What edible mushrooms look like: photos with names and descriptions. Edible mushrooms Appearance of edible mushrooms

Sometimes, while walking, a person stumbles upon a mushroom clearing and does not understand whether they are edible or not. Forest mushrooms or not. If you have a concept and idea about the “correct” mushrooms, then any confusion about which mushrooms are edible will disappear by themselves. When engaging in tourism, as a hobby, or simply to be on the safe side in different life situations, it is necessary to have knowledge about mushrooms and their varieties.

The structure of mushrooms and their features

Safe species differ from poisonous and inedible ones in the shape and color of the fruiting body, the structure of the hymenophore and the smell.

Edible mushrooms are tubular: they received this name due to the fact that under their cap there are tubes similar to a sponge - they contain spores.

Most types of edible mushrooms have a similar description, but they are not all alike, and this must be taken into account when collecting.

False varieties, on the contrary, have a lamellar cap structure, characteristic of most inedible ones. It should be kept in mind that most inedible mushrooms are very similar to edible ones.

Edible varieties

Experts have long verified a list of commonly found edible mushrooms that can be eaten even without heat treatment.

It includes: oyster mushrooms, mushrooms, honey mushrooms, boletus mushrooms, champignons, chanterelles, moss mushrooms, truffles.

You can expand this list and understand what these mushrooms look like by reading their description:

Where do autumn honey mushrooms grow, their main types

Different mushrooms present different gastronomic interests. Of course, you shouldn’t pick all the mushrooms in a row, even if they are edible.

To get the maximum benefit from the situation, you should focus on the mushrooms belonging to certain categories.

Categories and classifications

When identifying mushrooms in the classification, it is worth taking into account their identity - they are edible and conditionally edible. Edible mushrooms include mushrooms that can be eaten without processing. Conditionally edible - those that must be thermally treated before consumption - by scalding, boiling, etc. Edible mushrooms in Russia are divided into 4 categories:

1. The best representatives of the mushroom world, who are revered among cooks and mushroom pickers. They have high nutritional value and good protein potential. These include white mushrooms, boletus mushrooms, saffron milk caps, milk mushrooms, and champignons.
2. Edible and conditionally edible. These include, for example, some boletuses (yellow boletus), some oak boletuses (common and speckled boletus), boletuses (all aspen boletuses and many boletus boletuses), all edible oil dishes, some mossworts (chestnut mosswort).
3. This category includes edible and conditionally edible, but not the best and most useful specimens, worse in quality than mushrooms of the first two categories. These include almost all moss mushrooms, some butterflies (yellowish, gray, ruby), many milkweeds (smooth, gray and red), many champignons.
4. The worst category of edible and conditionally edible mushrooms. These are all scales, umbrellas, sawfoils, rows, oyster mushrooms, cobwebs, cystoderms, plutea, puffballs, and hedgehogs.

Irina Kamshilina

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Content

How many lovers are waiting for the start of the season to walk through the forest in search of saffron milk caps or saffron milk caps. Fry chanterelles, pickle milk mushrooms, marinate boletus to enjoy in winter festive table. Unfortunately, not everything ends well if you don’t know what you have collected. Arm useful knowledge how to distinguish inedible species, every mushroom eater is obliged.

How to distinguish poisonous mushrooms from edible ones

You should not go into the forest if you do not know how to determine whether a mushroom is poisonous or not. Ask an experienced person to take you on a quiet hunt. In the forest thicket he will tell you about edible varieties and show what they look like. Read books or find information on websites. This is the only way to protect your loved ones and yourself from mortal danger. Even one inedible specimen in a basket can lead to disaster if you do not distinguish it and cook it with others.

Inedible species are dangerous because they can cause food poisoning, cause disruption of the central nervous system, and lead to death. Experienced mushroom pickers recommend following the following rules when collecting:

• don’t taste it – you can get poisoned instantly;
• do not take if in doubt;
• do not cut dry, overripe specimens - it is difficult to determine their identity;
• do not collect everything in the hope of figuring it out at home;
• visit the forest with experienced people;
• do not collect specimens with a thickened stem at the bottom;
• Before departure, refresh your knowledge about the characteristics of the species.

What do edible mushrooms look like?

Experienced lovers of quiet forest hunting know how to distinguish edible mushrooms from inedible. You can’t go wrong, you can put the copy you like in the basket, and then cook it if:

• there is a “skirt” on the leg;
• under the cap there is a layer of a tubular appearance;
• it gives off a pleasant smell;
• the caps have a characteristic appearance and color for their variety;
• insects were noticed on the surface - bugs and worms.

There are varieties that are very famous and popular in the middle forest zone. They are known and collected, although among them there are specimens that have dangerous doubles. To obtain unique taste, required different ways preparations. Among your favorite types you can distinguish:

• white - boletus;
• milk mushroom;
• saffron milk cap;
• boletus;
• honey fungus;
• boletus;
• oiler;
• wave;
• fox;
• Russula.

Which mushrooms are poisonous

How to distinguish edible mushrooms from inedible ones? Poisonous varieties are often recognized by the following characteristics:

• color – have an unusual or very bright color;
• sticky cap in some varieties;
• change in the color of the leg - when cut, an unnatural color appears;
• absence of worms and insects inside and on the surface - they do not tolerate mushroom poison;
• smell - it can be fetid, medicinal, chlorine;
• absence of a tubular layer under the cap.

Inedible varieties contain toxic substances. It is necessary to carry out the collection very carefully, to know the special signs of dangerous specimens in order to distinguish them:

• pale grebe - fatally poisonous, has a greenish or olive-colored cap, a thickened stem downwards;
• satanic - differs from white in color in red tones;
• red fly agaric - has a bright cap with white dots, provokes the destruction of brain cells;
• thin pig – has hallucinogenic properties when interacting with alcohol;
• Amanita muscaria smells like chlorine and is very poisonous.

How to distinguish mushrooms

Among the variety of species, you can find poisonous specimens - doubles, similar to species suitable for consumption. How to distinguish between edible and inedible mushrooms in this case? The similarity can be distant or very close. The edible varieties of twins are:

• white – satanic, bilious;
• boletus mushrooms, pepper mushrooms;
• chanterelles - false chanterelles;
• milk mushrooms - waxy talkers;
• mushrooms - fly agarics;
• honey mushrooms - false honey mushrooms.

How to distinguish a false white mushroom

Inexperienced mushroom pickers may confuse the robust boletus with false species, although they are not very similar. A true white specimen is strong, dense, and grows in groups, sometimes forming a path. Distinguished by the hat, the bottom is exclusively olive, yellow, white. Its flesh is firm, dense, and has a pleasant smell. If you make a cut, it will be white.

There are two types of false:

• Gall - has a pinkish tint. There is a dark mesh on the surface of the leg.
• Satanic - with a strong smell of rotten onion, distinguished by a velvety cap and yellow or red flesh. The leg is thickened at the bottom. It has a very bright color that varies in height from rich red to shades of green and yellow.

How to recognize the false chanterelle mushroom

How to determine edible and inedible mushrooms, if both look bright and elegant? How are chanterelles similar and by what characteristics can they be distinguished? Characteristics of an inedible variety are:

• a bright, velvety, orange hat;
• smaller diameter - about 2.5 cm;
• pulp with an unpleasant odor;
• leg tapering downwards;
• a hat that looks like a funnel with smooth edges;
• absence of worms - contains chitinmannose - an anthelmintic substance.

Edible chanterelles grow in groups in mixed, coniferous forests. They often have large specimens with a hat up to 10 cm. They are distinguished by:

• a thick, dense leg that is never hollow;
• the hat is lowered down, has lumpy edges, the color is dim - from light yellow to pale orange;
• the plates are dense, descending to the stem;
• The flesh is red when pressed.

How to distinguish between edible and poisonous honey mushrooms

Particularly difficult is the correct identification of honey mushrooms, since several edible varieties are collected that have different shapes. They grow on stumps, tree trunks, in grass, often in large groups. Good mushrooms can be distinguished by:

• caps from light beige to brown with dark scales;
• ring on the leg;
• cream or white plates under the cap;
• pleasant smell.

Inedible honey mushrooms often grow singly. The difference from edible ones is the absence of a ring on the stem. Other features of inedible varieties:

• brightly colored hat, red, orange, rusty brown, sticky and smooth after rain;
• dark plates – green olive-black, yellow;
• musty odor;
• spots on the cap are black.

Video: how to check mushrooms for edibility

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Anyone who does not understand mushrooms is limited to buying them in the supermarket. After all, champignons and oyster mushrooms grown under the artificial sun inspire more confidence than unknown natural gifts. But true mushroom pickers will not be able to be satisfied with the taste of fruits that have not smelled of pine needles and have not been washed with morning dew. And it’s very difficult to deny yourself forest walks on a clear weekend. Therefore, let's take a closer look at the external signs of popular edible mushrooms in our region.

Main characteristics of edible mushrooms

Everything is biological and ecological diversity planetary scale mushrooms are simply impossible to cover. This is one of the largest specific groups of living organisms, which has become an integral part of the earth and aquatic ecosystems. Modern scientists know many species of the mushroom kingdom, but today there is no exact figure in any scientific source. In different literature, the species number of mushrooms varies from 100 thousand to 1.5 million. It is characteristic that each species is divided into classes, orders, and also has thousands of generic names and synonyms. Therefore, it is easy to get lost here, just like in the forest.

Did you know? The most unusual mushroom in the world, contemporaries consider plasmodium, which grows in middle lane Russia. This creation of nature can walk. True, it moves at a speed of 1 meter every few days.

Edible mushrooms are considered to be those specimens that are approved for consumption and do not pose any risks to human health. They differ from poisonous forest fruits in the structure of the hymenophore, the color and shape of the fruiting body, as well as the smell and taste. Their peculiarity lies in their high gastronomic properties. It’s not for nothing that among mushroom pickers there are parallel names for mushrooms - “vegetable meat” and “forest protein”. It has been scientifically proven that such gifts of nature are rich:

• proteins;
• amino acids;
• mycosis and glycogen (specific mushroom sugar);
• potassium;
• phosphorus;
• gray;
• magnesium;
• sodium;
• calcium;
• chlorine;
• vitamins (A, C, PP, D, all group B);
• enzymes (represented by amylase, lactase, oxidase, zymase, protease, cytase, which have special meaning, as they improve food absorption).

Many types of mushrooms in their nutritional value compete with potatoes, vegetables and fruits traditional for the Ukrainian table. Their significant drawback is the poorly digestible shells of mushroom bodies. That is why greatest benefit Dried and ground into dust fruits are brought to the human body.

Did you know? Of the entire mushroom kingdom, the rarest specimen is considered to be the mushroom Chorioactis geaster, which translated means “devil’s cigar.” It is found in isolated cases only in the central zones of Texas and on some islands of Japan. Unique feature This natural miracle is a specific whistle that is heard when the mushroom releases spores.

Soviet scientists, based on the nutritional characteristics of mushrooms, divided the edible group into 4 varieties:

1. Boletuses, saffron milk caps and milk mushrooms.
2. Birch boletus, aspen boletus, oak boletus, buttercup, trumpet mushroom, white mushroom and champignon.
3. Moss mushrooms, valui, russula, chanterelles, morels and autumn honey mushrooms.
4. Rowers, raincoats and other little-known, rarely collected specimens.

Today this classification is considered a little outdated. Modern botanists agree that dividing mushrooms into food categories is ineffective and the scientific literature provides an individual description of each species. Beginner mushroom pickers should learn Golden Rule

“silent hunt”: one poisonous mushroom can ruin all the forest trophies in the basket. Therefore, if you find any inedible fruit among the harvested crop, do not hesitate to throw all the contents into the trash. After all, the risks of intoxication cannot be compared with the time and effort spent.

Edible mushrooms: photos and names

Did you know? Of the entire variety of edible mushrooms known to mankind, there are only a few thousand. At the same time, the lion's share of them went to representatives of fleshy micromycetes. Let's look at the most popular types..

Real mushroom giants were found by Americans in 1985 in the states of Wisconsin and Oregon. The first find was striking with its 140-kilogram weight, and the second with the area of ​​the mycelium, which occupied about a thousand hectares In botanical literature this forest trophy is designated as or ( Boletus edulis
). In everyday life it is called pravdivtsev, dubrovnik, shirak and belas.

The variety belongs to the Boletaceae genus and is considered the best of all known edible mushrooms. In Ukraine it is not uncommon and occurs from early summer to mid-autumn in deciduous and coniferous forests. Often boletus can be found under birch, oak, hornbeam, hazel, fir and pine trees.

• a cap with a diameter of 3 to 20 cm, a hemispherical, convex shape, brown in color with a smoky or reddish tint (the color of the cap largely depends on the place where the fungus grows: under pine trees it is purple-brown, under oak trees - chestnut or olive green, and under birch trees - light brown);
• leg from 4 to 15 cm long with a volume of 2-6 cm, club-shaped, cream-colored with a grayish or brown tint;
• white mesh on the top of the leg;
• the flesh is dense, juicy, white, and does not change when cut;
• spindle-shaped spores of yellowish-olive color, about 15-18 microns in size;
• a tubular layer of light and greenish tones (depending on the age of the mushroom), which is easily separated from the cap;
• The smell at the cutting site is pleasant.

Important! Boletuses are often confused with bitterlings. These are inedible mushrooms that are distinguished by pinkish spores, a black mesh on the stem and bitter pulp.

It is worth noting that the skin of true porcini mushrooms is never removed from the cap. In Ukraine, industrial harvesting of these forest trophies is carried out only in the Carpathian region and Polesie. They are suitable for fresh consumption, drying, canning, salting, and pickling. Traditional medicine advises introducing belas into the diet for angina, tuberculosis, frostbite, loss of strength and anemia.

Volnushka

These trophies are considered conditionally edible. They are used as food only by residents of the northern regions globe, and Europeans do not recognize it as food. Botanists call these mushrooms Lactárius torminósus, and mushroom pickers call them botanicals, decoctions and rubellas. They represent the Russula family of the genus Mlechnik, and are pink and white.

Pink waves are characterized by:

• cap with a diameter of 4 to 12 cm, with a deep depression in the center and convex, pubescent edges, pale pink or grayish in color, which darkens when touched;
• leg about 3-6 cm high with a diameter of 1 to 2 cm, cylindrical in shape, powerful and elastic structure with specific pubescence on a pale pink surface;
• cream or white spores;
• the plates are frequent and narrow, which are always interspersed with intermediate membranes;
• the pulp is dense and hard, white in color, does not change when cut and is characterized by abundant, sharp-tasting juice.

Important! Mushroom pickers should pay attention to the fact that mushrooms are characterized by variability, which depends on their age. For example, the caps can change their color from yellow-orange to light green, and the plates can change from pinkish to yellow.

White waves are different:

• a cap with a diameter of 4 to 8 cm with white, densely pubescent skin (in older specimens its surface is smoother and yellower);
• stem with a height of 2 to 4 cm with a volume of up to 2 cm, cylindrical in shape with slight hairiness, dense structure and uniform color;
• the pulp is slightly aromatic, white, with a dense but brittle structure;
• white or cream-colored spores;
• the plates are narrow and frequent;
• white milky juice, which does not change when interacting with oxygen and is characterized by causticity.

Most often they grow in groups under birch trees, on forest edges, and rarely in coniferous forests. They are collected from early August to mid-autumn. Any cooking requires careful soaking and blanching. These mushrooms are used for preservation, drying, and pickling.

Important! From other milky mushrooms edible flakes easily distinguished by the hairiness on the cap.

But in the latter version, the pulp becomes brown, which does not look aesthetically pleasing. Undercooked specimens are toxic and can cause disorders digestive tract and irritation of mucous membranes. In salted form they are allowed to be consumed no earlier than an hour after salting.

The variety also represents the Russula family of the Mlechnikov genus. IN scientific sources the mushroom is designated Lactárius résimus, and in everyday life it is called real.
Externally, this mushroom is characterized by:

• a funnel-shaped cap with a diameter of 5 to 20 cm with highly fleecy edges turned inward, with a wet, mucous skin of a milky or yellowish color;
• stalk up to 7 cm high with a volume up to 5 cm, cylindrical in shape, yellowish in color, with a smooth surface and hollow interior;
• firm white pulp with a specific fruity smell;
• yellow spores;
• plates frequent and wide, white-yellow;
• milky juice, pungent in taste, white in color, which changes to dirty yellow in the cut areas.

The milk mushroom season occurs from July to September. For them to bear fruit, +8-10 °C on the ground surface is sufficient. The mushroom is common in the northern part of the Eurasian continent and is considered completely unsuitable for food purposes in the West. Most often found in deciduous and mixed forests. In cooking it is used for pickling. Beginner mushroom pickers may confuse the trophy with a violin, a white wave and a loader.

Important! Milk mushrooms are characterized by variability: old mushrooms become hollow inside, their plates turn yellow, and brown spots may appear on the cap.

This bright mushroom with a peculiar shape is found on postage stamps of Romania, Moldova, and Belarus. Real fox ( Cantharellus cibarius) represents the genus Kantarelov.
Many people recognize her by:

• cap - with a diameter of 2.5 to 5 cm, which is characterized by asymmetrical bulges at the edges and a watering can-shaped depression in the center, a yellow tint and a smooth surface;
• stem - short (up to 4 cm in height), smooth and solid, identical in color to the cap;
• spores - their size does not exceed 9.5 microns;
• plates - narrow, folded, bright yellow in color;
• pulp - is dense and elastic, white or slightly yellowish, with a pleasant aroma and taste qualities.

Experienced mushroom pickers have noticed that true mushrooms, even overripe ones, are not spoiled by the wormhole. Mushrooms grow quickly in humid environment, in the absence of rain, the development of spores stops. It is not difficult to find such trophies throughout Ukraine; their season starts in July and lasts until November. It is best to go searching in moss-covered, damp, but well-lit areas with weak grassy cover.

Important! Real chanterelles are often confused with their counterparts. Therefore, when harvesting, you need to pay special attention to the color of the trophy pulp. In pseudo-chanterelles it is yellow-orange or pale pink.

Please note that this species is not found on forest edges. In cooking, chanterelles are usually consumed in fresh, pickled, salted and dried forms. They have a specific aroma and taste. Experts note that this variety exceeds all known to mankind mushrooms due to their carotene composition, but are not recommended in large quantities because they are difficult to digest in the body.

In the scientific literature, oyster mushrooms are simultaneously called oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatu) and belong to the predatory species. The fact is that their spores are capable of paralyzing and digesting nematodes living in the soil. In this way, the body compensates for its nitrogen needs. In addition, the variety is considered wood-destroying, since it grows in groups on stumps and trunks of weakened living plants, as well as on dead wood.
It can most often be found on oaks, birches, rowan trees, willows, and aspens. As a rule, these are dense bunches of 30 or more pieces, which grow together at the base and form multi-tiered growths. Oyster mushrooms can be easily recognized by the following characteristics:

• the cap reaches about 5-30 cm in diameter, very fleshy, rounded ear-shaped with wavy edges (in young specimens it is convex, and in adulthood it becomes flat), smooth glossy surface and unstable peculiar tonality, which borders on ashy, violet-brown and faded dirty yellow shades;
• mycelial plaque is present only on the skin of mushrooms that grow in a humid environment;
• leg up to 5 cm long and 0.8-3 cm thick, sometimes almost invisible, dense, cylindrical in structure;
• the plates are sparse, up to 15 mm wide, have bridges near the legs, their color varies from white to yellow-gray;
• spores are smooth, colorless, elongated, up to 13 microns in size;
• The pulp becomes more elastic with age and loses its juiciness, it is fibrous, has no smell, and has an anise flavor.

Did you know? In 2000, a Ukrainian mycelium hunter from Volyn, Nina Danilyuk, managed to find a giant boletus mushroom that did not fit in a bucket and weighed about 3 kg. Its leg reached 40 cm, and the circumference of the cap was 94 cm.

Due to the fact that old oyster mushrooms are characterized by rigidity, only young mushrooms whose caps do not exceed 10 centimeters in diameter are suitable for food. In this case, the legs are removed from all trophies. The oyster mushroom hunting season begins in September and in favorable conditions weather conditions lasts until the New Year. This species cannot be confused with anything in our latitudes, but for Australians there is a risk of putting the poisonous omphalotus in the basket.

This is the popular name for a certain group of mushrooms that grow on living or dead wood. They belong to different families and genera, and also differ in their preferences for living conditions.
Autumn honey mushrooms are most often used for food purposes. ( Armillaria mellea), which represent the Physalacriaceae family. According to various estimates by scientists, they are classified as conditionally edible or generally inedible. For example, honey mushrooms are not in demand among Western gourmets and are considered a low-value product. And in Eastern Europe, these are one of the favorite trophies of mushroom pickers.

Important! Undercooked honey mushrooms cause allergic reactions and severe eating disorders in people.

Honey mushrooms are easily recognizable by their external features. They have:

• the cap develops up to 10 cm in diameter and is characterized by a convexity at a young age and flat when mature, it has a smooth surface and greenish-olive coloring;
• the leg is solid, yellow-brown, from 8 to 10 cm long with a volume of 2 cm, with small flocculent scales;
• the plates are sparse, white-cream in color, darkening with age to pinkish-brown shades;
• spores are white, up to 6 microns in size, have the shape of a wide ellipse;
• the pulp is white, juicy, with a pleasant aroma and taste, on the caps it is dense and fleshy, and on the stem it is fibrous and rough.

The honey mushroom season begins at the end of summer and lasts until December. September is particularly productive, when forest fruits appear in several layers. It is best to look for trophies in damp forest areas under the bark of weakened trees, on stumps, and dead plants.
They love the wood left after cutting: birch, elm, oak, pine, alder and aspen. In particularly fruitful years, there is a night glow of stumps, which is emitted by group growths of honey mushrooms. For food purposes, the fruits are salted, pickled, fried, boiled and dried.

Important! When collecting honey mushrooms, be careful. The color of their cap depends on the soil in which they grow. For example, those specimens that appear on poplar, mulberry and white acacia are distinguished by honey-yellow tones, those that grow from elderberry are dark gray, those from conifers are purple-brown, and those from oak are brown. Edible honey mushrooms are often confused with false mushrooms. Therefore, only those fruits that have a ring on the stem should be placed in the basket.

Most mushroom pickers prefer green moss mushrooms (Xerócomus subtomentosus), which are the most common of their kind. Some botanists classify them as boletus mushrooms.
These fruits are characterized by:

• a cap with a maximum diameter of up to 16 cm, a cushion-shaped convexity, a velvety surface and a smoky olive color;
• the leg is cylindrical, up to 10 cm high and up to 2 cm thick, with a fibrous dark brown mesh;
• brown spores, up to 12 microns in size;
• The pulp is snow-white; upon contact with oxygen it may acquire a slight blue tint.

To hunt for this species, you should go to deciduous and mixed forests. They also grow along the edges of roads, but such specimens are not recommended for consumption. The fruiting period lasts from late spring to late autumn. The harvested fruit is best eaten freshly prepared. When dried it turns black.

Did you know? Although fly agarics are considered very poisonous, but toxic substances they contain much less than the pale grebe. For example, to obtain a lethal concentration of mushroom poison, you need to eat 4 kg of fly agarics. And one toadstool is enough to poison 4 people.

Among the edible varieties of boletus, white, swamp, yellow, Bollini, and larch species are popular. In our latitudes, the latter variation is especially popular.
She is characterized by:

• cap up to 15 cm in diameter, convex in shape, with a bare sticky surface of lemon yellow or rich yellow-orange color;
• the stem is up to 12 cm high and 3 cm wide, club-shaped, with granular-mesh fragments at the top, as well as a ring, its color exactly matches the tone of the cap;
• spores are smooth, pale yellow, ellipsoidal, up to 10 microns in size;
• the flesh is yellow with a lemon tint, brownish under the skin, soft, juicy with hard fibers; in old mushrooms, the cuts turn a little pink.

The season lasts from July to September. The species is very common in countries Northern Hemisphere. Most often found in groups in deciduous forests, where the soil is acidic and enriched. In cooking, these forest trophies are used for making soups, frying, salting, and pickling.

Did you know? Truffles are considered the most expensive mushrooms in the world. In France, the price per kilogram of this delicacy never falls below 2 thousand euros..

This mushroom is also popularly called blackhead and. In botanical literature it is designated as Léccinum scábrum and represents the genus Obabok.
He is recognized by:

• a cap with a specific color that varies from white to gray-black;
• club-shaped leg, with oblong dark and light scales;
• white pulp that does not change when in contact with oxygen.

Young specimens are tastier. You can find them in summer and autumn in birch thickets. They are suitable for frying, boiling, pickling and drying.

Represents a family and includes about fifty species. Most of them are considered edible. Some varieties have a bitter aftertaste, which is lost with careful pre-soaking and cooking of forest products.
Of the entire mushroom kingdom, russula stands out:

• the cap is spherical or prostrate (in some specimens it may be in the form of a funnel), with rolled, ribbed edges, dry skin of different colors;
• a cylindrical leg, with a hollow or dense structure, white or colored;
• the plates are frequent, brittle, yellowish in color;
• spores of white and dark yellow tones;
• the pulp is spongy and very fragile, white in young mushrooms and dark, as well as reddish in old ones.

Important! Russulas with caustic, burning pulp are poisonous. A small piece of raw fruit can cause severe irritation of the mucous membranes, vomiting and dizziness..

Fruiting for these representatives of the Obabok genus begins in early summer and lasts until mid-September. They are most often found in damp areas under shady trees. Rarely can such a trophy be found in coniferous forests. Boletuses are popular in Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Belarus, Western Europe and North America.
The signs of this forest fruit are:

• a hemispherical cap, up to 25 cm in circumference, with a bare or fleecy surface of a white-pink color (sometimes there are specimens with brown, bluish and greenish shades of the peel);
• the leg is club-shaped, tall, white with brown-gray scales that appear over time;
• brown spores;
• the tubular layer is white-yellow or gray-brown;
• the pulp is juicy and fleshy, white or yellow color, sometimes blue-green, upon contact with oxygen it very soon acquires a bluish tint, after which it turns black (it turns purple in the stem).

Most often collected for marinades, drying, as well as for frying and boiling.

Did you know? It has been scientifically proven that mushrooms existed about 400 million years ago. Which means they appeared before the dinosaurs. Like ferns, these gifts of nature were one of the most ancient inhabitants of the globe. Moreover, their spores were able to adapt to new conditions for thousands of years, preserving all ancient species to this day.

These edible representatives of the Russula family have captivated all mushroom pickers with their specific taste. In everyday life they are called ridz or, and in scientific literature - Lactarius deliciosus.
The harvest should be done between August and October. Often such trophies are found in damp forest areas. In Ukraine, these are Polesie and the Carpathian region. Signs of saffron milk caps are:

• cap with a diameter of 3 to 12 cm, watering can-shaped, sticky to the touch, gray-orange in color, with clear concentric stripes;
• the plates are deep orange and begin to turn green when touched;
• spores are warty, up to 7 microns in size;
• the stem is very dense, exactly matches the cap in color, reaches up to 7 cm in length, and up to 2.5 cm in volume, becomes hollow with age;
• the flesh is yellow in the cap and white in the stem; when exposed to oxygen, the cut areas turn green;
• The milky juice is purple-orange (it turns dirty green after a few hours) and has a pleasant smell and taste.

In cooking, saffron milk caps are boiled, fried, and salted.

Did you know? Found in saffron milk caps natural antibiotic lactarioviolin.

In France they call absolutely all mushrooms. Therefore, linguists are inclined to think that the Slavic name of a whole genus of organisms from the Agarikov family is of French origin.
Champignons have:

• the cap is massive and dense, hemispherical in shape, which becomes flat with age, white or dark brown, up to 20 cm in diameter;
• the plates are initially white, which turn gray with age;
• leg up to 5 cm high, dense, club-shaped, always having a one- or two-layer ring;
• the pulp, which comes in all sorts of shades of white, when exposed to oxygen becomes yellow-red, juicy, with a pronounced mushroom smell.

In nature, there are about 200 types of champignons. But they all develop only on a substrate enriched with organic substances. They can also be found on anthills and dead bark. It is characteristic that some mushrooms can grow only in the forest, others - exclusively among grasses, and still others - in desert areas.

Important! When collecting champignons, pay attention to their plates. This is the only important sign by which they can be distinguished from poisonous representatives of the Amanitov genus. In the latter, this part remains invariably white or lemon throughout their lives..

In the nature of the Eurasian continent, there is a small species diversity of such trophies. Mushroom pickers should only beware of yellow-skinned (Agaricus xanthodermus) and variegated (Agaricus meleagris) champignons. All other types are non-toxic. They are even mass-cultivated on an industrial scale.

Outwardly, these fruits are very unattractive, but in terms of their taste they are considered a valuable delicacy. In everyday life they are called “earth heart”, since they can be located underground at a depth of half a meter. They are also the “black diamonds of cooking.” Botanists classify truffles as a separate genus of marsupial fungi with an underground fleshy and juicy fruiting body. In cooking, the Italian, Perigord and winter varieties are most valued.
They mainly grow in the oak and beech forests of Southern France and Northern Italy. In Europe, specially trained dogs and pigs are used for “silent hunting”. Experienced mushroom pickers advise paying attention to flies - in places where they swarm, there will probably be an earthen heart under the foliage.

You can recognize the most valuable fruit by the following signs:

• the fruiting body is potato-shaped, with a diameter of 2.5 to 8 cm, with a weak pleasant odor and large pyramidal protrusions with a diameter of up to 10 mm, olive-black in color;
• the flesh is white or yellow-brown with clear light veins, tastes like fried sunflower seeds or nuts;
• ellipsoidal spores develop only in humus substrate.

Truffles form mycorrhizae with the rhizomes of oak, hornbeam, hazel, and beech. Since 1808, they have been cultivated for industrial purposes.

Did you know? According to statistics, the world's truffle harvest is decreasing every year. On average, it does not exceed 50 tons.

This is a species of edible mushroom from the genus Lentinula. They are very widespread in East Asia. They got their name from growing on chestnut trees. Translated from Japanese, the word means “chestnut mushroom.” In cooking, it is used in Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and Thai cuisines as a gourmet spice. In oriental medicine there are also many recipes for treatment with these fruits.
In everyday life, the mushroom is also called oak, winter, black. It is characteristic that in the world market shiitake is considered the second important mushroom that is cultivated industrially. It is quite possible to grow a delicacy in climatic conditions Ukraine. To do this, it is important to acquire an artificial mushroom substrate.

When collecting shiitake, you need to focus on the following characteristics of the mushroom:

• a hemispherical cap, up to 29 cm in diameter, with a dry, velvety skin of coffee or brownish-brown color;
• the plates are white, thin and thick, in young specimens they are protected by a membrane covering, and when squeezed they become dark brown;
• the leg is fibrous, cylindrical, up to 20 cm high and up to 1.5 cm thick, with a smooth light brown surface;
• white ellipsoidal spores;
• the pulp is dense, fleshy, juicy, cream or snow-white in color, with a pleasant aroma and a pronounced specific taste.

Did you know? The increased interest in shiitake on the world market is due to its antitumor effect. The main consumer of this delicacy is Japan, which annually imports about 2 thousand tons of the product.

The mushroom belongs to the Boletaceae family. In everyday life it is called bruise, poddubnik, dirty brown. The fruiting period begins in July and lasts until late autumn. August is considered the most productive. To search, you should go to forest areas where there are oaks, hornbeams, beeches, and birches. They also prefer calcareous soil and well-lit areas. These forest fruits are known in the Caucasus, Europe and the Far East.
The signs of the mushroom are:

• cap with a diameter of 5 to 20 cm, semicircular in shape, with olive-brown velvety skin that darkens when touched;
• the pulp is dense, odorless, with a mild taste, yellow in color (purple at the base of the stem);
• the plates are yellow, about 2.5-3 cm long, green or olive in color;
• the leg is club-shaped, up to 15 cm high with a volume of up to 6 cm, yellow-orange in color;
• spores are olive-brown, smooth, fusiform.

Experienced mushroom pickers advise paying attention to the color of the oak mushroom cap. It is highly variable and can vary between red, yellow, brown, brown and olive tones. These fruits are considered conditionally edible. They are prepared for marinades and drying.

Important! If you eat undercooked or raw oak, severe poisoning can occur. It is strictly contraindicated to combine this product to any degree. culinary processing with alcoholic drinks.

Edible varieties of these fruits must undergo thorough boiling. They differ from poisonous specimens in their bright color and not too tart odor. Most often used for filling pies, and also consumed freshly prepared.
Experienced mushroom pickers advise going on a “quiet hunt” from the beginning of July to the second half of October. To improve the taste of talkers, only the caps of young fruits are used for food. You can recognize them by:

• a bell-shaped cap with a circumference of up to 22 cm, with folded edges and a tubercle in the middle, a smooth surface of a matte or red color;
• stem up to 15 cm high, with a dense structure, cylindrical shape and corresponding cap color scheme(there are darker shades at the base);
• medium thick brown plates;
• The pulp is fleshy, dry, with a weak almond aroma, white in color, which does not change when cut.

Important! Pay attention to the skin of the talker's cap. Poisonous fruits always have a characteristic powdery coating on it.

Many novice mushroom pickers are always impressed by the appearance of bigheads. These trophies stand out very favorably against the background of their counterparts due to their impressive size and shape.
They have:

• fruiting body large sizes, can develop up to 20 cm in diameter, non-standard club-shaped, which hardly fits into generally accepted ideas about mushrooms;
• the leg can also reach 20 cm in height, it can be larger or smaller than the cap, its color is in harmony with the top;
• The pulp is loose, white in color.

Only young fruits, which are distinguished by light shades of the fruiting body, are suitable for culinary purposes. With age, the cap darkens and cracks appear on it. You can harvest bigheads in any forest area. Some young mushrooms are very similar to puffballs. But such confusion is not dangerous to health, since both varieties are edible. The mushroom season begins in the second decade of July and lasts until the coldest weather. It is better to dry the collected trophies.

Did you know? Mushrooms can survive at an altitude of 30 thousand meters above sea level, withstand radioactive radiation and pressure of 8 atmospheres. They also take root easily even on the surface of sulfuric acid.

He is a representative of the Borovikov family. In everyday life it is referred to as the yellow gill or yellow boletus. Very common in Polesie, Carpathian region and Western Europe. It is considered a heat-loving variety of Boletaceae. It can be found in oak, hornbeam, and beech plantings with high air humidity and clay substrate.
Externally the mushroom is characterized by:

• a cap with a diameter of 5 to 20 cm, a convex shape, which becomes flat with age, with a smooth matte clay-colored surface;
• heavy pulp, with a dense structure, white or light yellow color, which does not change when cut, with a pleasant, slightly sweet taste and a specific smell, reminiscent of iodoform;
• leg with a rough surface, up to 16 cm high, up to 6 cm in volume, club-shaped, without mesh;
• tubular layer up to 3 cm in size, yellow in early age and olive-lemon - in mature;
• spores of yellow-olive color, up to 6 microns in size, fusiform and smooth.

Semi-white mushrooms are often prepared for preparing marinades and drying. It is important to thoroughly boil the harvested crop before use - then the unpleasant smell disappears.

Did you know? The history of mushrooms records a fact when Swiss mushroom pickers accidentally stumbled upon a huge trophy that had been growing for a thousand years. This giant honey fungus measured 800 m in length and 500 m in width, and its mycelium occupied 35 hectares of the local national park in the city of Ofenpass.

Basic rules for picking mushrooms

Mushroom hunting has its risks. In order not to be exposed to them, you need to clearly understand that it is extremely important to be able to collect mushrooms and understand their varieties.
To safely harvest forest trophies, you need to follow these rules:

1. To search, go to environmentally friendly areas, away from noisy highways and production assets.
2. Never put items in your cart that you are not sure about. In this case, it is better to seek help from experienced mushroom pickers.
3. Under no circumstances should samples be taken from raw fruits.
4. During a “silent hunt,” minimize touching your hands to your mouth and face.
5. Do not take mushrooms that have a white tuberous formation at the base.
6. Compare found trophies with their toxic counterparts.
7. Visually evaluate the entire fruit: stem, plates, cap, pulp.
8. Do not delay cooking the harvested crop. It is better to immediately carry out the planned processing, because every hour the mushrooms lose their value.
9. Never drink water in which mushrooms have been boiled. It may contain many toxic substances.
10. Remove copies damaged by the wormhole, as well as those that have any damage.
11. Only young fruits should fall into the mushroom picker's basket.
12. All trophies should be cut, not pulled out.
13. The best time for “silent hunting” is considered to be early morning.
14. If you go mushroom picking with children, do not lose sight of them and explain to the kids in advance about the potential danger of forest gifts.

Did you know? Soft mushroom caps can break through asphalt, concrete, marble and iron.

Video: rules for picking mushrooms

Mushroom poisoning is indicated by:

• nausea;
• vomit;
• headache;
• abdominal cramps;
• diarrhea (up to 15 times a day);
• weakened heartbeat;
• hallucinations;
• cold extremities.

Similar symptoms can occur within one and a half to two hours after eating mushrooms. When intoxicated, it is important not to waste time. Need to call immediately ambulance and provide the victim with plenty of fluids. You are allowed to drink cold water or cold strong tea. It is recommended to take activated carbon tablets or Enterosgel.
It also wouldn’t hurt to cleanse the gastrointestinal tract with an enema and gastric lavage before the doctor arrives (drink about 2 liters of a weak solution of potassium permanganate to induce vomiting). With adequate treatment, improvement occurs within a day. During the “silent hunt”, do not lose your vigilance, carefully inspect the trophies and, if you have doubts about their edibility, it is better not to take them with you.

Video: mushroom poisoning

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Poisonous mushrooms They contain deadly toxins and that is why eating them is strictly prohibited! Even after long and thorough processing (drying, soaking, salting, etc.) poisonous mushrooms may not lose harmful substances. Before you go into the forest to pick mushrooms, you need to know, at least in theory, what some of them look like kinds poisonous mushrooms , which can be found in our forests. Every person who likes to go mushroom picking should clearly remember that it is not worth putting unknown mushrooms in the basket. After all, even the smallest poisonous mushroom, processed together with other mushrooms, can lead to serious consequences.

Poisonous mushrooms- these are mushrooms that, when consumed in normal doses, cause severe poisoning. According to the nature of the action of toxins Poisonous mushrooms are divided into three groups:

• mushrooms with local irritant effects (food intoxication);
• mushrooms that cause disturbances in the central nervous system;
• mushrooms that cause poisoning leading to death.

The first signs of mushroom poisoning - what to do in case of mushroom poisoning

The first signs of mushroom poisoning are similar to many other pathologies:

• vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, high fever.

This may be the end of the matter, but sometimes, after the first symptoms, severe damage to the liver, pancreas, and kidneys develops. Death may occur. This is why you should never self-medicate! If you eat mushrooms and feel unwell, consult a doctor immediately. While the ambulance is driving, drink 4-5 glasses of boiled water in small sips. room temperature(weak solution of potassium permanganate or soda solution). This is done to induce vomiting and flush out your stomach. The mortality rate from mushroom poisoning is very high - from 50 to 90% in the regions of Russia. There are tragic cases when entire families died.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW:
In general, mushrooms are a very difficult product to digest. Mushrooms are not recommended for children, the elderly, or those who suffer from diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Moreover, even healthy people Mushrooms should not be consumed with alcohol or starchy foods, in particular potatoes..

Poisonous mushrooms in Russian forests

The mortality rate from poisoning with poisonous mushrooms reaches 90% in some cases! Poisonous mushrooms are especially dangerous for children. The main distinguishing feature of poisonous mushrooms is the presence of deadly hazardous substances, rather than external resemblance or the absence of any "normal" fungal characteristic. Therefore, going to mushroom hunting, it is important to become thoroughly familiar with the representatives of poisonous mushrooms.

• Poisonous mushrooms - Pale toadstool

Pale toadstool is perhaps the most poisonous mushroom! It is better to avoid poisoning with toadstool! Appearance This mushroom is practically not much different from other mushrooms growing in forests, so it can easily be confused with an edible mushroom.
The color of the cap of this toadstool is yellowish-brown, pale greenish or greenish-olive. Usually the center of the cap is darker in color than its edges. The structure of this type of mushroom is quite fleshy, with cylindrical stripes of pale green color. On top of the leg there is a ring of striped pale or white color.
Pale grebe (photo) forms mycorrhiza on deciduous trees, growing in mixed and deciduous forests. It begins to bear fruit at the end of summer to the end of September. Toadstool (pictures) is highly toxic.

• Poisonous mushrooms - False mushroom

The mushroom has a convex cap up to 5 cm in diameter. The color of the cap is predominantly yellowish with a red or orange tint or more dark color in the center. The mushroom has a thin, smooth, hollow, fibrous stem. The flesh of the mushroom is light yellow, has a bitter taste and an unpleasant odor.
The false honey fungus lives from June to October.
Most often it can be found in fairly large groups on rotting wood.
The mushroom is poisonous and causes digestive upset. After 1-6 hours, signs of poisoning immediately appear: vomiting, loss of consciousness, nausea, excessive sweating.
The false honey fungus is similar in appearance to the autumn, winter, summer and gray-plate honey fungus.

• Poisonous mushrooms - False chanterelle (orange talker)

This poisonous mushroom has a brightly colored cap from orange-red to copper-red. The shape of the false chanterelle's cap resembles a funnel with a smooth edge. The plates of the mushroom are bright red, sinuous. The stalk is approximately 10 cm long and 10 mm wide, often narrowed towards the base. False chanterelles mainly grow in the warm season from July to October, near real chanterelles. Also, this type of mushroom often grows in families, in rare cases alone.
The false chanterelle can be easily distinguished from edible chanterelle: A real chanterelle has a bright yellow color, a concave cap that is smooth on top and wavy at the edges. The leg is dense and elastic, slightly darker than the cap. A characteristic feature of chanterelles is their pleasant fruity aroma. False relatives of the chanterelle are brighter in appearance, yellow-orange in color, with a hollow and thin leg. The edges of her hat are smooth, unlike a real chanterelle. And most importantly: pulp false chanterelle has a very unpleasant smell.

How to distinguish a poisonous mushroom - How to distinguish edible mushrooms

It is no secret that many poisonous mushrooms are disguised as edible ones. So, let's figure out how to distinguish edible mushrooms from inedible ones. It is worth remembering that even an edible mushroom can cause poisoning.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW:
Overripe mushrooms with a cap open like an umbrella have no nutritional value. It is better to hang such a mushroom on a branch - let the spores spread throughout the area. But if the hat is curved like a dome, it means the mushroom has already released spores and a poison similar to that of a corpse is formed in it. It is dangerous and is the main cause of poisoning.

Differences between poisonous and edible mushrooms

Let's figure out what differences between poisonous and edible mushrooms novice mushroom pickers need to know. What you should pay attention to when picking mushrooms, what mushroom lovers should be wary of, and how to avoid becoming a victim of poisonous mushrooms.

Porcini	Description: The porcini mushroom is distinguished by a thick and dense stem, brown hat, white pulp, pleasant taste and smell. Porcini mushrooms are quite easy to distinguish from poisonous ones.
	Danger: discoloration at break, bitter taste. Don't get confused White mushroom with poisonous yellow - when cut, its flesh turns pink.
Boletus	Description: The boletus is distinguished by a dense, brown-red cap, the flesh turns blue at the break. This is how you can distinguish the edible boletus mushroom from other mushrooms.
	Danger
boletus	Description: The boletus is distinguished by a white leg with bright scales, the cap is brownish on top, the cap is white below, and the flesh at the break is white. These are the main differences between an edible mushroom and how edible boletus mushrooms are distinguished from inedible mushrooms.
	Danger: The mushroom does not grow under its own tree.
Butter	Description: The butterdish (butterfly) has a yellow stem and the same cap with white marks on the edges and a sticky, as if oiled, skin on top, which is easily removed with a knife. Learn to identify poisonous mushrooms.
	Danger: discoloration at the break, reddish spongy layer, bitter taste.
Mokhoviki	Description: Moss mushrooms have a dark green or reddish velvety cap, a yellow stem and a spongy layer. These are the main signs by which you can distinguish the edible flywheel mushroom from inedible mushrooms.
	Danger: lack of velvety, reddish color of the spongy layer, bitter taste.
Chanterelle	Description: Chanterelle - dense, apricot or light orange in color, the plates from under the cap smoothly turn into a dense and durable stem. A way to distinguish the edible chanterelle mushroom from inedible mushrooms.
	Danger: red-orange color, empty stem.
Ryzhik	Description: Camelina is a lamellar mushroom of the corresponding color, secreting a milky juice - orange and not bitter in taste. This is how to distinguish the edible saffron mushroom from its look-alike mushrooms.
	Danger: white, bitter, acrid milky juice.
Honey mushrooms	Description: Honey mushrooms are pecked by families on stumps, roots, and trunks of dead trees. The cap of the honey fungus is ocher-colored and covered with small black scales directed from the middle, underneath there are whitish plates, and on the stem there is a white ring or film.
	Danger: grows on the ground, yellow or reddish cap, without scales, black, green or brown plates, no film or ring on the stem, earthy smell.
Gruzd	Description: Milk mushroom is a lamellar mushroom, white, with fluffy edges, white and acrid milky juice, grows in flocks next to birch trees. This way you can distinguish milk mushrooms from poisonous and inedible mushrooms.
	Danger: sparse blades, sharp blueness and stone hardness at the fracture, absence of birch trees nearby.
Volnushka	Description: Volnushka is a lamellar mushroom with a shaggy pink cap, curved at the edges, white and acrid milky juice. These are the distinctive features of the wave.
	Danger: “wrong” hat - not pink, unfurled, without hairiness.
Russula	Description: Russula - lamellar mushrooms, easily break, caps of different colors - pink, brownish, greenish, the skin is easily removed from them. This way you can distinguish edible russula mushrooms from inedible ones.
	Danger: red or brown-black cap, pink leg, reddened or darkened soft film on the leg, coarse and tough flesh, unpleasant and bitter taste.

There are no reliable methods for distinguishing edible and poisonous mushrooms by eye., so the only way out is to know each of the mushrooms. If the species identity of mushrooms is in doubt, you should never eat them. Fortunately, among the hundreds of species found in nature, many have such clearly defined characteristics that it is difficult to confuse them with others. However, it is better to always have a mushroom identification tool on hand to distinguish a poisonous mushroom from an edible mushroom.

How to identify poisonous mushrooms

Poisonous mushroom, know: there are two ways to remove the poison:

1. Boil the mushrooms for 15-30 minutes, then drain the broth and rinse the forest fruits in running water. To be sure, the procedure can be repeated twice. Only then can mushrooms be fried, marinated, or added to soups.
2. Dry the mushrooms. By the way, this should be done in a warm but well-ventilated room, strung on a thread and hung, and not placed on a radiator or stove. In the first case, the toxin goes into a decoction, in the second it evaporates.

Both of these methods do not work on only one mushroom - toadstool.

We wish you a pleasant quiet hunt. And remember that brought home mushrooms need to be processed on the same day. The exception is lamellar mushrooms - they can be soaked overnight.

Not all varieties of mushrooms are edible. Therefore, when going to the forest, you need to know how edible mushrooms differ from inedible ones.

Photos and names of mushrooms

Differences

Sometimes poisoning occurs due to one piece of toadstool or red fly agaric that gets on the table along with edible mushrooms. In order not to confuse edible and inedible mushrooms, it is necessary to accurately understand which specimens are common in the area and what they look like. Only the mushroom that is well known is placed in the basket.

These are the main differences between edibles and inedible mushrooms. Of the poisonous species in Russia, the most common are the pale toadstool (green fly agaric), red fly agaric, thin pig and satanic mushroom. The pale grebe is deadly.

If the above signs are absent, but you are not sure that the found specimen does not contain toxic substances, you should not take it.

Types of Edible Mushrooms

There are different classifications of mushrooms. They are divided into categories depending on the area of ​​​​growth (forest, steppe), fruiting time (spring, summer, autumn, winter), structure (tubular, lamellar), etc. To recognize whether a mushroom is edible or not, it is not necessary to know about existence of these categories, a sufficiently accurate and complete description.

The list of edible mushrooms is huge. On the territory of Russia, boletus mushrooms, honey mushrooms, saffron milk caps, boletus mushrooms, boletus boletuses, boletuses, chanterelles, russula, boletus mushrooms and milk mushrooms are most often found.

Boletus

This mushroom is also known as “white”. It owes its name to the snow-white color of its flesh. Due to their taste and rich aroma, boletus mushrooms are considered a delicacy.

Boletus has the tubular structure of a hymenophore. The size of the cap varies from 10 to 30 cm. In small mushrooms, the shape of the cap resembles a hemisphere. As they grow older, it straightens a little and becomes flat and round. The cap is covered with a matte cuticle of medium thickness, colored light brown or Brown color, less often – dark orange. The edges of the cap are always slightly lighter than its center. After rain it acquires a slight shine. The fleshy pulp has a rich mushroom aroma and a dense structure.

The height of the leg varies from 10 to 25 cm. It is painted in a light brown color, sometimes there is a slight reddish tint. At the base the leg is slightly wider than at the junction with the cap (this is typical shape). It is shaped like a barrel or cylinder. The tubular layer is painted white or olive.

This species is easy to find in both coniferous and deciduous forests. Collection time is summer. Boletus is unpretentious to the climate and grows well even in the north.

Honey mushrooms

This type of mushroom is most often found near stumps and trees. Honey mushrooms grow in numerous groups, which is their characteristic feature. They have a lamellar structure of the spore-bearing layer. The diameter of the cap varies between 5-10 cm. It is painted beige, honey or brown. Young specimens have a more saturated color of the cap than older specimens. Its shape also changes with age. From hemispherical it turns into umbrella-shaped. The surface of the skin on the cap at a young age is covered with a small amount of scales, and later becomes smooth.

Irina Selyutina (Biologist):

Experienced mushroom pickers advise collecting only young honey mushrooms that meet all the appearance requirements, by which they clearly differ from their poisonous counterparts:

• scales on the surface of the cap;
• “skirt” on the leg;
• plates of cream, white or slightly yellowish color;
• calm color of the fruiting body.

The height of the thin cylindrical leg varies between 5-13 cm. The color of the flexible leg matches the color of the cap. At the base of the leg it is more saturated than in other areas. Many representatives have a membranous “skirt” on the leg - a remnant of the film that covered the hymenophore. The time for collecting honey mushrooms is autumn.

Saffron milk caps

These edible mushrooms prefer coniferous forests. The structure of the hymenophore (spore-bearing layer) of the fungus is lamellar. The diameter of the cap varies from 3 to 9 cm. It is painted in a dull orange color. The color of the cap corresponds to the dense flesh. It is hemispherical in shape in young specimens, and funnel-shaped in old ones, smooth edges slightly bent inward. The smooth skin covering the cap becomes sticky after rain and when high humidity air.

Irina Selyutina (Biologist):

The saffron milk caps rise above the ground to a height of 3-8 cm. The brittle stem is painted in a color that matches the color of the cap, and becomes hollow inside with age. Sometimes there are spots of a lighter or darker shade on the leg. The first saffron milk caps appear at the beginning of summer. They can be found in coniferous forests.

Butter

Forest boletus has a tubular cap, as if covered with oil, which is their characteristic feature. That's why this name arose. At a young age, the cap has a hemispherical shape, then becomes flat-rounded. The diameter of the cap varies from 7 to 15 cm. The color of the thin skin, more like a film, varies from light beige, reddish, chocolate or ocher shades with spots. It can be sticky or velvety to the touch. It depends on the type of butter and the weather. Their hymenophore is tubular (spongy).

The dense, low leg (4-10 cm) has a barrel-shaped or straight shape. It is decorated with a white skirt and has a cream or light yellow color. Oilseeds are harvested already in mid-spring.

Boletus

The boletus is popularly called aspen or redhead. And it owes its name to the fact that it grows next to aspen trees, and the color of the skin covering the cap and the color of autumn aspen are almost identical.

The hemispherical fleshy cap with a tubular structure of the spore-bearing layer has a bright red-orange color. Its diameter varies from 5 to 30 cm. In young specimens, the shape of the cap resembles a thimble. It is difficult to remove the skin from the cap. It can be dry or velvety to the touch. The pulp is milky or cream colored.

The height of the stem varies from 15 to 20 cm, which is why the boletus is clearly visible above the ground. Characteristic shape The legs of the boletus are club-shaped. It is painted white. On the surface there is a large number of small scales, colored brown or black. Boletuses are collected in mid-summer and early autumn. They grow both in the south and in the northwest. They feel comfortable in any climatic conditions.

Volnushki

Volnushki attract not only with their unusual color, but also with the pattern of their caps. They prefer to grow near birch trees on sandy soils. The lamellar cap at a young age is hemispherical, at an old age it is funnel-shaped with edges curved inward. Its diameter varies from 4 to 12 cm. The skin covering the cap is colored pinkish or pink-orange, but there are also white specimens. The cap has rings of various shades. They have different widths and uneven edges. The fleshy pulp has a pungent taste. The bottom of the cap (hymenophore) is painted light pink. Even the white moth has a pinkish tint to the bottom of its cap.

The thin solid leg becomes hollow with age and has a length of 2 to 6 cm. It is painted light or pale pink. Volnushki are collected in mixed forests or birch groves from late summer to mid-autumn.

Chanterelles

This type of edible mushroom is different external features hats. It is lamellar, funnel-shaped, with wavy and slightly curved edges. The diameter of the cap varies from 6 to 13 cm. The skin covering the cap is yellow-orange. The flesh is fleshy and dense in structure and is cream or light yellow.

The length of the straight leg varies from 4 to 7 cm. It is painted in a color that matches the color of the cap. Rarely does the leg and cap of a chanterelle differ in color. Chanterelles are collected in coniferous forests from late spring to late autumn.

Russula

A special feature of russula is the variety of colors in which the cap is painted. There are red-yellow or reddish, light purple, crimson, white, cream and greenish, which greatly complicates the recognition of russula. The diameter of the lamellar cap varies from 5 to 17 cm. The top is hemispherical in shape, but with age it becomes reminiscent of a funnel-shaped one. The skin is thick. It is difficult to separate it from the pulp. Often the cap is covered with shallow cracks. These colorful mushrooms have a rich flavor.

The height of the light leg varies from 4 to 11 cm. It has a cylindrical shape. Sometimes at the base it is 3-4 mm thicker than at the junction with the cap. Russula collection time begins in July and ends in September. In nature, they are found in deciduous or mixed forests.

boletus

The boletus grows in birch groves. The diameter of its gray, brown or dark brown cap varies from 5 to 12 cm. Its shape in young mushrooms is spherical, because fits tightly to the leg, and in adults resembles a hemisphere. Boletus mushrooms belong to tubular mushrooms and have high taste qualities. The fleshy pulp has a dense structure. Adult mushrooms do not have a rich aroma.

The white leg, on which there is a large number of brown and black scales, tapers slightly towards the top. The first boletus mushrooms appear in May. They are collected until September.

Milk mushrooms

It is easy to recognize a milk mushroom by its size. The diameter of the yellow, light gray or brown cap is sometimes 25-30 cm. There are small scales on its surface. The flat-round shape turns into a funnel-shaped shape with age. The edges are slightly curved inward.

The height of the stem, the color of which matches the color of the cap, varies from 5 to 14 cm. It is hollow, but strong. There are notches on the leg. It feels sticky to the touch. It is better to look for milk mushrooms in spruce forests or next to aspen trees. myceliums form mushrooms from early spring until late autumn. They choose mixed forests as their habitat. They develop in the forest floor. To see them you need to pay attention to all the “suspicious” tubercles of foliage.

This list of common edible mushrooms can be expanded by the following types: kolchak, smoke mushroom (grandfather's tobacco), bear's ears, raincoat or rain mushroom, galerina bordered, cyanosis, ringed cap (they are sometimes called “Turks”). But they are much less common in Russia, which is why their description is not presented.

Rules for collecting mushrooms

Observing simple rules, you can avoid poisoning:

1. Unknown mushrooms should not be taken, even if they have a pleasant smell and have a velvety skin.
2. It is advisable for novice mushroom pickers to have a handout with them that contains descriptions and photographs of non-hazardous varieties. This may be a table in which dangerous varieties are presented.
3. It would also be a good idea to look at an atlas of mushroom places or online services whose task is to determine the type of mushroom from a photo.
4. At first, it is better to go into the forest with people who understand mushrooms. They will help you find mushroom glades and identify varieties, help you understand them and teach you how to distinguish edible specimens from harmful ones.
5. It is better to check each mushroom by breaking it and looking for a change in color.

To protect themselves from poisoning, people grow some categories of mushrooms at home. Champignons and oyster mushrooms are the most popular cultivated species. Oyster mushrooms, whose cap is covered with a gray skin, are easier to grow.

If after eating a mushroom dish there are signs characteristic of food poisoning, you should immediately seek medical attention. medical care and save the mushroom dish for laboratory testing to facilitate identification of the toxin causing the poisoning.