Bitter belongs to the genus of milkers, and the family of russula. They can grow both in large groups or individually. This mushroom is not rare, but still it causes disputes between mushroom pickers, many do not collect them because of a bitter aftertaste, the name speaks for itself.
Description and appearance of bitter
Hat reaches 12 cm, and in some cases up to 18 cm in diameter, convex-flat in shape, with aging it becomes like a funnel. The mushroom cap is fleshy and dry, has a brownish-red matte color. In the center there is a small tubercle, and around it there are small dents. In old mushrooms, it is colored dark red. Some specimens have light small circles. The peel of the hat is thin with the furrows present.
Leg reaches 10 cm in length, its diameter is 2 cm. The shape resembles a cylinder, there are no fibers. At the ground on the leg there is a slight pubescence. In young mushrooms, the leg is flat and solid, while in old mushrooms the leg is hollow. When the mushroom is young, the color of the legs is off-white, while in older specimens it is pink or red with rusty pollination.
Pulp very thin, but dense, the aroma resembles resin. Juice, liberated, burning and caustic, white. The mushroom has some bitterness. The records are frequent and at the same time narrow. In a young mushroom, they have a red color with a yellow tint, as they grow older they get a red color with a brown tint, and in very old mushrooms a white coating appears on the plates.
Other mushroom names
The bitter mushroom was called by the person who first studied it, but in the people it is called by other names:
- red bitter;
- bitter breast;
- way;
- goryanka.
Mushroom edibility
Bitter refers to conditionally edible mushrooms, that is, it can be consumed only after preliminary boiling in salted water. In cooking, it is used quite rarely, mainly mushroom pickers are collected for drying, soaking or pickling. When salted, the mushroom acquires a brown color.
In the West, this type of mushroom is not eaten, the mushroom is able to absorb radioactive elements. Therefore, you can collect such mushrooms only in ecologically clean places, and before cooking they must be soaked, removing the bitterness.
What can confuse bitterness with?
Bitter has similarities with many other mushrooms, so before putting the mushroom in a basket, you should pay attention to its hat, if there is a tubercle in the middle of the hat and juice stands out, then you can safely take this mushroom with you.
Bitter can be easily confused with such mushrooms:
Mushroom name | Description |
Camphor | He is an edible mushroom. The smell of the breast is like the dry roots of a tree. |
Orange weed | The cap of this mushroom is chestnut in color and has the same color in its leg. |
Swamp breast | It also looks like bitterness, the color of the hat is the same, it can be found near the swamp in pine forests. |
Liver | It is considered an inedible fungus, it differs in the color of the juice, in the milkman it is yellow, and in bitter it is reddish. |
Gladysh | It is very similar to bitter, but there is no tubercle on its hat, and the color of the hat is chestnut-red. |
Also, an inexperienced mushroom picker can confuse bitterness with:
- seroshki;
- brown milkers;
- rubella;
- smoothies.
Where and when can one meet bitterness?
Most often, bitters can be found on moist soil under the moss and near trees with moss. This kind of mushroom can be found in such forests:
- coniferous forest;
- Birch Grove;
- Pinery.
In particular, the mustard likes to grow under birch or pine trees. Most of these mushrooms can be found from June to October, but some mushroom pickers find bitters before frosts.
Mushrooms bear fruit stably every year, regardless of weather conditions. Putiky grow mainly on wet, swampy soil. Worm mushrooms are very few.
Cooking Application
Bitter must be soaked for three days, while the water should be changed twice a day to clean. Mushrooms are boiled over medium heat for 40 minutes, the scale that forms during cooking is removed using a spoon. And only after the manipulations, can the mushrooms be preserved or dried. Although in books and on the Internet you can find a recipe for fried bitters, but this is an “amateur”.
Salting is the most common way to make bitters. Preference should be given to hot salting with seasoning.
Contraindications and harm to the fungus
It is contraindicated to use bitter mushroom to persons with the following pathologies:
- digestive tract ulcer;
- pancreatitis
- gastritis;
- kidney disease
- problems of the cardiovascular system;
- childhood;
- pregnancy;
- lactation period.
Medical use
A bitter mushroom is a plant that can be used both for food and for treatment. In bitterness, there is a substance similar to an antibiotic, therefore, in medicine, the fungus is used during bacterial treatment, and the fungus is also able to stop the growth of Staphylococcus aureus.
In addition, bitter has additional properties:
- Antiseptic. Young mushrooms, like the old ones, have antiseptic properties, so they can heal any wounds and cuts.
- Restores blood pressure. As part of the bitter, nutrients are present that help to normalize the pressure.
- Strengthening immunity. Due to the fact that the mushroom contains a lot of ascorbic acid, the product increases strength and tone.
- Positive effect on the skin. Bitter juice can prevent skin diseases.
- Does not allow skin to age. The bitterness contains selenium, the fungus prevents aging.
- Helps to lose those extra pounds. The mushroom is low-calorie and has useful properties, it can be included in the diet.
Growing a bitter mushroom
People who love such savory mushrooms can grow them in their yard, in the garden or even on the balcony. To grow mushrooms is not difficult, and does not require large expenditures. There are 2 methods of growing.
- First way the simplest, for this it is necessary to purchase a ready-made mycelium, which is poured into a substrate, which is prepared in advance. To do this, mix the bark of the tree with which the bitter comes into contact with soil and sawdust. Then holes are made next to the tree (the closer to the root, the better) and the prepared mycelium is poured, watered and after a year you can harvest the first crop.
- Second way It is an independent collection of mushrooms, the spores of which are subsequently used for mycelium.
Bitter loves moisture, so the beds need to be constantly moistened with plain water. If the summer is hot, then the beds are sheltered from the scorching sun.
Mushroom cultivation indoors
Bitter can be grown not only in the garden or in the garden, but also in any enclosed space, whether it be a barn or a basement. Mycelium, pre-mixed with the substrate, should be placed in a plastic bag in which holes are made, from where the mushrooms will come out.
The room temperature should be approximately 20 degrees Celsius, if all the rules were followed, then the first crop can be harvested after 2 weeks.
The bitter mushroom is not very popular, but still some mushroom pickers pick and salted them in a hot or cold way. Also, these mushrooms are often used in folk medicine for healing wounds, enhancing immunity and other purposes. Mushrooms can also be easily grown at home without the extra cost.
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Russia. Krasnodar city
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