violinist

Violin is a conditionally edible mushroom, that is, one that requires specific processing in order to become edible. It belongs to the genus of milkers, and the fungus got its characteristic name due to the fact that when it touches the hat, it makes a creak. In the people, this mushroom is also called euphorbia, and in most civilized countries it is considered inedible, which, in general, is correct. This type of mushroom is quite common in Russia, it is white with a large hat, which sometimes grows up to 25 centimeters in diameter. The hat is quite massive, a hole forms in the center, and the hat is reddish in color. The leg is low and rather thick: usually 5 cm in height and the same in diameter.

Violin very rarely attracts the attention of insects or worms, just like an ordinary milk mushroom, so some mushroom pickers still collect it for further use. It reproduces by spores, which are located in the plates at the bottom of the cap.

The fact that violin is classified as a conditionally edible mushroom has come to us since the times of the USSR, where this mushroom was included in GOST as edible after salting. However, most of the foreign mushroom pickers, as well as scientists, classify it as an exclusively inedible mushroom, and, in general, they do the right thing. Unlike milk mushrooms, violin does not have a pleasant taste, even after prolonged salting and boiling, it remains extremely mediocre in taste and very few people like it. Salting is necessary in order to get rid of violin juice, which can be considered conditionally poisonous, it has a very bitter and unpleasant taste.

The main purpose of salting is just to get rid of this juice, replacing it with salt.

How to distinguish a breast and a violinist

A violinist looks very similar to a mushroom, and in order to distinguish between these two types of mushroom, you need to take a mushroom, cut it a little and look at the juice that will come out. The juice that comes out of the violin, after drying, acquires a characteristic reddish tint. As for external differences, the violinist has rather rare plates at the bottom of the hat.

This mushroom prefers for its life mainly groves, birch or aspen. The mushroom is very sociable, grows mostly in fairly large groups, and loves sunlight very much, so you should look for it in clearings. The land that the violinist chooses to live in is usually covered with leaves or moss. Very often found next to the aspen, and grows together with the roots of the tree and feels great. The ideal period for collecting these mushrooms is the beginning of autumn, from the beginning to the end of September, but in some regions of Belarus it can be collected even until October.

Composition of mushrooms

Violin contains a fairly high concentration of proteins and carbohydrates, as well as fiber, vitamins and minerals. In particular, it contains calcium and potassium, magnesium, sodium and phosphorus. Despite the rather mediocre taste even after salting, violin can be very useful with the right cooking process. The fact is that its chemical composition includes quite a lot of useful biologically active substances that have a good effect on the human body. If you regularly use these mushrooms, of course, properly cooked, it will help to normalize the work of the gastrointestinal tract, and also helps to reduce cholesterol and sugar levels, thereby improving the functioning and condition of the cardiovascular system. Also, due to its chemical composition, this mushroom is able to support immunity, help the body fight inflammation and microbes, and acts as an antioxidant.

How to cook violin

Violin is a conditionally edible mushroom, and in general, if you have a choice, it is better not to eat it. However, if you are a mushroom lover or want to experiment, remember that violin can only be consumed in salted form. Before you start salting this type of mushroom, they are immersed in water for several days, usually 5, periodically changing the water. If you want to speed up the cooking process, you need to pour boiling water over the violin, and drain the water several times a day and pour in boiling water again. In this case, 3 days are enough for the mushrooms to be ready for pickling.

Directly during salting, you need to take a pan, put bay leaves and allspice on its bottom (some mushroom pickers also add currant leaves).

After that, you need to tightly lay the mushrooms with their hats down, and sprinkle each of them with salt, evenly and very carefully. For 1 kilogram of mushrooms, you will need about 50 grams of salt, and after a layer of salt, you need to fill the mushrooms with spices, cover with oppression and press down.

Already after a few days you will notice that the mushrooms have significantly decreased in size, but a few days are not enough for salting. Depending on the size of the mushrooms, this process takes from one to two months, and also depends on the age of the mushroom.

If the violin is already quite old, it has a very dense pulp, and it takes much more time to salt it. After a while for salting, you can either eat mushrooms or close them in a jar.

It is best to store the finished salting in the refrigerator or in the cellar at temperatures up to 15 degrees.

Use in medicine

Violin is even used in folk medicine: it is believed that if you take the fruiting body of this fungus and make an alcohol extract from it, this will help relieve inflammation and act as a prevention of the formation of tumors. Violin is often used in traditional Chinese medicine, most often used externally to relieve pain in the limbs, improve the condition of tendons and bones, and to treat lumbago.

Restrictions on use

Violin contains, among other things, some harmful substances, due to which a fresh mushroom has a very bitter unpleasant taste.

But it’s not just about taste – if you try to boil or fry this mushroom, the bitter taste will remain, and its use in food will cause an attack of vomiting, since the substances contained in it irritate the gastric mucosa.

At the same time, the violinist cannot be considered dangerous, since it does not cause any serious damage to organs or tissues, and does not even cause other symptoms of poisoning, except for vomiting. However, it is clear that it should not be consumed either fresh or boiled or fried.