Contents
Hygrocybe crimson is an edible specimen of the Hygroforaceae family. The mushroom belongs to lamellar species, it can be distinguished by its small size and bright red color. In order not to harm your health and not to collect inedible specimens, you need to know a detailed description, see photos and video materials.
What does hygrocybe crimson look like
Getting to know a view should start with external data. The hat of young specimens is bell-shaped, partially straightens as it matures, leaving a slight rise in the center. The furrowed surface is mucous, bright red or orange.
In rainy weather, the mushroom is covered with mucus
The spore layer consists of thick, sparsely planted plates. At the beginning of growth, they are painted in a pale orange color, then they become rich red. Reproduction occurs by colorless, ovoid spores of medium size.
The hollow leg is thick and long. The surface is furrowed bright red. The reddish flesh is strong, fleshy, with a pleasant mushroom flavor and aroma. Due to its high nutritional qualities, the mushroom is widely used in cooking.
Where does hygrocybe crimson grow
Hygrocybe crimson grows in mixed forests on acidic soil. The species is ubiquitous, nesting in close groups in open areas. Fruiting from June to August. Widely distributed in the Siberian forests and the Far East.
Is it possible to eat hygrocybe crimson
Hygrocibe crimson – an edible specimen. Due to its good taste and aroma, the mushroom belongs to the second group of edibility.
False doubles
Hygrocibe crimson, like any representative of the gifts of the forest, has similar counterparts. Such as:
- cinnabar red – an inedible member of the family. You can recognize it by a small open hat of orange-red color. At a young age, the surface is scaly, as it grows it becomes smooth. In rainy weather, the hat is covered with a mucous layer. The cylindrical leg is fragile, thin, painted to match the cap. Red-orange flesh without a pronounced taste and smell. The species is widespread in open forest glades, in mossy grassy forests, in a wetland.
Fruits throughout the warm period
- Scarlet – this representative belongs to the 4th group of edibility. A small fruiting body has a cone-shaped cap, which straightens as it grows. In adult specimens, the surface is prostrate, and the edges are transparent. In wet weather, the scarlet skin becomes covered with a mucous layer. The stem is thin and long. The hollow leg is red on top, becoming orange closer to the base. Prefers damp, open places. Due to the lack of taste and smell, the species does not have a high nutritional value.
Fruits in autumn until the first frost
- Intermediate – conditionally edible. It grows in spruce and deciduous forests on fertile soil. The fruit body is small, with a prostrate cap with torn edges, painted in red-brown color. The fibrous stalk is thick and long. Whitish flesh without a pronounced taste and smell.
Mushroom has no nutritional value
From all of the above twins, the hygrocybe crimson differs in large size.
Collection rules
Mushroom collection is carried out in dry, sunny weather. Since the mushroom absorbs toxic substances like a sponge, the place for collection is chosen far from roads and industrial enterprises. When a species is found, in order not to damage the mycelium, it is cut off with a sharp knife or carefully twisted. The place of growth is covered with an earthen or deciduous substrate.
Since Hygrocybe crimson has twins that are not eaten, it is important to be sure of the authenticity of the species. Experienced mushroom pickers recommend, when meeting with an unfamiliar specimen, not to pluck it, but to pass by.
Use
Hygrocybe crimson because of the pleasant taste and smell is valued by mushroom pickers. After heat treatment, the mushroom crop is consumed in fried and stewed form. For the winter, it can be preserved and frozen. Pickled mushrooms are considered the most delicious.
Despite the edibility, crimson hygrocybe is not recommended for children under 7 years old, pregnant women, people with gastric diseases.
Conclusion
Hygrocybe crimson is a delicious mushroom that grows in open areas in mixed forests. Fruits in the second half of summer. In cooking, it is used in fried and canned form. Since the mushroom has false counterparts, it is important to know external data, view photos and videos.