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How to distinguish a false honey fungus. Varieties of honey mushrooms - edible, false, meadow, Assumption, Chinese, winter, autumn, summer honey mushrooms: description, photo. What do edible and inedible honey mushrooms look like, how to distinguish them? Where do they grow, when to collect and how to

So, in We collected full buckets of honey mushrooms, or bought freshly picked mushrooms from traders at the market. How to distinguish false mushrooms from real ones? To do this, you need to carefully examine the mushrooms.

hat

Despite the fact that edible honey mushrooms differ from each other depending on how much light there is in the place where they grow, what humidity there is and what tree they grew on,all edible mushroomsThere are characteristic features that make it possible to distinguish them from inedible ones. hat edible honey fungus has a light brown, slightly dull color with small dark scales. The color of the cap of false mushrooms is much brighter: brick-red or gray-yellow.

Records

Edible honey mushrooms have light, cream or yellow-colored plates. white. In false mushrooms, the plates are dark - at first they are yellow, and over time they become greenish, then dark green, almost black.

Leg

Edible mushrooms have a “skirt” on the stem (ring). Most false mushrooms do not have a ring, but some mushrooms have residual signs of a ring, although they are inedible. The rule is simple: if in doubt, leave the mushroom in the forest. Another one characteristic feature false mushrooms - high, 5-10 centimeters, leg. Real forest mushrooms do not grow higher than 4-6 centimeters.

Smell

Edible mushrooms smell nice: they have a slightly pungent mushroom aroma, and false honey mushrooms do not smell very pleasant: their smell is earthy, slightly musty.

Taste

In general, it is believed that poisonous mushrooms taste bitter and pungent. Actually not always. For example, brick-red honey mushrooms taste quite normal, some people consider these mushrooms to be conditionally edible and eat them after appropriate careful processing, and the slight bitter taste goes away when soaked (the same as when soaking milk mushrooms). Therefore, it is still worth remembering that mushrooms can taste normal but be poisonous.

Growing time

Edible honey mushrooms grow all year round (except for very frosty periods). The most active growth of edible honey mushrooms is observed in the fall - from late August to October. Therefore, false honey mushrooms can be distinguished by the fact that they grow for a couple of months in the spring, and then only in the fall.

Reaction to contact with water

If you doubt how to distinguish false mushrooms from real ones, then dip the mushrooms in water. Poisonous or not edible mushrooms when in contact with water they will change color: turn blue or black.

Good luck to you in your “quiet hunt” and good health!

How to recognize edible mushrooms and what types of mushrooms exist.

Edible and inedible honey mushrooms - how not to make a mistake, which places are “preferred to live” and how to grow a crop of mushrooms in your summer cottage? Read about this in the article.

Varieties of edible mushrooms: description, photo, when they appear, on which stumps they grow

The name of the mushrooms “honey mushrooms” translated from Latin means “bracelet”. Colonies of forest inhabitants really resemble decorations on old wood due to their peculiar form of growth.

In the baskets of mushroom pickers who go quiet hunting in the forests middle zone In Russia, honey mushrooms are often found. Mushroom pickers love them because mushrooms can be used to diversify the summer menu: honey mushrooms are one of the ingredients in soups, they are salted, dried mushrooms are prepared for the winter, and fried.
You can find a bunch of honey mushrooms in the summer on stumps, in damp places in the forest. Mushrooms grow on the bark of trees. Mushrooms like deciduous and coniferous trees. Fungus spores can also be found in dead woods - areas of the forest that are difficult for humans to reach.
The thickets of mushrooms will provide the hunter for the forest delicacy with a hearty meal, because mushrooms grow in colonies. One expanded family of honey mushrooms can replenish an amateur’s supplies quiet hunt for 10 kg of product, and in a week a new crop of mushrooms will grow in the same place. You can collect honey mushrooms before winter.
Since there are no legs nutritional value, then when harvesting, only the caps are cut off. To prevent the dish from becoming bitter, the honey mushrooms are lightly boiled beforehand.

You can find a bunch of honey mushrooms in the summer on stumps, in damp places in the forest

How not to confuse summer honey mushrooms with poisonous mushrooms and protect your family from health problems? After all, not everyone has great experience hunting for honey mushrooms.

Summer honey mushrooms, which can be used to diversify the menu without fear:

thin-walled yellowish-brown cap (on initial stage As it grows, its outer edges may curl inward)
caps grow up to 8 cm in diameter
underneath the cap you can see a cobwebby cover
The cap of a young honey mushroom is not flat on top, but has a convexity in the center (than older mushroom, the smaller the convexity)
the surface of the cap is covered with water circles
if you turn over the cap of an edible honey mushroom, you can see white or rusty-brown plates
the older the mushroom, the darker and more contrasting the shade of the plates appears (the intensity of the color depends on the degree of maturation of the spore powder inside the plates, which is red-brown in its mature state)
The length of the mushroom stem can be 8 cm, but the diameter is invariably thin - up to 0.5 cm
the leg is brown, the ring on it is also brown
scales are located under the ring

What is the difference between good mushrooms and their inedible counterparts?

In order not to worry and risk your well-being, you need to know the signs of honey mushrooms that are not suitable for consumption. After all, their poisonous counterparts have excellent camouflage.
For example, while hunting for mushrooms you may encounter false scent sulfur yellow. The body of the mushroom is bright yellow and without scales.
The plates inside the cap of the sulphuroplasty change from whitish to bluish-gray at a young age. This is not typical for edible honey mushroom. The mushroom is not included in the group of poisonous species, but it should be boiled first.

The mushroom family includes the following mushrooms:

gray
pine honey mushrooms
red honey mushrooms
dark honey mushrooms
honey mushrooms with pimples
meadow
Assumption
Chinese
winter
autumn
summer
spring honey mushrooms
thick-legged honey mushrooms
mucous mushrooms
honey mushroom

Honey fungus thick-legged

Honey fungus brick-red

The common name “honey mushrooms” refers to different families and genera of mushrooms, of which there are 34 species. Of these, only 22 species have been classified. Some of the representatives of these mushrooms “settle” in open areas, in the grass, confusing inexperienced mushroom pickers.

Since edible representatives of honey mushrooms are of interest, there is more information about them.

Let's look at the most common forms:

A representative of this species takes root on damaged deciduous trees. Honey mushroom colonies grow on dead parts of wood, choosing willow or poplar for colonization. You can find these mushrooms on the banks of a stream, in the garden. The forest inhabitants also inhabit the city park.
A good harvest can be harvested in the fall. Sometimes winter honey fungus adapts to germinate under the snow. The mushroom cap, 10 cm in diameter, is flat yellow or orange-brown. Young mushrooms have a flat cap, the edges are lighter in color and the middle is darker.

Autumn honey fungus mushroom

Many types of trees are suitable for the germination of spores of this honey mushroom. there are about 200 of them. Sometimes the fungus even sprouts on potatoes. At night you can watch an interesting sight: due to the fact that a large “mushroom family” is often located on tree stumps, they are beautifully illuminated.
Ideal conditions for the growth of the fungus in damp forests are birch and aspen stumps, dead elm and alder wood.
Mushrooms can be collected from last month summer and until the cold winter months, unless the air temperature drops below 10 degrees. Autumn honey fungus has an impressive size compared to its brothers.
The diameter of the cap is 17 cm, and the legs are 10 cm. The cap is greenish-olive or dark brown. Wavy edges can be observed in adult members of the fungal family. The surface of an immature mushroom is covered with scales. But there are very few of them. As the fungus grows, these scales disappear.

Most often, summer honey fungus ends up in the basket. They begin to collect it from the end of March. You can bring home the harvest of these mushrooms until the last winter month.
Summer honey mushroom grows in the forests. A dense family grows on rotten stumps. Trees with obvious damage are suitable for fungal growth.
The dimensions of the summer honey mushroom are more modest: the cap is 6 cm in diameter, the leg is 7 cm.
Adult mushrooms are distinguished by the presence of a wide tubercle on the surface of the cap. The caps of honey mushrooms growing in damp areas are brown and translucent. Mushrooms growing in a dry place have honey-yellow, matte caps. There are grooves along the edges of the caps. Mushrooms can produce crops all year round.

Video: Summer honey fungus (Kuehneromyces mutabilis)

Specifics of preparing honey mushrooms

Before cooking, mushrooms should be pre-boiled. Cooking, the duration of which can vary from 30 minutes to an hour, will eliminate the inherent toxicity of honey mushrooms.
Cooking time is determined by size fruiting bodies mushrooms
How larger mushrooms, the longer the heat treatment lasts.

How to properly pre-boil mushrooms:

the mushrooms are placed on the fire and when the water boils, it needs to be drained
then you need to cook in a new portion of previously boiled water

Video: How do honey mushrooms differ from each other? Comparison with each other

False honey mushrooms: description, photo

Behind good mushroom you can accept his double. These are the so-called false mushrooms.

You can mistake its double for a good mushroom

Signs of inedible honey fungus:

the cap is bright in color (a good mushroom has a cap of a muted shade and has scales on it in young mushrooms)
the plates of the bad mushroom are yellow, greenish, olive-black
the double of the edible honey mushroom has only the remains of a ring on the stem

Video: inedible mushrooms - gray-yellow false honey fungus

The brick-red false honey fungus is especially dangerous. It can be found on dead wood, on a rotten stump, and can also grow on flat terrain. The mushroom has a spherical cap, by which it is easy to “calculate” during mushroom harvesting. The cap has flakes hanging down the edges. The mushroom has no smell.
All false honey mushrooms differ in the shades of the internal plates located under the cap. They can range from dark to sulfur-yellow or black-olive. Plates of good cream-colored mushrooms. False honey mushrooms grow in large groups.

How to identify and distinguish edible honey mushrooms from false ones?

A bad honey mushroom, unlike a good mushroom, does not have a ring - a plate-shaped skirt, which is located under the cap. You can see the remains of a bedspread on the leg.
If the mushroom is in doubt, it is better to throw it away immediately. Send mushrooms to the basket only if you are sure that they are edible, and if in doubt or if you have discovered one of the signs poisonous mushroom, then give up the idea of adding it to your “mushroom catch”.

What other differences exist:

a good mushroom has a pleasant mushroom aroma, while a false one exudes an unpleasant earthy odor or no odor at all
the cap of a bad mushroom is brightly and loudly colored, the cap of a good mushroom is an unsightly light brown color
the caps of good mushrooms have small scales, while poisonous mushrooms have a smooth cap (however, the scales disappear over time and the caps of edible mushrooms also become smooth)
turning over the cap of an inedible mushroom, you can see that its plates are yellow if the mushroom is young, or greenish, olive-black if the mushroom is old (the plates of good mushrooms are cream-colored or yellowish-white)
false honey mushrooms with a bitter aftertaste, but don’t start evaluating taste qualities a mushroom that you doubt (other, more obvious signs are sufficient)

For an experienced mushroom picker, it will not be difficult to distinguish a good mushroom from a bad one. But if you are a beginner mushroom picker, then it is better to look for a skirt on the stem of the mushroom.

How can you tell the difference between edible mushrooms and toadstools?

The white and greenish tint of the body of the mushroom is the main sign of toadstool. The appearance of a forest dweller may well correspond to the description of an edible mushroom. An experienced mushroom picker will immediately recognize such a disguise.
Throw an onion into the container in which the mushrooms are cooked. If she quickly acquired Blue colour, then all forest production is not suitable for food.
A mushroom with an olive or pearlescent tint may be poisonous. It’s better not to take risks and immediately abandon the intention of replenishing your catch in the basket.

Can there be honey mushroom poisoning, and what are the symptoms?

Poisonings occur mainly due to ignorance of the species of forest guests or due to improper preparation of edible mushrooms. The degree of intoxication depends on what mushrooms were eaten.
Those who independently collect mushrooms and prepare them need to know how to identify poisoning and what medical care should be provided to the victim.

Mushrooms are divided into several groups:

Edible: these mushrooms can be eaten without prior boiling (champignons)
partially safe mushrooms require special processing before preparing for hatching toxic substances: soaking, boiling, drying, additional boiling (if this step is ignored, then poisoning cannot be avoided) (false honey mushrooms)
Inedible mushrooms may be poisonous or have an unpleasant taste or odor (gall mushroom)

False mushrooms contain a white liquid in their pulp. It's called burning juice. In addition, the bad mushroom differs from the edible honey fungus by having a brighter orange cap and a thinner stump.

Video: How to recognize mushroom poisoning?

Signs of poisoning:

intoxication appears within 1 hour or within 6 hours
malaise reminds food poisoning: a person begins to feel unwell, he develops nausea, vomiting, diarrhea may begin
possible unpleasant or painful sensations in the abdomen
if the poisoning is mild, then after a few days recovery occurs

Death does not occur from poisoning with false honey mushrooms, but it is possible serious problems due to dehydration, gastroenteritis.

Intoxication appears within 1 hour or within 6 hours

If signs of poisoning are detected, you should not hesitate to call an ambulance. After all, it is necessary to avoid the penetration of harmful toxic substances into the blood.
After the milky juice of the mushrooms enters the liver, the patient’s condition worsens.

Video: Mushroom poisoning! Symptoms and first aid!

First aid is as follows:

it is necessary to avoid dehydration and help get rid of symptoms of poisoning
should induce vomiting after drinking large quantities of warm boiled water and pressing on the root of the tongue
It is also necessary to rinse the stomach for those who have eaten the same mushrooms, but there are no signs of poisoning until the symptoms become noticeable
Dehydration can be detected by a change in the color of the urine, which becomes darker, and by fewer or no trips to the toilet.
the patient should be provided with plenty of fluids, preferably water
if diarrhea or vomiting has already begun, then sports drinks (not energy drinks) will help.
the patient can eat vegetables, chicken broths, which will provide the necessary replenishment of water and nutrients
Do not drink anti-diarrhea medications (diarrhea removes toxins from the body)
it is better for the patient to reduce physical activity, sleep more so that the body recovers faster

Remember that first aid cannot replace treatment. If you have dehydration that you cannot cope with on your own, you should consult a doctor.

Video: ALL ABOUT MUSHROOMS POISONING

When do autumn, winter, spring and summer honey mushrooms appear and how long do they grow in the forest?

See the picture below for the collection calendar. different mushrooms by month.

How to grow honey mushrooms in the country?

Contrary to popular belief that honey mushrooms germinate better in the forest, growing them in the country is not a fantastic idea.
From fertile soil brought to the site, humus obtained somewhere in the forest, mushroom spores fall into the ground. However, annual digging of the site disturbs the mycelium and it eventually dies without having time to germinate.

How to get a harvest of mushrooms in the country?

select an area for mushrooms (moist, with shade)
prepare mushroom mycelium (in our case, honey mushrooms) and “settle” the mushrooms on the future mushroom plantation.

First stage: site preparation:

For honey mushrooms to germinate, a stump is needed, so we stock up on old, rotten birch wood ( suitable trees: beech, hornbeam, alder, aspen, oak)
choose wood (stump length - 20-30 cm) with chips and crevices to facilitate the process of rooting spores on the stump
if there are no chips, then we make longitudinal notches using an ax
immerse the selected hemp in water for 1-2 hours
we dig in the stumps on the future mushroom plantation (entirely or only part of the stump, bury the wood vertically or lying on its side)

Preparing mycelium:

We find overgrown mushrooms in the forest, which have large and wet caps
immerse mushrooms in soft ground water
leave for a couple of hours
mix the mixture well
stumps and logs buried in the area are treated with a liquid containing fungal mycelium
We don’t throw away the caps, but place them on top of the treated areas of wood
cover the caps with a piece of hemp (you can use moss from the forest or rotted sawdust for this)
when it’s hot outside, we moisten the area so that it always remains damp
We are waiting for the first harvest. Usually, mushrooms can be collected from a prepared plot only 2-3 years after planting.

Video: Garden head - How to grow mushrooms in your summer cottage

Collecting honey mushrooms can be called a pleasant activity, as they grow in large groups and in just a few hours of searching you can collect several baskets of these gifts of the forest. Almost every experienced mushroom picker probably knows what honey mushrooms look like, but even if you have never picked mushrooms yourself, you are probably familiar with honey mushrooms from jars from the supermarket.

In today's article we will learn to distinguish edible species from false ones and find out the main characteristics of honey mushrooms with photos and descriptions.

What do honey mushrooms look like?

Edible honey mushrooms are one of the most popular and productive mushrooms. This family includes many species, including both edible and inedible.

The difficulty is that they have very similar features, although they are still different. Therefore, it is so important to be able to distinguish an edible species from a similar false one.

By what criteria can you distinguish them from other mushrooms?

Many novice mushroom pickers do not know how to distinguish real species from false ones. In order not to put a poisonous mushroom in your basket, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the distinctive characteristics of inedible and edible varieties (Figure 1).

The criteria described below will help novice mushroom pickers distinguish real forest gifts from false ones:

On the stem of the real one, a membranous ring is clearly visible, which is absent in inedible ones.
Edible ones have a characteristic mushroom smell, poisonous ones smell unpleasant.
The caps of real mushrooms are distinguished by an inconspicuous light brown color, while inedible ones are much brighter and more provocative.
The caps of young specimens of real varieties are covered with scales, which are absent in poisonous ones. However, as the fungus matures, the scales disappear, making differentiation difficult.

Figure 1. Characteristics of true and false species

In addition, the records on back side hats also have their differences. So, in poisonous ones they are yellow, sometimes green or even olive-black. The edible plates are colored cream or yellowish-white.

False honey mushrooms: photo

False species mean inedible, conditionally edible and poisonous, which in their own way appearance very similar to the real ones. They are also easy to confuse because they grow in the same places - on stumps, tree trunks.

However, when it comes to human health and life, the mushroom picker has no right to make a mistake. He must be absolutely sure that the collected mushrooms are edible. Therefore, experienced mushroom pickers always advise not to select the mushroom you like if you have the slightest doubt.

Peculiarities

The easiest way is to study and learn how to identify poisonous mushrooms from a photo. But we also recommend that you familiarize yourself with the distinctive characteristics that will help you determine what inedible and edible species look like (Figure 2).

All fake varieties have a number of common features, distinguishing them from edible:

There is no ring on the stalk of the poisonous one, which is characteristic of real species. At the same time, the leg itself is too high. Real forest varieties reach a height of only 4-6 centimeters.
The smell of inedible ones is earthy and unpleasant, instead of a pronounced mushroom one.
The caps of poisonous ones have a bright color that catches the eye, for example, brick-red.
The plates on the back of the fake cap are painted in dark, almost black tones.
Taste is not an indicator of its edibility: very often poisonous mushrooms have a good taste.
Poisonous ones grow for some time in spring and autumn, while real ones can be found almost all year round.

Figure 2. Characteristics of poisonous species

If the previous signs are not enough, you can check the reaction of the fungus when it comes into contact with water. If the cut turns blue or black, you are dealing with an inedible or poisonous specimen, so it would be better to get rid of it quickly.

Edible honey mushrooms: photo

Among more than three dozen species united under common name honey mushrooms, only 22 species have been scientifically described. Among them there are both edible and conditionally edible specimens, as well as inedible and poisonous ones. Most of all, mushroom pickers know such edible varieties as summer, winter, autumn, meadow.

All of these mushrooms grow mainly on deciduous trees or on the remains of their wood. In mountainous areas they are also found on trunks coniferous trees. Representatives of this family, under favorable conditions, weather conditions They bear fruit for almost a whole year.

Peculiarities

Although each type has its own characteristics, there are common features, inherent in all edible mushrooms of this family, and the easiest way to evaluate their distinctive characteristics is from a photo.

True varieties grow in large groups on stumps and protruding tree roots. Young specimens have semicircular caps, which become prostrate with age. The caps are colored in tones ranging from honey yellow to rusty brown. In addition, they are often covered with small scales, which partially disappear as the fungus matures. Typically, the diameter of the cap is from 4 to 10 cm, and the plates on its back side in young mushrooms have light color, and in mature ones - yellowish or brown.

In edible species, the legs are thin, reach a length of 5 to 15 cm, and are hollow inside. But the most important sign that the specimen can be eaten is the leathery ring located on the stem. It is formed from a blanket that protects the young mushroom. In fake varieties, such a ring is either absent or only small remnants of it are visible. The flesh of this specimen has a pleasant mushroom aroma and is colored light brown, which does not change when in contact with water.

How to distinguish honey mushrooms from false honey mushrooms

All lovers of quiet hunting need to be able to distinguish real mushrooms from inedible and poisonous ones, because the health of loved ones depends on this. The same applies to honey mushrooms, among which there are many inedible ones.

Note: For example, dangerous double summer look is a poisonous brick-red false honey fungus. Its convex cap is colored bright Orange color, and the blanket hangs from its edges in the form of flakes. The autumn one has a double, very similar in appearance, the difference is only in the cap and leg of the bright yellow color. In addition, its surface is devoid of characteristic scales.

All poisonous varieties differ from real ones in the color of the plates under the cap (Figure 3). If the edible ones have plates painted in a light cream color, then the inedible ones have dark shades: sulfur-yellow or black-olive. You should also pay attention to the leg: in real ones, the leathery ring under the cap is clearly visible on the leg, which cannot be said about the false ones. Some poisonous species They are classified as conditionally edible, but you should know that their safety for humans has not been proven.

What is the difference between a simple honey mushroom and a false one?

The difficulty in distinguishing between ordinary and false varieties is that they all grow in large groups in the same places: stumps, trunks of fallen trees, protruding roots. In addition, all species bear fruit at approximately the same time period. Of course, you can learn to distinguish between inedible and edible species from photos, but knowing them distinctive characteristics still necessary.

Figure 3. Basic criteria for distinguishing poisonous and edible species

There are additional external signs, which help distinguish edible mushrooms from inedible ones:

The hats of the fake ones are usually painted in bright, flashy colors: sulfur-yellow, brick-red, while the hats of the real ones have muted, light brown tones.
Edible young specimens are characterized by scales located on the cap and stem. Over time, these scales partially disappear. Inedible mushrooms lack scales on their surface.
On the back of the cap of any mushroom there are plates. In real ones, they are light cream or yellowish-white tones. Poisonous ones are greenish or olive-black.
On the false legs, the leathery ring, which is characteristic of all edible species, is poorly visible or completely absent.

All edible specimens have a pleasant mushroom aroma, while poisonous ones are characterized by an unpleasant earthy odor.

You will find more information about the differences between false and real varieties in the video.

Meadow honey mushrooms: how to distinguish from false ones

Meadow species grow in groups on open spaces: forest edges, pastures, fields. They are easily recognized by their yellow cap with an almost transparent ribbed edge. At the same time, the shape of the cap of young mushrooms is bell-shaped, while that of mature ones is spread out with a wide tubercle in the center. In wet weather it darkens and becomes sticky.

Note: Meadows have several similar species, among which are collibia and poisonous talker (Figure 4).

Collibia differs from meadow collibia in having more frequent white plates and a tubular-hollow stalk. In addition, it has a not very pleasant smell. Collibia settles in deciduous and coniferous forests, where it can be found from late spring to early winter.

Figure 4. Edible and inedible meadow varieties: 1 - real meadow honey mushrooms, 2 - collibia, 3 - whitish talker

The whitish talker, like the meadow honey agaric, prefers open, flat spaces, growing in groups. The main difference is the absence of a central tubercle on the mushroom cap, as well as a large number of plates running down the stem. The pulp of this poisonous mushroom has a floury smell.

More information about meadow honey mushrooms is in the video.

The season for collecting honey mushrooms is September. It is in this month that a fairly large percentage of poisonings is observed false doubles. The main danger is that it is very difficult to distinguish from edible ones. Therefore, every mushroom picker, going on a “silent hunt”, is simply obliged to know about it from the real ones. This knowledge can save you from severe poisoning, and maybe even death.

The golden rule of a mushroom picker

The first thing to remember is Golden Rule mushroom picker - you can only put in the basket those mushrooms that you know well and have collected more than once. If you have any doubts, it is better not to take a suspicious mushroom. It is unreasonable to risk your health over such trifles!

What you need to know to avoid becoming a victim of false honey mushrooms

Mushrooms must have clear signs of being “edible”. The real mushroom is primarily distinguished by a strong mushroom smell, which appears immediately if the mushroom is slightly broken. All types of false mushrooms have a distinct earthy smell.

In addition, the real ones grow on stumps in such huge quantities that without leaving the spot you can collect a bucket or a huge basket at a time. That is why, as soon as the picking season begins, avid mushroom pickers most often run to their long-loved places, where they collect from year to year big harvest again. However, no matter how proven mushroom place, there is no need to let your guard down.

And yet, the smell is not the only sign, which is worth paying attention to. There are several more ways to distinguish false honey mushrooms from real ones. It is necessary to carefully examine the caps. Real mushrooms do not have them bright color, always light brown. While the color of the caps of false mushrooms varies from bright yellow to deep red. The catchy color directly indicates the “falseness” of the honey mushroom.

After coloring, you need to pay attention to the presence or absence of a characteristic ring under the cap. Mushroom pickers usually call it a “skirt”. This name was given due to its direct resemblance to the subject women's wardrobe. Only real edible honey mushrooms have this characteristic (“skirt”). However, even here the mushroom picker needs to be careful. In young mushrooms that have just “hatched”, the film-ring may adhere to the cap. For a clear example of how to distinguish false honey mushrooms from real ones, below is a photograph of edible young honey mushrooms with an unformed “skirt”. Although, if you look closely, you will find that it is still present in the young mushroom, but not yet open form, and merges with the base of the cap, forming a kind of cobwebby cover, similar to the usual thickening of a mushroom stem. False mushrooms do not even have a hint of the presence of a “skirt”.

As a conclusion

And finally, the last way to distinguish real honey mushrooms from false ones. It is necessary to carefully study the structure of the cap. In the false honey fungus you will not find specific scales that are unique to the edible fungus. Moreover, “false” hats have a glossy texture, while real ones have a matte texture.

After you have learned how to distinguish false honey mushrooms from real ones, all that remains is to summarize. So, we repeat once again that you need to be careful. If the honey fungus does not have at least one of the above signs (mushroom smell, scaly matte cap, light brown color or cobwebby “skirt”), it is better to leave the mushroom where it grows.

We wish you a successful “silent hunt” without unpleasant consequences and health risks. Take care of yourself!

These mushrooms are quite easy to recognize; they have a long (sometimes more than 15 cm) stalk of light or dark colors. It depends on the place where honey mushrooms grow. Some mushrooms have a stem dressed in a “skirt”.

The cap of the mushroom is rounded towards the bottom and has a lamellar shape. She may have various shades- from light to brown.

Where do honey mushrooms grow?

Forest mushrooms can grow in the most different climates. They are able to cover fairly large areas and grow in large areas. Most often they can be found near stumps and small bushes.

As a rule, they can be hidden under leaves or in the grass, although sometimes you can find a mushroom standing alone in the middle of the path.

Types of mushrooms

Summer honey fungus

Such mushrooms grow in large groups, mainly near deciduous trees, they especially love old, weak stumps and damaged trees. In the mountains they find places on spruce or pine trees. They are small in size. The length is no more than 7 cm, and the diameter of the cap is no more than 5-6 cm.

Young mushrooms have a convex cap, but with age it flattens, leaving only a small light tubercle. IN temperate zone summer honey mushrooms are found in areas of deciduous trees.

Under favorable conditions they can bear fruit all year round.

Autumn honey fungus

In the photo, these honey mushrooms are similar to the previous species. However they are slightly different large sizes legs (up to 10 cm) and large diameter caps (up to 15 cm). Like summer mushrooms, the cap is convex at first, but flattens with age.

The autumn species appears at the end of August and bears fruit for about 3 weeks. They can grow singly or in large groups on more than 200 species of trees or shrubs. These can be stumps, fallen trunks, branches and even cuttings of fallen leaves.

Sometimes the fungus can grow on some plants, for example, potatoes.

Winter honey fungus

Like other species, it likes to settle on weak or dead trees. These are mainly poplars and maples. In this case, the wood gradually deteriorates. It is approximately the same size as the summer one, only with a slightly larger cap.

It grows in large groups, which are often fused. Very often they gather during a thaw - they appear in thawed patches.

It is believed that winter honey mushrooms contain a small proportion of toxins. For this reason, they need to be subjected to greater heat treatment before consumption.

Meadow honey fungus

These mushrooms grow in open areas. They can often be found in ditches, ravines, clearings and forest edges. Often found on summer cottages. They are small in size - a thin stem and a small light-colored cap.

It can be found from late spring to mid-autumn. It tolerates arid climates well and begins to bear fruit immediately after rains.

Honey fungus thick-legged

Judging by the photo, honey mushrooms of this species are very different from their relatives. In fact, the difference lies only in the size of the leg, or rather in its thickness. Most often it grows on damaged, weak trees, stumps of spruce, beech, ash, etc.

The height of the leg is approximately the same as that of summer mushrooms; the cap has large diameter up to 10 cm. The young mushroom has a cone-shaped cap. With age, it flattens and tucks towards the edges.

Properties of mushrooms

This type of mushroom is very popular among us. It got its name due to its place of growth. Typically it can be found in large quantities near the stumps of different trees.

Based natural conditions Production for the cultivation of honey mushrooms is being organized.

In addition to excellent taste, mushrooms have low calorie content and such a rich composition as:

Vitamin groups B, C and E;
Microelements - phosphorus, zinc, iron;
Amino acids;
Cellulose;
Squirrels.

In terms of their composition, mushrooms can easily compete with various types of fish. This means that vegetarians can receive essential microelements from honey mushrooms Mushrooms have a positive effect on hematopoietic function. The daily dose of iron can be easily obtained from just 100 g of honey mushrooms.