Svinushka mushrooms: photo and description, is it possible to eat

Svinushki are popular mushrooms growing in America, Europe, and on the territory of regions. They come in several varieties that differ in size, shape and color. Edible or not pig mushrooms, every mushroom picker needs to know.

Varieties of pig mushrooms

The genus Svinushka combines mushrooms of the Svinushka family. In the scientific literature, they are called Paxillus, which means “a bag, a small amount.” The definition of a pig is due to the fact that in young specimens the shape of the hats is similar to the pig’s snout. Other names were common among the people – straw, pig, cowshed. In total, the genus includes 35 varieties.

The most common types of pigs:

1. Thin. Previously, it was considered conditionally edible, and according to the modern classification, it belongs to poisonous. Because of this circumstance, it is also called a false pig. A hat up to 15 cm in size is fleshy, straight, with a small funnel in the center. Its edges are lowered, wavy. On the reverse side, the cap is lamellar. Its color is brown or brown. The pulp is dense, soft, as the fruiting body grows, it becomes loose. The leg is low, up to 9 cm, brown or brown in color.

   

2. Thick. A fairly rare variety that is found in the temperate zone of Europe. It has a clearly marked hat 5-15 cm in size, convex, hemispherical in shape. Its central part is slightly depressed. The surface is dry, velvety to the touch, brown or ocher. The length of the leg reaches 12 cm, in girth – 5 cm. The pulp of the mushroom is whitish, odorless. The variety is considered conditionally edible. It is eaten after heat treatment.

   

3. Alder. A poisonous species that is found in many countries in Europe. It enters into a symbiotic relationship with the alder, which is how it got its name. The cap has a slightly pronounced funnel shape. Its color is yellow to reddish brown. The outer surface is dry, has pronounced cracks. The pulp is dense, odorless, as it grows, it becomes more friable. The stem is thin, up to 1,5 cm thick and no more than 5 cm long. The fruiting body tapers from top to bottom.

   

4. ear-shaped. The variety grows in conifers. It is collected on the territory of Kazakhstan and Our Country. The hat of its representatives is hard, up to 15 cm in size. The leg is small, in some specimens it is not clearly expressed. The hat is fan-shaped, sometimes it looks like a shell. The edges are torn, with numerous teeth. The velvety surface gradually becomes more even. Its color is reddish, brown or yellowish. Inside the fruiting body is light, dense, like rubber .;
   Attention! Ear pig contains few toxins, but they pose a health hazard. Therefore, the variety is not used for food.

   

5. Ammonia, or Paxillus ammoniavirescens. Poisonous dangerous species that is found in Western Europe and North Africa. It is distributed in coniferous forests, gardens, city parks. The fruit body of representatives of this species is up to 10 cm high. Their hat is dense, fleshy, brown in color with a diameter not exceeding 12 cm. Active growth of the culture begins in autumn.

   

6. Paxillus obscurisporus. These mushrooms grow from spring to late autumn. They prefer coniferous and deciduous forests. They have a characteristic cap of light brown color with a golden tint. Its edges are raised, wavy. The cap size is from 5 to 14 cm. The pulp is beige, has a pleasant aroma. The leg of gray or yellow color tapers from the cap to the ground, its diameter is up to 8 cm.

   

7. Filamentous, or Paxillus rubicun The variety is distinguished by the shape of the cap – funnel-shaped, up to 15 cm in size. Its surface is smooth, velvety to the touch. Color – brown, yellowish, gray or ocher. White flesh with a brown undertone. The yellowish leg, no more than 10 cm high, has the shape of a cylinder. The plates of the fungus are numerous, yellow in color, with a reddish or brown undertone. This variety is common in European countries.

   

8. Paxillus vernalis, or spring pig. The mushroom grows in North America, next to birches or aspens. In Europe, it is found in Denmark, England, Estonia. Prefers mountainous areas. Its cap is convex, smooth or slightly rough. The color is varied, brown or yellow tones predominate. A leg up to 9 cm high in circumference reaches 2 cm.

   

What does a pig mushroom look like

According to the photo and description, the pig mushroom looks a bit like a breast. Its leg is not large, no more than 9 cm long. Its thickness is about 2 cm. The leg has a color similar to the hat.

The cap is fleshy in structure, powerful, rounded or elongated in shape. Its size is 12 – 15 cm. In the largest representatives, the hat grows up to 20 cm. In young specimens, it is convex, gradually becoming thicker and concave. At the same time, its wavy edges are bent down.

The hat has a variety of colors: yellow, greenish, reddish, brown, gray, brown. The color changes as the fruiting body grows: from muted light shades to rich dark ones. On the reverse side, the hat is light gray, with a yellowish or brown undertone. Its surface is rough to the touch, but after long rains it becomes sticky.

Where pigs grow

Pigs are found in the temperate climate zone. They prefer deciduous, coniferous, mixed forests. They are found in clearings and forest edges, roadsides, ravines, marshes. Often these mushrooms enter into symbiosis with pine, alder, birch, aspen. The species grows next to fallen and rotting trunks, singly or in large groups.

To find an edible species – a fat pig – they first check the stumps and trees. The fungus is more common near pine trees and stumps overgrown with moss. Fruiting bodies develop under two conditions: high humidity and high temperature. In dry summers, in the absence of precipitation, the yield of mushrooms is significantly reduced.

When pigs are harvested

Pigs have a long growth period. They appear from early June to late October. Their mass development begins towards the end of autumn. In large numbers, these mushrooms appear at the end of August.

Mushrooms that look like pigs

The fat pig has characteristic features that distinguish it from other mushrooms. It is almost impossible to find poisonous varieties that resemble it.

According to external signs, the following mushrooms are closest to the fat pig:

1. Gyrodon. This edible variety consists of a cap up to 12 cm in size and a long stem. The color of the representatives is brown with a yellow or red undertone. Their flesh is dense, yellow, odorless and tasteless. They grow singly or in groups in summer or autumn.

   

2. Polish mushroom. Belongs to the genus Borovik. Its hat, up to 15 cm in size, is convex or flat. Its surface is brown, slightly sticky. The pulp is dense, white or yellow. A culture grows next to pines, spruces, chestnuts, and is edible. The collection period is from June to November.

   

3. podolshanik. Tube mushroom, which is edible. Its hat, up to 10 cm in size, is convex and sticky. Its color is ocher or greyish. The leg up to 7 cm long has the shape of a cylinder, gray or brown. The pulp is light yellow. The species is rare, mostly preferring deciduous forests where alder grows.

   

Is it possible to eat pig mushrooms

According to reviews, pig mushrooms, which grow in many regions of Our Country, are eaten. This applies to only one variety – the fat pig. Before use, it is boiled over low heat. The broth must be drained, because it contains toxins. Then the resulting mass is washed with clean water.

Edible fat pig is not considered a delicacy. It is classified as a low quality mushroom. The taste and aroma of the pulp are rated as mediocre. However, this variety has useful properties. It contains atromentin. It is a brown pigment that is used as an antibiotic. On its basis, polyporic acid is obtained – a drug to fight tumors.

Pork also contains telephoric acid. It is distinguished by its blue color, therefore it is actively used as a dye. Most often, the pigment is used to dye woolen threads.

Why are pigs considered poisonous?

The most dangerous to health are thin poisonous pigs. Previously, they were classified as conditionally edible. Their use in food after heat treatment was allowed. Since 1981 they have been excluded from this list.

Officially, the fat pig is not recommended for collection, processing and sale. The pulp contains an antigen, which, when ingested, accumulates in the blood. At elevated concentrations, an allergic reaction begins in a person. The body produces antibodies that cannot cope with the antigen.

The reaction of the body to pigs is individual and unpredictable. Excessive consumption increases the risk of anemia and kidney failure. This carries the risk of death. For some people, eating these mushrooms is completely safe. For others, even a small amount can lead to irreversible consequences.

The danger of pigs lies in the fact that they accumulate harmful substances in the pulp. Therefore, it is not recommended to pick mushrooms that grow near factories, industrial zones and cities. Accumulated harmful substances are not removed from the pulp even with prolonged cooking. When eaten, they enter the human body.

In case of pig poisoning, the first symptoms appear after 30-40 minutes. First, there is a general malaise: vomiting, fever, diarrhea, abdominal pain, high sweating. Then the victim has pallor of the skin, jaundice, hemoglobin rises. In severe cases, complications are diagnosed: lesions of the kidneys, circulatory and respiratory systems.

In case of poisoning, you need to call a doctor. Then the victim is given first aid:

• give activated charcoal or another sorbent to drink;
• induce vomiting and do gastric lavage;
• make sure that the patient drinks more warm water.

The patient is taken to the toxicology department. To reduce the autoimmune reaction, special antihistamines are taken. The rehabilitation period takes several weeks.

Conclusion

Whether pig mushrooms are edible or not is still a matter of debate. When collecting representatives of this species, pay attention to the size or color of the hats. So you can reject poisonous specimens from edible ones. Before eating, fruiting bodies are subjected to heat treatment to remove toxins. In case of poisoning, immediately consult a doctor.