umbrella is a continuation of the mushroom stem, there are no traces of separation on it, and the color scheme is not very different from the coloring of the umbrella or may be a tone lighter. The skin on the surface of the cap is difficult to separate.

When you cut a chanterelle, you can immediately catch its fresh aroma with notes of dried fruits. If you try raw mushroom to taste, it will have a pleasant sourness.

Habitat halo

Orange mushrooms like to settle in whole groups, and this is also their distinctive feature.If we talk about trees near which representatives of the mushroom family prefer to live, then these are:

  • birch;
  • alder;
  • pine.

Chanterelles love the shade of dense crowns, but when the weather is especially rainy, the mushrooms try to move to sunnier and more illuminated areas. They love old clusters of trees and practically do not grow in young plantings. Favorable condition for the propagation of this type of mushroom, experts call alternation coniferous trees and birches, and the former should be the predominant number.

Russian birch trees help chanterelles survive dry seasons.

Sometimes fungal families hide under pine needles or take refuge among damp moss. Having discovered a chanterelle in such a place, you need to carefully look around - there will be more mushrooms nearby.

Popular varieties

Since the mushroom is quite common in the forests of our country, it is necessary to know its most popular representatives. The fox happens:

  • velvety;
  • faceted;
  • yellowing;
  • cinnabar red;
  • ordinary;
  • gray;
  • tubular

A rare inhabitant coniferous forests You can call the velvety chanterelle. It is found in eastern and southern countries Europe. The caps have a yellow-orange or reddish color, the diameter of the umbrella usually does not exceed 5 cm, and the legs - 1 cm. The mushroom rises above the ground at a distance of 2-4 cm. It has a pleasant fruity and sometimes apricot aroma, the flesh has a characteristic sourness. Experienced mushroom pickers harvest from mid-summer to peak autumn.

Faceted oak lover

If there is an oak grove nearby, then you can find faceted chanterelle there. This representative of the family has a bright yellow, pleasant color, and its cap is curved at the edges. This chanterelle looks more like an outlandish flower than an ordinary mushroom.

The diameter of the cap ranges from 2 cm in young ones to 10 cm, the girth of the stem is 1 – 2.5 cm. The entire mushroom has a dense, pleasantly smelling light flesh. Grows like in summer time, and in autumn period.

Yellowing appearance

You can find chanterelles throughout the summer in coniferous thickets of pine and spruce. It is not difficult to identify this species; just look at the color, which is found in both yellow and light brown with characteristic small scales along the entire perimeter of the umbrella.

The diameter of the umbrella is from 1 to 6 cm, and the girth of the leg reaches 1.5 cm. Yellowing chanterelles rise above the ground at a distance of up to 5 cm. You can replenish mushroom reserves with this subspecies until the end of August.

Bright barker

The cinnabar-red fox looks unusual and attractive in its own way. An inexperienced mushroom picker may be alarmed by its very rich, almost red color, but it is edible and beneficial for the human body.

The mushroom loves oak forests and prefers to grow both in summer and autumn. The diameter of the cap ranges from 1 to 4 cm, and the girth of the leg is 1-1.5 cm. The cinnabar-red chanterelle has all external signs an ordinary member of his family.

Mushroom Picker's Favorite

The common chanterelle is loved by domestic mushroom pickers, popularly nicknamed for the “cockerel” edging of its cap. It is unpretentious to its habitat and can grow in both coniferous and deciduous forests.

The cockerel has an impressive cap span, which reaches a diameter of 12 cm, and the height sometimes reaches 7 cm.

Externally, the common chanterelle is quite noticeable, and its color range can range from all light shades of yellow to orange. The mushroom cap is uneven with characteristic waves along the edges. The pulp is fleshy, white or yellowish. The cockerel smells pleasant and has a sourish taste, standard for chanterelles.

Gray treat

The gray mushroom is a resident of the forests of eastern Russia and can be found in both mixed and deciduous forests. Despite his dark color, and it can be either ashen or brown-black, the mushroom is edible, but does not have any expressive taste.

The diameter of the cap reaches 15 cm. It is noteworthy that the lower part can be ash-gray or even bluish. The height of the stem reaches 8 cm. In most cases, the mushroom sits up to the cap in the ground.

This type of mushroom is not particularly popular among mushroom pickers only because they usually mistake it for an armful of withered leaves.

Gray chanterelles can be harvested from July to October.

Funnel representative

The trumpet fox, also called the funnel fox, likes to settle in coniferous forests, but sometimes it can also be found in deciduous plantations. The color of the umbrellas has a yellow-brown tint, and the diameter of the caps is from 2 to 6 cm and dark scales can be found on them. The mushroom grows 3-8 cm, smells pleasant and has light, slightly bitter-tasting pulp. External form

Chanterelles are not found in forests where blueberries grow.

Poisonous doubles

Despite the fact that there are no poisonous representatives among chanterelles, there are still several “cheaters” in nature that may well end up in the basket of an inexperienced mushroom picker. Among them are:

  • orange talker;
  • olive omphalot.

The first representative of the doubles is the olive talker or false chanterelle - an unedible mushroom. It can be identified by the shape of the cap, which resembles an old horn or loudspeaker. The genus of talkers is widespread throughout our country and of its 250 species, 60 are found in forests. It is worth considering that most of the talkers are not recommended to be eaten.

The olive omphalot is also very similar in appearance to the common chanterelle and belongs to the Negniuchnikov family. IN color scheme Rich orange shades predominate. The diameter of the mushroom cap reaches both 4 and 12 cm, and its internal membranes can glow at dusk. The leg is quite massive and sometimes reaches 10 cm in girth, but becomes thinner downwards.

The omphalot mushroom has a very unpleasant, pungent odor.

The period of its appearance is the autumn months. Likes to settle on old stumps or rotten beeches and hornbeams. Omphalote is poisonous because it contains a strong toxic substance - muscarine. Death occurs from dehydration of the body.

Significant differences

Edible mushrooms from poisonous doubles differ in a number of characteristics. When going to harvest chanterelles from the forest, you should pay attention to:

  • smell;
  • color;
  • hat shape;
  • worminess.

It is known that poisonous mushrooms have an unpleasant and quite pungent smell. The color of false chanterelles is usually bright and clearly visible, and multi-colored spots can be seen on the cap. It is necessary to pay attention not only to the color, but also to the shape of the cap: edible mushrooms it is geometrically irregular and wavy along the edge, while poisonous relatives have smooth umbrellas and straight edges.

A characteristic feature of real chanterelles from false ones is the absence of worms or other insects on the first. All sorts of small pests do not like red mushrooms, but poisonous species they are interested.

Having learned to distinguish edible chanterelles from false ones, you can safely go into the forest. Chanterelles store well and are suitable for winter dishes.

Real chanterelles

Real chanterelles and false ones are very similar at first glance. And inexperienced mushroom pickers will easily put an inedible mushroom in a basket, rejoicing at their find. Unfortunately, cases of poisoning by false chanterelles occur frequently. How can you distinguish these mushrooms?

Both chanterelles grow in coniferous and mixed forests. And at the same time. But only real chanterelles have one common mycelium and show off in groups. And here false double mushrooms often grow alone, and can even settle on a moss-covered stump or rotten fallen tree.

They are similar in color, but only at first glance. If you look closely, you will notice that the lighter ones are more yellow and yellow-orange. But the false ones are brighter, they are more reddish-orange.

By appearance they also have differences. This is, firstly, the shape of the hat. Real chanterelles are wavy, their caps are sometimes so bent that they become entangled with twigs lying on the surface of the soil and neighboring chanterelles. False ones, on the contrary, have smooth round caps.

Young chanterelles also have even caps, so look for other signs.

The legs of real and false chanterelles also differ. In the first one they are thick, they can even be uneven in shape, while in the false one they are thin and even. Look at the controversy. In an edible mushroom they are yellowish, in a bad one they are white.

Break or cut the mushroom and look at the flesh. U real fox it is yellowish at the edges and white towards the middle. In false chanterelle, the cut flesh is yellow and may even be orange. Besides, she smells bad, while edible chanterelle has a delightful subtle aroma that no one else has.

False fox

Crush the pulp and watch it change color in the air. The real fox will turn red, but the false one will remain the same.

And finally, please note that real chanterelles are not eaten by worms, because they secrete a substance called chitinmannose, which insects do not like. But the false chanterelle is often wormy, despite the fact that it is inedible.

So. Summarize. Real chanterelles differ from false chanterelles:

  • the color of the whole mushroom
  • pulp color
  • smell
  • stem shape
  • color dispute
  • worminess.

Poisoning by false chanterelles is not life-threatening, but can cause serious consequences. discomfort in the gastrointestinal tract. In some cases, hospitalization is even required.

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The mushroom season in our country begins at the end of summer and continues until late autumn. Thousands of pickle lovers go to the forests and happily indulge in a surprisingly calm and pleasant pastime - picking mushrooms. True, the statistics of poisonings during this period deteriorates significantly. And all because there are not many truly experienced people in this matter. The overwhelming majority is an army of amateurs who often cannot distinguish a real mushroom from its very successful “fake”, which is created by Mother Nature herself. How to avoid becoming a victim of her surprises? Today we will learn to distinguish such famous mushroom, like a fox, from her unfriendly sister - false.

First, let's get to know these inhabitants of our forests.
Real fox- it is also called the common chanterelle. Belongs to the chanterelle family. Usually lives in symbiosis with various trees, but most often with pine, spruce, oak or beech. Prefers temperate climate, mixed or coniferous forests, wet moss, grass or litter. Chanterelle season is from August to October. Her hat and leg are a single whole, without a noticeable border. Color can vary from orange to light yellow. And when pressed it may turn red. The caps are usually about 2-12 centimeters in diameter and have a characteristic wavy edge or irregular shape. This distinguishes them from many other mushrooms, whose caps are geometrically regular: round or oval. On the surface of the chanterelle you can see a smooth matte finish, and the skin is difficult to separate from the pulp. Mushroom pickers love them for their dense fleshiness and special sour taste with the smell of roots and fruits.
False chanterelle(orange talker) - has a funnel-shaped golden-yellow or orange cap. It is characteristic that the flesh of this mushroom is different unpleasant smell. Like its common relative in the mushroom kingdom, it also inhabits coniferous forests, often appearing among moss or on dead wood, rotting trees.

Comparison of real and false chanterelles

In fact, distinguishing a real chanterelle from a fake is not so difficult. To begin with, you should pay attention to the color. In false chanterelles, unlike real ones, it is especially bright orange in the transition to copper-red. And the ordinary ones are just exactly yellow.
Next we look at the hat. If you notice very smooth edges, you should be wary. A real chanterelle has a wavy decoration on this part of it.
The legs of a real chanterelle are thick and not hollow. The spores are yellowish. But her false sister has the opposite: the leg is thin, and the spores are white.
Take a sniff. It was already said earlier that the difference between a true mistress of the forest is her fruity or woody smell. But you are unlikely to want to put the talkers in the basket after such a check.
Each variety has its own growing habits. If you notice that small family chanterelles are located on a fallen tree - be careful! Real mushrooms would prefer a mossy stump.
Mushrooms do not like to grow alone. Usually this is a whole family united by a common mycelium. But false chanterelles have just such a feature. They are often found in a single copy. For this reason alone, you should be wary.
Look at the color of the pulp. The real one is yellowish and white in the middle. The fake one is distinguished by a solid orange or yellow color.
Lightly press the flesh with your finger. An ordinary fox will blush modestly, but a false one will remain calmly monochromatic.
Real chanterelles are rarely worm-bearing, since they secrete chitinmannose and the larvae die under its influence. But orange talkers do not have chitinmannose, so the larvae can infect them.
The chanterelles are real
False chanterelles

What to do if you eat a false chanterelle?

It is now believed that the false chanterelle is not poisonous, but its edibility is still conditional. U sensitive people This mushroom can cause stomach upset. In any case, it is better to collect good, tasty and safe mushrooms.

TheDifference.ru determined that the difference between real and false chanterelles is as follows:

The coloring of real chanterelles is calm and light, while false ones prefer brightness.
The edges of the caps of real chanterelles are wavy, irregular shape. But the opposite is a sign of a false one.
The legs of the common chanterelle are thick and the spores are white, while the false chanterelle has white spores and thin legs.
Smell good mushroom pleasant, which false chanterelles cannot boast of.
False chanterelles can grow on fallen trees, but real chanterelles love mossy places.
If you come across a lonely growing fox, it is better not to take it. Real ones love nepotism.
The common chanterelle has yellowish-white flesh, while the false ones are solid yellow.
When you press on the flesh, real chanterelles turn a little red, but false ones do not.
Worms will not eat real mushrooms. But the false one is fun.

Far from " quiet hunt“People who have formed an opinion about it from books, movies and stories believe that the best catch on it is boletus. However, an experienced mushroom picker will not always agree with this point of view. For many, chanterelles are more desirable. False and real - this is, without a doubt, a problem, but the porcini mushroom also has dangerous double. But the taste of chanterelles and the lack of need for boiling put them in first place in the mushroom rating.

Miracle of nature: chanterelle mushroom

Chanterelles, false and real, got their name primarily due to their color, which, indeed, primarily evokes clear associations with a fairy-tale animal (in reality, foxes do not have such a bright coat). To many, mushrooms resemble fox tails sticking out of holes. These mushrooms themselves are large; the cap can reach a diameter of a dozen centimeters. At the same time, it represents a common whole with the leg, smoothly transitioning into it and differing little from it in color. Very interesting general shape, which false and real chanterelles have - the leg tapers downwards, forming an elegant, easily recognizable outline.

Chanterelles: differences from other varieties of mushrooms

Chanterelles are interesting not only in appearance. They are very different from their other forest counterparts in both culinary and natural qualities.

How to collect chanterelles (false and real), what are the differences, how to cut without damage

Hunting for mushrooms - any kind! - implies knowledge of tricks, mushroom places and search secrets. Chanterelles - false and real - tend to hide their bodies in pine needles or, less commonly, in fallen leaves. However, if you notice at least one red tail, you can be sure that you have come across an entire plantation. Most often they settle in moss. It is enough to lift its layer - and here you have a whole basket of harvest. When the weather has not been pleasant with rain for a long time, you need to look for chanterelles in damp places, in grassy lowlands. But if there was a lot of precipitation, they move to higher ground or well-warmed clearings. In any case, trees growing nearby can serve as landmarks, since chanterelles huddle close to oaks, birches, beeches, pines and spruces.

The signal for the beginning of the fox season can be the abundant flowering of wild raspberries. And if before it began there were thunderstorms with downpours, then there is no doubt about the success of the “silent hunt”. If so obvious signs no, exploration should start from the end of June.

Unlike most forest mushrooms, the foxes demand special approach when collecting. Under no circumstances should they be cut, much less plucked: this damages and, over time, kills the mycelium, resulting in the disappearance of the existing plantation. If you unscrewed the mushroom, then next year you can confidently come to the same place for new prey.

Are false chanterelles poisonous?

Before we figure out how to distinguish false chanterelles from real ones, let's define their potential danger. Many shy away from false representatives of the tribe, often throwing away edible specimens for fear of severe mushroom poisoning. Meanwhile, most mushroom pickers do not believe that false chanterelles can cause serious harm to the body. Their taste is much worse, the smell has become significantly worse, but still false chanterelles are considered more conditionally edible than poisonous mushrooms. The maximum risk is intestinal upset if your stomach is not too strong. However, the question of how to distinguish between false chanterelles and real ones is a concern for a huge number of novice mushroom pickers who do not go to the forest too often. Just to reassure them, we will list all the signs, although we assure you: if a disguised fungus wanders into your prey, mortal danger he will not represent.

Differences between the original and the fake

In addition to the worms' aversion to definitely edible mushrooms, there are other signs that signal danger. So, how to distinguish false chanterelles from real ones?

  1. Fakes are usually more brightly colored than mushrooms that do not require camouflage.
  2. A real chanterelle has wavy edges. The evenness of the cap should alert you.
  3. The “correct” mushroom smells like fruit or fresh wood. The false one has a distinctly unpleasant aroma.
  4. Real chanterelles never grow alone. False ones can and do love.
  5. The originals grow in moss; the fakes prefer rotting, fallen trunks.
  6. If you press the flesh of a real chanterelle, it will turn red. False color will not change.

Although the main argument for falsity is still the movement of the worm through the body of the chanterelle: it definitely says that it is not real.

What is usually done with chanterelles

If you have figured out how to distinguish false chanterelles from real ones (or have decided not to consider the chanterelles as poisonous), head to the kitchen. You can make a lot of these mushrooms delicious dishes. They are simply excellent with fried potatoes; What’s especially nice is that you don’t have to cook them in advance - and lose them in the mass of mushrooms. And how wonderful soups with chanterelles are! And the fillings for pies will not leave you indifferent either. And if you have an underground floor and a tub, pickle the chanterelles, and you will forever become an avid mushroom picker!

Many people like to collect: boletus, boletus,. But there are representatives that are very similar to edible mushrooms, but in fact it turns out that they are doubles. False fox - shining example such representatives.

How not to collect a basket of “doubles”


The false chanterelle, belonging to the family Hygrophoropsidaceae, is quite common in the forests of Russia. Its description can be found in many literary publications. The second name is yellow talker

Previously, there was an opinion that such a mushroom was poisonous. Today this representative is classified as conditionally edible. A false representative cannot boast of excellent taste qualities like the real one.

How to distinguish false chanterelles from ordinary ones? Inedible mushroom can be found in any forests. The false chanterelle appears in August-November. IN last month In autumn it can be found only if frost has not yet set in. It grows on stumps and on the ground. You don't often see it on rotten wood. The true chanterelle, a description of which can easily be found in books for mushroom pickers or on our website, grows on mossy stumps, but not on fallen trees. The “double” grows strictly alone.

Key differences

A chanterelle-like mushroom can be distinguished from a real one by its appearance. “Double” has a brighter cap color. The diameter of its cap is about 2-5 cm, while that of a real specimen is about 10 cm.

The hat looks like a funnel. Its color can be orange-brown, sometimes with a copper tint. The edges of the cap have a smooth shape. Real mushroom has lumpy edges. Under the cap you can see branched plates. The false chanterelle has a thinner leg that tapers towards the bottom.

False chanterelle


The diameter of the double cap is about 2-5 cm, and the stem tapers towards the bottom

If in doubt, mushrooms can be distinguished by their pulp. The pulp of the “double” does not have a pleasant aroma. back side the caps are a little bitter. The mushroom has yellow or orange flesh. If you press on it with your finger, the color will remain the same.

False fox has spores white. A real mushroom is not wormy due to the content of chitinmannose, which has an anthelmintic effect. The “double” does not contain chitinmannose, which is why insect larvae can feed on it.

The product is allowed to be eaten, but it does not have a special taste. If you prepare it correctly, poisoning will not occur. Like any conventionally edible mushroom, it is soaked for 3 days. It is important to change the water twice - in the morning and in the evening. Then you need to boil the product for a quarter of an hour in boiling water. After this, it is ready for marinating and also frying. In sensitive people, eating this product may cause nausea, headache, vomiting, and stomach upset.