Deer horn mushrooms useful properties. Mushroom "deer horns". How to collect, what can be cooked, and what are the pleasant things about horns. Where does the mushroom live

Mushrooms "deer horns", or coral-shaped blackberry, are also known to many mushroom pickers under the names coral mushrooms, coral-like hericia or lattice-shaped blackberry. The Latin name for this edible mushroom from the genus Hericia or Hericium is Hericium coralloides.

Botanical description

A complete description of Hericium coralloides can be found in the Red Book of Russia, where the coral-like urchin is listed as a rare species. "Deer horns" have a very beautiful exotic appearance. It is difficult to distinguish a hat and a leg in a coral-like blackberry, therefore, when characterizing and describing this species, one can only speak of the fruiting body as a whole. The fruit bodies of Hericium coralloides are a bit like coral branches.

The above-ground part of hericia is very decorative, many times branched, snow-white in color. Relatively long spines 10-20 mm high, thin and rather brittle, cover the branches of the fungus almost to the very base, most often located on the lateral side. The average diameter of the fruiting body does not exceed 25-30 cm.

The flesh is initially white, but as the fungus grows and develops, it acquires a characteristic yellowish color. Elastic in its raw form, after cooking it becomes harsh. There is no pronounced mushroom aroma. Fruiting occurs from June to October.

Deer horn mushrooms: description (video)

Where does it grow

Most often, the fungus grows on trunks, branches and in hollows of deciduous trees, as well as on stumps. Most often it can be found on aspen, oak or birch. On the territory of the southern regions, the blackberry prefers to populate the wood of elm, oak and linden. In temperate latitudes, it is most often found on birch and aspen. In our country, "deer horns" can be found in almost any forest zone, except for the forests of the northernmost regions.

Poisonous or edible

The fungus of the species Hericium coralloides belongs to the category of edible mushrooms. The fruiting bodies are so unusual in appearance that there are no inedible and poisonous twins in gericia. In terms of nutritional and chemical composition, as well as pharmacological value, Hericium coralloides has a high similarity with the relatively common Hericium comb.

100 g of raw pulp contains:

• potassium - 254 mg;
• phosphates - 109 mg;
• sodium - 8 mg;
• calcium - 6.7 mg.

In addition, the composition of the mushroom pulp is enriched with all free amino acids, except for such as methionine and tryptophan, and also includes a significant amount of ketones, lipid substances, phytoagglutinin and sterols.

Hericium coralloides are widely used in traditional Chinese medicine, where they are used in the treatment of gastric and gastrointestinal diseases, as well as to improve the function of the respiratory system. Pronounced antitumor and immunostimulatory effects are noted, as well as antigeriatric effects and hypoglycemic activity of mushroom pulp.

Cooking methods

The vast forests of our country abound with all kinds of mushrooms. However, not every lover of quiet hunting is lucky enough to meet a coral-like hedgehog. From the "Deer horns" you can cook a very large number of very tasty and incredibly healthy dishes.

You can cook in completely different ways. Dried hedgehog can be soaked and then boiled or fried in batter. A very tasty and fragrant mushroom dish is obtained if the fruiting bodies of “deer horns” are marinated in a sauce made from oil, balsamic vinegar, sugar, as well as salt and lemon juice.

Mushrooms: varieties (video)

According to experienced mushroom growers and amateur mushroom pickers, coral hedgehog does not have a pronounced taste, therefore, regardless of the method of preparation, the impression of it in culinary terms is rather mediocre. The main advantage of the "deer horns" is the extraordinary beauty.

Similar in appearance to deer antlers, the deer horns mushroom was named so for a reason. At the same time, it also resembles sea coral. It is not popular, and most do not even realize that it is edible and very tasty. It is listed in the Red Book as the rarest species and is considered the highest mushroom.

Places of growth and main characteristics

Most often, deer horns mushroom can be found in the Far East, Karelia, Eurasia, Eastern and Western Siberia, North America and the Caucasus. Grows mainly in damp places of pine and deciduous forests among white moss and rotten wood from June to October. In areas with a warm climate, it is also harvested during the winter months. Found on roots and stumps. It grows in groups, forming arcs and rows.

Reindeer horns have several names:

• coral mushroom;
• horned;
• hedgehog trellised;
• coral hedgehog.

Impossible to determine, where it has a hat, and where it has a leg, and therefore, when describing it, it is characterized as a body consisting of many fragile branched processes of light yellow, orange, light brown and purple. Twigs grow up to 5-7 cm in height, while reaching a width of 15-30 cm.

Only young specimens should be collected for food. It is advisable to cook freshly picked mushrooms. The tender flesh of the horned ones tastes like shrimp or mushrooms.

They can be used fried, dried and salted, cooked from them first and second courses. Fans of exotic dishes make caviar and stuffing for pies and dumplings from them. Potatoes fried with them are no worse than with other mushrooms. The horns are marinated in a sauce that includes oil, salt, sugar, lemon juice and balsamic vinegar. But at the same time, doctors do not recommend using them in pickled and canned form.

Deer horns must be thoroughly washed before cooking, because due to their special structure, they accumulate a lot of dirt on their bodies. After washing, cook for 15-30 minutes. Drain the broth and do not use in food.

cooking

Each mushroom picker is interested in how to cook deer horns. There are not many recipes where they are used as an ingredient. But the basic cooking methods are the same as with other mushrooms. The lucky ones who are lucky enough to find them can make some delicious dishes out of them.

This amazing specimen is found in the forests from time to time. He is very unusual and even a little exotic due to his appearance. Such a name, of course, is associated with an unusual appearance and shape. After all, it is very similar to deer horns or corals. Due to such an unusual shape and color, many mushroom pickers pass by these amazing specimens.

Appearance

Deer antler mushrooms look very exotic and unusual. As mentioned above, they are similar to corals. The color of these mushrooms varies from light yellow to bright orange. Young specimens have light and delicate tones, but older specimens look a little brighter.

By weight, deer antler mushroom can reach a size of about one kilogram. And in diameter and height up to 20 cm. It is interesting that at first they grow in breadth, and then they begin to grow in height. That is, from one copy you can cook dinner for a large company.

Taste qualities

The taste of this mushroom is legendary. They say that it tastes incredible, although it belongs to the fourth category. Reindeer horns are incredibly tender, cuddly, and a bit like chicken or shrimp. Of course, if they are well prepared for this.

Also, only young mushrooms are tasty. Old specimens are bitter and unpleasant. Alas, even soaking and heat treatment cannot remove their bitterness. Therefore, they should not be collected, but it is better to look for young mushrooms.

Deer antlers are used for cooking, soups, salads, pies, they are also used as a filling for any dishes. Also, deer horns are pickled, fried, stewed, and there are many more different ways to cook them.

On the Internet, you can find a bunch of different recipes for cooking these mushrooms. They are all very tasty and interesting.

Where does the mushroom live

This mushroom is rare, so it is not common. Although, if you find a place where they grow, you will surely meet not one representative, but a whole bunch. Sometimes, in one place you can collect a whole bag of these mushrooms. They can grow in a bunch or in a circle.

Deer antlers live in the middle zone of Eurasia and North America. In Russia, it can be found in Siberia, near the Caucasus Mountains. They prefer pine forests, but are still found in deciduous forests. They grow on healthy or dead tree trunks.

Interestingly, on which tree this mushroom grew, its taste qualities depend. They say that deer antlers that grew on lindens and oaks are considered the most delicious, but less tender on pines and cedars.

This mushroom has no poisonous analogues, but there are conditionally edible ones.

mushroom classification

Edible:

• Horned bunch (color from pale red to rich brown).
• Coral-shaped hedgehog (color white, cream).
• The horn is purplish (the color changes from dark purple to deep lilac).
• Amethyst horn (lilac color).
• The horn is golden yellow (color is light yellow).
• Formidable mushroom (cream color, slightly brownish).
• The horn is yellowish (colour is dirty pale gray-yellow).
• Horned comb (white color).
• Mushroom cabbage (color is white with a yellowish tinge).
• Mushroom noodles (color white - pink).
• Horned mace truncated (brown color).
• Horned Sakhalin (ocher color).

Conditionally edible:

• The horn is blunt (the color is dirty cream, ocher).
• Spruce horn (color yellowish - brownish, slightly ocher).
• The horn is beautiful (color is pink, ocher).

These listed mushrooms are copies of deer antlers. They are all very similar, both in taste and appearance. They are difficult to distinguish from each other.

If you accidentally confuse edible with inedible, then you will immediately feel it, because they will be too bitter and tasteless. It only threatens you with a spoiled mood.

Kira Stoletova

The deer horn mushroom stands out with its unusual shape and color among other mushrooms. It got its name because its shape resembles deer antlers or sea corals.

Description of the appearance of the mushroom

The color of the fungus depends on the phase of its growth. Young antlers are light yellow in color, which darkens with age and becomes bright orange. It does not have the usual mushroom smell.

Irina Selyutina (Biologist):

As a species, the mushroom was described in 1755 by the French botanist Joseph de Tournefort. However, its scientific name is yellow ramaria (Ramaria flava), this species received only 133 g later in 1888 thanks to Lucien Kele, the founder of the French Mycological Society.

Coral fungi, to which this species belongs, are considered basidiomycetes. Their spores are formed on the entire surface of the fruiting body, tk. the spore-bearing layer is located on the outside.

Ramaria, aka antlers, is found on the surface of the soil and on rotten wood or stumps in all types of forests. You can find fruiting bodies in August-September, with good weather until October. Among the many species, poisonous ones are not found, but there is a division into conditionally edible and edible. It is better to eat only young organisms, because older mushrooms have a bitter taste.

Reindeer horns are harvested from August to October. They grow in small colonies, so they are easy to collect. Also, delicious first courses are obtained from this type of mushroom.

mushroom species

Deer horns mushroom has several similar types:

1. Horned grape: it is a porcini fungus of coloration that acquires a light pink hue with age. Its branches reach a height of 15-20 cm, and a diameter of 10-15 cm.
2. Coral-shaped grouse: its body has thick, thin white branches. The flesh is tender, but becomes more rigid with age.
3. Purple horn: the mushroom is small in size, its body length is 10 cm, diameter is 4-5 cm. There is no pronounced taste and smell.
4. Golden yellow horn: has thick "branches" of light yellow color. Its collection begins in late August-early September.
5. Comb horn: reaches a height of 5 cm. "Branches" have comb-shaped, sharp tips.

Beneficial features

The composition contains amino acids (methionine and tryptophan), as well as lipids, phytoagglutinin and sterol. The mushroom is often used in Chinese medicine to treat gastrointestinal diseases and improve lung function.

It also has an antitumor effect and strengthens the immune system. Deer horns are used in cosmetology to slow down the aging process.

The calorie content of the deer horns mushroom, or yellow ramaria, is 55 kcal per 100 g of product. Such a high calorie content allows you to use it in the preparation of various dishes. The mushroom is perfect for a vegetarian menu.

Contraindications

This mushroom has, like other species, certain contraindications. These include:

• children's age up to 12 years;
• pregnancy and lactation;
• chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
• individual intolerance (allergy).

You should be careful when collecting, because it has inedible counterparts.

Before cooking, they should be thoroughly washed under running water. You should not collect these mushrooms near highways and large industrial enterprises.

Application

This species is often used in folk medicine. Medicines are prepared from it for joints and cleansing the body of helminths (flat, round, tapeworms).

Irina Selyutina (Biologist):

Ramaria yellow, or deer horns, has found its application in cosmetology. Here it is used for anti-aging procedures. Its use in this area is justified by the ability to retain moisture in the skin epithelium, which is much more than the same property of glycerin and hyaluronic acid. Its natural polysaccharides deliver beneficial substances to the deep layers of the skin, and vitamin D, which is part of it, becomes an activator of the metabolic process in the skin.

Also used in cooking. Especially good horns are suitable for pickling and drying. They make delicious soups and mushroom caviar.

In cooking

Despite the fact that ramaria belongs to the 4th taste category due to its characteristic bitterness, young mushrooms are still used in cooking. However, only young specimens and bases are best suited for these purposes, since the “twigs” are bitter.

Fresh antlers are washed, cut into small pieces and boiled.

It also makes delicious sauces and toppings for savory pastries. The taste of ready-made deer horns is similar to seafood or boiled chicken. Mushrooms brought from the forest are sorted out, where it is required - the lower part of the leg with pieces of turf is cut off. Rinse and then boil for 15-30 minutes in salted water. After that, the broth is drained and not used for other dishes.

For mushroom salad take:

• boiled mushrooms - 150 g;
• carrots - 150 g;
• small onion - 1 pc.;
• vinegar - 2 tablespoons;
• sunflower oil - 1 tbsp;
• garlic - 2 cloves;
• salt, pepper, herbs to taste.

Finely chopped mushrooms are combined with carrots and garlic. Then they salt, add pepper and herbs, season with vegetable oil, let it brew for 30 minutes. At this time, the onion is cut into rings, pickled and mixed with salad.

Pickled reindeer horns have a particularly delicate taste. To prepare them, you need to take: lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, black pepper and vegetable oil. By their appearance, pickled horns resemble corals.

First course recipe:

• mushrooms - 400 g;
• carrots - 150 g;
• potatoes - 400 g;
• hard cheese - 150 g;
• butter - 50 g;
• salt, pepper, herbs to taste.

Mushrooms are boiled for 30 minutes, cut into small pieces. Vegetables are also chopped and thrown into the pan.

Mushrooms, salt, pepper and herbs are added to boiled vegetables and left on low heat for 15 minutes. Then grated cheese and butter are added, if desired, cream or sour cream sauce is added before use.

In medicine

To combat stomach ulcers, you can prepare a medicinal tincture according to the following recipe:

• Rinse 150 g of fresh mushrooms thoroughly, dry and place in the refrigerator for 2 days.
• Cut the prepared mushrooms into small pieces and pour 500 ml of alcohol or high-quality vodka;
• Leave to infuse in a dark place for 30 days, then strain. After that, treatment begins.

With an ulcer, drink 1 tbsp. l. medication three times a day before meals. The treatment period lasts a month, then take a break for 14 days and repeat the course.

Conclusion

Deer horn mushrooms are one of the most unusual of their kind. They are valued for their exotic shape and pleasant taste. Most often found on stumps and dry trees in coniferous forests.

It is often used in the preparation of various dishes. Also, this type of mushroom helps in the treatment of certain diseases. But you should be careful when collecting, they can be confused with false representatives of this group "deer horns".

Other names:

• yellow horn

• bear paw

• deer horns

• coral yellow

Description

The fruit body of Ramaria yellow reaches a height of 15-20 cm, a diameter of 10-15 cm. Numerous branched dense bushy branches that have a cylindrical shape grow from a thick white "stump". Often they have two blunt tops and incorrectly truncated ends. The fruit body has all shades of yellow. Under the branches and near the "stump" the color is sulfur-yellow. When pressed, the color changes to wine-brown. The flesh is moist, off-white, in the "stump" - marble, color does not change. Outside, the base is white, with a yellowish tinge and reddish spots of various sizes, most of which are found in fruiting bodies growing under coniferous trees. The smell is pleasant, slightly grassy, ​​the taste is weak. Tops of old mushrooms are bitter.

Spore powder is ocher-yellow.

Habitat and growth time

Deer horns grows on the ground in deciduous, coniferous and mixed forests in August - September, in groups and singly. Especially abundant in the forests of Karelia. It is found in the mountains of the Caucasus, as well as in the countries of Central Europe.

Doubles

Antlers mushroom is very similar to golden yellow coral, the differences are visible only under a microscope, as well as to Ramaria aurea, which is also edible and has the same properties. At an early age, it is similar in appearance and color to Ramaria obtusissima, Ramaria flavobrunnescens is smaller in size.

Note

The word flava in the mushroom's name means "yellow". Coral fungi are considered basidiomycetes. They form spores on the fruit layer, on the outside of the "knots", everywhere. For the most part, coral mushrooms are good, edible mushrooms, but poisonous ones are also found among them.

This ramaria is considered an edible mushroom, but certain precautions must be taken when eating it. First of all, only young specimens should be collected and the base should be used, as the branches are bitter. Mature mushrooms are not edible at all due to bitterness.

wikigrib.ru

Botanical description

A complete description of Hericium coralloides can be found in the Red Book of Russia, where the coral-like urchin is listed as a rare species. "Deer horns" have a very beautiful exotic appearance. It is difficult to distinguish a hat and a leg in a coral-like blackberry, therefore, when characterizing and describing this species, one can only speak of the fruiting body as a whole. The fruit bodies of Hericium coralloides are a bit like coral branches.

The above-ground part of hericia is very decorative, many times branched, snow-white in color. Relatively long spines 10-20 mm high, thin and rather brittle, cover the branches of the fungus almost to the very base, most often located on the lateral side. The average diameter of the fruiting body does not exceed 25-30 cm.

The flesh is initially white, but as the fungus grows and develops, it acquires a characteristic yellowish color. Elastic in its raw form, after cooking it becomes harsh. There is no pronounced mushroom aroma. Fruiting occurs from June to October.

Deer horn mushrooms: description (video)

Where does it grow

Most often, the fungus grows on trunks, branches and in hollows of deciduous trees, as well as on stumps. Most often it can be found on aspen, elm, oak or birch. On the territory of the southern regions, the blackberry prefers to populate the wood of elm, oak and linden. In temperate latitudes, it is most often found on birch and aspen. In our country, "deer horns" can be found in almost any forest zone, except for the forests of the northernmost regions.

Poisonous or edible

The fungus of the species Hericium coralloides belongs to the category of edible mushrooms. The fruiting bodies are so unusual in appearance that there are no inedible and poisonous twins in gericia. In terms of nutritional and chemical composition, as well as pharmacological value, Hericium coralloides has a high similarity with the relatively common Hericium comb.

100 g of raw pulp contains:

• potassium - 254 mg;
• phosphates - 109 mg;
• sodium - 8 mg;
• calcium - 6.7 mg.

In addition, the composition of the mushroom pulp is enriched with all free amino acids, except for such as methionine and tryptophan, and also includes a significant amount of ketones, lipid substances, phytoagglutinin and sterols.

Hericium coralloides are widely used in traditional Chinese medicine, where they are used in the treatment of gastric and gastrointestinal diseases, as well as to improve the function of the respiratory system. Pronounced antitumor and immunostimulatory effects are noted, as well as antigeriatric effects and hypoglycemic activity of mushroom pulp.

Cooking methods

The vast forests of our country abound with all kinds of mushrooms. However, not every lover of quiet hunting is lucky enough to meet a coral-like hedgehog. From the "Deer horns" you can cook a very large number of very tasty and incredibly healthy dishes.

You can cook in completely different ways. Dried hedgehog can be soaked and then boiled or fried in batter. A very tasty and fragrant mushroom dish is obtained if the fruiting bodies of “deer horns” are marinated in a sauce made from oil, balsamic vinegar, sugar, as well as salt and lemon juice.

dachadecor.ru

Description of the appearance of deer horn mushrooms

One glance is enough to understand why "forest bread" has such a strange name. Mushroom grows vertically in width grows due to numerous branched processes. from the side, they surprisingly resemble deer antlers or sea coral. Due to this, the fungus also has other popular names: coral blackberry, horned or coral. The color also adds similarity: light yellow, light brown, beige, rich orange or even purple. Pigmentation depends on the place of growth, environmental characteristics and age.

It is enough to make a little effort to separate the tender flesh into several pieces. A fresh cut begins to quickly acquire a burgundy hue, so the horns should be collected as quickly as possible.

Places of growth, timing and features of the collection

It is listed in the Red Book, so you can meet deer horns only in some regions. These are the Far East, Western and Eastern Siberia, and also Karelia and the Caucasus. Due to the characteristics of growth, blackberry is unpopular in the Central part of Russia, most do not even know about this type of "forest bread".

But, despite the rarity, mushroom pickers often find places where the coral-shaped blackberry forms large rows or three-dimensional rings. Prefers damp and dark places in deciduous or pine forests, It is there that the most delicious specimens grow. It can also be seen on the stumps or roots of any trees, regardless of their species.

Corals are collected in summer and autumn, and in the Caucasus even in the winter months. You should choose small mushrooms of light colors. The older the horned, the more inedible it is, as it acquires a characteristic bitterness and rigidity. You can judge the age by the shade of the fungus: they show more orange pigment. It is rarely affected by worms, but the horns must be carefully inspected during collection to detect their presence.

What does deer horn mushroom look like (video)

On the edibility of deer horns

Interestingly, because of these taste differences in adults, some consider the mushroom to be poisonous, but this is not so. Properly cooked antlers are quite unusual, but harmless and tasty. They belong to the fourth category of mushrooms (and inedible ones are not included in the classification at all).

The fourth category is assigned to rarer mushrooms, inferior in taste to varieties from higher levels. They are preferred by gourmets or experienced mushroom pickers. But this does not mean that the horns should be avoided, you just need to better study the features of this fungus.

Taste qualities of deer horns

There are only two very opposite opinions about the taste of the mushroom - either very bad or excellent. As already noted, it depends on the place of growth and age of the coral. Due to the heat treatment, the texture of the hornbeam becomes denser, stiffer and less stretchy and at the same time a little loose. Adult specimens are unpleasant to chew, and their taste is incomprehensible: sour-bitter and spicy.

But connoisseurs know that young antlers are unique. Depending on the cooking method, they can resemble tender chicken breast or shrimp meat. Of course, this adds a special exoticism to the dish. A pleasant aroma can whet the appetite, so the mushroom is recommended for those who suffer from its absence.

How to cook delicious reindeer horns

Rules for successful meals:

1. Rogatic is not used in pickling and canning. Its positive qualities are rapidly deteriorating, it is advisable to use them in the first 3-5 days after collection.
2. The only storage method that is acceptable is in the form of pickles.
3. The most delicious mushrooms are only harvested. It is enough just to fry them or boil them, and then add them to the main dish as a side dish.
4. Don't add too many seasonings. They will choke on the gorgeous natural flavor of the mushrooms.
5. Due to the nature of the structure, deer horns are considered one of the dirtiest mushrooms. They should be washed at least 3 times in running water, carefully monitoring the appearance. But even this is often not enough, so you should boil the mushrooms for 5 to 30 minutes, and then drain the broth. So you can be sure of the purity of the product.

How to collect deer horns mushrooms (video)

Soup

Any hostess can cook it, even one who has never encountered these mushrooms before.

• Water - 3-4 l;
• deer horns - 300-350 g;
• potatoes - 200 g;
• carrots - 1 pc.;
• butter - 30 g;
• bay leaf - 1 pc.;
• greens, onion, salt, sour cream, garlic - to taste.

1. Prepare your horns. After pre-cooking, be sure to rinse them again.
2. Cut the potatoes into strips, and carrots into thin circles.
3. Put the vegetables to simmer over medium heat along with the bay leaf.
4. When the food is half soft, add the deer horns and butter.
5. After 15 minutes, if desired, greens, onions and garlic are added.
6. Wait for the water to boil again, salt the soup and turn off the gas.

The dish is especially tasty with sour cream. This is a light and nutritious soup that is often eaten cold in summer.

cream soup

Delicate texture and rich taste - that's what distinguishes this dish.

• Chicken broth - 1 l;
• chicken meat - optional;
• potatoes - 0.5 kg;
• boiled mushrooms - 300 g;
• butter - 40-50 g;
• vegetable oil - 1 tbsp;
• cream 10% fat - 0.5 cups;
• starch - 1 tsp;
• seasonings, salt - to taste.

1. We're making a roast. We heat half the butter and a whole spoonful of vegetable oil in a frying pan with a thick bottom.
2. Add the onion, cut into thin rings. Sprinkle starch on top.
3. The finished onion should be golden brown. We take it out on a plate.
4. Put the chopped horns into the pan with the remaining oil. After 5-10 minutes, turn off the heat and add the onion.
5. Boiled potatoes in chicken broth should be chopped in a blender along with meat and butter.
6. Pour the broth and a little warmed cream into the finished puree.
7. Heat cream soup, but do not bring to a boil!
8. Sprinkle spices.
9. Pour a dish into a plate, put onions and mushrooms in the middle, sprinkle with herbs on top.

Potatoes with mushrooms

Mushrooms go well with any potato, especially horns. You will need any number of ingredients of your choice.

1. Washed hedgehogs are boiled in gently boiling water for no more than 5 minutes.
2. After the product is filtered and put to dry.
3. After the chopped deer horns, fry in butter along with onions and black pepper (or garlic).

We add the finished side dish to the potatoes - in their skins, boiled in tubers, mashed or fried.

Gravy

Improves the taste of salads, eggs and cereals.

• Boiled corals - 300 g;
• butter - 3 tablespoons;
• flour - 3 tablespoons;
• milk - 1.5 tbsp.
• broth (any, better mushroom) - 1 tbsp.;
• yolks - 2 pcs.;
• spices, salt - to taste.

1. Fry flour in oil until golden brown.
2. Add milk (constantly stirring!).
3. When the mass becomes homogeneous, pour in the broth mixed with the yolk. Salt and pepper the mixture.
4. After boiling, the fire should be reduced to a minimum.
5. Add mushrooms and simmer for another 15 minutes.

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Description

Deer horns (Ramaria flava), a branchy yellowish conditionally edible mushroom, also has the names bear's foot and coral yellow.

It is characterized by the following distinguishing features:

• the total height of the fruiting body reaches 20 cm, the maximum diameter is also 20 cm. The color, at first cream, yellowish, lemon or sulfur yellow, becomes ocher to orange with time. Flattened "branches" repeatedly split in a U- or V-shape, have equal length, somewhat blunt ends;
• the stem grows up to 8 cm long and 5 cm thick. It is painted in shades of yellow characteristic of the whole fungus, brightens towards the base. In places of pressure it becomes reddish-brown;
• spores are pale ocher, formed on the outer surface of the fruiting body;
• the fragile pulp of a watery consistency is light, yellowish, with a slight pleasant smell. As it matures, it becomes bitter, especially in the "twigs".

Distribution and fruiting period

Deer horn mushrooms grow in the temperate zone. They settle on the soil in coniferous forests, deciduous groves and mixed forests. Branching fruiting bodies grow singly and in small groups in August-September.

Similar species

Deer horns have a significant similarity with the mushroom, other yellowish horns:

• inedible blunt (Ramaria obtusissima), having rounded ends of the "twigs" and a bitter taste. It is found in Siberian mixed forests with the presence of fir and Far Eastern oak forests;
• conditionally edible yellow-brown (Ramaria flavobrunnescens), the height of which does not exceed 10 cm. With age, brown spots appear on the mushrooms of this species;
• conditionally edible golden (Ramaria aurea), painted in a brighter ocher-yellow color, brighter towards the base;
• conditionally edible golden yellow (Ramaria lutea), smaller (up to 15 cm in height), found in Primorsky Krai.

In addition, the inedible sticky calocera (Calocera viscosa), which grows on stumps and deadwood, is often confused with deer horns. This mushroom has a bright egg-yellow color and dense gelatinous flesh.

Primary processing and preparation

Horned yellow belongs to conditionally edible mushrooms, has a 4 taste category. Since the yellow hornbeam develops a bitter taste with age, only young fruiting bodies should be collected.

To ensure the absence of bitterness, deer horns are pre-boiled for 15-20 minutes, draining the broth, or the ends of the branches are removed. Forest "corals" treated in this way can be cooked, like other edible mushrooms - boiled until fully cooked, fried and stewed. Some lovers of mushroom exotic pickle and salt them.

Abundantly branching "bushes" of conditionally edible deer horns attract attention with their extraordinary appearance. Properly harvested and cooked young mushrooms have a taste reminiscent of lean meats.

www.mirgribnika.ru

Biological description

Deer horns (golden ramaria, yellow ramaria), belonging to the gomfaceae family, have a rather specific and beautiful tree-like shape, really resembling branched antlers or a bizarre sea coral. Apparently for this in the people they are also called horned mushrooms or coral mushrooms. Their body consists of dense, thickened matte twigs with forked tips and small, brittle spines. On the substrate, they are attached with a dense and short white leg, narrowed to the bottom. Its height ranges from 2 to 10 cm, and its diameter is from 5 to 10 cm.

The outer surface of young specimens may have a beige, milky or yellow color of various shades, while in old specimens it changes to bright orange. Initially, the growth of mushrooms is, as a rule, vertical, and over time they begin to bush, their branches break up and fall somewhat. Them the size can reach twenty centimeters in diameter and the same in height, and the weight of three kilograms.

But at the same time it is recommended to collect small, young mushrooms that have a pleasant taste and sweetish aroma, as well as tender, dense, fragile white flesh, which becomes brown in color when cut or broken. Old and large specimens become bitter, tough and completely unsuitable for eating. The bitterness of them does not go away either in the process of soaking, or during cooking and further processing.

Location

On the territory of our country, deer horns are most often found in the Far East, in Western and Eastern Siberia, the foothills of the Caucasus, and also in Karelia. They can be found in both deciduous and coniferous forests, especially pine forests. They grow on rotted stumps, trees, less often on soil covered with various types of moss. But it is believed that the most delicious are specimens found in moist, shady places in oak, aspen and birch groves.

Although deer horns are considered rare mushrooms, and even listed in the Red Book, sometimes you can find places where they grow in large groups in a row or in a ring. Their collection is usually carried out from mid-summer to early winter, depending on the region of growth. In places with a very warm climate, they are found even in winter. Interestingly, this type of mushroom is not damaged by worms.

Reindeer horns: collecting (video)

Cooking methods

Despite the fact that antlers are classified as category 4 mushrooms due to their characteristic bitterness during growth, they are quite tasty when young and can be cooked in the same way as most other edible mushrooms.

Immediately after collection, they are divided into small parts, washed, boiled and a wide variety of dishes are prepared: fried, stewed, added to soups and salads. They are also used to make sauces, fillings for pies, dumplings and various preparations for the winter (salting, pickling, freezing). Cooked deer horns resemble the taste of chicken or shrimp. For example, for starters, you can cook those completely simple dishes, the recipes of which are given below.

mushroom salad

Ingredients:

• deer horns (boiled) - 200 grams;
• carrots - 200 grams;
• bulb of medium size;
• garlic - 2 teeth;
• apple cider vinegar - 2 tablespoons;
• vegetable oil - 1 tablespoon;
• salt, black pepper, herbs.

Cooking method:

1. Combine chopped mushrooms with carrots, cut into thin strips, chopped garlic, add salt, pepper, half the norm of vinegar, vegetable oil to them and let stand for about half an hour.
2. Cut the onion into half rings and marinate in the remaining vinegar.
3. Mix mushrooms with onions and chopped herbs.

Reindeer horn soup

Ingredients:

• deer horns - 500 grams;
• water - 3 liters;
• carrots - 200 grams;
• potatoes - 500 grams;
• onion - 100 grams;
• green peas (canned) - 200 grams;
• garlic - 3 teeth;
• butter - 100 grams;
• cheese - 100 grams;
• salt, black pepper, herbs.

Cooking method:

1. Boil the mushrooms for half an hour, cool and divide into small strips.
2. Cut potatoes, carrots and onions into small cubes, put in boiling water and cook until tender.
3. Add mushrooms, green peas, salt and pepper to the boiled vegetables and leave the soup to simmer for another fifteen minutes.
4. In the finished dish, put cheese, grated on a fine grater, butter and herbs. Before serving, you can add sour cream or cream to the soup.

Precautionary measures

You should know that there is a fairly large number of mushrooms that resemble deer horns in appearance. Many of them are inedible or even poisonous. Therefore, beginners need to start collecting them under the guidance of experienced mushroom pickers.

Also they should be well washed and processed, especially those that are harvested for future use, because even edible mushrooms, if improperly prepared and stored, can pose a serious danger. In addition, you should not collect them along roads and in other polluted places, where they accumulate a large amount of toxic substances.

How to cook deer horns (video)

As you can see, deer horns are not only an exotic decoration of the forest, but also an excellent product that will allow you to cook many interesting and tasty dishes, both for the everyday menu and for the festive table. And for those for whom "mushroom hunting" is a hobby or active recreation, their search and collection will be a real pleasure.

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