Russula mushroom: photo, description and types

A photo of russula must be carefully studied by each mushroom picker. You can meet this mushroom in the forests of the middle zone very often. But it is important not to confuse it with inedible or frankly poisonous mushrooms.

Description of russula

Russula are called mushrooms that are very common in Our Country with a hat and on an even high leg without rings and thickenings. The top of the cap in different species can be half spherical or flat, the diameter of the cap in adult mushrooms reaches 10 cm.

What group does russula belong to?

The Russula family is the Russula family of the same name, and by genus the fungus belongs to the lamellar. Within the group, there are over 250 different types of fungus, and almost all of them, with rare exceptions, are suitable for human consumption.

What does russula look like

It is quite easy to recognize the mushroom, it has external features characteristic of mushrooms of the Russula family.

The leg is even, without growths and rings, usually cylindrical in shape. The color of the leg can be either white or painted in other shades, sometimes there is a slight thickening at the base, and a sharpening of the leg under the cap.
The hat of an adult mushroom is flat or in the form of a shallow funnel, sometimes convex hats are found. Young mushrooms may have a spherical or bell-shaped cap, but with age, its shape changes. The cap of the mushroom is usually covered with dry skin, matte or shiny, the edge of the cap can be either straight or wrapped inward.

A characteristic feature, noticeable in the photo and in the description of russula mushrooms, is the lamellar structure of the cap on the underside. Records can be white or yellowish, frequent and rare.

What colors are russula

The shade of the cap and other parts of the mushroom varies widely. The color is gray and pink, brown and yellow, greenish and even blue. It is impossible to recognize a fungus by just one shade – the variety of colors is too great.

Features of the structure of russula

The main feature of the fungus is the unusual structure of the cap. Unlike most other mushrooms, as it grows older, it changes its shape – a convex or spherical cap becomes even and flat, and sometimes even takes the form of a small funnel.

Important! The plates on the underside are characterized by increased fragility. Associated with this is the difficulty in collecting, the fungus is difficult to cut and put in a basket so as to maintain integrity.

How russula grows

In order to reap a good harvest during the summer, you need to know exactly where the fungi of this species are most common. You also need to familiarize yourself with the characteristics of growth and determine the optimal time for collection.

Where do russula grow

The prevalence of the fungus is very high; it grows on the edges and clearings, next to swamps and in deciduous forests. Most often it can be found near the roads.

When do russula begin to grow

You can meet the mushroom in the forests and on the edges throughout the warm season, the first hats appear from the ground already in early June. However, massive growth begins in the middle of summer, and the peak occurs in August and September.

How fast do russula grow

The fungi go through a full growth cycle quite quickly, on average in just 3-7 days. It doesn’t take long to mature. Rains are especially conducive to rapid growth – in wet weather, fungi develop very rapidly, and you can go to the forest for them just a couple of days after the first young mushrooms were seen.

Under what tree does russula grow?

Due to its ubiquitous distribution, fungi of this species can successfully coexist with most tree species. Very often they enter into symbiosis with alder and aspen, birch and oak, spruce and pine, poplar and linden. You can meet them next to shrubs and even perennial tall grasses; fungi favorably treat such a neighborhood.

Varieties of russula with photos and names

Of all the many varieties, it is customary to distinguish only 3 types of russula, which grow in our forests most often. Fungi of these species are ideal for use in food, have good taste, do not bring unnecessary trouble during processing.

Food russula

The mushroom is easy to recognize by the light red color of the cap with a pinkish, purple or beige tint. Young specimens have convex caps, in adults the top is flat or even slightly concave in the middle. On the hat of this variety, a thin skin is slightly puffed up, it is easy to remove it before cooking. On the underside there are thin plates, white at a young age and cream in adults.

The leg of the species is white and dense, up to 7 cm in length; in dry weather in the forest, the color of the leg changes slightly and acquires the shade of a hat. A fungus of this species can often be found on sandy and sandy soil, in pine forests.

Green russula

Among all types of russula with a photo, a green russula stands out. It is found mainly in oak or birch forests, grows both in small groups and singly. The hat of the green variety has a typical structure, but its color is unusual, it is covered with a pale green skin with a brownish spot in the center.

The height of the stem can be up to 10 cm, the shade at the stem is usually cream, and the structure is smooth and even.

Wavy russula

This variety, suitable for consumption, has a recognizable bright hat of a rich red color – burgundy in the center and slightly lighter at the edges. Wavy fungus can be raspberry, pink or purple, the shade depends on the place of growth, on the level of humidity and lighting.

The cap diameter is usually 6-10 cm, the top is flat and prostrate in adult mushrooms, and convex in young mushrooms. A striking sign of the russula of this species is the slightly curved and uneven edges of the cap, hence the name. The stem of the fungus is smooth and cylindrical, creamy white or slightly pinkish in dry conditions.

Is it possible to eat russula

It is certainly possible to eat fungi with a speaking name for food. But contrary to the name, even the safest and most common types are not recommended to eat raw. If you eat the mushroom raw, it can lead to nausea, indigestion, and even severe poisoning.

Important! Russula is called that because it requires much less processing than other types of mushrooms. It is enough to boil the mushroom for about half an hour, and before salting it is boiled for only 5 minutes.

Taste qualities of russula

Any russula belongs to the category of edible mushrooms, but the taste qualities of different species are very different. Greenish, yellowish and bluish mushrooms have a very pleasant taste – sweetish with a slight nutty tint.

But red, pink and purple fungi are usually very burning. They need to be processed longer to eliminate the unpleasant aftertaste.

The benefits and harms of russula mushrooms

Russula have not only good taste – with proper processing, they are also very useful. The mushroom contains:

vitamins B1 and B2;
nicotinic acid PP;
iron, potassium and calcium;
magnesium and sodium;
ascorbic acid;
vitamin E.

Due to their composition, fungi are able to have a beneficial effect on the body. In particular, the beneficial properties of russula:

have an anti-inflammatory effect and help to cope with internal and external infections;
improve digestive functions and contribute to the normalization of metabolism;
help to get rid of excess weight, since the nutritional value of mushrooms is low, they can be consumed on a diet;
improve the condition of blood vessels, thin the blood and prevent the development of heart disease;
protect against atherosclerosis.

The benefits of russula mushrooms for the human body are undeniable, but at the same time they have strict contraindications. You can not use these mushrooms with:

individual allergy to mushrooms or individual components in their composition;
with serious heart ailments;
with chronic diseases of the liver and kidneys;
during pregnancy and lactation – for a baby, any mushrooms are too risky food;
at children’s age up to 12 years, the child’s body is not yet ready to assimilate the product.

When using russula of any kind, it is important to observe safe daily dosages of the product. It is recommended to eat no more than 150 g of mushrooms per day, even if we are talking about very high-quality, healthy and perfectly cooked specimens.

When to collect russula

The best time to collect mushrooms is August and September. However, much depends on the specific species.

Food russula is harvested from the beginning of June to the end of August. The peak of mushrooms falls on the middle and end of summer, in June and September mushrooms can be found, but much less frequently.
Green fungi in oak forests and birch forests grow most abundantly in August and September. Sometimes you can meet them even in early October, if it turned out to be warm enough.
Russula wavy actively grow from August to mid-October, although they can be found in small numbers from the beginning of summer.

It is best to go to the forest for mushrooms after heavy rains. It is in conditions of increased heat and humidity that fungi grow quickly and densely; for a short walk through the forest, you can harvest a solid crop.

How to collect russula

If you go to the forest at the right time, then there is no doubt that you will be able to find a huge number of russula in the grass. But for successful collection, it is necessary to carefully study the types of edible russula with photos and descriptions and follow some rules.

Mushrooms cannot be removed from the ground along with the root system – this harms the population as a whole. To save the mycelium, it is necessary to use a sharp knife, the mushroom is cut along the stem at a short distance from the surface of the earth.
Before cutting off the fungus, you need to carefully examine it and make sure that we are talking about an edible product, and not about false twins and not about poisonous specimens.
It is best to cut strong young mushrooms. First of all, they have the best taste. In addition, old specimens are usually eaten by insects and crumble very easily in hands and in a basket.
Mushrooms must be put into the basket very carefully so as not to break the fragile hats, legs up. It is impossible to collect mushrooms in a bag or bag, otherwise only mushroom dust will be brought home.
The cut mushroom must be examined and made sure that worminess is not visible on the cut of the leg, if the pulp is affected by insects from the inside, then it cannot be eaten.

At home, the collected mushrooms are carefully sorted out – they are cleaned of adhering debris, washed and at the same time weed out all the broken or spoiled mushrooms that accidentally fell into the healthy basket.

False twins of russula

In addition to several varieties of edible fungi, the classification of russula includes inedible and unpleasant-tasting species, they are commonly called false twins. Also, some poisonous mushrooms can disguise themselves as an edible mushroom.

caustic russula

The mushroom is very similar to the wavy variety, as it also has a light red or pinkish cap. However, the taste of such a mushroom is acrid and bitter, and only prolonged boiling helps to make it more pleasant. However, eating caustic fungi is not recommended even after careful processing, they contain the toxic substance muscarine, which is part of the fly agaric.

Blood red russula

Most often, the mushroom comes across in coniferous forests and in mixed massifs under pines. The hat of the blood-red species is large, up to 10 cm in diameter, rich red in color with a lilac tint and poorly peeling skin. Such a mushroom has a very bitter and pungent taste and can cause poisoning not only in raw, but also in boiled form.

Acute, or yellowing, russula

It resembles a wavy, but the shade is slightly different – a dense hat is covered with a skin of a cherry, red-brown or purple hue. The flesh is yellowish, the leg is with a slight purple or lilac tint. The taste of the fungus is unpleasant and bitter, causes food poisoning.

Under the green variety of an edible fungus, a deadly pale grebe can successfully disguise itself. With russula, it has a glossy hat of a greenish tint and frequent white plates on the inside of the hat.

Attention! Toadstool can usually be distinguished by the characteristic fringed ring on the stem and thickening near the ground itself. But in old grebes, the ring is often missing, so special care must be taken.

The use of russula

Very tasty mushrooms are suitable for use in many dishes. Despite the fact that they cannot be eaten raw, after minimal processing they are used as part of soups, second courses, side dishes and salads, sauces are made based on them, put in the filling for pies, pickled for the winter.

Before cooking, mushrooms must be processed – first soak for a couple of hours, and then boil for at least 5 minutes. After that, they can be marinated, salted, fried or baked in the oven.

The cap of a fragile mushroom is easily boiled soft and crumbles. Therefore, if possible, the pulp is boiled together with a film on the cap, which allows maintaining the integrity of the product. But if the film is bitter and caustic in taste, it must be removed.

Advice! To make the film from the hat come off easier, you can first scald it with boiling water.

Interesting facts about russula

With a detailed examination of fungi, you can find out some interesting facts related to them.

In terms of value, the mushroom is inferior to many other species. However, the high content of vitamins PP and B2 in russula makes it a truly useful food product.
Fungi of this type are able to lower blood cholesterol levels, if consumed on a regular basis, they will help get rid of many health problems.
After salting, you can use fungi in a day – this is a very short time, most mushrooms require longer processing.

Numerous types of russula are very similar to each other. Sometimes, in order to distinguish between them, even specialists have to conduct special tests. Ordinary mushroom pickers should remember this feature of mushrooms and cut only those specimens whose edibility is beyond doubt.

Conclusion

Photos of russula are presented on the Internet in large numbers, in order to collect healthy and tasty mushrooms in the forest, you need to carefully study the edible species. Delicious mushrooms come across under the trees and in the clearings very often – from the middle of summer you can be guaranteed to pick up a full basket.

Russule

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