What edible russulas look like: photo

Mushrooms of the Russulaceae family are represented by more than two hundred species, 60 of which grow in the Russian Federation. Most of them are edible, but there are varieties that contain toxins and can cause poisoning.There are no fatally poisonous representatives among them, but so that your mushroom hunting does not end in failure, you need to learn to distinguish between them. Photos of edible russula and detailed descriptions given below will help an inexperienced mushroom picker not make mistakes during collection.

What do edible russulas look like?

Russulas are lamellar mushrooms that demonstrate a richness of colors and shades of color on the cap, plates and legs. They are similar in the shape of the fruiting bodies and developmental features at each stage of growth:

• Young specimens have a spherical or bell-shaped cap, which later becomes prostrate - flat, with a small depression in the center or convex. In older people it becomes funnel-shaped, with a smooth, striped or ribbed edge. The color of the caps of edible russula can be yellow, pink, red, green, blue, black.
  
• The blades of edible representatives of the genus can be thin and frequent or wide and sparse, free or attached to a stalk.
  
• The legs of edible mushrooms are most often cylindrical, straight, and sometimes club-shaped. Their structure is dense and made or hollow. Like plates, they can be white or colored.
  
• The pulp of edible species can be dense, strong or fragile, brittle, often white, and can change color with age or when scrapped or cut. The taste varies from sweetish to bitter-bitter.
  

Edible russula make up almost half of all mushrooms growing in forests.

Photos of edible russula mushrooms:

Where do edible russulas grow?

Where edible russula grows varies depending on the species.Most of them prefer mixed forests; some varieties prefer only groves with a predominance of one type of tree - spruce, birch, beech, or the edges of swamps. Each individual species of edible representatives of the species is in symbiosis with specific natural conditions and forms mycorrhiza with a certain tree species.

Types of edible russula mushrooms

All russula are divided into edible, conditionally edible and inedible. The former have an excellent taste; they can be consumed after short-term processing, dried, pickled, and salted. The latter have a bitter, acrid taste and require special preparation. Such mushrooms cannot be dried. Still others are very toxic and should not be eaten. The following are descriptions and photos of edible russula mushrooms.

Russula golden

It got its name from the golden yellow color of the cap. The leg of the edible mushroom is white, with a yellowish tint, cylindrical or club-shaped, naked, 3-8 cm long, up to 3 cm thick. The cap is 5-12 cm in diameter. In a young mushroom it is hemispherical, convex, later convex-spread or flat-depressed, fleshy, with a smooth or slightly ribbed edge. The surface is at first bare, slimy and shiny, cinnabar-red. Later - matte, velvety, with red spots on a yellow background, orangeish with rounded edges. The plates are frequent, free at the stem, rounded at the edge, cream or yellow. The pulp is whitish, tasty, odorless, in adulthood it is very fragile and crumbles a lot. Grows from June to the end of September. Edible tasty mushroom.

Russula blue

A voluminous, fleshy, edible mushroom. The cap is up to 8 cm in diameter, convex in young fruiting bodies, flat in mature ones with a depression in the middle. The skin is blue, blue-purple, darker in the middle - black-olive or black-purple, peels off easily. The plates are white, branched towards the edges. The leg is 3-6 cm in height, white, dense at first, later loose, hollow. The pulp is strong, white, odorless, with good taste. Grows in sparse spruce forests in August-September.

Russula blue-yellow

Despite the name, the color of this edible mushroom is varied. The cap can be gray-green, graphite, blue-gray, purple, bluish-greenish, yellowish in the center and pink at the edge. Its diameter reaches 5-16 cm. In damp weather, the surface of the cap becomes sticky and shiny. The plates are elastic, unbreakable, frequent, at first white, later creamy yellow. The leg is cylindrical, dense, porous and fragile in mature russula, 5-12 cm tall, bare, wrinkled, in places with a slight purple tint. The pulp is elastic, juicy, white, with a nutty flavor, odorless. Grows from June until the first snow in coniferous and mixed forests. One of the most delicious mushrooms among the edible varieties of the genus.

Marsh Russula

Another name for the edible mushroom is Poplavukha. The cap of a young marsh russula is semi-conical or spread out, with a small notch in the middle and drooping edges, reaching 15 cm in diameter. Its surface is smooth, shiny, sticky, bright red, dark in the center. The plates are unattached, infrequent, wide, white or yellowish. The leg is long, up to 12 cm in length, thick, hollow or hollow, white or pinkish. The pulp is tender, loose, brittle, white.Swamp russula grows in damp pine-birch forests, in blueberry fields, on the outskirts of swamps, among moss. Prefers peat soils. The time of formation of fruiting bodies is July-September.

Green russula

It has a sticky, thin, convex-spread cap with a ribbed edge, up to 14 cm in diameter. In a young mushroom it can be whitish, pale green, and as it grows it acquires a grass-green or yellowish-brown color. The skin is slimy, sticky, and glossy in dry weather. The plates are at first white, later yellowish, frequent, thin, rounded at the edge of the cap. The leg is up to 8 in height, cylindrical in shape, dense at first, later porous. It has a white, smooth, shiny surface and characteristic rusty spots at the base. The pulp is dense, white, with a slight burning taste. Boiling removes the pungency from the mushroom. It grows abundantly in birch forests and bears fruit in June-October.

Russula greenish or scaly

One of the most delicious varieties of edible russula. It has a greenish or grayish-green, spotted, flattened-depressed cap with thick wavy, ribbed edges. The skin is dry, rough, cracking into small scales. The plates are frequent, white or yellowish. The leg is cylindrical, up to 12 cm tall, initially hard, becoming spongy and fragile as it grows. The flesh of young mushrooms is very dense and crunchy, but with age it becomes soft and crumbles a lot. It looks white, turns yellow when cut, has a sweetish nutty taste and a faint aroma. It grows from June until the first snow in mixed deciduous forests, often under oaks and birches.

Russula greenish-brown

A very rare species, proposed for inclusion in the Red Book in several regions of the Russian Federation.The fruit bodies consist of a flat, slightly depressed cap in the center with a slightly ribbed edge and a dense, smooth, white central stalk 3-6 cm long. The skin is yellow-green, greenish-brown with an ocher or olive tint in the center, dry, matte, smooth . The plates are white or creamy, thin, fragile, forked-branched. The pulp is dense, but brittle, white, with a pleasant taste, without aroma. Grows from July to October in coniferous-deciduous foxes, forms mycorrhiza with birch, oak, maple.

Russula yellow

The edible mushroom is easily recognizable by its intense yellow cap, sometimes greenish in the center. In young fruiting bodies it is hemispherical, later it becomes flat and funnel-shaped with a smooth, rolled edge. The skin is shiny, dry or slightly sticky, smooth, and can be removed up to half the cap. The plates are white, yellowish, turning gray with age or when damaged. The leg is white, smooth, dense, cylindrical in shape, grayish at the base. The pulp is strong, white, darkening when cut and when cooked, has a nutty, slightly pungent taste and a sweetish aroma. It grows in damp forests, along the edges of swamps, and bears fruit from mid-July to October.

Russula ocher or lemon

The most common variety of russula, a conditionally edible mushroom. The color of the mushroom cap is yellow or yellow-ocher, less often greenish-yellow. The skin is smooth, moist, and separates only along the edge of the cap. The plates are sparse, thin, brittle, adherent. The leg is 4-7 cm in height, straight or slightly curved, cylindrical, white, smooth or slightly wrinkled, glabrous. The pulp is brittle, white, yellowish under the skin, darkening at the break, tastes fresh or bitter, spicy at the plates.Grows in May-October in deciduous forests, oak and birch groves.

Russula, edible or edible

Photo of food russula:

One of the most popular types of edible russula among mushroom pickers. It has a flat-convex pink-white or pinkish-brown cap with spots, up to 11 cm in diameter, with a slightly sticky or matte surface. The plates are frequent, white or cream, sometimes with rusty spots. The leg is short, up to 4 cm long, white, and becomes spotted over time, just like the plates. The pulp is dense, white, with a pleasant nutty taste. Mushrooms are collected from late June to October in coniferous and coniferous-deciduous forests.

Russula is beautiful or pink

The cap is small, 5-10 cm in diameter, with smooth edges. The skin is bright pink or deep red, fading, soft to the touch, velvety, slightly slimy after rain. The plates are white or creamy, attached to a short straight stalk, painted white. Sometimes with a pinkish tint. The pulp is dense, white, bitter, without aroma. It grows in August-September in deciduous forests, often in the roots of birch and beech trees, and can be found on calcareous or sandy soils.

Russula graying or fading

It got its name due to the property of the pulp becoming gray when scrapped or with age. The cap is fleshy, up to 12 cm in diameter, hemispherical in young fruiting bodies and flat-convex or depressed in mature ones. It is painted brownish-red, brownish-orange, yellow-brown, and has a smooth, dry, matte surface. The plates are frequent, wide, white in young specimens and dirty gray in old ones.The leg is round, made, up to 10 cm high, smooth. Sometimes wrinkled. The pulp is dense, fragile in overripe mushrooms, with a sweetish taste and weak aroma. Grows from June to October in humid pine forests.

Russula Turkish

An edible mushroom with a characteristic lilac or violet-brown color of the cap. It has a shiny, mucous skin that becomes “felt-like” when it dries. The plates are white or light yellow, frequent, adherent. The leg is cylindrical or club-shaped, white or pink, in wet weather it acquires a yellowish tint. The pulp is white, brittle, with a lilac tint under the skin; in a mature mushroom it is yellow, sweetish, with a pronounced fruity smell. It grows in coniferous forests, fruiting bodies appear in July-October.

Whole russula (wonderful, perfect, brown-red)

The color of the whole russula cap can be red-brown, olive-yellow, chocolate, pinkish-red. The plates are dense, white or cream-colored. The leg is straight, slightly narrowed downwards, white with a pinkish coating. At first it has a dense structure, later it becomes porous and then hollow. The pulp is tender, white, fragile, sweetish, and a little spicy in a mature mushroom. Grows from July to October in mountain coniferous forests.

Russula green-red or kid

An edible mushroom, it has a fleshy, prostrate or spherical cap with a diameter of 5-20 cm, a smooth or slightly lined edge, and a violet-red or red-brown color. The plates are thick, adherent, creamy. The leg is straight, whole inside, white, maybe with a pinkish or yellowish tint. The pulp is white, yellowish under the skin, and has no strong taste or smell. Grows in mixed deciduous forests with a predominance of maple and beech.

Russula almond or cherry laurel

It has a medium-sized cap with a ribbed edge. The color of the edible mushroom changes from ocher-yellow at the beginning to honey-brown in maturity. The plates are white or beige. The leg is regular in shape, smooth, porous, fragile, painted in light colors on top, turning brown at the base. The flesh of the edible mushroom is white and fragile. The cap does not have a strong taste, while the stem is hot and spicy with an almond aroma. It grows in deciduous mixed forests, beech and oak groves, and is harvested all summer and autumn.

Valuy

This subspecies has many names: goby, cam, snotty, crying mushroom, pig, little egg. The cap of the value is up to 5 cm high, up to 15 cm in diameter, light brown in color, has the shape of a hemisphere, and as it grows it becomes flatter and slightly concave. The cream-colored plates secrete clear yellowish juice. The pulp is white, brittle, has a burning bitter taste and an unpleasant odor of rancid oil. The leg is straight, long, hollow, fragile. Grows in damp shady places, in mixed forests with a predominance of birch.

Only the valuu caps are prepared, removing the bitter skin from them. Tasty only when salted or marinated.

Podgruzdok

In nature, there are three types of loads – black, white and blackening. These are conditionally edible mushrooms, suitable only for pickling after preliminary soaking and boiling.

Loader black

The mushroom has a flat-depressed, later funnel-shaped cap with a slightly sticky surface, grayish, olive-brown, dark brown in color.The plates are frequent, grayish, and have a bitter taste. The leg is short, thick, smooth, the same color as the cap or slightly lighter, darkens when touched. The pulp is fragile, white or gray, sweetish-spicy.

Loader white

In another way it is also called “dry milk mushroom”. The funnel-shaped white dry cap with brownish-yellow zones cracks during the dry season. The plates are thin, white or bluish-white, with a strongly pungent taste. The stem is short, white, and hollow in a mature mushroom. The pulp is dense, with an ordinary fresh taste. Grows in forests of any type from June to November.

Loader blackening

The mushroom cap is white at first, but gradually darkens over time - it becomes grayish, brownish-brown. Its smooth adhesive surface retains adhering particles of dirt and forest debris. The plates are thick, large, sparse, at first white, then darken - becoming grayish, brownish and even black. The leg is cylindrical, solid inside, smooth, dry, matte. In a young mushroom it is white, later brown, then black. The pulp is dense, fleshy, with a pungent taste. When broken, it first turns red, then turns black.

The benefits and harms of food russula

Edible russula is a dietary product that leaves you feeling full for a long time. They contain proteins, carbohydrates, omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamins B, C, E, micro- and macroelements. Eating edible russula helps strengthen the immune system and normalize the functioning of the cardiovascular and nervous systems.

The use of edible russula also has its contraindications. They are difficult to digest foods, hard on the stomach and are not recommended for consumption by people with digestive system disorders.Also, edible russula should not be introduced into the diet of children under 7 years of age.

False doubles of edible russula

In forests and swamps there are inedible russulas, which, by their external appearance, can be mistaken for edible. The most dangerous double is the deadly poisonous mushroom, toadstool. Mature toadstools with wide caps of different colors are often confused with russulas, especially with the green and greenish (scaly) varieties. It is easy to distinguish a poisonous mushroom from an edible one by the thickening at the base of the stem and the fringed border - the “skirt” just below the cap.

Edible russula can also be confused with inedible species of the genus Russula. They do not contain poison that is dangerous to the body, but have the ability to irritate the gastric mucosa, causing vomiting and pain. In addition, their pulp has a bitter, very acrid taste.

Russula is caustic (beetle-eating, emetic)

Recognizable by its red cap with a ribbed edge, greenish-yellow plates, a white stalk yellowing at the base, spongy damp pulp with a pungent taste and fruity aroma. Some experts consider the mushroom to be poisonous, others – conditionally edible. It is salted and pickled after long soaking and double boiling.

Russula brittle

The mushroom changes color as it grows; its cap is initially pink-violet and then fades. It has a diameter of 3-6 cm, a flat-concave shape, short scars along the edge, and in places there are blurry gray-greenish spots on the purple skin. The plates are wide, sparse, yellowish. The leg is straight, white, later creamy. The pulp is fragile, brittle, white or yellowish, very bitter, and has a sweetish odor. The mushroom is conditionally edible.

Russula blood red

The mushroom cap is red, pink, scarlet, wavy or ribbed at the edges. In dry, hot weather it fades, becomes pale, and when damp its surface becomes sticky. The leg is often colored pink, less often gray. This species is not considered edible.

Russula birch

It has a thick, lilac-pink cap with yellowness in the middle, white fragile flesh with a pungent taste. The skin of the mushroom contains toxic substances that cause poisoning. Eating birch russula is possible with the obligatory removal of the top film.

Russula is bitter or pungent

The hat is lilac or light purple, darker in the middle, the leg is even, smooth, pink or purple. Its flesh is yellow in color and has a sharp, pungent taste. It is not eaten.

Russula Maira or noticeable

The cap of the mushroom is colored a rich red color, which fades to reddish-pink over time. The leg is very dense, white, brownish or yellowish at the base. Slightly poisonous, inedible species of the genus Russulaceae.

Russula Kele

The dark purple cap with green edges and the purple-pink leg make it easy to recognize and not confuse Russula Kele with edible varieties.

How to distinguish edible russula

Edible russula have so many similarities with inedible ones that even experienced mushroom pickers make mistakes when choosing. They prefer to collect varieties of green, yellow, blue, brown, and brown shades and try to avoid mushrooms that are bright red and poisonous lilac in color. Many mushroom pickers believe that any russula is edible, you just need to know how to cook them. They consider the toadstool to be the only poisonous “russula”, but it is easily identified by its skirt on the leg. Otherwise, the following signs should alert you during examination:

• dense pulp and rough plates;
• stains and veins on the stem;
• unpleasant odor;
• bitter taste;
• color change during cooking;

If the appearance or smell of a mushroom is in doubt, there is no need to pick it, much less cook it.

When to collect edible russula

The collection time for edible russula varies depending on the species. The general time for quiet hunting is July-October. Some varieties form fruiting bodies as early as June or continue to grow until the first frost. Edible mushrooms whose caps have not yet opened are considered suitable for harvesting. Later they overripe, become very brittle and practically unsuitable for transportation. In addition, with age, fruiting bodies accumulate toxic substances from the environment. The caps of many edible russula have a mucous, sticky surface to which grass, soil and other forest debris stick. It must be removed very carefully so as not to damage the fragile body of the fungus.

Rules for eating edible russula

Despite the name, edible species are not eaten raw. They require a minimum of time to prepare, 15-20 minutes is enough. If the skin of a conditionally edible mushroom is bitter, it needs to be removed; if not, then it is better to cook with it, this will help maintain the integrity of the product. Conditionally edible mushrooms are soaked for 2 hours, periodically changing the water, then boiled for 5 minutes, and only after that begin the main cooking process - frying, baking, salting, pickling. They can serve as a side dish for meat or be an independent dish.

Conclusion

Russulas are a large family of mushrooms that grow in abundance in forests, meadows, city parks, and swamps. Among them there are both tasty and not very tasty, as well as very bitter varieties. Photos of edible russula, as well as their bitterly bitter relatives, will help you learn to distinguish them and choose when collecting the best representatives of the species.

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