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The bicolor boletus is a representative of the Boletaceae family, the Boletaceae genus. Synonyms for the species name are Bolet bicolor and Ceriomyces bicolor.
What do two-color boletus mushrooms look like?
Initially, the cap of the bicolor boletus has a convex shape; as it matures, it becomes prostrate with folded edges. The surface is velvety to the touch, the color of which varies from pink to brick red. The most common color in adulthood is a red tint. The diameter of the cap ranges from 3 to 15 cm.
The pulp is dense, fleshy, yellow in color, and forms a bluish tint when cut. On the inside of the cap there are yellow tubes 3-7 mm long with small round pores.The leg of the bicolor boletus is dense, fleshy and very wide, about 2 cm in diameter. Noticeably widened towards the base, colored pink-red. In most mushrooms of this species, the stem is curved, in youth it has a club-shaped shape, over time it becomes cylindrical, without thickening at the bottom. The spore powder is colored brown or olive.
Where do bicolor boletus grow?
The favorable time for their development is the period from mid-June to October. As a rule, they grow in coniferous forests, sometimes found near deciduous trees. This species is not common in Russia, so not much information has been collected about it. Most often, the bicolor boletus lives in the temperate climate zone of North America. They can grow either singly or in groups.
Is it possible to eat two-color boletus mushrooms?
This specimen is classified as an edible mushroom. It is allowed to eat not only the cap, but also the slightly harsh stem. Two-color boletus mushrooms are suitable for all types of processing. According to experienced mushroom pickers, dishes made from this ingredient turn out quite tasty.
False doubles
When looking for the bicolor boletus, you should be very careful, since there is a possibility of encountering its poisonous twin brother, which is called the pink-purple boletus. It will be quite difficult for an inexperienced mushroom picker to distinguish these specimens from each other. However, the double can be recognized by a paler pink hue of the fruiting body and a weakly expressed sourish-fruity aroma.In addition, if you press on its pulp, it will acquire a wine color.
Quite often, the bicolor boletus is confused with a porcini mushroom, but there is nothing to worry about, since the double is edible and tasty. This specimen has a red or brown cap. Its leg is the thickest and lowest, unlike the two-color one, it is painted in dark brown shades.
Red flywheel is a representative of the Boletaceae family, it belongs to edible mushrooms and has external similarities with the species in question. However, most people do not try to collect it, since very often the fruiting bodies are affected by forest worms and larvae. You can distinguish it from the bicolor boletus by the orange-yellow leg in the upper part and the red scales located on its surface. In addition, the flywheel cap is much smaller, its maximum size in diameter is only 8 cm.
Collection rules
When collecting two-color boletus, you should follow simple rules:
- The fruit should be removed as carefully as possible so as not to damage the mycelium.
- Mushrooms of this type are allowed to be twisted, and not cut off the stem, as is usually customary with other forest gifts.
- When taken, it is necessary to inspect for the presence of various harmful insects. If there are any, they should be removed.
- It is better to place the bicolor boletus in a basket with the cap down, but if the legs are very long, then it is permissible to place it sideways.
- After collection, it is necessary to carry out primary processing of forest products as quickly as possible. Complete loss of beneficial properties in the open air occurs after 10 hours. It is worth noting that these unprocessed mushrooms can be stored in the refrigerator, but no more than a day.
Use
This ingredient can be used to prepare various hot dishes, as well as salt, pickle and freeze for the winter. However, before direct preparation, it is necessary to carry out primary processing. To do this, the fruits are washed, the lower part of the stem is cut off, and especially large specimens are crushed. The mushrooms are then soaked in slightly salted water for 30 minutes. After this time, the forest products are washed again. After this procedure, you can begin preparing the selected dish.
Conclusion
The bicolor boletus is a fairly large species of the Boletaceae family. The coloring of this specimen is one of the most interesting among the gifts of the forest. The fruit's cap resembles half a peach, as the top part is pink-red and the inside is yellow.
