Autumn is mushroom season

The beginning of autumn is the most fruitful time for mushrooms. It was at this time that the most valuable and delicious species grow abundantly in our forests: boletus, boletus, boletus, oyster mushrooms, morels, honey mushrooms, chanterelles, flywheels, mushrooms, mushrooms and, of course, the most valuable porcini mushrooms. September is the last month for collecting meadow mushrooms, boletus, oil, real chanterelles, white umbrellas, russula. Summer mushrooms, porcini mushrooms, aspen mushrooms, colorful umbrellas, milk mushrooms and spruce mushrooms will last until October.

However, “silent hunting” is associated with dangers. According to statistics, every year 30 people die from mushroom poisoning in Russia, another thousand end up in hospitals with severe poisoning.

And the point here is not only that someone confused the pale toadstool with green russula or champignon – although such cases are also not uncommon. Sometimes you can get poisoned with edible, and even very good mushrooms.

Mycelium absorbs everything

Mycelium is a huge organism, thousands of thin threads of mycelium that penetrate the entire top layer of forest soil. Together with the roots of trees, they form a single root system – mycorrhiza. This symbiosis was formed long ago, when plants began to grow on land. Absolutely all gymnosperms – from primitive horsetails to modern spruces, firs and pines, as well as most angiosperms, have entered into an alliance with one or another type of fungus. Fungal hyphae either cover the roots of plants from above (this is called ectomycorrhiza) or penetrate inside them (endomycorrhizae). And there is an intensive exchange: the tree gives the fungus carbohydrates, phytoverments and amino acids, the mushroom gives the tree water and minerals. That is why mushroom pickers know under which tree which mushrooms are found. That is why, when forest trees are planted in the steppe zone, a symbiote mushroom is sure to be planted next to them.

But this story has a downside – mushrooms perfectly absorb everything that is contained in the soil. White mushrooms and champignons perfectly absorb mercury – its concentration in the fungus can be 5500 times higher than in the substrate on which it grew. High concentrations of cadmium are found in boletus, zinc in russula, and radioactive elements in boletus.

It is known that mushrooms are not recommended to be collected near freeways. However, this advice is not a panacea. Often, high concentrations of harmful substances are found in mushrooms that have grown in protected forests. The reason is simple: wind, droughts and forest fires. The release occurred tens of kilometers away, but due to air currents, harmful elements fell out far from it. And accumulated in mushrooms.

Useful but not for everyone

The benefits of mushrooms cannot be denied. This “vegetable meat” is rich in proteins, vitamins and minerals. The same copper, cadmium, zinc, potassium, iron, calcium, sodium, rubidium, tin, molybdenum, chromium, sulfur, silver are certainly necessary for our body. The trouble is that mushrooms often accumulate them in too large quantities. In addition, mushrooms are high in antioxidants that reduce chronic inflammation and reduce the risk of cancer. Beta-glucans lower blood cholesterol levels, and potassium helps lower blood pressure.

Mushrooms are high in fiber, so they normalize blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of type II diabetes. On the other hand, fiber is different. Mushrooms contain a fiber called chitin, the same fiber that makes insect exoskeletons and the shells of crayfish, crabs and shrimp. In fungi, chitin is found in the cell walls and gives it rigidity. People, alas, do not digest chitin.

Mushrooms should not be eaten by people with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. They can cause exacerbations of gastritis, duodenitis, peptic ulcer. You can not give them to children under 14 years of age – in the children’s body there are still not enough enzymes to digest them.

As for whether it is possible to use mushrooms for pregnant and lactating women, opinions differ. On the one hand, mushrooms contain a lot of folic acid, which contributes to the development of the central nervous system of the fetus. But on the other hand, it is again heavy and potentially harmful food. And folic acid can (and should!) be taken separately, in its pure form.

Nutritionists recommend: a healthy person can eat mushrooms once or twice a week. A serving should not exceed 100-150 grams. And best of all, if mushrooms are a component of some complex dish.

Silent hunting rules

Rule number one: go to the forest – put on something bright. You are not going on an ordinary hunt, but on a quiet one. Mushrooms do not have eyes, they will not notice you. But you will be clearly visible to your companions. And in which case – and the volunteers of “Liza Alert”. Also bring clean water, dry rations, a compass. In addition to a small knife for cutting mushrooms, it is also good to take a large knife, and even better – a hatchet. Stock up on a fully charged power bank for a mobile phone. Take matches or a lighter, just do not get carried away with them – this is a very last resort if you get lost. Remember that all those fires that are raging now in the Ryazan region and Siberia are the work of human hands. And the speed of a forest fire can be very high, especially in a coniferous forest.

However, the rules of conduct in the forest are a separate and very large topic, so let’s get back to mushrooms. Thirty years ago, disputes raged among mushroom pickers: cut or pick? Some argued that when the fungus is twisted, the mycelium is damaged and dies, others that the remaining cut rots and also destroys the mycelium. Now scientists have proven that both are wrong. To damage the mycelium, you need to dig up the ground with a shovel and chop all the roots (remember the mycorrhiza?) Therefore, the mushrooms can be twisted, cut off – as you like.

But what definitely cannot be done is to collect wormy, flabby and old mushrooms. Well, also strangers.

Experienced mushroom pickers advise taking a backpack with you in addition to the basket. Gathered, picked mushrooms, sat down to rest. I cleaned the mushrooms, put them in a bag and put them in my backpack.

Remember: you are a guest in the forest! Do not climb into the windbreak, avoid unsteady ground. Talk to each other constantly. So you will not only not lose your companions, but also scare away the bears. Well, if a curious bear cub came out to meet you, turn around and run quickly in the opposite direction!

Returned home – grab the knife!

Even an edible mushroom that has lain warm for several hours can cause poisoning. Therefore, they process them immediately – no matter how tired you come from the forest. The prey must immediately be sorted out, sorted by type, put aside wormy, flabby, overripe (if you still got them).

Also discard mushrooms without stems – after all, it is the stem that distinguishes many edible mushrooms from their poisonous counterparts. For example, the already mentioned pale grebe has a thickening and a membranous wrapper at the end of the leg, while the russula has a smooth leg.

After sorting and cleaning, it is recommended to soak the mushrooms. Milkers are traditionally soaked – these are milk mushrooms, volnushki and bitters. They are soaked for 4-5 days, and the water is completely changed three times a day, and the mushrooms are washed.

Most mushrooms need to be boiled first. But the cooking time for each mushroom is different. For mushrooms and boletus mushrooms, for example, it is 1 hour, for chanterelles and aspen mushrooms – 20 minutes, for russula – 25-30 minutes, for champignons 5-7 minutes are enough. Without preliminary boiling, you can only cook porcini mushrooms, real milk mushrooms and common camelina – although it is a milky one. Often, neglect of cooking becomes the cause of many troubles. Rospotrebnadzor generally advises boiling all mushrooms – well, except for the three mentioned – for at least 45 minutes, changing the water twice. This will get rid of radioactive substances.

Photo by Vladimir Sabadash.

Based on materials “My House Moscow”.