Edible russula mushrooms (with photo). Edible and inedible russula mushrooms - photo and description of what russula looks like Types of russula

The genus name Russula is translated from Latin as "reddish", and the genus includes more than sixty species of various colors - from red, brown, green to yellow and white. Mushrooms are elegant and undemanding - they grow on various soils in dry and damp cold weather. They have brittle white flesh and light plates. Contrary to the sonorous name, fruiting bodies are not eaten raw, and many of them have a bitter taste.

Young russula are collected together with the legs and carefully placed in baskets on a layer of leaves or moss - fragile mushrooms are difficult to bring whole to the house. They are suitable for preparing various second courses and homemade pickles.

Types of russula

A beautiful strong mushroom is found in oak and birch forests, where it grows singly or forms small mushroom clearings. The hat is wide, at first rounded, then prostrate, up to 18 cm in diameter. The skin is greenish, pale, brownish-green in the center, easily removed.

The leg is dense, 8–10 cm high, light cream, smooth, without thickening at the base and the ring on the leg. The pulp is white, brittle, with creamy frequent plates adhering to the leg, neutral taste, without bitterness.

A common species grows in deciduous and coniferous forests, noticeable from afar due to the bright red tones of the glossy hat - red-burgundy in the center and slightly lighter at the edges. Depending on the place of growth, shades can vary - from lilac-red to raspberry and pink.

The cap is hemispherical, up to 6–10 cm in diameter, prostrate in old mushrooms, while the edges remain curved and slightly wavy. The plates are thin, frequent, milky white. The pulp is strong, slightly pinkish at the break from the cap, neutral taste or slightly bitter. The leg of the correct cylindrical shape, creamy white in color, in dry weather acquires a pink tint.

In pine forests on sandy soil, these delicious mushrooms can be found with a rounded hemispherical hat, which later becomes slightly convex or flat, and then completely concave in the middle. The skin is light red, may have shades of lilac, beige or pink, slightly puffy at the edges and easily removed. The plates are numerous, milky white, then cream.

The leg is dense, thick, white, up to 7 cm high, brownish at the base, in dry weather it acquires the shade of a hat. The pulp is pleasant to the taste, without bitterness, with a mild aroma of pine nuts.

Places of distribution and time of collection

The most delicious kind russula food settles in deciduous or mixed lowland forests under beeches, oaks and birches. The collection time stretches from the beginning of June until the end of August. A common species is valued above others for its pleasant taste, nutty flavor and dense pulp.

Russula wavy collected from late summer to mid-October, found in mixed and deciduous forests, on the plains and in the mountains. The species forms rather strong dense fruiting bodies, and therefore we love mushroom pickers no less than the previous one.

It often grows under birches, forming mycorrhiza with these trees, as well as in light oak forests. The harvest season is at the end of summer and September. And even in warm October, you can come across whole meadows of greenish mushrooms.

Fragile hats, not having time to get out of the ground, quickly open, attracting hordes of insects to the appetizing pulp. Old specimens are especially fragile and, by collecting them, you can bring home a basket of mushroom crumbs.

Experienced mushroom pickers take only the tight fruiting bodies of young mushrooms, carefully placing them in a basket. They are cut off together with a leg that is edible, and at the same time they check for worms.

False russula

Catchy colored russula are not considered the best mushrooms, but they are still massively collected because of their availability and happy property to grow everywhere. Their shortcomings are not only in fragility, insipid taste, and the presence of some bitterness - due to their external diversity, they have very dangerous counterparts.

One of the most dangerous mushrooms, the deadly poisonous pale grebe, looks like green russula. A greenish glossy cap, up to 15 cm in diameter, frequent white plastics and a neutral taste are the main similarities between these species.

characteristic pale grebe differences is a wide, and then a fringed ring on a leg and a thickened cup-shaped base, a kind of "pouch" near the ground itself. Often, in old toadstools, the ring disappears, and therefore one must not lose vigilance, and in case of any doubt, beware and do not take a suspicious mushroom at all.

Convex hats of light red or pinkish color are easy to confuse with also colored food and wavy russula. The fragile flesh is white, turning pink closer to the skin, with a slight fruity aroma and a pungent, unpleasant taste.

This type is not as dangerous as the previous one, and some mushroom pickers even use mouth-watering-looking mushrooms for food, after boiling them for at least half an hour. At the same time, scientists found in the tissues of the poisonous substance muscarine, which is part of the fly agaric and causes severe poisoning. For this reason, this species cannot be considered edible.

Attractive mushroom with a dense smooth cap of cherry or red-brown color and a purple hue looks like wavy russula. The flesh is tight, yellowish, with a fruity aroma, becoming yellow closer to the skin. The taste is unpleasant, acrid. The skin does not come off well. Leg with a purple or pink-lilac reflection.

It grows mostly in coniferous forests, forming mycorrhiza with pine. It is not considered edible due to its bitterness and causes digestive disturbances when raw.

In coniferous and mixed forests, more often under pines, you can meet these catchy blood-red mushrooms. The hat is up to 10 cm in diameter, at first convex, later widely procumbent, wine-red, sometimes with a lilac tint. The skin does not come off well.

The flesh is white, reddish near the skin itself, bitter or acrid to varying degrees, in the stem with a sweet aftertaste, fruity aroma. The species is inedible due to its bitterness and can cause indigestion when raw.

Beneficial features

Russula is a storehouse of valuable substances, vitamins and microelements. More than 20% of crude protein is found in tissues, which is almost twice as much as in most vegetables. From the fleshy dense pulp, you can prepare nutritious lean meals, partially replacing meat and fish products. In the tissues of russula, the most important mineral elements for the body were found - calcium and phosphorus, magnesium and iron.

Mushrooms of red and purple color have an antibacterial effect, they are used in folk medicine to treat abscesses and pyoderma.

In red-colored species, an enzyme was found, which scientists named russulin, in honor of the Latin name of this genus of fungi. The enzyme has a powerful activity and in a small amount is able to quickly curdle milk, replacing rennet in the production of cheese.

Contraindications for use

Many species have some bitterness and, when raw or undercooked, can cause digestive disorders, and russula is burning, which is also called nauseating, provokes vomiting and severe irritation of the mucous membranes.

Mushrooms are not recommended for people with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Marinated mushroom blanks and fried foods in large quantities put a strain on the liver, especially with gallbladder pathologies. Therefore, such products are eaten in moderation, with caution.

Russula should not be included in the diet of children under six years of age - this is a heavy food for them, requiring the active work of enzymes, the production of which is still insufficient in the child's body.

It would be useful to recall the great danger that threatens the unlucky mushroom picker, who can confuse russula with poisonous mushrooms, especially with pale grebe.

Recipes for cooking and preparations

Before cooking, the mushrooms are thoroughly washed, then quickly cleaned, prying off the skin from the edge, and slightly cutting out the middle. The peeled fruiting bodies are immediately processed, preventing darkening. They are suitable for any preparations and dishes, except first courses.

Russula natural

Use species without bitterness - russula food and green. After the initial treatment, they are boiled in acidified and salted water at the rate of 40 g of salt and 10 g of citric acid per 2 liters of water. It should be noted that during cooking they will shrink significantly, decreasing in volume, and at the end of cooking they will sink to the bottom.

After boiling the mushrooms for 20 minutes, they are laid out in jars and poured with boiling broth, after which they are sterilized for at least one and a half hours. The product is then sealed, cooled and stored in a cold place.

Russula in hot pickle

This healthy spicy pickle is one of the best mushroom preparations. For 2 kg of mushrooms, you need 4 tablespoons of salt, 2 bay leaves, 6 black peppercorns, 4 blackcurrant leaves, a little cloves and dill seeds.

Pour 1 glass of water into the dishes, put salt and bring to a boil. Mushrooms are immersed in boiling brine, the foam is removed, after complete boiling, spices are put and boiled over low heat for 15 minutes. Readiness can be determined by the settling of the pieces to the bottom and the clarification of the brine. The workpiece is cooled and placed in jars, poured with brine and closed. The pickle is ready in a month and a half.

Russula fried in breadcrumbs

Large caps of species without bitterness are peeled, cut into halves, salted, dipped in an egg, breaded in flour and sprinkled with breadcrumbs. The pieces are fried in a large amount of boiling vegetable oil.

Lay the workpiece in half-liter jars 1 cm below the neck and sterilize for one hour. After corking, cool and store in a cool place.

mushroom caviar

Thoroughly washed and cleaned fruit bodies are boiled for 30 minutes, constantly removing the foam, then they are thrown onto a sieve and placed in a porous canvas bag under oppression for 4 hours to drain excess liquid.

Mushrooms pressed in this way are finely chopped or ground in a meat grinder with a large grate along with a small head of onion, 50 g of salt per 1 kg of mushrooms and black ground pepper are added. The resulting caviar is laid out in sterile jars, poured with boiled oil and closed with clean, dry lids. The food is stored for a short time, about one month, in the refrigerator.

Video about russula mushrooms

Elegant colored russula grow everywhere - in pine and deciduous forests, in clearings and edges, in the grass near white-trunked birches. Almost a third of all collected mushrooms belong to one or another type of russulaceae. With their unpretentiousness, accessibility, bright colors and ease of preparation, they attract mushroom pickers who are in no hurry to bypass these wonderfully healthy and satisfying gifts of the forest.

Today we will talk about the most common mushrooms in our country - russula. They have excellent taste, useful properties, they are widely used in cooking.

Description and appearance

Russula belongs to the lamellar genus. Family - russula. It includes about thirty varieties. Our today's hero is deservedly called the most common edible mushroom. It is difficult to find a person who has not tried or at least not heard about russula.

They grow mainly in coniferous and deciduous forests. They appear in June, but the best period for collection is from early August to September.

Mushroom caps are different as it depends on the species. There are pinkish russula, yellow, green and so on. Let's take a closer look at the varieties of fungus.

Kinds

Green

This is an edible mushroom with an easily removable skin for 2/3 of the cap. The hat itself is green in color, can be depressed or convex, the surface is sticky. The stem is cylindrical, almost completely white. There are grooves on the edges of the cap. The pulp is brittle, white in color, has a characteristic bitter taste. Before use, it is recommended to boil it to get rid of bitterness. You need to collect young individuals, in which the edges are lowered.

yellow

The hat has a bright yellow color, the surface is dry, the shape is flat or convex. The stem is white, but turns gray as the fungus grows. The pulp resembles cotton wool in structure, white. Orange-yellow under the skin, darkens when cut. An edible variety of russula that is best boiled or salted. After cooking, the flesh becomes dark. It is recommended to collect young mushrooms, in which the edges are lowered.

Blue-yellow

The skin is removed by 2/3 of the cap. The cap itself can have a dry or sticky surface, green or brown in the center, and predominantly purple-gray along the edges. The flesh is white, but may have a purple hue, cotton-like. The taste is not caustic, the structure is strong. The leg is white, dense, but eventually becomes hollow. Perhaps the best variety of russula in terms of taste. It is recommended to cook, salt and pickle

Inedible pungent caustic

It is an inedible variety of mushroom. The hat has a convex shape, slightly depressed, red shades and shiny. The stalk at the base is predominantly pink. A young mushroom has a spherical cap. The pulp is white, brittle, the taste is burning. Unpleasant taste is the reason for inedibility. Plus, it can cause gastrointestinal upset.

biliary

Edibility is not precisely defined, therefore salting is allowed, but only after a very long soaking. The hat has a convex shape, then the center is pressed in, the color is straw yellow. The edges of the fungus are initially smooth in structure, but over time they acquire stripes. The flesh is pale yellow, pungent and acrid.

Pale buff

It has a barrel-shaped stem, a strong structure, a whitish tint with an admixture of brown. The cap is smooth, ocher-yellow. At first, the shape is convex, but over time it becomes prostrate. The pulp is dense structure, white, brittle, slightly darker on the cut. The taste is quite pungent. This is a conditionally edible variety of russula, which is boiled and salted.

Bolotnaya

The leg is club-shaped, firm, but sometimes it can be hollow. The color is pink or white. The hat is fleshy, convex in shape, slightly squeezed in the middle. The edges are blunt. The pulp is white, dense in young mushrooms, but becomes loose over time. It has a characteristic fruity odor. This is an edible species that is boiled and salted.

Maiden

Expanded leg to the base, first solid, then hollow. The structure of the stem is fragile, the color is whitish or yellowish. The hat is initially convex, but then becomes prostrate. Color brownish-gray or yellowish-gray. The flesh is white or yellow, brittle. The edges of the cap are ribbed, thin. Edible look.

Turkish

The hat has a wine-red color, orange or black. The surface is shiny. At first, its shape is hemispherical, but with age it becomes depressed. The leg is white, club-shaped. The pulp is white in color with a characteristic fruity odor and a brittle structure. Edible look.

food

It has a dense, white leg. The hat is flat-convex, may have a pink, reddish or brownish uneven color. The pulp is dense and white, the taste is not caustic at all. Perhaps one of the most delicious russula that is boiled for further consumption, it is great for drying, pickling, salting and cooking second courses.

greenish

The leg has a white color, brownish scales at the base. In a mature mushroom, the hat becomes prostrate. Prior to that, matte, fleshy, hemispherical. The pulp is white in color, dense in texture, can be a little spicy, but not pungent in taste. You can safely call one of the most delicious varieties of russula. Suitable for salting, pickling, drying.

Bureyaya

The leg is white, may have a reddish tint. As it grows, it becomes brownish. The cap of young individuals is hemispherical, while in older individuals it is wide, brown or burgundy. The center is usually darker. The pulp is white, has a characteristic smell of shrimp or herring. Before use, it is necessary to boil for a long time to eliminate the unpleasant odor. Suitable for salting and marinating.

Where does it grow

This mushroom grows in almost all forests. He loves the neighborhood with moss, edges, clearings. But most often grows on roadsides. Russula begins to be collected in June, and the peak of the season is August-September.

Today, science distinguishes about 30 varieties of this fungus that grow in Russia.

Peculiarities

I would like to talk about some of the features and facts associated with this mushroom and its varieties.

There is one theory according to which the mushroom was named. It is based on the fact that when salted, the mushroom quickly becomes suitable, while the rest of the mushrooms require at least a few days. In this regard, russula can be used supposedly in its raw form.
You need to look for mushrooms in deciduous, coniferous and mixed forests. They are not uncommon in swamps. You can go after them in May, and end the season in October. The main condition for the possibility of their search is rains.
On the inside of all russula there are white plates, and all legs are white. They do not have rings, films and scales. After cutting, the mushrooms remain white.
During the collection, it is important to take into account the peculiarity of the fungus. They are extremely fragile. Therefore, they are collected, as a rule, separately from other types of mushrooms.
To make it easier for yourself to clean the russula, pour boiling water over them before processing.
It is easy to remove the film from the mushroom, but it is not always worth doing. This is explained by the fact that the film will not allow the mushroom to fall apart during cooking.
If the taste of the mushroom turned out to be bitter, you have a caustic russula in front of you. To eliminate this taste, you need to sprinkle them with salt, put them in the refrigerator overnight, and boil them the next day.
The bitter taste after cooking indicates the need to remove the film from the hat. Even if this does not help, drain the water, fill in a new one and boil the mushrooms for another 20 minutes.

How to choose and where to buy

You can buy such mushrooms only from private traders, mushroom pickers who came to the market to sell the harvested crop. The most important thing is to learn how to choose them correctly.

The fact is that russula is often confused with pale grebe. Now we will tell you how to avoid such a mistake.

Real russula has a smooth, white stem shape. There are no membranes, inside the leg is dense or hollow. The pulp is extremely fragile, on the cut it can rarely change color, darken. If you see spots of red or purple on the hat, do not take such a mushroom: most likely, this is a false russula.

Choose the most dense mushrooms, avoid dry and old individuals. The best in terms of quality are yellow and blue-green russula. This is perhaps a real delicacy. Many believe that these varieties are suitable for eating raw.

Watch the following video about russula mushrooms, how best to collect them and what to make of them.

Storage methods

Once you have collected the mushrooms, be sure that they will not lose their properties in the next 24-48 hours. But keep in mind that in this case it is impossible to wet the russula, but immediately place it in the refrigerator.

Salted and pickled mushrooms can be consumed within 12 months. Dried ones can last more than a year.

It is extremely important that even after drying, the russula does not lose such important dietary fibers and amino acids. Only protein leaves, which leaves about 30-40% of the original amount

Nutritional value and calories

Everything here looks interesting and useful. This is a dietary product, from which, however, you can get significant benefits.

For 100 grams of product there are:

Chemical composition

These mushrooms are very rich in useful elements, vitamins and minerals. This determines the abundance of useful properties, as well as pleasant taste.

Of the main vitamins that are beneficial to humans and present in russula, we can distinguish:

Vitamin PP;
Vitamins B1, B2;
Vitamin C;
Vitamin E.

As for minerals, it should certainly be noted here: Fe, K, P, Na, Mg, Ca.

Beneficial features

It just so happened that nature chose russula to enrich them with vitamins PP and B2. They are of great importance for human health and the functioning of our body.
Burning-caustic and purple russula act as an antibacterial agent, help to cope with abscesses.
They are very useful for those who are faced with serious diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
Due to the low calorie content of the mushroom, it is perfect for those who are struggling with being overweight.
Russula is nutritious, creates a feeling of fullness, after which you do not want to eat. As a result, they help in the fight against obesity.
They are recommended to eat to prevent the formation of blood clots, as well as provide protection against blood clotting.
With the help of russula, milk is curdled, creating an incredibly healthy fermented milk product. It is useful for people who suffer from problems with the heart and blood vessels.

Harm and contraindications

There are several contraindications for people who should not consume these types of mushrooms. Namely:

Individual intolerance to the components of the fungus by a person;
Serious disorders in the work of the heart, kidneys, liver;
Not recommended for children under the age of 12;
Contraindicated in pregnant women, as well as women during breastfeeding.

In general, many doctors believe that russula can be given to children after 7 years. But in limited quantities and only the most delicious and safe types.

As for adults, they also should not overly abuse russula - no more than 150 grams per day. Delicious and high-quality types of russula are no exception.

Application

In cooking

Perhaps it is the sphere of cooking that allows you to fully appreciate all the taste possibilities of this mushroom. Yes, it has excellent beneficial properties, but cook some dish from russula, and you can no longer refuse it. This will be your favorite mushroom.

Please note that before use, the mushrooms must be filled with water and aged for several hours. Before the main processing processes, that is, frying, salting, pickling, it is advisable to boil them for 5 minutes. This will eliminate the bitterness.

Now we will share with you several recipes for making russula. Namely, we will tell you how to properly salt, marinate them and how to boil them correctly.

Salty

Take a set of the following ingredients:

One small onion;
3 tbsp vegetable oil;
3 garlic cloves;
1 kilogram of fresh edible russula;
4 tbsp rock salt;
A few blueberry leaves.

Cooking:

Clean the mushrooms from dirt, rinse, place in a saucepan, add a little salt. Peel the garlic, cut it into small plates and place on the mushrooms. Cover the mushrooms with blueberry sprigs and place for 12 hours in a dark and cool place. Now pour the chopped onion on top, add the oil and mix everything. Place the mushrooms in prepared jars, close. As you pack the mushrooms, add more russula to the jars until the jar is full. After about 30 days, the mushrooms are ready to eat.

Pickled

Russula can be marinated in several ways. Now we will describe them to you.

Vinegar Recipe

Clean the mushrooms properly, if necessary, remove the film from the cap, cut the legs short.
Boil water, pour mushrooms with it. Place on fire, bring to a boil, turn off and leave to cool.
In the meantime, prepare the jars.
Mushrooms after cooling, discard in a colander.
Leave currant or cherry leaves in prepared jars, although both can be used. Also put bay leaves, dill umbrellas. To improve the taste, add some sprigs of tarragon. Divide the mushrooms into jars.
Make a marinade based on 250 ml of water - 50 ml of vinegar and 25 grams of rock salt. Make brine based on the number of available mushrooms.
Boil the marinade, pour it into jars with mushrooms.
Place the jars in a wide pot of water to sterilize. After boiling water, keep the jars on fire for 20 minutes.
Take out the containers, screw on the lids. Mushrooms are ready.

with garlic

Please note that for 1 kilogram of russula you will need a large tablespoon of salt. You can use garlic as you wish. Mushrooms in this way of pickling will not be stored for long, but you are unlikely to resist not to eat them all at once.

So, you need to cook according to this recipe as follows:

Rinse the mushrooms, remove all dirt;
Peel the garlic, cut it into thin slices;
Place the mushrooms in a jar or pan, but be sure to head down;
The layers are sprinkled with salt and garlic;
You need to withstand mushrooms for 14 days by placing the jars in a cold place;
After 2 weeks, you can serve. It goes well with vodka, has a sharp and rich taste.

With onions

You will need these ingredients:

Purified water - 400 ml;
1 kilogram of russula with hard hats;
250 ml of vinegar;
Several buds of cloves;
300 grams of onions;
Lavrushka leaves;
Allspice (peas);
1 tsp Sahara;
1 large tablespoon of rock salt.

Cooking:

Peel the mushrooms, fill them with water and boil for about 15 minutes, then throw them in a colander so that all the liquid is glass. Pour water into the pan, add the indicated spices, salt, sugar, small onions. Bring the mixture to a boil, then pour in the vinegar. Dip the boiled russula into this marinade and boil for 5 minutes. Distribute the hot mushrooms among the jars, and let the brine stand on the fire for another 2-3 minutes. Pour the brine into jars and close them with lids.

How to cook

Now let's talk in more detail about how to cook these mushrooms correctly.

Before boiling, they must be thoroughly washed, sorted out to find the strongest specimens.
Clean them from dirt, put in a pan. Now fill with cold water at the rate of 1 volume of mushrooms per 2 volumes of water.
Place the pot over medium heat, bring to a boil, then lower the flame.
Next, watch for the formation of foam, which must be removed during cooking. After that, add some salt, bay leaf and black peppercorns.
After boiling water, mushrooms are boiled for 30 minutes.
In no case do not use the water left after boiling russula for food.

Chops from russula

Not many dare to fry russula. But in vain. They turn out very tasty. Served as an independent dish, or eaten with a side dish. Some even manage to fry russula chops.

To make chops, take peeled russula, choose the largest and flattest hats, put them in cold salt water for a while. After that, discard in a colander.

The hat should be dipped in the prepared batter. Next, the mushroom is sprinkled with breadcrumbs for breading. You need to fry quickly, the fire must be strong. Then place all the russula together in a pan, pour in the batter that should have remained. Now fry your mushrooms, but already on low heat. This will take about 15 minutes.

Russula is not very suitable for making soup, because it creates a characteristic bitter taste.

Russula in our country are deservedly considered one of the most numerous groups of mushrooms. However, not everyone understands whether russula is an edible mushroom or not? To shed some light on this issue, let's take a closer look at it.

Why russula?

Russula are very common in our forests. They make up to 45 percent of the mass of all mushrooms. Russula mushrooms got their name because some varieties can be eaten raw. Russula is perhaps the most mysterious mushrooms. There are always many questions about them. And the most important of them: russula mushroom - edible or not? It is worth noting that there are both inedible and edible specimens. Many have the opinion that such mushrooms cannot be poisonous, because the very name "russula" suggests that they can be eaten raw. But it is not so. In nature, there are a variety of types of russula. Some of them are edible and others are not.

Russula family

Russula are agaric mushrooms of the Russula family. They have prolific fleshy bodies. It is quite easy to recognize them in the forest by their bright hats of multi-colored flowers, which can reach from 2 to 20 centimeters in diameter. Hats can be bell-shaped, spherical and hemispherical. Inside the pulp of the mushroom is white. Russula caps are very fragile and break quickly, which reduces the economic importance of the fungus. As they grow, the caps change shape, they can become straight, funnel-shaped, twisted. And spores can have any shade: from white to yellow.

Russula begin to appear in July. But massive growth is observed in August and September. So, is russula mushroom edible or not? Most species in the family are edible. However, there are also those species that are not suitable for food due to slight toxicity, unpleasant odor and taste. Of course, it is impossible to get poisoned with russula in the same way as, for example, fly agaric, because they do not have so much poison. But still, you should be careful when picking mushrooms.

Russula can be fried and marinated. They are included in the third category of edible mushroom species, which contains mushrooms that have an average taste. Some experts classify them even in an even lower category, believing that they have no nutritional value.

Where do russula grow?

Any novice mushroom picker is interested in the question of under what trees such mushrooms grow. Russula is often found under hardwood plants: oak, alder, birch, pine and spruce. This type of mushroom contains a considerable amount of useful substances, including vitamins. So, for example, in a kilogram of mushrooms there are 264 mg of vitamin B, as well as 6 mg of vitamin PP.

Some believe that it is better to use those russulas for food, in which the caps are colored green, blue or yellow, but it is better not to use mushrooms with red caps.

Types of russula

Russula are found in America, East Asia, Australia and Eurasia. As a rule, they grow in coniferous and deciduous forests. In total, about 275 species of such mushrooms are known. In our article, we will consider only the most basic varieties. Sometimes the differences between species groups are so small that chemical analysis is needed to accurately identify the variety. In nature, there are false and real russula.

White podgrudok, or dry podgruzd

White podgruzdok refers to edible varieties. It appears in mixed and coniferous forests from July to October. It can be easily identified by its white hat, which may have yellow patches, and slightly feathered edges. The shape of the hat gradually changes from convex to funnel-shaped. Mushrooms have a short leg, narrowed down, white or slightly brown. What do they do with russula? In cooking, this species is used to make soups, they are fried and marinated. However, it should be borne in mind that dry milk mushrooms have a pungent taste.

Outwardly, the loader is very similar to the load. Mushrooms have the same hats, sometimes it is almost impossible to distinguish them. Inveterate mushroom pickers collect such russula with great pleasure, as they grow crowded. As a rule, they hide under the foliage, so you have to literally dig them out.

Using the similarity of mushrooms, sellers often pass off the load as a difference between these mushrooms can only be seen by an experienced person. Pickles at home are salted and pickled, but their plates are very caustic, so the pulp must be processed more carefully so that the dish has a good taste.

Loaders are a conditionally edible type of mushroom. Even though they taste great. They can only be salted and marinated.

yellow russula

Yellow russula grows in damp brerezovo-pine and birch forests. You can collect them from July to October. At first, the mushroom has a hemispherical yellow cap, which gradually becomes straight, and then funnel-shaped. In diameter, it can reach 5-10 centimeters. A characteristic feature is the skin that is erased along the edge of the cap. The mushroom has former legs and plates, which become gray or pale yellow over time. In the air, the flesh usually turns gray.

Yellow russula is a mushroom (description is given in the article), which belongs to the third category, the so-called edible mushrooms. It has a not pungent, but sweetish taste. Yellow russula is consumed fresh and salty. An inexperienced mushroom picker can easily confuse such a mushroom with an extremely poisonous toadstool mushroom. To avoid such a misunderstanding, it is necessary to remember the main distinguishing feature. There are white flakes on the cap of the fly agaric, and on the stem there is a fringe with a greenish ring. Russula has no such signs.

Russula blue

Another variety of the family is blue russula. They grow in They are mainly found in spruce forests. The most common blue russula in the Baltic States and the European part of Russia. You can collect them from August to September. The mushroom cap can be up to 10 centimeters in diameter. At first, it has a convex shape, and then over time it becomes flat, and depressed in the center. It is worth noting that the color of the hat may not be completely uniform. In the middle, as a rule, the color is more saturated, and lighter at the edges. The skin peels off the cap very easily. The stem of the mushroom is white, its height is 3-5 centimeters.

The pulp is quite strong and white, it has no smell. What mushrooms are blue russula? These are edible mushrooms, but in terms of taste, like other members of the family, they are classified in the third category. However, in cooking they have found a fairly wide application. Mushrooms taste good. What to do with russula? Yes, anything - salt, fry, boil, stew and even eat fresh. They go great with vegetables. But salted mushrooms are generally a delicacy. Salted blue russula are quite combined with other varieties of mushrooms.

Russula blue are rich in vitamins PP and B2. Such mushrooms are very good for people with gastrointestinal ailments. In addition, russula reduces the risk of blood clots. Mushrooms are low-calorie, but very nutritious, so they quickly saturate the body. Russula curdle milk well, as a result of which a delicious fermented milk product is formed, which is recommended for people with cardiovascular diseases.

Other colored russula

Continuing the conversation about whether the russula is an edible mushroom or not, it is worth remembering other colored varieties of this vast family, which are conditionally edible species. prefers to live in deciduous or coniferous forests. It can be identified by a yellow-green hat, the diameter of which is about 10 centimeters. Outwardly, the mushroom has a completely unattractive appearance, but at the same time it tastes very good. It is boiled, fried and salted.

Such mushrooms must be collected very carefully, as they can be confused with pale grebe. Russula does not have a thickening at the base of the leg and a ring on it.

Food russula also belongs to edible species. The mushroom cap has a very attractive - red color with gray spots. The russula leg is white and even. You can pick mushrooms from July to the end of September. Food russula prefers forests - coniferous and deciduous.

Forked russula appears at the very end of summer or at the beginning of autumn. It grows in deciduous forests. The cap of the mushroom is painted in dark green and dark brown. And the white leg has brown blotches at the very bottom.

Inedible Russula

As we have already mentioned, there are false and real russula. All of the previously mentioned species are edible. Now it's the turn to talk about inedible. In the direct sense, there are no poisonous russula in nature. Those species that have a pungent or burning taste fell into the false category. But among them, both toxic and slightly poisonous varieties can come across. Such fungi can cause irritation of the oral mucosa or a very slight upset of the stomach or intestines. Outwardly, such members of the family are very similar to their edible counterparts. It is for this reason that they are called false.

Non-toxic inedible mushrooms include russula red, pink, caustic, brittle, Kele. Let's burn about them in more detail.

Russula red

The red variety prefers to grow in pine forests. Such russula appear at the end of summer or at the beginning of September. Their hats are not as large as those of other members of the family, they reach only six centimeters in diameter. Russula smells very pleasant, but at the same time they have a very pungent taste. Their bright color always attracts people. Sometimes the caps can fade, making the mushroom look similar to other varieties.

Red russula grows not only in Europe, but also in North America. In addition, this species is also known in South America and Australia. As a rule, mushrooms grow in forests, but sometimes they can be found in open spaces, they prefer sandy and acidic soils.

pink mushroom

Russula pink has a semi-circular hat with a velvety and dry surface. During wet periods, mucus may appear on it. The flesh of the leg, although dense, is very fragile. The pink russula miraculously knows how to change the shade of its hat from red to light pink. And the white leg, in turn, can become pink. Such mushrooms are incredibly common in the forests of North America and Eurasia. Deciduous forests are most loved by russula, but they are also found in coniferous forests.

Kele mushrooms are classified as inedible russula. He has a small hat that changes shape at different stages of development. Its color varies from red to burgundy. And the leg, as a rule, has a purple tint. The mushroom has a very pleasant smell, but it is pungent in taste.

Russula brittle, for sure, is familiar to you. It is found in absolutely any forests, forming large groups. The mushroom has a flat hat with a reddish skin. Its flesh is brittle and pungent in taste.

mushrooms

There is another group of russula mushrooms - camelina. True, it belongs to the Mlechnikov family. In Russia, such a mushroom was called "prince". It was believed that with its taste properties it is only slightly inferior to porcini mushrooms. In those days, a lot of mushrooms grew in the forests. Merchants bought mushrooms from people and sent them to distant lands, including France, where they were quite expensive.

A real camelina - spruce - at first has a round-convex hat with curved edges. Gradually, it straightens and can reach a diameter of 17 centimeters. The hat is painted in bright orange or yellow-pink. Sometimes there are greenish and blue mushrooms. The flesh of the caps is orange, but in the air it oxidizes incredibly quickly and is greener. But the juice of the mushroom is yellow and thick, sweet in taste. Large mushrooms are often damaged by worms that adore this particular type of russula. The legs of mushrooms are hollow and have a cylindrical shape, they grow up to 9 centimeters in length. Outside, they may be covered with orange spots.

On the territory of Russia there are six varieties of spruce, real, red, fir or Japanese, alpine, pine. Spruce trees have a bitter taste, and when harvested, they acquire a greenish tint. But a real camelina has a denser leg, and when harvested, it retains its color well. And inexperienced mushroom pickers constantly confuse spruce mushrooms with pink waves. These two mushrooms can be distinguished only by the color of the plates and juice.

Ryzhik grows in the Urals, the European part of Russia, the Far East and Siberia. Mushrooms prefer sandy soil. They need to be looked for in coniferous forests under young pines, larches, in a pine forest or in spruce forests among fallen needles. In mixed forests, they hide under coniferous trees, on moss and in dense grass.

Despite the bright color, they are not so easy to find, they hide well from people. Mushrooms are harvested from early July to October. If the frosts did not hit, then you can go to the forest for them much later. Mushrooms are not just edible mushrooms, but also delicious. They contain vitamins A, B1, amino acids, potassium, calcium and phosphorus. The mushrooms are not poisonous at all, so they can be tasted raw. Mushrooms have a lot of positive qualities. In addition, mushrooms have medicinal properties. They contain a natural antibiotic that is effective in combating bacterial infections, including tuberculosis. Mushrooms are useful for strengthening joints, bones, hair and teeth. In addition, mushrooms are very dietary.

Mushrooms are suitable for sourdough, pickles, they are pickled, fried, boiled, dried, and also added when preparing first and second courses.

Instead of an afterword

In our forests, mushrooms similar to russula are very often found. In order not to get into an unpleasant situation, you need to understand at least a little about such mushrooms. In our article, we tried to talk about the main types that are most common, so that readers have an idea of \u200b\u200bwhat false and real russula look like.

Russula are fungi of the basidiomycete department, agaricomycetes class, russular order (russular, russula), russula family, russula genus ( Russula).

Mushrooms got their Russian name due to the fact that many of them can be eaten after daily salting. Some russula can be eaten raw, but there are also bitter-tasting species that it is advisable to soak before cooking to remove bitterness. The Latin name of the genus originated from one of the colors of their cap: the word "russulus" is translated as "reddish".

Russula: description and photo of mushrooms. What does russula look like?

Hat

The fruiting body of russula consists of a cap and a stem. The shape of the cap changes as it grows and develops. In young russula, it is semicircular, almost spherical, hemispherical; then it becomes convex or convex-prostrate, and in old mushrooms it is flat with a concave center or funnel-shaped.

The edges of the cap in different types of russula can be ribbed, wavy-curved, tuberculate or smooth, changing with age. In some species, the edges are straight, in others they are lowered or raised. Hat sizes vary from 2 to 15 cm.

The skin covering the hat, even in mushrooms of the same species, can be:

either smooth, moist and sticky;
or dry, matte, gently velvety.

The adhesive surface may dry out over time, and sometimes it is dry initially.

The peel from the pulp of the cap lags behind in different ways:

easy (in birch russula (lat. Russula betularum);
up to half (in solar russula (lat. Russula solaris);
only along the edge (at golden russula (lat. Russula aurea).

The color of the russula cap includes almost all shades of the solar spectrum: red, yellow, green, purple, bluish, brown. The color is not always uniform: sometimes it has uneven spots and various color transitions, as if fading in the sun.

1. Golden Russula (lat. Russula aurea), photo by archenzo, CC BY-SA 3.0; 2. Turkish russula (lat. Russula turci), photo by Maja Dumat, CC BY 2.0; 3. Green russula (lat. Russula aeruginea), photo by: Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 3.0; 4. Russula light yellow (lat. Russula claroflava), photo by: Jerzy Opioła, CC BY-SA 4.0; 5. Russula (lat. Russula emetica), photo: Dohduhdah, Public Domain; 6. Black loader (lat. Russula adusta), photo by Igor Lebedinsky, CC BY 3.0.

Hymenophore

The hymenophore of the russula, or the lower surface of the cap, consists of broadly or narrowly adherent plates of different length, thickness, frequency and color. Russula plates can be white, light yellow, light cream, slightly pinkish, ocher, lemon yellow.

Leg

Russula is more common with cylindrical, regular-shaped legs, less often with spindle-shaped (olive russula (lat. R. olivacea), club-shaped (russula golden (lat. R. aurea), cylindrical, but narrowed towards the base (russula food, or edible (lat. R. vesca). The stem is attached to the middle of the hat. Its pulp changes with age; in young mushrooms, it can be filled, that is, loose, cotton-like or dense. As it ages, cavities appear in it, it becomes spongy and brittle. The color of the leg can be either light: white, yellowish, cream, pinkish, or dark: gray or brown. At its base, rusty spots may be present, as, for example, in green russula (lat. R. aeruginea). The surface of the stem is smooth, glabrous, silky or velvety, and may become slightly wrinkled with age.

pulp

The flesh of the cap is mostly white or very light in color; thick or thin; odorless or with a slight aroma and a different aftertaste. When the fruiting body of the russula is broken, no milky juice is released.

The plates, pulp and legs of russula are very fragile. Fragility and fragility of these fungi are given by spherocysts - special groups of vesicular cells that are located in the fruiting body.

spore powder

Russula spore powder also has a different color: whitish, cream, light cream, yellow, light ocher.

Where and when do russula mushrooms grow?

Russula is one of the most common mushrooms. They grow in Europe, Russia, Asia and America: from the Arctic to the tropics, but the vast majority are inhabitants of the middle latitudes. Some species are even found in Africa.

Russula live in symbiosis, i.e. mutually beneficial partnership, with many types of trees (depending on the type of fungus) (oak, beech, spruce, hornbeam, birch, poplar, linden, pine, alder, aspen), and in some cases with shrubs and herbaceous plants, and therefore widespread in all types of forests: coniferous, deciduous, mixed. Different species prefer different soils: moist, sandy, swampy. Mushrooms bear fruit from spring to autumn, but the main season for russula is August-September, since at this time they appear most actively.

What are russula: types, names, photos

Among the existing variety of russula, the number of which, according to various sources, ranges from 275 to 750, it is rather difficult to determine a specific species. An ordinary mushroom picker can only recognize 2-3 dozen species, in other cases it is necessary to contact a specialist and even use chemical analysis. Externally, russula can be distinguished by the shape of the cap and stem, the structure of the subcap layer, as well as by the color of the skin and pulp of the cap and stem, plates and spore powder. Russulas are very brittle, and from milkers similar to them with this quality (lat. Lactarius) are distinguished by the fact that when incised and pressed, they do not secrete milky juice.

Fungi of the genus Russula are divided into:

edible;
conditionally edible;
inedible.

Below are some varieties of russula that fall into each of these categories.

Edible Russula

Edible russula are pretty tasty mushrooms. They can be eaten fried, salted, pickled, and some even raw. The main thing is to know what they look like.

Russula green(Russula aeruginea )

edible cheesecake. It has a pungent taste that disappears when boiled. The shape of the cap is initially hemispherical, then convex-prostrate, and then flat, with a sunken center, 4-9 cm in diameter. The cap is light on the edges and dark in the middle, green, olive green, yellowish green, often with rusty brown spots. The leg is covered with the same spots, the height of which is 4-7 cm, and the diameter is from 1 to 2.5 cm. The plates are white or cream-colored. Spores are creamy. The peel is sticky, in places it separates easily. The flesh of this russula is white, not changing color when cut. The mushroom does not have a special smell. Green russula grows in forests of any type from June to October.

Russula yellow (light yellow, pale yellow, bright yellow) ( Russula claroflava)

named after the color of its cap, which is convex at the beginning and flat as it grows. In diameter, the hat reaches 8 centimeters. The stem is cylindrical or barrel-shaped, changing color from white to gray with age. White plates become grayish-black as the fungus ages. The light pulp of the russula turns gray on the cut. It has a mild or astringent taste, but is odorless. Spore powder of light ocher color. The skin is partially removed.

The fungus grows in small groups on moist, mossy soils, under poplars, birches or alders. This russula is not very tasty, but quite edible.

Russula food (Russula vesca )

one of the most common types of mushrooms. Its cap, up to 10 cm in diameter, is dry, sometimes finely wrinkled, with a smooth or slightly ribbed edge, with a non-peeling or slightly peeling skin. The peel often does not reach the edge of the cap by 1-2 mm. It is pink, white-pink or burgundy-red, in most mushrooms with large white spots. The plates are frequent, branched near the stem, white or yellowish-white. The leg is pink, cylindrical, thinning downwards. The pulp is quite strong, white. This edible russula is boiled, fried and salted.

Russula brown, fragrant, purple, or herring (Russula xerampelina)

an edible mushroom that fully justifies the name "russula", as it can be eaten raw. The hat, with a diameter of 6 to 15 centimeters, is first convex, then flat-depressed and straight. The color of the cap, depending on the tree under which this russula grows, is different.

- Under conifers, it is red with burgundy, carmine, brown, or purple hues.
- Under oaks - red-brown, pink or olive.
- Under birches - yellow, yellowish-green, with purple edges.

The peel of the cap is initially slimy, then velvety, it lags behind the pulp to half. The flesh is white, turning brown with age, and in reaction with ferrous sulfate it turns green. The leg is brownish-reddish, with a pink tint, turning brown with age, 4-8 centimeters high. Spores are creamy yellow. The taste of young russula is a little sharp, later inexpressive. The smell, on the contrary, is hardly noticeable at first, becomes herring over time. Russula grow brown from August to November in coniferous and deciduous forests.

Russula marsh (Russula paludosa)

the popular name is float. This is the largest mushroom of the russula genus, with a cap diameter of up to 16 cm, a leg 10-15 cm high and 1-3 cm in diameter. It has a convex orange-red cap with a slightly depressed yellowish middle. The fruit body is covered with a dry skin that becomes slightly sticky in wet weather. The plates of marsh russula are white, yellowish or light golden. Its flesh is pink, graying with age, with a pleasant taste. Edible swamp russula grows in large groups on the sandy soil of coniferous forests.

Russula greenish, or scaly (Russula virescens)

edible mushroom, one of the best edible species of the russula family. The mushroom cap is large, up to 14 cm in diameter, with a velvety skin that quickly cracks into scales. Its shape, like many russula, changes with age. In young mushrooms, it is spherical; in large russula, its middle becomes concave. The color of the hat is a mixture of green, yellow, blue, ocher, copper and olive hues. The leg is white, with brown scales below. The plates are white. The mushroom is fleshy, with a sweetish nutty taste and odorless. Its flesh is dense and brittle, turning from white to rusty when cut. Russula grows greenish singly or in groups, preferring space under oaks, beeches and birches in deciduous and mixed forests.

Russula blue, or azure (Russula azurea)

a species growing under coniferous trees, more often under spruce trees. The diameter of the mushroom cap is from 3 to 10 cm. It is convex at an early age and flat with a concave center by the time the spores ripen. The hat has a color of various shades of purple with a bluish admixture. Leg whitish, velvety. Skin with a bluish bloom, well removed. Spore powder is white. Blue russula are edible mushrooms with a pleasant taste.

The loader is often lamellar, or nigella often-plate (Russula densifolia )

mushroom of the russula genus. The diameter of its cap is less than 20 cm. The whitish flesh on the cut first turns red, and then turns brown and black. Plates are light. As the fungus ages, the outer color of the fungus changes from grayish to olive, brown and brown. The load is growing in the southern regions in broad-leaved and coniferous forests. The extract of this russula is used in medicine.

Russula gray (Russula grisea )

the earliest of the russulas. Grows in large groups in light pine or broadleaf forests, on fresh, sandy soils, from June to August. Its hat is from 5 to 12 cm in diameter, of a traditional form for russula: convex in young mushrooms and flat, funnel-shaped in old ones. Its color is bluish, gray, dirty gray or dirty lilac-bluish, lighter towards the edge and dark in the middle. The leg is light. The peel is removed to half the cap. The pulp of russula is dense, white, odorless, fresh or slightly edible.

white pickup, or dry mushroom ( R u ssula d e lica )

Synonyms: cracker, russula pleasant, excellent. White podgruzdki often found in coniferous and deciduous forests in the northern part of the forest zone of Russia. Grow from July to October. The hat, up to 20 cm in diameter, is first flat-convex with a curved edge and a depression in the middle, then funnel-shaped with a straightening edge, pure white, sometimes with brownish-yellow spots (scorch marks), at first thin felt, then naked. A white load is characterized by the presence of adhering soil particles in the center of the cap.

The stem of the fungus is up to 5 cm long, smooth, at first solid, then hollow, white, thin-felt. The pulp is white, does not change at the break, is not caustic in the cap tissue, bitterish in the plates. The plates are descending, narrow, clean, sometimes forked, forked, white towards the outer edge. Spores are colorless, ovate-rounded. Usually this mushroom is salted. Salted podgruzdok tastes good and has a pleasant white color.

Conditionally edible russula

Conditionally edible russula can be eaten only after heat treatment and in no case should it be eaten raw. This group includes:

Russula black, black podgrudok, or nigella (Russula adusta)

has a dirty white-gray in youth and brown in maturity color of the cap. Her legs are lighter. The plates are dirty gray, the spores are colorless. The flesh is first turning pink, and then graying on the cut, blackening on the stem when pressed. The cap of a young mushroom is convex-prostrate, then with a funnel in the center. The cap diameter is from 5 to 15 cm. The taste of the mushroom is mild, the smell is unpleasant. Black russula grows mainly in pine forests from July to October.

Russula ocher (Russula ochroleuca)

has many similar specific epithets: pale ocher, pale yellow, lemon, ocher yellow, ocher white, ocher yellow. The color of the cap corresponds to the name, its diameter is 5-12 cm. Hemispherical at first, then it becomes convex. The skin of mushrooms of this species is easily separated by strips. Their leg is white with a brown tint, 3 to 8 in height, 1 to 2.5 cm in diameter. The plates and spores are white or creamy. Buffy russula are conditionally edible mushrooms that are often found in European forests of all types.

Russula pink, beautiful, or rosaceous (Russula rosea)

conditionally edible mushroom. Named for the color of the cap, although it is not actually pink, but has shades from red to pinkish and can change with the weather to pale lemon. The diameter of the cap is from 4 to 12 cm. Its shape is semicircular, eventually flattened with a concave center. The skin does not separate from the pulp of the cap. The height of the stem is from 3 to 8 cm, the diameter is from 1 to 3 cm, its color is white or pinkish, approximately like a hat. The plates are pinkish or cream, sometimes reddish closer to the stem. The pulp is white with a sweet smell, dense, but brittle. Spore powder has light shades of ocher or cream color. Pink russula grows singly or in groups from July to October, mainly in broadleaf but sometimes in coniferous forests, on well-drained soil.

Russula birch (caustic birch) (Russula betularum )

conditionally edible mushroom, which has a flat hat from 2 to 5 cm in diameter. Its color is the most diverse: from dark red to white with a yellowish center. The skin is easily removed. The leg is brittle, with cavities, soaking from dampness, wrinkled above, light. The flesh of the russula is white, grayish when wet, practically odorless, pungent in taste. Spores are white.

According to its name, these mushrooms grow under birch trees in deciduous and mixed forests. They like wet or swampy places. Birch russula is edible after preliminary boiling.

Value (Russula foetens )

conditionally edible mushroom. Other names for the fungus: plakun, goby, svinur, kulbir, apricot, head over heels, podtopolnik, fist, cowshed. Grows in the forest zone of North America and Eurasia. It occurs in mountain, spruce, deciduous forests. Most abundant in oak forests and birch forests. Collect valui from July to October. The cap of the mushroom is yellow-brown or ocher. Its maximum diameter is 15 cm. At first it is spherical, adjacent to the leg. Later it becomes flat, depressed in the center. The edge of the cap is thin and ribbed, with a peeling off skin. The mushroom is covered with mucus, especially in wet weather, for which it was nicknamed the crybaby. Valuya leg is cylindrical, 6-12 cm high and up to 3 cm thick. Light, may be covered with brown spots at the base. Bloated, empty inside. Its flesh is initially white and dense, turning brown on the cut. It tastes pungent and pungent and has an unpleasant smell of dampness. In dry and hot weather, the smell disappears completely. Valuya plates are often located, they are adherent, at first white, later yellow. Drops of liquid stand out along the edges of the plates, drying in air and leaving brown spots. Its spores are round, colorless at the time of appearance and light ocher, prickly at the time of maturation. Mushrooms are suitable for salting. To do this, it is better to collect valui with a hat up to 6 cm. Their legs are cut to the base and blanched before salting. Cooked in this way, they acquire a good taste. Valui is also used to make mushroom caviar.

blackening loader, or russula blackening (Russula nigricans )

a large conditionally edible mushroom, at first with a convex, then with a flat-prostrate hat and a slightly depressed middle. The color of the cap varies from whitish to sooty brown. Its maximum diameter is 20 cm. The flesh is white, first reddening on the cut, and then blackening. The stem of the mushroom is short, strong, covered with veins. The plates are not typical for russula: thick, different in length, rare, at first yellowish, later dark and even black. Loading grows from July to October, mainly in coniferous forests.

Russula reddening false ( Russula fuscorubroides)

The fungus grows singly or in small groups in pine and spruce forests from June to August. It has a smooth lilac-purple or black-tinted cap, convex-flat in young specimens and depressed in the middle with fringed edges in mature ones. Its diameter is from 4 to 14 cm. The stem is 4-9 cm high and 7-15 mm thick, purple, with blood-red longitudinal grooves, cylindrical, tapering upwards. The plates are adherent, narrow, arched, ocher-white. The spores are also buffy white. Due to its pungent taste, russula is used to prepare hot spices. It can be eaten after preliminary boiling in two or three waters.

Inedible Russula

Inedible, or false russula, can be distinguished from edible ones by the pink color of the end of the stem and the absence of damage by insect larvae and nematodes. Fortunately, no deaths have been recorded when eating these types of russula, but they can cause poisoning and disorders of the gastrointestinal tract.

Russula stinging (vomiting, caustic, nauseating) (Russula emetica)

It got its name from its bitter taste. Its hat is initially hemispherical, then flat or slightly concave, with a diameter of 4 to 8 cm. Russula flesh is white, pink under the skin, has a sweet smell or is completely devoid of it. The skin is bright red, smooth, shiny, becoming sticky when wet, separates from the pulp to the middle of the cap. The stem is white or pinkish. The plates are white, less often cream. Spores are pure white. Grows in both coniferous and deciduous forests.

Russula brittle ( R u ssula fr a Gilis )

chooses moist pine forests and their edges. It grows in August - September. The cap of the mushroom is up to 5 cm in diameter, thin-fleshy, purple-lilac, sometimes with a green or greenish middle. Its surface is flat, often with a tubercle, somewhat moist, with peeling skin. The plates are mostly the same length. Spores prickly, white in mass. Russula pulp is brittle. Some consider the mushroom to be conditionally edible and are consumed in a salty form after preliminary boiling.

Russula Kele (Russula queletii)

an inedible mushroom that grows under coniferous trees. A dark or even black-violet cap is convex when young, becoming prostrate with edges curving upwards in maturity. Its diameter varies from 4 to 10 cm. In mature mushrooms, the skin color acquires brown, cherry, brownish-purple hues with greenery along the edges. The lamellar hymenophore in young mushrooms becomes creamy yellowish over time. The color of the stem can be either light purple or dark purple-pink. The thickness of the stem is 1-2 cm, the height does not exceed 8 cm. The dense pulp of the fungus becomes brittle with age, the color does not change or turns slightly yellow on the cut. The inedible russula Kele has a very sharp and burning-spicy taste.

poisonous russula

Among russula there are no species that could be called truly poisonous. But there is a danger of confusing with them the most poisonous mushroom - pale grebe ( Amanita phalloides), which looks like green russula ( Russula aeruginea).

Calorie russula

Russula has a calorie content of about 19 kcal per 100 g.

The benefits and harms of russula. Is it possible to get poisoned with russula?

The composition of the fruiting bodies of russula includes:

vitamins B1, B2, C, E, PP,
minerals: potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus and iron.

Russula mushrooms are suitable for nutrition of athletes and people who monitor their weight, as they are a low-calorie product and a source of easily digestible protein. In terms of vitamins and minerals, russula surpasses, for example, cranberries, known for their beneficial properties. Some types of russula are able to have an antibacterial effect in abscesses. They can be used as a blood thinner and prevent blood clots.

But it should be borne in mind that mushrooms are heavy food for the liver and stomach, so people with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, liver, the elderly, pregnant women and children should use them with caution.

Distinguishing russula is quite difficult. It is necessary to ensure that inedible species do not get into food, as they can cause poisoning and malfunction of the gastrointestinal tract. If symptoms of poisoning appear, the following measures should be taken:

call a doctor;
wash the stomach, causing vomiting;
take a sorbent, for example, activated carbon, smectite, polysorb or enterosgel;
provide plenty of fluids;
put the victim in bed, putting a warm heating pad on the legs.

How to collect and cook russula?

The collection of russula should be carried out only in baskets or enameled buckets. The plates of mushrooms are brittle, crumble quickly, so you can’t carry them in bags, backpacks, plastic bags and at the bottom of dishes under other mushrooms, where they break easily.

It doesn’t matter if you cut the mushroom with a knife, twist it or just pull it: there will be no harm from this branched underground mycelium. The collected "harvest" cannot be stored for a long time, it must be processed as soon as possible. Brittle russula can be cleaned after scalding or soaking in boiling water for 20 minutes, or by soaking the mushrooms in cold water for a while. During cleaning, you need to remove various twigs, needles, leaves and other forest debris, cut out darkened, as well as places eaten by worms and insects. From the caps of red russula, it is necessary to remove the skin, which is bitter. Wash mushrooms after cleaning. Mushrooms are usually not washed before drying.

Like other mushrooms, russula can:

fry,
cook,
salt,
marinate,
sour,
freeze for the winter.

It is undesirable to dry them, due to the fact that many species have a bitter aftertaste.

Pickled russula is a rather tasty dish. To remove bitterness before frying or cooking, it is advisable to soak the mushrooms for 10-12 hours, changing cold water 2-3 times. After that, they are rinsed and boiled for 5 minutes in lightly salted water. Then the mushrooms are placed in an enameled or glass container and poured with a solution prepared from water, salt and sugar, currant leaves are placed on top and, having covered everything so that the brine comes out from above, they are left to ferment at a temperature of 20 ° C. In a month, pickled russula will be ready.

For the subsequent preparation of dishes, boil the russula for at least 30 minutes, adding salt, adding spices and periodically removing the resulting foam. Then they need to be thrown into a colander. If conditionally edible russula is bitter, during cooking, the bitterness will go into the water, which you simply drain. You can fry boiled, soaked and not even soaked russula: the main thing is that they do not have a burning or bitter taste. During frying, you can add onions, spices, lemon juice, garlic and other ingredients.

Russula is salted and pickled in the same way as other mushrooms. Moreover, unlike other mushrooms, russula can be salted in a day and even faster. After cleaning and short soaking, the mushrooms are transferred to an enamel bowl, salt, garlic and spices are added to your liking, covered with a lid and left for at least 12 hours. After this time, russula can be eaten.

Taken from ladyspecial.ru

The most delicious are gray and green types of russula. Types of red color, as a rule, have bitterness. However, the pink and red russula that appear in May are not bitter.
To check whether russula is bitter or not, you can try a small amount of their pulp. There will be no harm from this, because in order to get poisoned with russula, you need to eat a large amount of these mushrooms.
From similar mushrooms, pale toadstool and fly agaric, russula differ in the absence of a ring on the stem, volva at the base of the stem and the fragility of its flesh.
The enzyme russulin is found in the mycelium of some types of fresh red russula. Only 500 mg of this substance curdles 200 liters of milk in 30 minutes. It is used in the production of cottage cheese and rennet cheeses. This enzyme partially replaced the more expensive rennin, which was previously obtained from the stomachs of lambs and calves. A similar substance is also produced by certain types of bacteria.
In France and Germany, russula is not harvested, as it is considered inedible mushrooms.
Reindeer, moose and wild boars love and enjoy eating russula.
In terms of taste and economic value, white mushrooms are classified as the second category of mushrooms. This is the most delicious cheesecake. Other mushrooms of this genus are classified in lower categories.

Russula (lat. Russula) – these are the most common mushrooms in forests: they make up 30-45% of the mass of all mushrooms. So named because some of their varieties can be eaten raw. There are edible and non-edible specimens. You can learn about what russula looks like and how to determine whether a mushroom is poisonous in front of you or not, from our article.

Description of the Russula family

Russula belong to the genus of agaric fungi of the order Agariaceae of the Russula family. Their fruiting bodies are fleshy and large. You can recognize russula in the forest by bright, various colors of hats with a diameter of 2-20 cm, spherical, hemispherical, bell-shaped with white flesh and white even legs. You can read about the color of russula in the section "Types of russula". Russula caps break well, which reduces the economic importance of these mushrooms. As they mature, they change their shape, becoming prostrate, flat and funnel-shaped, sometimes twisted. Mushrooms have adherent descending plates with a blunt or sharp edge. The color of the spores varies from white to yellow.

Did you know? In order to determine what type of russula belongs to - lamellar or tubular, you need to look under the hat. Its lower layer consists of many plates.

Russula grow in July, their mass appearance is recorded in August and early autumn. Basically, they are all edible, only a small part of them are not suitable for food due to weak toxicity or unpleasant taste. Suitable for fresh and pickled consumption. They are included in the third category of edible mushrooms, which includes mushrooms of medium taste. Some are categorized below because they are of no nutritional value.

Many may be interested in the question under which tree the russula grows. The fact is that these fungi are mycorrhiza-forming with tree roots. They can often be found under hardwoods: oak, birch, alder, as well as under spruces and pines. Russula contains a number of useful substances, in particular, vitamins - 1 kg of mushrooms contains 264 mg of vitamin B and 6 mg of vitamin PP.

Did you know? Russula is considered the best for eating, in which the color of the hats is more green, blue, yellow and less red.

Types of russula (with photo)

In the nature of Eurasia, Australia, East Asia and America, usually in coniferous and deciduous forests, there are about 275 species of russula, we will give a brief description of the most common.

Did you know? Since differences between species groups of russula are insignificant, sometimes chemical analysis or examination of microscopic signs may be necessary to accurately determine the type of fungus.

Edible Russula

Appears from July to October in coniferous and mixed forests. Recognizable by a white cap, sometimes with yellow patches and slightly pubescent edges. The shape of the cap varies from convex to funnel-shaped. The leg is short, narrowed down, white or slightly brown. In cooking, dry mushrooms are used to prepare soups, fried dishes, and marinate. His taste is pungent.

It grows in moist birch and birch-pine forests. Appearance time - July - October. At the very beginning, it has a hemispherical yellow cap. Over time, it changes to a flat and funnel-shaped. It reaches a diameter of 5-10 cm. A characteristic feature is the torn off skin along the edge of the cap. Legs are white. The plates are white, becoming pale yellow and gray over time. Yellow russula belongs to the third category of edible mushrooms. It has a sweetish non-acrid taste. Used fresh and salted.

Mushroom found in coniferous forests. The hat with a diameter of 3-10 cm is painted blue. The coloration is uneven: in the center it can be black-lilac, lighter towards the edge. The stem is white, 3-5 cm high.

An inhabitant of coniferous and deciduous forests. It can be recognized by its yellowish-green plano-convex hat up to 10 cm in size. Despite its rather unattractive and inedible appearance, the mushroom has a pleasant taste. It is salted, fried and boiled.

Did you know? If you are wondering which poisonous mushroom you can easily confuse green and greenish russula with, then this is a pale grebe. However, russula does not have a ring on the leg and a thickening at the base.

The hat of this russula has a beautiful and attractive color - red with gray spots. Her legs are straight and white. Comes in July-September. It grows mainly in deciduous and coniferous forests.

. Appears in late summer - early autumn in groups in deciduous forests. It has a depressed hat of dark green color and brown closer to the center. The stem is white with brown patches at the base.

It got its name due to the fact that it is often found in swampy areas, pine forests. Where the marsh russula grows, it is usually damp and humid. Grows from June to September. At a young age, it has a convex hat, later it becomes depressed. It is painted red, closer to the center - brown. The stem is white, sometimes with a pink tint. The mushroom is very tasty, suitable for cooking, frying, pickling and pickling.

. It grows throughout the summer until October. It lives in deciduous and mixed forests, most often under birches. It has a large hat - up to 15 cm in diameter. In young russula mushrooms, it is hemispherical, with time it turns into a convex or prostrate. Painted in gray-green or bluish-green. In cooking, it is used for frying, boiling and salting after blanching.

. Begins to grow in mid-summer. It is noticeable by a large convex-outstretched hat up to 20 cm in bright colors: red, yellow, purple. The leg has a height of 3-12 cm and a diameter of 4 cm, white, sometimes with a pink tint.

. Mushrooms of this species can be harvested from July to October. The caps of this species in a well-ripened form are rounded greenish or purple. The stalk is thick, mostly white, but can also be reddish or lilac. The mushroom has a pleasant taste. Belongs to the third category.

Now you know what edible russula looks like. There is also a category of conditionally edible mushrooms that may have an unpleasant taste, be unsuitable for cooking, but suitable for pickling. Conditionally edible include: russula turning brown, girlish, ocher, golden yellow, beautiful, blackening podgrudok, white podgrudok, black podgrudok, valui, graying russula and others.

Inedible Russula

Immediately it is necessary to make a reservation that there are no poisonous russula in the direct sense of the word. The category of inedible mushrooms includes mushrooms that have a burning pungent taste, among them there may be slightly poisonous or toxic, causing irritation of the oral mucosa and mild gastrointestinal disorders when ingested. Many of them often have external signs similar to their edible counterparts, because of this they are called false russula. Inedible non-toxic mushrooms include:russula birch, red, pink, Kele, brittle, caustic, bilious and others.

. The hats of this russula have a variety of bright colors and shades: red, pink, purple, gray. Forms mycosis with birch roots. Occurs from June to November.

. It grows in pine forests in late summer - early September. The cap of this mushroom is small - up to 6 cm, flat-convex, dark red. This russula smells good and has a pungent taste.

. Just like the previous species, it is found in pine forests in August-September. Her hat at the beginning of development has a convex shape, then becomes prostrate. Painted pink. Russula is bitter in taste.

. It has a small hat 3-8 cm in diameter. At different stages of development, it changes shape: it passes from semicircular to concave-prostrate with ribbed edges. Her color is dark shades - red, purple, burgundy. The stem is purple-red. The taste of this russula is sharp, the smell is pleasant.

. Usually grows in groups in all types of forests. Her hat is 3-5 cm, flat-prostrate with red skin. On the edges of the skin is light pink, towards the center is brown, purple with an olive tint. The pulp is fragile, pungent in taste.

Inedible toxic mushrooms are Mayr's russula and pungent russula.

. Russula has a number of characteristic features, a brief description will help you recognize it when you meet and bypass it. First of all, it is a rich red hat. First hemispherical, then flat, slightly depressed. The stem is white, may be brown or yellow at the base. Grows in beech forests. When used, it provokes mild poisoning.

It lives in moist pine forests. It is characterized by a red or red-pink hat 10 cm in diameter, flat-convex, and later prostrate. It has a burning unpleasant taste and an unpleasant odor.

How to distinguish edible from inedible russula

You can determine which russula mushroom is in front of you - edible or not, according to several criteria. So, for inedible, dense pulp, pink color of the end of the leg, no damage by worms, rough plates, film or skirt on the leg are characteristic. All inedible types of russula usually (but not always) have a bright flashy color and an unpleasant smell. When cracked and boiled, the flesh changes color.

Important! These characteristics are also present in some edible types of russula.

You need to be very careful not to confuse the edible green and greenish russula with the poisonous pale grebe, which are somewhat similar. Here are the differences in the structure and color of the legs and hats that you may find useful.

Leg. In russula, it is straight, may be narrowed down, white. In the pale grebe, it is thickened at the base in the form of a tuber, has a ring and light green or light yellow stains and veins.

Hat . Pale grebe has a film under the cap.

Important! Old pale grebes may not have the characteristic feature of poisonous mushrooms - rings on the stem.

First aid for mushroom poisoning

Although, as we have already written, russula do not pose a strong danger to human health, nevertheless, even with a mild degree of poisoning, those who have eaten a toxic mushroom will require urgent help. In the case of russula, you will need to rinse your mouth, possibly inducing vomiting and gastric lavage. In case of serious poisoning with poisonous mushrooms, damage to the gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular system, central nervous system, liver and kidneys can occur. It is important to provide assistance at the first symptoms of poisoning. Because, for example, the treatment of lesions caused by pale grebe, carried out on the second day, will already be in vain.

Various poisonous mushrooms cause special effects when ingested, but diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain will be common to them. The first signs of poisoning may appear at different times, depending on the mushroom eaten. So, for example, poisoning with a pale grebe will appear within 8-18 hours, lines - after 6-10 hours, fly agarics - after 30 minutes or 2-6 hours, false mushrooms - after 1-6 hours. You can remove the poison from the body with the help of vomiting. It is called by drinking a glass of warm water with 1 tablespoon of table salt or 1 teaspoon of mustard. You can also provoke vomiting by drinking a large amount of cool water, and then pressing two fingers on the root of the tongue.

Gastric lavage is required. After the procedure, a person needs to use activated charcoal (1-2 tablets per 1 kg of body weight). As you can see, there are many varieties of russula. Unfortunately, it is not always easy to distinguish between edible and non-edible russula. Sometimes even such characteristics as color, smell and taste cannot help in this. Remember: at the slightest doubt whether a mushroom is good or poisonous, it is better to get rid of it.

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