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Green moss mushroom can be found everywhere; it is highly valued by experienced mushroom pickers for its good taste. Widely applicable in cooking. This tubular representative of the Boletaceae family prefers to settle on moss-covered soil.
What do green moss mushrooms look like?
Green moss, or golden brown, belongs to the Borovikov genus. It has an olive-brown or yellow-brown fleshy cap with a convex velvety surface. As the mushroom matures, it acquires a lighter shade. The size reaches 15 cm in diameter. The tubular layer is adherent on the inside, slightly descending towards the stem.In young specimens it is yellow, in older specimens it is greenish, with large uneven pores that turn blue when pressed. The dense, tapering, curved stalk grows up to 12 cm in height and 2 cm in diameter. The loose, dense pulp has a light yellow tint and turns blue when cut. Based on the description and photo, green moss mushrooms can be easily distinguished from other mushrooms by their peculiarity - when broken, they emit a pleasant aroma of dried fruit.
This video presents this variety in more detail:
Where do green fly mushrooms grow?
This species grows everywhere in coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests. You can find mushrooms in the western part of Russia, but green flywheels are found in large quantities in the Urals, the Far East and Siberia. They grow in bright places - along the sides of country roads, paths or ditches, as well as on forest edges. Their favorite places are rotten wood and ant heaps. Rarely can a variety be found in groups: these mushrooms are “loners.” They bear fruit from the beginning of summer until the end of October.
Is green mushroom edible or not?
The green flywheel is an edible species that is classified in category 2, which indicates that both the caps and the stems can be eaten. They are not only tasty, but also good for human health.
Taste qualities of mushroom
You can prepare nutritious dishes from green moss mushrooms throughout the season. In winter, the preparations are used in dried or frozen form. When marinated and salted, this nutritious product reveals its aroma with a light fruity smell, as well as an excellent characteristic mushroom taste.
Benefits and harm to the body
The fruiting bodies include:
- minerals and amino acids;
- vitamins and essential oils;
- enzymes useful for the human body - amylase, proteinase, lipase.
The mushroom is low in calories and contains easily digestible proteins, so it is used for dietary nutrition and included in the menu for obesity. Green mushrooms are natural antibiotics and help boost immunity when consumed regularly. Traditional medicine advises including dishes made from green mushrooms in the daily menu for colds, respiratory diseases and viral epidemics due to the product’s properties to resist infections and improve blood composition. Moss mushrooms also have a rejuvenating effect on the body.
Like all mushrooms, these representatives of the Boletaceae family are a high protein product that puts a strain on the gastrointestinal tract, so it is not recommended to abuse them.
Green mushrooms are contraindicated for chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract in the acute stage. It is also necessary to avoid the product if the digestive glands are inflamed. Under no circumstances should mushroom dishes be included in the menu for children under 3 years of age or the elderly.
False doubles
Green representatives of the Borovikov genus can be confused with the following mushrooms:
- Yellow-brown moss (or oiler), the tubular layer of which has smaller pores and a light brown color. A very tasty, but little-known representative of the Boletaceae.
- Polish mushroom, the cap of which has a dark brown color, and the tubular layer has smaller pores and a yellow color, does not acquire a green tint with age. If you press on the surface of the mushroom, it turns bluish, blue-green, bluish or brownish brown. The fruiting bodies look depressed - small, dull in color, irregular in shape. The Polish mushroom is distinguished by a pungent, very unpleasant taste of the pulp and a yellow tubular layer with a red tint. It does not emit as pleasant a scent as its green relative.
- Pepper mushroom. A tubular brown representative of the Boletaceae, which is easily recognized by its unusual pungent taste and the red color of the spore-bearing layer. Refers to conditionally edible.
Collection rules
Green moss mushrooms are collected in dry weather, avoiding overgrown, too large specimens. Mushrooms with a cap, the diameter of which does not exceed 6 - 7 cm, are suitable for harvesting. Using a sharp knife, cut off the stem at the root, since it, together with the cap, is used for cooking.
Use
The green moss fly is completely edible. Despite the fact that preliminary heat treatment before preparing culinary dishes is considered optional, it is still recommended to do it at a minimum for precautionary reasons. The skin from the cap is first cleaned. Fruit bodies are not only salted and pickled, but also boiled, added to soups and sauces, fried and stewed, used as a filling for pies and homemade pizza, and mushroom caviar is made. The most delicious snack is considered to be pickled or salted moss mushrooms.In soups and julienne they do not lose their shape, do not spread, remaining strong and elastic.
Fruiting bodies brought from the forest are prepared immediately; storing them fresh is not recommended. Before drying, mushrooms are thoroughly cleaned, damage is cut out and wormy, rotten specimens are removed. String on a thread and hang in a sunny, open place. Before freezing, green mushrooms are boiled in salted water, which is drained. Place the mass in containers or plastic bags and store in the freezer. Boiled for 25 - 30 minutes, mushrooms are marinated, salted, fried, stewed, etc.
Conclusion
The green moss mushroom, like other representatives of the Boletaceae family, is valued by mushroom pickers. Dishes prepared from young fruiting bodies can replace meat due to the large amount of easily digestible plant proteins. This is an excellent help for a vegetarian diet.
