Meadow mushrooms

Edible meadow mushrooms are easy to recognize by a small hat up to 6 cm in diameter. In young mushrooms, it is slightly convex, but eventually becomes even with a small tubercle in the center. The cap of an edible meadow grass is still recognized by its light brown color and sticky surface when it gets wet. A characteristic feature is a short cylindrical leg with a small ring near the cap. All other similar mushrooms that do not fit the description are false mushrooms.

Where meadow mushrooms grow

Photo: what edible meadow mushrooms growing in a clearing look like

A feature of this type of mushroom is that they do not grow on a stump, but have chosen the soil for their place of residence. Habitat and reproduction of meadow mushrooms occurs in glades. They can be found among dense grass in the forest, between groups of trees, in pastures, meadows, along garden paths. Meadows do not grow singly. Usually they create families, crawling out among the dense grass in rows. Sometimes in a clearing there is a ring with a diameter of about 80 cm. In the people, this phenomenon is called witch circles.

When to collect meadow mushrooms

Photo: meadow mushrooms in a clearing

Meadow mushrooms grow in damp, warm weather. Experienced lovers of quiet hunting intuitively determine the time of collection. If the spring was accompanied by warm rains, in the first days of June you can wander through the meadows. Under suitable weather conditions, grasshoppers can emerge from the ground all summer and autumn until frost begins. In order not to miss the harvest, a novice mushroom picker should know that these mushrooms sprout en masse and quickly die off.

The video talks about meadows:

How to distinguish meadow honey agaric edible from inedible

Explanatory photo: how to distinguish meadow mushrooms from false ones

An edible meadow mushroom is recognized by the following features:

• Leg. The edible meadow has a ring in the upper part under the hat. The height of the stem is about 6 cm. An old large mushroom may be an exception. A false honey agaric has a leg without a ring or has a thin outgrowth. They always grow outstretched. The length of the leg is from 10 cm or more.
• Records. If you look under the hat, then the lamellar tissues of an edible mushroom are dull yellow, sometimes cream-colored. In a false young meadow they are bright yellow. As the hat begins to age, the color of the lamellar fabrics changes from green to black.
• Hat. Regardless of the place of growth, weather and environment, the top of the cap of the edible meadow grass is dull brown with dark scales. In false honey agaric, the hat is always full of bright colors with a predominance of red, and there are no scales.
  Important! There can also be an edible meadow without scales. They disappear when the fungus ages. You can recognize such a specimen by a dark brown hat.
• Taste qualities. It is believed that all inedible mushrooms are bitter. It’s a delusion. There are many poisonous mushrooms with a normal taste. By such signs, edible specimens cannot be identified.
• Smell. If you pick an edible meadow grass, a pleasant mushroom aroma immediately emanates from it. False mushrooms smell like rotten soil or mold.
• Contact with water. Edible meadow grass when soaked in water does not change its color. False mushrooms turn black or acquire a dark blue color.

Despite the large number of signs, it is difficult for a beginner to recognize which category the honey agaric belongs to. Before use, it is better to ask an experienced mushroom picker for advice.

False meadow mushrooms

Now it’s time to take a closer look at the photo and description of false meadow mushrooms. This is necessary in order to learn how to better recognize them on the lawn and bypass them.

All inedible meadows have the following features:

• long elongated stem without a ring at the cap;
• earthy smell;
• bright color of the cap with a predominance of red;
• the plates are dark, sometimes black;
• poisonous mushrooms grow for a short time in spring and autumn, and they are not found in summer.

Some false meadow mushrooms have a good taste, but you should not try to recognize them.

Dangerous twins of meadow mushrooms

Looking at a photo of meadow mushrooms, it is not always possible to determine in reality which category the mushroom belongs to. This is due to the presence of twins.

Poisonous talker whitish

Outwardly, the mushroom is so beautiful that you want to put it in a basket. However, it is very poisonous. The talker is distinguished by its curved saucer-shaped hat and bright white color. The leg is short, the length does not exceed 4 cm. The whitish talker has an additional two subspecies: waxy and grayish. A dangerous mushroom grows in the same places where the meadow grass lives.

Collibia woody

This mushroom cannot be put in a basket if you know its habitat. For edible meadows they go to open glades. Collibia likes to grow in mixed forests. The fungus takes nutrients from rotten wood, rotting foliage. Collibia is not found in open meadows. The double can be recognized by a light leg about 6 cm long, a brown hat with a white tint and a sharp unpleasant odor.

How to cook meadow mushrooms

It doesn’t matter what recipe it is supposed to cook meadow mushrooms, they are first cleaned. Harvested crops are very dirty after rain. A sticky hat sticks to mud, grass, midges. If the meadows are harvested in dry weather, there will be less problems with cleaning.

First, the crop is sorted. Throw away all wormy and suspicious mushrooms. Further cleaning depends on what is supposed to be done:

• If meadow grasses go to dry, they cannot be wetted in water. Each mushroom is thoroughly wiped with a dry or slightly damp cloth, placed on a baking sheet, sent to the oven. You can dry naturally under the sun, stringing them on a thread.
  Important! If mushrooms are soaked in water before drying, the heat treatment time will increase. In the oven, the watery pulp can boil, and when dried naturally, it can rot.
• When it is supposed to cook or preserve meadow mushrooms immediately after assembly, they are subjected to thorough washing. Water is changed at least 3 times. You can even soak the meadows for several hours so that the sand from the plates is better washed out. During wet cleaning, the rings on the leg are removed. They give a sour taste and distort the aroma.

When all the mushrooms are thoroughly cleaned, you can start cooking.

There are different recipes for cooking meadow mushrooms, ranging from the simplest frying to masterpieces of culinary art. Foresters and experienced mushroom pickers claim that meadow grass can be eaten even raw. Theoretically, yes, but the dirty ecology now does not allow this. For safety, it is better to boil the mushrooms.

Short-term heat treatment completely cleans mushroom tissues from harmful accumulations from the polluted natural environment.

The simplest preparation consists of the following steps:

• meadow grasses are cleaned;
• large specimens are cut into several parts;
• mushrooms in a saucepan are poured with water, put on a big fire;
• after boiling, reduce the fire and continue to cook for another 15 minutes;
• boiled mushrooms are filtered, poured with clean water and boiled again for 15 minutes.

After the second cooking time has elapsed, the meadows are filtered. Now mushrooms are considered actually ready to eat, but in this form they are not tasty. Mushrooms are used for further cooking, depending on the recipe.

The benefits of meadow mushrooms

Mushrooms are a source of proteins, vegetable fats and carbohydrates, but they are low in calories. 100 g of pulp contains a maximum of 22 kcal. Additionally, there are mushroom antibiotics, copper and other beneficial substances. Scientists have not yet fully explored the full benefits of mushrooms. However, traditional medicine uses them to strengthen the body, treat tumors, reduce pressure, as a laxative. Honey mushrooms are good for the heart, stomach and other organs, but they need to be eaten in moderation.

Any mushroom is considered heavy for the digestive system. If there are serious problems with the gastrointestinal tract, then it is better to refuse the use of delicious gifts of nature. It is worth limiting the intake to the elderly and children under the age of 7 years. In all other cases, there are no contraindications for eating meadow grass.

A few secrets to avoid poisoning

Modern ecology is so polluted that even edible mushrooms can poison you. Often the trouble occurs due to mistakes made by the person himself when collecting or preparing mushrooms. To avoid poisoning, experienced mushroom pickers are advised to adhere to the following rules:

• If the mushrooms were not collected on their own, but bought on the market, sort them carefully. Between mushrooms there may be poisonous twins or their pieces. All broken and suspicious meadows must be thrown away.
• Many meadow grass grows along roads and near factories. You cannot collect them. The porous tissue of the fungus absorbs all harmful substances.
• It is unacceptable to violate the processing technology again. Mushrooms should not be cooked in aluminum or zinc-coated pans. If you are not sure about the ecological cleanliness of the site where the crop was harvested, it is better to soak the meadows for three days. It is advisable to change the water every three hours.

In case of mushroom poisoning, first aid is aimed at inducing vomiting. Before this, the patient is given a plentiful drink. Immediately call a doctor, otherwise the consequences may be severe for the victim.

Conclusion

Meadow mushrooms are a tasty and healthy mushroom. However, it is more difficult to recognize than the traditional honey agaric growing on a stump. If you are unsure of your knowledge, it is better not to collect unfamiliar mushrooms.