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Pine boletus is a representative of the Boletovye family, the genus Obabok. As a rule, it is found in mixed and deciduous forests. Very similar to other relatives of this family. However, there are also distinguishing features.
What do pine boletuses look like
At the slightest touch, the pine boletus is able to change its color
At a young age, the cap has a hemispherical shape, as it matures it becomes plano-convex. The skin is velvety, dry, painted in brown tones. The cap diameter varies from 7 to 15 cm, however, under favorable conditions, its size can be larger.
The leg is cylindrical, thickened at the base, solid. It reaches a length of up to 15 cm, and a thickness in diameter of up to 5 cm. It is painted white, a greenish tint may be present at the base. The pulp is dense without a pronounced smell and taste. The hymenophore consists of a tubular layer, which is colored white at the initial stage of maturation, and at an older age acquires a grayish-cream tone. Turns red when pressed. Spore powder has a yellow-brown hue.
Where do pine boletuses grow
Favorable time for the development of this species is the period from June to October. Pine boletus grows in the territory, which is characterized by a temperate climate. Most often they live in coniferous and mixed forests, form mycorrhiza exclusively with pines.
Is it possible to eat pine boletus
The pine boletus is one of the edible mushrooms. Suitable for any kind of processing, so they can be fried, boiled, frozen, salted, dried and pickled. In the process of cooking, it acquires a darker shade, which is characteristic of these mushrooms.
False twins of pine aspen mushrooms
The fungus tends to accumulate toxins, so experts do not recommend picking overripe fruits.
The specimen in question has external resemblances to many types of aspen mushrooms. The brightest twins are:
- Boletus yellow-brown – belongs to the category of edible. The hat of this variety has more saturated orange tones, and forms mycorrhiza exclusively with birch. Another distinguishing feature is that on the cut the fungus acquires a pink tint, and after a while it turns blue or green.
The yellow-brown boletus is found in the same climatic zone as the pine
- Spruce boletus is an edible mushroom that forms mycorrhiza only with spruce trees. Unlike the species under consideration, the double has a slight roughness on the cap.
This specimen prefers to grow in pine or spruce forests next to berries or mosses.
- Oak boletus. The main differences are the more brown shades of the fruiting body and the stem with red scaly growths.
Pine boletus belongs to edible mushrooms, grows near oaks
- The boletus is white. Most similar to the specimen in question in adulthood. At the ripening stage, the hat is painted white, and after a while it acquires brown shades.
In adulthood, the cap of this species always turns from white to yellowish or brown.
- Red boletus is an edible specimen. You can distinguish it from pine by the raspberry color of the hat.
As a rule, red boletus forms mycorrhiza with aspens, in some cases it grows close to other deciduous trees.
- The gall mushroom is the only inedible species among the twins. Distinctive features include a hat of darker brown shades and a slightly twisted leg.
The second name of this mushroom is mustard, which he received because of the unpleasant bitter taste.
Collection rules
Going in search of pine boletus, you should head for mixed and deciduous forests. Also, do not forget that this species forms mycorrhiza only with pines. Each specimen should be carefully cut with a knife so as not to damage the mycelium. After collection, primary processing should be carried out as soon as possible, since pine aspen mushrooms deteriorate rather quickly. You should not add rotten specimens to the general basket, since there is a high probability of poisoning them. It is also not recommended to collect the old gifts of the forest, because of the inherent unpleasant taste.
Use
There is a fairly large variety of recipes from this ingredient. It was previously mentioned that pine aspen mushrooms are suitable for all types of processing. It is believed that they are especially good fried or boiled as a main dish. However, before proceeding to cooking, it is necessary to pre-process. To do this, the gifts of the forest are washed, cleaned of twigs, leaves and other debris. Many experienced chefs recommend leaving them in salted water for an hour before cooking. And so that the mushrooms do not darken during the heat treatment, you can add a small amount of citric acid to the soaking solution. And when drying, on the contrary, experts do not recommend washing, let alone soaking them, because otherwise the process will drag on for a long time.
Conclusion
The pine boletus is not only edible, but also a tasty mushroom, which is used to prepare various dishes. Despite this, it should be remembered that including this product in the diet is quite dangerous for children, pregnant and lactating women, as well as people prone to allergies or suffering from chronic pathologies of the digestive system.