What mushrooms look like are different. Beware, poisonous mushrooms: a selection of known species. Types by food type
Edible mushrooms have their own specific smell and taste, which distinguishes them from their conventionally edible and poisonous counterparts. Some mushrooms are considered delicacies, have a refined flavor, and also have a high cost per unit.
What are the differences between edible mushrooms? What can characterize them?
Many mushrooms are very healthy and nutritious. Edible mushrooms are called “forest meat” because they contain protein. In addition, in addition to protein, mushrooms also contain free amino acids, which have a healing effect on the body. The composition contains carbohydrates, which are represented by mycosis and glycogen. Glycogen is an animal starch needed by the human body. In addition to the above-mentioned components, mushrooms also include:
- phosphorus;
- sulfur;
- sodium;
- chlorine;
- calcium;
- magnesium;
- potassium;
- vitamins of group A, that is, carotene;
- vitamins of group B and C.
Also, some types contain vitamins D.
These forest inhabitants also contain a predominance of special enzymes that accelerate the breakdown of fats and proteins, so mushrooms are a must-have part of the diet.
Edible mushrooms are divided into several types. Most of them belong to the so-called macromycetes, these are fleshy mushrooms with a stalk. Just remember champignon, porcini mushroom.
However, there are also known pathogens that are also edible.
Main difference edible mushrooms from conditionally edible and poisonous is that they cannot harm the body. These mushrooms contain no toxic substances that can negatively affect human health. And the heat treatment time for such forest inhabitants before eating is much shorter than in the case of inedible or poisonous mushrooms.
Edible mushrooms are also divided into types depending on their shape. They are:
- tubular;
- marsupials;
- lamellar;
- undefined.
- For example, edible representatives of the highest quality include saffron milk caps, porcini mushrooms and boletus mushrooms.
- Good quality edible mushrooms include boletus, aspen, Polish and chestnut mushrooms.
- The third and fourth categories also include representatives who have low nutritional value, but at the same time, are not harmful to the human body.
If you are going on a so-called silent hunt, you need to have an idea of how to distinguish edible mushrooms from others. In fact, there is nothing complicated about it.
It is enough to cut off the mushrooms that have a fleshy cap and a thin stem. Most often, edible mushrooms are not brightly colored, but have more brown, beige and gray pigment.
Edible mushrooms have nice smell, similar to champignon.
Once at home, don’t be lazy and before you start heat treating your prey, be sure to look on the Internet and compare what exactly you brought home. The fact is that in the process of evolution, many poisonous mushrooms have learned to externally adapt to non-poisonous ones.
This can be very dangerous.
More than 130 species of edible mushrooms grow in central Russia. And many of them are presented in abundance. Therefore, finding them will not be difficult. Edible mushrooms love shady places, so they prefer pine, deciduous and mixed forests. They grow where moss, fertile soil and moisture predominate.
They grow both singly and in large clusters.
When cutting a mushroom, be sure to use a sharp knife so as not to damage the mycelium. Then next year you can return to this place and discover a new scattering of edible mushrooms.
The forest areas of Russia are very rich in mushrooms, and residents do not miss the opportunity to take advantage of this gift of nature. Traditionally, they are fried, pickled or dried. But the danger lies in the fact that many poisonous species skillfully disguise themselves as edible mushrooms. That's why it's important to know characteristic features varieties approved for consumption.
Mushrooms are not only tasty, but also very healthy food. They contain substances such as salts, glycogen, carbohydrates, as well as vitamins of groups A, B, C, D. If the mushrooms are young, then they also contain many microelements: calcium, zinc, iron, iodine. Their intake has a beneficial effect on the body’s metabolic processes, increased appetite, and work nervous system and gastrointestinal tract.
In fact, there are no exact criteria by which one can distinguish safe mushrooms from poisonous ones. Only existing knowledge about the appearance, characteristics and names of each species can help in this matter.
Characteristics of edible mushrooms
General criteria for edible mushrooms include:
- No sharp bitter smell or taste;
- They are not characterized by very bright and catchy colors;
- Typically the inner flesh is light in color;
- Most often they do not have a ring on the stem.
But all these signs are only averaged, and may have exceptions. For example, one of the most poisonous representatives, the white toadstool, also has no pungent odor at all and its flesh is light.
One more important point in this matter is the area of growth. Usually edible species grow away from their dangerous doubles. Therefore, a proven harvest location can significantly reduce the risk of encountering poisonous mushrooms.
Common Misconceptions
There are many popular signs and non-standard ways of determining the safety of mushrooms. Here are the most common misconceptions:
- Silver spoon. It is believed that it should darken upon contact with an inedible mushroom;
- Onion and garlic. They are added to the mushroom broth and if they darken, it means there is a poisonous species in the pan. It is not true;
- Milk. Some people believe that when a mushroom that is dangerous to humans is placed in milk, it will definitely turn sour. Another myth;
- Worms and larvae. If they eat certain types of mushrooms, then they are edible. But in fact, some species edible by worms can harm human health.
And another common myth is that all young mushrooms are edible. But this is not true either. Many species are dangerous at any age.
Expanded list of edible mushrooms and their descriptions
In order to indicate the names of all edible mushrooms and give them descriptions, you will need a whole book, since there are a huge number of their varieties. But more often than not, people opt for the most well-known, trustworthy species, leaving dubious representatives to professional mushroom pickers.
It is also known as boletus. This mushroom has earned popularity due to its nutritional value and aromatic taste. It is suitable for any type of processing: frying, boiling, drying, salting.
The porcini mushroom is characterized by a thick light stalk and a large tubular cap, whose diameter can reach 20 cm. Most often it has a brown, brown or red color. At the same time, it is completely heterogeneous: the edge is usually lighter than the center. As the mushroom ages, the lower part of the cap changes color from white to yellow-green. You can see a mesh pattern on the leg.
The inner pulp has a dense consistency and its taste resembles a nut. When cut, its color does not change.
Ryzhik
Very high in calories and nutritious. Great for pickling and salting. You can use other types of treatment, but it is better not to dry it. Characterized by a high degree of digestibility.
The main feature of saffron milk caps is their bright Orange color. Moreover, the color is characteristic of all parts of the mushroom: the stem, cap and even the pulp. The cap is plate-shaped and has a depression in the center. The color is not uniform: the red color is diluted with dark gray spots. The plates are frequent. If you cut the mushroom, the flesh changes color to green or brown.
boletus
A common species, which, as the name suggests, prefers to grow near a cluster of birch trees. Ideal fried or boiled.
The boletus has a cylindrical light leg covered with dark scales. It feels quite fibrous to the touch. Inside there is light flesh with a dense consistency. It may turn slightly pink when cut. The hat is small, similar to a gray or brownish-brown pad. There are white tubes at the bottom.
Boletus
Loved by many nutritious mushroom, growing in temperate zones.
It is not difficult to recognize it: its plump leg widens towards the bottom and is covered with many small scales. The cap is hemispherical, but over time it acquires a flatter shape. It can be red-brown or white-brown in color. The lower tubes are close to a dirty gray shade. When cut, the inner flesh changes color. It can turn blue, black, purple or red.
Butter
Small mushrooms that are most often used for pickling. They grow in the northern hemisphere.
Their cap is usually smooth and in rare cases fibrous. It is covered with a mucous film on top, so it may feel sticky to the touch. The leg is also mostly smooth, sometimes with a ring.
This type definitely requires pre-cleaning before cooking, but the skin usually comes off easily.
Chanterelles
One of the earliest spring representatives of mushrooms. Whole families grow up.
The hat is not a standard type. Initially it is flat, but over time it takes the shape of a funnel with a depression in the center. All parts of the mushroom are colored light orange. The white pulp is dense in consistency, pleasant to the taste, but not at all nutritious.
Mosswort
Delicious mushroom, which can be found in temperate latitudes. Its most common types are:
- Green. Characterized by a gray-olive cap, yellow fibrous stem and dense light flesh;
- Bolotny. Looks like a boletus. The color is predominantly yellow. When cut, the flesh turns blue;
- Yellow-brown. The yellow cap takes on a reddish tint with age. The leg is also yellow, but has a darker color at the base.
Suitable for all types of preparation and processing.
Russula
Quite large mushrooms growing in Siberia, the Far East and the European part of the Russian Federation.
Hats can have different colors: yellow, red, green and even blue. It is believed that it is best to eat representatives with the least amount of red pigment. The cap itself is round with a small depression in the center. The plates are usually white, yellow or beige. The skin on the cap can be easily removed or come off only along the edge. The leg is not high, mostly white.
Honey mushrooms
Popular edible mushrooms growing in large groups. They prefer to grow on tree trunks and stumps.
Their hats are usually not large, their diameter reaches 13 cm. In color they can be yellow, gray-yellow, beige-brown. The shape is most often flat, but in some species they are spherical. The leg is elastic, cylindrical, sometimes has a ring.
Raincoat
This species prefers coniferous and deciduous forests.
The body of the mushroom is white or gray-white in color, sometimes covered with small needles. It can reach a height of 10 cm. The inner flesh is initially white, but over time it begins to darken. It has a pronounced pleasant aroma. If the flesh of the mushroom has already darkened, then you should not eat it.
Ryadovka
It has a fleshy convex cap with a smooth surface. The inner pulp is denser with a pronounced odor. The leg is cylindrical, widening towards the bottom. It reaches a height of 8 cm. Depending on the species, the color of the mushroom can be purple, brown, gray-brown, ashy and sometimes purple.
You can recognize it by its cushion-shaped cap of brown or brown color. The surface is slightly rough to the touch. The lower tubes have a yellow tint, which turns blue when pressed. The same thing happens with the pulp. The stem is cylindrical and has a heterogeneous color: darker on top, lighter below.
Dubovik
A tubular edible mushroom that grows in sparse forests.
The cap is quite large, growing up to 20 cm in diameter. In structure and shape it is fleshy and hemispherical. The color is usually dark brown or yellow. The inner pulp is lemon-colored, but turns significantly blue when cut. The tall leg is thick, cylindrical, yellow. It usually has a darker color towards the bottom.
Oyster mushrooms
It is characterized by a funnel-shaped cap, up to 23 cm in diameter. Depending on the type, the color can be light, closer to white, and gray. The surface is slightly matte to the touch and the edges are very thin. The light legs of oyster mushrooms are very short, rarely reaching 2.5 cm. The flesh is fleshy, light, with a pleasant aroma. The plates are wide, their color can vary from white to gray.
Champignon
Very popular edible mushrooms due to their pleasant taste and high nutritional value. Their description and characteristics are familiar not only to mushroom pickers.
These mushrooms are familiar to everyone for their white color with a slight grayish tint. The hat is spherical with a downward curved edge. The leg is not high, dense in structure.
They are most often used for cooking, but are used extremely rarely for pickling.
Conditionally edible mushrooms
The edibility of mushrooms in the forest may be conditional. This means that such species can be eaten only after a certain type of processing. Otherwise, they may harm human health.
Processing involves a thermal process. But if some types need to be boiled several times, then for others, soaking in water and frying is sufficient.
To such representatives conditionally edible mushrooms can be attributed to: true milk mushroom, green milkweed, purple webwort, winter honey fungus, common scaly mushroom.
You don't have to wait until late summer to harvest edible mushrooms. Many delicious species inhabit the forest from June, and especially early ones - from spring. Knowing the types of some edible mushrooms will help distinguish them from dangerous ones.
Mushrooms that appear the earliest, when cooked correctly, are no less tasty than collected in summer and in autumn. The main thing is to distinguish them from poisonous species, which also grow immediately after the snow melts.
Morels
They appear in areas well warmed by the sun's rays. Their cap is dotted with folds and indentations, which gives the morel a wrinkled appearance. The mushroom has several common varieties, so the shape of the cap may vary: be pear-shaped, elongated, conical.
Podabrikosovik
Scientific name: roseoplate thyroid. It has a brown stem and cap. The diameter of the latter ranges from 1 to 10 cm. The pleasant-tasting white pulp is traditionally used in canning. Grows in gardens and wild apricot groves.
Podabrikosovik
Oyster mushrooms
They grow in a suspended state on stumps, attached to them with a thin stalk. The color of the cap, which often grows up to 30 cm in diameter, varies from snow-white to brown. Oyster mushrooms usually form whole flocks, which makes them easier to collect.
Meadow mushrooms
These are thin lamellar mushrooms, appearing in May in clearings and forest edges in the form of “witch’s rings.” The diameter of the chestnut cap is very small: less than 4 cm.
Meadow mushrooms
Champignon
These valuable forest inhabitants appear in mid-May in regions with warm climates, choosing well-lit open spaces. The spherical cap is painted white, and the leg may have beige shades. Widely used in cooking, including for preparing gourmet dishes.
Gallery: edible mushrooms (25 photos)
boletus
They appear everywhere at the end of May. This is a cap mushroom that loves the sun. Boletus mushrooms usually grow in “families” around trees. Their hemispherical cap can be either white or dark brown, depending on the age of the find. It is important to distinguish between boletus and gall mushroom: the latter has a pungent, bitter taste and a pink layer of spores, while boletus mushrooms have gray spores.
boletus
Butter
Appear simultaneously with boletus mushrooms, but they prefer pine forests. A distinctive feature of the oiler is its brown cap covered with a sticky film.
How to pick mushrooms (video)
Summer edible mushrooms
In summer, spring mushrooms also grow and are joined by new ones. Avid lovers quiet hunt They go to the forest from June, and in August, which is the peak of fruiting, everyone else joins them.
Porcini
First place on the list summer species takes, of course, white. This is a very valuable species because it not only has an excellent taste, but also healing properties: it contains substances that kill bacteria.
The appearance of “white” is difficult to confuse with others: A fleshy hat, colored in warm shades of brown, pink or even white, mounted on a plump stem. The pulp has a pleasant taste and aroma.
For its positive properties it is called the “king of mushrooms”. You can find “white” in forests with birch and pine trees, in open areas. But the mushroom itself prefers to remain in the shade, hiding under fallen trees or thick grass.
Porcini
Mosswort
Grows in forests that contain oak or pine trees. At first glance, the flywheel resembles an oil can, but the surface of its brown or olive cap is dry and has a velvety structure. Their diameter does not exceed 10 cm, but in a favorable environment this figure can become larger.
Russula
This is a small and very fragile mushroom that grows everywhere in large quantities. The color of the caps can be very diverse: yellow, pink, purple, white. White pulp, easily broken when pressed, sweet in taste. Russulas grow until late autumn, mainly in the lowlands of any forest, and are undemanding to soil. Despite the name, it is better to prepare russula: fry in breading, boil, add to soup and potatoes, or pickle for the winter.
Russula
Bitters
They grow in large “families” in well-moistened areas of mixed and coniferous forest. This lamellar mushroom does not exceed 10 cm in diameter. The cap of a young bitterling is almost flat, and over time it turns into a funnel-shaped one. Both the stem and the skin are brick-colored. The pulp, like that of russula, is fragile; if damaged, white juice may appear from it.
Chanterelles
These are mushrooms loved by many and make an excellent duo with potatoes when fried. They appear in June among moss in birch or pine forests.
Chanterelles grow in a dense carpet or are bright yellow in color (which is why they got their name). The funnel-shaped cap has a wavy edge. A pleasant feature of the mushroom is that it is almost always untouched by worms.
Varieties of edible mushrooms (video)
Edible autumn mushrooms
The beginning of September can be called the most productive time for picking mushrooms, when a wide variety of mushrooms grow in the forest. different types: starting with boletus mushrooms that appeared in May and ending with autumn mushrooms.
Honey mushrooms
Perhaps the most beloved inhabitants of the mushroom kingdom that appear in the fall are honey mushrooms (they are also called honey mushrooms). Some varieties begin to grow as early as late summer.
Honey mushrooms never grow alone: they “attack” stumps, logs and even healthy trees in entire colonies. One family can have up to 100 pieces. Therefore, collecting them is easy and quick.
Honey mushrooms are cap mushrooms of brown and red color.. The diameter of the brown cap, darkening towards the middle, is from 2 to 10 cm. These are mushrooms that have a pleasant smell and taste, so they are used for cooking in almost any form. Miniature young mushrooms with legs marinated in spicy brine are especially tasty.
Rows
A large family, representatives of which grow in orderly rows in pine or mixed forests. Sometimes they can form ring-shaped colonies . They have many species, most of which are edible. But there are also poisonous rows.
These are medium-sized mushrooms (the average diameter is 5–13 cm), the caps of which are painted in various colors. Their shape changes over time: old specimens are usually almost flat, with a knob in the middle; young ones can be cone-shaped.
Wet
This is an edible species that is often confused with toadstools. Its cap is usually covered with mucus, but can also be dry. There are different types of mothweed, for example, spruce and pink.
How to distinguish edible mushrooms from inedible ones
The task of a lover of quiet hunting is not only to find mushrooms, but also to distinguish edible from inedible and even poisonous ones. Knowledge and practical experience help with this. The easiest way to avoid mistakes is to know the characteristics of the species. But there is still general rules, allowing you to determine how safe the mushroom is for health.
Edible mushrooms
They have the following properties:
- pleasant “edible” smell;
- the bottom of the cap is covered with a tubular layer;
- they were chosen by bugs or worms;
- the skin of the cap is characteristic in color for its species.
There are general rules to determine how safe a mushroom is for health.
Inedible mushrooms
If there is any doubt about the suitability of a find for consumption, then it is better to leave it when the mushroom:
- has an unusual or bright color;
- it emits a sharp and unpleasant odor;
- there are no pests on the surface;
- the cut takes on an unnatural color;
- there is no tubular layer under the cap.
The variety of species does not allow us to derive an axiom on how to determine by appearance whether a mushroom is dangerous or not. They successfully disguise themselves as each other and are almost indistinguishable. Therefore, the main rule of all mushroom pickers is: “If you’re not sure, don’t take it.”
The main rule of all mushroom pickers is: If you’re not sure, don’t take it.
Which mushrooms appear first?
Small poisonous mushrooms are usually the first to emerge from the ground. They are thin, fragile and unremarkable; They grow literally everywhere: in forests, parks and on lawns along with the first grass.
The very first edible morels will appear a little later, from about mid-April in the middle zone.
The importance of edible mushrooms in human nutrition
Mushrooms are widely used in cooking. Their taste and smell are determined by extractive and aromatic substances. The product is used mainly after heat treatment: as an addition to vegetable and meat dishes, salads and snacks. Dried caps and legs are added to soups to give them a characteristic taste and aroma. Another common method of preparation is canning, in which spicy spices and plants are added.
What is the most important thing for a mushroom picker who goes into the forest on a “silent hunt”? No, not a basket at all (although you will also need that), but knowledge, especially regarding which mushrooms are poisonous and which ones can be safely put in the basket. Without them, an outing for a forest delicacy can smoothly turn into an urgent trip to the hospital. In some cases it will turn into the last walk of your life. To avoid disastrous consequences, we bring to your attention brief information about dangerous mushrooms that should never be cut off. Take a closer look at the photos and forever remember how they look. So let's begin. 
Among poisonous mushrooms, the first place in toxicity and frequency of fatal poisoning is occupied by toadstool. Its venom is stable before heat treatment, and also has delayed symptoms. After tasting mushrooms, you can feel like a completely healthy person for the first day, but this effect is deceptive. While precious time is running out to save a life, toxins are already doing their dirty work, destroying the liver and kidneys. From the second day, symptoms of poisoning manifest themselves as headache and muscle pain, vomiting, but time is lost. In most cases, death occurs.
Even just for a moment touching the edible mushrooms in the basket, the poison of the toadstool is instantly absorbed into their caps and legs and turns the harmless gifts of nature into a deadly weapon.
The toadstool grows in deciduous forests and appearance(when young) slightly resembles champignons or greenfinches, depending on the color of the cap. The cap can be flat with a slight convexity or egg-shaped, with smooth edges and ingrown fibers. The color varies from white to greenish-olive, the plates under the cap are also white. The elongated leg at the base expands and is “shackled” in the remains of a film-bag, which hid a young mushroom underneath, and has a white ring on top.
In a toadstool, when broken, the white flesh does not darken and retains its color.
Such different fly agarics
About dangerous properties Even children know fly agaric. In all fairy tales it is described as a deadly ingredient in the preparation of a poisonous potion. It’s so simple: the red-headed mushroom with white spots, as everyone saw it in illustrations in books, is not at all a single specimen. Besides it, there are other varieties of fly agaric that differ from each other. Some of them are very edible. For example, Caesar mushroom, ovoid and blushing fly agaric. Of course, most species are still inedible. And some are life-threatening and it is strictly prohibited to include them in the diet.
The name “fly agaric” is made up of two words: “flies” and “pestilence”, that is, death. And without explanation, it is clear that the mushroom kills flies, namely its juice, which is released from the cap after sprinkling it with sugar.
Deadly poisonous fly agaric species that pose the greatest danger to humans include:
Small but deadly ragged mushroom
The poisonous mushroom got its name from its peculiar structure: often its cap, the surface of which is covered with silky fibers, is also decorated with longitudinal cracks, and the edges are torn. In the literature, the mushroom is better known as fiber and has a modest size. The height of the leg is slightly more than 1 cm, and the diameter of the hat with a protruding tubercle in the center is a maximum of 8 cm, but this does not prevent it from remaining one of the most dangerous.
The concentration of muscarine in the pulp of the fiber exceeds the red fly agaric, and the effect is noticeable within half an hour, and within 24 hours all symptoms of poisoning with this toxin disappear.
Beautiful, but “crappy mushroom”
This is exactly the case when the title matches the content. It’s not for nothing that the false valu mushroom or horseradish mushroom is called such an indecent word by the people - not only is it poisonous, but also the flesh is bitter, and the smell it emits is simply disgusting and not at all mushroom-like. But thanks to its “aroma”, it will no longer be possible to gain the trust of a mushroom picker under the guise of russula, which valui is very similar to.
The scientific name of the mushroom is “hebeloma adhesive.”
False tree grows everywhere, but most often it can be seen at the end of summer on the light edges of coniferous and deciduous forests, under an oak, birch or aspen. The cap of a young mushroom is creamy-white, convex, with the edges turned down. With age, its center bends inward and darkens to a yellow-brown color, while the edges remain light. The skin on the cap is nice and smooth, but sticky. The bottom of the cap consists of adherent plates, gray-white in young valuei, and dirty yellow in old specimens. The dense, bitter pulp also has a corresponding color. The leg of the false valuu is quite high, about 9 cm. It is wide at the base, tapers further upward, and is covered with a white coating similar to flour.
A characteristic feature of the “horseradish mushroom” is the presence of black inclusions on the plates.
The poisonous twin of summer honey mushrooms: sulfur-yellow honey fungus
Everyone knows that they grow on stumps in friendly flocks, but among them there is a “relative” that looks practically no different from tasty mushrooms, but causes severe poisoning. This is a false sulfur-yellow honey fungus. Poisonous doubles They live in groups on the remains of tree species almost everywhere, both in forests and in clearings between fields.
The mushrooms have small caps (maximum 7 cm in diameter) of gray-yellow color, with a darker, reddish center. The pulp is light, bitter and smells bad. The plates under the cap are tightly attached to the stem; in the old mushroom they are dark. The light leg is long, up to 10 cm, and smooth, consisting of fibers.
You can distinguish between “good” and “bad honey fungus” by the following characteristics:
- The edible mushroom has scales on its cap and stem, while the false mushroom does not;
- The “good” mushroom is dressed in a skirt on a leg, the “bad” one does not have one.
Satanic mushroom disguised as boletus
The massive leg and dense pulp of the satanic mushroom make it look like, but eating such a beauty is fraught with severe poisoning. Satanic bolete, as this species is also called, tastes quite good: there is no smell, no bitterness characteristic of poisonous mushrooms.
Some scientists even classify bolet as a conditionally edible mushroom if it is subjected to prolonged soaking and prolonged heat treatment. But no one can say exactly how many toxins boiled mushrooms of this type contain, so it’s better not to risk your health.
Externally, the satanic mushroom is quite beautiful: the dirty white cap is fleshy, with a spongy yellow bottom that turns red over time. The shape of the leg is similar to a real edible boletus, just as massive, in the form of a barrel. Under the cap, the stem becomes thinner and turns yellow, the rest is orange-red. The flesh is very dense, white, only pinkish at the very base of the stem. Young mushrooms have a pleasant smell, but older specimens give off a disgusting smell of spoiled vegetables.
You can distinguish Satanic boletus from edible mushrooms by cutting the flesh: when it comes into contact with air, it first acquires a red tint and then turns blue.
The debate about the edibility of pig mushrooms was stopped in the early 90s, when all types of these mushrooms were officially recognized as dangerous to human life and health. Some mushroom pickers continue to collect them for food to this day, but this should not be done under any circumstances, since pig toxins can accumulate in the body and symptoms of poisoning do not appear immediately.
Externally, poisonous mushrooms are similar to milk mushrooms: they are small, with squat legs and a fleshy round cap of a dirty yellow or gray-brown color. The center of the hat is deeply concave, the edges are wavy. The fruit body is yellowish in cross section, but quickly darkens from the air. Pigs grow in groups in forests and plantings; they especially love wind-fallen trees, located among their rhizomes.
There are more than 30 varieties of pig's ear, as the mushroom is also called. All of them contain lectins and can cause poisoning, but the thinnest pig is considered the most dangerous. The cap of a young poisonous mushroom is smooth, dirty olive, and becomes rusty over time. The short leg has the shape of a cylinder. When the mushroom body is broken, a distinct smell of rotting wood is heard.
The following pigs are no less dangerous:
Poisonous umbrellas
Slender mushrooms on tall, thin stalks with flat, wide-open caps resembling an umbrella grow in abundance along roads and roadsides. They are called umbrellas. The cap actually opens up and becomes wider as the mushroom grows. Most varieties of umbrella mushrooms are edible and very tasty, but there are also poisonous specimens among them.
The most dangerous and common poisonous mushrooms are the following umbrellas:
Poisonous rows
Row mushrooms have many varieties. Among them there are both edible and very tasty mushrooms, as well as frankly tasteless and inedible types. There are also very dangerous poisonous rows. Some of them resemble their “harmless” relatives, which easily misleads inexperienced mushroom pickers. Before you go into the forest, you should look for a person to be your partner. He must know all the intricacies of the mushroom business and be able to distinguish “bad” rows from “good” ones.
The second name for the rows is govorushki.
Among the poisonous talkers, the following rows are considered one of the most dangerous, capable of causing death:
Gall mushroom: inedible or poisonous?
Most scientists classify the gall mushroom as inedible, since even forest insects do not dare to taste its bitter pulp. However, another group of researchers is convinced that this mushroom is poisonous. If the dense pulp is eaten, death does not occur. But the toxins it contains in large quantities cause enormous harm. internal organs, in particular the liver.
People call the mushroom bitter for its unique taste.
The size of the poisonous mushroom is not small: the diameter of the brown-orange cap reaches 10 cm, and the creamy-red leg is very thick, with a darker mesh-like pattern in the upper part.
The gall mushroom is similar to the white one, but, unlike the latter, it always turns pink when broken.
Fragile impatiens galerina swamp
In marshy areas of the forest, in thickets of moss, you can find small mushrooms on a long thin stalk - marsh galerina. The brittle light yellow leg with a white ring at the top can be easily knocked down even with a thin twig. Moreover, the mushroom is poisonous and should not be eaten anyway. The dark yellow cap of the galerina is also fragile and watery. At a young age it looks like a bell, but then straightens, leaving only a sharp bulge in the center.
This is not a complete list of poisonous mushrooms; in addition, there are many false species that can easily be confused with edible ones. If you are not sure which mushroom is under your feet, please pass by. It’s better to take an extra lap through the forest or return home with an empty wallet than to suffer from severe poisoning later. Be careful, take care of your health and the health of those close to you!
Video about the most dangerous mushrooms for humans
Anyone who does not understand mushrooms is limited to buying them in the supermarket. After all, champignons and oyster mushrooms grown under artificial sun inspire more confidence than unknown ones. natural gifts. But true mushroom pickers will not be able to be satisfied with the taste of fruits that have not smelled of pine needles and have not been washed with morning dew. And it’s very difficult to deny yourself forest walks on a clear weekend. Therefore, let's take a closer look at the external signs of popular edible mushrooms in our region.
Main characteristics of edible mushrooms
It is simply impossible to cover all the biological and ecological diversity of fungi on a planetary scale. This is one of the largest specific groups of living organisms, which has become an integral part of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Modern scientists know many species of the mushroom kingdom, but today there is no exact figure in any scientific source. In different literature, the species number of mushrooms varies from 100 thousand to 1.5 million. It is characteristic that each species is divided into classes, orders, and also has thousands of generic names and synonyms. Therefore, it is easy to get lost here, just like in the forest. 
Did you know? Contemporaries consider the most unusual mushroom in the world to be Plasmodium, which grows in central Russia. This creation of nature can walk. True, it moves at a speed of 1 meter every few days.
Edible mushrooms are considered to be those specimens that are approved for consumption and do not pose any risks to human health. They differ from poisonous forest fruits in the structure of the hymenophore, color and shape fruiting body, as well as smell and taste. Their peculiarity lies in their high gastronomic properties. It’s not for nothing that among mushroom pickers there are parallel names for mushrooms - “vegetable meat” and “forest protein”. It has been scientifically proven that such gifts of nature are rich:
- proteins;
- amino acids;
- mycosis and glycogen (specific mushroom sugar);
- potassium;
- phosphorus;
- gray;
- magnesium;
- sodium;
- calcium;
- chlorine;
- vitamins (A, C, PP, D, all group B);
- enzymes (represented by amylase, lactase, oxidase, zymase, protease, cytase, which are of particular importance because they improve the absorption of food).
Many types of mushrooms in their nutritional value compete with potatoes, vegetables and fruits traditional for the Ukrainian table. Their significant drawback is the poorly digestible shells of mushroom bodies. That is why dried and ground fruits bring the greatest benefit to the human body. Did you know? Of the entire mushroom kingdom, the rarest specimen is considered to be the mushroom Chorioactis geaster, which translated means “devil’s cigar.” It is found in isolated cases only in the central zones of Texas and on some islands of Japan. The unique feature of this natural wonder is a specific whistle that is heard when the mushroom releases spores.
Soviet scientists, based on the nutritional characteristics of mushrooms, divided the edible group into 4 varieties:
- Boletuses, saffron milk caps and milk mushrooms.
- Birch boletus, aspen boletus, oak boletus, buttercup, trumpet mushroom, white mushroom and champignon.
- Moss mushrooms, valui, russula, chanterelles, morels and autumn honey mushrooms.
- Rowers, raincoats and other little-known, rarely collected specimens.
Today this classification is considered a little outdated. Modern botanists agree that dividing mushrooms into food categories is ineffective and the scientific literature provides an individual description of each species. Beginning mushroom pickers should learn the golden rule of “quiet hunting”: one poisonous mushroom can ruin all the forest trophies in the basket. Therefore, if you find any inedible fruit among the harvested crop, do not hesitate to throw all the contents into the trash. After all, the risks of intoxication cannot be compared with the time and effort spent. Edible mushrooms: photos and names
Of the entire variety of edible mushrooms known to mankind, there are only a few thousand. At the same time, the lion's share of them went to representatives of fleshy micromycetes. Let's look at the most popular types.
Did you know? Real mushroom giants were found by Americans in 1985 in the states of Wisconsin and Oregon. The first find was striking with its 140-kilogram weight, and the second with the area of the mycelium, which occupied about a thousand hectares.
In botanical literature this forest trophy is designated as or ( Boletus edulis). In everyday life it is called pravdivtsev, dubrovnik, shirak and belas. 
The variety belongs to the Boletaceae genus and is considered the best of all known edible mushrooms. In Ukraine it is not uncommon and occurs from early summer to mid-autumn in deciduous and coniferous forests. Often, boletus can be found under birch, oak, hornbeam, hazel, spruce and pine trees.
- a cap with a diameter of 3 to 20 cm, a hemispherical, convex shape, brown in color with a smoky or reddish tint (the color of the cap largely depends on the place where the fungus grows: under pine trees it is purple-brown, under oak trees - chestnut or olive green, and under birch trees - light brown);
- leg from 4 to 15 cm long with a volume of 2-6 cm, club-shaped, cream-colored with a grayish or brown tint;
- mesh white color on the top of the leg;
- the flesh is dense, juicy, white, and does not change when cut;
- fusiform spores of yellowish-olive color, about 15-18 microns in size;
- a tubular layer of light and greenish tones (depending on the age of the mushroom), which is easily separated from the cap;
- The smell at the cutting site is pleasant.
Important! Boletuses are often confused with bitterlings. This inedible mushrooms, which are distinguished by pinkish spores, a black mesh on the stalk and bitter pulp.
It is worth noting that the skin of true porcini mushrooms is never removed from the cap. In Ukraine, industrial harvesting of these forest trophies is carried out only in the Carpathian region and Polesie. They are suitable for fresh consumption, drying, canning, salting, and pickling. ethnoscience advises introducing belas into the diet for angina, tuberculosis, frostbite, loss of strength and anemia. Volnushka
These trophies are considered conditionally edible. They are used as food only by residents of the northern regions globe, and Europeans do not recognize it as food. Botanists call these mushrooms Lactárius torminósus, and mushroom pickers call them tormentos, decoctions and rubellas. They represent the Russula family of the genus Mlechnik, and are pink and white.
Pink waves are characterized by:- cap with a diameter of 4 to 12 cm, with a deep depression in the center and convex, pubescent edges, pale pink or grayish in color, which darkens when touched;
- leg about 3-6 cm high with a diameter of 1 to 2 cm, cylindrical in shape, powerful and elastic structure with specific pubescence on a pale pink surface;
- cream or white spores;
- the plates are frequent and narrow, which are always interspersed with intermediate membranes;
- the pulp is dense and hard, white in color, does not change when cut and is characterized by abundant, sharp-tasting juice secretion.
Important! Mushroom pickers should pay attention to the fact that mushrooms are characterized by variability, which depends on their age. For example, the caps can change their color from yellow-orange to light green, and the plates can change from pinkish to yellow.
White waves are different:- a cap with a diameter of 4 to 8 cm with white, densely pubescent skin (in older specimens its surface is smoother and yellower);
- stem with a height of 2 to 4 cm with a volume of up to 2 cm, cylindrical in shape with slight hairiness, dense structure and uniform color;
- the pulp is slightly aromatic, white, with a dense but brittle structure;
- white or cream-colored spores;
- the plates are narrow and frequent;
- white milky juice, which does not change when interacting with oxygen and is characterized by causticity.
Most often they grow in groups under birch trees, on forest edges, and rarely in coniferous forests. They are collected from early August to mid-autumn. Any cooking requires careful soaking and blanching. These mushrooms are used for preservation, drying, and pickling. Important! Edible volnushki can be easily distinguished from other milky mushrooms by the hairiness on the cap.
But in the latter version, the pulp becomes brown, which does not look aesthetically pleasing. Undercooked specimens are toxic and can cause digestive tract disorders and irritation of the mucous membranes. In salted form they are allowed to be consumed no earlier than an hour after salting.
The variety also represents the Russula family of the Mlechnikov genus. IN scientific sources the mushroom is designated Lactárius résimus, and in everyday life it is called real. 
Externally, this mushroom is characterized by:
- a funnel-shaped cap with a diameter of 5 to 20 cm with highly fleecy edges turned inward, with a wet, mucous skin of a milky or yellowish color;
- stalk up to 7 cm high with a volume up to 5 cm, cylindrical in shape, yellowish in color, with a smooth surface and hollow interior;
- firm white pulp with a specific fruity smell;
- yellow spores;
- plates frequent and wide, white-yellow;
- milky juice, pungent in taste, white in color, which changes to dirty yellow in the cut areas.
Important! Milk mushrooms are characterized by variability: old mushrooms become hollow inside, their plates turn yellow, and brown spots may appear on the cap.
This bright mushroom with a peculiar shape is found on postage stamps of Romania, Moldova, and Belarus. The true chanterelle (Cantharellus cibarius) is a member of the genus Cantharelaceae. 
Many people recognize her by:
- cap - with a diameter of 2.5 to 5 cm, which is characterized by asymmetrical bulges at the edges and a watering can-shaped depression in the center, a yellow tint and a smooth surface;
- stem - short (up to 4 cm in height), smooth and solid, identical in color to the cap;
- spores - their size does not exceed 9.5 microns;
- plates - narrow, folded, bright yellow in color;
- pulp - is dense and elastic, white or slightly yellowish, with a pleasant aroma and taste.
Important! Real chanterelles are often confused with their counterparts. Therefore, when harvesting, you need to pay special attention to the color of the trophy pulp. In pseudo-chanterelles it is yellow-orange or pale pink.
Please note that this species is not found on forest edges. In cooking, chanterelles are usually consumed in fresh, pickled, salted and dried forms. They have a specific aroma and taste. Experts note that this variety exceeds all mushrooms known to mankind in terms of carotene composition, but is not recommended in large quantities because it is difficult to digest in the body.
In the scientific literature, oyster mushrooms are simultaneously called oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatu) and belong to the predatory species. The fact is that their spores are capable of paralyzing and digesting nematodes living in the soil. In this way, the body compensates for its nitrogen needs. In addition, the variety is considered wood-destroying, since it grows in groups on stumps and trunks of weakened living plants, as well as on dead wood. 
It can most often be found on oaks, birches, rowan trees, willows, and aspens. As a rule, these are dense bunches of 30 or more pieces, which grow together at the base and form multi-tiered growths. Oyster mushrooms can be easily recognized by the following characteristics:
- the cap reaches about 5-30 cm in diameter, very fleshy, rounded ear-shaped with wavy edges (in young specimens it is convex, and in adulthood it becomes flat), smooth glossy surface and unstable peculiar tonality, which borders on ashy, violet-brown and faded dirty yellow shades;
- mycelial plaque is present only on the skin of mushrooms that grow in a humid environment;
- leg up to 5 cm long and 0.8-3 cm thick, sometimes almost invisible, dense, cylindrical in structure;
- the plates are sparse, up to 15 mm wide, have bridges near the legs, their color varies from white to yellow-gray;
- spores are smooth, colorless, elongated, up to 13 microns in size;
- The pulp becomes more elastic with age and loses its juiciness, it is fibrous, has no smell, and has an anise flavor.
Did you know? In 2000, a Ukrainian mycelium hunter from Volyn, Nina Danilyuk, managed to find a giant boletus mushroom that did not fit in a bucket and weighed about 3 kg. Its leg reached 40 cm, and the circumference of the cap was 94 cm.
Due to the fact that old oyster mushrooms are characterized by rigidity, only young mushrooms whose caps do not exceed a 10-centimeter diameter are suitable for food. In this case, the legs are removed from all trophies. The oyster mushroom hunting season begins in September and, under favorable weather conditions, lasts until the New Year. This species cannot be confused with anything in our latitudes, but for Australians there is a risk of putting the poisonous omphalotus in the basket.
This is a popular name certain group mushrooms that grow on living or dead wood. They belong to different families and genera, and also differ in their preferences for living conditions. 
IN food purposes Autumn honey mushrooms are most often used ( Armillaria mellea), which represent the Physalacriaceae family. According to various estimates by scientists, they are classified as conditionally edible or generally inedible. For example, honey mushrooms are not in demand among Western gourmets and are considered a low-value product. And in Eastern Europe, these are one of the favorite trophies of mushroom pickers.
Important! Undercooked honey mushrooms cause allergic reactions and severe eating disorders in people.
Honey mushrooms are easily recognizable by external signs. They have:- the cap develops up to 10 cm in diameter, is characterized by a convexity at a young age and a flatness at a mature age, it has a smooth surface and a greenish-olive coloring;
- the leg is solid, yellow-brown, from 8 to 10 cm long with a volume of 2 cm, with small flocculent scales;
- the plates are sparse, white-cream in color, darkening with age to pinkish-brown shades;
- spores are white, up to 6 microns in size, have the shape of a wide ellipse;
- the pulp is white, juicy, with a pleasant aroma and taste, on the caps it is dense and fleshy, and on the stem it is fibrous and rough.
They love the wood left after cutting: birch, elm, oak, pine, alder and aspen. In particularly fruitful years, there is a night glow of stumps, which is emitted by group growths of honey mushrooms. For food purposes, the fruits are salted, pickled, fried, boiled and dried. Important! When collecting honey mushrooms, be careful. The color of their cap depends on the soil in which they grow. For example, those specimens that appear on poplar, mulberry and white acacia are distinguished by honey-yellow tones, those that grow from elderberry are dark gray, those from conifers are purple-brown, and those from oak are brown. Edible honey mushrooms are often confused with false mushrooms. Therefore, only those fruits that have a ring on the stem should be placed in the basket.
Most mushroom pickers prefer green moss mushrooms (Xerócomus subtomentosus), which are the most common of their kind. Some botanists classify them as boletus mushrooms. 
These fruits are characterized by:
- a cap with a maximum diameter of up to 16 cm, a cushion-shaped convexity, a velvety surface and a smoky olive color;
- the leg is cylindrical, up to 10 cm high and up to 2 cm thick, with a fibrous dark brown mesh;
- brown spores, up to 12 microns in size;
- The pulp is snow-white; upon contact with oxygen it may acquire a slight blue tint.
Did you know? Although fly agarics are considered very poisonous, they contain much less toxic substances than the toadstool. For example, to obtain a lethal concentration of mushroom poison, you need to eat 4 kg of fly agarics. And one toadstool is enough to poison 4 people.
Among the edible varieties of boletus, white, swamp, yellow, Bollini, and larch species are popular. In our latitudes, the latter variation is especially popular. 
She is characterized by:
- cap up to 15 cm in diameter, convex in shape, with a bare sticky surface of lemon yellow or rich yellow-orange color;
- the stem is up to 12 cm high and 3 cm wide, club-shaped, with granular-mesh fragments at the top, as well as a ring, its color exactly matches the tone of the cap;
- spores are smooth, pale yellow, ellipsoidal, up to 10 microns in size;
- the flesh is yellow with a lemon tint, brownish under the skin, soft, juicy with hard fibers; in old mushrooms, the cuts turn a little pink.
Did you know? Truffles are considered the most expensive mushrooms in the world. In France, the price per kilogram of this delicacy never falls below 2 thousand euros..
This mushroom is also popularly called blackhead and. In botanical literature it is designated as Léccinum scábrum and represents the genus Obabok. 
He is recognized by:
- a cap with a specific color that varies from white to gray-black;
- club-shaped leg, with oblong dark and light scales;
- white pulp that does not change when in contact with oxygen.
Represents a family and includes about fifty species. Most of them are considered edible. Some varieties have a bitter aftertaste, which is lost with careful pre-soaking and cooking of forest products. 
Of the entire mushroom kingdom, russula stands out:
- the cap is spherical or prostrate (in some specimens it may be in the form of a funnel), with rolled, ribbed edges, dry skin of different colors;
- a cylindrical leg, with a hollow or dense structure, white or colored;
- the plates are frequent, brittle, yellowish in color;
- spores of white and dark yellow tones;
- the pulp is spongy and very fragile, white in young mushrooms and dark, as well as reddish in old ones.
Important! Russulas with caustic, burning pulp are poisonous. A small piece of raw fruit can cause severe irritation of the mucous membranes, vomiting and dizziness..
Fruiting for these representatives of the Obabok genus begins in early summer and lasts until mid-September. They are most often found in damp areas under shady trees. Rarely can such a trophy be found in coniferous forests. Boletuses are popular in Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Belarus, Western Europe and North America. 
The signs of this forest fruit are:
- a hemispherical cap, up to 25 cm in circumference, with a bare or fleecy surface of a white-pink color (sometimes there are specimens with brown, bluish and greenish shades of the peel);
- the leg is club-shaped, tall, white with brown-gray scales that appear over time;
- brown spores;
- the tubular layer is white-yellow or gray-brown;
- the pulp is juicy and fleshy, white or yellow, sometimes blue-green, upon contact with oxygen it very soon acquires a bluish tint, after which it turns black (it turns purple in the stem).
Did you know? It has been scientifically proven that mushrooms existed about 400 million years ago. This means that they appeared before dinosaurs. Like ferns, these gifts of nature were one of the most ancient inhabitants of the globe. Moreover, their spores were able to adapt to new conditions for thousands of years, preserving all ancient species to this day.
These edible representatives of the Russula family have captivated all mushroom pickers with their specific taste. In everyday life they are called ridz or, and in scientific literature - Lactarius deliciosus. 
The harvest should be done between August and October. Often such trophies are found in damp forest areas. In Ukraine, these are Polesie and the Carpathian region. Signs of saffron milk caps are:
- cap with a diameter of 3 to 12 cm, watering can-shaped, sticky to the touch, gray-orange in color, with clear concentric stripes;
- the plates are deep orange and begin to turn green when touched;
- spores are warty, up to 7 microns in size;
- the stem is very dense, exactly matches the cap in color, reaches up to 7 cm in length, and up to 2.5 cm in volume, becomes hollow with age;
- the flesh is yellow in the cap and white in the stem; when exposed to oxygen, the cut areas turn green;
- The milky juice is purple-orange (it turns dirty green after a few hours) and has a pleasant smell and taste.
Did you know? A natural antibiotic, lactarioviolin, was found in saffron milk caps..
In France they call absolutely all mushrooms. Therefore, linguists are inclined to think that the Slavic name of a whole genus of organisms from the Agarikov family is of French origin. 
Champignons have:
- the cap is massive and dense, hemispherical in shape, which becomes flat with age, white or dark brown, up to 20 cm in diameter;
- the plates are initially white, which turn gray with age;
- leg up to 5 cm high, dense, club-shaped, always having a one- or two-layer ring;
- the pulp, which comes in all sorts of shades of white, when exposed to oxygen becomes yellow-red, juicy, with a pronounced mushroom smell.
Important! When collecting champignons, pay attention to their plates. This is the only important sign by which they can be distinguished from poisonous representatives of the Amanitov genus. In the latter, this part remains invariably white or lemon throughout their lives..
In the nature of the Eurasian continent, there is a small species diversity of such trophies. Mushroom pickers should only beware of yellow-skinned (Agaricus xanthodermus) and variegated (Agaricus meleagris) champignons. All other types are non-toxic. They are even mass-cultivated on an industrial scale.
Outwardly, these fruits are very unattractive, but in terms of their taste they are considered a valuable delicacy. In everyday life they are called “earth heart”, since they can be located underground at a depth of half a meter. They are also the “black diamonds of cooking.” Botanists classify truffles as a separate family marsupial fungi with an underground fleshy and juicy fruiting body. In cooking, the Italian, Perigord and winter varieties are most valued. 
They mainly grow in oak and beech forests in Southern France and Northern Italy. In Europe, specially trained dogs and pigs are used for “silent hunting”. Experienced mushroom pickers advise paying attention to flies - in places where they swarm, there will probably be an earthen heart under the foliage.
You can recognize the most valuable fruit by the following signs:
- the fruiting body is potato-shaped, with a diameter of 2.5 to 8 cm, with a weak pleasant odor and large pyramidal protrusions with a diameter of up to 10 mm, olive-black in color;
- the pulp is white or yellow-brown with clear light veins, tastes like roasted sunflower seeds sunflowers or nuts;
- ellipsoidal spores develop only in humus substrate.
Did you know? According to statistics, the world's truffle harvest is decreasing every year. On average, it does not exceed 50 tons.
This is a species of edible mushroom from the genus Lentinula. They are very widespread in the area East Asia. They got their name from growing on chestnut trees. Translated from Japanese, the word means “chestnut mushroom.” In cooking it is used in Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and Thai cuisines as a gourmet spice. In oriental medicine there are also many recipes for treatment with these fruits. 
In everyday life, the mushroom is also called oak, winter, black. It is characteristic that in the world market shiitake is considered the second important mushroom that is cultivated industrially. It is quite possible to grow the delicacy in the climatic conditions of Ukraine. To do this, it is important to acquire an artificial mushroom substrate.
When collecting shiitake, you need to focus on the following characteristics mushroom:
- a hemispherical cap, up to 29 cm in diameter, with a dry, velvety skin of coffee or brownish-brown color;
- the plates are white, thin and thick, in young specimens they are protected by a membrane covering, and when squeezed they become dark brown;
- the leg is fibrous, cylindrical, up to 20 cm high and up to 1.5 cm thick, with a smooth light brown surface;
- white ellipsoidal spores;
- the pulp is dense, fleshy, juicy, cream or snow-white in color, with a pleasant aroma and a pronounced specific taste.
Did you know? The increased interest in shiitake on the world market is due to its antitumor effect. The main consumer of this delicacy is Japan, which annually imports about 2 thousand tons of the product.
The mushroom belongs to the Boletaceae family. In everyday life it is called bruise, poddubnik, dirty brown. The fruiting period begins in July and lasts until late autumn. August is considered the most productive. To search, you should go to forest areas where there are oaks, hornbeams, beeches, and birches. They also prefer calcareous soil and well-lit areas. These forest fruits are known in the Caucasus, Europe and the Far East. 
The signs of the mushroom are:
- cap with a diameter of 5 to 20 cm, semicircular in shape, with olive-brown velvety skin that darkens when touched;
- the pulp is dense, odorless, with a mild taste, yellow in color (purple at the base of the stem);
- the plates are yellow, about 2.5-3 cm long, green or olive in color;
- the leg is club-shaped, up to 15 cm high with a volume up to 6 cm, yellow-orange in color;
- spores are olive-brown, smooth, fusiform.
Important! If you eat undercooked or raw oak, severe poisoning can occur. It is strictly contraindicated to combine this product to any degree. culinary processing with alcoholic drinks.
Edible varieties of these fruits must undergo thorough boiling. They differ from poisonous specimens in their bright color and not too tart odor. Most often used for filling pies, and also consumed freshly prepared. 
Experienced mushroom pickers advise going on a “quiet hunt” from the beginning of July to the second half of October. For improvement taste qualities Only the caps of young fruits are used for food. You can recognize them by:
- a bell-shaped cap with a circumference of up to 22 cm, with folded edges and a tubercle in the middle, a smooth surface of a matte or red color;
- stem up to 15 cm high, with a dense structure, cylindrical shape and color scheme corresponding to the cap (there are darker shades at the base);
- medium thick brown plates;
- The pulp is fleshy, dry, with a weak almond aroma, white in color, which does not change when cut.
Important! Pay attention to the skin of the talker's cap. Poisonous fruits always have a characteristic powdery coating on it.
Many novice mushroom pickers are always impressed by the appearance of bigheads. These trophies stand out very favorably against the background of their counterparts due to their impressive size and shape. 
They have:
- the fruiting body is large, can develop up to 20 cm in diameter, has a non-standard club-shaped shape, which hardly fits into generally accepted ideas about mushrooms;
- the leg can also reach 20 cm in height, it can be larger or smaller than the cap, its color is in harmony with the top;
- The pulp is loose, white in color.
Did you know? Mushrooms can survive at an altitude of 30 thousand meters above sea level, withstand radioactive radiation and pressure of 8 atmospheres. They also take root easily even on the surface of sulfuric acid.
He is a representative of the Borovikov family. In everyday life it is referred to as the yellow gill or yellow boletus. Very common in Polesie, Carpathian region and Western Europe. It is considered a heat-loving variety of Boletaceae. It can be found in oak, hornbeam, beech plantings with high humidity air and clay substrate. 
Externally the mushroom is characterized by:
- a cap with a diameter of 5 to 20 cm, a convex shape, which becomes flat with age, with a smooth matte clay-colored surface;
- heavy pulp, with a dense structure, white or light yellow color, which does not change when cut, with a pleasant, slightly sweet taste and a specific smell, reminiscent of iodoform;
- leg with a rough surface, up to 16 cm high, up to 6 cm in volume, club-shaped, without mesh;
- tubular layer up to 3 cm in size, yellow in early age and olive-lemon - in mature;
- spores of yellow-olive color, up to 6 microns in size, fusiform and smooth.
Did you know? The history of mushrooms records a fact when Swiss mushroom pickers accidentally stumbled upon a huge trophy that had been growing for a thousand years. This giant honey fungus measured 800 m in length and 500 m in width, and its mycelium occupied 35 hectares of local national park in the city of Ofenpass.
Basic rules for picking mushrooms
Mushroom hunting has its risks. In order not to be exposed to them, you need to clearly understand that it is extremely important to be able to collect mushrooms and understand their varieties. 
To safely harvest forest trophies, you need to follow these rules:
- To search, go to environmentally friendly areas, away from noisy highways and production assets.
- Never put items in your cart that you are not sure about. In this case, it is better to seek help from experienced mushroom pickers.
- Under no circumstances should samples be taken from raw fruits.
- During a “silent hunt,” minimize touching your hands to your mouth and face.
- Do not take mushrooms that have a white tuberous formation at the base.
- Compare found trophies with their toxic counterparts.
- Visually evaluate the entire fruit: stem, plates, cap, pulp.
- Do not delay cooking the harvested crop. It is better to immediately carry out the planned processing, because every hour the mushrooms lose their value.
- Never drink water in which mushrooms have been boiled. It may contain many toxic substances.
- Remove copies damaged by the wormhole, as well as those that have any damage.
- Only young fruits should fall into the mushroom picker’s basket.
- All trophies should be cut, not pulled out.
- The best time for “silent hunting” is considered to be early morning.
- If you go mushroom picking with children, do not lose sight of them and explain to the kids in advance about the potential danger of forest gifts.
Did you know? Soft mushroom caps can break through asphalt, concrete, marble and iron.
Video: rules for picking mushrooms
Mushroom poisoning is indicated by:
- nausea;
- vomit;
- headache;
- abdominal cramps;
- diarrhea (up to 15 times a day);
- weakened heartbeat;
- hallucinations;
- cold extremities.
It also wouldn’t hurt to clean the gastrointestinal tract using an enema and gastric lavage (drink about 2 liters of a weak solution of potassium permanganate to induce vomiting). With adequate treatment, improvement occurs within a day. During the “silent hunt”, do not lose your vigilance, carefully inspect the trophies and, if you have doubts about their edibility, it is better not to take them with you. Video: mushroom poisoning
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