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Semi-bronze boletus is a rare mushroom with autumn fruiting. To find him in the forest, you should familiarize yourself with false twins, study the features of his appearance.
How semi-bronze bolts look like
Mushroom with a large cap, reaching a diameter of up to 17-20 cm, and a thickness of up to 4 cm. In young bolets, it is convex, closer in shape to a ball, but as the fruiting body grows, it straightens.
The color of the cap is gray-brown; in adults, yellowish spots appear on it. In dry hot weather, it becomes covered with cracks.
On the underside of the cap, the tubular layer has a white color with a grayish tint. In adults, it changes color to olive green. The tubules are easily separated from the hat pulp. Their length varies between 20-40 mm.
The mushroom rises 12 cm above the ground, the stem reaches 40 mm in thickness. It is dense, thick, outwardly similar to a mace or tuber, has a mesh pattern. As it grows, the stem becomes more cylindrical, with a wrinkled surface, pinkish-beige, and then olive-white in color.
Where semi-bronze bolts grow
On the territory of the Federation, pain is rare. The main place of its growth is the southern regions, where the climate is predominantly hot with high rainfall. Semi-bronze boletus is more common in moist soils rich in humus.
Fruiting bodies are collected in mixed forests where oak or beech and pine trees grow. You can meet both single semi-bronze bolts and small groups of 2-3 representatives.
Is it possible to eat semi-bronze bolts
The mushroom is classified as edible. It is actively harvested and eaten in the Mediterranean.
Taste qualities of semi-bronze bolt
The mushroom is a delicacy. Gourmets appreciate it for its mild pleasant taste. According to the comparative characteristics, the semi-bronze bolet is more superior in saturation of taste and brightness to the porcini mushroom. The smell of the delicacy is weakly expressed, it appears after cooking. The aroma is well felt if the fruiting body is dried.
False doubles
There are no exact twins for the semi-bronze bolt. It can be confused with other fruiting bodies in appearance.
Looks like a semi-bronze bolet polish mushroom: adult representatives of the species have the same cylindrical leg and cushion-shaped hat of chocolate or chestnut shades.
To distinguish them, it is necessary to examine the fruiting body: in the Polish species, the flesh is white, quickly turns blue under the influence of oxygen.
You can confuse a semi-bronze bolet with boletus bronze. It is distinguished by a hat of a darker color and the absence of a mesh pattern on the leg.
Pain must be distinguished from gall fungus. Gorchak has a similar structure, therefore, in order to recognize it, it is necessary to study the leg. In gall fungus, it has vascular streaks.
Collection rules
When choosing a place, you should study mixed forests by visiting them in August-September. The collection point should be located away from highways and industrial facilities.
Collection should be carried out using a sharp knife: carefully cut under the root. It is not recommended to pull out or break off the fruiting bodies, the risk of damage to the mycelium is high.
Use
The semi-bronze boletus can be eaten in any form, except for raw. Mistresses, when cooking after washing, boil the pulp, and then fry or pickle.
You can dry the fruiting bodies in order to use them in culinary recipes in the future.
Mushroom processing principles:
- remove all foliage and small debris from the pulp, cut off the lower part of the fruiting body, rinse under running water;
- place the mushrooms in a bowl of cold water for 15 minutes, then boil with salt for 20 minutes if you plan to fry the product, and 40 minutes if you want to marinate or use the semi-bronze boletus in boiled form.
Conclusion
The semi-bronze bolet is usually classified as an edible mushroom. It has a delicate aroma and mild taste, versatile in use. Its main habitat is mixed forests, where it should be distinguished from false species.
