Ryzhik

The first category of edible mushrooms is not very numerous. Along with white, such a revered mushroom as camelina also belongs to it. Any mushroom picker first of all turns his attention to this “highest standard” of the kingdom of mushrooms. The wonderful taste of camelina has long been famous in many countries of the world, and its beneficial properties are actively used in medicine.

General characteristics

Ginger (Lactarius deliciosus) belongs to the russula family, the genus milky, a characteristic feature of which is a well-formed fruiting body of a cap and stem. The pulp is fragile, milky juice is released when pressed.

Ginger is an edible mushroom, the first category. According to external signs, the mushroom is cap, lamellar.

The mycelium of many hat soil fungi comes into contact with the roots of plants, in our case woody ones, and this results in a natural complex-fungal root, or mycorrhiza. The fungus borrows organic substances and vitamins from the tree, and itself transports water with dissolved minerals to it. Ginger creates mycorrhiza with spruce and pine, and this cooperation is beneficial to both of them.

Description

To determine which forest dweller is in front of you, you must first of all pay attention to the hat: its shape and size, the nature of the surface (smooth, scaly, mucous, dry, fibrous, etc.), its color and possible changes when dried, pressed.

The cap of the camelina grows to the size of a saucer with a diameter of 17 cm, its shape is flat or depressed in the middle, the edges are wrapped down. In the future, it takes the form of a funnel. Color from red to light orange, sometimes bluish-green with dark circles and green spots. The skin is smooth in appearance, moist and sticky to the touch.

Also, to recognize the type of fungus, one should distinguish between the features of the pulp:

• its consistency;
• Colour;
• smell;
• taste;
• structure.

The pulp of the product is dense, fleshy, orange, later acquires a green tint. Juice flows out of the pulp when pressed, which is why these mushrooms belong to the lactic genus. The milky juice is orange-yellow, sweet in taste, has a resinous smell, turns green in the air.

The plates are attached to the stem, notched, yellow-orange. When pressed, they turn green.

Leg up to 2 cm thick and 9 cm long, smooth, hollow, brittle, has a cylindrical shape, the same color as the cap.

Raznovydnost

There are two types of mushrooms:

1. Pine (red) in the coniferous forest are visible from afar. They are orange-red, almost carrot-colored. A hat with a diameter of 3-15 cm with a depression in the middle in the form of a funnel, there are concentric circles. The cap is smooth, slimy, its lower part consists of plates. Pine mushrooms grow in young pine plantations, in larch plantations, and are found in rare pine forests. They prefer sandy soils.
2. Spruce mushrooms (spruce forests) are the same shape and size as pine, but his hat is thinner, and the color can be either red or bluish-green. The leg is the same color as the cap or has a lighter tone. They grow in groups in young spruce forests, sometimes in clearings of pine forests.

Picking mushrooms according to the calendar

If there is anywhere expanse for quiet mushroom hunting, it is with us. In this regard, the CIS countries are perhaps the richest on the planet both in terms of the amount of growing forest products and the diversity of species. They grow mainly on humus-rich forest, forest-steppe and steppe soils.

According to popular beliefs, we owe the mass appearance of mushrooms to warm days, not heavy rains, deeply moisturizing the soil. If the air temperature fluctuates sharply, this does not contribute to the appearance of the crop. Let us give as an example a proverb about attachment to tree species, as well as a folk sign of the appearance of a forest delicacy:

1. “Mushrooms bloom generously there, where they ate, pines, firs, cedars.”
2. “The first mist of summer is a true mushroom sign.”

The lifespan of mushrooms is different. The mushroom picker usually lives for several years, and fruiting bodies exist from 3 to 15 days. Periods of mass appearance of mushrooms come in waves, the first collection stretches for 10-15 days. July generously gives a harvest of mushrooms. Their growth coincides with the earing of rye. Such a valuable species as camelina accounts for approximately 3% of the total collection of all mushrooms.

Then there is relative calm. Now the harvest of mushrooms will depend on the amount of precipitation. If at the end of July there were warm rains, then from mid-August to the end of September they will bear fruit in large numbers. The most plentiful and the last layer of fruiting of saffron milk caps in the year coincides with the harvesting of cereals.

The folk wisdom about mushrooms speaks the truth: “To live near the forest is not to be hungry.”

Mushroom memo:

• mushrooms need to be cut with a knife or twisted;

• do not collect mushrooms unknown to you;

• do not cut mushrooms growing along roads and near industrial areas.

The nutritional value

In terms of nutritional value, mushrooms resemble a mixture of vegetables, fish and meat, so the name “forest meat” can rightly be applied to them. It is known that the mushroom cap contains much more protein and fat than the leg, while the fiber content, on the contrary, is less.

Nothing compares to the extraordinary mushroom aroma. Its charm lies in the fact that mushrooms contain a large number of enzymes that stimulate appetite, as well as extractive substances that promote the digestion and assimilation of food.

At the same time, the energy value (calorie content) of 100 grams of the product is 22,3 kcal.

An interesting fact about salted mushrooms: in terms of calories, this dish exceeds beef and chicken by more than 75 calories, chicken eggs – by 40, whole cow’s milk – by 15 calories.

Ryzhiki are considered champions in terms of calorie content and digestibility, three to four times overlapping fruits and vegetables. Like other mushrooms, mushrooms are rich in B and PP vitamins. The high presence of phosphorus in the composition brings them closer to fish in this indicator. The presence in them of such valuable trace elements as copper, iodine, manganese, zinc makes them an important product that has a beneficial effect on the metabolism in the cells of the human body. According to the zinc content, the mushroom delicacy is almost close to vegetable products, there is as much copper in them as is contained in natural cocoa. According to the content of calcium salts, mushrooms are close to raisins and prunes.

Of course, one should not recommend a mushroom product as the only source of proteins needed by a person. To do this, one would have to eat up to 2 kg of fresh mushrooms per day. Nutritionists say that the nutritional value of mushrooms is greatly increased when they are used as a seasoning in the preparation of other dishes, crushed (fresh) or in powder form (dried). Not crushed mushrooms are more difficult to digest and less absorbed.

Useful Properties

Biologists isolate antibiotics from different types of fungi. Swedish scientists examined more than 57 cap mushrooms for antibiotic properties and concluded that 25 of them prevent the growth of pathogens, and 22 delay it.

A significant fact is that the antibiotic lactarioviolin was isolated from camelina, which reduces fat oxidation, inhibits the development of pathogenic bacteria, including the causative agent of tuberculosis.

Beneficial effect on the human body:

• has anti-inflammatory effect;
• stimulates the work of the intestines;
• accelerates recovery from lung diseases;
• antirheumatic agent;
• bactericidal, antioxidant agent.

Противопоказания

The high content of extractive and aromatic substances in mushrooms enhances the secretion of digestive juices. Dishes from mushrooms in clinical nutrition are not applicable.

It is not recommended to abuse the mushroom delicacy for people suffering from:

• chronic gastritis;
• an ulcer;
• diseases of the kidneys and liver;
• hypertension.

However, it is allowed to use mushroom products for patients with diabetes mellitus, since the carbohydrates in them do not increase blood sugar levels.

Ryzhik in cooking

The ancient Roman poet M. Martial wrote “Silver and gold … it’s easy to give up, but it’s hard to refuse a dish of mushrooms.” Among the Slavic peoples, mushrooms have traditionally been an important part of the year-round diet and still remain a real decoration of the table. This type of mushroom is suitable for various processing methods. It is worth noting that you can not use galvanized and pewter dishes.

Salty mushrooms are especially good. This unusually tasty dish preserves the resinous aroma and freshness of the forest. Previously, during the harvest, these mushrooms were salted without leaving the forest, in cedar barrels. They are indispensable as a snack, as a product for filling pies, rich soups, delicious hodgepodges and okroshka are obtained from them.

Ryzhik can be salted immediately, without soaking in cold water. They are washed or rubbed, the legs are cut off, placed in rows in wooden tubs, ceramic jars or enameled buckets, while sprinkling each layer of mushrooms with coarse salt (1 g of salt per 50 kg of mushrooms). Cover with a cloth on top, put a plate on it and put oppression. After a month and a half, the delicacy is ready.

Small salted mushrooms were sent to France in special bottles, which were valued there more than champagne.

Mushroom memo:

• no need to keep mushrooms intended for frying in water for a long time;

• mushrooms are first pre-boiled to remove a specific bitter taste;

• cook better on low heat;

• Dried mushrooms should not be stored in plastic bags.

Redheads with cauliflower

Divide cauliflower heads into inflorescences and boil in salted water until soft, sprinkle with breadcrumbs and fry in oil. Separately, fry the mushrooms, spread them in a pan between pieces of cabbage, grate hard cheese on top and bake in the oven.

Conclusion

Ryzhik – one of the most valuable mushrooms, belonging to the first category of edible mushrooms, is undoubtedly a delicacy in terms of its taste and nutritional qualities. No wonder it is popular both among our compatriots and far beyond our borders.

Its nutritional properties, as well as ease of preparation, put the product on a par with such masters of the mushroom kingdom as white mushroom and real breast.

Usefulness in medicine, in cosmetology make this species even more significant.

Mushrooms are among the highly valuable products that nature itself creates. On the part of a person, care is needed for it, and the waves of the mushroom harvest will not keep you waiting.