Russula mushrooms are inedible and poisonous (with photo). Russula mushrooms, edible and inedible - photo and description of what russulas look like A mushroom similar to russula with a thick stalk

Russula is a genus of lamellar mushrooms of the Russula family. Today, 270 species are known, almost all of which are suitable for human consumption. Russula got its name due to its unique property - it cooks much faster than other mushrooms. This is a nutritious low-calorie product (only 15 calories are concentrated in 100 grams), which instantly saturates and does not lead to obesity.

Russula is a large mushroom with a cap, the plates of which are white or yellowish in color. They should not be brown, black or red as this indicates they are inedible. Russulas grow on the ground under bushes and trees.

Mushrooms are collected from June to October. All types with a mild taste are suitable for food.

Fresh russula supply the body with vitamins B1, B2, C, E, PP, lecithin, the enzyme rassulin, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus, and iron.

The rich chemical composition determines the beneficial properties of the product: normalizes the concentration of cholesterol in the blood, cleanses the body of waste and toxins, prevents blood thickening, blood clots, and has antibacterial properties.

Botanical description

Russulas are cap mushrooms that grow on an even stalk, without tubers or rings. In young representatives, the apex is hemispherical, which straightens with age and becomes flat, reaching 10 centimeters in diameter. Russulas are widespread everywhere: in rare birch forests, in pine and deciduous forests, on the roadside, on a mossy bank, at the edge. The best period for collecting forest beauty is August-September.

Description:

1. Hat. Initially it has a bell-shaped, hemispherical, spherical configuration, later it becomes funnel-shaped, flat or prostrate, less often – convex. The edge of the cap is striped or ribbed, curled or straight. The skin is of various colors, shiny or matte, dry, less often wet, adherent, easily separated from the pulp, sometimes cracking.
2. Records. Descending or free, adherent, notched, equal or unequal in length, frequent, sometimes sparse, forked-branched. The color of the plates is white, yellowish, the edges are blunt, pointed, depending on the type.
3. Leg. White or colored, cylindrical, smooth, rarely pointed, thickened at the base, dense or hollow inside.
4. Pulp. White, does not change color with age and when cut, spongy, fragile, dense in the stem, with a soft, subtle taste. Burning and pungent notes indicate that the mushroom is poisonous and unsuitable for consumption.
5. Spore powder. Color varies from white to dark yellow.

Russulas are edible in 90% of cases, some have a bitter taste, which, as a rule, disappears after heat treatment and soaking.

Popular edible species

1. Russula food. The mushroom cap is fleshy, uneven in color, finely mesh-wrinkled, reddish, white-pink. In the middle it is brownish and ocher. It reaches 5–10 centimeters in diameter. The edges of the cap are slightly ribbed or smooth, the plates are frequent, of equal length, yellowish-white, branched at the stem. Fruits in July-October. Similarly, the mushroom can be confused with herring russula, the latter, in turn, has a pronounced fishy smell.

In folk medicine it is used as a diuretic, in cooking for pickling, salting, and making soups.

1. Russulas are greenish (scaly). This is the most delicious type of mushroom among all existing ones. All kinds of preparations are made from them, subjected to all types of culinary processing, with the exception of drying. The cap of the scaly russula is green, sometimes with a bluish tint, fleshy, with tightly adherent skin. Its surface is thick, dry, rough, warty, cracking with age, reaching 5–12 centimeters in diameter. The plates are white, sometimes with a yellowish tint. The pulp is dense, fragile, and emits a pleasant mushroom smell. The leg is white, furrowed, and becomes brown with age. When scrapped, the russula changes color and becomes rusty. Fruiting period – July – October.

According to the conclusion of Chinese biochemists, R. Virescens extract has a beneficial effect on the regulation of blood lipids. With regular consumption of the mushroom for 30 days, a decrease in triglycerides and total cholesterol is observed. In addition, the level of serum and liver malondialdehydes decreases, and the content of the enzyme superoxide dismutase increases.

The main beneficial property of russula of this type is the ability to suppress Ehrlich carcinoma and saracoma-180 by 90%.

1. Russula turns brown. The mushroom cap is dark red, brown-ocher, yellowish, olive, burgundy with a purple-brown or black center, strongly convex. Reaches 5 – 15 centimeters in diameter. Sometimes with the purple edge folded inward. The plates are soft, branched at the stem, cream, ocher or brown in color, and turn brown when pressed. When scrapped, the flesh is white, darkens over time, the leg has a herring smell, which intensifies towards the base, the cap has a crab or nutty taste. The leg is white, rarely with rusty spots, it can be pink or red.

1. Russula is blue-yellow. A distinctive feature is the variety of colors, which can be multi-colored or blurry. The color of the cap varies from purple, blue to dark green, red-brown, and its diameter reaches 15 centimeters. The surface of the mushroom is sticky, shiny, with a ribbed edge. The flesh and stem are white, the plates are flexible and completely unbreakable. Fruits from June to October.

Polysaccharides from the fruiting bodies of the fungus have antitumor and antioxidant activity.

1. Russula olive (herring). The cap is convex, prostrate, 5–12 centimeters in diameter, glabrous, slightly mucous, depressed in the center, with a ribbed edge. The flesh is white, turning brown with age. The skin is easily separated from the cap. Olive russula emits a characteristic herring smell, which is especially noticeable in aging mushrooms at the base of the stem. The plates are frequent, adherent to the stem, white. With age they become creamy and turn brown when pressed. The thickness of the leg is 2 centimeters, height is up to 10 centimeters, the surface is smooth, dirty pinkish-yellow or white.

Fruits in July-August.

Used for salting, pickling, making soups, frying.

Healing properties and contraindications

Russulas are low in calories (100 grams of fresh product contains 19 calories), since they consist of 90% water and have a rich vitamin and mineral composition.

The benefits of forest gifts for the human body cannot be overestimated. Interestingly, in ancient times, mushrooms were used by folk healers to treat various ailments: frostbite, boils, headaches, psycho-emotional disorders.

The effect of russula on the human body:

1. Supplied with vitamins, minerals, protein. Interestingly, to satisfy the body in proteins, it is enough to eat 150 - 200 grams of dried mushrooms per day. This property looks especially attractive to vegetarians and raw foodists who suffer from a lack of protein in their diet due to the exclusion of meat products from the menu.
2. Strengthen the immune system and prevent cancer due to selenium content.
3. They clean blood vessels, prevent the formation of cholesterol plaques, blood thickening, and the formation of blood clots, which cause the development of cardiovascular pathologies.
4. They normalize metabolism, remove excess fluid from the body, and promote weight loss.
5. Prevent emotional disorders, mental exhaustion, calm the nervous system.
6. Improves the condition of teeth, nails, hair, skin, bones.
7. Cleanses the stomach and intestines (adsorb harmful substances from the body).

Interestingly, mushroom juice is used externally in the fight against corns (keratinized skin on the feet). The safe daily dose of russula for a healthy adult is 150 grams. Be extremely careful when collecting forest products so as not to pick poisonous specimens.

Russula, like other types of mushrooms, belong to the category of difficult-to-digest foods. Despite the healing properties of the product, they are not recommended for use by people with acute inflammatory processes in the digestive system, impaired liver and heart function, with individual intolerance, children under 7 years of age, pregnant and lactating women.

When to collect?

Russula grows on the edges, clearings, and in all forests. The first young mushrooms appear in June, and the most productive time is in August. The most delicious russulas have yellow and green caps. Do not collect overgrown gifts of nature, they accumulate harmful foreign substances from the environment. Fresh, young mushrooms that have not been bitten by insects are suitable for food. Throw away wormy specimens immediately.

In order to return to a well-known place next time and collect a rich harvest of mushrooms, you should spare the mycelium: russula, like any gifts of nature, cannot be pulled out of the ground, they must be carefully cut off at the base with a knife.

Safety regulations:

1. Don't pick a mushroom without identifying it. Collect only those specimens that you are sure of, otherwise you can cut off an inedible poisonous product that can cause intoxication of the body and even lead to death.
2. All russula on the inside have white plates, white legs, without scales, films, or rings. Cut mushrooms practically do not change color. They remain white (rarely - barely turn yellow).
3. If it rains heavily in the summer, avoid picking mushrooms, as they have become saturated with water, lost their taste, and released toxic substances.
4. After harvesting, the mushrooms are re-sorted to identify “random” unsuitable specimens, then placed in a cool salty solution for an hour or three to eliminate insects and a bitter taste.
5. Before eating russula, they are subjected to reliable heat treatment! Do not consume the product raw under any circumstances!

Mushrooms are picked in the morning before the sun heats them up. This way they will last longer. The cut specimens are immediately cleaned of debris, adhering needles, grass, soil and leaves, and placed in a basket with the cap down.

Mushroom picker equipment:

• stick for searching for mushrooms;
• electronic GPS navigator;
• mushroom basket;
• disinfectant and patch;
• telephone (to call emergency services);
• basket and knife for mushrooms;
• water and sandwiches.

Remember, poisonous mushrooms are often disguised as edible ones, so before you go into the forest, refresh the information on how to distinguish a good specimen from a toadstool. Don't put your health at mortal risk.

Mushroom is a treacherous product, follow safety rules!

Selection and storage

If you are not a mushroom picker, you can buy russula at the market from people who know a lot about them. The most important thing is to choose the right product. Examine the mushroom carefully. Real russula has a dense or hollow stem, smooth, white. The pulp is extremely fragile and may darken when cut (extremely rarely). There are no membranes. Cap of various colors with white or yellow plates. But under no circumstances can they be brown, black or red. If there is a crimson or purple spot on the cap, most likely it is a false inedible russula.

When choosing, give preference to dense mushrooms, avoid old, dried out specimens. Russulas that are blue-green or yellow are considered to be the highest quality and tastiest.

After harvesting, the crop retains its nutritional properties for the next 24 to 48 hours. It is believed that the mushroom is a perishable product that should be cooked immediately. If you plan to prepare the dish the next day, then dry russula is placed in the refrigerator.

Dried mushrooms can be stored for up to 1.5 years. And salted and pickled ones for no more than 1 year. Interestingly, after drying, forest bread retains beneficial amino acids and dietary fiber; only the protein, which makes up 40% of the original amount, is lost.

Chemical composition

Russula is a dietary product rich in beneficial minerals, vitamins, and elements. Mushrooms take a long time to digest in the body, creating a feeling of fullness, therefore they are recommended for consumption by people (in boiled form) who have embarked on the path of fighting excess weight.

Russulas contain lecithin, an essential substance for the human body. This is a fat-like organic compound, a building material for cell membranes. Lecithin consists of 17% of nerve tissue, 30% of the brain and 50% of the human liver. It improves memory, strengthens brain activity, preserves the conductivity of nerve fibers, protects liver cells, normalizes the composition of bile, and strengthens the heart muscle. Without lecithin, proper absorption of fat-soluble nutrients (A, E, K, D) is impossible.

Use in cooking

After collecting russula, take into account the peculiarity of the mushroom. This is an extremely fragile product. To make cleaning easier, pour boiling water over them first. The film is removed if it is bitter; if not, the mushroom is boiled along with it. The shell prevents the product from boiling and maintains its integrity.

Before use, mushrooms are soaked for two hours, boiled for at least 5 minutes, and only then subjected to the main processing processes - pickling, salting or frying.

Russulas go harmoniously with meat and vegetables. Vegetarian puree soups, pie fillings, and sauces are prepared on their basis. Russulas serve as an excellent side dish or served as an independent dish.

Pickling mushrooms

Ingredients:

• garlic – 3 cloves;
• onion - 1 head;
• rock salt – 60 grams;
• vegetable oil – 45 milliliters;
• blueberries – 5 leaves;
• fresh edible russula – 1 kilogram.

Cooking method:

1. Clean the mushrooms from dirt, rinse, place in a container, sprinkle with salt.
2. Peel the garlic, cut into small slices, add to the russula, along with blueberry sprigs. Leave in a dark, cool place for 12 hours.
3. Peel the onion, chop, mix with oil. Add to mushrooms. Mix the contents thoroughly.
4. Fill the jars and place in the refrigerator. After a month, the salted russula are ready to eat.

Marinating mushrooms

There are several ways to do this: with vinegar, garlic and onions.

Let's look at each of them.

Marinating with vinegar:

1. Peel the mushrooms, trim the stems short, and remove the film from the cap if necessary.
2. Pour boiling water over the russula, boil for 5 minutes, cool, then drain in a colander.
3. Sterilize the jars, place a bay leaf, dill umbrellas, a sprig of tarragon, and currant leaves on the bottom.
4. Prepare the marinade: for 250 milliliters of water you will need 25 grams of rock salt and 50 milliliters of vinegar. Calculate the required amount of brine based on the number of mushrooms.
5. Place the russula in jars, pour boiling marinade over them, and screw on the lids.

Marinating with garlic:

1. Wash and cook the mushrooms.
2. Peel the garlic and chop into thin slices.
3. Place the first layer of mushrooms in a saucepan, cap side down, sprinkle with salt and garlic, then the second, third. Please note that 1 kilogram of russula will require 15 – 20 grams of salt. The amount of garlic depends on individual preference.
4. Keep the mushrooms in a cold place for 14 days. After 2 weeks they acquire a sharp, rich taste. Good as a snack with vodka.

Remember, russulas prepared in this way are not stored for a long time; they must be eaten within 4 to 7 days.

Ingredients for pickling with onions:

• russula with hard caps – 1 kilogram;
• purified water – 400 milliliters;
• vinegar - 250 milliliters;
• sugar – 15 grams;
• cloves – 3 buds;
• bay leaf – 4 pieces;
• onions – 300 grams;
• rock salt – 20 grams;
• allspice – 5 peas.

Cooking principle:

1. Peel the mushrooms, soak, boil for 15 minutes, drain in a colander to remove excess liquid.
2. Add sugar, salt, onion, and the indicated spices to 400 milliliters of water and bring to a boil. Pour vinegar into the spicy solution.
3. Add russula to the resulting marinade. Cook for 5 minutes.
4. Sterilize the jars.
5. Distribute the hot mushrooms among containers, fill with brine, and close with lids.

Cooking mushrooms

1. Wash, sort the mushrooms and place in a saucepan.
2. Pour in cold water based on the ratio: 1 part product to 2 parts liquid.
3. Place the pan on the stove, bring to a boil, skim off the foam.
4. Reduce heat, add a pot of black pepper, salt, bay leaf. Cook for 30 minutes.

Remember, under no circumstances should you drink the water in which mushrooms were cooked, since during heat treatment all harmful substances from the product moved into the liquid. After cooking, immediately drain the broth and rinse the pan.

Russula chops

1. Select mushrooms with large and flat caps (500 grams), soak in salted water, boil for 5 minutes, drain in a colander.
2. Prepare the batter: mix flour (70 grams), water (60 milliliters), eggs (1 piece), salt, spices (to taste), mayonnaise (30 milliliters), grated garlic (3 cloves).
3. Dip the cap into the resulting mixture, then place it on a hot frying pan with vegetable oil.
4. Fry on both sides until golden brown. Serve with vegetable salad.

Mushrooms stewed in sour cream

1. Wash, cut 450 grams of russula into slices, fry over high heat in vegetable oil for 5 minutes.
2. Peel 2 heads of vegetable onions and chop into cubes.
3. Cut a bunch of dill.
4. Add onions and herbs to the fried mushrooms, pour in 450 milliliters of sour cream, 20% fat. Salt and pepper. Simmer covered for up to half an hour.
5. Serve as a sauce (after passing through a blender) for rice, pasta or as a separate dish.

Conclusion

Russula is the most common type of edible mushroom, growing in deciduous and coniferous forests. Currently, there is an opinion that they can be eaten raw, but this is not the case. Some species are inedible and have a burning taste. One of the brightest representatives is “caustic russula”, which causes poisoning, intoxication of the body and, if consumed in large quantities, can cause death. Edible varieties (edible, scaly, brown, herring, blue-yellow) have a slight odor, a sweetish-nutty taste, and a white stem and plates. A distinctive feature of russula is its highly brittle pulp. To preserve the structure of the mushroom in cooking, it is scalded with boiling water.

Russula is a forest bread that supplies the body with sodium, magnesium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, vitamins B1, B2, B3, E, C. The mushroom acts as an antibacterial agent, strengthens the immune system, helps in the fight for a slim body, prevents the formation of blood clots, blood thickening, normalizes the functioning of the cardiovascular system. Contraindicated for children under 7 years of age, pregnant and lactating women, people with liver, kidney, or stomach disorders, or allergies to the product.

The safe daily dose of russula per day is up to 150 grams.

If, after eating mushrooms, severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea occur, body temperature rises, hallucinations appear, and your hands and feet become cold, immediately call an ambulance. These symptoms indicate poisoning, a serious condition that can pose a threat to human life. Before the doctor arrives, provide the victim with first aid - plenty of fluids and sorbent (activated carbon).

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

Classification of species

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

There are also varieties of russula - golden and yellow.

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

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

With age, the cap of this mushroom becomes flat. In young specimens it is hemispherical. The top of the mushroom can have different shades - from olive to purple. The cap has an average diameter, sometimes reaching 20 cm. It is quite fleshy, equipped with orange plates. Every lover of quiet hunting should know what the russula mushroom looks like. The pulp of the mushroom is juicy, white, odorless and tasteless. The leg is long and purple-red in color.

The name of the russula genus 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-colored plates. Contrary to the sonorous name, the fruiting bodies are not eaten raw, and many of them have a bitter taste.

Young russulas are collected together with their stems and carefully placed in baskets on a layer of leaves or moss - fragile mushrooms are difficult to bring home intact. They are suitable for preparing various main courses and homemade pickles.

Types of Russula

This beautiful, strong mushroom is found in oak and birch forests, where it grows alone or forms small mushroom clearings. The cap is wide, first round, then spread out, 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 without a ring on the leg. The pulp is white, brittle, with creamy thin plates attached to the stem, neutral taste, without bitterness.

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

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

In pine forests on sandy soil you can find these tasty mushrooms with a rounded hemispherical cap, which later becomes slightly convex or flat, and then completely concave in the middle. The skin is light red, may have shades of purple, beige or pink, slightly puffy at the edges and is 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, and in dry weather takes on the color of a cap. 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 - food russula settles in deciduous or mixed lowland forests under beech, oak and birch trees. The collection time extends from the beginning of June until the end of August. The common type is valued above others for its pleasant taste, nutty aroma and dense pulp.

Russula wavy collected from late summer to mid-October, found in mixed and deciduous forests, on plains and in mountainous areas. The species forms fairly strong, dense fruiting bodies, and therefore is loved by mushroom pickers no less than the previous one.

It often grows under birch trees, forming mycorrhizae with these trees, as well as in light oak forests. The harvest season is in late summer and September. And even in warm October you can come across entire clearings of greenish mushrooms.

The fragile caps, not having time to emerge from the ground, quickly open, attracting hordes of insects to the appetizing pulp. Old specimens are especially fragile and, when 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 the leg, which is suitable for food, and at the same time checked for worms.

False russula

The flashy colored russulas are not considered the best mushrooms, but they are still collected en masse due to their availability and lucky ability to grow everywhere. Their disadvantages are not only fragility, blandness of taste, and the presence of some bitterness, but due to their external diversity they have very dangerous doubles.

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

Characteristic differences between the pale grebe there is a wide and then fringed ring on the leg and a thickened cup-shaped base, a kind of “bag” near the ground. Often in old toadstools the ring disappears and therefore you need to remain vigilant, and if in any doubt, beware and not take a suspicious mushroom at all.

The convex caps of light red or pinkish color are easily confused with the also colored russula and wavy russula. The fragile pulp is white, turning pink closer to the skin, with a light fruity aroma and a pungent, unpleasant taste.

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

An attractive mushroom with a dense, smooth cap of cherry or red-brown color and a purple tint, similar to wavy russula. The pulp is firm, yellowish, with a fruity aroma, becoming yellow closer to the skin. The taste is unpleasant, acrid. The peel is difficult to remove. Leg with violet or mauve tint.

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

In coniferous and mixed forests, more often under pine trees, you can find these eye-catching blood-red mushrooms. The cap is up to 10 cm in diameter, at first convex, later widely spread, wine-red in color, sometimes with a lilac tint. The peel is difficult to remove.

The pulp is white, reddish near the skin, 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 eaten raw.

Beneficial features

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

Red and purple mushrooms have an antibacterial effect and are used in folk medicine to treat abscesses and pyoderma.

An enzyme was found in the red-colored species, which scientists named russulin, after the Latin name of this genus of mushrooms. The enzyme has powerful activity and, in small quantities, can quickly curdle milk, replacing rennet enzymes in cheese production.

Contraindications for use

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

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

You should not include russula 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 remind you of the enormous danger that threatens the unlucky mushroom picker, who can confuse russula with poisonous mushrooms, especially with toadstool.

Recipes for cooking dishes and preparations

Before cooking, wash the mushrooms thoroughly, then quickly peel them by lifting the skin from the edges and lightly cutting out the middle. The peeled fruiting bodies are immediately processed, preventing darkening. They are suitable for any preparations and dishes, except first courses.

Natural russula

They use species without bitterness - edible and green russula. After initial processing, 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 taken into account 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 placed in jars and filled with boiling broth, after which they are sterilized for at least an hour and a half. The product is then sealed, cooled and stored in a cold place.

Russula in hot salting

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

Pour 1 glass of water into a bowl, add salt and bring to a boil. Mushrooms are immersed in boiling brine, the foam is removed, after full boiling, spices are added and simmered over low heat for 15 minutes. Readiness can be determined by the settling of the pieces to the bottom and the lightening of the brine. The workpiece is cooled and placed in jars, filled with brine and closed. The pickle is ready in a month and a half.

Russulas fried in breadcrumbs

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

Place the workpiece in half-liter jars 1 cm below the neck and sterilize for one hour. Then seal, cool and store in a cool place.

Mushroom caviar

Thoroughly washed and cleaned fruit bodies are boiled for 30 minutes, constantly skimming off the foam, then placed on a sieve and placed in a porous canvas bag under pressure for 4 hours to drain excess liquid.

The mushrooms pressed in this way are finely chopped or ground in a meat grinder with a large grid together with a small head of onion, add 50 g of salt per 1 kg of mushrooms and ground black pepper. The resulting caviar is placed in sterile jars, filled with boiled oil and covered 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 forest edges, in the grass near white-trunked birches. Almost a third of all collected mushrooms belong to one or another species of Russolaceae. 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.

Good day. These mushrooms are known to everyone, even those who are not fans of “quiet hunting”. The name says a lot, but is it fair? Russula mushrooms, photos and descriptions of which will be given in the article, are the subject of today’s proceedings.

Russula belongs to the Russula family from the order Russula, in Latin russulus means reddish. These are lamellar mushrooms in their youth with a rounded cap, which gradually straightens as the fruiting body grows.

The leg reaches a height of 10 centimeters, without any growths like a ring or volva, most often cylindrical and only in some species slightly pointed. The attached plates of the fungus are frequent, white or yellowish in color.

The flesh of the mushroom is dense and becomes brittle with age; it has a mild, pleasant taste, although some types of russula are caustic and are even considered poisonous.

If we briefly describe what russulas look like, they are multi-colored mushrooms on white stalks, rarely painted in other colors. In terms of color, these cheerful mushrooms represent the entire color palette.

Hats are found:

• light;
• yellow;
• pink;
• red;
• green;
• blue;
• purple;
• black.

The size of the russula caps reaches 25 centimeters in diameter.

The number of discovered species of russula is enormous; Wikipedia gives the number - 257, 60 of which are found in Russia.

Russulas grow in deciduous, mixed and coniferous forests, forming a symbiosis with trees: from birch to spruce.

Types of russula mushrooms

Among the types of russula there are mushrooms that we do not call that. If you don't know, these include:

• valui, or fists;
• black podgrudki, or nigella;
• blackening pods, or blackening russula;
• white loading pads;
• the loads are greenish.

The listed mushrooms are edible, but before eating it is recommended to soak them in two or three waters to avoid a pungent taste. In appearance and properties, these representatives of the fungal kingdom are similar to Milk mushrooms, although they belong to the Russula family.

Inedible

Let us immediately note the inedible types of russula, of which there are not many. These mushrooms are not poisonous, but the bitterness they contain gives the right to classify them as conditionally edible. The pungent taste is removed by certain types of pre-treatment: soaking or boiling, but eating raw is out of the question.

The unifying quality of inedible russulas, they are also incorrectly called false russulas, is their bright coloring, as if screaming about danger. But as mentioned above, after appropriate processing, mushrooms are edible.

Edible

The rest of the mild-tasting russula can indeed be eaten raw, but do not do this because of possible confusion in the mis-grading of mushrooms.

Let's list the edible russula with a brief description:

Russula dishes

Russulas are used in all types of processing. There are many recipes for how to cook them: soups are good, these mushrooms are also tasty fried. They are also good when salted and pickled, especially when mixed with other representatives of the mushroom kingdom.

Salads for the winter are also prepared from these mushrooms: caviar and solyanka. And if you only brought a handful or two of russula from the forest, don’t be upset - treat yourself to a delicious omelet.