False porcini mushroom, also known as biliary, rabbit, bitter or bitter, is often confused with all the favorite mushrooms, especially novice mushroom pickers. Outwardly, it resembles white, even belongs to the same family. But it is considered inedible because of its taste - very bitter. In order not to make a mistake, you need to be able to recognize mustard among other mushrooms.
Mushroom description
The tubular mushroom belongs to the genus Tilopil of the Boletov family. He has a large hat (from 4 to 15 cm in diameter), pleasant to the touch, has the shape of a hemisphere, and subsequently expands, becomes flatter. The color of the cap may vary. The most common shades:
- tan;
- light brownish;
- dark brown;
- ocher;
- Dun
- chestnut.
The hat is dry, velvety to the touch, has a slight pubescence and becomes smooth as the fungus grows. In wet weather, the surface becomes a little sticky. The mushroom pulp is white; at the cut, it changes color after interacting with air. It has no smell (unlike valuable varieties of mushrooms), but it is very bitter and almost never worms.
False white looks very attractive: strong, clean. Insects and pests bypass it.
The leg of the bile fungus is strong and heavy, has a height of 4-12 cm and a thickness of up to 3 cm. It is swollen from the bottom, has a yellowish, ocher, brown color. A pronounced dark mesh appears at the top. A tubular layer, consisting of white tubes, which then turn pink, grows to the leg. Spore powder has the same shade. Spores are ellipsoid and colorless.
The chemical composition of the bile fungus includes:
- fiber;
- proteins;
- carbohydrates;
- minerals;
- vitamins.
Edibility, benefits and harms
The composition of the bile fungus contains the alkaloid muscarin present in fly agaric and other poisonous relatives. But his dose is too small to cause serious harm to health and cause dangerous poisoning. False white - conditionally edible. In Vietnam, for example, it is considered a delicacy, but is not popular in our country. Although in the Volga regions, customs have been preserved to serve a mustard dish at funeral ceremonies, as a ritual.
Gorchak is not poisonous, but as a rule it is not eaten because of the bitter taste and the presence of toxic substances. Even one mushroom soaked in water according to all rules, evaporated and salted, can spoil a whole pot of soup. After heat treatment, the taste does not always improve. Bitterness can be masked with vinegar, a large number of spices, long soaking. Some mushroom pickers take advantage of this and eat mustard. This must be done correctly, guided by the following recommendations:
- Only hats of young mushrooms fall into the dish.
- They are pre-boiled (30-40 minutes) or soaked in water for 2 days, changing the liquid twice a day.
- After that, the product is used for pickling or pickling. It is not advisable to cook soup from it or make roast.
In any case, a dish with the use of mustard will not be useful. A few days after its use, symptoms of poisoning may appear: weakness, dizziness, vomiting, pallor of the skin. The higher the concentration of harmful substances, the more unpleasant consequences will cause the reception of mustard, up to disruption of the liver, problems with bile secretion. Even without taking the mushroom as food, but simply by tasting it on the tongue during harvesting, there is a risk of mild poisoning. Those who eat mustard regularly can earn cirrhosis.
The main danger of the bile fungus is in the toxins contained in it. They accumulate in the pulp, enter the body and destroy the liver.
Mushroom research in Europe
Opinions about the dangers and benefits of bile fungus were divided. In Europe, studies of biologically active compounds in the composition of false white. French scientists tested them for various properties that are beneficial to the body. The medicinal characteristics of mustard were revealed, such as:
- antibacterial;
- choleretic;
- enhancing immunity;
- antitumor and others.
In addition, European scientists conducted experiments proving the effect of the components of the bile fungus on the growth of cancer cells - it slows down. But this knowledge is not widely spread in the world.
How to distinguish false white mushroom?
Bile fungus is not considered valuable in Russia, and mushroom pickers avoid it, preferring the more famous and tasty varieties of Boletovs. In order not to make a mistake and not confuse false white with a real boletus or boletus, you need to remember their main differences:
- in the case of a false one, the cut-off site darkens, acquires a pinkish-brown tint, in white it does not change, in a boletus it turns pink;
- the tubular layer of mustard is also pink or white, while white has a gray or yellow hue;
- unlike boletus, the mustard does not have scales on the legs;
- pests bypass it, so the false mushroom does not worm;
- the net on the legs of the boletus is lighter than the main color, and for false representatives it is darker;
- if you try the bitterness on the tongue (its flesh), you will feel strong bitterness, burning;
- false whites can grow on stumps or open tree roots.
How to distinguish bile mushroom from white (or boletus boletus) in appearance, an experienced mushroom picker will tell:
Where and when do bitternies grow?
The distribution range of bile fungi is quite wide, as well as its edible counterparts - wild boletus and white. They are found in the forests of Europe and Asia, North America. In Russia - in the Caucasus, Western and Eastern Siberia. Gorchak grows in the middle lane, in coniferous, mixed, deciduous forests, is unpretentious and forms mycorrhiza with many tree species.
As a rule, false whites grow singly or in pairs, but can be combined into small colonies (5-10 pcs.). They prefer sandy soils, they can grow on rotten wood - stumps, trunks, especially in the dry season.
The fruiting period of the bile fungus varies depending on the region of growth:
- Fertility occurs throughout the forest zone in June-July (usually in the middle of the summer season), and ends in September-October.
- Where autumn comes early, the life span of the mushrooms decreases, but not much. After mid-October, you will not meet them.
Growing
Many valuable mushrooms are grown in artificially created conditions, such as, for example, mushrooms, boletus and boletus. Not eaten, can also be planted in beds and subsequently used for pharmaceutical purposes. But this does not apply to bitterness. There is no point in purposefully growing a mushroom, and only gourmets or inexperienced mushroom pickers can collect this specimen in the forest for serving. Even in the absence of a decent crop, it is not worth paying attention to bile fungus.
Beginning mushroom hunters are advised to bypass the false white mushroom. It is not easy to cook, there is a risk of departure, and a bright unpleasant taste will discourage the desire to eat mustard. It is easy to confuse these representatives of mushroom cultures with white because of the shape of the hat and boletus - because of its color. They are found in some places. But some striking differences will help calculate the inedible false white and not bring this dubious trophy from the forest.