Content
Greater garlic (another name is greater non-rot) belongs to the genus Garlic, is a type of mushroom of the family of non-rot mushrooms. Doesn't happen often. Most avid mushroom pickers undeservedly avoid it, believing that it is inedible.
This type is used for preparing culinary dishes, and when dried it serves as an aromatic seasoning that emphasizes the taste of various products.
What does a large garlic plant look like?
Greater garlic (Mycetinis alliaceus) is an all-season species, which is one of the first to appear, starting to bear fruit in the spring. It is found in forests, fields, on compacted grass and the first thawed patches.
This lamellar mushroom has a garlicky smell, which is why it got its name. Grows in large groups.
Description of the cap
The hat is 1–6.5 cm in diameter. It has a smooth surface and is translucent at the edges. The shape of the cap of young specimens is bell-shaped and becomes prostrate as they grow.
The plates are frequent, not fused with the surface of the stem. The color of the caps varies from red-brown to dark yellow. In the center of the cap the color is more intense.
The color of the plates is grayish or pink-white. The fragile pulp, when crushed, is characterized by a garlicky odor. The surface of the cap is dry.
Description of the leg
The leg is elastic, smooth, with slight pubescence at the base. The length of the leg reaches 6-15 cm, and the diameter is only 3 mm. The color is dark, often from brown to black with a characteristic shine.
The leg is cylindrical, sometimes flattened. The structure is dense. The color of the flesh of both the stem and the cap is the same.
Is the mushroom edible or not?
Garlic mushroom is an edible mushroom. It is consumed boiled and fried, after boiling for a short time. When boiled for a long time, the aroma is lost. Fried with potatoes and used to make sauces. The taste, in which the mushroom aroma is complemented by a pronounced garlic aroma, is highly valued.
In Western European cuisine, great garlic is considered a real delicacy. It is prepared for future use by drying. Dried mushrooms retain their properties for 5 years. Before use, it is enough to keep the rotting agent in water for 5 - 10 minutes.
Dried garlic powder is used to make sauces and as an aromatic seasoning in various dishes.In addition, it is a good natural preservative that increases the shelf life of products.
Raw materials do not rot or deteriorate if properly dried and stored. Negnyuchnik has antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial effects. It is used in pharmacology for the manufacture of drugs.
Where and how does it grow
The fungus grows in colonies and is common in deciduous forests and fields in European territory. Prefers rotten twigs, dead wood, stumps, and compacted grasses. The species is heat-loving, so it is rarely found in the northern regions and the middle zone. More often appears in the south of Russia.
Doubles and their differences
Great garlic can be confused with species of this family:
- Common garlic is an edible mushroom. It is distinguished by its smaller size and red-brown leg with a smooth surface.
- Oak garlic is a rare species, conditionally edible. It differs in the structure of the cap, the color of the stem and its structure (in oak garlic it is pubescent). As it grows, it colors the substrate around itself white-yellow. Grows in oak plantings, on oak foliage.
Conclusion
Great garlic is a real delicacy from which you can prepare culinary masterpieces. In addition, the mushroom contains useful components and helps increase the shelf life of products. The caps are used in cooking because the stems of the rotten mushroom have an elastic consistency. After cooking they become too tough.
