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It is widely believed that if the porcini mushroom turns blue on the cut, then the specimen found is a poisonous double. This is only partly true, since the color of the pulp changes a large number of species, both edible and toxic. In order not to accidentally pick up a dangerous variety, it is recommended to study other distinguishing features of false mushrooms.
Do porcini mushrooms turn blue on the cut
Authentic white mushroom (lat. Boletus edulis), aka boletus, never turns blue on the cut. This is what distinguishes it from many subspecies that are similar to it. However, most often they are poisonous or conditionally edible. On the other hand, there are many exceptions to this rule, when the flesh of the double acquires a bluish tint and even blackens, but it is still considered edible. A striking example here is the chestnut mushroom (lat. Boletus badius), which has excellent taste.
Thus, blue is a hallmark of false twins, but it is far from always an indicator of the toxicity of the found fruiting bodies.
Why does the porcini mushroom turn blue
Inexperienced mushroom pickers mistakenly believe that if a false porcini mushroom turns blue on the cut, this indicates the presence of toxins in its pulp. Changes in color only indicate that its fibers have come into contact with oxygen, and an oxidation reaction has begun. This process does not affect the taste of the fruiting body.
Sometimes the flesh turns bluish within 10-15 minutes, however, in some varieties, the fibers change color in a matter of seconds. Usually blue affects any part of the fruiting body, but there are also false white mushrooms that turn blue only under the cap.
Other porcini mushrooms that turn blue
There are a large number of mushrooms that look like white, but their flesh turns blue when cut. The most dangerous among these false species is the satanic pain (lat. Boletus satanas).
It is distinguished from a genuine boletus by its leg, which has a bright red color. In addition, it has a whitish mesh pattern. The tubular layer of the twin is orange. It is these signs that indicate that the find is a poisonous pain, which in no case should be eaten. 5-10 g of the pulp of this double is enough to cause severe poisoning in a person. When using a large number of fruiting bodies, a fatal outcome is possible.
The leg of the satanic bolet is very powerful and wide
If the specimens found have darkened, these may be Polish mushrooms, they are chestnut mushrooms (lat. Boletus badius) – common twins of white boletus. It is an edible variety that is great for eating fried, boiled, dried and pickled. The upper part of the cap is brown or reddish-brown. The hymenophore of the mushroom is yellow-green in color, but when pressed, it turns blue, like the white flesh, which darkens when cut. After heat treatment, the blue discoloration quickly disappears.
Chestnut mushrooms are very similar to genuine mushrooms, the easiest way to distinguish them is by the blue flesh at the cut point
Another species that looks similar in appearance to a genuine boletus is a bruise or blue gyroporus (lat. Gyroporus cyanescens). It is listed in the Red Book of Our Country, as its numbers have been greatly reduced in recent years. The distribution range of the bruise covers deciduous and mixed forests, most likely this species can be found under birches, chestnuts or oaks.
Gyroporus was very popular with mushroom pickers – it could be pickled, boiled and fried.
It is distinguished from a real boletus by its light color – the hat of the bruise is most often grayish or cream.
The fruit body of the bruise on the cut becomes bright blue, at some point, reaching a rich azure hue
If the porcini mushroom turns black on the cut
If the found porcini mushroom turned blue at first and then turned black, it is most likely a red boletus (lat. Leccinum aurantiacum). It differs from a genuine boletus in a more saturated color of the hat.
It is an edible variety with excellent taste.
The hat of the red boletus has a rich brown color with an admixture of orange.
Also turns blue, and then turns black, the flesh of the hornbeam, which is also called the boletus or gray boletus (lat. Leccinum carpini). Another sign by which this false appearance can be identified is the slightly pronounced wrinkling of mature specimens. Old fruits completely shrink, becoming covered with deep furrows.
Just like the red boletus, the hornbeam can be eaten, even though its flesh turns blue when cut.
The color of the cap of the hornbeam is changeable – it can be brown-gray, ashen or ocher.
Conclusion
If the porcini mushroom turns blue on the cut, then the specimen found is one of the false species. On the other hand, this does not mean that the fruiting body of the double is poisonous – there are a large number of edible varieties that change the color of the flesh on the cut or at the point of impact. In order to determine the value of the find for sure, it is necessary to know other distinctive external signs of poisonous twins. These include the color of the cap and legs, the presence of mesh formations on false species, smell, etc.
You can learn more about how the leg of a false porcini mushroom turns blue from the video below:
