Content
Even in the leanest years, it is not so difficult to find mushrooms with waves on the cap in the forest. Most often it is pink and white wave, although other colors are also found.Because of their hot milky juice, representatives of this variety are considered conditionally edible in many European countries, while in Russia they are happily consumed in salted form, after preliminary preparation.
To get a tasty and healthy product, you need to know where they grow, when they are collected, and how to distinguish them from pink ones and from false doubles.
Are there white waves?
The closest relatives of the trumpet are russula. In appearance, they resemble saffron milk caps, only their color is different, and the edges are curled and velvety. There are several subspecies that differ in color, but their taste is almost the same.
In addition to the white variety, there are:
- pink, or Volzhanka;
- yellow, or wave;
- gray, or milky gray.
The most popular are pink and white waves. The former are distributed throughout Russia. White mushroom, or white mushroom, grows in large quantities in Siberia.
What does a whitefish look like?
The white mushroom is a conditionally edible species. Whitefish is a milkweed that secretes juice that is bitter and pungent in taste, which does not change when exposed to air. In general, the pulp is not very hard, white, slightly pinkish under the skin, not crumbling, like russula. Volushki are salted according to the general rules for the species: the beneficial and taste qualities are in no way inferior in their characteristics to the pink, yellow and gray varieties.
According to the photo and description, the white wavefish has a less attractive appearance than the pink one - its leg is shorter, and its color is light fawn. Because of this, it seems a little dirty. There is a light fluff on the edge of the cap. This surface is a distinctive feature of all types of waves.Mushroom pickers note that whiteweed emits a slight smell of geranium and grows next to birch trees, forming mycorrhiza with them.
Description of the cap
As you can see in the photo, the white mushroom has a funnel-shaped cap, its diameter reaches 4 cm in young specimens, and up to 12 cm in old specimens. At first it is convex, has dense pubescence, especially along the edges, which are strongly curved inward.
Later, the cap increases in size, a depression appears in its center, and the edges gradually unfold. The skin does not have a pattern in the form of rings, like other subspecies. In the center the shade is slightly darker than at the edges. The pulp is white, brittle, with an acrid milky juice and a pungent taste; its smell is light and pleasant.
The cap plates are frequent, narrow, adherent, at first they are white, but in adult fruiting bodies they are yellowish. Spore powder is ocher in color.
When it rains, the white wave becomes slimy and not very beautiful.
Description of the leg
Judging by the photo and description, the white mushroom in adulthood has a stalk about 4 cm long and 2 cm in diameter. Its shape is cylindrical, the surface may be slightly pubescent, but most often with a smooth skin. Young fruiting bodies have a dense structure. Later, at a more mature age, their leg becomes hollow and very brittle. Its shades change over time from white and pinkish to a yellowish-dirty color.
From this part of the mushroom, as from the cap, white, acrid, milky juice is also abundantly released, especially when scrapped.
The shape of the stem depends on the location of the fruiting bodies. In open spaces it is very short - about 3 cm.In white trumpets that grow in tall grass, it is long - 8 - 10 cm. Specimens with short legs are most often narrowed towards the base.
Is the white trumpet edible or not?
Opinions differ regarding the edibility of the white trumpet. Some mushroom pickers are happy to collect them, others consider them inedible and leave them in the forest. In the guides and reference books used in Western Europe, white mushrooms are classified as poisonous mushrooms, prohibited for collection and consumption as they lead to gastrointestinal disorders. In Russia, white fiber is harvested and, after appropriate processing, used for food.
Raw mushrooms are bitter due to the milky juice. To get rid of bitterness, pink volnushki and whitefish are soaked, after which they are salted. These are conditionally edible mushrooms that require additional heat treatment, so they are classified in the second category.
According to a 10-point assessment of nutritional, taste and aesthetic qualities, white trumpets received 6.2 points and were approved by GOST for harvesting in the USSR.
How to process whites before cooking
White mushrooms are not suitable for making soups or frying, but they are excellent for pickling. Soaking helps get rid of the bitterness of the milky juice. For this purpose, whitefish are immersed in cold salt water for several hours, after having previously cleared them of leaves, soil and debris. After this, the water is drained, then the raw materials are placed in hot salted water and boiled for half an hour. The first water should be drained and boiled for 15 minutes in new water. After such heat treatment, you can begin salting or pickling white trumpets strictly according to the recipe.
Where do whites grow?
In Russia, whitefish can be found in the Central and North-Western regions, Siberia, the Urals and the North Caucasus. Volnushki live only in symbiosis with birch, forming mycorrhiza with it. The mushroom helps the tree absorb salts and minerals, and itself absorbs organic substances synthesized by the birch. Thanks to this union, the white trumpet grows mainly in birch groves, but it can also be found in mixed forests. It is located not far from saffron milk caps and boletuses. The white wavefish prefers sunny places, so most often it can be found on the edges or at the entrance to the forest.
Whitefish love to grow in families in damp, swampy areas, so in rainy years their maximum yield is observed, provided the weather is warm. The age of the birch trees near which the mushrooms are located does not matter. They can also be found in very young birch trees.
When are whites collected?
The time for collecting white trumpets begins in August and lasts until the end of September or mid-October, depending on when frosts begin. In the first half of summer it is very difficult to find whitefish.
Most often, the rich harvest of white trumpets is divided into two stages. The first harvest occurs in August, the second in September.
During the “silent hunt” you should pay close attention to what goes into the basket. You can get advice from experienced mushroom pickers or look at a photo in a reference book of what a white mushroom looks like after reading about its distinctive features.And, although the whites do not have poisonous counterparts, it is worth discarding the mushroom if its origin raises even the slightest doubt.
How to distinguish white waves from false ones
Mushrooms that are similar to white mushrooms and white mushrooms are their counterparts and belong to the laticifers, whose caps are pinkish and may have reddish rings. There is no edge. The fruiting body of the whitefish is small, its juiciness is low.
There are several edible milkweed twins.
Ordinary
The hat of the common representative is shiny. At first it is convex and gray, later it becomes flat, brown, purple or yellow. The edges of the mushroom are rounded, the stem is cylindrical. The milky juice is greenish.
Faded milkman
The cap of this double is lilac, gray or white, has a bulge, is depressed in the center and is somewhat darker than at the edges. The leg is light, slightly curved.
Brownish
This variety has a cap that is velvety to the touch, brown or chocolate-colored. Its shape gradually changes from convex to concave. When broken, the flesh turns pink and has a light fruity aroma.
Brown
The cap of this species is convex, chestnut or brown, and can be almost black. Later, a concavity appears on it. The leg is the same color as the cap. The milky juice is not caustic.
Hygrophoroid
The hat of this double is dry, brown with a brown tint. The hygrophoroid mushroom is distinguished by the fragility of its white flesh.
Burning milky
This variety has a moist cap covered with mucus. Its flesh is gray, dense, has a mushroom aroma, and has a burning taste.
Spiky
The color of the cap changes from pink to brown, there are red scales. The flesh is white, yellow or green. There is no smell, the taste is characterized as pungent.Edible white mushrooms and false white mushrooms differ in size and external characteristics. False mushrooms are no larger than a chicken egg, and they have a depression in the center of the cap.
Sticky
The cap of this representative is gray-green with dark spots. Its leg is sticky, lighter than the cap. The pulp is odorless, white, green when broken.
Hepatic
The mushroom has a smooth, funnel-shaped cap of brown color. Its flesh is pungent and light brown. The milky sap turns yellow when exposed to air.
In order not to make a mistake in your choice when picking mushrooms, you should thoroughly study the photos and descriptions of white and false mushrooms, compare them and remember the main differences.
What is the difference between pink flukes and whites?
In order not to confuse white and pink waves, it is worth remembering that they have several differences:
- different colors of hats - white and pink;
- the whitefish does not have concentric circles;
- The white variety grows in damp places, the pink variety prefers dry places;
- whitefish is more squat in shape and has a dense structure.
Useful properties and contraindications
Due to the rich chemical composition of whites, they have a beneficial effect on the body: vitamin A is useful for people with vision problems, the rich composition of microelements helps prevent diseases of the cardiovascular system, strengthens blood vessels, and lowers cholesterol levels. The benefits of minerals in the composition of vodka include improving brain function, strengthening the nervous system, and combating fatigue.
Video story of mushroom pickers, what else is good about white mushrooms:
The consumption of milkweed should be limited to people with a removed gallbladder, since even in the absence of bitterness after processing, the composition of the milky juice does not change.
Mushrooms are contraindicated for use in case of pancreatitis, cholecystitis and low acidity, children under seven years of age, pregnant and lactating women.
Conclusion
White trumpet is quite caustic due to the milky juice present in it. But after processing, carried out according to all the rules, it loses its bitterness and becomes tasty and aromatic. Belyanka is easy and interesting to collect. With a detailed study of its distinctive features, the mushroom is difficult to confuse with false doubles, and problems never arise during the collection process.
