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Sheep polypore is a rather rare, but tasty and healthy mushroom from the Albatrell family. It is used both for the treatment of diseases and for culinary purposes, so it is interesting to study the features of sheep albatrellus in more detail.
Description of sheep tinder
Sheep tinder fungus, also called sheep albatrellus, is a mushroom with dense, brittle white flesh that turns yellow when dried or lightly pressed. It smells most often not very pleasant, soapy, but some argue that the smell can be floury or almond.
It is easy to recognize a sheep tinder fungus by its characteristic structure.
It is easiest to recognize fruiting bodies by the structure of the cap and stem. Therefore, the photo and description of the sheep tinder fungus should be studied more carefully.
Cap Description
Sheep tinder fungus is a medium-sized mushroom, the cap of which can reach 10 cm in diameter. In shape, it is most often rounded, but the edges can be wavy or lobed, sharp and thin. In the photo of the sheep tinder fungus, it is noticeable that in mature fruiting bodies the caps often crack, while in young ones they are smooth, silky to the touch and covered with smooth skin. The color of the mushroom varies from whitish to beige and cream.
The cap of the sheep albatrellus is wavy, with a thin sharp edge
The lower surface of the cap of the sheep tinder fungus is tubular, strongly running down the stem. The color of the tubules is also white, cream, greenish-yellow or yellow-lemon, noticeably turn yellow when pressed. The pores of the tinder fungus are rounded or angular in shape.
Description of the leg
The sheep albatrellus mushroom rises on average 3-7 cm above the ground, the girth of the leg is up to 3 cm. The structure of the leg is dense and smooth, solid from the inside, in shape it is straight or slightly curved, with a slight narrowing towards the base. A photo of a sheep mushroom shows that the color of the stem is the same as that of the rest of the mushroom, white, cream, beige or grayish.
Where and how to grow
Sheep tinder fungus in Our Country can be found from mid-summer to the end of autumn, mainly in the Far East and Siberia, as well as in the Central region. It grows mainly in mixed and coniferous forests under spruce trees, it is also found on the edges and clearings, in glades and on roadsides. For growth, the fungus often chooses moss cover and alkaline or neutral soils.
You can find sheep albatrellus in single specimens, but more often the fungus grows in small groups. At the same time, the fruiting bodies are usually closely pressed to each other and even grow together with the legs and edges of the caps.
Twins and their differences
Sheep tinder fungus has quite a few twins – mushrooms that are similar in structure to it, but differ in color and taste. The tinder fungus does not have toxic twins, but it should not be confused with related species anyway. Not all similar mushrooms can please with the same pleasant taste.
Merging tinder fungus
It is possible to confuse related species primarily because of their structure. Merging tinder fungus also has a rounded cap with wavy edges, and often grows in small groups of several fused fruiting bodies.
You can distinguish mushrooms by color – the merging tinder fungus is much darker, its color is closer to red-brown. It is also possible to eat a related species for food, so the error in this case is not dangerous.
yellow hedgehog
You can accidentally confuse the sheep albatrellus with the yellow hedgehog – the fruiting bodies are similar in size and shape of the cap. It is also rounded, slightly wavy, it often grows in groups of several specimens. Yellow urchins are edible, although some sources state that mature fruiting bodies are too bitter.
It is possible to distinguish between the sheep tinder fungus and the yellow hedgehog by color – the blackberry is much brighter, it has a pronounced yellow tint. In addition, the structure of the hymenophore is different – on the underside of the cap, the blackberry has not tubules, but peculiar spines, as if hanging vertically down.
Blushing albatrellus
This related species also has a wide cap with a wavy edge, it sometimes reaches 10 cm in width. You can distinguish sheep and blushing albatrellus by color – a blushing fungus is characterized by light ocher, light brown or light brown shades. You can also recognize it by a slightly pinkish pubescent leg, which turns red when dried.
crested albatrellus
Inexperienced mushroom pickers who have not studied the photo of the sheep tinder fungus properly may mistake the related comb albatrellus for it. This mushroom is characterized by a wide hat with curved wavy edges; in general, the varieties are very similar in shape.
But at the same time, the comb tinder fungus has a pronounced olive-brown or greenish-brown color. You can’t eat the mushroom, it is not poisonous, but it has an unpleasant taste, and its flesh is too hard.
Is sheep mushroom edible or not
Experts do not rate the taste qualities of sheep albatrellus very highly, it belongs only to the 4th category of edibility. But, nevertheless, sheep tinder is completely suitable for eating, although it is preferable to choose only young, fresh fruiting bodies for cooking.
How to cook sheep tinder
Sheep tinder is eaten in a variety of ways. It is used in cold appetizers and hot dishes, harvested for the winter and dried for medical purposes.
Mushroom preparation
Before cooking sheep albatrellus, it must be processed. The preparation consists in the fact that the lower part of the stem is cut off from the fungus, and then the fruiting body is washed and boiled in salted water. Cooking should take 15-20 minutes.
In the process of boiling, the light pulp of the tinder fungus acquires a greenish-yellow hue. This is completely normal and should not cause concern.
Sheep tinder soup recipe
From the pulp of sheep albatrellus, you can make a nutritious and tasty soup. The recipe looks like this:
- fresh tinder fungi in the amount of 1 kg are cleaned, the legs are cut off and the hats are cut into small pieces;
- tinder fungi are boiled for 15 minutes, at the same time, 4 onions, cut into half rings, are lightly fried in oil in a pan;
- when the onion acquires a light golden hue, it is poured into a saucepan with mushrooms, and 350 g of millet, buckwheat or any other cereals are added, a little greens to taste and your favorite seasonings.
The soup is boiled until the cereal is fully cooked, after which it is removed from the stove and served on the table.
How to cook sheep tinder rolls
Mushroom tinder rolls can become a home table decoration. Preparing them is very simple, for this you need:
- boil, and then lightly fry 300-500 g of tinder fungi in vegetable oil;
- skip the fried tinder fungi through a meat grinder or cut into very small pieces with a knife;
- mix minced mushrooms with chopped onions, boiled eggs and pieces of cheese, while determining the proportions according to your own taste;
- if desired, add a little mayonnaise, and then gently wrap in pita bread.
Mushroom rolls are distinguished not only by their pleasant taste, but also by their nutritional value, so they can act as an independent snack.
Blanks from sheep tinder for the winter
Sheep tinder fungus can be prepared for the winter, in which case it will be possible to use it even several months after collection. Basically use 2 ways to process mushrooms for long-term storage.
Drying
Drying sheep tinder is very simple. For this you need:
- clean fresh mushrooms from the ground, adhering needles and other debris;
- wipe them with a towel or paper napkins;
- strung on a thin thread and hang in a dry place with good ventilation.
When the pulp begins to crumble in the fingers when rubbed, the tinder fungus can be removed into a dry glass jar. When drying, it is important to monitor the level of humidity in the room – in damp conditions, the albatrellus will simply become moldy. Before drying, the mushrooms should not be washed, in which case they will only gain excess moisture.
Pickling
Among the recipes for cooking sheep mushroom, pickling is very popular. The recipe looks like this:
- mushrooms are cleaned and boiled in salt water for 30 minutes;
- then the tinder fungi are transferred to a glass jar and covered with salt at the rate of 50 g per 1 kg of fruiting bodies;
- after that, a few bay leaves, 2-3 chopped garlic cloves, a few peas of black pepper are added to the jar;
- the ingredients are mixed properly and covered with oppression.
In a few days, the marinade will completely cover the fruiting bodies in the jar, and after a week, the tinder fungi can be served on the table.
Medicinal properties
The composition of sheep tinder includes all the main vitamins and minerals, as well as amino acids, organic acids, fiber, antibiotic and immunomodulatory substances. Therefore, with regular use of albatrellus:
- works as a natural anti-inflammatory and prevents the development of infections;
- reduces pain in chronic and acute diseases;
- increases the body’s immunity due to the significant content of vitamin C and folic acid;
- has a beneficial effect on the skeletal system and strengthens blood vessels;
- helps to normalize digestion.
It is useful to use fruiting bodies with a tendency to anemia, sheep tinder contains a lot of proteins, so it helps to quickly gain muscle mass and improves blood composition.
The use of sheep mushroom in folk medicine
Sheep tinder can often be found in home health recipes. On its basis, decoctions and water infusions, alcohol tinctures and dry powders are prepared.
Of particular value is the substance grifolin in the composition of the fungus, it inhibits the growth of malignant cells and helps prevent cancer.
Sheep tinder fungus is also used to relieve inflammation during colds, infections and joint ailments – neogrifolin in its composition helps to fight negative processes.
Tinder contains the substance scutigeral, it is considered an effective pain reliever and can be used to relieve discomfort in a wide variety of ailments.
The main thing is that sheep albatrellus be present on the table on a regular basis.
Eating sheep tinder is good for health
Limitations and contraindications
With numerous beneficial properties, sheep tinder fungus can be harmful to health. It is not recommended to use it:
- with exacerbations of chronic diseases of the stomach, the tinder fungus is slowly digested and can create an unnecessary burden on the digestive tract;
- with a tendency to constipation;
- with serious liver diseases;
- during pregnancy and during lactation.
It is also better not to offer fruiting bodies to children under 10 years old, their intestines may not be able to cope with the absorption of tinder fungus.
How to grow sheep mushroom at home
The rare Red Book albatrellus is rarely found in the forest and is sometimes prohibited for collection. However, it can be grown in the country at home. The algorithm looks like this:
- mycelium, purchased at a specialized store or via the Internet, is mixed with a nutrient substrate of wood chips, sawdust and small twigs;
- the substrate is placed in clean plastic bags with cuts for air access, moistened with water and left in a warm room with a temperature of at least 20 ° C;
- the lighting in the room should be natural, mushrooms do not like bright sunlight, but they also do not grow in complete darkness.
From time to time, the substrate is moistened, not allowing it to dry out. In a month, the first fruiting bodies can grow.
You can grow a sheep mushroom in your country house
Conclusion
Sheep polypore is a mushroom with valuable medicinal properties and a rather pleasant taste. It is rare to meet him in the forest, mushroom picking is not allowed everywhere, however, albatrellus is well suited for growing at home.
