Content
Hepinia hevelloides is an edible representative of the Gepiniaceae genus. The salmon-pink jelly-like mushroom is often found on rotten wood substrates, forest edges and felled areas. Widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere.
What does Gepinia helvelloides look like?
The fruiting body has a funnel-shaped cap, which smoothly turns into a small stalk. The mushroom is medium in size, height – 10 cm, cap diameter is about 5 cm. The fruit body is colored pink-salmon. This forest dweller has an unusual, jelly-like, smooth, translucent structure. In adult specimens, the surface is painted red-brown and covered with veins and wrinkles. On the outer surface there is a smooth spore layer.The pulp is gelatinous, elastic, retains its shape well, and in the stem it is denser and cartilaginous.
An unusual mushroom has a gelatinous structure
Where and how does it grow
This forest dweller prefers calcareous soil sprinkled with rotten pine dust. Also found among moss or on rhizomes of rotting wood. Fruits in single specimens or small families from July to October. Found in open areas and felling areas.
Is the mushroom edible or not?
Hepinia hevelloides belongs to the 4th group of edibility. But, despite the watery taste and lack of smell, the mushroom is very popular among mushroom pickers due to its attractive appearance. To distinguish hepinia hevelloides from other forest inhabitants, you need to know the external description, view photos and videos.
How to prepare helvelloid hepinia
Hepinia hevelloides is widely used in cooking. It is used boiled, fried, and also for decorating and preparing salads. Young specimens can be eaten raw. Adult representatives are not suitable for collection, as their flesh becomes hard and unappetizing.
Mushroom harvest can also be preserved for the winter, added to vegetable dishes and as a side dish for meat dishes. Since this specimen looks like an appetizing jelly and goes well with sugar, you can make delicious jam, candied fruits from it, serve with ice cream and whipped cream, and use it to decorate holiday cakes and pastries.
Doubles and their differences
Hepinia hevelloides, like other forest inhabitants, has similar counterparts:
- Chanterelles – the mushrooms are similar in appearance, but only from a distance and in poor visibility. Up close, even inexperienced mushroom pickers will not be able to confuse these completely different species, since chanterelles have a dense structure, are colored rich yellow, have a pleasant aroma, and grow in large families. The spore-bearing side is folded rather than smooth. This representative is edible, perfect for preparing fried and stewed dishes.
Chanterelles grow in large groups
- Blackberry gelatinous – belongs to the 4th group of edibility. The texture has the same dense gelatinous fruiting body as that of Gepinia helvellidae, but its shape and color are completely different. The leaf-shaped cap smoothly turns into a small dense stem. The surface is painted light gray or brown, the color depends on the degree of wateriness. The gelatinous pulp is soft, translucent, odorless and tasteless. The spinous spore layer is located over the entire surface of the stalk. Grows in mixed forests from August until the first frost. Due to the lack of taste, this specimen is not popular among chefs. After heat treatment, it is used to decorate various dishes.
Due to the lack of taste and smell, they are rarely used in cooking.
Conclusion
Hepinia hevelloides is a beautiful, edible representative of the mushroom kingdom. Grows in woody substrate in open, sunny places. In cooking, it can be used fresh, fried, boiled, suitable for preparing sweet preparations for the winter and as a decoration for dishes. Since hepinia hevelloides has no inedible counterparts, it is very difficult to confuse it with other forest inhabitants.
