Content
- 1 What does a serushka mushroom look like?
- 2 Where do earrings grow?
- 3 Are serushka mushrooms edible or not?
- 4 Taste qualities of serushki
- 5 Benefits and harm to the body
- 6 How to distinguish a serushka from false serushkas
- 7 Rules for collecting mushrooms
- 8 How to cook serushki
- 9 Recipes for making earrings
- 10 Conclusion
Serushka is a russula mushroom that belongs to the genus Mlechnikov, it is considered a close relative of the russula.This variety is collected all summer, until October. Serushka mushrooms are very popular and loved by gourmets. Collecting them is not difficult: they are unpretentious to soil and weather conditions, have high yields and grow everywhere in all regions of central Russia.
What does a serushka mushroom look like?
As the name suggests, the mushroom is gray in color. But it can change at different times of the year. Thus, the cap of the autumn serushka mushroom is painted in different shades of gray: from violet-pink to dark lead.
Serushka has many different names that reflect its color peculiarities: gray milkweed, greenfinch, gray row, lilac milk mushroom, serukha, seryanka.
While the mushroom is growing, the entire surface of its cap has a convex shape.
In its mature state, it takes the form of a funnel, in the middle of which there is a small smooth tubercle. The edges look jagged and slightly drooping. The diameter of the cap can reach 10 cm.
There are several main distinctive characteristics that will help you navigate the forest and distinguish this type of mushroom from others:
- The white pulp has a dense texture and a fruity aroma.
- Rarely located plates are painted pale yellow. In young mushrooms they are inseparable from the stem and only with time take on the shape of a wave.
- If a gray mushroom is broken into 2 parts, you can see the release of a watery liquid that has a very pungent taste. Its quantity is always abundant, even in dry weather.
- In mushrooms that have not yet formed, the light gray stem is slightly swollen or, conversely, narrowed. Its thickness is 2 cm, length - 8 cm. In mature ones, it becomes hollow, and its color becomes more saturated.
When wet, during and after precipitation, the surface of the cap becomes very slippery.
The gray mushroom is often confused with zoned and zoneless milkweed, whose caps have cream and brown shades.
One of the distinguishing advantages of these mushrooms is that worms usually do not show interest in them, so seruchi are rarely wormy. In some cases, only the lower edges of the legs may be damaged, while the caps always remain intact.
Photos and descriptions of serushka mushrooms will help novice mushroom pickers easily find them in the forest and distinguish them from other species.
Where do earrings grow?
Gray mushrooms are common in deciduous and mixed forests. Experienced mushroom pickers know that they can always be found in aspen and birch thickets, the upper layers of the soil of which receive a lot of light and warm up well.
Some of the popular names of this species help to understand where they most often grow:
- plantain;
- sub-tree;
- gray hollow.
This species grows in large clusters along forest roads, paths, and forest edges. The most preferred are loamy and sandy loam soils. They can also be seen in wetlands and low-lying areas where meltwater does not drain for a long time.
Are serushka mushrooms edible or not?
Serushki belong to the category of conditionally edible, or semi-edible, mushrooms. This means that there are certain restrictions for eating them. Mushrooms of this variety should never be eaten raw. Before use, they are subjected to additional processing - prolonged soaking in water.
The features of this variety are clearly presented in the video:
Taste qualities of serushki
In terms of nutritional and taste qualities, this species belongs only to the 3rd food category. Category 1 includes the most delicious and healthy mushrooms, rich in valuable minerals, proteins and vitamins, such as boletus, milk mushrooms, saffron milk caps, champignons and all porcini mushrooms.
Representatives of the 2nd category also have high quality, but a slightly lower content of vitamins and minerals - boletus, boletus, boletus, and boletus. The 3rd category is represented by mushrooms of low quality, which have a good taste, but a poor composition of nutrients and beneficial substances. In addition to the serushka, this category includes mushrooms such as honey mushrooms, morels, milkweeds, certain types of moss mushrooms and some others.
Excessive content of milky juice makes the taste of earrings acrid and bitter. Only due to the content of useful substances they did not fall into the 4th category, which includes all types of mushrooms with a mediocre taste and an insignificant content of microelements: for example, oyster mushrooms, dung beetles, puffballs.
Benefits and harm to the body
In the Middle Ages, eating earrings helped in the treatment of stomach and related diseases. It was included as one of the components in the formulation of drugs for cholera. The microelements they contain are useful for maintaining the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and have a positive effect on the functioning of the brain and blood vessels.
Due to the significant concentration of polysaccharides that strengthen the immune system, this type of mushroom is often used to prepare various ointments, decoctions and tinctures. They are used to treat skin diseases.Serushki have an antiparasitic effect on the body and cope with various types of worms and worms. These mushrooms are easily digestible and low in calories, so they are recommended even for dietary nutrition.
Mushrooms collected in ecologically clean areas and properly processed will only bring benefits to the human body. However, you should not abuse such foods and eat them in large quantities. Serushki are rich in natural chitin, useful in small doses. If you overeat, digestive problems may occur. The inclusion of mushrooms in the diet is also contraindicated for young children.
It is not recommended to consume earrings for people suffering from diseases associated with disorders of the stomach and intestines. It is allowed to take mushrooms in small quantities, and only in boiled form. If the listed diseases are acute, the product should be completely abandoned. Pickled mushrooms containing vinegar and various spices are especially dangerous in this state.
How to distinguish a serushka from false serushkas
Serushki grow in large clusters forming rounded rows, which is why they are called “witch circles.” To avoid getting poisoned, you should know how to distinguish conditionally edible earrings from their counterparts, which pose a serious threat to life and health:
- White poisonous row. Its flesh, painted white or milky, acquires a pink tint when broken. The stem and cap are white. A distinctive feature is a pungent odor reminiscent of radish.
- Inedible soap semolina. It is characterized by a sharp soapy odor and has a uniform, rich color.
- Pointed earring. It has a very pungent taste and repulsive odor. It is easily distinguished from the real variety by the presence of a high, pointed part in the center of the cap.
All types of false mushrooms can be identified by one common distinctive feature: when broken, representatives of the species emit a sharp, unpleasant odor, and some mushrooms have a repulsive smell even in an untouched state.
Rules for collecting mushrooms
Serushki, like all other mushrooms, perfectly absorb and accumulate harmful substances found in the soil and air. Therefore, they should not be collected in unfavorable environmental areas, as well as along highways and roads with busy traffic. Collecting earrings in close proximity to production facilities that emit hazardous waste is very dangerous and can cause irreparable harm to health.
You cannot uproot mushrooms, thereby disturbing their system. Every mushroom picker knows that the fruits of the forest must be cut with a sharp knife. This will allow the root system to produce a harvest of graylings in the same place for several years.
How to cook serushki
Serushka mushrooms do not have any special taste, but, nevertheless, in cooking there are various ways to prepare them. After all, if you prepare them correctly, this drawback will not be noticeable; seasonings and spices can significantly improve the taste of such mushrooms.
Features of cooking serushki mushrooms
You can eat earrings in any form. They are pickled, salted, fried, boiled, and used as fillings for pies, pies and dumplings. Serushki make very tasty mushroom caviar.And if you add them to a creamy sauce, it will acquire a bright, rich taste, and any dish with such a dressing can sparkle with new colors. But most often these mushrooms are used in canned form for assorted preparations.
When canned, earrings do not lose their consistency, practically do not boil down, and do not acquire the fading and lethargy characteristic of many mushrooms that are subjected to heat treatment.
How to clean earrings
Methods for cleaning earrings differ depending on how they will be prepared in the future. So, if drying or freezing is planned, contact of mushrooms with water should be minimal. In this case, they resort to the dry cleaning method.
To carry it out you will need:
- sharp knife;
- dish sponge or toothbrush;
- sunflower oil.
Cleaning earrings consists of several sequential steps:
- Using a knife, cut off all areas damaged by rodents and insects, capturing healthy parts.
- Heavy stains are carefully cleaned off.
- The hard lower part of the leg is cut off.
- The plates under the cap are cleaned of accumulated small debris.
- The surface of the caps is wiped with a kitchen sponge or toothbrush, previously soaked in sunflower oil. Remove all adhered forest debris - needles, leaves, grass.
You can clean the earrings even more thoroughly and remove the film from the caps. This work is quite labor-intensive, but this way you can get rid of the bitter taste of the product. Mushrooms cleaned in this way can be frozen and dried. If other cooking methods are planned, they are washed with plain water.
Do you need to soak the earrings?
Soaking is one of the main ways to clean earrings. With its help you can neutralize the acrid bitterness that can ruin the taste of any mushroom dish. In addition, salted water helps to better open pores and more thoroughly remove debris.
How long to soak the earrings
Before soaking, the earrings are cleaned and the lower part of the stem is cut off. Prepared mushrooms are placed in a salty solution prepared from 1 tbsp. l. salt per 1 liter of water. Soaking must be carried out for 1 – 3 days. At the same time, we should not forget about the need to change the water. Otherwise, the entire mushroom harvest may turn sour.
How long to cook serushki
Before cooking serushki mushrooms, they must be boiled. The process is quite simple and does not require much effort. Cleaned of soil and forest debris, the mushrooms are placed in a large saucepan filled with plain water. Boil 4 - 5 times for 10 minutes, changing the water each time. If there are small forest debris left on the mushrooms, they can be completely cleaned during the cooking process. Foam will periodically form on the surface of the water. It must be removed. The mushroom broth obtained in this way is not suitable for use for other purposes.
Place the boiled mushrooms in a colander. After all the moisture has been released, the product can be cooked further.
How to fry serushki
Fried mushrooms are the simplest and most delicious dish that can be prepared without enough time and additional ingredients.
Ingredients:
- 0.5 kg of fresh earrings;
- 2 liters of water;
- 1 tbsp. l. salt;
- ground black pepper;
- vegetable oil.
To make fried mushrooms tasty, you should follow the following sequence of actions:
- Serushki are sorted, cleaned and boiled in salted water.
- Place boiled mushrooms in heated sunflower oil and cook for 10 minutes. fry at medium temperature, stirring every 1 - 2 minutes.
- Add salt and pepper. Keep on the stove for another 2 - 3 minutes, then serve the dish hot.
Fried earrings go well with fried potatoes or other side dishes to taste.
Recipes for making earrings
Soaking the mushrooms and adding spices to them during the cooking process will irrevocably remove the bitterness and make the mushroom dish tasty and aromatic.
There are many traditional recipes for preparing serushki for the winter, based on canning, pickling, drying and salting. You can also show your imagination and prepare an original and unusual dish that will decorate any holiday table.
Boiled mushrooms with spices
A simple recipe for boiled mushrooms with spices.
Required ingredients:
- 1 kg of mushrooms;
- 1 liter of water;
- 1 tbsp. l. salt;
- ¼ tsp. citric acid;
- Bay leaf;
- black peppercorns;
- carnation.
The cooking process consists of the following stages:
- Water is poured into a large saucepan, salt is added, as well as a natural preservative - citric acid. Everything is mixed.
- Bring the saline solution to a boil and add the mushrooms. If there are more than 1 kg, the amount of other ingredients is increased in the appropriate proportion.
- In 10 minutes. add all the spices.
- Cook for another 10 minutes. and drain in a colander.
The total cooking time over medium heat is 20 minutes. The dish can be eaten both hot and cold.
Ham envelopes with earrings
Ingredients required for preparation:
- 500 g of salted mushrooms;
- 400 g ham;
- 200 g cheese;
- 2 pcs. bulbs;
- 2 tbsp. l. sunflower oil;
- salt;
- pepper.
Step-by-step preparation:
- Mushrooms and onions are finely chopped and fried, seasoned with salt and pepper.
- The ham is cut into squares with sides of 5 cm.
- Place the filling in the middle of each square and fold the corners towards the center in the form of envelopes. To maintain their shape, you can secure them with toothpicks or tie them with green onions.
- The pieces are placed on a baking sheet and baked at a temperature of 180 °C.
The envelopes look very beautiful, and their taste is not inferior to their appearance.
Serushki in sour cream and cheese sauce
This is a very simple but very tasty dish. It will require:
- 400 g boiled semolina;
- 100 ml sour cream;
- 100 g cream cheese (can be processed);
- 1 onion;
- 2 cloves of garlic;
- ground black pepper;
- salt.
Preparation steps:
- Fry finely chopped onion in a frying pan until golden brown.
- Add earrings and fry for 2 minutes.
- Add the cheese and stir until it is completely melted and covers all the mushrooms.
- Pour in sour cream, season with salt and pepper, stir and cook over medium heat for several minutes.
- Add finely chopped garlic to the finished dish, mix, cover with a lid and let it brew on the turned off stove for 2 minutes.
Serushki in sour cream and cheese sauce are good served with spaghetti, garnished with cherry tomatoes and any herbs.
Serushki baked in the oven with cream sauce
For a family meal, you can prepare a delicious dish using a quick recipe. It can also be a good addition to any side dish and will become a lifesaver in the event of an unexpected visit from guests; it will help you treat your friends deliciously and quickly without taking a lot of time to cook. The ingredients - mushroom mass, heavy cream and cheese - are taken in the desired volume.
The preparation steps are simple:
- The prepared mushrooms are placed in a mold with sides.
- Pour in thick cream, add your favorite spices and bake in the oven until cooked.
- The warm dish must be sprinkled with grated cheese.
Conclusion
Serushka mushrooms are not familiar to all mushroom lovers. When collecting forest gifts, you should be careful, choosing only places that are safe from an environmental point of view. By following the basic rules of collecting, cleaning, soaking and cooking, adhering to the recommended proportions and not forgetting about the sense of proportion, you can supplement your diet with a nutritious protein product.
