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Mushrooms are true gifts of nature, not only tasty, but also incredibly healthy. And chanterelles and saffron milk caps, moreover, are considered a real delicacy. In terms of nutritional value, both types are mushrooms of the highest category. Many mushroom pickers want to find them in the forest, but, unfortunately, not everyone knows what they look like and how they differ.
Saffron milk caps and chanterelles – are they the same thing or not?
Chanterelles and saffron milk caps are completely different mushrooms, the difference between them is clearly visible in the photographs. The only thing they have that is similar is the color – orange in both species. The former have a lighter shade, while the latter are somewhat darker, closer to brown. In addition, the shape of their caps is different.
- Chanterelle:
- Ryzhik:
The habitat for chanterelles is birch or mixed plantings. They grow in groups, choosing places with damp moss, grass and fallen leaves. Often their families can be found on the hills. The taste of the mushrooms is not too pronounced, slightly rubbery (when old), but they are very aromatic. They are edible in any form. Basically, they are salted, pickled, dried and fried. A valuable quality is their excellent transportability.
Saffron milk caps grow mainly in pine and spruce forests, often on small hills, clearings and forest edges.
Their taste is fully revealed in pickles and when fried.They are also eaten raw, having first been dipped in salt. Mushrooms do not need to be soaked.
What do chanterelle and saffron milk mushrooms look like?
Camelina is an edible mushroom from the genus Milky (lat. Laktarius). Strong, stocky, reddish-red in color. The cap is round in shape, 3-20 cm in diameter, convex (hemispherical) when young. As it grows, its edges become thinner and curl toward the bottom. A kind of funnel is formed in the center. The plates are yellow, narrow, bifurcated, and often located. The stem is hollow, about 10 cm long, 1-2.5 cm in diameter. The body of the mushroom is quite fragile and often breaks at the edges, especially the cap during transportation.
The colors come in a wide range of colors. The mushroom cap can be dark orange, olive-gray, or yellow-ochre. The brightest specimens grow in the grass, hidden under the canopy of trees. On the mushroom cap there are brown-red or dark green circular zones (peculiar rings).
Common chanterelle (real) or Cockerel is an edible delicious mushroom of the chanterelle family. Color varies from bright yellow to yellow-orange. The cap and leg have the same color, but the leg is sometimes a little lighter. The fruiting body is cap-shaped. The stem and cap merge into a single whole, there is no pronounced border. The mushroom cap is small, 2-12 cm in diameter, irregular in shape, concave in the center. The edges are wavy, embossed, wrapped towards the middle. The surface of the fruit body is smooth, matte.
The flesh of the chanterelle is dense, fleshy, the leg is fibrous. The taste of the mushroom is slightly sour, the aroma is fruity and woody.The length of the leg is 4-7 cm, diameter is 1-3 cm, it usually tapers slightly towards the bottom.
What is the difference between chanterelles and saffron milk caps?
The differences between chanterelles and saffron milk caps are much greater than the similarities. Firstly, they are completely different in appearance. The hat of an adult fox is funnel-shaped. The indentation in the center is quite strong and the edges are very wavy. The cap of the saffron milk cap is less concave, with smoother edges.
The stem and plates of the cap of the camelina are clearly demarcated, whereas in the chanterelle they are smoothly connected. There is no sharp distinction at the transition point. The chanterelle's cap does not have the greenish rings and spots characteristic of the saffron milk cap.
How to distinguish saffron milk caps from chanterelles
You can distinguish between saffron milk caps and chanterelles by breaking off a piece of pulp. In saffron milk cap it is brittle, and milky juice (carrot-orange drops) appears at the site of the break. It is sweetish, with a slight pungency and a slight resinous aroma. When exposed to air, the milky sap very quickly acquires a green tint. The body of the mushroom also turns green where touched.
The chanterelle's flesh is fleshy, soft, yellowish-white, and does not change where pressed or cut. Also, no milky juice is released when cut. When pressed, the flesh turns slightly red. The leg is solid, without a cavity inside, but in the saffron milk cap it is hollow (empty inside).
Table of characteristic differences:
Signs | Chanterelle | Ryzhik |
Color | Light orange (closer to yellow) | Dark orange, with spots of green and circles around the edge of the cap |
hat | With a pronounced funnel | The depression in the center is slight |
Cap edges | Wavy | Smooth |
Leg and plate | Smoothly connected, practically being one whole | Clearly demarcated |
Fruit body skin | Velvety | Smooth, slightly sticky |
Pulp | Fleshy | fragile |
milky juice | Absent | Protrudes on the cut |
Wormholes | Doesn't get worms | Affected by worms |
Leg | No cavity inside | Hollow |
Conclusion
Chanterelles and saffron milk caps are very tasty and healthy representatives of the mushroom world, which mushroom pickers want to see in their baskets. But before you go on a “mushroom hunt”, you need to learn to distinguish between them. Despite their external similarity, they belong to different families of mushrooms. When going to the forest, you should take into account the information presented in this article, then picking mushrooms will be truly interesting and exciting.
