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Reticulated boletus, Latin name, Boletus reticulatus, belongs to the genus Boletaceae, family Boletaceae. In Russia it is called the White Oak Mushroom, another name is Summer. This variety is distinguished from the real Borovik only by a brown netted leg; otherwise the species are almost identical.
What do white oak mushrooms look like?
The cap of a young mushroom is spherical, its diameter does not exceed 3 cm. With age, it becomes cushion-shaped, thick and convex, increasing in size up to 10 cm, in some specimens up to half a meter.Its color is dark beige, coffee, light brown, the surface is velvety, dry.
The pulp is dense, strong, the cut area does not darken or crumble. On the back of the cap, under the tubes, the color of the pulp may be yellow. Its taste is rich, mushroom, aromatic.
The tubes are thin, small, tightly connected to each other. In young small mushrooms they are white, in large and overripe ones they can darken and turn yellow.
The leg is thick, strong, springy, and not hollow inside. Its length can vary from 5 to 20 cm, diameter - from 3 to 8 cm. The color is light walnut, the surface is rough, covered with a dark, thick mesh. The shape of the mushroom stalk is club-shaped or cylindrical, the bottom is wider than the top.
The spores of the oak porcini mushroom are round, olive or brown in color, the spore powder is marsh or brown in color.
Where do white oak mushrooms grow?
The reticulated boletus grows in the temperate climate of Eurasia, in the light deciduous forests of Europe, northern Africa and America. Most often it can be found under beeches, chestnuts, oaks in mountainous areas, common in Crimea. Oak porcini mushroom prefers light, dry, alkaline soil. It grows next to oak oak. The netted boletus insects practically do not attack.
Is it possible to eat porcini mushrooms?
Boletus reticulum is eaten in any form after heat treatment. Some sources indicate that it can be eaten fresh after a short treatment with boiling water.
Taste qualities of white oak mushrooms
This mushroom is classified in the first category due to its high taste. It can be fried, stewed, dried, rolled into jars. When dried, white oak is especially aromatic and tasty. After heat treatment, the flesh of the reticulated boletus does not darken and looks appetizing in any dish. It has a sweetish taste with a nutty aftertaste.
False doubles
The white oak mushroom from the Boletaceae family is similar to all representatives of the genus. But it has especially many similarities with the White spruce mushroom. This is the same strong large specimen with dense, tasty pulp.
Its difference from the reticulated boletus is that it grows in coniferous, not deciduous forests, and its cap is dark brown, lumpy, and loose. The weight of the Spruce Boletus can reach 2 kg. Both representatives of the family belong to the edible species of the first category.
White oak is similar to gall mushroom. It is an inhabitant of coniferous forests and grows only on sandy soil - this is their first difference. The gall mushroom is inedible and has a pungent bitter taste. It does not grow higher than 10 cm, the leg is covered with a dark, brown mesh pattern, similar to a loose coating. Fruiting of the gall mushroom begins in July, and that of the white oak mushroom begins in May.
Collection rules
They go to collect white oak mushrooms after a prolonged downpour; ideally, if it lasted for several days, the harvest will be excellent. It is good to harvest in warm, humid weather or when there is light rain. At this time, large, dense caps of brown color are especially noticeable. In dry weather it is difficult to find a good specimen. The white oak mushroom loves edges and clearings that are well lit by the sun. In deciduous forests they focus on oak, hornbeam, and birch; it is under these trees that the reticulated boletus hides.The main time for collecting white oak mushroom is from August to October.
It is better to put small fruiting bodies in the basket, the diameter of the cap of which does not exceed 7 cm. Their flesh is more tender, pliable, and not spongy. They can be cut or broken off without disturbing the mycelium. The flesh of larger specimens becomes spongy and rubbery, and worms appear in the stems of most old mushrooms. To determine the presence of parasites, make a cut on the stem - it must be clean.
Use
Delicious and aromatic dishes are obtained from freshly picked or dried net boletus mushrooms. You should not store them for more than a day. Before cooking, the mushroom crop is washed well and the lower part of the stem is cut off.
After cleaning, white oak mushrooms are soaked in salted water. If a worm is hiding in one of the legs, it will definitely leave it within half an hour. After such processing, any chosen dish is prepared from the harvested crop: julienne, casserole, mushroom sauce, roast with potatoes, rich soup. Also, strong, elastic caps and legs are pickled and sent to jars, sealed for the winter, or dried for future use.
In vegetable salads, you can use fresh, well-washed and blanched in boiling water for a couple of minutes, netted boletus. It is absolutely safe and has good taste even in its raw form.
The dried mushroom has a special, rich aroma and a sweetish, nutty taste. Soups and casseroles are prepared from it.
Conclusion
Oak porcini mushroom is one of the varieties of porcini mushrooms of the Boletaceae family, which are considered the best due to their high taste. Boletus is easy to distinguish from most known poisonous species and is suitable for collection by inexperienced mushroom pickers. Summer mushrooms are used to prepare any dishes, including fresh ones. It is absolutely safe for human health, even without preliminary heat treatment, and when dried it only becomes tastier.
