Mother-in-law’s tongue mushroom (Liverwort, Hepatic, Common liverwort): photo and description, cooking recipes

The liverwort mushroom is an unusual, but valuable and quite tasty edible mushroom. There are many options for its preparation. It is interesting to study them in order to get the maximum benefit from the mushroom.

Description of liver fungus

The liverwort fungus can also be found under the names of mother-in-law’s tongue, common liverwort, liver tinder fungus and common liverwort. The photo of an ordinary liverwort shows that the main part of the fungus is its cap, or fruit body, it can reach up to 30 cm in diameter. In young fruiting bodies, it is shapeless, but over time it acquires a fan-shaped or tongue-shaped form. The color of the liverwort is bright red, dark purple or red-brown, the surface is shiny and smooth, slippery in wet weather. The underside of the cap is cream or yellowish in color, with small short tubules, which quickly turns red when touched.

Externally, the liverwort is very similar to a real liver

The photo and description of the liverwort fungus report that it does not have a pronounced leg, it is attached to the tree trunk on a short and rigid pseudopod. The pulp of the fruiting bodies is elastic and dense, sour in taste.

How and where does mother-in-law’s tongue mushroom grow

You can meet the liverwort in Our Country everywhere in a temperate climate – it grows in the middle lane and in Siberia, in the Far East. For the growth of mother-in-law, the tongue usually chooses deciduous and mixed forests, grows on tree trunks. It is commonly seen on oaks and chestnuts. Often the liverwort is adjacent to larches, spruces and pines.

The common liverwort mushroom belongs to the category of annuals, usually appears on the trunks in a single order, and is located at the bottom of the trunk, almost at the very ground. It is harvested from mid-July to October.

The liverwort grows on deciduous trunks at the very roots

Edible mushroom mother-in-law’s tongue or not

Mature liverworts are not suitable for eating as their flesh becomes too tough. But young fruiting bodies are quite edible and are highly valued in cooking. They have a delicate taste with a slight sourness.

Twins and their differences

The photo and description of the liver fungus are so atypical that it is difficult to confuse it with other mushrooms. But the liverwort also has twins, similar mushrooms with minor differences.

Bristle-haired tinkerer

The liverwort and bristle-haired tinder fungus are similar in size, structure and color. However, mushrooms have fundamental differences. So, the bristle-haired tinder fungus most often has a fruiting body, which consists of several fused hats at once. It is not as intense in color as the liverwort, but rather red-orange when young and very dark at maturity. The flesh of the bristle-haired tinder fungus is brown, not pink, and the surface of the fungus is covered with small hairs.

bumpy tinder fungus

Another twin of the liverwort is a tuberous tinder fungus, which grows mainly on deciduous stumps and fallen trees. The similarity between mushrooms lies in the fan-shaped structure of the cap, as well as in the tubular structure of the hymenophore.

You can distinguish mushrooms from each other by color, tuberous tinder fungus usually has a light brown color without a pronounced reddish tint. The lower layer of the fruiting body of the fungus becomes dark gray or brown with age.

You can also distinguish the bumpy tinder fungus by the woody smell of the pulp, and you can meet it on tree trunks not only at the end of summer and autumn, but throughout the year. The mushroom is not suitable for eating.

How to cook liverwort mushroom

The mother-in-law’s edible tongue is actively used in cooking. There are many recipes for making wood liverwort, it can be used both with hot dishes and in cold appetizers.

How to clean liver fungus

Before preparing mother-in-law, the tongue must first be processed:

1. Only the lower part of the liverwort, which has a dense structure, is suitable for eating. The soft part is completely removed with a sharp blade when cleaning, it must be cut off from the edge towards the leg.
2. Since the liverwort is quite large, after cleaning it is cut into several parts, so it is easier to boil and cook it.

Before preparing liver fungus, it must be soaked – and not less than 8 hours. The liverwort is poured with cold water, the liquid is regularly drained and replaced with a new one. This should be done as the water turns red under the influence of the released juice.

How and how much to cook liver mushroom

After soaking, the liverwort needs to be boiled. The soaked pulp is poured with a fresh portion of water and put on fire for 20 minutes. The decoction from under the mother-in-law’s tongue must be drained, and the liverwort itself is used for further processing.

Before cooking, the liverwort needs to be soaked for a long time.

What can be cooked from the liverwort

Liver mushroom belongs to the category of universal, you can cook many simple and healthy dishes from it. Recipes for liverwort mushroom suggest using it:

• in soups and hot appetizers;
• in the second courses;
• in combination with pasta, potatoes and any cereals;
• pickled and pickled.

You can cook the liverwort immediately after harvest, or you can preserve it and consume it during the winter months. In both versions, the liverwort retains valuable properties and excellent taste.

How to cook liverwort mushroom: recipes for every day

Basically liver fungus is fried, this cooking method is the easiest. There are quite a few recipes for liver fungus, so you can use your mother-in-law’s tongue often and not be afraid of monotony.

How to fry liver mushroom with onions

A simple and budget recipe suggests frying mushroom pulp with onions. The algorithm looks like this:

• pre-boiled liverwort cut into small pieces;
• a preheated pan is greased with oil and mushroom pulp and 300 g of onion, cut into half rings, are poured onto it;
• liverwort and onion are fried for 20 minutes;
• a couple of minutes before readiness, add 2 bay leaves, salt and pepper to your own taste.

The finished dish goes well with pasta and potatoes.

The easiest way to fry an ordinary liverwort with onions and herbs

How to fry liver mushrooms with sour cream

One of the most delicious recipes suggests frying the liverwort with sour cream. The recipe looks like this:

• fresh mushrooms are cleaned, soaked and boiled for 20 minutes;
• boiled mushrooms are washed in cold water and cut into thin strips;
• mushroom pulp is fried in a pan for about 15 minutes;
• then add the chopped onion and fry until the onion turns golden.

After that, 2 tablespoons of sour cream are diluted in equal amounts with water and mushrooms and onions are poured, salt and pepper to taste. The dish needs to be stewed for about 5 minutes, after which a little finely chopped dill is added to the mushrooms and sour cream, mixed, covered with a lid and removed from the stove.

How to cook fried liverwort mushrooms with potatoes

It turns out very tasty if you cook liver mushroom in combination with crumbly potatoes:

1. Boiled mushrooms in the amount of 1 kg cut into thin slices.
2. Cut into cubes 500 g of boiled potatoes and 2 onions.
3. Mushroom pulp is fried in a pan until moisture evaporates.
4. Then add 2 large spoons of quality sunflower or olive oil, put onions and potatoes in a pan and fry the ingredients together until golden brown.

The finished dish is salted and peppered to taste, and a couple of minutes before the liver is ready, you can add greens and a little sour cream.

The liverwort goes well with potatoes and vegetables.

Cooking liver mushroom cutlets

From mushroom pulp, you can make nutritious cutlets that are in no way inferior to meat cutlets in taste. For this you need:

• boil the liverwort, and then pass it through a meat grinder along with 1 large onion;
• add a raw egg to the minced meat, a little flour and salt to taste;
• from a viscous thick mixture, mold ordinary cutlets and roll them in flour or breading;
• fry in an oiled pan until golden brown.

How to cook stewed liver mushrooms with carrots and cauliflower

A very tasty mother-in-law’s tongue is obtained if you stew it together with vegetables. For this you need:

• boil and fry fresh mushroom pulp in olive oil;
• in a separate pan, stew under the lid a couple of large spoons of fresh chopped carrots, no more than 200 g of cauliflower and the same amount of boiled beans, preferably white;
• mix mushrooms and vegetables, then season the hot dish with butter.

You can use the cooked product with potatoes or pasta, or you can eat it in its pure form.

From the liver tinder you can make delicious and satisfying cutlets

Shish kebab recipe from mother-in-law tongue mushrooms

From the nutritious mushroom pulp, you can cook a delicious barbecue. The recipe looks like this:

• 500 g of boiled liverworts and 200 g of fresh fat are cut into large cubes;
• 2 large onions cut into large thick rings;
• the ingredients are strung on skewers and roasted on coals in the standard way.

Shortly before cooking, the kebab is salted and peppered, you can also add aromatic herbs, your favorite spices, teriyaki sauce or ketchup to it.

How to cook roast with mushrooms mother-in-law’s tongue

Very quickly and simply, a fragrant roast is made from the liverwort. The recipe suggests:

• cut into large pieces 500 g of boiled liverworts and fry for 10 minutes in a pan over high heat with butter;
• coarsely chop 200 g of onions and medium carrots;
• add vegetables to the pan to the mushroom pulp, also put 4 chopped garlic cloves;
• fry the ingredients for several minutes;
• add some water to the pan and cover it with a lid;
• stew the liverwort with vegetables for another 10 minutes.

Then the dish is salted to taste, a little black pepper and coriander are added, and then stewed until the mixture in the pan acquires a thick consistency. The finished roast is laid out on plates and decorated with greens.

Roast liverwort is as nutritious as meat dishes

Liver mushroom recipes for the winter

You can use the liverwort not only fresh. The mushroom is often harvested for the winter, there are many processing recipes.

How to pickle liver fungus

The easiest way to save the mother-in-law’s tongue for the winter is with the help of salting. The algorithm looks like this:

• mushrooms, peeled and cut into thin strips, are boiled for 25 minutes and cooled;
• a layer of salt is poured into a sterile large jar, a little pepper and chopped garlic are added;
• a dense layer of mushrooms is laid on top, and then they are again covered with salt and spices.

You need to alternate layers until the jar is full, and the last layer should consist of salt and seasonings. If desired, you can add a little cloves, bay leaf and dill to the salting. 1 large spoonful of vegetable oil is added to the filled jar, after which the container is sealed and put in the refrigerator for 40 days until fully cooked.

Common liverwort can be salted for long-term storage

How to pickle mother-in-law mushroom tongue in a cold way

To prepare a cold marinade, you need:

• boil the liverwort in salted water and cool;
• in a sterile jar, lay mushrooms in layers and onions cut into half rings in the amount of 5 onions;
• in a separate container, dilute 500 g of salt in 30 ml of water, add 5 black peppercorns, a couple of bay leaves and 100 ml of vinegar;
• pour the mushrooms with cold marinade and tightly roll up the jar with a lid.

The essence of the cold method is that the marinade does not need to be boiled, so the cooking process takes less time. Pickled liver mushrooms will be ready for use in a week.

How to pickle liver mushroom in a hot way

In a hot way, the liverwort is marinated in the same way, but the marinade is pre-boiled. In addition, the proportions and composition of the ingredients differ.

• 2 kg of liverwort is pre-boiled, this should be done three times for 20 minutes, each time washing the mushroom pulp;
• at the same time, a marinade is prepared in a separate container – add a couple of large spoons of vinegar to 500 ml of water, a large spoonful of sugar and salt, 8 peas of allspice, 3 bay leaves, garlic and horseradish to taste;
• boiled mushrooms are laid out in clean prepared jars and boiling marinade is added, and on top – a couple more large spoons of vegetable oil.

The jars are rolled up and cooled under a warm blanket, after which they are put in the refrigerator.

The liverwort is suitable for hot and cold pickling

How to dry mother-in-law mushrooms tongue for the winter

A popular way to harvest liverwort is drying. It is very easy to implement it. Fresh liverwort is cleaned of adhering debris and blades of grass, then cut into small strips and dried in the open air for several hours.

When the juice drains from the liverwort, and the pieces dry slightly, they will need to be strung on a thread and hung in a dry place with good ventilation. Also, the liverwort can be dried on a baking sheet in an open oven, heated to only 50 degrees. Store dried mushrooms in a paper or fabric bag in a dark and dry cabinet, and you can add them to soups and main dishes.

How to freeze hepatic mushrooms

For long-term storage, the liverwort can also be frozen. Fresh mushroom bodies are boiled in salted water and washed, then they are thrown into a colander and wait until all the water has completely drained.

Then the liverwort is cut into small pieces, laid out in plastic containers and sent to the freezer. Frozen mushrooms can be stored for 9 months with the preservation of all useful properties.

How to cook caviar from mother-in-law mushrooms tongue for the winter

An unusual option for cooking liverwort mushroom is delicious mushroom caviar. For its preparation it is necessary:

• chop and fry a large onion in olive oil until a golden hue appears;
• add finely chopped medium carrots and 500 g of boiled mushroom pulp;
• fry the liverwort and vegetables for about 15 minutes, stirring regularly;
• salt and pepper the finished dish to taste;
• cool slightly and pass the liverwort and vegetables through a meat grinder.

Liver caviar is suitable for eating with sandwiches

The crushed ingredients are again sent to the pan and fried for another 10 minutes, after which they are placed in a half-liter sterile jar and poured with 1 large spoonful of vinegar. You can use mushroom caviar with sandwiches or as a filling for pancakes and dumplings.

Useful properties of hepatic mushrooms

The liverwort is popular in cooking not only because of its pleasant taste, but also because of its many useful properties. The mushroom pulp contains vitamins PP and D, ascorbic acid, phosphorus and potassium, a large number of protein compounds.

With regular use, the liverwort is able to improve digestion and improve metabolic processes. Eating mushroom pulp is useful for increasing immune resistance and for protecting against colds, for cleansing and rejuvenating the body. It is believed that mother-in-law’s tongue serves as a good prevention of oncology, and the mushroom is also useful for anemia, it quickly makes up for the lack of valuable substances.

Limitations and contraindications

In some states of mother-in-law, the tongue can be harmful to the body. It is not recommended to use it for:

• gout;
• individual intolerance;
• chronic diseases of the liver and kidneys;
• gastritis with low acidity;
• constipation tendencies.

Also, it is better to refuse the liverwort for pregnant women and nursing mothers. Children can eat mushroom dishes only after 10 years.

There are quite a few contraindications for the common liverwort

Is it possible to grow mushrooms mother-in-law’s tongue at home

An ordinary liverwort is well suited for growing in a summer cottage. Breeding a liverwort takes time, but very little effort is needed:

1. To grow a liverwort, you will need to take a small oak log and soak it in cool water for a couple of days.
2. After that, recesses are drilled in the tree up to 7 cm deep and up to 1 cm in diameter.
3. A pre-purchased mushroom stick is placed in the recesses, after which the log is placed in a shaded and damp place in the open air, in the basement or in the shed.

From time to time, the log needs to be moistened; for the period of cold weather, it can be transferred to a room with a temperature of about + 8 ° C. The first crop of mother-in-law’s tongue in warm conditions appears after about 3-7 months.

Interesting facts about the liverwort

Several interesting facts are associated with the common liverwort:

1. The name liverwort comes from the appearance of its flesh. On the cut, the fruiting body of the mother-in-law’s tongue is pink with red streaks and very much resembles a piece of the liver.
2. On the cut, a fresh liver fungus releases a reddish juice – this also enhances its resemblance to a piece of meat or liver.
3. The beneficial edible fungus is a tree parasite that causes brown core rot in trees.

The pulp of the liverwort contains a large amount of vitamin C – the full daily allowance for an adult is only 100 g.

The beneficial liverwort is a parasite on the trees it grows on.

Conclusion

The liverwort mushroom has an unusual and pleasant taste and is very popular in cooking. It is very easy to recognize it in the forest by its unique appearance, and although the fungus belongs to the category of tree parasites, it is of great benefit when eaten.