Mokruha spruce: photo and description

Mokruha spruce is one of the most common species of the genus of the same name. This highly nutritious edible mushroom has distinctive features that are important to know before harvesting.

What do mokruhi spruce mushrooms look like

According to the description and photo, spruce moss has a hemispherical hat. The diameter of the surface of the fungus is from 4 to 10 cm. At a young age, the ends of the cap are tucked up to the stem, but over time, the surface of the spruce mokruha acquires a convex-conical, and then a prostrate shape with an inconspicuous tubercle in the center.

The hat can be gray with a brown or blue tint in the center and purple around the edges. The smooth skin of spruce mokruha is covered with a thick layer of mucus on top, because of which the mushroom begins to shine and seems wet.

The edges of the cap of young specimens are connected to the stem with a thin mucous coverlet. It has the appearance of a colorless film formed by filamentous fibers, which begins to tear as the fungus grows. The bedspread peels off and remains hanging on a high, massive leg. In the future, black blotches appear on the surface of the spruce mokruha.

Under the hat, in a rare layer, there are descending arcuate plates of grayish or white color, from 3 to 6 mm in width. In young specimens, they are covered with a mucous cover. With age, the plates acquire a brown tint, after which they become purple, almost black.

In young specimens, the leg is thick, slightly swollen, from 5 to 11 cm. As it grows, it acquires a cylindrical shape, and its base becomes narrower. It has a solid structure and a smooth surface of bright yellow or lemon color.

Mokruha spruce is characterized by elongated spindle-shaped or cylindrical spores. Their surface is smooth, brown, with 1-2 oily drops.

The pink flesh becomes grayish as the mokruha grows. The structure of the fruiting body is fleshy, but fragile.

Where do spruce mokruha grow

Most often, the species can be found on the territory of the central and northern regions of Our Country, near spruces, in rare cases – near pines. The fungus can be found both in grassy lighted areas and in the shade among mosses. Spruce mokruha is found in groups, often a culture is found near butter.

You can find out more information about the variety from the video:

Is it possible to eat spruce mokruhi

Spruce mokruhi are edible mushrooms. Before cooking, it is important to clean the mushroom from the skin and mucous cover, for this, using a sharp knife, the edge of the cap must be carefully pry towards the middle and remove the top layer. Before the main culinary processing, the fruiting bodies of mokruha need to be pre-boiled for 15 minutes.

Taste qualities of spruce mokruha mushroom

The pulp of spruce mokruha is characterized by a mild sweetish or sour taste and a mild mushroom aroma. Due to this, fruiting bodies are in demand in cooking, as well as in traditional medicine recipes.

Benefits and harm to the body

Spruce mokruha is one of the most useful species due to the high content of carbohydrates and amino acids in the composition. Fruiting bodies are rich in vitamins of groups C, B and E, chitin and fiber. All these components have a beneficial effect on the body systems:

• increasing its tone;
• helping to improve memory;
• eliminating chronic fatigue;
• improving the process of hematopoiesis.

The use of the product is especially useful for those who suffer from headaches or have diseases of the nervous system.

The fungus is used to prepare an antimicrobial tincture. Such a tool prevents the reproduction of pathogenic microorganisms. In addition, spruce mokruha is actively used to eliminate skin diseases, sinusitis, heal wounds, and also to rinse the mouth.

Masks with spruce mokruha will be useful for split ends, and for weakened and dull hair, rinsing with a decoction of the fungus is suitable. Regular use of such products helps to stop hair loss and even prevent baldness.

With all the nutritional value, most edible mushrooms are a rather difficult product for the body. That is why the use of spruce mokruha is contraindicated for people with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, liver and kidneys. This is due to the fact that fiber and chitin can provoke the appearance of pancreatitis or gastritis. In addition, the fungus can increase the development of gout.

Spruce mokruha should not be given to children under 10-12 years of age, as well as during pregnancy and breastfeeding. With individual intolerance to substances in the composition of the product, an allergic reaction may occur.

It is allowed to use only specimens collected in ecologically clean territories for food. Preliminary heat treatment of fruiting bodies will significantly reduce the risk of problems with the gastrointestinal tract.

False doubles

The spruce mokruha does not have poisonous twins, which is a great advantage of the species.

Sometimes it can be confused with outwardly similar edible varieties:

1. Mokruha is spotted: the fracture of its pulp has a red tint, there are dark blotches on the surface of the fungus.

   

2. Another edible twin is purple mokruha. It is distinguished by orange-brown flesh and dark purple plates.

   

3. Often, due to the dark hat, spruce mokruha is confused with butterflies, but the latter do not have plates.

   

Collection rules

To avoid negative consequences, it is necessary to adhere to the main rules for collecting spruce wetlands:

1. The fruit body is carefully cut with a sharp knife so as not to damage the structure of the mycelium.
2. It is best to put mushrooms in a wicker basket so that they do not stain nearby specimens in a purple hue. The best option is to sort the mushrooms by type.
3. Do not cut off old mokruhi, as they may be rotten inside. Collected specimens must be checked for worminess.
4. It is best to start harvesting in the morning, until most of the moisture has evaporated from the mushrooms. So mokruhi will retain a maximum of useful substances in their composition.
5. The best time for mushroom harvesting is after a warm rain. It is not recommended to go on a “quiet hunt” in dry weather.

It is important to process the collected mushrooms as soon as possible so that they do not deteriorate and retain their beneficial properties. Spruce mokruhi are carefully sorted out, cleaned of dirt, earth lumps and needles. After the raw material is better placed in a cool place. For long-term storage, mushrooms can be placed in the freezer. Frozen fruiting bodies can be stored for 10 to 12 months.

How to cook spruce mokruhi

Spruce mokruha is salted, fried, marinated, and also dried. The mushroom is used to make soups, sauces, casseroles and sandwiches. Fried or boiled fruit bodies are added to salads. Mokruha in combination with other types of mushrooms is also used as an addition to main dishes. It goes especially well with meat or fish. No less popular are the recipes for canning spruce mokruha.

Before cleaning the mushrooms, they need to be put in water for 5-7 minutes: then the mucous membrane will be removed much easier. After cleaning, the fruiting bodies should be thoroughly washed and boiled over a fire for 15-20 minutes. Heat treatment changes the color of the mushroom to a darker one, but this does not affect the taste of the product.

For frying spruce mokruh, a lot of oil is not required, since their pulp itself releases a sufficient amount of juice. You should also not stew mushrooms for a long time, this will make them tough.

Spruce mokruh recipes

There are many different options for preparing spruce mokruha. Among them, everyone can find the most suitable one for themselves. All of them are easy to perform.

Pickled Spruce Mokruhi

Ingredients:

• 2 kg wet;
• 2 Cloves;
• 70 grams of sugar;
• 50 g salt;
• 100 ml 6% vinegar;
• black pepper;
• Bay leaf;
• sunflower oil;
• 1 L of water.

How to cook:

1. Peel the mushrooms, place in a deep container and pour a small amount of water, adding a pinch of salt and citric acid. The mixture should be brought to a boil and boiled for 15-20 minutes.
2. Drain the water, rinse the fruiting bodies thoroughly.
3. Fill a saucepan with water, add sugar, black pepper, cloves, salt, vinegar and bay leaf.
4. Bring the resulting mixture to a boil and add 2 kg of peeled spruce mokruh. Boil on fire for 15-20 minutes.
5. When the fruiting bodies settle to the bottom, they need to be transferred along with the marinade into prepared jars. The liquid should completely cover the mushrooms.
6. Add to each jar 1 tbsp. l. sunflower oil and close with a nylon lid. Store pickled mokruhi in the refrigerator.

Spruce mokruhi in Korean

Mushrooms must be carefully separated from the mucous membrane, boiled. After that, the fruiting bodies should be fried by adding chopped onions and carrots in Korean. Fill the dish with olive oil.

Stuffed peppers with spruce mokruh and buckwheat

In addition to the classic option with rice and minced meat, you can use buckwheat and mushrooms to stuff peppers:

1. Fruit bodies are boiled and fried for several minutes.
2. Then spruce mokruhi is mixed with buckwheat, salted and peppered to taste.
3. The resulting mixture is filled with pre-peeled peppers.
4. A little tomato paste is added to a container with water, peppers are stewed for 30-35 minutes until fully cooked.

Bachelor sandwiches

1. 2-4 slices of bread are fried in a pan. Then spread with a thin layer of butter.
2. Pre-peeled and boiled fruit bodies are fried over low heat for 3-5 minutes.
3. Mushrooms are placed on bread, sprinkled with grated cheese and finely chopped herbs.
4. After that, the sandwiches are sent to the microwave for 2-3 minutes to allow the cheese to melt.

Low calorie content and a rich composition of useful substances make it possible to use spruce mokruhi even during the diet. Moreover, in terms of protein content, such mushrooms are not inferior even to meat dishes.

Conclusion

Mokruha spruce is one of the most famous representatives of the family. This variety does not have false twins. It belongs to the edible group, which allows the active use of spruce mokruhi in cooking: they can be salted, pickled, fried, and also dried. In addition, the composition of the fungus contains many useful substances that have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the body.