Mushroom serushka: photo and description, cooking methods

Serushka is a russula mushroom, which belongs to the Mlechnikov genus, it is considered a close relative of the waves. This variety is harvested all summer, until October. Serushka mushrooms are very popular and loved by gourmets. It is not difficult to collect them: they are unpretentious to soil and weather conditions, have a high yield and grow everywhere in all regions of central Our Country.

What does the mushroom look like

As the name implies, the mushroom has a gray color. But it can change at different times of the year. So, the hat of the autumn serushka mushroom is painted in different shades of gray: from violet-pink to dark lead.

Serushka has many different names that reflect its color feature: gray milky, greenfinch, gray row, purple breast, seruha, serianka.

While the mushroom is growing, the entire surface of its cap has a convex shape.

In a mature state, it takes the form of a funnel, in the middle of which there is a small smooth tubercle. The edges look uneven and slightly drooping down. The cap can be up to 10 cm in diameter.

There are several main distinguishing characteristics that will help you navigate in the forest and distinguish this type of mushroom from others:

1. The white flesh has a firm texture and a fruity odor.
2. Rarely located plates are painted in pale yellow color. In young mushrooms, they are inseparable from the stem and only eventually acquire the shape of a wave.
3. If the gray mushroom is broken into 2 parts, you can see the release of a watery liquid that has a very pungent taste. Its quantity is always plentiful, even in dry weather.
4. In mushrooms that have not yet formed, the light gray leg is slightly swollen or, conversely, narrowed. Its thickness is 2 cm, length – 8 cm. In mature ones, it becomes hollow, and its color becomes more saturated.

When wet, during and after precipitation, the surface of the cap becomes very slippery.

Gray fungus is often confused with zoneless and zoneless lactic, whose caps are cream and brown.

One of the distinguishing advantages of these mushrooms is that worms usually do not show interest in them, so seruchs rarely turn out to be wormy. In some cases, only the lower edges of the legs may be damaged, and the hats always remain intact.

Photos and descriptions of serushka mushrooms will help novice mushroom pickers to easily find them in the forest and distinguish them from other species.

Where do serushki grow

Gray mushrooms are common in deciduous and mixed forests. Experienced mushroom pickers know that they can always be found in aspen and birch thickets, the upper layers of the soil of which receive a lot of light and warm up well.

Some of the common names for this species help to understand where they most often grow:

• plantain;
• sub-branch;
• gray dolly.

This species grows in large clusters along forest roads, paths, on forest edges. The most preferred are loamy and sandy soils. They can also be seen in wetlands and low-lying areas where melt water does not drain for a long time.

Serushka mushrooms edible or not

Serushki belong to the category of conditionally edible, or semi-edible, mushrooms. This means that there are certain restrictions on eating them. Mushrooms of this variety should never be eaten raw. Before use, they are subjected to additional processing – long-term soaking in water.

Features of this variety are clearly presented in the video:

Taste qualities of serushek

In terms of nutritional and taste qualities, this species belongs only to the 3rd food category. The 1st category includes the most delicious and healthy mushrooms, rich in valuable minerals, proteins and vitamins, such as mushrooms, mushrooms, mushrooms, champignons and all white mushrooms.

Representatives of the 2nd category also have high quality, but a slightly lower content of vitamins and minerals – boletus, boletus, butter, volnushki. The 3rd category is represented by mushrooms of low quality, which have a good taste, but a poor composition of nutrients and nutrients. In addition to serushka, this category includes mushrooms such as honey agarics, morels, lactifers, certain types of mossiness mushrooms, and some others.

The excess content of milky juice makes the taste of serushki caustic and bitter. Only due to the content of nutrients they did not fall into the 4th category, which includes all types of mushrooms with a mediocre taste and a low content of trace elements: for example, oyster mushrooms, dung beetles, puffballs.

Benefits and harm to the body

In the Middle Ages, eating serushka helped in the treatment of the stomach and related diseases. It was included as one of the components in the formulation of drugs for cholera. The microelements contained in them are useful for maintaining the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, have a positive effect on the functioning of the brain and blood vessels.

Due to the significant concentration of polysaccharides that enhance the immune system, this type of mushroom is often used to prepare various ointments, decoctions and tinctures. They are used to treat skin diseases. Serushki have an antiparasitic effect on the body and cope with various types of worms and worms. These mushrooms are easy to digest and low in calories, so they are recommended even for dietary nutrition.

Mushrooms collected in ecologically clean areas and properly processed will only benefit the human body. However, you should not abuse such food and eat them in large quantities. Serushki are rich in natural chitin, useful in small doses. Overeating can cause digestive problems. For young children, the inclusion of mushrooms in the diet is also contraindicated.

It is not recommended to use serushki for people suffering from diseases associated with disruption of the stomach and intestines. It is allowed to take mushrooms in small quantities, and only in boiled form. If the listed diseases are of an exacerbated form, the product should be completely abandoned. Pickled mushrooms containing vinegar and various spices are especially dangerous in this state.

How to distinguish a serushka from false serushki

Serushki grow in large clusters, forming rounded rows, which is why they are called “witch circles”. In order not to get poisoned, you should know how to distinguish conditionally edible serushki from their counterparts, which pose a serious threat to life and health:

1. White poison row. Its flesh, painted white or milky, acquires a pink tint at a break. Leg and hat are white. A distinctive feature is a pungent smell, reminiscent of a radish.

   

2. Non-edible soapy soap. It is characterized by a sharp soapy smell and has a uniform rich color.

   

3. Pointed serushka. It has a very pungent taste and repulsive odor. It is easy to distinguish from the real variety by the presence of a high pointed part in the center of the cap.

   

All types of false serushki can be identified by one common distinguishing feature: when broken, representatives of the species spread a sharp unpleasant odor, and some mushrooms smell repulsively even when untouched.

Mushroom picking rules

Serushki, like all other mushrooms, perfectly absorb and accumulate harmful substances in the soil and air. Therefore, they should not be collected in unfavorable ecological zones, as well as along highways and roads with heavy traffic. Collecting serushki in the immediate vicinity of industrial enterprises that emit hazardous waste is very dangerous and can cause irreparable harm to health.

It is impossible to uproot mushrooms, thus violating their system. Every mushroom picker knows that the gifts of the forest must be cut with a sharp knife. This will allow the root system to produce serushka crops in the same place for several years.

How to cook serushki

Serushka mushrooms do not differ in special taste, but, nevertheless, in cooking there are various ways to cook them. After all, if they are cooked correctly, this drawback will not be noticeable, seasonings and spices can significantly improve the taste of such mushrooms.

Features of cooking serushek mushrooms

Serushki can be taken in food in any form. They are pickled, salted, fried, boiled, used as fillings for pies, pies and dumplings. From the serushki, very tasty mushroom caviar is obtained. And if you add them to a creamy sauce, it will acquire a bright rich taste, and any dish with such a dressing will be able to sparkle with new colors. But most often these mushrooms are used in canned form for assorted preparations.

During canning, serushki do not lose their consistency, practically do not boil down and do not acquire fading and lethargy, which is characteristic of many mushrooms that undergo heat treatment.

How to clean serushki

Methods for cleaning the serushkas differ, depending on how they will be cooked in the future. So, if drying or freezing is planned, the contact of mushrooms with water should be minimal. In this case, resort to the method of dry cleaning.

To carry it out you will need:

• sharp knife;
• dish sponge or toothbrush;
• sunflower oil.

Cleaning the serushka consists of several sequential steps:

1. With a knife, they cut off all the places spoiled by rodents and insects, capturing healthy parts.
2. Strong dirt is carefully cleaned.
3. The hard lower part of the leg is cut off.
4. The plates under the hat are cleaned of accumulated small debris.
5. The surface of the hats is wiped with a kitchen sponge or toothbrush, previously moistened with sunflower oil. Remove all adhering forest debris – needles, leaves, grass.

You can even more thoroughly clean the serushki and remove the film from the hats. This work is quite laborious, but this way you can get rid of the taste of bitterness. Mushrooms cleaned in this way can be frozen and dried. If other cooking methods are planned, they are washed with plain water.

Do I need to soak the serushki

Soaking is one of the main ways to clean the serushkas. With it, you can neutralize the caustic bitterness that can spoil the taste of any mushroom dish. In addition, salted water helps to open the pores better and remove debris more thoroughly.

How much to soak the earrings

Before soaking the serushka, clean and cut off the lower part of the leg. Prepared mushrooms are placed in a saline solution prepared from 1 tbsp. l. salt per 1 liter of water. Soaking should be carried out within 1 – 3 days. At the same time, one should not forget about the need to change the water. Otherwise, the entire mushroom crop may turn sour.

How much to cook serushki

Before cooking serushek mushrooms, they must be boiled. The process is quite simple and does not require much effort. Cleaned from the ground and forest debris, the mushrooms are placed in a large pot filled with plain water. Boil 4-5 times for 10 minutes, each time changing the water. If small forest debris remains on the mushrooms, they can be completely cleaned during the cooking process. Foam will occasionally form on the surface of the water. It must be removed. The mushroom broth obtained in this way is not suitable for other uses.

Boiled mushrooms spread in a colander. After all the moisture comes out, the product can be cooked further.

How to fry serushki

Fried mushrooms are the simplest and most delicious dish that can be prepared without enough time and additional ingredients.

Ingredients:

• 0,5 kg of fresh serushki;
• 2 L of water;
• 1 Art. l salts;
• ground black pepper;
• vegetable oil.

To make fried mushrooms tasty, you should follow the following sequence of actions:

1. Serushki are sorted, cleaned and boiled in salted water.
2. Boiled mushrooms are laid out in heated sunflower oil and 10 minutes. fry at medium temperature, stirring every 1 – 2 minutes.
3. Add salt and pepper. Keep on the stove for another 2 – 3 minutes, then the dish is served hot.

Fried serushki go well with fried potatoes or other side dishes to taste.

Serushki recipes

Soaking the serushki and adding spices to them during cooking will irrevocably remove bitterness and make the mushroom dish tasty and fragrant.

There are many traditional recipes for making serushki for the winter, based on canning, pickling, drying and salting. You can also show your imagination and prepare an original and unusual dish that will decorate any holiday table.

Boiled mushrooms with spices

A simple recipe for cooking boiled mushrooms with spices.

Necessary ingredients:

• 1 kg of mushrooms;
• 1 L of water;
• 1 Art. l salts;
• ¼ tsp citric acid;
• Bay leaf;
• black peppercorns;
• carnations.

The cooking process consists of the following steps:

1. Water is poured into a large saucepan, salt is poured, as well as a natural preservative – citric acid. Everything is mixed.
2. Bring the saline solution to a boil and pour in the mushrooms. If there are more than 1 kg, the amount of other ingredients is increased in the appropriate proportion.
3. In 10 minutes. add all the spices.
4. Cook for 10 more minutes. and throw it into a colander.

The total cooking time on medium heat is 20 minutes. The dish can be eaten both hot and cold.

Envelopes from ham with serushki

Ingredients required for cooking:

• 500 g of salted mushrooms;
• Xnumx g ham;
• 200 g cheese;
• 2 things. bulbs;
• 2 st. l. sunflower oil;
• salt;
• pepper.

Step-by-step cooking:

1. Mushrooms and onions are finely chopped and fried, seasoned with salt and pepper.
2. The ham is cut into squares with sides of 5 cm.
3. In the middle of each square lay out the filling and wrap the corners towards the center in the form of envelopes. To keep their shape, you can secure them with toothpicks or tie them with green onions.
4. The blanks are laid out on a baking sheet and baked at a temperature of 180 ° C.

The envelopes look very nice, and their taste is not inferior to their appearance.

Serushki in sour cream and cheese sauce

This is a very simple but very tasty dish. It will require:

• 400 g boiled serushki;
• 100 ml of sour cream;
• 100 g cream cheese (can be processed);
• 1 onions;
• 2 cloves of garlic;
• ground black pepper;
• salt.

Cooking steps:

1. Finely chopped onion is fried in a pan until golden brown.
2. Add serushki and fry for 2 minutes.
3. Add the cheese and stir until it is completely melted and covers all the mushrooms.
4. Sour cream is poured in, seasoned with salt and pepper, mixed and kept on medium heat for several minutes.
5. Finely chopped garlic is added to the finished dish, mixed, covered with a lid and allowed to brew on the switched off stove for 2 minutes.

Serushki in sour cream cheese sauce is good served with spaghetti, garnished with cherry tomatoes and any greens.

Serushki baked in the oven with cream sauce

For a family meal, you can cook a delicious dish according to a quick recipe. It can also be a good addition to any side dish and will become a lifesaver in case of an unexpected visit of guests, it will help to treat friends tasty and quickly without taking much time to cook. Ingredients – mushroom mass, heavy cream and cheese – are taken in the desired volume.

The cooking steps are simple:

1. Prepared mushrooms are laid out in a mold with sides.
2. Pour in heavy cream, add your favorite spices and bake in the oven until tender.
3. A warm dish must be sprinkled with grated cheese.

Conclusion

Serushka mushrooms are not familiar to all mushroom lovers. When collecting forest gifts, one should be careful, choosing only places that are safe from an environmental point of view. By following the basic rules of collection, cleaning, soaking and cooking, adhering to the recommended proportions and not forgetting the sense of proportion, you can supplement the diet with a nutritious protein product.