Russule

Russula is a genus of lamellar fungi of the Russula family. Today, 270 species are known, among which almost all are suitable for human consumption. Russula got its name due to the unique property – it cooks much faster than other mushrooms. This is a nutritious low-calorie product (only 100 calories are concentrated in 15 grams), which instantly saturates, does not lead to obesity.

Russula is a large mushroom with a hat, the plates of which are white or yellowish in color. They should not be brown, black or red as this indicates an inedible appearance. Russula grow on the ground under bushes and trees.

Mushrooms are harvested from June to October. All types with a mild taste are suitable for food.

Fresh russula supply the body with vitamins B1, B2, C, E, PP, lecithin, rassulin enzyme, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus, and iron.

The rich chemical composition determines the beneficial properties of the product: it normalizes the concentration of cholesterol in the blood, cleanses the body of toxins, prevents blood clotting, thrombosis, and has antibacterial properties.

Botanical description

Russula – cap mushrooms growing on a flat stem, without tubers and rings. In young representatives, the top is hemispherical, which straightens with age, becomes flat, reaching 10 centimeters in diameter. Russula are widespread everywhere: in a rare birch forest, in a pine and deciduous forest, on the side of the road, on a mossy shore, at the edge. The best period for collecting forest beauty is August-September.

Description:

1. Hat. Initially, it has a bell-shaped, hemispherical, spherical configuration, later it becomes funnel-shaped, flat or prostrate, less often – convex. The edge of the cap is striped or ribbed, wrapped or straight. The skin is of various colors, shiny or matte, dry, less often wet, adherent, easily separated from the pulp, sometimes cracking.
2. Records. Descending or free, adnate, notched, of equal or unequal length, frequent, sometimes sparse, forked-branched. The color of the plates is white, yellowish, the edges are blunt, pointed, depending on the species.
3. Leg. White or colored, cylindrical, even, rarely pointed, thickened at the base, dense or hollow inside.
4. Pulp. White, does not change color with age and on the cut, spongy, brittle, dense in the stem, with a mild, subtle taste. Burning-caustic notes indicate that the mushroom is poisonous and unsuitable for human consumption.
5. Spore powder. The color varies from white to dark yellow.

Russula – edible in 90% of cases, some have a bitter taste, which, as a rule, disappears after heat treatment and soaking.

It is not recommended to eat raw mushrooms, as they irritate the mucous membranes of the digestive organs, can lead to vomiting, poisoning and intoxication of the body.

Popular edible species

1. Russula food. The mushroom cap is fleshy, uneven in color, finely reticulate-wrinkled, reddish, white-pink. In the middle brownish, ocher. In diameter reaches 5 – 10 centimeters. The edges of the cap are slightly ribbed or smooth, the plates are frequent, of the same length, yellowish-white, branched at the stem. Fruits in July-October. Similarly, the mushroom can be confused with herring russula, the latter, in turn, has a pronounced fishy smell.

In folk medicine, it is used as a diuretic, in cooking for pickling, salting, and soups.

2. Russula greenish (scaly). This is the most delicious type of mushroom among all existing. All kinds of blanks are made from them, they are subjected to all types of culinary processing, with the exception of drying. The hat of the scaly russula is green, sometimes with a bluish tint, fleshy, with tightly adherent skin. Its surface is thick, dry, rough, warty, cracking with age, reaching 5 – 12 centimeters in diameter. The plates are white, sometimes with a yellowish tint. The pulp is dense, fragile, emits a pleasant mushroom smell. The stem is white, furrowed, becoming brown with age. When broken, the russula changes color, becomes rusty. The fruiting period is July – October.

According to the conclusion of Chinese biochemists, R. virescens extract has a beneficial effect on the regulation of blood lipids. With regular use of the mushroom for 30 days, there is a decrease in triglycerides, total cholesterol. In addition, the level of serum, hepatic malondialdehydes decreases, the content of the enzyme superoxide dismutase increases.

The main useful property of russula of this type is the ability to suppress Ehrlich’s carcinoma and Saracoma-90 by 180%.

3. Russula is browning. The cap of the mushroom is dark red, brown-ocher, yellowish, olive, burgundy with a purple-brown or black center, strongly convex. Reaches 5 – 15 centimeters in diameter. Sometimes with a purple edge wrapped inwards. The plates are soft, branched at the legs of cream, ocher or brown, turn brown when pressed. When broken, the flesh is white, darkens over time, the leg has a herring smell, which intensifies towards the base, the cap has a crab or nutty taste. The stem is white, rarely with rusty patches, it can be pink or red.

Russula browning is characterized by a rich amino acid, protein composition. An extract from fresh fruiting bodies inhibits the growth of the pyrimethamine-resistant malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum.

4. Russula is blue-yellow. A distinctive feature is the variety of colors, which can be multi-color, blurry. The color of the hat varies from purple, blue to dark green, red-brown, the diameter reaches 15 centimeters. The surface of the fungus is sticky, shiny, with a ribbed edge. The pulp and leg are white, the plates are flexible, completely unbreakable. Fruiting from June to October.

Polysaccharides of the fruiting bodies of the fungus have antitumor, antioxidant activity.

5. Russula olive (herring). The hat is convex, prostrate, 5–12 centimeters in diameter, naked, slightly mucous, depressed in the center, with a ribbed edge. The flesh is white, turning brown with age. The skin is easily separated from the cap. Russula olive emits a characteristic smell of herring, which is especially felt in aging mushrooms at the base of the stem. The plates are frequent, adherent to the stem, white. With age, they become creamy, turning brown when pressed. The thickness of the leg is 2 centimeters, the height is up to 10 centimeters, the surface is smooth, dirty pinkish-yellow or white.

Fruits in July-August.

It is used for salting, marinating, cooking soups, frying.

Healing properties and contraindications

Russula is low-calorie (100 grams of a fresh product contains 19 calories), since it is 90% water and has a rich vitamin and mineral composition.

The benefits of forest gifts for the human body can not be overestimated. Interestingly, in ancient times, mushrooms were used by folk healers to treat various ailments: frostbite, boils, headaches, psycho-emotional disorders.

The effect of russula on the human body:

1. Provides vitamins, minerals, protein. Interestingly, to satisfy the body in proteins, it is enough to eat 150-200 grams of dried mushrooms per day. This property looks especially attractive to vegetarians and raw foodists who suffer from a lack of protein in the diet due to the exclusion of meat products from the menu.
2. Strengthen the immune system, prevent cancer due to the content of selenium.
3. They clean the vessels, prevent the formation of cholesterol plaques, thickening of the blood, the formation of blood clots, which are the causes of the development of cardiovascular pathologies.
4. Normalize metabolism, remove excess fluid from the body, promote weight loss.
5. They prevent emotional disorders, mental exhaustion, calm the nervous system.
6. Improve the condition of teeth, nails, hair, skin, bones.
7. Cleanse the stomach and intestines (adsorb harmful substances from the body).

Interestingly, the juice of mushrooms is used externally in the fight against corns (keratinized skin of the legs). A safe daily dose of russula for an adult healthy person is 150 grams. Be extremely careful when collecting the gifts of the forest, so as not to pluck poisonous specimens.

Russula, like other types of mushrooms, belongs to the category of indigestible foods. Despite the healing properties of the product, they are not recommended for people with acute inflammatory processes of the digestive system, impaired liver and heart functions, with individual intolerance, children under 7 years old, pregnant and lactating women.

When to collect?

Russula grows on the edges, glades, in all forests. The first young mushrooms appear in June, and the most fruitful time is in August. The most delicious russula with yellow and green caps. Do not collect overgrown natural gifts, they accumulate harmful foreign substances from the environment. Fresh, young mushrooms that are not bitten by insects are suitable for food. Throw away wormy specimens immediately.

In order to come back to a familiar place next time and collect a rich harvest of mushrooms, you should spare the mycelium: russula, like any gifts of nature, cannot be pulled out of the ground, they must be carefully cut with a knife at the base.

Safety regulations:

1. Do not pick a mushroom without identifying it. Collect only those specimens that you are sure of, otherwise you can cut off an inedible poisonous product that can cause intoxication of the body and even lead to death.
2. All russula on the inside have white plates, white legs, without scales, films, rings. Cut mushrooms practically do not change color. They remain white (rarely – barely turn yellow).
3. If it rained heavily in summer, refuse to pick mushrooms, as they were soaked with water, lost their taste, and released toxic substances.
4. After harvesting, the mushrooms are re-sorted to identify “random” unsuitable specimens, then placed in a cool salt solution for an hour or three to eliminate insects and a bitter taste.
5. Before eating russula, they are subjected to reliable heat treatment! In no case do not use the product in its raw form!

Mushrooms are harvested in the morning before the sun heats them up. So they last longer. Cut specimens are immediately cleaned of debris, adhering needles, grass, earth and leaves, put in a basket with a hat down.

Mushroom picker’s equipment:

• stick for searching for mushrooms;
• electronic GPS navigator;
• basket for mushrooms;
• disinfectant and plaster;
• phone (to call the rescue service);
• basket and knife for mushrooms;
• water and sandwiches.

Remember, poisonous mushrooms often disguise themselves as edible mushrooms, so before heading into the woods, brush up on how to tell a good specimen from a toadstool. Don’t put your health at risk.

Mushroom is an insidious product, follow the safety rules!

Selection and storage

If you are not a mushroom picker, russula can be bought on the market from people who know a lot about them. The most important thing is to choose the right product. Examine the mushroom carefully. Real russula has a dense or hollow leg, smooth, white. The pulp is extremely fragile, it can darken on the cut (extremely rare). There are no membranes. A hat of various colors with white or yellow plates. But in no case can they be brown, black or red. If there is a crimson or purple spot on the hat, most likely it is a false inedible russula.

In the selection process, give preference to dense mushrooms, avoid old, dry specimens. Blue-green or yellow russula are considered the highest quality and most delicious.

After harvesting, the crop retains its nutritional properties for the next 24 to 48 hours. It is believed that the mushroom is a perishable product that should be cooked immediately. If the preparation of the dish is planned for the next day, in this case, dry russula is placed in the refrigerator.

Dried mushrooms can be stored up to 1,5 years. And salted and pickled no more than 1 year. Interestingly, after drying, forest bread retains useful amino acids and dietary fiber, only protein, which is 40% of the original amount, leaves.

Chemical composition

Russula is a dietary product rich in useful minerals, vitamins, and elements. Mushrooms are digested for a long time in the body, creating a feeling of satiety, therefore they are indicated for use by people (boiled) who have embarked on the path of combating excess weight.

Russula contains lecithin – the most important substance for the human body. This is a fat-like organic compound, a building material for cell membranes. Lecithin consists of 17% of nerve tissue, 30% of the brain and 50% of the human liver. It improves memory, strengthens brain activity, preserves the conductivity of nerve fibers, protects liver cells, normalizes the composition of bile, and strengthens the heart muscle. Without lecithin, proper absorption of fat-soluble nutrients (A, E, K, D) is impossible.

Cooking application

After collecting russula, consider the peculiarity of the fungus. This is an extremely fragile product. To facilitate cleaning, pre-dip them in boiling water. The film is removed if it is bitter, if not, the mushroom is boiled with it. The shell does not allow the product to boil, preserves its integrity.

Before use, the mushrooms are soaked for two hours, boiled for at least 5 minutes, and only after that they are subjected to the main processing processes – pickling, salting or frying.

Russula is harmoniously combined with meat, vegetables. Vegetarian puree soups, pie fillings, and sauces are prepared on their basis. Russula serve as an excellent side dish or served as an independent dish.

Salting mushrooms

Ingredients:

• Garlic – 3 cloves;
• bulb – 1 head;
• rock salt – 60 grams;
• vegetable oil – 45 milliliters;
• blueberries – 5 leaves;
• fresh edible russula – 1 kilogram.

Method of preparation:

1. Clean the mushrooms from dirt, rinse, place in a container, sprinkle with salt.
2. Remove the peel from the garlic, cut into small slices, add to the russula, along with blueberry sprigs. Leave in a dark, cool place for 12 hours.
3. Peel the onion, chop, mix with oil. Add to mushrooms. Mix the contents thoroughly.
4. Fill jars and place in refrigerator. A month later, salted russula are ready for use.

Marinating mushrooms

There are several ways to do this: with vinegar, garlic and onions.

Let’s consider each of them.

Marinating with Vinegar:

1. Peel the mushrooms, cut the legs short, if necessary, remove the film from the hat.
2. Pour boiling water over the russula, boil for 5 minutes, cool, then discard in a colander.
3. Sterilize the jars, lay the bay leaf, dill umbrellas, tarragon sprig, currant leaves on the bottom.
4. Prepare the marinade: for 250 milliliters of water you will need 25 grams of rock salt and 50 milliliters of vinegar. Calculate the right amount of brine based on the number of mushrooms.
5. Arrange the russula in jars, pour boiling marinade, tighten the lids.

Pickling with garlic:

1. Rinse, boil the mushrooms.
2. Peel the garlic from the peel, chop into thin slices.
3. In a saucepan, lay the first layer of mushrooms with a hat down, sprinkle with salt and garlic, then the second, third. Please note that for 1 kilogram of russula you will need 15 – 20 grams of salt. The amount of garlic depends on individual preference.
4. Keep mushrooms in a cold place for 14 days. After 2 weeks, they acquire a sharp, rich taste. Good as an appetizer with vodka.

Remember, russula prepared in this way are not stored for a long time, they need to be eaten within 4 to 7 days.

Ingredients for pickling with onions:

• russula with hard caps – 1 kilogram;
• purified water – 400 milliliters;
• vinegar – 250 milliliters;
• sugar – 15 gram;
• cloves – 3 bud;
• bay leaf – 4 pieces;
• onions – 300 grams;
• rock salt – 20 grams;
• allspice – 5 peas.

Principle of preparation:

1. Peel the mushrooms, soak, boil for 15 minutes, throw in a colander to eliminate excess liquid.
2. In 400 milliliters of water, add sugar, salt, onion, these spices, bring to a boil. Pour vinegar into the spicy solution.
3. Add russula to the resulting marinade. Boil 5 minutes.
4. Sterilize the jars.
5. Divide hot mushrooms into containers, fill with brine, close with lids.

Mushroom cooking

1. Rinse, sort out the mushrooms, put in a saucepan.
2. Pour cold water on the basis of the ratio: 1 part of the product accounts for 2 parts of the liquid.
3. Place the pot on the stove, bring to a boil, remove the foam.
4. Reduce heat, add black pepper pot, salt, bay leaf. Cook for 30 minutes.

Remember, in no case should you use the water in which the mushrooms were cooked, because during the heat treatment all the harmful substances from the product moved into the liquid. After cooking, immediately drain the broth and rinse the pan.

Chops from russula

1. Choose mushrooms with large and flat caps (500 grams), soak in salted water, boil for 5 minutes, drain in a colander.
2. Prepare the batter: mix flour (70 grams), water (60 milliliters), eggs (1 piece), salt, spices (to taste), mayonnaise (30 milliliters), grated garlic (3 cloves).
3. Dip the hat into the resulting mixture, then spread it on a hot frying pan with vegetable oil.
4. Fry on both sides until golden brown. Serve with vegetable salad.

Mushrooms stewed in sour cream

1. Rinse, cut 450 grams of russula into slices, fry over high heat in vegetable oil for 5 minutes.
2. Peel 2 heads of vegetable onions from the peel, chop into cubes.
3. Cut a bunch of dill.
4. Add onions and greens to fried mushrooms, pour 450 milliliters of sour cream, 20% fat. Salt, pepper. Simmer covered for up to half an hour.
5. Serve as a sauce (previously passed through a blender) with rice, pasta or an independent dish.

Conclusion

Russula is the most common type of edible mushroom that grows in deciduous and coniferous forests. Currently, there is an opinion that they can be eaten raw, but this is not the case. Some species are inedible and have a pungent taste. One of the brightest representatives is the “caustic russula”, which causes poisoning, intoxication of the body and, if consumed in large quantities, can cause death. Edible varieties (food, scaly, brown, herring, blue-yellow) have a faint smell, a sweetish-nutty taste, a white leg and plates. A distinctive feature of russula is a very brittle pulp. To preserve the structure of the mushroom in cooking, it is scalded with boiling water.

Russula – forest bread that supplies the body with sodium, magnesium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, vitamins B1, B2, B3, E, C. The fungus acts as an antibacterial agent, strengthens the immune system, helps in the fight for a slim body, prevents the formation of blood clots, thickening of the blood, normalizes the work of the cardiovascular system. Contraindicated in children under 7 years of age, pregnant and lactating women, people with impaired liver, kidney, stomach, allergic to the product.

A safe daily dose of russula per day is up to 150 grams.

If, after eating mushrooms, there are severe abdominal pains, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, body temperature rises, hallucinations appear, and hands and feet become cold, urgently call an ambulance. These symptoms indicate poisoning, a serious condition that can pose a threat to a person’s life. Before the doctor arrives, give the victim first aid – plenty of fluids and a sorbent (activated charcoal).