Content
- 1 Where do purple rows grow?
- 2 How to recognize purple row mushrooms
- 3 Is it possible to eat purple rows?
- 4 Taste qualities of the purple row mushroom
- 5 Medicinal properties of violet row
- 6 How to prepare a purple row
- 7 Benefits and harm to the body
- 8 What can the purple row be confused with?
- 9 Collection rules
- 10 Conclusion
- 11 Reviews about the purple row
A photo and description of the purple row will be useful to a novice mushroom picker - although the mushroom looks very unusual, it can easily be confused with other species. At the same time, a correctly recognized row can delight you with its excellent taste and beneficial properties.
Where do purple rows grow?
The purple row mushroom is also known as purple lepista, cyanosis or blueleg. It belongs to the Ryadovkov family, and grows mainly in the northern regions of Russia, in coniferous and mixed forests. Sometimes the cyanosis is found on the edges and forest clearings, near piles of dry brushwood and next to nettle thickets.
You can meet the purple rower mainly in groups; the smoky talker often grows next to it.
How to recognize purple row mushrooms
The cyanosis has a very unusual appearance. Her cap is flat, slightly convex and fleshy, with uneven edges. The cap reaches 6-15 cm in diameter, and is covered with thin and wide plates on the underside.
Both the upper and lower surfaces of the cap change color depending on age. Young bluefish have a bright purple color, but with age they fade and become light purple. The even, smooth stem of the mushroom has the same shade. The height of the leg usually reaches about 8 cm; near the base it thickens slightly.
When cut, the violet row has dense and elastic lilac-colored pulp. A recognizable feature of cyanosis is the presence of a pleasant and light fruity smell.
Is it possible to eat purple rows?
The bright colors of the cyanosis often scare away mushroom pickers, but in fact it is suitable for consumption and belongs to the category of conditionally edible. It is not recommended to consume purple rower in its raw form - it will cause serious stomach upset. However, after soaking and heat treatment, cyanosis can be prepared in a variety of ways.
Taste qualities of the purple row mushroom
Blueberry is considered one of the most delicious among autumn mushrooms. Most often, purple row is salted and pickled, but it can also be eaten boiled or fried. Blueberry goes well with potatoes and spaghetti, vegetables and meat dishes.
Medicinal properties of violet row
The value of cyanosis lies not only in its taste characteristics.Purple row has medicinal properties; it contains vitamins B1 and B2, zinc and copper, manganese and organic acids. Blueberry is rich in vegetable protein, but 100 g of its pulp contains only about 19 kcal.
When eaten, the species is capable of:
- relieve inflammatory processes and fight fungal diseases due to its antibiotic properties;
- reduce blood sugar levels;
- improve immunity and increase the body's resistance to viral diseases;
- support healthy stomach and intestinal function.
Also, the purple row is beneficial for the nervous system, as it relieves symptoms of chronic fatigue and helps avoid overwork. It is useful to consume nutritious cyanosis during the recovery period after illnesses and operations; the protein-rich pulp strengthens the body's strength.
How to prepare a purple row
In cooking, there are many recipes for preparing violet row for food. However, first of all, fresh mushrooms must be pre-treated:
- Immediately after collection, the cyanosis is cleaned of plant debris, and then soaked in salt water for 1-3 days. The fluid must be drained and replaced with a new one every 3 hours.
- After soaking, the purple row is boiled in salt water for half an hour. In addition to salt, it is recommended to add a bay leaf, a couple of buds of dried cloves and a few black peppercorns to the solution.
How to pickle violet rows
Pre-treated purple rows can be pickled for long-term storage. A popular recipe for a purple row is as follows:
- Place 2 kg of boiled mushrooms in a large saucepan and fill them with 1.5 liters of water.
- Add 3 large tablespoons of salt and 4 tablespoons of sugar to the water, then bring the solution to a boil and cook the cyanosis for another 10 minutes.
- Pour 6 large tablespoons of table vinegar into boiling water, add 3 bay leaves, several black peppercorns and 3 buds of dry cloves.
- The solution is kept on low heat for about 10 minutes, then turned off.
Boiled purple rows in a fragrant marinade are poured into sterilized jars without waiting for them to cool, and then rolled up tightly and stored.
How to salt purple rows
Another simple way to prepare mushrooms is a recipe for pickling purple row, which allows you to preserve the benefits and taste for a long time:
- Fresh cyanosis is cleaned of dirt and soil, washed properly, soaked and boiled.
- A glass or wooden container for pickling is scalded with boiling water, and then the treated cyanosis is placed inside, caps down.
- Each small layer of rows is generously sprinkled with coarse salt; if desired, you can add herbs and spices to your taste - pepper, cloves, bay leaves, dill seeds.
- When the container is filled to the top, you will need to close it with a lid and place a heavy load on top, the so-called oppression.
The container with mushrooms is placed in a dry and cool place with a temperature no higher than 5 °C. Salted purple rows will be ready in a month and will be a wonderful cold appetizer on the autumn table.
How to fry purple rows
You can not only salt or marinate the blue mushroom; a popular method of preparing the purple row is to fry the mushroom. First of all, the mushrooms are cleaned of adhering debris and soaked in salt water, and then boiled in the standard way for half an hour.
Algorithm:
- Dry the boiled purple rows with a paper towel, and then spread them in a thin layer on a heated frying pan greased with vegetable oil.
- Fry the mushrooms for 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
- After 10 minutes, salt the cyanosis to taste, add pepper, herbs and spices if desired.
- After this, reduce the heat to low and simmer the purple row in the frying pan for another 2-3 minutes.
Ready fried rows can be served with potatoes or as an addition to any meat and vegetable dish. To improve the taste, you can add a little herbs, garlic or onion to the mushrooms, and also pour in a couple of spoons of sour cream.
How to make soup from purple rows
Among the dishes from the purple row, a very tasty and unusually colored soup is gaining interest. The cooking recipe is as follows:
- About 400 g of fresh rows are soaked for 3 days.
- Prepared mushrooms are poured into 2 liters of fresh water and about 3 g of citric acid is added to it.
- The mushrooms are boiled for 20 minutes, then washed and lightly dried, and the broth is drained.
- To prepare the soup, cut 5 potatoes, peeled carrots and onions into small pieces.
- Boiled mushrooms are lightly fried in vegetable oil until a golden brown crust appears on them.
- Place all ingredients in a saucepan with 1.5 liters of water, add mushrooms and cook until the vegetables are fully cooked.
A couple of minutes before turning off the heat, the soup should be salted to taste, after which the dish can be served.
Benefits and harm to the body
Thanks to its valuable composition, violet row is able to have a beneficial effect on the body.
In particular, the mushroom:
- helps with inflammation and bacterial processes;
- improves digestion and helps improve metabolism;
- increases endurance and makes the immune system more resistant to viruses and infections;
- normalizes blood composition and can be beneficial for diabetes;
- replenishes strength during increased stress or protein deficiency in the diet.
However, under certain circumstances, purple rowing can harm the body. It should not be consumed if you have chronic diseases of the stomach and intestines; the mushroom is too difficult to digest and will aggravate the condition.
Cyanosis can also have a negative effect if collected in an environmentally unfavorable area. Mushroom pulp perfectly absorbs toxins from the soil and air, so mushrooms growing near roads and industrial facilities contain too many toxic substances.
What can the purple row be confused with?
At first glance, it seems that the bright purple or lilac color of the mushroom makes it completely unique in appearance. But this is not so, there are many purple-legged rowers and false look-alikes, and the mushroom can easily be confused with both edible and toxic look-alikes.
Bluefoot, or Lepistal-footed
This conditionally edible mushroom is similar to blue mushroom in external structure; it has a fleshy, slightly convex cap with a lamellar lower surface and a purple stem. However, there are also important differences - the cap of the mushroom is much lighter and closer to white.In addition, false violet row, or blueleg, grows in warm subtropical regions, mainly in fields and meadows, and can be found from mid-spring.
Lepista violet
Another lamellar, conditionally edible mushroom grows in temperate climates and is found mainly in forests. The cap of the violet lepista is convex, its edges are uneven. However, the color of the mushroom is not purple, but rather pinkish-brown or whitish. In addition, the pulp of this type of lepista produces a distinct violet aroma when broken.
Lilac lacquer
The mushroom belongs to the category of conditionally edible and grows in temperate climates from early summer to mid-autumn. The varnish is similar to the violet row in its shade; at a young age it is bright purple, as it matures it turns pale and fades. The mushroom also has a flattened, fleshy cap with a slight convexity in the center, and the underside of the cap is covered with thin plates.
However, a photo of a purple false mushroom makes it possible to distinguish it from a real mushroom. The difference lies primarily in size - the lacquer usually reaches no more than 5 cm in diameter and belongs to miniature mushrooms.
Purple web spider
This conditionally edible mushroom from the spider family of the same name grows in coniferous and deciduous forest plantations in temperate climates. It is similar to the young purple rower in the shape of its cap, but usually has a darker color - deep purple or brownish, the same color is the plate on the underside of its cap.
The purple flesh of the spiderwort produces a nutty, rather than a fruity, aroma. The stem of the mushroom noticeably thickens in the lower part, and you can also see traces of a blanket on it, similar to a light cobweb.
White and purple web spider
This mushroom from the Spider web family is classified as inedible and cannot be eaten. The convex or bell-shaped cap of the mushroom reaches 8 cm in diameter, and the cobweb can rise above the ground on a stalk by 8 cm. The color of the mushroom is pale lilac or silver-lilac, in old cobwebs it is off-white or slightly yellowish.
You can distinguish the inedible mushroom from the purple rower not only by its shade, but also by its pulp - in the cobweb mushroom it is soft, quickly turns brown when cut, and at the same time emits a noticeable smell of mold.
Goat's web
Another inedible mushroom is distinguished by a convex hemispherical cap up to 6-12 cm in diameter and a thick short stalk with a thickening near the ground. The goat's web has a bluish-purple tint to the legs and cap, and its flesh is grayish-purple. The peak of fruiting occurs at the end of summer, and you can find the mushroom in coniferous and mixed plantings in the middle zone until the beginning of October.
You can distinguish the poisonous purple row mushroom from the real edible one both by color and shape, as well as by smell. An inedible mushroom emits an unpleasant aroma of acetylene and does not at all evoke the desire to taste the pulp.
Pure mycena
The hemispherical cap of a miniature inedible mushroom can reach 4 cm in diameter, and mycena can rise 9 cm above the ground. It vaguely resembles a row, but is much thinner and smaller in size, the color of mycena is more grayish than purple, sometimes pale brown. Its flesh is also gray or pale gray, watery and with a distinct unpleasant odor.When broken, the mycena secretes milky juice in very large quantities.
Pure mycena differs from the purple row not only in its external features. It is difficult to confuse the species due to different periods of growth - the row is an autumn mushroom, while the inedible mycena is found in temperate climates from early spring to the end of June.
Collection rules
You need to go to the forest for the purple row during the period of its maximum fruiting - in early September and until mid-October, before the onset of the first frost.
Since the edible mushroom has a strong resemblance to its conditionally edible and poisonous counterparts, special care should be taken when collecting:
- The color of the cap and stem should be exactly the same as in the photo of the purple row mushroom, bright purple for young fruiting bodies and lavender for adults.
- There should be no visible pattern on the cap, and there should be no “web” on the stem, which is the remains of a ring.
- When cut, the row should be bright purple or lilac, and the smell of the edible pulp is always pleasant.
Conclusion
Photos and descriptions of the purple row allow one to unmistakably recognize a very beautiful and tasty forest mushroom. But you need to study the characteristics of cyanosis carefully, since it also has quite a lot of false doubles.