Content
Bronze bolet is an edible, but quite rare mushroom with autumn fruiting. To correctly distinguish a bronze boletus in the forest, you need to study its description and photo.
What do bronze boletes look like?
The bronze bolet has a fairly large cap, on average about 17 cm in diameter, the thickness of the cap is up to 4 cm. At a young age, the shape of the cap is convex and almost spherical, but over time it straightens and becomes prostrate.In young fruiting bodies, the surface of the cap is smooth; with age, uneven depressions appear on it, located mainly closer to the edges.
The bronze bolet has a dark chestnut, almost black coloring of the cap when young. At the same time, there are areas with a whitish coating on it; this feature is characteristic of the bronze boletus. As it matures, the cap lightens a little and becomes chestnut or brown with a copper tint. You can also recognize a bronze bolet by the fact that its cap is always dry. It does not become slimy even with high humidity.
The underside of the cap is covered with tubes with small angular pores. In young fruiting bodies the tubular layer is white or grayish-white; with age it becomes pale yellow or creamy, and in old age it becomes olive-yellow. If you press on the tubular layer, a dark spot will quickly appear at the point of contact.
The bolet can rise above the ground by 12 cm, the thickness of the leg is 4 cm. The shape of the leg is thick, with a seal at the bottom, club-shaped or tuber-like, and with age it acquires a cylindrical shape. The surface of the leg is wrinkled and hard to the touch. Young mushrooms have almost white legs, but with age the color changes to pinkish-beige or olive-beige, with a brown lower part.
If you cut the bolet along the cap, the flesh will be dense and uniformly wine-red in color if the fruiting body is young. In old fruiting bodies the flesh is almost white, yellowish closer to the tubes and softer. When broken, the flesh quickly darkens and has a neutral smell and taste.
Where do bronze boletus grow?
It is rare to see bronze boletus in Russia. It mainly grows in southern regions with warm climates on moist humus soils. It grows mainly in mixed forests with the presence of beech or oak, and is also found under pine trees. You can see boletus either alone or in small groups of 2-3 specimens.
Is it possible to eat bronze boletes?
Bronze boletus belongs to the edible category. It is actively consumed as food in Mediterranean countries, where bronze bolet is not uncommon. It is suitable for any processing method and can be consumed boiled, fried, dried or frozen.
Taste qualities of the bronze bolet mushroom
Boletus of this type is classified as a delicacy. According to gourmets, its taste surpasses even the taste of porcini mushroom in brightness and richness.
False doubles
Bronze bolete does not have toxic inedible counterparts. But this mushroom can be confused with some edible varieties.
Polish mushroom
Bolet has a certain similarity with the edible Polish mushroom - adult fruiting bodies also have a cylindrical dense stalk, topped with a hemispherical or cushion-shaped cap of a red-brown, chocolate or chestnut hue.
The varieties can be distinguished from each other mainly by the absence of a mesh on the stem of the Polish mushroom.In addition, if you cut the fruiting body, its white flesh will very quickly turn blue from exposure to air.
Semi-bronze bolet
The semi-bronze boletus has a strong resemblance to the bronze boletus. The varieties are very similar to each other in structure and size, and have caps of the same shape. The main difference is the shade of color - the semi-bronze boletus is lighter, its cap is usually gray-brown, with yellowish spots.
Pine white mushroom
The edible white pine mushroom is often confused with other representatives of boletus mushrooms, including the bronze boletus. But unlike bronze boletus, white pine grows only in coniferous forests and is not found in deciduous forests. In addition, its cap is wine-red or brown-red, and in terms of the size of its cap and legs it is larger than the bronze bolet.
Gall mushroom
Very often, boletus mushrooms, including the bronze one, are confused in Russia with the gall fungus. Gorchak has a very similar structure and can be almost indistinguishable from bronze bolet. But you can recognize it by the unique structure of the stalk - in bitterling it is covered with pronounced vascular veins.
Although the gall fungus is not poisonous, it is not suitable for human consumption. The bitter taste of the mushroom can ruin any dish, and the bitterness cannot be eliminated by soaking or boiling.
Collection rules
You should look for boletus in the forests closer to autumn, in mid-August or even early September. At this time it is found most often, although it still remains rare and is found only in the southern regions.
To collect bolet, you need to choose only clean forests located away from roads. Near highways and industrial facilities, mushrooms absorb too many toxic compounds and it becomes unsafe to eat them.
When collecting boleta, you need to use a sharply sharpened knife or twist the fruiting body out of the ground and try not to damage the mycelium. If you simply pull a boletus out of the soil, it is unlikely to grow back in the same place later.
Use
Edible boleth is suitable for consumption in any form. It cannot be eaten raw, but after boiling it can be added to other dishes or fried and pickled. Boletus can also be dried, which will preserve its taste and beneficial properties for many months.
Before frying or pickling, the bolet is subjected to a short processing. The pulp must be cleaned of all adhering debris, rinsed with cool water and the lower part of the stem cut off. After this, the bolet is soaked in cold water for 15 minutes, and then boiled with salt for 20 minutes if the mushrooms are going to be fried, and 40 minutes for pickling or eating boiled.
Conclusion
Bronze boletus is an edible mushroom that can be found in the southern regions of Russia. According to gourmets, it is even more delicious than the famous porcini mushroom and brings great health benefits when consumed.
