Pine white mushrooms: collection, photo and description

Pine-loving boletus (Bolétus pinóphilus), pine porcini or upland are the names of one species from the genus Borovik. Included in group I in terms of nutritional value, it is used for cooking and winter harvesting, with proper processing it can be consumed raw. The species is considered valuable in terms of taste and chemical composition.

Where do porcini mushrooms grow

Pine white boletus is the most common species of its kind. It grows in Europe, America, Spain. In Our Country, the main accumulation is observed in regions with a temperate climate. Distribution area – from the Kola Peninsula to the Urals, often found in the southern part of Siberia.

Ceps grow under perennial pines, forming mycorrhiza with the root system of the tree. Less commonly, the species is found under spruce or hardwoods: oak, hornbeam, chestnut. Prefers sandy soils, moderately moist, grows on moss or lichen cushions.

It occurs in groups, less often singly in areas open to the sun, it is collected in forest glades, clearings, on the sides of taiga roads. Fruits from July to the end of September. The main peak of productivity falls on a time of consistently warm weather with a sufficient amount of rain. Fruiting bodies do not respond well to a sharp change in temperature.

What do pine mushrooms look like

The species forms a large fruiting body. The color of the upper part is dark yellow or light brown, shades of red or purple are possible. The color depends on the degree of illumination and the species of trees with which the species is in symbiosis. The lower part of the boletus is white or beige.

In the upper photo, a white upland mushroom grows near pines, in the lower photo – in a deciduous forest. This is the same species, but with a different color of the fruiting body.

External characteristics of white pine boletus:

1. The shape of the cap is pillow-shaped, at the beginning of the growing season it is spherical, then flatter, hemispherical, with a diameter of 8-30 cm. The protective shell is dull in dry weather, and mucous in wet weather.
2. The surface is tuberculate or even, wrinkled. The color is uneven, the edges of the cap are lighter or white. The protective film is tightly fixed on the surface, difficult to peel off.
3. The spore-bearing tubular layer is dense, free, the pores are small, the tubes are long, white in young mushrooms, and yellowish with an olive tint in mature ones. The boundary between the stem and the cap is determined by a recess.
4. The leg grows up to 15 cm in length, its diameter is 8-10 cm, a pronounced thickening is visible near the mycelium. The structure is fine-fibered, soft, solid. The surface is reticulate, white or light beige, with a pink tinge, the color is uniform.

The pulp of the pine forest fungus is white, thick, dense, slightly yellowish in overripe specimens. On the hat (near the protective film) with a pink tint. It does not darken on a cut or damaged areas. Retains white color after processing.

Is it possible to eat pine porcini mushroom

In terms of taste and chemical composition, pine boletus belongs to the elite species. It is listed in edible group 1 with high nutritional value. Fruiting bodies are versatile in processing, they can be used immediately after harvest for cooking all kinds of dishes or processed for winter harvesting.

Taste qualities of mushrooms

The pulp of white pine forest is thick, dense, does not lose much weight during processing. The taste is slightly sweet, not very pronounced. The smell of the fruiting body is persistent, pleasant, reminiscent of roasted nuts. With any processing method, the smell does not disappear, it is clearly expressed in dried pine mushrooms.

Benefits and harm to the body

The chemical composition of the pine boletus is diverse, the porcini mushroom includes a set of vitamins, trace elements necessary for humans, the composition of the protein in the fruiting body is not inferior to animal protein, but the calorie content is much lower. Benefits for the body of pine white mushrooms:

1. The use gives a person a feeling of satiety, while providing the body with minimal calories. It is recommended to include mushroom dishes in the diet for overweight people.
2. If a person is on a diet or is a vegetarian, provide the body with enough protein.
3. Immunostimulants, which are part of the fruiting bodies, strengthen the body, a person is less likely to be affected by infectious diseases.
4. Lipids improve the condition of the liver, are involved in the regeneration of damaged cells.
5. Antibiotic substances in white pine forests inhibit the growth of bacteria.
6. Styrenes improve the functioning of the endocrine system. The hormonal level is normalized, reproduction is increased, the blood sugar level is reduced.
7. Pine mushrooms are recommended to be included in the diet of people with cardiovascular pathologies. The use reduces the level of bad cholesterol, prevents the appearance of blood clots and atherosclerosis.
8. From mycorrhiza with pine, white boletus received a substance presented in the form of a resinous compound capable of removing uric acid from tissues.
9. Iron in the composition of the fruiting body increases the hemoglobin index, is involved in hematopoiesis.
10. Amino acids and vitamins stimulate brain function, increase efficiency, relieve fatigue. The use of pine mushrooms improves sleep, relieves depression.

Even the most valuable species in terms of taste can bring harm to the body. Fruiting bodies accumulate harmful elements if they grow in an unfavorable ecological zone. In this case, porcini mushrooms can cause intoxication. Even harvested in a clean area has a number of contraindications for use. People with an allergic reaction to the product should not even try mushroom dishes. It is undesirable to eat white mushrooms in violation of metabolic processes and pathologies of the digestive tract, with gastritis in the acute stage. Mushroom dishes are contraindicated for pregnant and lactating women, as well as children under 4 years old.

False twins of pine porcini mushrooms

Like all elite species, the white pine mushroom has poisonous and conditionally edible counterparts, below are their photos and descriptions.

The most beautiful or beautiful boletus (Boletus pulcherrimus) looks very similar to the pine-loving boletus.

The double grows in the same conditions as the white mushroom, but is distributed in forests of all types. His coloration is much brighter. The tubular layer is red or crimson, while the pine boletus is white or yellow. When broken, the flesh turns blue. The species is inedible, contains toxic compounds that cause moderate poisoning.

The pink-purple boletus is a poisonous twin, common throughout the European part.

Found under beeches, oaks, hornbeams. The fruiting body is smaller. The stem is rounded below, tapering towards the cap. The tubular layer is bright purple, the surface is pink with a purple tint. On the cut, the flesh turns inky.

The wolf boletus is included in the category of conditionally edible species. The fruiting body is tasteless and odorless. Use is possible only after preliminary boiling. If the heat treatment is short, the double can cause mild poisoning.

Outwardly, the false appearance looks like a pine porcini mushroom, it has pink spores, the surface of the cap is pale pink. The pulp darkens when broken.

This is the main difference between edible and poisonous members of the genus.

When to pick porcini mushrooms in a pine forest

The fruiting period depends on seasonal rains and air temperature. The first fruiting bodies can be found at the end of July, they appear after precipitation in open sunny areas. Pine mushrooms grow quickly, reaching maturity in 5-7 days. They do not grow alone. If one mushroom is found, there will definitely be others nearby. Harvest until the end of September.

How to look for porcini mushrooms in a pine forest

The main accumulation of the species is noted near the pines, less often the neighbors of the mushrooms are some hardwoods, beech, birch, hornbeam. Prefers sandy soils. They are located on moss litter or lichens. Often you can see the accumulation of the species in the clearings among the short grass.

Rules for collecting porcini mushrooms in a pine forest

The harvest is followed after the rains, when the temperature is consistently warm. Pine mushrooms are collected only in ecologically clean areas. Do not consider forest areas near industrial enterprises, city dumps. Mushrooms taken near highways and within the city are not suitable for consumption. Cut off mushrooms that are not damaged by insects, do not take overripe specimens. Pay attention to the cut, if it has darkened, it is better to get rid of such an instance.

The use of pine mushrooms

Fruiting bodies are used to prepare a variety of dishes. Pine white mushrooms are included in salads in boiled and raw form. Fruit bodies are suitable for winter harvesting, they are dried, pickled, salted. Pine mushrooms tolerate freezing well, completely retaining useful substances.

Conclusion

Pine white fungus belongs to the highest category in terms of nutritional value. Mushrooms are distributed throughout the European part, growing in small groups from June to September. Fruit bodies are universal in use, suitable for all types of processing without preliminary boiling and soaking. You can additionally find out where and how boletus white pine mushrooms grow from the video.