Pink mushrooms in a birch grove. The use of birch tinder fungus - benefits and harm

Birch forests rich in various mushrooms. This is due to the fact that it is with this tree that the mushrooms form strong mycorrhizae and the conditions for growth are suitable for them. Here you can find all types of cap mushrooms: edible and inedible, large and small, growing on the soil, litter, dead wood, and tree trunks. Especially when you're young birch forest A shrub that has barely outgrown may contain a variety of different mushrooms. In forests with tall, dense grass, there are usually few mushrooms, so you need to choose places where there is little grass and the forest floor can be seen through it. This article describes the main types of mushrooms in birch plantings that can be found here. But at the same time the forest can be birch forest, but due to the presence of admixtures of other trees, such as aspen or pine, the species composition of mushrooms may change accordingly. Typically obtained from birch trees mushrooms have a high nutritional value.

Boletuses grow abundantly here, preferring bright places on the edges, clearings, along roads, on hills with sparse trees. In light and dry conditions birch groves Milk mushrooms and white milk mushrooms are often found, usually growing in groups forming wide arcs - parts of huge “witch circles”. In light, thinned birch forests There is a birch variety of porcini mushroom - a large, dense, beautiful mushroom with a brownish cap. Here you can also find many varieties of russula, as well as pink and white russula, umbrella mushrooms, various types of rows and talkers. Summer in damp young birch forests, on birch Summer honey fungus grows on stumps, and in the fall - true autumn honey mushroom.

The Saratov region is clean birch groves Hardly ever, birch found most of all in forest belts along roads or between fields and as additives in pine forest plantations, for 5-8 rows of pine trees, one row birch trees. There are quite large areas of forests occupied only birch trees, but compared to the total volume of the array this is less than a percent. Oak dominates among deciduous species in the Saratov region, so the main mushrooms are oak forest mushrooms, and mushrooms birch groves, are found in mixed forests, where there is a lot of birch trees.

Common boletus(lat. Léccinum scábrum) is a species of spongy cap mushrooms of the genus Leccinum, or Obabok of the Boletaceae family. Common names: boletus, birch cap, blackhead, blackhead, podgreb, black mushroom, gray mushroom, spikelet, obabok, grandma, subgrandmother. The common boletus grows quickly and is the herald of the beginning of a mushroom wave. The common boletus is found more often than its other subspecies, the pink boletus and the swamp boletus. Boletus mushroom growing in light deciduous forests, mainly in birch forest, hence the name, but is found in mixed forests. Mushrooms are found in young growths of birch trees near forests; they love the edges of clearings, overgrown old paths and the edges of ravines. Due to the fact that boletus mushrooms love light, it is better to look for them on forest edges and open clearings and along forest roads; they prefer neutral loams or calcareous soils.

This is one of the first valuable mushrooms of the year. The boletus appears at the end of May simultaneously with boletus and white ones or a little earlier and bears fruit until the chilly autumn and the first frosts. The first collection of boletus coincides with the flowering of rowan - at the end of May, beginning of June. The period of active fruiting coincides with the heading of rye, for which this mushroom is called spikelet in some areas. The next period is during linden flowering, lasting like the first, a short time. The third period begins in mid-August and lasts until late autumn.

Edible mushroom, second category. Suitable for all types of processing. During drying, the mushroom turns black and turns brown in the marinade. To avoid turning blue, mushrooms are soaked in a weak solution of citric acid before eating. The mushroom is dried; when dried, the mushroom turns black, boiled, pickled or simply fried with potatoes. Boletus mushrooms are used as a filling for pizza, pie, roll, as a base for sauces and in powder form. These mushrooms go well with potatoes, buckwheat, lentils, carrots, cabbage, and peppers. When ready, the cap of the boletus is very soft, and the leg is slightly crunchy. The boletus mushroom is not only tasty, but also a useful mushroom from a medical point of view. These mushrooms contain vitamins such as vitamin B1, B2, PP and vitamin C. Being a low-calorie product containing essential microelements, it is suitable for dietary nutrition. The boletus mushroom has a beneficial effect on nervous system and regulates blood sugar. Eating it helps remove toxins from the body and improves kidney function.

Start a story about birch forest mushrooms Of course you need it, although it’s a mushroom boletus grows in any forest where there are even isolated birch trees. Often such mushrooms are found in deciduous forests, where main species such as oak, aspen, maple, linden are mixed birch. Often boletus can be found in pine forest plantations with rows of replantings birch trees in the middle. But this mushroom is tied precisely to birch and it is he who comes to mind when mentioning mushrooms growing among birch trees.

Porcini(lat. Boletus edulis) - a mushroom from the Boletus genus. In the Saratov region they called it - kovyl, in other places: boletus, belevik, capercaillie, bebik, feather grass, harvester, konovyash, mullein (podkorovik), medvezhnik (medvezhanik). Porcini mushrooms are rightfully considered the masters of the forest - they are extremely popular, as they have a delicious taste and are suitable for all types of culinary processing. Various varieties of porcini mushroom grow in deciduous, coniferous and mixed forests from early summer to October(with interruptions), forming mycorrhiza with various types trees. In general, 18 forms of porcini mushroom have been described, depending on the characteristics of mycorrhiza, the season of appearance of fruiting bodies, climate characteristics and other environmental conditions. Varieties growing in the Saratov region: Pine white mushroom and birch white mushroom, we can also highlight White oak mushroom or in other words, Boletus reticulum, White summer mushroom. Porcini mushrooms often grow in forests where the trees are over 50 years old, next to chanterelles, greenfinches and green russulas. The porcini mushroom does not like waterlogged, swampy and peaty soils. It bears fruit in so-called “waves” (in early June, mid-July, August, etc.). The first wave, as a rule, is not very abundant, while one of the subsequent waves is often incomparably more productive than the rest. It is popularly believed that the white mushroom (or at least its mass release) accompanies the red fly agaric. That is, if the fly agaric goes, so does the white one. Worms love porcini mushrooms. Sometimes it’s a fungus the size of a fist, but it’s already rot.

A mushroom of universal use, considered one of the highest quality mushrooms. It is used fresh (in soups it gives a light, clear broth), dried (very aromatic), frozen, salted and pickled (young mushrooms). Refers to real edible mushrooms, from which you can prepare dishes without prior boiling. When dried, mushrooms do not darken and acquire a special smell. In the form of mushroom powder (dried and ground) used for dressing different dishes. Porcini mushroom sauces go well with rice and meat dishes.

This is not a frequent visitor to birch forests Saratov region, but sometimes, in light, sparse birch forests meets birch variety of porcini mushroom- a large, dense, beautiful mushroom with a brownish cap. Birch white mushroom can be recognized by a light brown or yellowish-brown cap and a short tuberous stem. In the Saratov region, you will have to go to the northern part of the region, closer to the Penza region, where birch trees more.

Boletus yellow-brown(lat. Léccinum versipélle) - a mushroom of the genus Obabok of the Boletaceae family, other names are Obabok multi-skinned, Red-brown boletus. Based on the name, you can understand that the main places where the fungus grows are areas under the aspens, however, this species also occurs in mixed deciduous forests, in birch-aspen groves, pine-birch forests, forming mycorrhiza with birch, however, the mycelium is still more associated with aspen. Grows in damp places, sometimes under fern leaves, often grows on forest edges, slopes of ravines, dry and non-boggy litter. As a rule, it grows in small groups of 3-5 mushrooms, sometimes alone. Its habit is to grow in the same place every year. Its mycelium is incredibly stable, and having gathered a harvest of boletus mushrooms at some secluded edge, you can guarantee that next year you will be able to find an elegant family of boletus mushrooms in the same place. The first of them are still appearing in June, when the fluff begins to fly off the aspen trees, but the first season is short-lived. The second season is mid-July, it is already longer than the first. The third season runs from the end of October until the first frost. In young forests it can be found in fabulous quantities, especially in early September. Compared to the red boletus, the yellow-brown boletus is larger, denser, less wormy and tolerates transportation better.

An excellent edible mushroom, very tasty, with dense, elastic flesh, not much inferior to the white one. Young yellow-brown boletuses are pickled, and more mature ones are dried, fried, and boiled. An absolutely universal mushroom in all respects with a huge number of advantages and only one disadvantage - when dried, it becomes completely black. However, this does not affect the taste in any way; moreover, in dried form it is only slightly inferior porcini mushroom. Boletus protein contains a huge amount of essential amino acids for humans, which are absorbed by 80%, almost like amino acids of animal origin, for which broth from young aspen boletuses is compared to meat broth. In terms of the content of vitamins A, C and especially B, these mushrooms can be compared with cereal crops, and in terms of the content of vitamin PP - with animal liver. The pulp of boletuses contains quite a lot of minerals, but most of all they contain potassium, and to a lesser extent - magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, sodium and iron.

The aspen boletus naturally prefers aspen forests, but it can be found in different forests, just like the boletus boletus itself, including birch forests and mixed forests with birch mixed in.

Real milk mushroom(Lactarius resimus) belongs to the genus Mlechnik of the Russula family. Other names: white milk mushroom, raw milk mushroom, wet milk mushroom. In the old days, the most favorite mushroom in Russia was white milk mushroom. The milk mushroom received its name for its ability to grow in families or nests, similar to heaps or piles; the modern word pile in the Old Slavonic language sounds like milk mushroom. Easy to assemble, very tasty when pickled, although it requires soaking, in Russia they are considered one of the most delicious. Milkweed meets in deciduous and mixed forests (birch, pine-birch, with linden undergrowth). It is with birch it forms mycorrhiza. Large families sprout in glades, clearings, and slopes. It is found infrequently, but abundantly, usually growing in large groups. They are found in the clearings of birch groves, on the northern slopes of hills, ravines and slopes, they usually grow in the same places every year. Milk mushrooms grow more densely where there is a sufficient amount of bushes and grass. Hiding under a layer of litter, the stem is so short that the cap, despite its bright color, is difficult to see from above. Season end of August to end of November, usually the peak of fruiting can occur in late summer or early autumn, and in hot years in October. White milk mushrooms are collected with the onset of cold weather; fruiting bodies appear at an average daily temperature of 8-10°C on the soil surface; this mushroom prefers coolness and moderate humidity; prolonged rains inhibit their growth. This mushroom rarely gets worms.

Dishes with this mushroom were considered central in traditional cuisine. For a long time it remained the most desirable prey for lovers of quiet hunting. Traditionally considered the best edible mushroom. After removing the bitterness, they go for pickling; salted mushrooms acquire a bluish tint, are meaty, juicy, and have a special aroma. The mushrooms are soaked for one day, periodically changing the water, then washed and filled with water for another day. Salted in barrels with spices. Milk mushrooms are ready for consumption after 40-50 days. According to the Siberian method, milk mushrooms are salted together with other mushrooms (mushrooms, mushrooms).

There are surprisingly many species of laticifers and russula associated with birch, birch forests and mixed forests with an admixture of birches. Thus, in birch groves in clearings and along the slopes of ravines, white or real milk mushrooms are often found, which usually grow in families or groups forming wide arcs - parts of huge “witch circles”. Found in forests different types, but almost always with the presence of birch.

Black milk mushroom(lat. Lactarius necator) is a mushroom of the genus Mlechnik of the Russula family, one of the popular mushrooms in the Saratov region. Other names: blackling, nigella, black sandpiper, black hollow, gypsy, olive-brown milk mushroom, all of them, one way or another, play off the unusual color. In the Saratov region, it is often called the sandpiper or black sandpiper for its ability to grow buried deep in sand and moss, so that only the hummock is visible, in addition, it often hides in the grass. It is difficult to confuse it with other mushrooms, and the pulp, soaked in caustic juice, is almost untouched by worms. Black milk mushroom forms mycorrhiza with birch, but grows in mixed forests with a large number of birches, at the same time, it prefers mixing with coniferous trees, in deciduous forests, and even rarely settles in birch forests. Grows in large families, in moss, in sandy soil, in grass, in bright places and along forest roads, prefers well-lit spaces. Season of black milk mushrooms from mid-July to mid-November, massively from mid-August to the end of September. The peak of fruiting may shift depending on the weather: these mushrooms, like most Milk mushrooms, prefer cool weather. If the boletus mushrooms have not yet left the forests, it is too early to collect black milk mushrooms. It is considered one of the latest mushrooms: fruiting bodies continue to germinate even after the first frost. A hot, dry summer, and even more so a hot autumn, inhibits the development of mycelium, and milk mushrooms may not appear at all.

Very tasty when pickled, all milk mushrooms have become famous as an original Russian delicacy and, although white milk mushrooms are traditionally given more honor, black milk mushrooms are no less popular. A conditionally edible mushroom, it is usually used salted or fresh in main courses. When salted it takes on a purple-burgundy color. Before cooking, it requires processing to remove bitterness (boiling or soaking). In the traditions of Russian cuisine, getting rid of bitterness using the fermentation method, this method has been around for many years. Fermentation, salting - the direct purpose of black milk mushrooms! You can do whatever you want with pickled, “ripe” mushrooms, use them in salads, stuffings, and cook soup if desired.

Yellow breast(lat. Lactarius scrobiculatus) - a mushroom of the Milk genus of the Russula family, in other words - pitted milk mushroom, yellow milk mushroom, yellow milk mushroom, scraper, yellow milk mushroom - the second most important in the hierarchy of milk mushrooms and just like its twin brother - white milk mushroom (real) - a conditionally edible mushroom from the genus Lacticaceae, the Russula family. It is considered conditionally edible only because it belongs to a large group of species belonging to the genus Lactiferae, which contain in the pulp of their fruiting body white milky juice, which is very bitter and pungent in taste. And the milk mushroom got its name for its ability to grow in families or nests, similar to heaps or piles. And our modern word pile in Old Church Slavonic sounds like gruzdie. Usually found in groups in summer and autumn from July to October in coniferous and mixed forests. Most often it forms mycorrhiza with pine and birch. Grows mainly in acidic soils in damp places. It is found quite often and usually bears fruit in small groups. In the coniferous forest, yellow milk mushroom grows under the pine trees even in November.

An edible or conditionally edible mushroom of the 1st category, in Russia and Eastern European countries traditionally refers to the best mushrooms, along with the real milk mushroom, they are the best conditionally edible mushrooms, superior in nutritional value to animal meat. The taste is not inferior to the real milk mushroom Lactarius resimus, and they can be processed together. Suitable for pickles and marinades; the bitterness is removed by preliminary boiling or soaking. When salted, it becomes yellowish-brown with a gray tint, and its flesh becomes slightly greenish, while the fringe on the edges of the cap remains. Milk mushrooms are less often pickled, even less often they are fried, and they are never dried. In Western Europe, as a rule, it is not eaten; due to its bitter taste, it is considered an unpalatable or even poisonous mushroom.

Loader white(lat. Rússula délica) is a species of mushroom included in the genus Russula of the Russula family. In other words, it is called dry milk mushroom, cracker and excellent russula. It is called dry milk mushroom because it is very similar to the common milk mushroom, unlike which it always has a dry, non-sticky cap. Podgrudok white refers to large mushrooms. There are specimens that reach the size of a cap and up to thirty centimeters in diameter (although they are quite rare). Mushroom growing from mid-summer to early October. Found mainly on the edges of coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests, it is often found under birch, oak, pine, alder or aspen. Its range is birch, aspen, oak, mixed forests. Much less common in coniferous forests. In general, this is a fairly common type of mushroom.

The mushroom is edible. But the taste is quite mediocre. It should be used salted and only after thorough boiling - at least fifteen, or even twenty minutes. It can also be salted dry. As already mentioned, white podgrudok is consumed in salted, less often pickled form. The mushrooms are first soaked in cold water(4-5 hours, this will make the process of clearing debris easier). After this, you should remove the debris with a brush and boil the loading for a quarter of an hour in slightly salted water. When they have cooled (to speed up the process, you can place them in cold water), you can start pickling or salting. An alcohol solution from fresh fruiting bodies has antitumor activity. It is 100% effective against Ehrlich carcinoma and 90% against sarcoma-180.

Loader black(lat. Rússula adústa) is an edible mushroom of the genus Russula of the Russula family. In some areas this mushroom is called black russula, but belongs to the genus Russula, the pulp of which does not contain milky juice. That is why this mushroom is called black russula, or nigella. The fruiting period is long, starting in mid-summer, in July, and lasts until serious frosts to November, but not abundantly. Distributed mainly in the northern half of the forest zone of the Saratov region, in coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests. The main symbiote tree is pine, however, the fungus develops well even under birch trees, often found in forest clearings or along roads and paths. Grows both in splendid isolation and in the company of fellow creatures.

The mushroom is edible, category 4, suitable only for pickling. Before salting, it is necessary to pre-boil or soak. Usually the mushroom is salted after a long soaking or boiling - this way they get rid of its specific smell and bitterness. The salty load has a pleasant, slightly sweet taste. When salted it turns black.

Volnushka white(lat. Lactárius pubéscens) is a mushroom of the Milky genus of the Russula family, it is often called whitefish. White milk mushroom, like any volnushka and milk mushrooms, is also directly related to milk mushrooms, and it is not for nothing that its second name is volnushka milk mushroom (or fluffy milk mushroom). The white volnushka (white) is painted in white tones in comparison with other types of volnushka mushrooms and, as a rule, they are smaller in size, though not by much. Good mushroom, suitable for pickling and pickling, but the white milkweed is probably the most caustic of the “noble” milkweeds, surpassing even the black milk mushroom (Lactarius necator) in this indicator. White trumpets are bearing fruit from the beginning of August to the end of September. Forms mycorrhiza with birch and grows in large groups, mainly in deciduous or mixed forests, usually on the edges of young birch groves and very rare coniferous-birch forest plantations. And, unlike the pink wave or yellow wave, the white wave tries to settle where it is drier and lighter, that is, in more open places. In good years they can bear fruit in huge quantities.

These are good edible mushrooms, suitable for pickling and pickling, and can also be fried. Before cooking, white mushrooms are always well soaked or blanched, otherwise white mushrooms can cause slight irritation of the gastric mucosa and, as a result, nausea and vomiting. It is recommended to soak whitefish in water for at least 3 days, and salt it for at least 50 days, because if you soak it and cook it a little, then bitterness will remain in it. Properly prepared for cooking, it does not evoke any sensations other than a pleasant taste. The presence of bitter milky juice in their pulp allows them to avoid damage by fungal worms. In addition, whitefish contains many vitamins A, B and C, various amino acids - isoleucine, leucine, threonine and a large amount of fiber.

Volnushka pink(Lat. Lactárius torminósus) is a mushroom of the genus Milky of the Russula family. Folk and local names: volnyanka, volzhanka, volvenka, volvyanitsa, volminka, volnovha, rubella, krasulya, decoction. Basically, all the names of wavefish are associated with color or with the word “wave”, since the surface of its cap resembles light ripples on the surface of the water. Growing in birch and mixed with birch forests, sometimes in damp places, sometimes appears in large groups in dense grass at the edges. Forms mycorrhiza with birch(mostly with old trees). Season from late June to October(mass fruiting from two layers: at the end of July and at the end of August - the first half of September). Despite the presence of milky juice, it is one of the most wormy mushrooms.

In Russia, pink trumpet mushroom is a conditionally edible mushroom of good quality, used salted and pickled, sometimes fresh in main courses. Young mushrooms (with a cap diameter of no more than 3-4 cm), the so-called “curls,” are especially valued in pickling. Salty pink trumpet is one of the most delicious types of snacks, which is not a shame to serve even on a festive table. At the same time, in order to collect a large basket of such mushrooms, you do not need to look for protected forests, because it grows almost everywhere where there are birch trees. This is one of the most common and popular mushrooms of the Milky genus for eating. Requires thorough soaking and blanching before cooking. In preparations it turns yellow. Along with the milk mushroom (Lactarius flexuosus) and the real milk mushroom (Lactarius resimus), it is one of the main mushrooms stored by the population for the winter. Their ratio in the preparations varies depending on the yield, but more often the trumpets predominate. If the mushroom is not sufficiently cooked before cooking, it is slightly poisonous and causes irritation of the mucous membranes and intestinal disorders. Salted volushki can be consumed no earlier than 45-50 days after salting.

Serushka, or Gray Milky(Lat. Lactárius flexuósus) is a mushroom of the genus Milky of the Russula family. The mushroom owes this interesting name to its gray cap, although its color can be yellowish-gray or red. In science it is also called - milk mushroom purple, milk mushroom is gray-lilac, but among the people - serushka, serukha, seryanka, gray duplyanka, podoreshnik, podoreshnik or traveler. In structure, the milk mushroom is very close to the smooth milk mushroom (common milk mushroom) or other similar representatives of milk mushrooms than to the classic milk mushrooms. This mushroom can be found in birch, aspen and mixed forests- in clearings, forest edges, along forest roads. Forms mycorrhiza with birch and grows in large groups, it is a very prolific mushroom - more than that can only be collected by valui or chanterelles. They grow both on paths and in the forest, and they can often be seen in small groups in one place. They begin to collect earrings from early June to mid-October. They are quite hardy and unpretentious; earrings are mainly collected when there are no other mushrooms in the forest. These inconspicuous mushrooms are completely undemanding to weather and soil; they can grow under any conditions. It differs from other lacticifers by its sparse yellowish plates and milky juice that does not change color in air.

The conditionally edible mushroom serushka has an original taste and a large number of useful properties. It has a unique balanced chemical composition. Thanks to this, its use helps nourish the brain, strengthen immune system and blood vessels, removing heavy metal salts. IN folk medicine Serushki are used to treat diseases of the skin and stomach. Although the caps can reach a diameter of 10 centimeters, mushrooms with a cap no more than 6 centimeters in diameter are best suited for pickling, since young specimens are much tastier. Serushki do not stand out for their special taste; in terms of nutritional value, they belong to the 3rd category. Bitters are used as food only after long-term pickling. Pickled mushrooms are suitable for filling pies and various sauces. Since bitter mushrooms contain bitter juice, experienced mushroom connoisseurs do not boil or fry them. And before salting, the earrings are soaked for 5 days, and the water is regularly drained.

Gorkushka(lat. Lactárius rúfus) is a mushroom of the Milky genus of the Russula family. Among the people - bitter milk, putik, bitter, red bitter, mountain weed. Almost all of them appeared among the people and in the speech of scientists because of the special characteristic taste of the mushroom - pungent and pungent. This representative of the mushroom kingdom is often found in forests, looking like a cross between a toadstool, a toadstool and a russula. The period of mass active fruiting occurs in summer from the beginning of June to the beginning of October. Forms mycorrhiza with pine and birch. Bittersweet is a mushroom that grows only in birch groves or pine forests and in mixed birch-pine forests. Of the entire genus of laticifers, it is the most common. Fruiting is annual, despite weather conditions. They are rarely wormy. Inexperienced mushroom pickers are unlikely to be able to distinguish them from similar gray mushrooms, brown milkweeds, rubellas, and smoothies. They grow well in humid places with acidic soils (mosses and lichens love the same conditions, so bitters often grow in moss).

Any mushroom picker can stumble upon it, but many avoid collecting it, the reason being its special taste. Bittersweet is a conditionally edible mushroom, often classified as the fourth category. Bittersweet is a fairly well-known and widespread mushroom. It received this name for its taste, which is somewhat pungent and pungent. Therefore, not all mushroom pickers are ready to put a mushroom in their basket. It is used in pickling and pickled form after pre-treatment - thorough boiling or soaking. When salted it turns dark brown. Bitterweed contains an antibiotic substance that has a negative effect on a number of bacteria and also inhibits the growth of crops Staphylococcus aureus(Staphylococcus aureus), coliform bacteria (Escherichia coli), Bacillus subtilis and other microorganisms.

Violin(lat. Lactarius vellereus) is a mushroom of the Milky genus of the Russula family. The skripitsa mushroom has several names - it is known as skripun, spurge, squeaky, milk scraper, felt milk mushroom, and rusk. And all because of the sound it makes when rubbing mushroom caps or scraping them with a knife. Skripitsa is often confused with milk mushrooms, however, many types of milk mushrooms are also conditionally edible. Grows in any forest where there is enough moss, old branches and leaves, loves light and grows well in illuminated areas. Skripitsa prefers to grow in deciduous, coniferous or mixed forests, if many grow in them birches and aspens, near which the fungus likes to settle, the soil is covered with a layer of moss and old rotted leaves and there is a lot of sunlight. You can collect from early summer until autumn. This fungus is characterized by growth in groups of different age categories. However, lonely creaks are often encountered. Season - starts in mid-July and ends in mid-November. The ideal period for collecting these mushrooms is the beginning of autumn, from the beginning of September to the end of October, but the fruiting bodies collected in August are most valued by mushroom pickers; they are considered more juicy and tasty.

The mushroom is in the fourth category of usefulness and is considered conditionally edible. It is edible only if it is prepared correctly. It is prohibited to consume it raw, as it may cause poisoning. This mushroom is consumed only in pickled form. The procedure for preparing a violin takes a lot of time due to the need preliminary preparation raw materials. The collected mushrooms must be washed and soaked in water for at least 4 days. In this case, the water must be changed at least 3 times a day. Another option is to pour boiling water over them, changing the water 4 times. But even this procedure will take up to 3 days. Whatever method you choose, put pressure on top - this way the milky juice will come out faster. Only after this can you proceed directly to salting.

Russula food(lat. Rússula vésca) is a species of mushroom included in the genus Russula of the Russula family. There are a large number of russulas - food is the most popular among mushroom pickers and is the most recognizable among the many types of russula. Edible, it is one of the most highly valued representatives of the genus. It grows most often in deciduous forests with a predominance of birch, they can also be found nearby linden, oak and other broad-leaved species trees, but it can often be found in coniferous and mixed forests with a predominance of pine trees, prefers sunny places with thinned forests, clearings, forest roads. Russula is found both singly and in groups during from mid-July to late September. The main disadvantage of edible russula is its fragility. If you carelessly touch it or put it on the bottom of the basket, it will crumble into several pieces.

These mushrooms are widely used as food, as they have an excellent taste and pleasant smell. The peculiarity of these forest gifts is that they contain the enzyme russulin, which curdles milk and turns it into cheese. Edible russula is consumed boiled and salted. A little trick when preparing russula: in order for the salted russula to be hard and crispy, they must first be scalded with boiling water. They got their name not because they can be eaten raw, by the way, many people eat them that way, but because they require minimal processing when cooking, unlike other types of mushrooms. To preserve the beneficial properties of food russula, it is better not to overdo the heat treatment and boil them for no more than 5-10 minutes.

Russula yellow, or light yellow (lat. Rússula clarofláva) is a species of mushroom included in the genus Russula of the Russula family. It is very easy to spot yellow russula in the forest due to its bright yellow cap. Yellow russula helps out in the hot summer, when there are practically no other mushrooms. Light yellow russula forms mycorrhiza with birch, often found in wetlands. Habitat: from mid-July to late September in raw deciduous with birch and in pine-birch forests, along the edges of swamps, in moss and blueberry bushes, singly and in small groups.

A good edible mushroom (3 categories), used fresh, boiled for about 10-15 minutes and salted. Russula is yellow, has a pleasant taste, but is valued less than other russulas, in particular, ocher russula. The pulp of the mushroom has a nutty, sweetish or slightly pungent aftertaste and smells of flowers. Its flesh turns almost black when cooked. But the taste is very good - slightly spicy, with a pleasant pine smell. Yellow russula can be fried, salted, pickled and even dried. Sometimes it is added raw to salads to prevent tumors. It is better to collect young mushrooms with dense pulp.

Russula green-red, or Russula alutácea (lat. Rússula alutácea) is a mushroom that is part of the genus Russula of the Russula family. There are many types of russula, and it can be difficult to distinguish them from each other. All russulas, which have a mild taste, are usually used for food. Green-red russula grows in small groups, but more often singly on the ground in deciduous forests mixed with oak, linden and maple, V birch groves. Forms mycorrhiza with deciduous trees, often birch and oak. Season from the beginning of July to the end of September. A young, unopened blood-red shiny beauty grows quickly, fades and turns into a painted yellow-pink mushroom with blurred spots of greenish-brown color. In large groups of mushrooms you can see specimens of all stripes.

The mushroom is edible and belongs to the third category. Russulas are suitable in all dishes, especially good in roasts and salted assorted with a variety of milkweeds. Green-red russula can be eaten fried, boiled and stewed after a short, 5-10 minutes, boiling in salted water. These russulas can be salted without prior boiling; in salted and pickled form, this type of russula is tasty, but due to the fragility of the pulp, it crumbles a lot and does not tolerate storage well.

Valuy(lat. Rússula foétens) is a species of mushroom from the Russula genus of the Russula family. Local names: goby, plakun mushroom, svinur, uryupka, kulbik, kubar, kulak, svinur, snotty, podtopolnik, cowshed, egg capsule. In Rus' it has been salted since time immemorial and now old recipes are being restored with pleasure. Forms mycorrhiza with both coniferous and deciduous trees, especially common in birch forests and forests mixed with birch, less often on the edges of coniferous forests. Grows in shady, moist places on soil, forest floor, grass, prefers shaded places with well-moistened soil. Valui mushrooms are collected from mid-July to the end of September, in warmer weather taking over October. They grow alone and in groups, sometimes “populating” the space with entire clearings, including small birch areas among fields and next to arable land. It is preferable to choose young specimens, with a cap no more than 6 cm. Trim at least 2 cm from the soil to preserve the mycelium.

Valui is salted, less often pickled, the mushrooms are first peeled and the bitterness is removed by soaking or boiling. The mushroom is often considered to be of low or average quality, but connoisseurs argue that this attitude is undeserved and prefer salted valui to most other mushrooms. Before cooking, valueu mushrooms must be soaked, first discarding the stems, which do not lose bitterness during any processing. The bulls are kept in water for at least three days, changing it twice daily. Then boil for half an hour, pour out the broth. After this, the mushrooms are ready for any further actions. Hot or cold salting and marinating are possible. The readiness period is 1 month. These mushrooms are perfect as an additional ingredient in a salad or vinaigrette, or for frying. Caviar from gobies can be eaten as a separate dish or used for stuffing pies, vegetables and any culinary fantasies. Since these mushrooms have bitter juice and brittle pulp, they are not suitable for drying.

Smoky talker or smoky row (lat. Clitocybe nebularis) is a mushroom of the genus of talkers of the Ryadovkov family, and in common people it is called smoky-gray talker or gray talker. It is distinguished by a specific fruity-floral smell and the symmetrical shape of the fruiting body; this mushroom is loved, collected and prepared with pleasure. It is a saprophyte, that is, it “feeds” on decaying wood, participating in its processing, and grows on the soil in coniferous, deciduous and mixed with pine, oak, or birch forests, on the edges, clearings and along paths, on the forest floor, often next to dead wood and rotting branches, sometimes together with purple row. It can be found next to dead wood, on the edges and clearings, in places of deforestation, that is, where the fungus finds enough nutrients. The fruiting bodies usually appear in groups, often forming long rows and “witch circles.” They form mycorrhizae mainly with deciduous trees: birch, oak and willow. Season from mid-August to the end of November, mass fruiting - from mid-September to the first ten days of October. For optimal growth of the smoky gray talker, high humidity is required. Therefore, it bears fruit only after a rainy summer. In dry years it may not appear at all.

Ryadovka smoky - A good edible mushroom, according to some sources it is conditionally edible. It boils down surprisingly strongly - perhaps a champion in boiling, from a bucket fresh mushrooms it turns out to be a frying pan fried. The peculiar taste and especially the smell of the smoky row may not be to everyone’s liking, but it’s worth a try, the mushroom is very tasty both fried and pickled, dried govorushka in soup is especially good. It is worth saying that the antibiotic Nebularin is produced from the smoky talker. Antibiotics obtained from talkers are used in the treatment of tuberculosis and other diseases. This antibiotic kills bacteria and is also the reason for the conditional edibility of the talker. It is believed that the substance contained in the mushroom is nebularin, it was discovered back in 1954 - a dangerous cytotoxic substance. Therefore, it is recommended to eat smoky talker after preliminary heat treatment (boiling for 15 minutes). Some scientists believe that antibiotics in large quantities can cause severe digestive upset, and during heat treatment they are completely destroyed.

Row brown(Tricholoma fulvum) is a species of mushroom included in the genus Ryadovka of the Ryadovka family. Other names: yellow-brown row, red-brown row, brown-yellow - edible mushroom, slightly bitter when cooked. A fairly widespread mushroom from the family Aryakov. It is found mainly, but there are cases of growth in coniferous forests. Prefers exclusively birch, is a mycorrhiza-former. Brown rower most often grows in large groups, quite often forms “witch circles”, and is rarely found alone. This forest dweller is quite easy to recognize because of its beautiful warm color. But mushroom pickers rarely notice it - the yellow-brown row appears at the same time when other types of mushrooms begin to grow. That's why she goes unnoticed. The fruiting period begins at the end of August and lasts until October. Quite often found along the way, it always bears fruit actively and copes well with drought.

They can be eaten boiled, fried, stewed, dried, pickled, pickled and even frozen. Many people love these dishes in combination with mashed potatoes and green onions. Also, snacks and all kinds of salads are prepared from these forest fruits without prior boiling. According to experienced mushroom pickers, row mushrooms are inferior in taste to many of their counterparts. This is due to the slight bitter taste of the fruiting body inherent in old trophies. If you haven’t found any young fungi and are tempted by the appetizing appearance of a mature row, be sure to soak the harvested crop overnight.

Pigeon row, or bluish row(lat. Tricholoma columbetta) is a mushroom belonging to the Ryadovkov family. The pigeon row is edible and belongs to the genus of cap mushrooms. Mushroom pickers come across it quite rarely. It is not by chance that the pigeon row is called so, its cracking cap looks like pigeon feathers, and its color is somewhat reminiscent of a white dove. The smell of pigeon row is typical for rows, floury or the smell of fresh dough. Pigeon row grows singly or in small groups from mid-August to late September in mixed deciduous forests. Likes to live next door to oak and birch in sparse places, in young growth, in clearings, sometimes growing not only in the forest, but also in meadows and pastures.

Pigeon rows are edible mushrooms that are suitable for preparing a variety of dishes. They are good in sauces and soups. The row can be grilled and dried for future use, and is also suitable for decorating holiday dishes. Ryadovka cooked with meat gives the dish an extraordinary aroma. Among professional cooks it is considered very delicious mushroom with a unique pleasant aroma. Before cooking, the mushroom is soaked in cold water, after which the skin is removed from its cap. Then a fifteen-minute thermal treatment is carried out. The row is suitable for harvesting for the winter in salted or pickled form. Both young and adult mushrooms, as well as those that have survived the first frost, are suitable for cooking.

In various sources it is mentioned as an edible or conditionally edible mushroom; it is considered one of the best agaric mushrooms and is almost a delicacy. The pulp of this mushroom is dense and poorly digestible, so the mushroom requires long heat treatment, at least 20-25 minutes. In this case, the mushroom can be cooked immediately, without first boiling and draining the broth. Honey mushrooms are eaten salted, pickled, fried, boiled and dried. Also, the mushroom can be dried. The stems of young mushrooms are as edible as the caps, but with age they become woody and fibrous, and when collecting older mushrooms, the stems should absolutely not be taken. Honey mushroom contains valuable microelements that play an important role in hematopoiesis, so 100 g of honey mushrooms satisfy the body’s daily need for zinc and copper.

Summer honey fungus(lat. Kuehneromyces mutabilis) is an edible mushroom of the Strophariaceae family. It received the name “honey fungus” because of its ability to grow on stumps, fallen trees or dead wood, and the “summer” characteristic - for its ability to grow in mid-summer, earlier than the main mushroom harvest. Honey fungus can be seen in the impenetrable wilds of old dead wood birch, linden, aspen and oak trees. Summer honey fungus is a very fertile mushroom and always grows in large colonies, although not as large as autumn honey fungus. Active maturation of the summer honey fungus begins already in April, with the greatest intensity in mid-summer July-August, and continues until late autumn with the first frosts in November. These mushrooms grow on rotting wood, dead wood and stumps hardwood. They are found much less frequently on coniferous trees, sometimes colonizing pine clearings. Under good conditions they can bear fruit in huge quantities.

Summer honey mushrooms are considered good edible mushrooms. They are very good lightly salted and boiled. The most common methods of preparing honey mushrooms are frying and boiling. The mushroom is known not only for its pleasant taste, but also for a large number of useful microelements. The pulp of the forest product contains a large amount of phosphorus, fiber, iron, protein, potassium, and various amino acids. Honey mushrooms are recommended as food for people with poor metabolism, as well as those who suffer from heart problems. It is grown on an industrial scale in many countries.

This is an edible mushroom of low quality, since its flesh is hard and its taste is bitter; the mushroom has a rare taste. Used fresh (after boiling for about 20 minutes) in second courses, it is more tasty when salted and marinated with spices. The coniferous form is a little bitter, it is better to salt and marinate it. The stems are collected only from young mushrooms with an unopened cap and yellowish (not brownish-brown) flesh.

Oyster mushroom(lat. Pleurotus ostreatus) is an edible mushroom of the oyster mushroom genus of the oyster family. It is the most common mushroom among other types of oyster mushrooms. Also called oyster mushroom or oyster mushroom, oyster mushroom, lump. Grows in groups, less often - singly, on stumps, dead wood, dead or living, but weakened trees of various deciduous species, such as oak, birch, rowan, aspen, willow, very rarely - coniferous species in deciduous and mixed forests, parks and gardens. Found on tree trunks quite high above the ground. It often grows in dense bunches of 30 or more fruiting bodies, fused at the base, and forms “multi-tiered structures.” Occurs from September to November-December(mass fruiting - at the end of September-October), tolerates negative temperatures well. Oyster mushroom causes yellow mixed rot of the trunks of deciduous trees, less often of coniferous trees. Infection usually occurs through frost cracks. The fruiting bodies of fungi are formed in the place of greatest development of rot. The fungus continues to grow on dead wood.

Oyster mushroom is a tasty edible mushroom of category 2; when young specimens 6-9 cm are consumed, they can be boiled, fried, stewed, or salted. They are very suitable for preparing fillings for pies and pizza. Gourmets prefer to create sauces from them. They can also be frozen raw for the winter. Overall, oyster mushrooms are ideal for use in any dish where the recipe calls for mushrooms. Can be used in both first and second courses, salted, pickled. Mushrooms are often added to main dishes for a pleasant aroma. Before eating, oyster mushrooms must be heat-treated, as they contain chitin, which the human body cannot absorb. To remove it, oyster mushrooms are finely chopped and cooked at high temperature. The taste of cooked mushrooms resembles russula and porcini mushrooms, the aroma is similar to the smell rye bread. Oyster mushroom contains all the substances necessary for the human body: proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and microelements. The calorie content of the mushroom is quite low, but even a small amount satisfies hunger well. Oyster mushroom is cultivated on an industrial scale in many countries of the world, including Russia. In Russia, oyster mushroom is one of the most popular cultivated mushrooms. It is extremely convenient for cultivation due to its unpretentiousness to climatic conditions and tenacious mycelium, suitable for storage.

Thin pig(lat. Paxillus involutus) is a mushroom of the pig family. Common names: Pig, pig, pig, pig's ear, solopena, solokha, straw, duni, dunka, cowshed. In some areas, pigs, pigs, etc. The pig got its name for the similarity of the hat with a pig's ear. The pig grows in deciduous and coniferous forests, most often in young birch forests, oak forests, often in mixed pine-birch forest plantations. It grows in damp, shady places, along the edges of ravines and swamps, on the edges of clearings, as well as near the mossy bases of birch and pine trees, on the roots of uprooted trees. It is found often and abundantly in moist soil in groups, less often singly. The pig bears fruit from mid-May to mid-October.

Since ancient times, a common use for pig mushrooms has been pickling, but most mushroom pickers consider pig mushrooms to be a universal mushroom that can be fried, pickled, and dried. Cases of possible poisoning abroad and research conducted have led to the recognition of the toxicity of the thin pig. In Russia, according to the results of foreign studies, banned from sale since 1981. Many sources, especially recent publications, claim that the mushroom is poisonous.

• Division: Basidiomycota (Basidiomycetes)
• Subdivision: Agaricomycotina (Agaricomycetes)
• Class: Agaricomycetes (Agaricomycetes)
• Subclass: Incertae sedis (indefinite position)
• Order: Polyporales
• Family: Fomitopsidaceae (Fomitopsis)
• Genus: Fomitopsis (Fomitopsis)
• View: Fomitopsis betulina (Birch polypore)

Synonyms:

• Piptoporus betulinus
• Pyptoporus birch
• Birch sponge

Birch polypore, or Fomitopsis betulina, popularly called birch sponge, is a wood-destroying fungus. Most often it grows singly or in small groups on dead rotting birch wood, as well as on diseased and dying living birch trees. The mycelium, which is located and develops inside the tree trunk, causes rapidly developing reddish rot in the tree. Wood under the influence of tinder fungus is actively destroyed, turning into dust.

The sessile fruiting mushroom body does not have a stalk and has a flattened, kidney-shaped shape. Their diameter can be twenty centimeters.

The fruiting bodies of the fungus are annual. They appear at the end of summer in the last stage of wood decay. Throughout the year, overwintered dead tinder fungi can be observed on birch trees. The pulp of the mushrooms has a distinct mushroom smell.

The fungus is common in all places where birch trees are growing. It is not found on other trees.

Young white mushrooms become yellowish and crack as they grow.

The birch tinder fungus is not suitable for consumption due to its bitter and hard pulp. There is evidence that its pulp can be consumed young until it becomes hard.

Drawing charcoal is made from this type of mushroom, and polyporenic acid, which has anti-inflammatory properties, is also extracted. medicinal effect. The pulp of the tinder fungus is often used in folk medicine for treatment. various diseases. Various medicinal decoctions and tinctures with the addition of pure alcohol are prepared from young birch polypores.

This mushroom is well known to all mushroom pickers and lovers of quiet mushroom hunting.

There are a huge number of varieties of polypores and most of them are inedible. The following subspecies of the main representative are known:

• reishi mushroom;
• flat;
• umbrella;
• winter;
• birch;
• radiant;
• scaly;
• multi-colored.

Of all this variety, umbrella and sulfur-yellow are considered edible.

The umbrella subspecies is similar to oyster mushrooms. They are mainly salted, pickled, dried, and sometimes even eaten fresh. Vegetarians do not disdain them either.

The most common edible subspecies is considered to be sulfur-yellow. It is eaten only in cooked form. In terms of its composition, it is quite capable of replacing meat. It grows on tree trunks close to the ground. The flesh of the sulfur-yellow mushroom is white and tastes sour.

Mushroom pickers also often hear about the reishi mushroom, which is also called “lacquered.” This fruiting body is inedible, but is often used in cosmetology. It has a good effect on nail growth and has a beneficial effect on the skin. When using cosmetics containing reishi mushroom, the skin clears up and acne goes away.

The reishi's cap is smooth to the touch, similar to a varnished surface. This is where the name of the mushroom comes from. The color of the cap can range from red to almost black. This fruiting body takes all the nutrients from the birch trunk, thereby destroying the cells of the tree. Therefore, those trees on which tinder fungi have settled will, unfortunately, eventually die. Gradually, the birch trees on which this type of fruiting body grows turn into dust, since in the place where it grows, the birch becomes infected with red rot.

Thus, trees that have turned into dust make room for the growth of new, young and healthy trees. But it is necessary to note the fact that the tinder fungus settles only on diseased or dry birch trees. Therefore, he can most likely be called a forest orderly.

Spores penetrate into cracks or fissures, the tinder fungus begins to grow and the birch tree is immediately doomed, if not immediately, but still to death. While this unique organism is still very young, it has smooth round shapes, but as it grows it takes on a completely different, more intricate shape. The body becomes like an inverted deep plate. Its mycelium is located inside the tree.

The color of the mushroom also changes as it matures. At first it is light, almost white, but over time it becomes brownish. The body of the mushroom itself consists of several layers. The top layer is hard, dark brown in color, the surface is uneven: convex in places, concave in others. Over time, the top surface of the mushroom may crack. Middle layer porous, resembles a sponge. Initially it is light and soft, but very quickly darkens and hardens, resembling cork. The inner layer is reddish-brown with light veins.

Question about the edibility of the mushroom

The tinder fungus that lives on birch trees itself is inedible. His body quickly becomes hard, sponge-like. However, the beneficial properties of birch polypore are widely known throughout the world. Since ancient times, people have learned to use the mushroom in the form of powder or all kinds of decoctions. The birch polypore lives only for a year.

The best time to collect it is from mid-summer to late autumn, when it has the most beneficial and healing properties. Popularly, this type of mushroom is often also called birch chaga or birch mushroom. It is better to collect birch mushrooms away from roads to exclude harmful substances which he can absorb.

What types should you not eat?

The false tinder fungus, which is very similar to the real one, is inedible. But, unlike the “original”, it does not have any healing properties.

The fact is that real tinder fungus grows on living, albeit diseased, birch trees and feeds on birch sap. Hence its multiple medicinal properties. While its false representative also grows on birches, but mainly on dried, already dead trees. And this is the first sign that there is a false tinder fungus in front of the mushroom picker. Moreover, if the hunter has a healthy, not yet dried out birch tree in front of him and a mushroom grows on it, then with full confidence he can cut it and put it in a basket, since this is exactly what is needed.

The false tinder fungus differs from the real one in its color. The false representative has light or dark brown circles on a gray background. In addition, it is attached to the birch trunk in a completely different way than the birch mushroom, as a result of which it is easily separated from it, while in order to separate the birch mushroom from the tree, you will have to make an effort.

Useful properties and use

The medicinal properties of birch polypore have a wide range of effects. This forest dweller has anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties. It improves immunity well and is even used in the treatment of oncology in the early stages. Also used in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, gastrointestinal tract, joints, insomnia. Used by people who are in the process of losing weight. Tinctures and decoctions of birch chaga have shown themselves to be effective antispasmodics.

After collecting the mushrooms, they are dried naturally or in the oven, then crushed into powder. This powder is the main component in the preparation of various recipes. The resulting ingredient is often used in the preparation of teas, decoctions, oil tinctures, alcohol settings, and various types of gruels - both nutritious and healing.

Chaga teas, which are made from this mushroom, are very useful for the general strengthening of the body; they restore strength well after illness or surgery. Birch chaga tea is drunk in courses of 5 to 7 months.

Decoctions are mainly used in the treatment of various tumors, of course, in combination with treatment prescribed by a doctor. Alcohol tinctures should be used with caution. And it’s better to use ready-made products from the pharmacy rather than prepare them yourself.

The gruel is used for burns and relieves joint pain. It is very easy to make your own oil tincture. You just need to mix olive oil and a decoction of birch tinder fungus.

Using oil tincture, you can relieve joint pain, strengthen the walls of blood vessels, and muscle pain. If a person lies for a long time due to illness, he may develop bedsores. Oil tincture will also help fight them. It also helps very well in the treatment of sinusitis.

Preparation of healing drinks

It is completely safe and even very healthy to drink tea from birch tinder fungus. There are many ways to make it - add chaga, boil it for infusion, and make it from pre-ground mushroom. The recipes may be different, but they are all quite simple and do not require much effort or time waiting for preparation. Here are some ways to benefit from the fruiting body.

Healing tea prepared in several steps:

• dried mushroom powder is poured with hot water;
• placed in a dark place at room temperature for several days;
• the resulting brewed tea is thoroughly filtered;
• the resulting concentrate is diluted with hot water to its original volume.

After this, the medicinal drink can be consumed. Store in the refrigerator for no more than three days, after which it will lose its beneficial properties.

Infusion from birch tinder fungus is prepared according to the same principle, but it does not need to be topped up with hot water to its original volume. This makes the infusion more concentrated. Rinsing your mouth with this infusion helps with gum disease.

However, not everyone can use infusions, teas, and tinctures from birch tinder fungus. Under no circumstances should this be done by pregnant or breastfeeding women, as well as people with diarrhea or colitis. With such diseases, beneficial substances will not be absorbed and there will be no benefit from consuming birch tinder fungus. The same is the case when a person uses antibiotics. You also cannot combine the consumption of glucose and birch mushroom at the same time.

Application in various areas of life

But this forest orderly is used not only in folk medicine. It is also used at home and even in everyday life. The range of areas where it is used is truly impressive:

In our time, this unique object has also not been deprived of due attention, and now craftsmen and artists use birch tinder fungus to make drawing pencils.

Many forest mushrooms love to grow near or on birch trees. This is due to the fact that it is with this tree that the mushrooms form strong mycorrhizae and the conditions for growth are suitable for them. Birch is often used as a landmark in searches, and birch groves are teeming with mushrooms. Experienced mushroom pickers advise, no matter what, to take a close look at mushrooms, since poisonous species also grow near birches, which can cause severe intoxication of the body.

Medicinal birch mushroom Chaga

The inside of the fruit is brown with a reddish tint. The weight of one fruit part can reach 3 kg. It is collected at any time of the year only from healthy living trees. After this, the fruit is dried, cut into pieces and placed in jars.

The mushroom is not used in cooking, but is widely used in folk medicine. Thus, it is used to treat cancer, reduce blood cholesterol levels, normalize the gastrointestinal tract, restore the functioning of the central nervous system, improve immunity and treat inflammatory processes of the skin.

Such a wide spectrum of action is associated with the presence of a large amount useful substances, minerals and vitamins in the composition. To use Chaga, decoctions and tinctures are prepared from it by boiling the fruit.

Edible mushrooms growing on a birch tree

In addition to Chaga, there are many birch mushrooms that also grow directly on the trunk. Oyster mushrooms and honey mushrooms are widely known and are often used in cooking to prepare various dishes. Among the oyster mushrooms there are no inedible or poisonous species, but the photo and description of the honey mushroom, for example, must be studied carefully in order to be able to distinguish it from the false one.

Oyster mushroom

Oyster mushrooms get their name because the fruiting bodies hang from the trunks of birch trees. They are not only tasty, but also healthy, which is why housewives often use them to prepare various dishes. There are many varieties of oyster mushrooms, and the most popular are ordinary, carob-shaped, pulmonary and orange.

Oyster mushroom or oyster mushroom is a large mushroom, the diameter of the cap reaches 30 cm. It is shell-shaped in shape, with edges directed inward and a smooth surface. Later it becomes flat.

The color is variable, it can be dark gray with a brown tint, ashen with a slight purple tint. The leg is short, curved, light. The pulp of the fruit part is light and soft, and becomes tougher with age. You can see the common oyster mushroom from early autumn to early winter.

The corniculate oyster mushroom differs from the previous one in that it has a smaller and funnel-shaped cap. The color is almost always light, with a grayish tint. The pulp is white and fleshy, odorless and tasteless.

Horn-shaped oyster mushroom

Pulmonary oyster mushroom has a thin tongue-shaped cap, with cracked edges, beige in color, the diameter of which reaches 8-9 cm. The lamellar part is descending. The pulp is always thin and elastic. The leg is almost invisible; it has slight pubescence.

A distinctive feature of the orange oyster mushroom is the bright orange color of its fruit part. The cap grows to the tree sideways, so most often it has an irregular shape with wavy edges. The surface of the cap is pubescent.

This variety has no stem completely, and the plates are large, wide, and orange. The taste and smell are weak putrid. The mushroom is considered inedible due to the fact that it is quite hard and has a specific taste and smell. Despite this, young fruits are still eaten.

Edible honey mushrooms

No less common are honey mushrooms. They are often used in cooking and are valued for their taste. They are divided into summer, autumn and winter depending on the peak of yield.

Summer honey mushrooms have a thin cap with edges turned inward, which straighten with age. The hat is colored yellow with a brown tint. The diameter of the cap does not exceed 8 cm, and centric water circles may appear over its entire surface. Over time, the circles disappear.

On the inside of the cap there is a plate system that becomes darker over time. The leg is tall, brown and thin, has a ring and scales located below it. You can see summer honey mushrooms from July until the first snow.

Autumn honey mushrooms are distinguished by a flat cap with wavy edges, colored green-brown. The pulp of autumn honey mushrooms is soft, dense and white. The leg is tall, widened at the base, and covered with scales. You can see autumn honey mushrooms from the end of August to the end of autumn.

Winter mushrooms cannot be confused with anything, since the surface of their cap is glossy, light brown in color with a reddish tint. It is convex in shape. The pulp is thin and tough, mostly white. The leg is cylindrical, 8 cm in height, light brown in color. You can find this variety from the onset of cold weather until the beginning of spring.

Mushrooms most often growing under birch trees

As a rule, mushrooms obtained from under birch trees have high nutritional value. The most popular varieties “love” to be next to it.

boletus

In terms of its taste, boletus is not inferior to boletus. This variety is valued in cooking for its taste. Unlike boletus, its flesh darkens after heat treatment. Berezovik is similar to boletus not only in taste, but also in appearance. The fruit part of the birch tree is of medium size.

The cap has a semi-circular shape, which flattens over time. The color is initially light brown with a yellowish tint, which turns into brown. The surface of the cap is velvety and pleasant to the touch, and in wet weather it is covered with a thin mucous membrane. The leg is barrel-shaped, covered with a small number of gray scales. The pulp is beige with a slight gray tint, loose, with a faint mushroom odor. You can see boletus from mid-June until the end of September.

White milk mushroom

White or real breast milk has long been used in cooking for pickling, fried or boiled. The mushroom cap is flat, but gradually becomes funnel-shaped, with a deep hole in the center, about 25 cm in diameter.

The color of the cap is white, it is pleasant to the touch, sometimes covered with sticky skin. The edges are curved inward and have a small amount of fuzz on them. The leg generally reaches 10 cm in height, and its central part is slightly wider than the rest. The pulp is white, secretes milky juice, which acquires a yellowish tint after contact with air.

Porcini

The second name of this representative is boletus. Boletus mushrooms are very common among mushroom pickers, are highly valued for their taste and are considered a delicacy. Mushrooms are used in cooking and are also grown at home. The fruit part of the boletus is medium in size.

The hat is round in shape and becomes flatter over time. The color of the cap is initially light brown, but in a mature mushroom it acquires a brown tint. The size of the cap can reach 30 cm, and in favorable climatic conditions - 50 cm.

The consistency of the pulp is dense and juicy, and always retains its white color, even after heat treatment, which is how the mushroom got its name. The leg is low, about 12 cm, barrel-shaped, narrowed at the base. The leg is mostly brown or beige in color. The peak yield of the mushroom occurs in mid-summer and lasts until October.

Russula greenish

Green russula belongs to the Russula family. The peak yield of the variety occurs at the beginning of July and lasts until mid-autumn. The fruit part is small. The leg is cylindrical in shape and white in color with rare brown dots. The cap is semi-round and has a greenish color, which is why the mushroom got its name.

Over time, a small pit forms in the center of the cap. The surface of the cap is covered with a sticky shell that comes off easily. On the inside of the cap there is a dense lamellar system. The pulp of the fruit body is beige in color and has a slightly bitter taste.

I-16="">Volnushka white

White mushrooms belong to the genus Milk and their peculiarity is that the pulp of the mushroom secretes milky juice, which has a bitter taste. To get rid of bitterness, the mushroom is soaked before cooking. In cooking, volushki are often used, mainly for salting and pickling.

I-17="">Inedible varieties of mushrooms in birch groves

In addition to edible species, poisonous varieties of mushrooms are also frequent residents of birch groves.

Russula brittle

Russula brittle is a bright representative of the Russula family, which is often found in the forest. Domestic experts classify the mushroom as a conditionally edible type; in Western literature, Russula is classified as an inedible representative of the forest. This is due to the fact that the pulp has a pungent odor and taste.

You can’t help but pay attention to the cap of this species, as it has a bright purple color. It also has a convex shape. On the back of the cap there are sparsely spaced plates that grow to the top of the stem. The leg itself is long, white, and has a brittle consistency. The lower part of the leg is expanded. This variety is found from late summer until the end of October.

Thin pig

A striking representative of the pigweed family, which occurs from June to mid-autumn. The mushroom has a small cap that grows up to 12 cm in diameter. It is funnel-shaped, with a hole in the center and edges curved inward. The color of the cap is olive with a brown tint. In young fruits, the surface of the cap is rough, while in mature fruits it is smooth.

I-20="">Pale grebe

The pale grebe is a well-known poisonous inhabitant of forests. Its distinctive features are the pale yellow color of the cap and the presence of an ovoid seal on the lower part of the stem. The young mushroom begins to germinate in the form of a beige chicken egg covered with a film. The mature fruit body has a convex cap with a smooth surface of green or light olive color. Over time it becomes grayish.

I-21="">Satanic mushroom

The satanic mushroom belongs to the Borovikov genus and the Boletaceae family. The fruiting body is large. The hat grows up to 25 cm in diameter, the shape is semi-circular, with the edges curved inward. The color of the cap is mainly dirty white, with a grayish tint, and maybe greenish. The flesh of the cap is white with a yellow tint, immediately turns blue after cutting, and later turns red. The pulp of the leg has an unpleasant odor.

Satanic mushroom

The tubular system is dense, with yellow tubes with a green tint. When pressed they immediately turn blue. The leg is low and has the shape of a barrel. The upper part is painted red with a yellow tint, the middle part is orange, and the lower part is yellow with a brown tint. Also on the leg there is a mesh pattern in the form of large ovoid cells. The satanic mushroom grows from June to October.

It turns out you can sharpen knives with mushrooms! Of course, not everyone, but the birch tinder fungus is perfect for this. Indeed, hairdressers used to use it as fine sandpaper. They cut strips from the underside of the mushroom, dried them and, attaching them to a piece of wood, sharpened them using a razor device.

And these are not all the amazing properties of the birch tinder fungus. The name itself contains another useful feature of the mushroom - it can smolder for a long time and not fade. Thus, using the mushroom as tinder, people in ancient times could store and transfer fire over long distances.

But the birch tinder fungus is most valued not for household use, and not for, frankly speaking, very questionable taste, but for its ability to treat an incredible number of ailments.

In 1991, a mummified male body was discovered on the Val Senales glacier in the Italian Alps. Scientists have determined that this man died approximately 5,300 years ago. Because the body was covered in snow and frozen into ice, it was surprisingly well preserved. A weapon, a bag of food and a first aid kit with various medicinal herbs, including pieces of birch polypore, which, according to modern scientists, he used to treat diseases, were found with him. Thus, we can safely say that the history of the use of tinder fungi for medicinal purposes goes back more than five thousand years.

Description and photo of birch polypore

Common names

Birch polypore or lat. Piptoporus betulinus is also called piptoporus birch or birch sponge, birch or wood (black) mushroom.

Fruiting body

The fruiting bodies of the birch sponge sometimes reach 30 centimeters in diameter, but are more often found smaller in size - from 5 to 20 centimeters. White when young, the caps gradually darken, changing their color to yellow-brown or grayish. They are covered with thin, smooth, sometimes with small cracks, skin, which can be easily separated from the cap. The caps themselves are initially cushion-shaped, then, as they mature, they take on the shape of a hoof, and at the end of life they look like a large flat bracket with a downward curved edge. The underside is white and contains many pores that release whitish fungal spores into the air.

Leg

Most tinder fungi do not have a leg, or it has a rudimentary, weakly defined form.

Pulp

It’s not for nothing that the mushroom is called a birch sponge. It is the inner part of the fruiting body that looks like a very dense white sponge. In young tinder fungi it is soft, juicy and uniform, in mature ones it is hardened and cracked.

Edibility

Birch tinder fungus can be considered a non-poisonous and edible mushroom. But if its non-toxicity is a proven and obvious fact, then its edibility is a debatable topic. The fact is that the mushroom has a rather bitter aftertaste. Eating tinder is not very pleasant. But taking it as a medicine is quite digestible.

Chemical composition

Comprehensive analysis chemical composition birch polypore revealed the presence of 17 fatty acids, including oleic and linoleic, as well as substances with antioxidant properties: ascorbic acid, beta-carotene and lycopene. Other compounds identified included betulinic acid, betulin, lupeol, fomephycic acid and ergosterol peroxide.

Birch polypore habitats

Birch sponge is widespread. Found in northern temperate forests and parks of Europe, North America and Asia. The range of the tinder fungus is determined solely by the presence or absence of birch trees. The mushroom grows only on trees of this species.

Medicinal properties of black wood mushroom

Modern pharmacological studies have confirmed the effectiveness of using birch polypore for the treatment of many diseases. Without a doubt, this medicinal mushroom can be considered as a promising source for the development of new healthcare products.

Currently it is used as:

1. Antiviral agent

In experiments, birch sponge extract blocked the proliferation of HIV cells, attacked and destroyed encephalitis infections, and was effective in treating influenza, yellow fever, and West Nile fever.

1. Antimicrobial agent

Birch polypore contains the antibiotic piptamine, which is used to treat diseases caused by E. coli.

1. Anti-inflammatory

Currently, the effect of triterpene acids contained in mushrooms on the course of chronic inflammation has been studied. It has been established that these substances prevent the development of inflammatory reactions.

1. Antitumor agent

Betulinic acid and other chemicals in mushrooms have been shown to cause the destruction of cancer cells, but do not have a negative effect on healthy cells.

1. Antiseptic

Products based on birch sponge are successfully used to treat wounds and inflammation. By cutting a thin strip from the underside of the mushroom, you can get an excellent self-adhesive antiseptic plaster, much better quality than that purchased at the pharmacy.

1. Antifungal agent

The polypore does not like to share its habitat with other fungi and, therefore, contains some substances that have a strong antifungal effect.

Similar species

The birch polypore is often confused with the false polypore (lat. Phellinus igniarius). Despite their general external similarity, they are easily distinguishable by certain characteristics:

1. The false polypore is a perennial mushroom, while the birch polypore lives for one season.
2. The false fungus is very firmly attached to the tree trunk, and the birch tinder fungus is quite easily separated from it.
3. Mushrooms also differ in density: the inner part of the fruiting body of the birch sponge is soft, while that of the false tinder fungus is very hard and dark.
4. In addition to birches, which the birch tinder fungus prefers, false appearance can also be found on alder.

Features of collecting birch sponge

The collection period lasts from early summer to mid-autumn. Only young specimens of mushrooms growing on living trees are collected. Choose tinder fungi that are intact and not eaten away by insects. They are carefully cut from the trunk, being careful not to capture part of the wood. After harvesting, mushrooms must be processed as quickly as possible.

Particular attention should be paid to the place where birch sponge is collected. It, like most other mushrooms, accumulates harmful substances if it grows in polluted places.

It is not recommended to buy mushrooms from strangers. If necessary, special laboratory research. Such precautions will protect the body from consuming low-quality and potentially dangerous products.

Storing birch sponge

Drying is the best way to preserve mushrooms for a long time without losing their beneficial properties. Birch sponges brought from the forest are cut into small pieces and laid out to dry in one layer, so that they do not touch each other. Once dry, they can be stored in a paper bag or closed jar in a dry place, away from direct sunlight.

Why is tinder fungus dangerous for birches?

The birch polypore infects the tree with yellowish-brown or reddish-brown rot through damaged areas. The spores penetrate into the trunk through broken branches, cracks and damage to the bark, forming an extensive micellar network there. If the tree is healthy, it can restrain the spread of tinder fungus, but in an old and sick tree a gradual process of destruction begins: hollows are formed, the wood becomes rotten - the birch dies.

How dangerous is birch tinder fungus for human health?

Birch polypore is very powerful medicine, therefore, it should be taken while observing special measures precautions. Pregnant and lactating women, children under 14 years of age, and the elderly should not use birch sponge. Polypore is also contraindicated in case of allergic reactions to mushrooms, as well as in case of individual intolerance to them. In addition, it is prohibited to be treated with preparations based on birch sponge during the recovery period after surgery.

Important! Before starting mushroom treatment, you should consult your doctor.

It must be remembered that in most cases, the use of birch polypore is only part of therapy, an addition to the main treatment, and does not replace it completely.

Use in folk medicine

The birch tinder fungus is widely used and valued in folk medicine. It is used in a variety of forms: in water, in alcohol, in powder form. Such medicines are easy to prepare yourself at home.

Tincture of birch polypore

The alcohol tincture is prepared as follows: 3 tablespoons of chopped mushrooms are poured into 0.5 liters of vodka, tightly closed and placed in a dark place for two weeks. This tincture is not filtered, shaken before use.

This medicine is used to treat cancer - 1 tbsp. spoon three times a day. As a preventive measure, drink a teaspoon three times a day for a month. The course is repeated after six months.

Infusion of birch tinder fungus

To prepare the infusion, peeled and washed mushrooms are poured with warm boiled water for 5-6 hours. After this time, the tinder fungi are taken out of the water and ground in a meat grinder. The remaining water from soaking is heated to 50 degrees and mixed with chopped mushrooms at the rate of 1 cup of mushrooms per 5 cups of liquid. Then the mixture is placed in a cool place for two days, after which it is filtered and taken, diluted with water, 1 glass three times a day.

You can also prepare an infusion of more in a fast way: Place chopped mushrooms in a thermos, pour hot but not boiling water over them and leave for 10–12 hours.

Drinks from birch tinder infusion can be diluted with milk, and you can also add honey, rosehip syrup, elderberry, etc. to them.

If you find the infusion too bitter, you can freeze it in ice cube trays and add this medicinal broth to soups or stews, where the flavor will be masked by the spices.

Birch polypore powder

To prepare the powder dried mushrooms grind in a coffee grinder or grind in a mortar. Store in a hermetically sealed container in a dry place. Used for dusting wounds, burns, and other skin lesions. To strengthen the immune system, the powder is diluted in warm water or milk and drunk in small portions before meals.

Weightloss remedy

Studies have not revealed a direct connection between the use of preparations from birch polypore and excess weight loss. The bitterness contained in mushrooms certainly helps reduce appetite, so it is recommended to drink birch sponge drinks for this purpose. Throughout the day, drink 2-3 glasses of infusion, consume little by little, in small sips. Honey, milk, green tea, rose hips, etc. are used as additional ingredients. But you shouldn’t expect the “drink - lose weight” effect. Undoubtedly, the best way In the fight against extra pounds there will be diet and exercise.

Birch mushroom is a fungus of the species Tinder fungus. It is often called chaga.

You can less often hear such popular names:

• tsar;

Description

According to legend, Tsar Vladimir Monomakh developed a cancerous tumor on his lip, and doctors, under threat of execution, were given an order to find a cure for this problem. This is how the anti-cancer properties of chaga were discovered. In the Middle Ages, Russia was a supplier of chaga to Europe. Avicenna mentions this mushroom in his notes.

Compound

The components included in the birch mushroom are active biogenic stimulants. Chaga contains formic, agaricic, acetic, oxalic acids, resins, sterols, polysaccharides, tannins, phytoncides, flavonoids, alkaloids, melanin, and chromogens. It is also rich in the elements Fe, Mg, K, Cu, Mn, Ag, Co.

Medicinal properties

In folk medicine it is valued as a remedy against gastritis. This mushroom was used as a remedy for excessive sweating in tuberculosis patients. Laboratory tests have proven that chaga is effective against tumors, including malignant ones, and is able to inhibit the growth of cancer at its initial stage. In addition, birch mushroom has antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, hemostatic, and immunomodeling effects.

Medicinal use

Unlike many medicinal plants, chaga is non-toxic and rarely causes allergic reactions. The only disadvantage of using drugs based on this mushroom is possible increased nervous excitability. At the pharmacy you can buy the drug Befungin, which is based on chaga extract.

You can collect chaga at any time of the year, but only from living birch trees. When collecting, you need to choose the right mushroom - it is the mowed tinder fungus that is useful. It can be confused with the tinder fungus, real and false. Chaga, unlike other tinder fungi, is separated from the tree with great difficulty, has a less regular shape, is darker - one might say, it looks less aesthetically pleasing. The false polypore prefers fallen trees, looks like a hoof and has dark circles on a gray surface. It is impossible to tear off the chaga with your hands: it is cut down. The dark part of the mushroom is cut into pieces no thicker than 5 cm (the light part is not used), dried in a dry room at a temperature of up to 40 o C. The raw materials can be used for 2 years.

Medicinal drugs based on chaga are used externally for the following diseases:

• joint diseases;
• eczema;
• psoriasis;
• acne;
• gum disease as a rinse.

For internal use for diseases:

• tumor neoplasms, both benign and malignant;
• stomach polyps;
• prostatitis and prostate adenoma;
• varicose veins;
• depression and chronic fatigue syndrome;
• gastritis;
• uterine fibroids.

Recipes

Chaga for oncology

The habit of adding chaga to tea or drinking a drink made from a birch mushroom is a prevention of the occurrence of tumors, so people who have cases of cancer in the family are recommended to take a course of a drink made from this mushroom as a preventive measure against cancer. Once the diagnosis is established, the use of chaga reduces the chances of metastasis.

Chaga tea:

1 tsp dust or a piece of birch mushroom is poured with 0.5 liters of water at 50 o C, infused for 1.5 hours. Drink this tea in the morning on an empty stomach. Can be sweetened with honey. It is convenient to brew this tea in a thermos in the evening.

Chaga infusion :

1 part of the mushroom is poured with 5 parts of 50-degree water. Leave for 5 hours, take out the mushroom, grind it with a meat grinder or blender. The infusion is heated to 50 degrees, chopped mushroom is added and infused for another 5 hours.

Tincture:

100 g of raw material is poured with 1.5 liters of vodka and left for 21 days in a dark place. Keep refrigerated.

Chaga oil:

2 tbsp. unrefined vegetable oil mix with 30 ml of birch mushroom tincture, shake until an emulsion is obtained, drink in one dose. Take three times a day 25 minutes before meals. The cycle of treatment for tumors is as follows: 10 days of admission - 5 days break - 10 days of admission - 10 days break - 10 days of admission - 5 days break and so on.

If the tumor is localized in the uterus or rectum, warm douching with chaga infusion is additionally used.

Contraindications

Chaga can only be used against tumors as an adjuvant!

Do not under any circumstances give up the means of official medicine. Pregnant women and children should not take chaga preparations, as the fungus stops cell development. You cannot take glucose preparations and penicillin (a number of antibiotics) at the same time as birch mushroom.