Boletus brief description. Boletus - description, properties, types

The article will talk about one of the wonderful plant inhabitants of forests. Its name directly indicates where it likes to grow. This is a boletus whose favorite places to grow are forests with birch trees.

It should be noted that these mushrooms belong to a group belonging to one single genus - Fabaceae. Their main difference from other varieties is the brownish color of the cap (in different shades).

The genus Obabok unites a variety of species, including boletus and boletus. Despite the characteristic features of plants of each group, their common characteristics often confuse beginners. In this regard, boletus mushrooms are often called boletus boletuses.

This article will provide more detailed information about the white boletus: photo, description, etc.

General characteristics of boletus

Boletus forms mycorrhiza with birch, which is where its name comes from.

These mushrooms have characteristic convex caps, the shades of which range from white to almost black. Young mushrooms have dense, beautiful hemispherical caps. But as they grow, they become more loose and pillow-shaped.

The size reaches up to 20 cm in diameter. However, mushroom pickers often ignore such specimens, because a richer and more delicate taste is inherent in young representatives. Their legs are gray or white, covered with brownish, black or dark gray scales. The thickness of the legs is 4 cm in diameter. The young mushroom has dense, elastic, white flesh. But some varieties can change to a pinkish tint when broken.

Before we introduce the white boletus, we will briefly describe the varieties of mushrooms in this group.

Varieties

Boletus mushrooms can be divided into several varieties depending on their appearance and growing conditions. In total, there are about 40 of them, but not all of them can be found in Russia. The following are the most common types:

Ordinary is the most common and most valuable from the point of view of the preferences of culinary masters. The cap has a uniform color, the leg at the bottom is thickened.
White - grows in damp places and is not particularly productive (white boletus).
Harsh - loves sandy soils and loamy soils of aspens and poplars. The brown cap is pubescent, the flesh turns pink when cut, and the leg below becomes lilac.
Swamp - quite common in swampy, damp areas. The cap has a lighter shade, the leg is thinner.
Pinkish - found mainly in autumn in humid northern forests. The color of the cap is uneven, brownish, and the flesh at the break turns pink as a result of oxidation.
Gray (hornbeam) - has the longest collection period: from spring to autumn. The cap is brown-olive and grayish in color with tubercles and wrinkles, a relatively short stem, the flesh turns purple and then black when cut.

There are also black and multi-colored varieties in nature.

All these mushrooms feel great among birch trees, but they are also found in other trees. More often they grow in places that are well warmed by the sun, but with sufficiently moist soil.

White boletus: photo and description

The mushroom is edible. Its hat is whitish with various shades: light gray, cream, pinkish.

The shape of the cap of a young mushroom, like that of other boletus mushrooms, is hemispherical; at a more mature age, it is cushion-shaped. Then she becomes more prostrate. But unlike the common boletus, it rarely opens completely. The average diameter is 3-8 cm. The white and tender flesh of the mushroom does not have a particular taste or smell.

In height, the white boletus reaches sizes up to 7-10 cm (sometimes even higher in the grass), the diameter of the stem is 0.8-1.5 cm, and narrows closer to the cap. Its color is white, covered with scales of the same color, but with age and drying they darken. The fibrous pulp of the stem of this type of mushroom, in comparison with the common boletus, is softer. At the base it acquires a bluish tint.

Beneficial features

One of the most important properties of white boletus, like all mushrooms from this group, is the ability to remove toxins thanks to the dietary fiber it contains. Mushrooms are useful as an aid in the treatment of the following diseases:

diseases of the nervous system;
changes in the amount of sugar in the blood;
various kidney pathologies;
skin problems;
inflammation of the musculoskeletal system;
inflammation of the mucous membranes.

The pulp of the mushroom contains vitamins B and C, D, E, proteins, nicotinic acid, micro- and macroelements. In addition, it is absorbed by the body quite easily.

Places of growth

White boletus is found from mid-summer to early October in mixed and deciduous forests, forming mycorrhizae mainly with birch. The mushroom prefers damp places and the outskirts of swamps. It is not very rare to be found in such places, but the yield is not very high.

The youngest first mushrooms can be found in more open and sun-warmed places: clearings, groves, forest edges. They can also be found under single trees.

This type of mushroom thrives in a wide range of climates. It even grows in the tundra (near birch trees). The main condition is the presence of a birch root system, which provides nutrition for these fungi.

The white variety differs from its closely related species by the almost white color of its cap.

Another similar species of the same genus (Obabaceae) is the notorious white boletus. But the latter differs in that at a break it actively changes its color.

False representative

There is, by and large, only one false mushroom, with which you can easily confuse not only the species being described, but also other boletus mushrooms, porcini mushrooms and even butterfly mushrooms. This is a gall mushroom. It is dangerous and poisonous, but it is not difficult to identify.

It is important to pay attention to the cut on the leg. The flesh of the poisonous false representative, oxidizing in air, changes color from crimson and pink to bluish and poisonous green.

Finally

White-capped boletuses are sometimes popularly called haymakers or spikeworts. This is due to the fact that they appear just at the time when haymaking begins and rye begins to spike in the fields.

The mushroom, quite valuable in all respects, can be collected throughout the summer and even in the fall. And this pleases many lovers of forest walks.

Boletus (Leccinum) is an edible mushroom that belongs to the genus Leccinum (boletus), the boletus family. The name of the mushroom comes from its growth near the roots of birch trees. All members of the family are edible, differing very slightly in terms of taste.

Boletus - description

The appearance of all mushrooms of this species, numbering more than 40 varieties, is similar to each other. The color of the cap can be white in young mushrooms and become dark brown with age. The boletus mushroom grows both singly and in small groups. The cap of the boletus has the shape of a hemisphere, turning into a cushion-shaped one as it ages. When the air humidity is high, it becomes sticky and covered with mucus. The pulp is white, dense, slightly darkening when cut. In adulthood it becomes loose and watery. The diameter of the cap of an adult mushroom can reach 18 cm.

The stem of the boletus is cylindrical in shape, gray or white, can have a length of up to 15 cm and a diameter of up to 3 cm. The surface of the stem is covered with longitudinally arranged dark gray scales. As it ages, its fleshy flesh degenerates into tough and fibrous flesh. The spore powder has an olive-brown tint.

Boletus mushrooms have a rapid growth rate - they can rise 4 cm per day, fully maturing by 6 days. After which a period of aging begins: soon the body of the fungus becomes a “dining room” for worms.

Types of boletus

The division of boletus into species is carried out according to the criteria of external appearance and places of growth. Types of boletus:

common boletus
black boletus
tundra boletus
marsh, white boletus
pinkish, oxidizing boletus
gray boletus, hornbeam
tough boletus
checkerboard, or blackening boletus
ash-gray boletus
colorful boletus

About 9 species are found on the territory of Russia, among which the most common are the common boletus and the hornbeam. People also have other nicknames: obabok, birch tree, grandma, etc.

The most common. Due to its excellent taste, it is deservedly considered very valuable from a culinary point of view. The cap of the common boletus has a uniform brown or reddish color (depending on the place of growth), the leg is dense, massive, thickened below, with grayish scales.

quite common on overly moist soils. The mushroom cap is light gray or light brown in color, the stem is thin, the flesh of the mushroom is loose, but has an excellent taste.

The color of the mushroom cap varies from grayish and brown to purple. In young species it is often covered with scales; in older species it becomes smooth. The stem is cylindrical, creamy at the bottom and almost white at the cap. The flesh of the mushroom is slightly sweet, darkens when pressed and has a rich mushroom smell.

has a greyish, orange, pinkish or light brown cap, often with tan marks of a yellowish tint. In dry weather, the surface of the mushroom is dry; when it rains, the cap is usually slimy. The stem of the mushroom is white, sometimes covered with gray scales.

grows in the forest belt of northern latitudes, most often found in autumn. The cap is usually brick red or brown in color, although the color may not be uniform. The leg is short, usually crooked due to a sharp bend towards the light.

the smallest of its brothers, because it grows under dwarf birch trees in the tundra, where lighting and a long warm period can often only be a dream. The mushroom cap is small, very light in color, almost whitish or light beige.

has a dark, sometimes almost black cap and a thick, short leg covered with dark gray scales. Black boletus is a rather rare guest in mushroom pickers' baskets, but it is highly valued for its taste.

may have a cap of different colors: ash, brown-gray, ocher, light, whitish. In Russia it grows mainly in the Caucasus, found in deciduous forests, mainly hornbeams.

Where do boletus mushrooms grow?

You can go collecting boletus mushrooms in any light deciduous and mixed forests, the main thing is that they have birch trees. These mushrooms can be found in North and South America, as well as in Eurasia. The boletus mushroom grows even in the harsh conditions of the tundra and forest-tundra, under dwarf birch trees. As soon as the bird cherry blossoms, mushroom pickers go to the forest. Mushroom hunting continues until mid-autumn. Due to the fact that boletus flowers love light, it is better to look for them on forest edges and open clearings.

How to grow boletus yourself?

Boletus mushrooms can be grown on a summer cottage, however, an indispensable condition is the presence of birch trees on it. For planting, a special aqueous solution of the spore body is prepared. After carefully opening the roots of the tree from the turf, they are watered with the prepared solution. After this, it is necessary to moisten the planted mycelium without flooding the soil. Watering should be done in the late afternoon. To protect from direct rays of the sun, you need to plant some plants around. Fertilizers should not be used.

Useful properties of boletus mushrooms

Boletus is not only a tasty, but also a useful mushroom from a medical point of view. Being a low-calorie product containing essential microelements, it is suitable for dietary nutrition. The boletus mushroom has a beneficial effect on the nervous system and regulates blood sugar. Eating it helps remove toxins from the body and improves kidney function.

The boletus mushroom is not poisonous, but if there is individual intolerance, allergic reactions may occur. Having tasted mushrooms that have been stored for a long time in unsuitable containers, you can become poisoned - high fever and vomiting appear.

Where and how to collect boletus mushrooms?

It is better to collect mushrooms in willow baskets or enamel buckets. It is not recommended to cut mushrooms growing in an uncharacteristic place. If you are not sure whether a mushroom belongs to the edible category, it is better not to touch it. You need to start processing the harvest immediately upon arriving home. The boletus mushroom is suitable for all types of culinary processing. It can be boiled, stewed, fried. To prepare for future use, boletus mushrooms are dried, pickled and frozen.

Product Description

boletus- a common Russian name for several species of mushrooms from the genus Leccinum or Obabok (Leccinum). The habitat of the boletus is deciduous forest. The boletus grows mainly in birch forests and mixed forests, in damp, wetlands under birch trees, as well as in gardens where there are birch trees.

Boletus mushrooms have a somewhat slippery, dull, brownish cap color. The cut flesh is not always colored. Other signs are brown scales on the stalk and whitish tubes. From boletus mushrooms (which are also several species of mushrooms from the genus Leccinum), boletus mushrooms differ not only in the color of the cap, but also in the thinner stem and less dense flesh of the cap.

Popular names for boletus mushrooms are different: grandma, grandma white and black, birch tree, gray mushroom, black mushroom,obabok, geese.

Types and varieties

All boletus - edible. Botanists distinguish several species of boletus (and they argue which of them is really a species and which is a subspecies of one of the species):

common boletus(Leccinum scabrum)— the same classic boletus with a brown, slightly slippery cap;
black boletus (Leccinum scabrum f. melaneum, Leccinum scabrum melaneum), which has a darker cap, in some cases almost black;
marsh boletus, aka white boletus (Leccinum scabrum f. chioneum, Leccinum holopus)- so named because it grows more often in swamps, and its cap is very light, white or whitish-brown;
pink boletus, aka oxidizing(Leccinum scabrum f. oxydabile, Leccinum oxydabile)- so named because when cut it acquires a coral tint in the cap and yellowish-gray in the stem, while many other types of boletus (for example, the common boletus) do not change color when cut;
gray boletus, aka hornbeam(Leccinum carpini, Leccinum pseudoscabrum)- known in the Caucasus and loves the company of the hornbeam (a relative of the birch), the color of its cap can be either light gray or brown; when cut, the flesh turns pinkish-violet, then gray, to almost black;
boletus is a bit harsh, aka hardish And poplar(Leccinum duriusculum)— its flesh is indeed a little harder than that of other species, and at the break it turns red (in the cap and upper part of the leg) or turns blue (in the lower part);
boletus checkerboard, or blackening (Leccinum nigrescens), whose cap is brownish-yellow in color, and the flesh when cut becomes wine-red or violet-brown, and then turns black; known in warm regions of Europe, in Russia - in the Caucasus;
boletus ash gray (Leccinum leucophaeum), the name of which alludes to the color of the tubular layer - the lower part of the cap, while the skin of the cap is brown, and the flesh turns pink when cut (blue at the base);
colorful boletus, aka colorful (Leccinum variicolor), which is quite different from other boletus in appearance: its cap is very dark, almost black, variegated, with yellowish tan marks of an oblong shape (although there are several varieties of boletus of different colors with a brick or orange cap, also variegated), the leg at the base is blue -green, acquiring a pinkish and greenish tint when cut; These mushrooms grow under birch, poplar, oak and spruce trees.

IN culinary And in terms of taste different types of boletus (as well as boletus) almost no different from each other.

How to cook

The flesh of boletus mushrooms becomes loose very quickly, so it is better to take young boletus mushrooms and cook them together with other mushrooms, since they themselves do not have a distinct taste. The boletus darkens with any treatment.

Boletus mushrooms can be fried and stewed (they go especially well with sour cream), you can marinate and salt them, they make a good mushroom soup. You can make pasta and risotto with boletus mushrooms.

In various dishes, boletus mushrooms go well with buckwheat, pearl barley, rice, potatoes, cabbage, carrots, lentils, peas, and sweet peppers.

Boletus mushrooms are great for filling pies, pizzas, rolls, and homemade bread. It is advisable to prepare the mushroom filling in advance, that is, lightly boil or fry the mushrooms before placing them in the dough.

In central Russia, boletus mushrooms are harvested from June to October, but the main season begins from late July to early August. In some areas they can be found until November.

How to select and store

boletus They do not hide in the grass, they are always in sight, they are easy to collect in spacious birch forests in groups and individually. Boletus mushrooms can be found at the edge of the forest, on the lawns of birch and mixed forests. In a mixed forest, the boletus stays closer to the birch.

You should not pick mushrooms near the road: they absorb harmful substances from the exhaust gases of passing cars. The safe collection zone begins several hundred meters from the highways.

The only mushroom with which an inexperienced mushroom picker can confuse boletus is gall mushroom or in common parlance false boletus (Tylopilus felleus). It looks like an ordinary one - its cap is tubular on the bottom, brown on the outside, and its leg is pockmarked. It is not poisonous, but if you come across one such mushroom, the whole dish will be spoiled, because it is very bitter, and this bitterness intensifies when cooked. The first sign of false boletus is a pinkish tint to the tubular part of the cap. In doubtful cases, you can touch it with your tongue (the sensation is so-so, but it is not dangerous). To accurately determine the type of a particular mushroom and whether it belongs to edible or poisonous mushrooms, you should consult special reference books.

At buying boletus mushrooms It is advisable to find out where they were collected. It is better to purchase mushrooms at stationary markets, where products are checked for compliance with sanitary standards.

Avoid buying large mushrooms. All for the same reason - the older the mushroom, the higher the concentration of absorbed toxic substances. And, as a rule, there are fewer worms in young boletus mushrooms.

Don't buy already processed mushrooms“from hand”: dried, salted, pickled, etc. Among other pieces, you may also find pale toadstools, it’s better not to risk it.

Mushrooms belong to perishable products, they are not allowed keep for a long time. Boletus mushrooms must be processed on the day of collection (or on the day of purchase).

First of all, the mushrooms are cleared of debris, the stems are cut off, and damaged areas are cut out. To prevent the mushrooms from turning black, use stainless steel knives. Then they are either cooked immediately or stored for future use.

The main ways to preserve mushrooms are: drying ,freezing, salting , pickling(and canning in sterilized, hermetically sealed glass jars). Dried mushrooms can be used to make mushroom powder. You can also prepare (and then preserve) mushroom mass from a meat grinder and boiled mixture. mushroom extract.

The mushroom kingdom is one of the most extensive on the planet, and its representatives are found literally everywhere. Many types of mushrooms have long been used by humans in the food and economic spheres, as well as in medicine. A lot of people, keen on “silent hunting,” go for mushrooms in the fall. But we must remember that poisonous mushrooms are often disguised as good ones. When going to the forest, you need to know what boletus and its other edible cousins look like.

Biological features

Boletus belongs to the spongy cap mushrooms of the genus Leccinum, the distinctive feature of which is the porous hymenophore. Other names for this mushroom are birch or obabok. The first boletuses grow in early summer, and they can be collected until late autumn.

The basis of the body of birch mushrooms, like all other mushrooms, is mycelium (otherwise - mycelium) - a system of thin branched threads that fit tightly together in the body of the mushroom.

The main part of the mycelium is located in fallen and rotted leaves, rotten wood or other organic substrate. Usually the mycelium grows quite widely, since it is through it that nutrients enter the fungus. The boletus mycelium is perennial; it is quite well adapted to changes in the environment and can tolerate both frost and drought. Under favorable conditions, the mycelium forms fruiting bodies, which are called mushrooms. The fruiting body of the birch tree has the following structure:

The cap is large and matte, its color varies from white or light brown to gray or almost black (depending on the variety and growing conditions). It is smooth or velvety felt to the touch. The cap of young mushrooms is dome-shaped, while that of old mushrooms is spread out.
The leg has a cylindrical shape, in some species it thickens downward. Usually covered with scales, but sometimes fibrous. In a number of varieties, the stem can bend as it grows, turning the mushroom towards the sun.
The hymenophore contains tubes of different diameters, the color of which can be white, gray or yellow. With age, the tubes darken.
The pulp is white; in some mushrooms it is strong, in others it is loose. When cut, it may take on a dark blue, pink or red tint. It turns black when cooked.
The spores are found in a spore powder that is yellow, yellow-brown or dark brown in color.

Unlike the common boletus, its counterpart has a very pronounced bitter taste; for this reason, even worms do not eat the false boletus. If the found adult mushroom does not have wormholes or signs of damage by slugs, it is worth taking a closer look at it. First you need to consider the leg. In the true boletus it is covered with scales, while in the false boletus it has a pattern resembling a net.

Then comes the turn of the cap - in the gall mushroom it can have rather aggressive intense brown or brick shades. If the color of the cap contains green, such a mushroom cannot be taken, since a true boletus mushroom simply does not have a cap of this color. When doubts arise about a mushroom found in the forest, it is better not to take it into the basket at all.

Boletus mushrooms or boletus mushrooms are edible mushrooms. They are prepared for the winter in several ways. The subspecies is found everywhere, differs in its taste, and does not spoil for a long time. It is important to be able to distinguish between the main types of mushrooms in order to know how to cook them correctly.

There are about 40 known species of mushroom, which are similar in appearance. Young mushrooms have a milky white cap; as they grow, they first turn pink and then acquire a dark brown tint. The skin on the surface of the cap may swell - this is a sure sign of aging of the mushroom. The cap of mature boletus is elastic to the touch, in the shape of a hemisphere. The spores also change color depending on the age of the boletus: young boletus spores have a soft olive hue, later they become brown.

When the humidity in the forest is high, the obebka's hat is covered with a sticky substance that resembles mucus in appearance. The pulp of the mushroom is dense, slightly dark in comparison with other mushrooms. As the pulp ages, it becomes more heterogeneous, the density changes, and the pulp becomes looser. A high growth rate is noted in this particular type - under favorable conditions, the dog can gain 3-4 cm in height.

The stem of the boletus is wide at the root, gradually narrowing closer to the cap. The diameter of the stem of individual mushrooms can reach 5-6 cm; the height of the mushroom grows to 10-12 cm and looks large. Along the entire length of the leg there are rough scaly growths of a dark brown color.

Helpful information. It is recommended to collect mushrooms of this type on the 6th day after they emerge from the ground. At this moment, the obabok was fully grown. On the 7th day, worms penetrate into the cavity of the fungus, and it becomes unfit for consumption.

Types of boletus

On the territory of the Russian Federation and in the CIS countries, 9 species of representatives of the family are most often found. These mushrooms are not poisonous, but not every mushroom picker is able to recognize one or another species by external signs. Common subspecies of obobok:

Black.
Ordinary.
Pinkish.
Bolotny.
Ashen.
Grabovik (gray).
Tundra.
Harsh.
Multicolored.

Two subspecies of boletus deserve special attention: common and hornbeam. These mushrooms are found in almost any forest and are most often found by mushroom pickers. Among the people, these subspecies have several pseudonyms: babka, birch and strong.

The common boletus has an excellent taste and is harvested for the winter. According to the description, the mushroom cap is dense, of a regular convex shape, covered with a reddish-brown skin. The leg is long, of medium thickness. There are scales of a dark shade. The spores are large and clearly visible from under the cap.

The cap of the hornbeam is covered with skin of different shades - from almost black to ash-gray. The representative of this species is short, but large. The pulp is fleshy, dense, white or light brown. The stalk is thickened closer to the roots, the spores are not visible.

Where do boletus mushrooms grow?

The boletus mushroom is most often found in deciduous forests where birch trees are found. It is for the place where it grows that the mushroom got its name. Often this species grows on the sides of forest paths, in mixed forest plantations. It can be found extremely rarely in coniferous plantations. Mushroom picking begins in the fall, during the bird cherry blossom period.

The growth of the tree is not affected by temperature; the main condition for growth is the presence of birch trees in the planting. It is found at the foot of dwarf birches, in the tundra and forest-tundra. These mushrooms grow for 1.5-2 months, until mid-autumn.

How to collect boletus mushrooms?

It is necessary to prepare in advance for a trip to pick boletus mushrooms. It is best to go for the husks after the rain, at the height of the season, on the 4th-5th day. At this moment, the strong guy will grow up and become large. It is recommended to go to the forest early in the morning.

You must have a wicker basket or box with you. It is not recommended to put the loot in a bag; the loot may become wrinkled. Boletus mushrooms often “hide” in tall grass, so you need to have a long stick with you. With its help, the grass moves apart, and the risk of crushing dogs is almost zero.

Helpful information. The stem of the mushroom is cut off with a knife. Mushrooms cannot be pulled out by the roots; in this case, the mycelium is damaged and reproduction is stopped. Mushrooms may no longer grow next season.

Cooking methods

Dishes made from boletus mushrooms are considered nourishing and healthy for the human body. Obabka contains a large amount of protein, acids of organic origin and amino acids. The nutritional value of representatives of this species is high, but the calorie content is low. Boletus mushrooms can be prepared as an independent dish or as a side dish for meat and vegetable dishes.

There are many recipes according to which boletus mushrooms:

Marinate.
Salted.
Dry.
Freeze.

In addition, obabki are boiled, fried and stewed. When heat treated, the robust fish does not lose its edibility and beneficial properties. Before cooking, a batch of mushrooms must be disassembled. Loose boletus mushrooms are subject to culling; only dense boletus mushrooms are eaten, without damage or worms.

It is better to freeze those hornbeams that have not been in water. Before freezing, you need to cut off the legs of the robust one, place the stems in a plastic bag and place them in the freezer.

Helpful information. In order for hornbeams to digest faster in the stomach and not cause indigestion, they must be boiled first. The cooking process takes 2-3 hours.

Boletus mushrooms have a “double”. It is important to be able to distinguish edible from false, since eating the latter is fraught with severe poisoning. The false boletus has no speckles on its stem. The color of the cap is also very different; the false one has a greenish-brown tint. The taste of pseudo-obabka is bitter.