White mushroom (boletus)

White mushroom, which is also called boletus, belongs to the Boletov family. The porcini mushroom has many popular names. It is called belovik, bebik, belevik, cowshed, zheltyak, medvezhanik, pechura, boletus, cow, korovik, truthful, expensive, cowshed and other names. This is one of the most valuable mushrooms.

On the cap of the mushroom, the skin is adherent, its color can be from a brownish-red hue to almost white. With age, the color of the cap becomes darker.

In young boletus mushrooms, the cap is convex, and as the fungus ages, it transforms into a flat-convex one (rarely prostrate). The diameter of the cap can reach 10-25 centimeters. The surface of the cap is both smooth and wrinkled. The tubular layer has a thickness of 1-4 centimeters and a notch near the stem. It is distinguished by a light shade, the presence of small rounded pores and is easily separated from the pulp.

The leg of the mushroom is quite massive, at first club-shaped or barrel-shaped, but as it grows, it stretches. Its height is 10-20 centimeters, and its thickness is from 3 to 10 centimeters. Outside, the leg may be white, brownish or rarely reddish. Most often, on its surface there is a mesh of veins of a lighter shade.

The pulp of the porcini mushroom is fleshy and juicy, in young mushrooms it is white, in older ones it is yellowish and fibrous.

The average weight of a mushroom is about 200 grams, but huge mushrooms weighing several kilograms can also be found.

Depending on the species, porcini mushrooms differ in mycorrhiza, fruiting season, growth characteristics and other characteristics. There are four independent types of mushrooms and many forms.

Types of white fungus are:

1. Spruce - the most common, with an elongated stem and a brown hat, grows in a spruce forest, fruiting bodies appear from June to October.
2. Birch - a lighter (almost white) cap, differs in growth under birch trees.
3. Oak - brown caps with a grayish tint, mushrooms with loose pulp, grow in oak forests.
4. Pine - a large hat of dark color, often with a purple tint.

Among these species, subspecies are distinguished, the most common of which are:

• Maiden;
• Polish;
• Reticulate;
• Beautiful.

In porcini mushrooms, the following forms are distinguished:

• early (appears in May),
• late (begins to appear in August),
• smooth-legged (without nets on the legs),
• pink-legged,
• lemon yellow,
• olive brown,
• special (purple hats),
• bluish (when pressing on the tubular layer, a slow blue appears),
• orange red,
• light bronze,
• dark bronze,
• false purple,
• arctic,
• mesh.

White fungus is widespread in Russia. It grows well on sandy, loamy or sandy loamy soil, that is, on soils that drain well and do not become waterlogged.

White mushrooms are found on all continents of the northern hemisphere.

Mushrooms tend to form mycorrhiza with trees such as oak, pine, spruce and birch.

White mushrooms do not like damp places, but prefer the presence of lichen or moss cover. Most often, mushrooms grow in forests in which the trees are more than 20 years old.

It is believed that mushrooms love the light, but often mushrooms can be found in a very dark place. If the year is fruitful, then the amount of light does not affect the white fungus, and in years when unfavorable conditions interfere with a large harvest (for example, heavy rainfall, low temperatures at night), many mushrooms can be found in open areas that warm up well.

You can go to the forest for porcini mushrooms already in June and look for mushrooms until mid-September.

Early forms of boletus may appear in early May, and in warm climates, fruiting bodies appear not only in September, but also in October. You can find white mushroom after rain, but mushrooms often hide from the eyes of mushroom pickers in fallen leaves and mosses. You can find white fungus in damp, warm places, and on lit lawns warmed by the sun.

Carefully inspect places near spruces, pines, oaks, birches and hornbeams. Also, anthills and red fly agaric can tell about the close proximity of mushrooms. These are frequent companions of the white fungus.

See the video for how porcini mushrooms grow in families. Such a quantity of porcini mushrooms in a small area can be found extremely rarely.

The fruiting of porcini mushrooms is divided into three stages:

1. Rarely and one by one they are found already at the end of June (they are called spikelets).
2. The second stage is the harvest of mushrooms in mid-July (such white mushrooms are called stubblers).
3. Mushrooms also appear massively by the end of August and early September (these mushrooms are deciduous).

• You can buy porcini mushroom in shops, markets, and also from mushroom pickers.
• Try not to buy mushrooms in a questionable place, such as along the road, because you will not be sure where they were collected and whether they contain harmful substances.
• When buying mushrooms, inspect the cap, leg, plates, skin and pulp.
• If you notice wrinkling, suspicious plaque or mold, postpone the purchase.
• Fresh mushrooms are distinguished by smoothness, uniformity inside, a snug fit of the cap to the leg.
• Smell the mushrooms - they should not have an unpleasant smell.

• White mushroom is one of the best mushrooms eaten.
• The most massive growth of mushrooms in a temperate climate is noted in August.
• Mushrooms have a property to stimulate digestion.
• Also, the substances contained in the porcini fungus have antitumor properties.

In 100 gr. fresh mushroom contains:

• 34 kcal;
• 3.7 g protein;
• 1.1 g carbohydrates;
• 1.7 g fat.

The composition of the white fungus is quite complex and provides it with healing properties.

The fruiting bodies contain a lot of:

• Belkov
• Polyunsaturated fatty acids
• dietary fiber
• Polysaccharides
• Lecithin
• Vitamins (PP, carotene, C, B1, D, E, B9, PP, B2, B6)
• Mineral salts (sodium, calcium, potassium, sulfur, zinc, phosphorus, iron, etc.)
• Antioxidants and other active substances.

White mushrooms have such medicinal properties:

• Painkiller;
• bactericidal;
• Tonic;
• Antitumor;
• General strengthening;
• Wound healing;
• Antifungal;
• Anti-inflammatory;
• Antiviral.

In addition, they affect the body as follows:

• Expansion of blood vessels;
• Decrease in the rate of blood clotting;
• Cleansing of vessels from plaques in atherosclerosis;
• Blood thinning;
• Decreased blood pressure;
• Reducing pain in angina pectoris;
• Restoration of disturbed metabolic processes;
• Removal of harmful substances, for example, carcinogens and salts of heavy metals;
• Improved digestion.

You can not eat porcini mushrooms with:

• Acute diseases of the digestive system
• Gout
• Under 7 years old

Mushrooms are digested for a long time, so they are recommended to eat in small quantities, supplementing with vegetables.

• The fruiting bodies of the porcini fungus have very high nutritional and taste qualities.
• These mushrooms have been used in cooking since ancient times.
• They do not need to be pre-boiled.
• You can use the mushroom fresh, adding it to the first and second courses.
• Also, porcini mushrooms are dried, salted, pickled and frozen.

Prepared with porcini mushrooms:

• snacks;
• soups;
• fillings for pies;
• salads;
• mushroom caviar;
• second courses;
• casseroles;
• sauces (goes well with rice and meat).

Before cleaning, hold the mushrooms in cold water for about an hour, so you will partially get rid of forest debris. When catching mushrooms from the water, clean them of dirt and cut off dark places. When cutting the mushrooms in half (small) or into several parts (large), check if they are clean inside.

Dried mushroom powder is added to various prepared dishes.

When dried, porcini mushrooms do not lose their color and aroma. You can store such mushrooms for a very long time, and their nutritional value surpasses all other methods of harvesting mushrooms.

Dried porcini mushrooms are very useful. Of these, the body absorbs up to 80% of proteins. Such mushrooms are rich in riboflavin, carotene, vitamins D, B1 and C. Dried mushrooms also contain a lot of hercedin and other useful substances that give dried mushrooms antitumor properties and the ability to treat angina pectoris.

Dried mushrooms are hygroscopic, so they need to be stored in a dry and ventilated place where there are no temperature changes, otherwise there is a risk of getting a damp and moldy product. It is best to place such mushrooms in cardboard containers or paper bags.

Dry mushrooms should not be stored together with pickles, fermented foods, nuts, fruits and fresh vegetables. Damp mushrooms must be cleaned of spoiled ones, and then dried.

Storage of dried porcini mushrooms provides for up to a year, but they can be placed in the freezer, which will lengthen this period. The use of dry mushrooms includes their boiling, stewing, frying, adding to soups, sauces, main dishes, stuffings.

You can dry the porcini mushroom:

1. In the microwave. After laying the chopped mushrooms on a dish, set the power from 100 to 180 watts. Turn on the cooking mode for 20 minutes, then ventilate the oven for 5 minutes and repeat cooking two or three times.
2. In the oven. After laying the chopped mushrooms on parchment, they are dried with the oven door ajar at +50 degrees for about 6-7 hours.

Another way is drying over the hob. See the next video for all the details.

To pickle mushrooms, you will need:

• 2 kg fresh mushrooms
• 500 ml water
• 120 ml 6% vinegar
• 10 bay leaves
• onion head
• 1/2 tsp. tablespoons black peppercorns
• 2 table. spoons of sugar
• 4 table. spoons of salt
• Clove and Pepper

After cleaning, washing and cutting the mushrooms into equal parts, boil them in water to which bay leaves are added for about half an hour. After putting the mushrooms in a colander, add spices, sugar and salt to the remaining broth. Put the broth on the fire, and when it boils, add vinegar and return the mushrooms. Cook for another 10 minutes, remembering to remove the foam. In prepared jars (scalded), place the onion, cut into rings, and then the mushrooms on the bottom.Pour the marinade over the containers, close the lids and store in the refrigerator.

You can see the recipe for pickled porcini mushrooms in the next video.

Before frying, mushrooms are recommended to be boiled to avoid poisoning.

When the water boils, boil the white mushroom for about 20 minutes. Putting them in a colander, let the liquid drain from the mushrooms, and then put the mushrooms in a preheated pan. You can pre-sauté onions. The mushrooms need to be fried for about 15 minutes.

Porcini mushrooms tolerate freezing well and, when frozen, are used to make soups, caviar, pies and other dishes. At the same time, it is not necessary to defrost the mushrooms at all. They are poured into a pan and kept under a lid until they are defrosted.

How to freeze

You can freeze mushrooms in several ways:

1. Peel and cut washed fresh mushrooms, then place in a colander or sieve, arrange in bags or containers and send to the freezer.
2. Pre-boil the mushrooms in unsalted water for 5 minutes. After draining the water and holding the mushrooms on a sieve, wait until they are completely cool and place them in the freezer.
3. Pre-fry the mushrooms in vegetable oil. The mushrooms in the pan will lose excess moisture and become ruddy, then you need to wait for them to cool, put them in trays or bags and send them to freeze.
4. Pre-fry the mushrooms in the oven. For frying on a baking sheet, oil, salt and other ingredients are not needed.

A few more tips for freezing porcini mushrooms:

• Cut the mushrooms into slices about 5 mm thick.
• Make sure that the mushrooms are well dried before being placed in the freezer. If you set them to freeze wet, the mushrooms will stick together and turn into an ice lump, which will affect their aroma and taste.
• So that you do not have to freeze the mushrooms several times, immediately lay them out in portions - put the mushrooms in each container or each bag for one preparation.
• Lay out the mushrooms in a not very thick layer.
• If you freeze mushrooms not in a bag, but in another container, fill it completely to leave a minimum of air inside.
• Do not store porcini mushrooms next to frozen fish or meat.
• You can store mushrooms for up to a year. The thawed product is used immediately.

Before cooking, mushrooms are cleaned and washed well. Then they are placed in a saucepan and poured with water, which will completely cover the mushrooms.

How much to cook porcini mushroom? Approximately 35-40 minutes, removing foam periodically.

If the mushrooms are dried, then they are first soaked for two to three hours, taking a glass of water for each handful of raw materials, after which they are boiled for about 20 minutes. In a double boiler and a slow cooker (baking mode), mushrooms are boiled for about 40 minutes.

You will need:

• 600 grams of white mushrooms
• Two or three sprigs of parsley and thyme
• 50 ml olive oil
• 20 ml lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves
• Pepper and salt
• 100 g lettuce leaves

Fry the peeled and sliced ​​mushrooms in olive oil (20 ml) on a grill pan on both sides. Fold the fried mushrooms into a container, where add the rest of the ol. butter, thyme and parsley (chopped), garlic (chopped), lemon juice, pepper and salt to taste. Leave the mushrooms to marinate for two hours, and then serve on the table, adding a green salad to the dish.

Take:

• 120 g green salad
• 300 g white mushrooms
• 100 g tomatoes
• 50 ml olive oil
• 30 g butter
• 80 g parmesan
• garlic clove
• sprig of thyme
• Salt

Rinse and dry lettuce leaves, pick them with your hands, season with ol.oil, add chopped tomatoes. Rinse the peeled mushrooms and boil for 5 minutes in salted water, then cut into cubes and fry for plums. oil, adding garlic and thyme to the pan. Add the mushrooms to the salad and tomatoes, and sprinkle with parmesan before serving.

For creamy soup you will need:

• 150 grams of fresh porcini mushrooms, oyster mushrooms and champignons
• 200 g potatoes
• 100 g onion
• 200 ml cream
• 40 ml vegetable oil
• 1 liter of water
• garlic clove
• Pepper and salt

Put the peeled potatoes, cut into cubes, in a saucepan with vegetable oil and fry a little. Add peeled and chopped onion to potatoes. After 5 minutes, add chopped mushrooms and a clove of garlic to the saucepan. After frying for another 5 minutes, cover with water and boil for 15 minutes. Next, the dish must be chopped with a blender, returned to the saucepan, add salt, pepper and cream to the soup, then bring to a boil.

Take:

• 200 grams of white mushrooms
• 150 g cheese
• 4 egg yolks
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 1 sprig of green basil
• garlic clove
• 50 ml olive oils
• Pepper and salt

Boil the washed peeled mushrooms until tender in water with salt (10-15 minutes), then cut into thin slices and fry on ol. oil, adding thyme and garlic to the pan. Put the mushrooms in the baking dish first, and then the cheese mixed with the yolks. Bake everything in the oven until golden brown. When serving, garnish with basil.

White fungus can be used in the treatment of:

• diseases of the cardiovascular system, for example, angina pectoris and hypertension;
• intestinal infections;
• impotence;
• weakened state;
• headaches;
• pulmonary tuberculosis;
• vein diseases;
• tumors of the female reproductive system.

Boiled mushrooms are recommended to be applied to bruises.

The use of white fungus is a good prevention of the development of malignant tumors, stroke and heart attack. Such a mushroom is especially recommended during the recovery period after surgery, overwork or illness.

With the help of an aqueous extract of porcini mushrooms, applied externally, various skin diseases can be treated, such as ulcers, frostbite, burns, and others. Also, this extract is good for skin care - treating your face with it, you will notice that the skin is cleansed, becomes velvety, wrinkles are smoothed out.

Dried porcini mushroom powder effectively copes with long-term non-healing wounds, bedsores, ulcers and similar skin problems. The affected areas should be sprinkled with powder several times a day until recovery.

To get a remedy from the porcini mushroom that helps with weakening the body and sexual disorders, take 500 grams of dried raw materials and grind it into powder. Add sugar (50 grams) and vodka (30 ml) to the mushrooms, dilute with a little water. You need to store this remedy in the refrigerator. It is recommended to take it before meals twice a day - in the morning and in the evening. A single serving of the mixture is a tablespoon.

It is effective in all diseases mentioned above.

Cooking:

• Caps of porcini mushrooms should be washed and dried, and then put into a liter jar, filling it to the top.
• Mushrooms are poured with vodka, tightly closed and infused for 14 days in a dark place.
• The product is filtered and squeezed, after which it is stored in the refrigerator.

To receive such a tincture, you need to dilute one teaspoon of it in cold boiled water. Take before meals twice a day for 1-3 months.If you need to treat thrombophlebitis or varicose veins, the tincture can also be rubbed into problem areas.

To grow a white mushroom, you need to create conditions in which mycorrhiza is formed. It is optimal to grow mushrooms in young plantings and groves (5-10-year-old trees) with oaks, spruces, pines or birches:

1. To get spores, you need overripe mushrooms. They are placed in water for a day, and after mixing and filtering the resulting liquid with spores, the areas under the selected trees are watered. Harvest with this cultivation will appear in the second or third year. Also, for sowing, you can remove the tubular layer from mature mushrooms, dry it a little and place it in the soil in the form of small pieces.
2. Another way to grow white fungus is to use soil taken from the forest containing mycelium. Having found a boletus in the forest, you need to cut a square of soil around it with a side of 20-30 centimeters with a sharp knife and take it out to a depth of 10-15 centimeters. You can also buy mycelium, which was grown artificially. In both cases, it is necessary to remove a layer of soil on the site, fill the depression with several layers of humus, alternating them with the ground (horse manure, rotten oak wood and fallen oak leaves are used for humus). Mycelium or soil with mycelium is placed on a bed at a depth of 5-7 cm, after which watering is done and everything is covered with leaves.

For growing porcini mushrooms at home, watch the following video.

• Mushrooms are allowed to be eaten during Lent, so dishes with mushrooms are more in demand in Catholic countries than in Protestant ones.
• In Italy, it is forbidden to collect white mushrooms in the forest on your own, for this you need to obtain a special permit.
• In 1961, a boletus was found that weighed more than 10 kg. The diameter of his hat was 58 centimeters.