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Gray chanterelle is an inconspicuous, but edible mushroom from the Chanterelle family. To correctly recognize the gray fox, you need to read its description and photographs.
Where do gray foxes grow?
The fungus, also called the tortuous funnelworm, grows almost everywhere in mixed, deciduous and coniferous forests. Chanterelles prefer high humidity and usually hide in damp grass in clearings, forest edges, under trees and along forest paths.
The first time funnelbirds appear in the forest is in the middle of summer, but most of them can be found in September. Mushrooms most often grow in large groups of up to 10 specimens each. However, it should be noted that it can still be difficult to see them, especially against the background of fallen leaves - the nondescript color serves as an excellent camouflage for chanterelles.
What do gray foxes look like?
When you mention the chanterelle mushroom, thoughts immediately arise of bright red mushrooms, noticeable against the background of green grass.However, gray chanterelles have their name for a reason - their colors are very faded, dark gray on the upper side or even black. In Germany, mushrooms have the gloomy name “chimneys of the dead.” At first glance at the gray chanterelle, it is difficult to suspect that it has a rather pleasant taste and beneficial properties.
According to the photo and description of the gray chanterelle mushroom, the cap has the shape of a cone, its edges are wavy and curved outward like a funnel, hence the second name of the mushroom, sinuous funnel. Often the edges of the cap are torn. The bottom of the cap is bluish-gray, with flat plates; the diameter of the upper part of the mushroom usually reaches 6 cm.
The cap of the gray fox gradually turns into a gray leg, short and tapering downward. The structure of the leg is hollow inside, but with dense walls, and at the same time, most of the leg is underground, and it protrudes very slightly above the soil surface. Cut gray chanterelle has fibrous light gray flesh with a neutral odor.
Is it possible to eat gray chanterelles?
At first glance, the gray twisted funnel mushroom seems absolutely unappetizing - dark and wrinkled when fresh, after cooking it turns completely black. But in fact, you can eat mushrooms. Provided that it is properly processed, it can delight you with a pleasant taste and add an unusual touch to familiar dishes.
Taste qualities
According to its taste characteristics, the tortuous funnel mushroom belongs to the 4th category of mushrooms. This means that the gray chanterelle is significantly inferior to its “noble” counterparts, such as porcini mushroom, boletus mushroom, and so on.
However, connoisseurs still speak very positively about the taste of gray chanterelle.Experienced mushroom pickers note its pleasant smell with notes of mango, melon and peach.
Benefits and harms
Gray fox is valued not only for its taste and smell, but also for its beneficial health properties. The inconspicuous mushroom has a very rich vitamin composition, which contains:
- vitamins B and D;
- pantothenic and nicotinic acids;
- manganese, selenium and phosphorus;
- potassium and iron;
- riboflavin;
- tramethalic acid;
- chitinmannosis.
Due to such a rich composition, gray fox increases immunity and fights infectious processes, helps with allergies and has an anti-cancer effect. Eating the mushroom is useful for protecting the liver from hepatitis A and B viruses, as well as improving brain function and increasing attention.
Gray chanterelles not only have beneficial properties, but sometimes they can harm the body. It is not recommended to eat mushrooms:
- for chronic and acute ailments of the stomach and intestines;
- during pregnancy;
- during breastfeeding;
- under 5 years of age.
You should not eat gray chanterelles raw - this will help provoke a severe allergic reaction.
Collection rules
It is customary to collect funnelworts, including gray ones, from mid-August until late autumn, until mid-November. You need to look for inconspicuous gray-black mushrooms in mixed and deciduous forests.Sinuous funnelworts often camouflage themselves with fallen leaves, so you should look especially closely at dark areas in autumn grass.
Gray chanterelles, like any mushrooms, perfectly absorb all harmful and toxic substances from the air and precipitation. You need to collect fungi only in clean forests, away from major roads, factories and other enterprises.
When collecting, it is recommended not to dig up gray funnelworts from the ground, but to cut them off at the surface with a sharp knife. This will keep the mycelium intact, from which new fruiting bodies can then grow.
False counterparts of gray foxes
Thanks to its unusual color, the mushroom stands out clearly from others - it is difficult to confuse it with any other fungi. However, the black chanterelle or horn-shaped funnel is very similar to the gray chanterelle.
The varieties of the mushroom are united by the dark color of the cap and a similar structure. However, there are also differences - the black fox is darker and more saturated in color, and its cap looks more like a clearly defined funnel. In addition, in the gray chanterelle, the lower surface of the cap is covered with wrinkled plates, while in the black variety the underside is smooth.
Gray Chanterelle Recipes
The gray chanterelle is not very famous among Russian culinary specialists; it is not found very often, it can be difficult to find, and the mushroom looks unattractive. However, the fungus can be used as food in any form - dried, boiled, fried and pickled.
Gray chanterelle in combination with chicken fillet can be used to prepare a very healthy and dietary dish. The recipe looks like this:
- a small amount of fresh mushrooms are washed and cut lengthwise into pieces of the desired size;
- then cut the onions into half rings and fry them together with the funnel mushrooms in a frying pan in olive oil;
- the chicken fillet is peppered and salted, and then also placed in a frying pan greased with vegetable oil and fried on each side for 2 minutes so that the meat is slightly crusted;
- Place a small amount of fried mushrooms on each piece of chicken fillet, sprinkle with sour cream, and also sprinkle with grated cheese and herbs, salt and pepper again;
- Cover the pan with a lid and fry the fillet with mushrooms over low heat for about 5 minutes.
Another recipe suggests preparing meatloaf using gray fungi. You will need quite a lot of ingredients for it, but they all belong to the inexpensive category.
- 2 peeled potatoes are grated and then mixed with 1.2 kg of minced meat, chopped boiled egg and 100 g of boiled semolina.
- The ingredients are salted to taste and a little pepper is added, and then left to brew for a while.
- Meanwhile, 300 g of gray mushrooms with onions are fried in oil in a frying pan, salted and mixed with a few peppercorns, preferably black.
- The minced meat, infused in a separate container, is laid out on a piece of foil in the shape of a rectangle, and 300 g of boiled rice is added on top and fried mushrooms and onions are placed on it.
- The foil is rolled up to form a roll and placed on a baking sheet.
Bake the roll with gray mushrooms for 35 minutes at a standard temperature of about 200 °C. Then the finished dish is cut into slices and served.
The recipe for cold pickling of gray chanterelles is very popular.
- About 1.5 kg of mushrooms are washed, then the caps are cut off and doused with boiling water.
- Peel and cut into small slices 3 heads of fresh garlic.
- Place 2 bunches of dill on the bottom of a pickling jar and add half of the total number of funnels on top.
- Add 3 large tablespoons of salt, half of the chopped garlic and 2 more bunches of dill to the ingredients.
The next layer is to lay out the remaining chanterelles, cover them with salt, the rest of the garlic and dill, and then close the jar or pan so that there is little access for air. A heavy object or pressure is placed on top of the lid, and the chanterelles are left to pickle for a day.
After a day, bend and drain the lid, and completely fill the mushrooms with oil.
Conclusion
The gray chanterelle is a very inconspicuous mushroom that usually does not attract the attention of mushroom pickers. But if you try the tortuous funnel mushroom in salted, boiled or fried form at least once, your impressions of this fungus will remain only positive.
