Content
Hygrophorus poetic is an edible specimen of the Hygroforaceae family. Grows in deciduous forests in small groups. Since the mushroom is a lamellar, it is often confused with inedible specimens, so during a “quiet” hunt you need to be extremely careful, since the toxins of the fruiting bodies can cause irreparable harm to the body.
What does a poetic hygrophore look like?
The poetic hygrophorus has a rounded cap, which straightens and becomes lumpy as it matures. The uneven edges are folded inward. The surface is covered with a glossy, velvety whitish-pink skin. In fully ripe mushrooms, the color changes to light red.
The lower layer consists of jagged, sparsely spaced plates, pale pink in color.Reproduction occurs by oblong spores, which are located in a light ocher powder.
The leg is dense, slightly thickened closer to the ground. The velvety surface is sticky and covered with fine fibers. The color is snow-white with a pink or reddish tint. The pulp is dense, white, does not change color when mechanically damaged, and does not emit milky juice. The taste is sweetish, the aroma is fruity or reminiscent of blooming jasmine.
The mushroom has a pleasant taste and aroma
Where does the poetic hygrophorus grow?
Hygrophorus poetic prefers to grow surrounded by deciduous trees, on nutritious soil. Fruits from June until the first frost throughout Russia. Appears in single specimens or small families.
Is it possible to eat hygrophor poetic
Because of its pleasant taste and aroma, hygrophor poetic is widely used in cooking. After heat treatment, the mushrooms are salted, marinated, fried and frozen for the winter.
False doubles
Due to its jasmine scent, Hygrophorus poetic is difficult to confuse with other species, but since it is from a large family, it has similar brothers. Such as:
- Pinkish – a conditionally edible species, but due to the unpleasant taste and smell it has no nutritional value. Grows on spruce substrate from August to October. In cooking they are used in pickled and dried form.
The species bears fruit mainly in autumn
- Fragrant – belongs to the 4th category of edibility. Grows in damp moss among pines and spruces. Fruits all summer.It can be identified by its rounded-convex, slimy cap, dirty yellow in color. It is used as food in canned form.
A member of the family is suitable for salting and marinating
- Yellow-white – edible species, grows on moist substrate, in mixed forests. The fruit body is small, the snow-white surface in wet weather is covered with a thick layer of mucus. The pulp has bactericidal and antifungal properties, so the mushroom is widely used in folk medicine. Popularly, the species is called a wax cap, because if you rub it between your fingers, it turns into a wax mask.
Yellow-white hygrophor has medicinal properties
Rules for collection and use
All mushrooms, like a sponge, absorb toxic substances, so when going to the forest, it is important to know the rules of collection.
Mushrooms are collected:
- far from highways, plants and factories;
- in environmentally friendly places;
- in dry weather and in the morning;
- the found specimen is cut with a knife or twisted out of the ground, trying not to damage the mycelium;
- the growth site is sprinkled with soil or covered with a substrate.
Immediately after collection, you need to start processing. The harvest is cleared of forest debris, washed under warm running water, and the skin is removed from the stem. After boiling in salted water, the mushrooms can be fried, boiled, or canned. They can also be frozen and dried. Dried fruit bodies are stored in a cloth or paper bag in a dark, dry place. The shelf life should not exceed 1 year.
Conclusion
Hygrophorus poetic is a tasty and aromatic mushroom that grows among deciduous trees. Fruits in autumn in small groups.In cooking, it is used to prepare a variety of dishes, but only after heat treatment.
