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Gray-pink fly agaric is an interesting mushroom that can be eaten after careful processing. Unlike many related species, it is not poisonous, but requires care when collecting and preparing.
Description of the gray-pink fly agaric
The gray-pink fly agaric, also called the blushing fly agaric or simply the pink fly agaric, differs from most related species. It is widespread in Russia and is suitable for food consumption, so its description is worth studying carefully.
Description of the cap
The cap of the pink mushroom is medium in size, about 15 cm in diameter, sometimes more or less. At a young age, it has a hemispherical or even ovoid shape, but later it becomes convex or flat-spread, and does not have a noticeable tubercle in the center. The color of the cap, as the name implies and can be seen in the photo of the gray-pink fly agaric, is grayish-pink or reddish-brown, sometimes brownish-red, slightly sticky to the touch and shiny. On the surface of the cap, filmy or warty flakes of white, dirty pink or brownish color may be observed.
The photo of a pink fly agaric shows that the underside of the cap is covered with frequent wide white plates. If you touch them with your finger, they turn red just like the flesh on the cap and stem. When broken, the fruit body is white, fleshy, with a neutral odor. When exposed to air, the flesh first turns pink and then acquires a rich wine-pink hue.
Description of the leg
On average, the stem of a gray-pink mushroom rises up to 10 cm above the ground, in rare cases it can rise by 20 cm. Its thickness usually reaches no more than 3 cm, its shape is cylindrical, dense at a young age, and then becomes hollow. The leg is white or slightly pinkish in color, its surface may be covered with tubercles, and a tuberous thickening is noticeable at the base.
Most often, on the leg of the gray-pink fly agaric there are the remains of a ring, hanging, wide and filmy. At first they are white, with age they turn pink, and grooves can be seen on the surface.
Where and how does it grow
The gray-pink mushroom can be found throughout the Northern Hemisphere in temperate climates. It prefers coniferous and mixed forests, and is especially often found next to pine and birch trees, since it forms a symbiosis with these trees.
It grows both alone and in small families. You can see it very often, and it bears fruit most massively from July to October.
Doubles and their differences
The gray-pink fly agaric poses a certain danger for novice mushroom pickers. There are quite a few species similar to it, and most of them are not just inedible, but highly poisonous. Therefore, before collecting, you need to carefully study the photo and description of the gray-pink fly agaric and its doubles.
Royal fly agaric
This mushroom is similar to the photo of the edible pink fly agaric in its size and structure. It has the same cap, convex when young and flattened in old fruiting bodies, and a thin long stalk with a tuberous base.
You can distinguish the varieties by color - the cap of the royal species has an olive-red, dark brown or gray-yellow tint without any trace of pink. In addition, if you break the mushroom, its flesh will not be white, but yellowish.
Amanita thick
This mushroom also resembles the edible pink fly agaric in appearance and size, and grows in the same places.The main difference is the shade of the cap - on the stocky species it is brown or silver-brown, covered with light gray flakes.
Also, the thick fly agaric is characterized by a faint smell of turnip, while the gray-pink variety does not have a specific aroma. The stocky fly agaric is classified as conditionally edible, so it is not so scary to confuse it with the gray-pink one.
Leopard print row
Inexperienced mushroom pickers may confuse the gray-pink fly agaric with the tiger or leopard row. It has at first a convex, and then an outstretched, wide plate-like cap with a spotted structure, which is why it may appear similar to a fly agaric.
But the differences are quite significant, first of all, the spots on the surface of the cap are formed not by the remains of the cover, but by small scales, and they are not light, but dark. The color of the cap is usually off-white, dark gray or silver-gray, with a bluish tint. If you break a row, its flesh will turn out to be white, but it will not turn red from contact with air. Leopard row is very poisonous, so it should not be confused with edible fruiting bodies.
Death cap
In rare cases, the gray-pink fly agaric can be confused with the poisonous and dangerous pale grebe. The mushrooms are similar in size, their caps are spread out in adulthood and lamellar, and there is usually a ring on thin long stems.
But the cap of the pale grebe does not have a pink tint; its color varies from white to brown-olive. The surface of the cap is silky, and there are usually no flakes characteristic of the fly agaric on it.
What is the difference between the gray-pink fly agaric and the panther fly agaric?
The most dangerous counterpart of the edible fly agaric is the panther fly agaric, a deadly poisonous mushroom.In appearance they are almost identical, and although the color of the cap of the panther fly agaric is gray-brown or slightly olive, it is not so easy to discern this difference.
Therefore, when collecting, you need to focus on another sign. If you break the panther fly agaric, its flesh will not change color from contact with air and will remain white. But the gray-pink fly agaric always turns red when scrapped.
Is the pink fly agaric edible or not?
The gray-pink fly agaric is classified as a conditionally edible mushroom. The raw pulp contains toxic substances, but during heat treatment they are destroyed and the mushroom becomes safe for consumption.
How to cook gray-pink fly agarics
Edible gray-pink fly agaric is usually not prepared for long-term storage. It is usually consumed boiled and fried; heat treatment eliminates all potential danger.
Before any preparation, the fruiting bodies must be carefully prepared. First of all, the fly agaric is cleaned of debris and the remaining cover is removed from the cap, and then the mushroom is washed in cool water and thoroughly boiled with salt for an hour. In this case, the water for cooking must be taken in a ratio of 3 to 1, changed at least once during boiling, and at the end of the process, be sure to drain. You cannot use fly agaric decoction as a broth; toxic substances may remain in it.
Pink fly agaric soup
The boiled pulp is often added to soup; the dish turns out tasty and nutritious. The recipe looks like this:
- Fresh fruiting bodies are cleaned, washed and boiled in salted water, the broth is drained, and the mushrooms are placed in a colander and rinsed with cool water.
- The caps and legs are cut into small pieces, immersed again in a pan of water and boiled for 10 minutes, after which 3 chopped fresh potatoes are added to the water.
- While the mushrooms and potatoes are cooking, grate carrots and 2 small onions on a coarse grater, and then fry them in a frying pan until golden brown.
- The broth with mushrooms and potatoes is salted to taste, onions and carrots are added, and if desired, pepper and any greens are also added to the water.
You need to cook the soup for another 10 minutes. A couple of minutes before it’s ready, add a bay leaf to the broth, and then remove the soup from the stove and serve about half an hour later with sour cream.
Roast fly agaric
Another simple recipe for gray-pink fly agaric suggests frying the mushroom pulp. It's very easy to do this:
- Fresh mushrooms are traditionally cleaned, washed and boiled, after which the water is drained, and the fruiting bodies themselves are washed again.
- Cut the mushroom pulp into small pieces, heat the frying pan, grease it with vegetable oil and lay out the mushrooms.
- After 10 minutes, add potatoes cut into bars or slices, as well as onions, add salt to taste and add pepper if desired.
Fry the mushroom pulp with onions and potatoes until the potatoes are completely cooked, after which the pan is removed from the stove and cooled for about 20 minutes. Then the dish can be served with sour cream and herbs.
Beneficial properties and possible harm
Gray-pink fly agaric is valued not only for its pleasant taste, but also for its beneficial properties.Its pulp contains many vitamins, including betaine, which improves liver function and stimulates metabolism. Research is also underway regarding the positive effects of betaine on the body in Alzheimer's disease and cancer. The pulp contains a lot of vegetable protein, so the mushroom is beneficial on a vegetarian table and can replace meat.
At the same time, the gray-pink fly agaric contains a dangerous substance, rubescenslysin; when it enters the human body, it causes the destruction of red blood cells and leads to hemorrhagic pulmonary edema. The toxin disintegrates at temperatures above 80 °C, which is why the gray-pink fly agaric must be boiled before use.
Even boiled pulp can pose a certain danger in case of chronic gastric and intestinal diseases and allergies to mushrooms. It is strictly forbidden for pregnant women and children to consume gray-pink fly agaric; the slightest mistake when collecting and preparing it can be fatal for them.
Interesting facts about pink fly agarics
The blushing fly agaric is a very resistant species to external conditions. It grows not only in temperate climates, but even in Africa, where extremely high temperatures are not uncommon.
An interesting feature of the mushroom is its low calorie content. 100 g of fresh mushrooms contain only 22 calories.
The taste of the blushing fly agaric, according to mushroom pickers, is slightly sweet. This is largely due to its popularity.
Conclusion
Gray-pink fly agaric is suitable for consumption after heat treatment, since the toxins present in it are destroyed by high temperatures.But special care must be taken when collecting; the variety has many dangerous, poisonous counterparts.
