Russulas are painted. Edible and inedible russula

If you literally translate the name of the Russula family from Latin, it will sound like “reddish”. It is believed that edible type these mushrooms should have a predominant reddish tint. But if you take a closer look at what russula looks like, you can find out that there are species with yellow, green and brown hats, which are also edible. In fact appearance always depends on the place where the mushrooms grow.

Classification of species

There are many types of russula. They are different from each other external characteristics, including the color of the cap and stalk. The most common types of russula include:

There are also varieties of russula - golden and yellow.

Russula scaly has a thick or hollow stalk. It is also called greenish. The pulp tastes like a nut. The mushroom prefers to live in places where oaks and birches grow, most often found in deciduous forests. Russula usually appears in last decade June, maintains yield until winter frosts.

Olive Russula matures earlier than all other species. Already in the second ten days of June it can be observed in the forest. At this time, there are almost no mushrooms, so mushroom pickers often go hunting for this variety, growing in coniferous and mixed forests. You can find it either individually or in small groups.

With age, the cap of this mushroom becomes flat. In young specimens it is hemispherical. The top of the mushroom can have different shades - from olive to purple. The cap has an average diameter, sometimes reaching 20 cm. It is quite fleshy, equipped with orange plates. Every lover of quiet hunting should know what the russula mushroom looks like. The mushroom pulp is juicy, white, has no smell and taste. The leg is long and purple-red in color.

Taxonomy:

• Division: Basidiomycota (Basidiomycetes)
• Subdivision: Agaricomycotina (Agaricomycetes)
• Class: Agaricomycetes (Agaricomycetes)
• Subclass: Incertae sedis (indefinite position)
• Order: Russulales
• Family: Russulaceae (Russula)
• Genus: Russula (Russula)
• View: Russula nigricans (Russula blackening)

Other names for the mushroom:

Russula blackening

Russula blackens - a species of mushroom included in the genus Russula, belongs to the Russula family.

It has a cap from 5 to 15 centimeters (sometimes larger specimens are found - even up to 25 centimeters in diameter). At first the cap is whitish in color, but then becomes dirty grayish, brown with a soot-colored tint. There are also brownish specimens with an olive tint. The middle of the cap is darker, and its edges are lighter. On the cap there are adhered particles of dirt, earth, and forest debris.

Russula blackens has a smooth cap, dry (sometimes with a slight admixture of mucus). It is usually convex, but then becomes flat and prostrate. Its center becomes smooth over time. Cracks may form on the cap, exposing the beautiful white flesh.

The plates of the mushroom are thick, large, sparsely spaced. At first they are white, and then they turn gray or even brownish, with a pinkish tint. There are also atypical ones - black plates.

Leg Loading blackening - up to 10 centimeters. It is strong and cylindrical in shape. As the mushroom ages, it becomes a dirty brown color.

The flesh of the mushroom is thick and breakable. Usually white in color, it slowly turns reddish at the incision site. It has a pleasant taste, slightly bitter, and a pleasant faint aroma. Ferrous sulfate colors such pulp pink(then it turns green).

Distribution area, growing time
Russula blackens forms a mycelium with hard trees. Grows in deciduous and mixed forests. The mushroom can also often be seen in spruce and deciduous forests. Favorite place distribution - temperate zone, as well as region Western Siberia. The mushroom is not rare in Western Europe.

Found in large groups in the forest. It begins to bear fruit in mid-summer, and this period ends until winter. According to the observations of mushroom pickers, it is found in such a northern region as the Karelian Isthmus, at the end of the forest it is often found in the Leningrad region.

Mushroom look-alikes

• . It has thick and flowing plates, as well as a whitish cap of a grayish tint. The pulp of such a mushroom can turn black almost immediately. Redness is not visible in such mushrooms. In autumn, in birch and aspen forests it is quite rare.
• Frequently plated loader (Russula densifolia). It is distinguished by a brownish-brown and even brown with a black cap. The plates of such a cap are very small, and the mushroom itself is smaller. The pulp first turns reddish, but then slowly turns black. In autumn, it is quite rare in coniferous and mixed forests.
• . When scrapped or cut, the flesh of this mushroom acquires brown. But it has almost no dark, almost black shades. This mushroom is an inhabitant of coniferous forests.

These types of fungus, as well as the Russula itself, form separate group mushrooms They differ from others in that their flesh takes on a characteristic black color. Old mushrooms of this group are quite tough, and the color of some of them can have both white and brown shades.

Is this mushroom edible?
Russula blackens belongs to the fourth category of mushrooms. It can be consumed fresh (after thoroughly boiling for at least 20 minutes), as well as salted. When salted it quickly turns black. It is necessary to collect only young mushrooms, since old ones are quite tough. In addition, they are almost always wormy. However, Western researchers consider this mushroom inedible.

Video about the Russula blackening mushroom:

More information
The fungus can grow in the substrate. Some old specimens of the fungus may come to the surface, causing the soil layer to break through. The mushroom can often be wormy. One more characteristic feature mushroom - it slowly decomposes into natural conditions. During decomposition, the mushroom turns black. Dried mushrooms last for quite a long time, until next year.

It is very difficult for novice mushroom pickers to distinguish edible russula from inedible ones due to the diversity of their types and colors

The Russula family is called Russula in Latin, meaning “reddish.” Traditionally it is believed that hats edible russula should have mostly reddish tints. Although, if you study the photo and description of russula mushrooms, you can understand that mushrooms with yellow, green and even brown caps are also edible. After all, the appearance of russula is often determined by the nature of the place where it grows.

Russula greenish or scaly (R. Virescens)

This russula has a fleshy, thick, dense leg, and the flesh tastes like a nut. The greenish russula prefers to live in deciduous places, especially where birch is adjacent to oak. It begins to grow at the end of June and ends only with the onset of winter frosts. Greenish russula can be found both individually and in groups.

Video about what green russulas look like

This mushroom has a greenish-gray cap, up to 10 cm in diameter, has a darker depression in the middle, and closer to the edges the skin is almost white. Because of the inclusions, the color of the cap appears mottled. The skin does not separate from the cap. The solid greenish leg is smooth and reaches 8-10 cm. White mushroom The pulp is slightly dry and has a strong, dense structure. Recommended for mushroom pickers to watch photo of what the greenish russula mushroom looks like, because it is one of the most delicious among russulas and is suitable not only for pickling and cooking, but also for frying. On the other hand, it is somewhat reminiscent of a deadly poisonous pale grebe, so you need to be able to clearly distinguish them.

Russula blue-green (R. Cyanoxaniha)

The caps of this type of russula can reach 15 cm, and their color is steel with a bluish tint, lilac or green-violet. Young caps are spherical, sticky, and with age they become flat, their edges droop - this is shown in the photo of what a russula looks like. The unbreakable and frequent plates are white in color; this distinguishes them from the plates of other russula. The white flesh of the mushroom is dense in young individuals, and becomes curdled in mature ones. Distributed in summer and autumn in deciduous forests.

Olive Russula (R. Olivacea)

This is one of the earliest russulas; it can be found in the forest as early as mid-June. At this time there are almost no mushrooms, so mushroom pickers are favorable to olive russula growing in mixed or coniferous forests in small groups or alone. Its initially hemispherical cap becomes flat with age, possible colors: greenish-olive, purple-violet, ocher. The cap is medium-sized, but sometimes reaches 20 cm, quite fleshy, with frequent yellowish-orange plates. The white, juicy pulp of the mushroom is tasteless, odorless, and does not change color. The long leg is purple-red in color. This russula can be salted and cooked.

Russula blue-yellow (R. Cyanoxantha)

These types of russula are found in forests dominated by birch and pine trees from the end of June until almost the first snow. Despite the name, the mushroom can have other colors: brownish-greenish and bluish-greenish are the most typical, but yellowish with pink edges are also found. This russula has a thin cap with frequent hard plates, and the skin is easily separated. The mushroom pulp is elastic and white, not crumbly and does not change color when broken, the taste is slightly nutty, and there is almost no smell. This is a mushroom that is quite valued in cooking and can be boiled, salted and fried.

Russula blue (R. Azurea Bres)

Blue Russula can be found mainly in spruce forests in groups, in August-early October. It has a relatively small (9 cm) cap, but it is fleshy and quite voluminous; in adults it is flat and has a depression in the middle, while in young animals it is convex. Its color is blue-lilac, darkening towards the center and lighter at the edges. The skin is easily separated from the white, firm pulp, which has no distinct odor. The blue russula has a 6-centimeter stalk, which becomes tubular in old age. This type of russula is especially tasty when salted.

Russula (R. Vesca)

The caps of edible russula reach a width of 5-9 cm, have a brown-pink or white-pink color and a sticky surface that becomes matte when dried. Young specimens have hemispherical caps, while adults have flat caps with sparse white plates, sometimes with reddish spots. The legs are fleshy and white. Edible russula has a light mushroom aroma and a nutty flavor. This is one of the most delicious views Russula It does not look like a fly agaric at all - neither in that it does not have a skirt on its leg, nor in such a bright hat with white spots on the cap. These russulas are the most popular among mushroom pickers, so edible russulas in photos and in real life are the most recognizable. Most often they grow in deciduous forests, where birch trees predominate, although they are not uncommon among conifers. She can grow either alone or in families, and this happens from mid-summer to the end of September.

Edible russula can be salted and cooked. To make salted russula crispy and elastic, they should be doused with boiling water before salting.

Whole russula (R. Integra)

The cap of a whole russula grows up to 15 cm; in youth it is spherical in shape, and in maturity it becomes flat with raised edges. Color varies from chocolate brown to reddish brown. The plates are initially milky white and later become yellowish. The dense and brittle white flesh of young mushrooms turns into crumbly, yellowish color with age. It grows in deciduous forests throughout the summer and autumn. Here it is important to distinguish between edible and inedible russula, since the purple-brown russula, which has a bitter taste, is very similar to whole russula.

Marsh Russula (R. Paludosa)

This variety of russula grows in damp forests dominated by pine trees or pine and birch trees, often on peat bogs. Growth time is from mid-summer to late September. Swamp russula often grows alone, although small groups are also found. Semiconical in young mushrooms, the cap becomes more convex with age.

The bright red color of the cap in the center is darker, sometimes brown. The skin is smooth, slightly sticky. Swamp russula has white pulp, with a delicate taste and odorless. The plates are white, but sometimes slightly yellowish. The tall (up to 12 cm) white leg has a diameter of up to 3 cm, and sometimes becomes pinkish-reddish. These russulas can not only be salted and pickled, but also boiled and fried.

Russula fading (R. decolorans)

This medium-sized (up to 10 cm) russula has an orange-red cap with a slimy, sticky skin in young specimens, smooth and dry in mature ones. The frequent plates also change with age: from white in young to yellow in mature and gray in old. Young mushrooms have a smooth, long white stalk, which turns gray in older ones. The white flesh also turns gray with age. In summer and autumn it grows in coniferous forests.

The fading russula brings confusion to the question - edible mushroom or not, the fact that the inedible, pungent russula, which has white spore powder and plates and non-greying pulp, is very similar to it.

Golden Russula (R. Aurata)

This type of russula got its name from its beautiful golden-yellow or yellow-red color. It begins to grow at the end of June and ends at the beginning of October. The mushroom is found in coniferous and deciduous forests, often in the form of small seeds. The golden russula has a medium-sized cap, at first hemispherical and convex, then turns into a fleshy flat or prostrate cap with slightly ribbed or smooth edges. It is lighter towards the edges. The stem of the mushroom is up to 9 cm high, but thin (less than two centimeters) and has an even cylindrical shape. The leg is sometimes slightly curved, at first white, smooth, dense, later becoming pale or bright yellow.

Russula yellow (R. flava)

Almost everyone knows what yellow russula looks like: a thin, flimsy cap with a diameter of no more than 10 cm. At first it has the shape of a hemisphere, and with age it becomes spread out, having a depression in the middle. The skin on the cap is dry and smooth, the color ranges from lemon yellow to rich yellow, and is easily separated from the pulp. The flesh of the mushroom is white, fragile, gradually turning gray at the break, sometimes to an almost black color. It has no specific smell. The plates are slightly yellowish or just white. The smooth white leg reaches 10 cm in length. Yellow russula can be boiled and salted, although its taste leaves much to be desired.

Did you know that there is such a variety of russula? Which of listed types Did you collect? Tell us about it in

The so-called quiet hunt loved by many. IN autumn forest at peak mushroom season you can meet large number mushroom pickers There are even more mushrooms there. Among them there are those that can be eaten, but there are, on the contrary, poisonous ones - these should be avoided. Take, for example, russula - there are several types of them. As with other mushrooms, there are edible and inedible russula. How can you tell them apart?

Usually mushroom pickers don’t care much about the name of a particular species. The main thing is that it is edible mushroom. What do edible russulas look like?

There are a huge number of ways to prepare this product. The most popular of them is . There will also be fans mushroom soup, pickles and even mushroom pie.

"Wrong" product

According to statistics, russula make up 45% of the mass of all mushrooms in the forest. There are many varieties of them. Those whose caps are colored predominantly in pink, blue, green and yellow shades can be safely eaten. What can you say about others? How to distinguish false russula?

Some types of russula are poisonous. Externally, with the exception of color, they are similar to their counterparts, but have a very unpleasant taste and negative impact on the human body.

This is the so-called false russula:

How not to make a mistake?

How to distinguish edible from poisonous russula?

• The most important difference is the taste. Needs a little chewing raw mushroom. If you feel a burning sensation on your tongue, it is not suitable for food.
• Second difference? smell. Some poisonous varieties emit a very pungent aroma. It may cause sneezing.
• Finally, the third difference is coloring.

What is the danger?

Due to the fact that these mushrooms can be edible and inedible, a completely logical question arises: is it possible to be poisoned by russula? The doctors answer in the affirmative. However, such poisoning, although it has unpleasant consequences, is not fatal in itself. It causes nausea and stomach upset. Therefore, you need to be wary of mushrooms that raise doubts.

There are a huge number of russulas. The name suggests that they can be eaten even raw. However, this must be done carefully, because some of them have an unpleasant taste and can harm the body. To understand whether a species is edible or not, you need to pay attention to its color and smell. If in doubt, it is better to put it aside and not take risks. And if you don’t have any, you can safely enjoy the mushroom taste.

Russula is the most common mushroom in Russia. Russula mushrooms grow in any forest - deciduous, coniferous or mixed. These beautiful mushrooms are undeservedly deprived of attention: mushroom pickers and cooks consider russula to be third-rate and take them only when they cannot find other mushrooms. Of course, taste is an individual matter, and you need to find your own approach or style, if you like, for each type of mushroom. Russula cannot be cooked in the same way as other mushrooms, and often this detail scares away cooks. In practice, russula girbas are even easier to prepare than white ones, and the taste of salted russula can surprise you with its nutty undertones and make you work culinary fantasy on full blast. There are many types of russula, it’s worth understanding them in order to determine the cooking method for each type and cook these delicious mushrooms with confidence.

There are 13 main varieties of russula. They can be divided into 3 groups:
. Delicious (4 varieties)
. Edible (3 varieties)
. Inedible and poisonous

Delicious

Or greenish russula(Russula virescens). The cap is from 5 to 15 cm in diameter, hemispherical in young mushrooms, then mushroom-shaped with a hole in the center and with inverted edges in mature mushrooms. The skin is light green or gray green with white areas, often torn. The plates are white or fawn. The leg is thick, fleshy, dense. The pulp has a nutty taste. Grows in deciduous forests in summer and autumn. This is very delicious mushroom, is considered the best among russula.

Attention! Russula scaly is similar to pale toadstool - a deadly poisonous mushroom. Be extremely careful!

(Russula vesca). The hat is 5-9 cm, pink or brown-pink in color, with an adhesive surface (matte when dry). Young russulas have hemispherical caps, while mature ones have flat caps. The plates are sparse, white or with red spots. The leg is white, fleshy. Russula has a nutty taste and a light mushroom aroma. It grows all summer and autumn in deciduous and coniferous forests. This is a very tasty mushroom, one of the best among russulas. It has a slight resemblance to the fly agaric, unlike which it does not have spots on the cap and a “skirt” on the leg.

(Russula cyanoxaniha). The cap is from 5 to 15 cm, purple, steel with a bluish tint or green with purple hues. When young, spherical, then flat in shape with drooping edges and an adhesive surface. The plates are frequent, unbreakable, and white. The pulp is white, dense in young mushrooms and curdled in mature ones. Grows in deciduous forests in summer and autumn. It differs from other russula in its flexible plates.

(Russula integra). The cap is from 6 to 15 cm, spherical in youth and flat with raised edges in maturity. Color ranges from brown-red to chocolate brown. The plates are milky white and then yellowish. The pulp is white, dense and brittle in young mushrooms and yellowish, crumbly in mature mushrooms. It grows all summer and autumn in deciduous forests. You should distinguish whole russula from purple-brown russula, which has a bitter taste.

Edible.

It can be noted that this group includes mushrooms without a distinct taste, which should be taken and cooked only if you really want mushrooms. However, these mushrooms are edible, they can be prepared: salted and pickled, given some flavor and aroma with the help of spices, or used as fillings.

Marsh Russula or float(Russula paludosa). The cap is 8-15 cm, bright red, dark in the center. Bell-shaped in youth, mature - with lowered edges. Adhesive film, white or yellowish plates, often adhere to the stem, and may be reddish in cross section. The pulp is white and odorless. It grows mainly in coniferous forests in summer and autumn.

(Russula decolorans). The cap is 3-10 cm, orange-red, with a sticky-mucous film in young mushrooms, dry and smooth in mature ones. The plates are frequent, white or butter-yellow in mature ones, and gray in old ones. The leg is long, smooth, white in young and mature, gray in old. The flesh is white, turning gray with age. It grows summer and autumn in coniferous forests. It is very important not to confuse fading russula with the pungent russula, in which the plates and spore powder are white, and the pulp is not graying.

(Russula daroflava). The cap is 4-10 cm, dark yellow in color, spherical in shape for young mushrooms and flat in mature mushrooms. The plates are narrow, adherent to the stem, white in young ones, gray in mature ones. The pulp is tender, white, dense in young ones, loose and gray in mature ones. The smell is not pronounced or absent. It grows in summer and autumn on peaty soil next to birch trees.

Inedible and poisonous

This group includes conditionally edible and poisonous mushrooms. Yes, among russula there are a couple of species that are dangerous to eat.

Conditionally edible mushrooms can be eaten, but they may be either tasteless or difficult to process. These include (Russula ochroleuca) with a specific cap color, similar to yellow russula. Distinguish it from yellow russula depending on the color: ocher ones have a dirty color, yellow ones have a bright, clean color. Russula golden yellow(Russula risigalina) is also edible, but has an inexpressive taste. It differs from the yellow one in its smaller size (cap 3-7 cm) and egg-yellow spore powder. Green russula(Russula aerguinea) with ugly caps of an unpleasant green (swamp) color, 5-10 cm in diameter. The mushroom is tasteless and, among other things, looks like a toadstool. Russula is beautiful(Russula lepida), despite its name, has bitter, hard and tasteless pulp. It is distinguished by a blood-red cap 5-10 cm in diameter. Russula purple-brown(Russula badia) is purple-red when young. Cap 8-12 cm, spore powder ocher. It has a specific smell, reminiscent of a cigar box. The taste is unpleasant and can be very bitter.

(Russula emetica) - truly inedible and even poisonous. It has a cap of 5-10 cm, blood-red color, which is rainy weather becomes ocher-yellow and slippery. The leg is smooth, white or pink, with brittle flesh. The flesh of the cap is white, reddish under the skin. It has an interesting fruity smell and a very pungent taste. Be extremely careful - the mushroom is poisonous!

Now that you've been warned and can tell the difference delicious russula from poisonous, do not be afraid to collect and cook them. Russulas are very brittle. This is the most main feature this type of mushroom and its main disadvantage. Untangling from the grass, freeing from twigs and transporting must be careful, without jerking or shaking.

For inexperienced or novice mushroom pickers and cooks, the name of the mushroom (russula) can be confusing. These mushrooms are not eaten raw, it is not accepted. If you wish, you can eat raw russula - you cannot get poisoned and die if it was the right type. For better taste, russulas are pickled, salted, fried, stewed and boiled. Pickled and salted russulas turn out best, which is why they got their name. After just a day of salting, the russula can be eaten; you just need to add a traditional mushroom dressing of butter and onion or garlic.

Pickling

Mushrooms should be washed, coarsely chopped or left whole, pour saline solution and put it in a dark place. You can add a few black peppercorns, currant leaves, dill or other fragrant herbs.

Pickling

It differs from pickling in that vinegar is added to the solution. It is usually used for canning, but in the case of russula, quick pickling without canning makes sense. This way, you can always have a ready-made cold snack in the refrigerator.

Frying

Mushrooms need to be peeled, but not washed. Chop not too finely and fry in oil. Russulas fry quite quickly and it is very important not to turn them into coals, trying to get rid of the imaginary poison. Inedible or simply tasteless russulas should be removed at the sorting stage and not bother your head with thoughts of poisoning during cooking. If in doubt, cook it.

Cooking

Russulas are washed, peeled, cut into medium pieces and boiled in two waters. Bring to a boil in the first water, cook for several minutes, then transfer the mushrooms to another container with boiling water and cook there for 15-20 minutes. For those who are suspicious, pre-soaking can be recommended.

Extinguishing

The best way to cook russula mushrooms. Combines cooking and frying, eliminating even the most suspicious doubts. There are two ways: wash the mushrooms, peel them, cut them and place them in a layer in a frying pan. Simmer, stirring occasionally. Second way: boil and simmer. More liquid will be released - you can make, for example, a broth or sauce based on liquid, which is poured into a separate container, or you can simply let the moisture evaporate. When stewing russula, you can add peppers (peas, whole chili peppers), bay leaf or curry leaves, cloves and generally enrich the russula with different flavors. Although aesthetes argue that russula is already delicious and that there is no need to spoil their wonderful nutty taste. Of course, there is no need to spoil it, but it can be strengthened. If the nutty taste is not observed, then you can add sour cream and simmer in it.

For lovers of potatoes with mushrooms, we can recommend frying the potatoes separately and adding separately fried russula on last stage cooking - this way you can easily control the process of frying these fundamentally different ingredients. You can do the same with other products: cook them separately from the russula and mix them at the last stage of cooking. Or do not mix and serve separately.

Everything applies to russula traditional recipes cooking mushrooms, but the best way All that's left to cook is the salting. You can salt russula even while camping, which is what experienced hikers, hunters or summer residents use. Garlic cloves and fragrant herbs are used as aromatic additives. For quick salting the garlic is cut into slices, the herbs are crushed, and a little more salt is used than for long-term cooking.

Salted russula

Ingredients:
500 g mushrooms,
2 tbsp. spoons of salt (per 1 liter of water),
5 cloves of garlic,
herbs (blueberry sprouts, mint, tarragon, dill).

Preparation:
Wash the mushrooms, place them in a pickling container, add garlic, sprinkle with salt, add herbs and fill with spring water. Leave for 10-12 hours. Serve the mushrooms with butter. You can add onions.

Russulas are very tasty, easy to prepare mushrooms, excellent cold appetizer, a great addition to potatoes and vegetables.

Alexey Borodin