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Chanterelle is one of the most popular forest mushrooms, which will even decorate the holiday table. It is distinguished by a unique taste and aroma, which can only be compared with white representatives. This mushroom is distinguished by its bright, memorable appearance.
What real foxes look like
It is advisable to have this information before going on a “mushroom hunt” in order to accurately understand what to fill the basket with. By the way, the name comes from the word “fox”, that is, yellow.For convenience, a number of signs are identified:
- Unlike most of its fellows, the color of the common chanterelle can vary, depending on conditions, from orange to brown;
- If mushrooms are characterized by the shape of an umbrella, then in the common chanterelle this umbrella seems to be bent by the wind in the opposite direction;
- The fruiting bodies are one piece, since there is no visible transition from the stem to the cap.
It is quite easy to recognize a common fox by these signs. And after one is found, you should look around. This variety usually grows in large families. You need to remember the place and return to it next time.
Where do common chanterelle mushrooms grow?
Those who regularly go to the forest often compare common chanterelles to fox tails that stick out of holes. Mushrooms hide in last year's needles or foliage, so it's worth arming yourself with a stick that can be easily used to lift it. The common fox prefers birch or mixed forests. You can rarely find it in a coniferous forest.
What places should you check first:
- After the rains, you should inspect areas with light, sandy soil, and also pay attention to the edges or sunny meadows;
- The rest of the time, you should look for common chanterelles in damp areas near birch and oak trees.
The first fruiting bodies appear in May and are found in the forest until September. But the mass harvest occurs in July - August.
Description of the common chanterelle
The large leg of the common chanterelle smoothly turns into an umbrella, the diameter of which varies: there are specimens with a cap from 2 to 12 cm. If you look at it carefully, you can see the features:
- Heterogeneous color: pale at the edges and almost brown in the center;
- The dome is elongated or convex: this depends on the season and age of the fruiting body;
- The skin is smooth, the edges of the funnel are rounded, wavy;
- The pulp is dense, the same color as the dome. Thanks to this, the mushroom tolerates long-term transportation and storage;
- The skin is separated from the pulp with great difficulty.
It’s not for nothing that experts value the common chanterelle so much. Assembling it is a pleasure; it does not cause any trouble in transportation and goes well with various dishes.
Taste qualities of mushroom
It’s not for nothing that the common fox has gained such popularity. This is one of the most delicious mushrooms growing in our forests. If you need a dish to be aromatic, then you can’t think of anything better. It’s not for nothing that chanterelles have received recognition from culinary experts. Real mushrooms can be added to salads and canned. Even gourmets will like soups with dried chanterelles. But they are the most delicious when fried.
Mushroom pickers love them for their dense fleshiness and special sour taste with the smell of roots and fruits. But unlike milk mushrooms or valuuya, ordinary chanterelles do not have bitterness and therefore do not require soaking. After roasting, they acquire the necessary softness without losing their shape. Particularly good are small mushrooms that serve as decoration for the finished dish.
As a side dish for the product, it is best to use: buckwheat; pasta; Brown rice.
Ordinary chanterelles can also be eaten as an independent dish, added to pizza and casseroles, and used as a pie filling. They go well with spices such as allspice, dill, cloves, marjoram, dried carrots and bay leaves.
Beginners sometimes pass by common chanterelles without paying attention to the yellow mushrooms: honey mushrooms and white mushrooms really give this species a head start in terms of digestibility, but the chanterelle also has a number of undeniable advantages:
- If you prepare them correctly, grinding them before heat treatment, then all the beneficial properties will be fully preserved.
- The calorie content of the mushroom is very small - 19 kcal per 100 g of product. At the same time, common chanterelles contain dietary fiber (23%), beta-carotene (17%), vitamins: A (16%), B2 (19%), C (38%), PP (25%), as well as potassium ( 18%), copper (29%), manganese (21%), cobalt (40%);
- Nutritionists note that high protein content with low calorie content is an excellent aid for weight loss. Of course, subject to diet.
False doubles
Most mushrooms have doubles, and the real (ordinary) chanterelle is no exception: the photo clearly shows that they can be distinguished. but for this you need to have certain knowledge or skill. For those who visit the forest regularly, the difference is obvious. With a little practice you can easily distinguish them.
Despite the fact that some believe that the false chanterelle is an undesirable guest in a basket with forest gifts, it is classified as a conditionally edible and not a poisonous mushroom. If you eat it, you may experience indigestion, but most people will not feel any damage to their health at all.After soaking, the doubles can be dried, salted and even fried. Another thing is that their taste leaves much to be desired.
Features:
- The first thing that is important for a mushroom picker to pay attention to is the place of growth. A false analogue - the orange talker - is found on dead wood, on old trees, and can also be found on the forest floor.
- The false representative grows in single specimens, which never happens with ordinary chanterelles, which are always found in families.
- The cap of the orange talker has regular and even edges, the skin is easily removed from it: while the edges of the common chanterelle are wavy, and the skin is separated with great difficulty.
- An unpleasant odor is another indicator. While the common chanterelle smells like apricots, the false chanterelle has a musty aroma.
- When pressed, the common chanterelle changes color to red: the false mushroom does not have this property.
- The main difference is the leg. In the talking fox it is thin and hollow inside, while in the common fox it is thick, without voids.
Collection rules
When going into the forest, you need to remember once again where and how chanterelles grow, pay attention to the weather and amount of precipitation. If the summer is moderately warm and rainy, then you can go “hunting” as early as the beginning of July. In extreme heat, the mass harvest is postponed to August-September. The most important thing is to find the first hat. After this, all that remains is to explore the entire clearing to collect several buckets of orange fruiting bodies.
Experienced mushroom pickers usually give advice to beginners:
- You need to cut the common chanterelle with a sharp knife, 1–2 cm above the ground surface. If you pull it out by the roots, a lot of earth and sand will get into the plates.
- An overgrown specimen will not replenish the prey, but it should not be left in the ground either. It is better to cut it and hang it on a tree, head down. The spores will fall out, and in a couple of years a new crop will appear.
You can see how the mushroom grows in the photo. The common chanterelle will appear in the same clearing year after year if you handle the mycelium carefully.
Application of common chanterelles
For their unique composition and suitability for food in any form, common chanterelles are valued not only in cooking, but also when used to improve the health of the body:
- In cooking, this representative of the Chanterelle family allows you to diversify the table and prepare many delicious dishes.
- For weight loss, this is a real godsend, since this valuable source of protein has a low calorie content, which allows it to be included in the diet menu. Moreover, a powder is prepared from dried fruiting bodies, which is taken twice a day, a teaspoon, which also stimulates weight loss.
- In folk medicine, they have a stimulating and antitumor effect, helping with inflammatory diseases.
- In cosmetology, the adaptogenic or general strengthening function of the product is valued, which is used in the main or additional components of cosmetic or medicinal-cosmetic compositions.
How to cook chanterelle
The common chanterelle is almost impossible to spoil, so it is suitable for experiments by novice housewives:
- Zaudio for every day. This is a light salad of fried chanterelles, boiled potatoes, green onions, cherry tomatoes and lettuce.The proportions are arbitrary, it is better to season with sour cream or olive oil with lemon juice.
- Fragrant soup. To prepare it, you need to fry the potatoes, add onions and chanterelles to it. Stir, keep on fire for another five minutes, transfer to a saucepan and add water. Cook everything for 20 minutes, then grind it in a blender, add cream, salt and pepper. Truffle oil will add a special aroma to the dish.
- Chanterelle mousse. Perfectly complements any side dish. To prepare, you will need to fry the mushrooms in vegetable oil, add cream and simmer until tender. Cool slightly and grind with a blender.
- Pickled chanterelles. Sort out the mushroom raw materials, add water and boil for 10 minutes. Add spices and vinegar (for 1 kg of mushrooms - 100 ml of water, 1 tbsp. sugar and ½ tbsp. salt, 125 ml of 9% vinegar).
You can decorate a salad, meat or vegetable dish with fried chanterelles: they will only benefit from it.
Medicinal uses of the mushroom
Chanterelles are used in folk medicine in the form of powder, alcohol tinctures or oil extract. Moreover, you can buy them ready-made or prepare them yourself. The most popular is the alcohol tincture. It is used to treat:
- Liver diseases;
- Pharyngitis, sore throat, ARVI and tuberculosis;
- Oncological diseases;
- Skin lesions of various etiologies.
Alcohol tincture is easy to prepare at home. You will need to take 2.5 tbsp. l. powder from ordinary chanterelles and pour 500 g of vodka over them. The mixture must be infused in the dark for 2 weeks. This tincture is taken:
- When treating the pancreas, drinking 1 tsp. twice a day;
- To cleanse the liver - 2 tsp. before bedtime, for two weeks;
- To remove helminths - 2 tsp.before bed, for 3 weeks.
Conclusion
In Russia, the common chanterelle is found almost everywhere. It grows in forest belts, small groves and protected forests. For a beginner, this is a great chance to bring home a really tasty and healthy mushroom, without the risk of poisoning. Representatives of Chanterelles are easily recognizable and do not resemble any other species. And if a false chanterelle gets into the basket, then if precautions are taken during preparation, it will not become a threat to health.
Red beauties are easy to cook. You don't need to be a master cook to fry them in a frying pan and make them an excellent alternative to goulash or a base for soup. Low calorie content allows you to safely eat them even during a diet, which increases the demand for chanterelles among women and athletes.
