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Russula marsh is an edible mushroom from the Russula family. This is a typical representative of the family, fully justifying its name – young mushrooms can be eaten with minimal heat treatment. The range of the fungus is very extensive, but within the range the fungus cannot be called common – the need for a large amount of moisture limits its wide distribution. Another name for this representative of the Syroezhkovs is a float. Next, the marsh russula will be described, a photo and description of this fungus are given.
Where do marsh russula grow
Swamp russula are common in the temperate climate zone of the Northern Hemisphere. They can be found in Eurasia and North America.
Most often, marsh russula grows in coniferous forests, as it enters into symbiosis with the pine root system. In some cases, it forms mycosis with the roots of elfin cedar or larch. It prefers wet areas, so the most numerous colonies of this fungus are found in damp forests and along the banks of swamps.
In addition, the float can be present in large quantities on various peat bogs and even on sandy soils (provided that it is sufficiently humid and pine trees grow there).
It is rare in mixed forests; in deciduous forests it is almost impossible to meet marsh russula.
What do marsh russula look like
The appearance of the marsh russula corresponds to a typical representative of the Russula family. Its fruiting body consists of a large cap and a relatively long straight stem.
The hat has a diameter of 5 to 15 cm. Like all russula, at first it is spherical, but with age it turns into a flat one with a depressed zone in the middle. The edge of the cap is even, but, unlike many members of the family, it is not raised, but slightly lowered. Another characteristic feature of the float is the mucus on the skin of the cap.
Hat coloring can be of two options: bright red or red-orange. The depressed middle may have a brown or dark yellow tint. In some cases, the entire cap is covered with large ocher spots. The peel is easily removed from the cap.
This usually occurs in shady areas or where the soil acidity level is too low.
The leg can reach a length of up to 100 mm. Its diameter is from 10 to 30 mm. It has a cylindrical shape in adult mushrooms and is slightly swollen at the base in young ones. In most cases, there is a cavity with a diameter of 5 to 10 mm in the center of the stem. The slightly shiny stem is white in young fruiting bodies and white-pink in old ones.
The hymenophore is lamellar, standard for Russula. The hymenophore plates are wide, tightly adherent to the stem. In some cases, they have a jagged edge; sometimes branching in the middle. The color of the plates is white, turning into yellow as it ripens. The outer ends of the plates are sometimes cap-colored. Spores are pale yellow.
Is it possible to eat marsh russula
Like most representatives of the Russula family, marsh russula are not poisonous. They can be eaten in a variety of ways – from salted and fried to boiled and stewed.
Taste qualities of marsh russula
According to the culinary classification, the float belongs to the second category of edibility. It is considered a good, tasty mushroom. It has no unpleasant smell and taste.
Heat treatment practically does not change the taste of the float and the consistency of the pulp of its fruiting body.
Benefit and harm
The benefit of marsh russula lies in the fact that they are able to quickly replenish the body’s strength and nourish it with a whole range of useful substances. Swamp russula is especially rich in protein, and also has a high calorie content, therefore, they can be recommended for use in the following conditions:
- fatigue;
- weakness;
- exhaustion;
- overwork;
- anemia;
- beriberi.
The harm of marsh russula is mainly manifested by their uncontrolled use. Mushrooms are a very difficult food to digest, therefore, in order to avoid unpleasant consequences, it is recommended to limit their consumption.
It is not recommended to use marsh russula for pregnant women, nursing mothers and children under 5-6 years old.
Collection rules
Swamp russula are harvested from June to September. Mushrooms that have a depressed or spherical hat with a whole skin are collected.
Old fruit bodies that have damage on the skin and a yellow hymenophore are not recommended for collection, since they are not only wormy, but also have a bitter taste that does not disappear during heat treatment.
The mushroom is cut to the very base of the stem.
False twins of marsh russula
Swamp russula can be easily confused with other members of the family that have worse taste characteristics. First of all, such mushrooms include black russula (another name is black diaper).
This mushroom has the same shape as the float, it also has a hat covered with a layer of mucus, and its coloring exactly repeats the colors of the “faded” caps of the marsh russula.
Just like the float, the diaper grows in pine forests and along the banks of swamps. This is a conditionally edible mushroom belonging to the fourth category of edibility. It can only be consumed in salt form. With any other processing method, it is practically inedible – it is too bitter.
Another twin of the float is the russula, burning or vomiting. It is also a conditionally edible mushroom, but it is not recommended to use it in food in any form. Too much pungency and an unpleasant aftertaste make it unpleasant to use even in a salty form.
Outwardly, this variety of russula resembles a swamp, but it is practically devoid of mucus on the cap and its edge is slightly pulled up.
In addition, the hymenophore of the stinging variety practically does not branch, but consists of straight plates along its entire length.
How to cook swamp russula
The simplest and most commonly used method of preparing marsh russula is salting. Mushrooms can only be preliminarily poured over with boiling water, however, it is still recommended to boil them a little. The recipe for salted mushrooms may look like this:
- Russula is washed, the skin is removed from the caps, cut into small pieces.
- Prepare a brine – for 1 kg of mushrooms take 1 liter of water and 2 tablespoons of salt.
- After boiling the brine, mushrooms are lowered into it and spices are added: a few leaves of laurel; 2-3 peas of allspice; 2-3 leaves of red or black currant; cloves; dill.
- Mushrooms are boiled in brine for 10-15 minutes, regularly removing the foam.
- After that, mushrooms with brine are poured into jars and tightly closed.
After 2-3 days, swamp russula are ready to eat.
Cooking in other ways does not differ from any type of edible mushrooms (for example, champignons). But at the same time, it should be remembered that heat treatment in the form of boiling for at least 20 minutes is necessary for the float.
Conclusion
Swamp russula is one of the most delicious mushrooms of the Russula family, living in coniferous forests with high humidity. The fruiting body of this variety is large, and the collection of the fungus is relatively easy and fast. The float has versatility in processing, it can be prepared in a variety of ways.
