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Skripuny mushrooms, or skripukhi, violin mushrooms, are considered by many to be a type of milk mushroom, due to their incredible external resemblance. However, representatives of milkweeds are inferior to white milk mushrooms in taste, and therefore are classified as conditionally edible.Despite this, avid mushroom pickers collect fiddlers for pickling, knowing about the many beneficial properties that have a beneficial effect on the body.
Where do squeaky mushrooms grow?
Skripun, or spurge, got its name because of the squeaking sound it makes when you touch the cap. The second name is given in connection with the very caustic, bitter juice released when cutting the mushroom. Violin mushrooms are very common mushrooms that grow everywhere. They are found throughout Russia - from its western part to the Far East. The culture prefers sunlit, open places in deciduous or mixed forests. Creaking mushrooms love to settle under aspen or birch trees, which grow singly, on soil covered with dry leaves or moss. According to the description and photo, violin mushrooms grow in large groups, young ones interspersed with overripe individuals. The violin enters the stage of active growth in July and bears fruit until October.
What do violin mushrooms look like?
Fiddlers are not classified as white, but as felt mushrooms, which grow to very large sizes, with a cap diameter of about 16-17 cm. At a young age, fiddlers have a convex white cap, but during growth it gradually straightens and acquires a yellowish tint. Adults are distinguished by a funnel-shaped, dense and fleshy cap with wavy edges. The hard, brittle pulp, when broken, releases a white milky juice, characteristic of all representatives of the laticifers. The same hard, white leg, no more than 6 cm long, narrows closer to the base. Its entire surface is covered with white, delicate fluff, which is why the squeaky mushroom received the name felt milk mushroom.
Is it possible to eat squeaky mushrooms?
The violin mushroom is edible, although it is much inferior in taste to the white milk mushroom. More precisely, it belongs to the conditionally edible mushroom category, which requires mandatory pre-processing of the product before eating it.
Important conditions for the preparation of this variety are:
- soaking in cold water for 3 - 4 days, constantly changing the water to fresh;
- soaking in hot water and replacing with fresh water every few hours;
- Boil the squeaks for 30 minutes. or pickling.
Only after thorough soaking does the violin lose its bitter, unpleasant taste, which releases milky juice. The hot method allows you to quickly eliminate it, but even after this, the mushrooms need heat treatment or pickling, the process of which takes at least 40 days.
Taste qualities of mushrooms
In taste and aroma, properly prepared salted squeaky mushrooms are vaguely reminiscent of milk mushrooms. They are dense, strong and hard, which is quite popular among gourmets. However, many people consider them to have a very mediocre taste, so they avoid them in the forest. In the absence of other representatives of the mushroom kingdom, violins can be safely placed in the basket in order to diversify the table in the winter and spring seasons.
Benefits and harm to the body
Like the white milk mushroom, the creaking mushroom contains a lot of useful substances. These include:
- vitamins and amino acids;
- cellulose;
- phosphorus, potassium, sodium and iron.
A person’s daily need for vital elements - phosphorus, iron and potassium - can be satisfied by a regular portion of a mushroom dish from violin.Despite the low calorie content of skripun - only 23 kcal per 100 g of product, it gives a feeling of fullness and is the main supplier of protein if you refuse meat or fish during a diet. Therefore, a product is considered dietary if the amount of salt used when consuming it is minimal.
The regular presence of violin in the menu helps reduce blood sugar and cholesterol levels, and this has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the cardiovascular system. The mushroom is considered a natural antibiotic that has an anti-inflammatory and bactericidal effect on the human body. It promotes the development of protective properties during bacterial and viral infections, helping a person overcome the disease faster. As a result, the body’s immune system is completely strengthened, its vitality rises, and its energy balance is restored. Alcohol tincture of violin is considered an excellent remedy against cancer tumors, eliminating inflammatory processes of various types.
The creak does not only benefit the human body. If abused, it can become harmful. Absolutely all mushrooms are heavy food that require proper preparation. Otherwise, there is a risk of heaviness in the stomach, severe pain and cramping. Therefore, it is very important to follow the technological process for preparing violin and not overuse the product in your diet. This is especially true for children and the elderly. Skripun is also contraindicated for people with stomach diseases and problems with the gastrointestinal tract. These include primarily gastritis, an ulcer with low acidity of gastric juice.
Similar species
Skripuny mushrooms belong to a low category of mushrooms, and therefore mushroom pickers do not specifically go after them. However, violinists often confuse mushrooms with white milk mushrooms, which is clearly visible from the photo and description of the latter. However, upon careful examination, it is quite possible to distinguish between these two varieties:
- The milk mushrooms in the lower part of the cap have a characteristic fringe, which the squeaky bird does not have.
- The milky juice secreted in air by the milk mushroom becomes yellow after a while, but by the violinist the color of the liquid does not change.
- Skripukha has greater strength and rigidity.
- In the milk mushroom, the plates under the cap are white, while in the creaking fish they are light yellow.
Both mushrooms - milk mushrooms and creaks - are edible, so there is no threat of poisoning if one is replaced by the other. But the characteristic differences between white milk mushroom and violin mushroom will allow an attentive mushroom picker to properly prepare each type, which will reveal all the gastronomic qualities of the product and dishes made from it.
Collection rules
Squeaky mushrooms are collected in the fall - from the beginning of September until the end of the month. You need to look for them in birch groves in illuminated, open places, soil covered with a dense layer of grass or moss. Creepers grow in large groups almost everywhere, which makes finding them quite easy and quick.
Having found a group of squeaky mushrooms of different ages, they select young individuals whose caps are still convex, with a diameter of up to 5 - 7 cm. They are cut off with a sharp knife, almost under the cap, since the stem still does not go into food. Place the cut creaks in a basket or basket with the caps down, which will eliminate the risk of them breaking off and being damaged during transportation.The squealers are large, overgrown, with a cap more than 10 cm in diameter, and are not collected.
A useful video about how violin mushrooms grow will help you avoid making mistakes in choosing mushrooms:
Use
In Russia, violin is classified as a low, fourth, category of mushroom, but in the West it is considered completely inedible. Skripukha is consumed only in salted and fermented form, having previously been subjected to a soaking process. Mushrooms brought from the forest are cleaned of debris, washed and the stems are trimmed to fit the base of the cap. Even after proper salting, squeaky mushrooms retain a rather mediocre taste with a somewhat sour aroma, characteristic of salted lamellar mushrooms.
However, they bring tangible benefits to the human body due to their unique composition and active ingredients that have a beneficial effect on the functioning of vital organs. With the help of salted and pickled squeaks, you can significantly diversify your winter-spring diet. Salted milkweed retains its white color with a slight bluish tint, remaining strong, hard, and slightly creaky on the teeth. It smells like real mushrooms. Such mushrooms are not eaten boiled, stewed or fried.
Conclusion
Squeaky mushrooms are much inferior to white milk mushrooms, but this variety also has its admirers.The massive growth of the species in large quantities makes it possible for lovers of “silent hunting” to always return home with full baskets.
