IN forest areas middle zone, in the mountains of Kamchatka and on the Kola Peninsula, in the forest belts of the North Caucasus and the famous steppes of Kazakhstan, areas Central Asia– more than 300 species grow edible mushrooms, which lovers of “silent hunting” love to collect.

Indeed, the activity is very exciting and interesting, which also allows you to feast on the harvest. However, you need to know about mushrooms so that poisonous ones do not end up in the basket along with edible ones, which, if eaten, can cause severe food poisoning. Edible mushrooms with photos, names and descriptions are offered for review by anyone interested in collecting mushrooms.

Mushrooms are considered edible; they can be used as food with absolutely no risk to life and health, since they have significant gastronomic value, are distinguished by a delicate and unique taste; dishes made from them do not become boring and are always in demand and popularity.

Good mushrooms are called lamellar, on the underside of the caps there are lamellar structures or spongy, since their caps on the underside resemble a sponge, inside of which there are spores.

When picking, experienced mushroom pickers always pay attention to special signs that a mushroom is edible:


Grow up Forest mushrooms from a mycelium resembling a grayish light mold that appears on rotting wood. Delicate fibers of the mycelium intertwine the roots of the tree, creating a mutually beneficial symbiosis: the mushrooms receive organic matter from the tree, and the tree receives mineral nutrients and moisture from the mycelium. Other types of mushrooms are tied to tree species, which later determined their names.

The list contains wild mushrooms with photos and their names:

  • boletus;
  • registry;
  • boletus;
  • subdukovik;
  • pine mushroom;
  • speckled oak or common oak, others.


Poddubovik

In coniferous and mixed forests there are many other mushrooms that mushroom pickers are happy to find:

  • saffron milk caps;
  • honey mushrooms summer, autumn, meadow;
  • boletus;
  • Russula;
  • milk mushrooms;
  • Polish mushroom, and so on.

Chanterelles


During harvesting, it is best to place mushrooms in special wicker baskets, where they can be ventilated; in such a container it is easier for them to retain their shape. You cannot collect mushrooms in bags, otherwise, after returning home, you may find a sticky, shapeless mass.

It is allowed to collect only those mushrooms that are definitely known to be edible and young; old and wormy ones should be thrown away. It is better not to touch suspicious mushrooms at all and avoid them.

The best time to collect is early in the morning, while the mushrooms are strong and fresh, they will last longer.

Characteristics of edible mushrooms and their description

Among the noble representatives of edible, tasty and healthy mushrooms, there is a special group, which is usually characterized by one word “toadstools”, because they are all poisonous or deadly poisonous, there are about 30 species. They are dangerous because they usually grow next to edible ones and often look similar to them. Unfortunately, only a few hours later it turns out that he was eaten dangerous mushroom when a person was poisoned and ended up in the hospital.

To avoid such serious troubles, it would be useful to look again at the photos, names and descriptions of edible forest mushrooms before going on a “quiet hunt”.

You can start with the first category, which includes the most noble, high-quality mushrooms with the highest taste and nutritional qualities.

White mushroom (or boletus) - it is given the palm of the championship, it is one of the rarest among its relatives, the beneficial properties of this mushroom are unique, and its taste is the highest. When the mushroom is small, it has a very light cap on top, which changes its color to yellowish-brown or chestnut with age. The underside is tubular, white or yellowish, the flesh is dense, the older the mushroom becomes, the more flabby its flesh becomes, but its color does not change when cut. This is important to know, since it is poisonous gall mushroom outwardly similar to white, but the surface of the spongy layer is pink, and the flesh turns red at the break. In young boletus, the legs have the shape of a drop or a barrel, with age it changes to cylindrical.

It is most often found in summer, does not grow in groups, and can be found in sandy or grassy meadows.

– a delicious mushroom, rich in microelements, known as an absorbent that binds and removes harmful toxic substances from the human body. The cap of the boletus is a muted brown shade, convex, reaching a diameter of 12 cm, the stem is covered with small scales, and widened towards the base. The pulp does not have a specific mushroom smell; when broken, it acquires a pinkish tint.

Mushrooms love moist soil, so you should go for them in birch grove after a good rain, you need to look right at the roots of birches; it is found in aspen forests.

- a mushroom that got its name due to its special carrot-red color, the cap is an interesting funnel-shaped, with a depression in the middle, circles are visible from the depression to the edges, the lower part and stem are also orange, the plastics turn green when pressed. The pulp is also bright orange, gives off a light resinous aroma and taste, the milky juice released at the break turns green, then turns brown. The taste of the mushroom is highly valued.

Prefers to grow in pine forests on sandy soils.

Real milk mushroom - Mushroom pickers consider and call it the “king of mushrooms,” although it cannot boast that it is suitable for use in various processing: basically, it is eaten only in salted form. The cap at a young age is flat-convex, with a slight depression, turning into a funnel-shaped, yellowish or greenish-white with age. It has transparent, glassy-like diametric circles - one of the characteristic signs of milk mushrooms. The plates from the stem extend to the edge of the cap, on which a fibrous fringe grows. The white, brittle pulp has a recognizable mushroom smell; the white juice, as it weathers, begins to turn yellow.

Next, we can continue to consider the description of edible mushrooms belonging to the second category, which may be tasty and desirable, but their nutritional value slightly lower, experienced mushroom pickers do not bypass them.

- a genus of tubular mushrooms, it received its name because of its oily cap, initially red-brown, then turning into yellow-ocher, semicircular with a tubercle in the center. The pulp is juicy, yellowish in color, without changing when cut.

Boletus (aspen) – while young, the cap is spherical, after a couple of days its shape resembles a plate on a stocky leg elongated to 15 cm, covered with black scales. A cut of the flesh turns from white to pink-violet or gray-violet.

- belongs to valuable, elite mushrooms, has some similarities with the porcini mushroom, its cap is chestnut-brown, first curled downwards, in adult mushrooms it curls up, becomes flatter, in rainy weather a sticky substance appears on it, the skin is difficult to separate . The leg is dense, cylindrical-shaped up to 4 cm in diameter, often smooth, with thin scales.

- looks similar to a porcini mushroom, but it has a slightly different color, black-brown, the stem is a pale yellowish color with reddish splashes. The pulp is fleshy and dense, bright yellow, turning green at the break.

Common dubovik – its leg is brighter, the base is colored with a reddish tint with a light pinkish mesh. The flesh is also fleshy and dense, bright yellow, turning green at the break.

The names of edible mushrooms of the third, penultimate category are not so familiar to novice mushroom pickers, but it is quite numerous; mushrooms of this category are found much more often than the first two combined. When during the mushroom season it is possible to collect a sufficient number of white mushrooms, saffron milk caps, milk mushrooms and others, many people bypass the mushrooms, chanterelles, russula, and valui. But when problems occur with the quantity of noble mushrooms, these mushrooms are willingly collected, so you don’t return home with empty baskets.

- pink, white, very similar to each other, the only difference is in the color of the cap, the pink wave has a young cap with a beard, a convex shape with red rings that fade with age, the white one has a lighter cap, no circles, a thin stem, narrow plates and frequent. Thanks to their dense pulp, the trumpets tolerate transportation well. They require long-term heat treatment before use.

- the most common of the Russula family, more than ten species grow on the territory of Russia, sometimes they are given the poetic definition of “gems” for the beautiful varied shades of their caps. The most delicious are russulas with pinkish, reddish wavy curved or hemispherical caps, which become sticky in wet weather, and matte in dry weather. There are caps that are unevenly colored and have white spots. The stem of russula is from 3 to 10 cm in height, the flesh is usually white and quite fragile.

Common chanterelles – are considered delicacy, the caps become funnel-shaped with age, they do not have a clear transition to unevenly cylindrical legs, tapering at the base. The dense, fleshy pulp has a pleasant mushroom aroma and pungent taste. Chanterelles differ from saffron milk caps by having a wavy or curly cap, they are lighter than saffron milk caps, and appear translucent in the light.

Interestingly, chanterelles are not worm-bearing because they contain quinomannose in the pulp, which kills insects and arthropods from the fungus. The accumulation rate of radionuclides is average.

When collecting chanterelles, you need to be careful not to get them into the basket along with edible mushrooms. false fox , differing from the real one only at a young age, becoming old it acquires a pale yellow color.

They are distinguished when colonies of chanterelles with mushrooms of different ages are found:

  • real mushrooms of any age of the same color;
  • false young mushrooms are bright orange.

– with spherical caps, which in adult mushrooms becomes convex with drooping edges, yellowish plates with brownish spots, the pulp of valuu is white and dense. Old mushrooms have an unpleasant smell, so it is recommended to collect only young mushrooms that look like fists.

- mushrooms that grow in groups of many, they grow every year in the same places, therefore, having spotted such a mushroom place, you can confidently return to it every year with the confidence that the harvest will be guaranteed. They are easy to find on rotten, rotten stumps and fallen trees. The color of their caps is beige-brown, always darker in the center, lighter towards the edges, and with high humidity they acquire a reddish tint. The shape of the caps of young honey mushrooms is hemispherical, while that of mature ones is flat, but the tubercle remains in the middle. In young mushrooms, a thin film grows from the stem to the cap, which breaks as it grows, leaving a skirt on the stem.

The article does not present all edible mushrooms with photos, names and their detailed description, there are a lot of varieties of mushrooms: goats, flywheels, rows, morels, puffballs, svinushki, blackberries, bitterberries, others - their diversity is simply enormous.

When going to the forest to pick mushrooms, modern inexperienced mushroom pickers can take advantage of mobile phones, in order to capture in them photos of edible mushrooms that are most often found in a given area, in order to be able to check the mushrooms they found with the photos available on the phone, as a good hint.

Expanded list of edible mushrooms with photos

This slideshow contains all the mushrooms, including those not mentioned in the article:

The forest areas of Russia are very rich in mushrooms, and residents do not miss the opportunity to take advantage of this gift of nature. Traditionally, they are fried, pickled or dried. But the danger lies in the fact that many poisonous species skillfully disguise themselves as edible mushrooms. This is why it is important to know the characteristics of the varieties that are approved for consumption.

Mushrooms are not only tasty, but also very healthy food. They contain substances such as salts, glycogen, carbohydrates, as well as vitamins of groups A, B, C, D. If the mushrooms are young, then they also contain many microelements: calcium, zinc, iron, iodine. Their intake has a beneficial effect on metabolic processes body, increased appetite, work nervous system And gastrointestinal tract.

In fact, there are no exact criteria by which one can distinguish safe mushrooms from poisonous ones. Only existing knowledge about the appearance, characteristics and names of each species can help in this matter.

Characteristics of edible mushrooms

General criteria for edible mushrooms include:

  • No sharp bitter smell or taste;
  • They are not characterized by very bright and catchy colors;
  • Typically the inner flesh is light in color;
  • Most often they do not have a ring on the stem.

But all these signs are only averaged, and may have exceptions. For example, one of the most poisonous representatives, the white toadstool, also has no pungent odor at all and its flesh is light.

One more important point in this matter is the area of ​​growth. Usually edible species growing up away from their dangerous counterparts. Therefore, a proven harvest location can significantly reduce the risk of encountering poisonous mushrooms.

Common Misconceptions

There are many popular signs and non-standard ways of determining the safety of mushrooms. Here are the most common misconceptions:

  • Silver spoon. It is believed that it should darken upon contact with an inedible mushroom;
  • Onion and garlic. They are added to the mushroom broth and if they darken, it means there is a poisonous species in the pan. It is not true;
  • Milk. Some people believe that when a mushroom that is dangerous to humans is placed in milk, it will definitely turn sour. Another myth;
  • Worms and larvae. If they eat certain types of mushrooms, then they are edible. But in fact, some species edible by worms can harm human health.

And another common myth is that all young mushrooms are edible. But this is not true either. Many species are dangerous at any age.

Expanded list of edible mushrooms and their descriptions

In order to indicate the names of all edible mushrooms and give them descriptions, you will need a whole book, since there are a huge number of their varieties. But more often than not, people opt for the most famous, trustworthy species, leaving dubious representatives to professional mushroom pickers.

It is also known as boletus. This mushroom has earned popularity due to its nutritional value and aromatic taste. It is suitable for any type of processing: frying, boiling, drying, salting.


The porcini mushroom is characterized by a thick light stalk and a large tubular cap, whose diameter can reach 20 cm. Most often it has a brown, brown or red color. At the same time, it is completely heterogeneous: the edge is usually lighter than the center. As the mushroom ages, the lower part of the cap changes color from white to yellow-green. You can see a mesh pattern on the leg.

The inner pulp has a dense consistency and its taste resembles a nut. When cut, its color does not change.

Ryzhik

Very high in calories and nutritious. Great for pickling and salting. You can use other types of treatment, but it is better not to dry it. Characterized by a high degree of digestibility.


The main feature of saffron milk caps is their bright Orange color. Moreover, the color is characteristic of all parts of the mushroom: the stem, cap and even the pulp. The cap is plate-shaped and has a depression in the center. The color is not uniform: the red color is diluted with dark gray spots. The plates are frequent. If you cut the mushroom, the flesh changes color to green or brown.

boletus

A common species, which, as the name suggests, prefers to grow near a cluster of birch trees. Ideal fried or boiled.


The boletus has a cylindrical light leg covered with dark scales. It feels quite fibrous to the touch. Inside there is light flesh with a dense consistency. It may turn slightly pink when cut. The hat is small, similar to a gray or brownish-brown pad. There are white tubes at the bottom.

Boletus

Loved by many nutritious mushroom, growing in temperate zones.


It is not difficult to recognize it: its plump leg widens towards the bottom and is covered with many small scales. The cap is hemispherical, but over time it acquires a flatter shape. It can be red-brown or white-brown in color. The lower tubes are close to a dirty gray shade. When cut, the inner flesh changes color. It can turn blue, black, purple or red.

Butter

Small mushrooms that are most often used for pickling. They grow in the northern hemisphere.


Their cap is usually smooth and in rare cases fibrous. It is covered with a mucous film on top, so it may feel sticky to the touch. The leg is also mostly smooth, sometimes with a ring.

This type definitely requires pre-cleaning before cooking, but the skin usually comes off easily.

Chanterelles

One of the earliest spring representatives of mushrooms. Whole families grow up.


The hat is not a standard type. Initially it is flat, but over time it takes the shape of a funnel with a depression in the center. All parts of the mushroom are colored light orange. The white pulp is dense in consistency, pleasant to the taste, but not at all nutritious.

Mosswort


A tasty mushroom that can be found in temperate latitudes. Its most common types are:

  • Green. Characterized by a gray-olive cap, yellow fibrous stem and dense light flesh;
  • Bolotny. Looks like a boletus. The color is predominantly yellow. When cut, the flesh turns blue;
  • Yellow-brown. The yellow cap takes on a reddish tint with age. The leg is also yellow, but has a darker color at the base.

Suitable for all types of preparation and processing.

Russula

Quite large mushrooms growing in Siberia, the Far East and the European part of the Russian Federation.


Hats can have different colors: yellow, red, green and even blue. It is believed that it is best to eat representatives with the least amount of red pigment. The cap itself is round with a small depression in the center. The plates are usually white, yellow or beige. The skin on the cap can be easily removed or come off only along the edge. The leg is not high, mostly white.

Honey mushrooms

Popular edible mushrooms that grow in large groups. They prefer to grow on tree trunks and stumps.


Their hats are usually not large, their diameter reaches 13 cm. In color they can be yellow, gray-yellow, beige-brown. The shape is most often flat, but in some species they are spherical. The leg is elastic, cylindrical, sometimes has a ring.

Raincoat

This species prefers coniferous and deciduous forests.


The body of the mushroom is white or gray-white in color, sometimes covered with small needles. It can reach a height of 10 cm. The inner flesh is initially white, but over time it begins to darken. It has a pronounced pleasant aroma. If the flesh of the mushroom has already darkened, then you should not eat it.

Ryadovka


It has a fleshy convex cap with a smooth surface. The inner pulp is denser with a pronounced odor. The leg is cylindrical, widening towards the bottom. It reaches a height of 8 cm. Depending on the species, the color of the mushroom can be purple, brown, gray-brown, ashy and sometimes purple.


You can recognize it by its cushion-shaped cap of brown or brown color. The surface is slightly rough to the touch. The lower tubes have a yellow tint, which turns blue when pressed. The same thing happens with the pulp. The stem is cylindrical and has a heterogeneous color: darker on top, lighter below.

Dubovik

A tubular edible mushroom that grows in sparse forests.


The cap is quite large, growing up to 20 cm in diameter. In structure and shape it is fleshy and hemispherical. The color is usually dark brown or yellow. The inner pulp is lemon-colored, but turns significantly blue when cut. The tall leg is thick, cylindrical, yellow. It usually has a darker color towards the bottom.

Oyster mushrooms


It is characterized by a funnel-shaped cap, up to 23 cm in diameter. Depending on the type, the color can be light, closer to white, and gray. The surface is slightly matte to the touch and the edges are very thin. The light legs of oyster mushrooms are very short, rarely reaching 2.5 cm. The flesh is fleshy, light, with a pleasant aroma. The plates are wide, their color can vary from white to gray.

Champignon

Very popular edible mushrooms due to their pleasant taste and high nutritional value. Their description and characteristics are familiar not only to mushroom pickers.


These mushrooms are familiar to everyone for their white color with a slight grayish tint. The hat is spherical with a downward curved edge. The leg is not high, dense in structure.

They are most often used for cooking, but are used extremely rarely for pickling.

Conditionally edible mushrooms

The edibility of mushrooms in the forest may be conditional. This means that such species can be eaten only after a certain type of processing. Otherwise, they may harm human health.

Processing involves a thermal process. But if some types need to be boiled several times, then for others, soaking in water and frying is sufficient.

Such representatives of conditionally edible mushrooms include: true milk mushroom, green row, purple cobweb, winter honey fungus, common scale.

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. From poisonous species on the territory of Russia are most often found death cap(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 specimen found 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, 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 stem is slightly wider than where it joins the cap (this is a 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 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 specimens; the smooth edges are slightly curved inward. The smooth skin covering the cap becomes sticky after rain and with high air humidity.

    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. The characteristic shape of the boletus leg is club-shaped. It is painted white. Present on the surface 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 colored 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 are 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 the following types: kolchak, smoke smoker (grandfather’s tobacco), bear ears, raincoat or rain mushroom, bordered galerina, blueberries, 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

    By following 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 skin gray, 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 mushroom dish for laboratory tests to facilitate the determination of the toxin that caused the poisoning.

    • What are mushrooms? Are they plants, animals, organisms or bacteria? let's consider Interesting Facts about mushrooms, the most mysterious living organisms on planet Earth, and answer the question: what is a “mushroom”.

    Mycology - the science of mushrooms

    For a long time, scientists classified mycology, the science of mushrooms, as botany. But it is interesting that today this science relates to biology, since researchers have proven that mushrooms are located between the animal world and plants, and a huge number of their species are known.

    As everyone knows from school lessons, mushrooms consist of a fruiting body, which is the above-ground part of the mushroom, and mycelium - the mycelium, located underground. Hyphae, the ultra-thin threads that make up the mycelium, are distributed in the soil substrate. Interestingly, mycelium can live for many decades. But the ground part itself lives no more than ten days. An interesting fact is that mycelium tolerates both severe frosts and dry times.

    The hyphae form balls in some place in the soil, and they begin to increase in size, forming the very mushroom that grows and is happily collected by mushroom pickers. There are places on Earth where mycelium grows over huge areas, and the weight can be hundreds of tons.

    Peculiarities of distribution can also tell interesting facts about mushrooms. What people enjoy eating, namely the body of a mushroom, is a reproductive organ. The fungus scatters spores around itself, resulting in the formation of new mycelia. In addition to the fact that mushrooms are a real delicacy, they are also a natural pharmacy.

    Therefore, it is worth considering in detail the interesting features of the mushrooms inhabiting the planet:

    Beneficial features;
    Habitats;
    Varieties.

    Scientists have found that mushrooms contain antibiotics that cope with:

    anemia;
    with a Koch stick;
    tumor processes;
    inflammation.

    It is interesting that the shape of mushrooms is as diverse as the species: boletuses, porcini mushrooms, saffron milk caps, chanterelles - the mushroom kingdom is so vast that it is simply impossible to count all the species. And among them there are those that are distinguished by outlandish colors and shapes.

    There is a horn mushroom that resembles a sprig of coral in appearance and has a bright orange color. Another, no less exotic mushroom is the red trellis. So called for its appearance, similar to a bright red lattice-like ball that matures from an ovoid white body, and is classified as a flowering mushroom.

    Mushroom flowers

    Interestingly, flower mushrooms are truly unique creatures. They like to live in tropical forests, and you can meet truly outlandish species. For example, the mushroom “dictiaphorus bell-shaped”. In just two hours, it grows to a decent size, and then throws out from under the umbrella snow-white openwork threads, reminiscent of a veil, which weave around the pale leg. When dusk comes, all this beauty begins to phosphorescently green, creating a fantastic picture.

    Earth star

    In Java there grows a mushroom with tentacles, red in color, and in India there grows a creature shaped like a glass. The “earth star” mushroom, which belongs to the raincoats, surprises with its shape. It is interesting that, as soon as it emerges from the ground, it begins to change in appearance. Its rays bend downwards, and the body turns into a ball and shoots its spores upward. Or, native to the forests of Central Europe, the “bleeding tooth.” These mushrooms secrete a red liquid similar to blood and have a very bitter taste. That's why people and animals don't touch it.

    There are interesting facts about the tramethes mushroom, whose home is trees. A very attractive looking, bright and fast-growing mushroom with bright stripes. But its peculiarity is the ability to increase human immunity. The Chinese have been using this mushroom in medicine for many centuries.

    This mushroom has a beneficial effect on oncology.

    Interestingly, mushrooms, like people, can sunbathe, and the color of their caps depends on the abundance of sunlight. The more it is, the darker the mushrooms. These organisms produce vitamin D.

    Fun mushroom

    In terms of growth speed, the record holder is the fungus mushroom, which grows a centimeter in just two minutes. Having hatched from the ground, it resembles a gray egg. Tomorrow you can see an umbrella that rests on a thin stem, and on the third day the body of the mushroom disappears altogether.

    Speaking about the habitats of mushrooms, we can say that they feel great everywhere. And although this is incredible, some live inside living beings, others live in atmospheric layers. It has been proven that they are not afraid of radiation; for many of them, radiation gives an impetus to growth.

    There are predatory mushrooms that hunt small insects, thanks to the presence of sticky growths, or other tricks, such as the fact that the mushroom releases its spores into the caterpillar, and the mushrooms begin to germinate in it. Naturally, after such an attack the caterpillar cannot live. Interestingly, mushrooms have sexual characteristics. Scientists have identified a gene that is responsible for the fungus belonging to a particular sex, and is reminiscent of human sex chromosomes.

    So far, even scientists cannot claim that they know everything about mycology, since new discoveries in this area are endlessly occurring. Interestingly, mushrooms appeared on Earth much more before the dinosaurs, and adapted to life, maintaining their appearance until modern times. And therefore, scientists will have to study these amazing organisms for a long time in order to be able to at least slightly lift the veil of secrets in the mysterious science of mycology.

    No matter how easy it is to go to a store or market at any time of the year and buy mushrooms there, a real hunter of forest riches cannot be seduced by cellar oyster mushrooms and champignons. Comparing boletus with their “forced” relatives is the same as putting frozen broiler chicken and fresh domestic cockerel on the same level. However, not everyone can boast of impeccable knowledge regarding the gifts of the forest, and even more so, not everyone can tell what edible mushrooms look like. Considering that more than 200 species of mushrooms are found in our country, information about the most common of them will be quite useful for many.

    A mistake that costs your life

    Having gone to the forest only once or twice, it is impossible to remember absolutely all types of safe and poisonous mushrooms. In addition, for those new to collecting data from representatives of nature, the difficulty in studying this issue lies in the fact that different subspecies are found in different territories. The growth of the same boletus and chanterelles depends on the soil in the forest, trees, and the intensity of sunlight reaching them. Moreover, even the same different forests may have different appearance. But taking risks in this fishery is strictly prohibited. Why is it so important to know what edible mushrooms look like?

    First of all, so as not to collect toadstools in the basket. Secondly, because relatively safe mushrooms have their own classification. They are divided into edible and conditionally edible. What does this mean? Mushrooms from the first group have excellent taste and aroma, and their preparation allows for a wide variety of processing options (drying, boiling, frying, stewing, pickling, salting). Probably everyone knows what edible mushrooms from this category look like. These are the familiar and beloved white mushrooms, moss mushrooms, aspen and boletus mushrooms, milk mushrooms, saffron milk caps, and champignons.

    Conditionally edible mushrooms raise a lot of doubts and disputes among both scientists and experienced mushroom pickers. These are morels, umbrellas, false chanterelles and some other species, some of them have an excellent taste, but only after they have undergone a rather thorough and specific heat treatment. If you do not follow the safety rules, then at best you can simply ruin the dish, and at worst the unlucky mushroom picker will end up in a hospital bed with serious intoxication.

    What you should never take

    Before we tell and show what edible mushrooms look like, photos of which will be a little later in the article, we want to warn readers against the biggest mistake when harvesting in the forest kingdom. That is why we will once again remind you of those mushrooms that should not be taken under any circumstances, no matter how attractive, reliable and tempting they may look.

    On the territory of Russia there are eight extremely dangerous species from the kingdom of mushrooms. The most common are fly agarics, pale toadstools, false fox And false scent. The first mushrooms can only be confused with colorful umbrella, we will talk about it further. The fly agaric itself is a surprisingly beautiful mushroom; it is not for nothing that its red cap with white flecked scales has become the “hero” of cartoons and children’s illustrations. However, behind the deceptive appearance lies an insidious and very toxic inside.

    Even more deceptive is the toadstool, which is considered the most toxic mushroom found in our open spaces. Having eaten 30-40 g of it, a person will most likely die, because an antidote for its toxins has not yet been invented. Surprisingly, this mushroom has a good aroma and taste, which once again confirms the fact that by smelling and tasting forest gifts, it is impossible to determine their suitability and safety.

    The false chanterelle is visually similar to its edible relative, but has a darker dirty-red shade of the cap and does not grow in a cluster. But it’s much easier to confuse a false honey fungus with a good mushroom. Therefore, you need to know what edible mushrooms look like. Photos and descriptions of honey mushrooms of the most common and valuable type are also in our publication.

    The most common edible summer mushrooms

    Harvesting by quiet hunters begins in early May. It is at this time that the first mushrooms appear - St. George's or, as they are also called, May rows. They belong to the genus Kalocybe, which has 13 species. Mushrooms are conventionally called rows. But only May row deserves special attention. The season ends quite quickly, by mid-June. This is a white-yellow lamellar mushroom with a dense cap; it is suitable for cooking, although not everyone likes it because of its fibrous nature and specific aroma.

    Midsummer is the height of mushroom season. At this time, the forest pleases people with its most delicious gifts, among which the following species have the greatest value in terms of both nutritional properties and taste:

    • Porcini. It has a wide fleshy leg, sometimes with gray streaks. The cap is convex, tubular on the underside, white or cream in color, the top can have a different color: from light yellow to dark brown.
    • Chestnut flywheel (Polish). His distinctive features are a rather dark top with green-yellow tubular flesh (elastic to the touch) and a yellowish leg. This mushroom turns blue where it is cut and when pressed, which makes it recognizable.
    • Moss fly green. It is very similar to the Polish mushroom, but it has a thinner stem, and the cap is not brown, but velvety green.
    • Obabok. It is much larger in size than a porcini mushroom. The leg is white, with gray veined scales, elastic and smooth, the cap is tubular, in its mature form reaches 15-20 cm in diameter, its color is usually dark brown. But sometimes it comes in lighter shades.
    • Boletus and boletus are also one of the most valuable species. What do edible mushrooms of these species look like? They are similar to obabok, but differ in a smaller cap, which usually either tightly fits a tall, strong leg, or is open, but has a small diameter (up to 2-3 cm). Their characteristic feature is the color of the top. In boletus, it can be bright red, brick or ocher-orange. The boletus cap has a color ranging from white to dark gray, sometimes almost black.

    We cannot remain silent about another common mushroom, which many people pass by disdainfully, although it has a wonderful taste - russula. It has a snow-white leg without a ring and a plate-like cap. Most often it is covered with a greenish or red skin, which is very easy to separate from the pulp. The downside of this mushroom is its fragility; only its legs can be carried into the house.

    Gift of the autumn forest

    Now we’ll tell you about the later species and what edible mushrooms look like; photos with names will help you not confuse them with toadstools. The yield of forest products strongly depends on the level of moisture in the soil, so their mass collection occurs in July, after rainy days, and also in September and early October. At this time, the days are quite warm, it often rains, which is favorable for the growth of mushrooms.

    The first half of autumn is an excellent time for hunters of forest plant “meat”. It is during this period that boletus mushrooms and their closest relatives begin to bear fruit with renewed vigor, and you can also easily find boletus, milk mushrooms and, of course, honey mushrooms. These mushrooms are fall favorites. Mushrooms collected at this time are usually used for pickling, pickling and drying. Autumn provides the last chance to prepare valuable products for the winter.

    Now we will tell you what edible mushrooms look like. Photos with the names of the main representatives of the kingdom will help you collect a high-quality forest harvest. Let's start our review with the porcini mushroom.

    Porcini

    We have already given brief description The porcini mushroom is a little higher, we only add that it belongs to the large species of the boletus genus. Its cap can grow up to 50 cm in diameter, and its leg reaches 25 cm in height. It is extremely difficult to meet such a giant, because White mushroom, which is often called boletus, is the main goal of all mushroom pickers. They simply don’t allow it to grow to such a size - they cut it off young. It is tasty and nutritious, well absorbed by the body and easy to prepare.

    An important characteristic of this mushroom is that it does not change its color either during cleaning and separation into parts, or later when it is cooked. It is from boletus that it is best to prepare soups and sauces; it is also tasty and attractive in dried form.

    Its appearance is familiar to everyone, and this is good, because you need to know what edible mushrooms look like in the forest so as not to collect inedible specimens. Yes, we did not make a reservation, there is a representative of the kingdom from the genus Tilopili, which is very similar to the boletus, but is unsuitable for food.

    This is the so-called gall mushroom, or mustard. Its main difference from boletus is the pinkish color of the tubes under the cap; this color also appears at the cut sites. Let us note that mustard is not poisonous, but extremely unpleasant, because in itself it is tasteless; if it gets into the same pan with other mushrooms, it will hopelessly ruin the entire dish.

    Butter

    Under this name, a whole genus of mushrooms is united, including about 40-50 species. Mainly three of them are popular: larch, yellow (ordinary) and yellow-brown butterdish. The latter is the most attractive in appearance; it looks a little like a Polish mushroom, but, alas, does not have any special taste. It has a yellow, stocky leg, a burgundy-colored cap that is covered with mucus only during heavy rains, and it has tubular flesh of an ocher hue.

    Larch and yellow butterdish are valued more by mushroom pickers, despite how different they feel and look. Butter mushrooms are edible, moreover, they are very tasty. After peeling the slippery skin from the cap, they can be fried, boiled and pickled.

    Ryadovka

    This can be collected from April, when the May row appears, until November. True, from mid-June the May species is no longer found; it is replaced by later relatives:

    • the row is crowded;
    • red row;
    • purple row;
    • the row is fused.

    They are classified as conditionally safe mushrooms. What do edible row mushrooms look like? They have common features buildings. The mushroom has a small cap with very dense plates and a dense stalk that thickens towards the base. They grow in well-fertilized soils, usually in large families (rows, concentric (witch) rings). This is how they differ from some similar grebes. They are quite different in appearance from each other.

    Thus, the crowded row has a grayish-yellow cap. The leg is white at the top and gray near the base. It is considered the most delicious, so we suggest looking at this view in the photo. What do other types of edible mushrooms look like? The fused row has a white cap. The caps of individual mushrooms often merge into one, which is where their name comes from. The purple rower has a beautiful purple top, which is why it is considered poisonous in some countries. It belongs to edible mushrooms, but requires careful heat treatment. The same applies to the red row, it looks nice, it has a beautiful burgundy scaly head and a burgundy-yellow leg. However, the taste of the mushroom is not the best.

    Mushroom umbrella

    Despite what umbrella mushrooms look like, there are edible representatives among them; moreover, some species are considered a delicacy. This representative of forest vegetation has a noticeable configuration: it has thin leg brown in color, which is covered from top to bottom with small scales. The cap may differ depending on the type; its top is crowned with a tubercle. You can eat the umbrella mushroom, which is variegated (large), elegant and blushing.

    Honey mushrooms are great guys

    Meadow mushrooms are much smaller. The cap grows to a maximum of 8 cm in diameter and is light brown or ocher in color. The leg is thin and high.

    Description and photo of saffron milk caps

    Probably all experienced mushroom pickers know what saffron milk mushrooms look like. Are they edible or not? IN different countries count differently. In Europe they are not eaten, but among Russian mushroom pickers they are respected and valued for their excellent taste and aroma. Their appearance is noticeable. The saffron milk cap grows on a dense orange stalk, the top of which is completed by a cap with folded edges. Thus, it forms a depression, a funnel. Its lower part is made up of a layer of orange plates, and the top is distinguished by a beautiful pattern of numerous concentric circles of a darker color.

    The peculiarity of camelina is that the flesh changes its color to a burgundy or greenish tint at the site of the cut or damage. It grows mainly in coniferous forests, sometimes so densely that it is found literally at every step.