In the temperate continental climate of the Moscow region, whose territory is located in the forest-steppe and forest zones, favorable conditions have developed for the growth of fungi. Edible and poisonous mushrooms of the Moscow region are represented by various species of all 4 categories of nutritional value.
Edible and poisonous mushrooms of the Moscow region
Mushroom distribution and collection rules
Natural conditions in the Moscow region contribute to the growth of a good harvest and an increase in the number of mushroom places. From north to south of the region, pine forests gradually turn into mixed, and then - deciduous, which led to the diversity of mushroom species.
They go to the north of the Moscow region for boletus, russula, milk mushrooms, chanterelles, mushrooms and honey agarics. In the zone of mixed forests, boletus, champignons and mushrooms are added to them. And in the south, Polish mushrooms, boletus and aspen mushrooms are more common.
Basic rules for picking mushrooms:
- The best collection time is considered early morning: it is better to leave no later than 5-6 hours.
- Search places are chosen away from the road and environmentally unfriendly places, because mushrooms, like a sponge, are able to absorb toxic substances from the environment.
- It is preferable to choose a container for collection that is light and convenient. The most suitable option is a wicker basket, where the fruiting bodies will be blown with air currents that freely pass through the weaving places. A sharp knife and a long stick will come in handy to look for fruit bodies under fallen leaves and coniferous litter.
- To preserve the integrity of the mycelium, the mushrooms are carefully cut with a sharp knife or carefully twisted the stem at the base of the fruiting body.
- Put the harvested crop in a basket with the caps down so that they break less.
Irina Selyutina (Biologist):
Very often, parents take their children with them on a “quiet hunt”. Therefore, in such cases it is important:
- explain the rules for picking mushrooms and why it is impossible (strictly prohibited) to bring your hands to your mouth or rub your eyes. Provide the children with disposable paper handkerchiefs for these purposes;
- do not leave unattended and even more so do not allow raw mushrooms and berries to be tasted "by the gut";
- dress in bright clothes that stand out well against the background of foliage so that children are always visible;
- do not allow you to leave the field of view (limit this distance to a few meters from you).
It is also important to take with you a fully charged phone with a positive balance and be sure to warn your family and friends about the trip to the forest, the direction and timing of your return. This point is especially true for those who want to go on a "quiet hunt" alone.
Features of seasonal collection
The peak of seasonal mushroom picking occurs in July-August, in spring, abundant growth occurs in April-May, and in autumn - in September-October.
The first spring mushrooms are stitches and morels, then, with sufficient humidity, raincoats and champignons appear. In June russula are harvested, then it is time for chanterelles, boletus, boletus and aspen. And already from August you can enjoy the massive collection of boletus. The autumn months are the period of fruiting of autumn honey agarics, waves and the second harvest of russula.
Types of edible mushrooms
Almost any type of mushroom can be found in the Moscow region
Edible mushrooms of the Moscow region are represented by the following types:
- Porcini or boletus: they belong to them in the 1st category of nutritional value and are considered the most delicious. They have a brown cap with a wrinkled surface and a leg with a mesh pattern, thick at the base. Their flesh is white and dense; on the cut (and when dried and other types of processing), the color does not change. They grow singly or in small groups in coniferous forests.
- Ryzhiki: no less valuable mushrooms, which owe their name to the color of the thick-fleshed cap. The legs are long, hollow, with a touch. They grow near firs and pines, forming mycorrhiza with them.
- Milk mushrooms (white and yellow): mushrooms belonging to the genus Mlechnik. The white hat has a light cream color with a curved, slightly lowered edge, the yellow has a corresponding shade, sometimes the hat has a scaly surface. Legs of the same color, hollow inside, white flesh, with a fruity smell. It grows mainly in deciduous forests. Used for pickling and salting.
- Butterlets: in the Moscow region, they are found in 3 species: ordinary, larch and yellow-brown. They have caps of a brown hue, convex or flat, with a sticky coating on top, as well as thick and fleshy legs. They grow on sandy soil in mixed forests.
- Brown birch trees: They got their name because they almost always grow next to birches and form mycorrhiza with them. The hat is pillow-shaped, gray-brown. The leg is thick and scaly underneath. The pulp remains white even when damaged. Suitable for many dishes.
- Aspen mushrooms: grow in deciduous forests, mainly near aspens, for which they are symbionts. They have a convex, brownish-brown cap and a thick, scaly leg of a gray shade. The pulp is dense, gradually turns black on the cut.
- Volnushki: mushrooms of 2 flavors. Their hat is light with a pinkish tint and stripes, the edges are omitted. The leg is solid, cylindrical. The pulp is dense, has a pungent taste. Be sure to soak before use.
- Honey mushrooms (autumn and summer): grow in large groups, have a small convex cap of a light brown shade and a thin scaly leg. They are pickled, salted, dried, soups are boiled.
- Chanterelles: small mushrooms with a funnel-shaped cap, pleasant yellowish-orange color. The pulp is fleshy, reddening at the cut. Prefer conifers. Suitable for food in any form. They are practically not affected by parasites due to the presence of a special compound - quinomannose.
- Flywheels: mushrooms of the 3rd category. In the Moscow region, the species of these mushrooms are common green moss and fractured moss. They have a convex olive shade, the fissured top has a mesh pattern. The leg of a green flywheel is thickened from above, and from a fractured one - from below. The pulp is white, blue when broken. This type is dried and salted.
- Russula: representatives of lamellar mushrooms, owners of large and fleshy fruiting bodies. The colors of the caps of the edible species are bright green, pink, ocher, blue-yellow. For cooking in salted and pickled form, only young fruit bodies are used.
- Morels: early spring mushrooms of the 3rd category. They have a wrinkled, honeycomb-like cap of a brown or gray shade. It is boiled and added to side dishes.
- Raincoats: small mushrooms whose fruit bodies in youth are white and small formations resembling thorns. They love moist soil and bear fruit abundantly after prolonged rains. They use fried food and only young specimens.
Edible mushrooms of the Moscow region have their inedible and poisonous counterparts. Knowing the description of the poisonous mushrooms found in the Moscow region, it will not be difficult for an amateur mushroom picker to avoid poisoning.
Types of inedible mushrooms
Poisonous mushrooms that grow in the Moscow region also include dangerous species: these are pale grebe, fly agaric, satanic mushroom and brick-red mushrooms. Inedible species are also common, causing minor eating disorders but not causing serious harm.
Inexperienced mushroom pickers sometimes confuse pale toadstool with honey fungus or forest champignon. Its main differences:
- the location of the ring on the leg (almost under the cap, but it may disappear in mature specimens);
- well-pronounced thickening at the bottom (tuberous), covered with volva - the remains of a common blanket in the form of a pouch surrounding the leg;
- unpleasant earthy odor.
Irina Selyutina (Biologist):
Indeed, when picking mushrooms, be sure to pay attention to whether or not there is a white sac at the base of the fruiting body (a tuber-like formation). If there is such a bag (Volvo), then it is better to bypass such a mushroom.
Amanita muscaria is noticeable for its bright hat and unpleasant chloride odor. The Satanic mushroom, which looks like a white one, has a larger size, a bright reddish-orange stem and the ability to change the color of the flesh on the cut, which is not observed in its edible relative. Brick-red honey mushrooms do not have a ring on the leg, the color of their cap is brighter, and have an unpleasant odor.
If you have doubts about the edibility of the mushroom, then the best solution would be to refuse it.
Conclusion
Mushrooms of the Moscow Region are an inexhaustible storehouse of nutrients and useful substances. This area is famous for its variety of species that are frozen, dried and cooked in large quantities.