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The yellow boletus (boletus) in sources is also known as the Junkwill boletus. But this erroneous name did not come from the name of a famous scientist, but from the Latin word “junquillo”, which means “light yellow” in translation. You can also find the Latin name of the species – Boletus junquilleus. The fungus belongs to the Boletovye family, the genus Borovik.
What do yellow mushrooms look like
Young specimens have a convex, spherical hat with a diameter of approximately 5 cm, more mature ones are flat, cushion-shaped, prostrate, up to 16-20 cm in diameter. Its surface is smooth, matte, velvety, slightly wrinkled in dry weather, covered with mucus after rain. The color of the cap is yellow or light brown.
The leg is rounded, fleshy, dense, not hollow inside. In appearance, it resembles a yellow potato tuber. Its height can reach up to 12 cm, and its diameter can be up to 6 cm. The color is bright yellow or cream, the surface is covered with small brown scales.
The pulp is dense, yellow, there is no characteristic mushroom aroma. At the cut site, it darkens, may slightly turn blue.
The thickness of the tubular layer is 1,5-3 cm, the color is yellow, in old mushrooms it becomes olive. The tubules are short, free with a notch, their length does not exceed 2 cm, the color is bright, yellow, when pressed on the fruiting body, it can become darker.
Spores are smooth, fusiform, light yellow. Spore powder of olive color.
Where do yellow mushrooms grow
This heat-loving fungus is distributed throughout Western Europe, in the Carpathians, Polissya, and in the Forest-Steppe. You can find it in deciduous forests where oak or beech grows. In Our Country, yellow boletus can be found in the Far East or in the Crimea. Almost never found in the European part of the country.
Is it possible to eat yellow mushrooms
It is an edible, completely safe mushroom. It is eaten fresh, dried or pickled. You can cook any mushroom dishes from it – boil, fry and stew. In the category of nutritional value, the mushroom belongs to the second group.
Collection rules
Yellow boletus is harvested during its fruiting season – from July to October. The peak of growth of this species occurs in mid-August or early September. Depending on weather conditions, these dates can be shifted by a week. You can find a yellow boletus under an oak or beech; the species does not grow in coniferous forests. The mushroom picker bears fruit abundantly in a moist, warm place, usually a lowland at the edge of a forest.
Mushroom picking should be done a few days after a heavy rain. You should look for them on well-lit, sunny edges and clearings, in sandy soil. If a hat of a yellow boletus appeared from under the fallen leaves, several more of its brethren can be found nearby, as the mushroom grows in large families.
The fruiting body is cut with a knife or broken off – this does not affect the fruiting of the mycelium, since its spores are deep under the ground.
It is better not to take very small mushrooms, in a week a 5-gram baby will turn into a 250-gram strong man. Sometimes there are specimens whose weight reaches 1 kg.
Use
Mushrooms are consumed and harvested for the winter within a day after their collection. So they retain the maximum benefit and taste. Before stewing or boiling, the yellow mushroom is poured with salted water so that the worms, if any, float to the surface.
Any mushroom dishes are prepared from the fruiting body: soups, roasts, sauces, stuffing for pies and dumplings. A young mushroom is boiled or stewed for no more than 20 minutes, for an overripe one it will take half an hour.
Boletus yellow can be dried. First, it is thoroughly washed, moisture is removed with a paper towel, strung on a thread.
Such mushroom beads are hung in a dry, warm place, left until winter. Dry boletus is enough to soak in cold water for half an hour, then cook any dish you like from it. To give a richer creamy taste, the dried mushroom is soaked in milk. Dried mushrooms can also be ground into a powder and added to sauces as a condiment.
You can prepare a yellow boletus for the winter by freezing. The thoroughly washed, dried mushroom is divided into small portions, packed in bags and placed in the freezer. In winter, the fruiting body is thawed and prepared similarly to freshly picked boletus.
Conclusion
Yellow boletus is a member of the ceps family, which are distinguished by their excellent taste and rich aroma. The species is rarely found on the territory of Our Country, as it is thermophilic. It differs from other members of the family in its bright yellow color, suitable for cooking any mushroom dishes.