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In forests, mushrooms with the affectionate name chanterelle are very common, emphasizing the original bright yellow color in the color of a fox coat. They are especially generously scattered in damp, shady places where there is a lot of moss. These gifts of the forest are very tasty, and an avid mushroom picker will not pass indifferently past a bright “fox” clearing. Chanterelle ordinary has several similar species. One of them is club-shaped chanterelle, or club-shaped gomphus. These mushrooms are not only similar in appearance, but have the same places of growth, a similar composition of trace elements. Despite their similarities, eukaryotes are not directly related. Gomphus clavate belongs to the gomfaceae family. Recent studies have shown that in terms of molecular composition, this species is closer to the vesel and the lattice.
Where do club-shaped chanterelles grow
The habitat of the club-shaped chanterelle is coniferous and mixed forests of the temperate climate zone. These are Central Our Country, the Urals, Siberia and the Far East. It is also found in the forests of Canada and North America. Mushrooms grow in large colonies, which are arranged in the form of circles or stripes.
What do chanterelles club-shaped look like
The appearance of the gomphus is very interesting. These are representatives of the hat type. Young mushrooms are evenly colored purple, and with age they acquire a yellow-brown hue. Adult specimens are quite large. Their hat, reaching a diameter of 14 cm, has a rounded shape with a wavy, uneven edge and a depressed center in the form of a funnel. At the break, it is white or pale yellow, with a pleasant mushroom taste and smell.
Chanterelle club-shaped has a dense, fleshy flesh. The wrong side of her cap, hymenophore, consists of large branched folds – pseudoplates, smoothly passing to the stem.
The gomphus leg has an original shape reflecting the name. It is dense, hollow from the inside and resembles a mace. Fruiting bodies often grow together, forming large bunches.
In former times, the club-shaped chanterelle was very common. She was valued for her high culinary qualities. It was collected with pleasure, used for cooking. Today, many mushroom pickers do not even know about the club-shaped chanterelle. Meanwhile, its population is rapidly decreasing. If you do not take measures to protect it, then soon it may disappear completely.
Is it possible to eat club-shaped chanterelles
According to the modern mushroom classifier (section “edibility”), the club-shaped chanterelle is classified as “edible mushrooms”. It can be collected, subjected to any kind of cooking and enjoy a pleasant taste and aroma.
Classifying mushrooms according to nutritional value, they look at their taste and nutritional qualities, calorie content, digestibility, whether the content of proteins, fats, carbohydrates is high. In this section, gomphus is assigned the second category, in which edible mushrooms with good taste are collected.
Palatability
The club-shaped chanterelle, like representatives of similar species, is famous for its very pleasant taste with soft nutty notes. There are a large number of recipes for mushroom dishes with chanterelles. Having prepared and tasted them, you can feel the whole variety of flavor nuances. In the process of cooking, it is recommended to carefully chop the mushrooms so that they are more easily absorbed by the body.
The pulp of club-shaped gomphus differs significantly in texture and taste from the pulp of tubular or lamellar tribesmen. Mushroom pickers claim that they taste like coral mushrooms, but their culinary properties are much higher.
Benefit and harm
The club-shaped chanterelle has a rich microelement composition, which determines its numerous medicinal properties. The most valuable in its composition are:
- polysaccharides – chinomannose (anthelmintic effect), ergosterol (hepatoprotective effect);
- several types of amino acids, among which there is trametonolinic acid (indispensable in the treatment of hepatitis and other liver diseases);
- copper and zinc (have a beneficial effect on the condition of the eyes).
The vitamin composition of chanterelles is also diverse. This is a whole complex of vital elements, such as vitamins A (142 mg per 100 g of product), B1 (001 mg), B2 (0.35 mg), C (34 mg), E (0,5 mg), PP (5 mg ), beta-carotene (0,85 mg).
Thanks to this chemical composition, chanterelles have a number of actions: anthelmintic, antioxidant, antimicrobial, antituberculosis, immunostimulating and even antitumor. Chanterelle extract has long been used to treat colds, furunculosis, tuberculosis, and pustular inflammation.
The energy value of club-shaped gomphus is small and is approximately 19 kcal, so it can be used by those who care about their figure.
There are also contraindications to the use of chanterelles. Their list is short:
- allergic reaction to mushrooms;
- infancy up to 3 years;
- pregnancy and breastfeeding period.
Careful observance of the rules for collecting and culinary processing of mushrooms will help preserve the maximum of useful elements.
Collection rules
The fruiting period of the club-shaped chanterelle begins in June and continues all summer and autumn, until frost. It must be sought on sandy soils, in marshy places, in open glades, among the grass. Chanterelle loves the neighborhood with coniferous crops, birches and oaks, grows well in aspen and pine forests. These unpretentious eukaryotes are adapted to survive in any climate: during periods of heavy rains, they do not start rotting processes, and in drought they only stop growing, remaining outwardly fresh and attractive.
During the growing season, chanterelles have two active fruiting phases:
- from mid-June to the end of July;
- from mid-August to early October.
The collection time of gomphus also depends on the local climate, weather, and soil composition. The abundant growth of mycelium is provided by moderate humidity, heat, and a large number of sunny days. 6 days after the summer rain, you can harvest the most abundant crop of chanterelles.
To eliminate the risk of poisoning, mushrooms should be picked only in ecologically clean areas, away from industrial enterprises and highways. Overripe fruiting bodies should not be taken. They contain the largest percentage of heavy metals.
False twins of club-shaped chanterelles
Club-shaped chanterelles have many similar species, among which there are inedible and poisonous ones. The most famous are the false chanterelle and the olive omphalot. They can be recognized by their appearance, some features of growth.
False chanterelle
False chanterelle belongs to conditionally edible mushrooms and belongs to the Hygrophoropsis family. It is often confused with the common chanterelle, despite the fact that the fungus has many differences:
- the false representative is colored much brighter;
- the skin on the cap is well separated from the pulp;
- has a thin and long leg;
- occurs not in colonies, but in single specimens;
- grows not on the ground, but on rotten trunks or forest floor;
- its flesh is often wormy;
- has a lamellar hymenophore, the plates of which differ from the cap in a brighter color.
Omphalote olive
The olive omphalot is the poisonous twin of the chanterelle. Its homeland is the subtropics of the Mediterranean. It is also found in Our Country, mainly in the Crimean forests. It grows on stumps, fallen trunks. This mushroom belongs to the Negniuchnikov family. It has a bright, fleshy, flat or concave prostrate hat. The mushroom is lamellar, while its plates descend low on a short stalk. In the dark, the effect of phosphorescence is observed. Due to the high content of the alkaloid muscarine, the mushroom is poisonous to humans and animals.
The use of club-shaped chanterelles
The club-shaped chanterelle is a mushroom delicacy, it is very tasty fried and boiled. It makes excellent mushroom soups. It lends itself to any kind of preservation: pickling, salting, drying, freezing. It can be stored fresh for a long time – on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator, retaining its aroma and wonderful nutty taste.
The club-shaped chanterelle is widely used in folk medicine. For medicinal purposes, it is dried, and then the pulp is ground into powder. In this form, it does not lose all its useful properties and can be stored for a year (at a temperature not exceeding 40 ° C). This tool is used to treat such pathologies:
- infectious diseases of the upper respiratory tract;
- tuberculosis;
- pankteatitis and liver disease;
- helmitosis;
- eye diseases;
- excess weight.
Conclusion
Until recently, club-shaped chanterelle was very popular and was valued for its taste and medicinal qualities. Today, she has added herself to the list of endangered plants and animals. This is due to habitat disturbance, deforestation, adverse environmental conditions. If measures are not taken to restore the population in the near future, then one more species may soon be missing, which is necessary for the full development of animals and humans and which is an integral part of all aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.
