Contents
Boletus or white mushroom has another name in biological reference books – Boletus edulis. The classic representative of the Boletov family, the genus Borovik, consisting of several varieties. All of them with a high nutritional rating are included in the first classification group. An external description and photos of porcini mushrooms will help to get a general idea of their features and differences between them.
This boletus has thick, dense flesh and a brown cap.
Why is the white mushroom so called
A real white mushroom and its species differ in the color of the cap and the place of growth. Coloring depends on age and weather conditions, it can be beige or dark brown. The upper and lower parts of the fruiting body are always of a different shade. Among the species of porcini fungus, there are no uniformly white-colored specimens.
Representatives of the genus got their name from the color of the pulp, it remains white regardless of the method of processing. Does not darken on cuts and damaged areas in contact with oxygen. Dried fruiting bodies after evaporation of moisture also do not change color.
What mushrooms are porcini mushrooms
In appearance, porcini mushrooms are similar in large size, thick elastic pulp and a tubular spore-bearing layer. All of them are edible, with high nutritional value. The chemical composition of fruiting bodies is practically the same. Autumn growth, abundant. A description with the name and photo of representatives will help to distinguish varieties of porcini mushrooms.
White spruce mushroom (Boletus edulis f.edulis) is the type form of the species, taken as the basis of the genus.
In wet weather, the hat of the white spruce boletus is matte velvety
Fruiting bodies are large, single specimens can weigh up to 1,5-2 kg. The average cap diameter is 20-25 cm. The protective film is light beige at the beginning of growth, darkens in adult specimens, becomes chestnut or brown. The surface is even or slightly bumpy, velvety, at the beginning of the growing season with a small, sparse edge. At low humidity, small cracks appear near the edge.
The lower part consists of a tubular dense layer, sometimes protruding beyond the cap. Hymenium in mature specimens is easily separated from the surface. The spore-bearing layer is located only on the lower part of the cap with a clear boundary, in the form of a shallow furrow at the stem. In young mushrooms, the color is white, then yellow, and at the end of the biological cycle – with an olive tint.
Fruit stem – 20 cm long, thick cylindrical. Near the mycelium thickened with a mesh coating, slightly tapering upwards. The inner part is one-piece dense, the structure is fine-fibered. The color is light brown or white with longitudinal dark fragments. It is characterized by a pleasant taste and a pronounced nutty smell.
Pine-loving boletus (Boletus pinophilus) is an edible species with a high gastronomic rating.
Pine boletus has a rich burgundy hat color
The color of the upper part of the fruit body is brown with shades of red or purple. The coloration is uneven, the center of the cap is darker. The protective film is dry matte, at high humidity the mucous coating is not continuous, only in separate areas. The average cap diameter is 10-20 cm, the surface is rough and bumpy.
The hymenophore is tubular, white with a yellow tinge, in adult specimens it is yellow-green. Well attached to the bottom, poorly separated. The tubes are long, do not go beyond the cap, are densely arranged, the spores are small. The tubular layer ends with a clear depression near the stem.
The leg is thick, in the form of a wide cone 15-17 cm long. The structure is dense, solid and soft. The surface is beige with brown sparsely located short stripes, reticulated. If the mushroom grows in an open area, the stem is white.
The flesh is thick, pinkish near the film cover, white in young specimens, with a yellowish tint in mature fruiting bodies. The taste is delicate, the smell is pronounced mushroom, intensifies during cooking.
Birch porcini mushroom (Boletus betulicola), and popularly – kolosovik. It got its name for the time of fruiting, it coincides with the ripening of cereal crops.
At high humidity, the cap of the colossus is covered with a slimy, but not sticky coating.
The species has the fastest biological cycle, the fungus matures within a week, ages and becomes unusable. It is smaller. The upper part in diameter is up to 10-12 cm.
The cap color of the birch boletus is light yellow or dark straw with or without a white stripe along the edge. The leg is light with a pronounced white mesh coating. The tubular layer is pale with a barely noticeable beige tint. Tasteless pulp with a pleasant smell.
Boletus bronze (Boletus aereus) is a large edible and darkest representative of the genus.
The bronze boletus has a dark gray cap and a finely scaly covering of the legs.
A rare species with dense pulp, the thickness of the cap reaches up to 5 cm, the diameter is 18 cm or more. The surface is smooth, always dry glossy. In mature specimens, depressions form along the edge of the cap, so the shape is wavy. The color is dark gray, closer to black, the older the specimen, the lighter it is. In adult fruiting bodies, the surface of the cap is brown or bronze.
The tubular layer is very dense, the cells are small. In young white mushrooms, grayish, then yellow or olive. A distinctive feature of the species is that when pressing on the hymenophore, the damaged area darkens.
The leg of the boletus is thick, tuberous, solid and dense. Covering the lower part with small dark, sparsely located brown scales. Closer to the cap, the upper layer is mesh, white with pinkish stripes.
The flesh is pink at the beginning of growth, then becomes white or cream, slightly darkens on the cut. The taste is neutral, the smell is pleasant, subtle, reminiscent of hazelnuts.
Boletus reticulatus (Boletus reticulatus) or oak white fungus creates mycorrhiza only with hardwoods.
Boletus boletus is a variety with high nutritional value
Compared to other representatives of the genus, this is a small species, the diameter of the cap does not exceed 8-12 cm. The surface is dry even at high humidity. The cap in the upper part is uneven with tubercles and dents, as well as a network of small furrows and cracks. It is unevenly colored, there may be areas of cream, dark beige or light chestnut. The edges are curved, with a spore-bearing white layer protruding to the surface.
The hymenophore is very dense, it can be of all shades of yellow or pure white, depending on the age of the fruiting body. Near the stem, the spore-bearing layer ends with a clear boundary.
The leg is even, slightly thickened near the soil, long – up to 15 cm, of medium thickness. The surface is rough, hard with a pronounced grid from the base to the top, light chestnut. The structure is dense and solid. The pulp is not fragile with a delicate taste and a bright mushroom smell.
The semi-white boletus (Hemileccinum impolitum) is classified as a porcini mushroom, until recently it was part of the Borovik genus. Then mycologists identified it as a separate species of the genus Hemileccinum. Rarely seen, mostly singly.
Has an unpleasant smell of phenol, especially at the base of the stem
Tubular view with a large fruiting body, the upper part grows up to 20 cm wide. The color is red or bright yellow with a brick tint. Peculiarities:
- The surface of the cap is even, uniformly colored. The protective film is hard dry with deep large cracks along the edge.
- The tubular layer is loose, bright yellow or lemon with brown spots of various sizes, protrudes beyond the borders of the cap, free.
- The leg is narrow near the mycelium, then expands and does not change thickness to the top. Length – 10 cm, width – about 5 cm. The structure is dense, solid and unbreakable. The surface is smooth without a mesh coating with radial brown stripes, beige.
The pulp is dense light yellow, with mechanical damage it turns pink. The taste is sweetish, the smell is unpleasant, reminiscent of carbolic acid. After boiling, it disappears completely, and the taste is not inferior to real boletus.
What do white mushrooms look like?
Finding mushrooms in the forest among mushroom pickers is considered good luck. White mushrooms are large in size, but are located in small groups, so it is unlikely that it will be possible to collect a good harvest from a small area. Outwardly, mushrooms compare favorably with other species and will not go unnoticed. The description of the white fungus is as follows.
Hat:
- The color depends on the variety, the illumination of the place, the humidity. There are specimens of light beige, chestnut, dark gray, brown or bronze hue. It is uneven with dark areas, white or yellowish stripes along the edge.
- The form at the beginning of the growing season is rounded convex, then convex-prostrate with wavy even concave or raised edges. The flat cap is very rare. It grows from 5 to 30 cm. The surface is with tubercles, dents or even.
- Protective film smooth glossy velvety dry or slippery. It may be thin felt along the edge, with small wrinkles, cracks of various sizes. Densely adherent, it separates badly.
- The lower part is dense tubular, reminiscent of the structure of a sponge with small cells. It may extend beyond the cap, but always with a clear border in the form of a deep, even furrow at the stem. The color is white at the beginning of growth, then turns yellow. By maturity, the fruiting body becomes with an olive tint.
Leg:
- In young specimens – 4-6 cm, maximum length – 18-20 cm, thickness depending on age – 4-10 cm.
- The shape is club-shaped or barrel-shaped, later becoming cylindrical. Widened at the base, tapering towards the apex, smooth or with a thickening in the central part.
- The surface is rough. May be cream, white, light brown, often darker at the base. It is colored unevenly: with dark areas, longitudinal lines of light olive color, small dark gray dots in the form of scales.
- A distinctive feature of mushrooms is the presence of a mesh coating, it can be along the entire length or closer to the cap. There is no ring on the leg, porcini mushrooms do not have a veil.
The pulp is thick white, yellowish in mature fruiting bodies. The structure is dense, juicy and not brittle.
A real white boletus grows on a thick club-shaped fruit stalk
Characteristics of white mushrooms
The forms of white fungus listed above are edible. They have a subtle, slightly pronounced taste and a slight pleasant smell, except for the semi-white boletus. Mushrooms have a high nutritional value, but only young fruits are consumed.
Overripe fruiting bodies are not used for gastronomic purposes, they can cause intoxication. Young mushrooms do not contain toxic compounds, they can be used raw, boiled, fried. The porcini mushroom is valued in dried form. Well suited for winter harvesting.
The rich chemical composition of the fruiting body has vitamins, trace elements and amino acids necessary for the body to work. White mushrooms have antibacterial properties. They have a beneficial effect on the endocrine system, restore the structure of the liver, and improve the function of the gastrointestinal tract. A low-calorie product with a high protein concentration is included in the diet for diets and vegetarian diets.
Interesting facts about white mushroom
Boletus is considered one of the largest species; in a relatively short biological cycle, it grows to an impressive size. Found specimens over 3 kg with a diameter of the upper part of about half a meter. What is most interesting, the fruiting bodies were in good condition, not overripe and not spoiled by insects and snails. Given that the porcini mushroom develops for a little over a week and grows to such a size, it can be safely called the leader in terms of vegetation speed. For comparison, other species grow within 5 days and are many times smaller than mushrooms.
This is the only species that adapts to any ecological environment. In the radioactive Chernobyl zone, porcini mushrooms did not disappear, but grew safely and did not even mutate. At the same time, it is rather difficult to harvest mushrooms outside their natural habitat, so a valuable product is not grown for commercial purposes.
Porcini mushrooms are considered primordially . There are numerous recipes for cooking with them.
Conclusion
Characteristics, descriptions and photos of porcini mushrooms show that all members of the genus have a high gastronomic rating. They are classified as delicacies not only in Our Country, but also in Europe. Some varieties are more common, others are rare. Mushrooms are well camouflaged; harvesting a large crop is considered a real success among mushroom pickers.