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Summer honey fungus is a common mushroom that is valued for its good taste and beneficial properties. It has dangerous false doubles, so it is important to know their distinctive features.
Summer honey mushrooms, their description and photos
The summer honey fungus is an edible representative of the Strophariaceae family. It grows in dense clumps on dead wood. There are several varieties of this mushroom, which differ in appearance.
Varieties of honey mushrooms
The main varieties of honey mushrooms:
- Summer. Grows in colonies on damaged wood. Known under the names linden honey fungus, kyneromyces variable and talker. It has a good taste and is grown on an industrial scale.
- Autumn (real). An edible mushroom that grows on stumps, fallen and living trees. The height of the leg is 8-10 cm, the diameter is up to 2 cm. The cap is 3-15 cm in size, convex in shape, gradually becoming flattened. There is a distinct white ring on the stalk. The pulp is white, dense and aromatic.Fruiting occurs in layers, each lasting 2-3 weeks.
- Winter. An edible mushroom that parasitizes on dead wood, most often on willow and poplar. The stem is 2-7 cm high, the cap is 2-10 cm in size. It does not have the “skirt” on the stem that is characteristic of most honey mushrooms. Grows from autumn to spring in forested areas.
- Lugovoy. Prefers forest clearings, meadows, ravines, roadsides. It is distinguished by a convex cap and a thin stalk up to 10 cm long. It grows from May to October.
- Thick-legged. Found in fallen leaves, on fallen spruce, beech, fir and ash. It has a low straight leg, thickened near the base. The size of the cap is from 2.5 to 10 cm. In young specimens, it has the shape of an expanded cone with frequent plates.
What do summer mushrooms look like?
Description of the summer honey fungus:
- the convex shape of the cap in young mushrooms becomes flat as they grow, with a wide tubercle in the central part;
- cap diameter 3-6 cm;
- in dry weather it has a dull yellow-brown color;
- at high humidity the cap turns brown;
- There are beards along the edges, the skin is smooth and covered with mucus;
- the hymenophore of the summer honey agaric is lamellar, light or dark in color;
- leg height – up to 7 cm, diameter – 0.5 cm;
- its consistency is dense, the color is light on top and dark below;
- in young mushrooms the remains of the cover in the form of a thin ring are visible;
- the flesh of the cap is thin and watery, in the stem the flesh is darker and denser.
In the photo you can see what summer mushrooms look like:
Are summer mushrooms edible?
Honey mushrooms are edible, but they are eaten only after heat treatment. First, they are soaked for half an hour, dirt and damaged areas are removed and cut into pieces. Be sure to throw away wormy specimens.
For primary processing, fruiting bodies are placed in boiling water. The minimum cooking time is 20 minutes.
Honey mushrooms contain vitamins B, PP, C and E, microelements (potassium, phosphorus, iron), fiber, amino acids, and proteins. The product has a positive effect on heart function and metabolism, and slows down the development of cancer cells.
Nutritional value per 100 g of product:
- calorie content - 22 kcal;
- proteins – 2.2 g;
- fats – 1.2 g;
- carbohydrates – 0.5 g;
- dietary fiber – 5.1 g.
The composition of mushrooms is influenced by the environmental situation in the region. They absorb trace elements, radionuclides, pesticides and heavy metal salts (mercury, cadmium, copper, lead, etc.) from the external environment. With such exposure, the fruiting body becomes toxic and can cause death if consumed.
When does mushroom season begin?
Summer honey mushrooms are found from April to November. In coastal and other areas with mild winters they grow year-round. They are most found in regions with a humid climate.
It is better to go for mushrooms early in the morning in light clothes or shoes. The leg is cut off with a knife at ground level. You can take a navigator and a stick up to 1 m long with you.
Where can you collect summer honey mushrooms?
Honey mushrooms are found in shady areas with high humidity. It is better to collect them in ecologically clean areas.
Summer varieties prefer rotting or living deciduous wood, and less often coniferous wood. They are found in deciduous and mixed forests of the temperate zone.
It is not recommended to eat mushrooms growing within megalopolises: in parks, squares, forest belts. To find them, it is better to move at least 1 km away from highways.
Use in cooking
Collected honey mushrooms are frozen for the winter, raw or after heat treatment. They are added to first courses, side dishes and snacks. Honey mushrooms can be pickled, salted, fermented, dried, fried and stewed.
Dangerous doubles of the summer honey mushroom with name and photo
Edible mushrooms have many look-alikes. Externally, these mushrooms are very similar. Upon closer inspection, you can distinguish summer mushrooms from their dangerous counterparts.
How to distinguish edged galerina from summer honey fungus
Galerina carinatum is a deadly poisonous mushroom. Its shape and color are identical to edible honey mushrooms. Galerina is found from early August to late autumn.
Features of the bordered gallery:
- scales on the cap and stem are completely absent (edible mushrooms always have them);
- hemispherical cap (in young honey mushrooms it is often asymmetrical, but as it grows it acquires a more regular shape);
- uniform reddish color of the cap (in honey mushrooms the center of the cap is darker, there is a yellow ring around it, and a dark border around the edges);
- floury smell of pulp;
- more common in coniferous forests;
- grows singly or in 2-3 pieces.
If it enters the body, galerin leads to disruption of the liver and can cause death. The most difficult thing is to distinguish between the bordered galerina and the summer honey fungus when the mushrooms have outgrown.
False foam
False honey mushrooms are a group of mushrooms that imitate edible honey mushrooms. The doubles have lamellar caps measuring 5-7 cm and a stem 10 cm long. False honey mushrooms grow on rotten trees.
Varieties of false honey mushrooms:
- Gray-yellow. Poisonous false honey fungus is gray or brown in color with a yellow tint. The central part of the cap is darker. The plates on the back of the cap are greenish in color.
- Seroplasty. In young specimens the cap is hemispherical in shape and becomes flattened over time. The color of false summer honey mushrooms changes from yellowish to brown depending on the level of humidity.
- Brick red. A large false honey fungus with a cap diameter of more than 10 cm. It is reddish in color, with a dark center, the stem is pale yellow.
- Watery. Young mushrooms have a bell-shaped cap that thickens as they grow. The color depends on the humidity level and varies from cream to bright brown. The leg is pale in color. The false honey fungus grows from June to October.
You can distinguish summer honey mushrooms from false mushrooms by the presence of a ring on the stem, a dull cap, and beige or yellowish plates in edible mushrooms. Poisonous specimens have an unpleasant odor, reminiscent of mold or damp earth. When in contact with water, the honey fungus turns blue or black.
Carbon-loving flake
Charcoal scale is a rare mushroom that is edible, but has no taste or nutritional value.
Scale is a medium or large sized lamellar mushroom. In young specimens the cap is hemispherical, in older specimens it is flat-spread. The fruiting body is always completely covered with scales. The leg is 3-6 cm long, hard and fibrous.
Psatirella
The mushroom is considered conditionally edible. Taste and nutritional value are low. Psatirella has a yellow or brown cap with a tubercle and cracked edges.
Young mushrooms have a bell-shaped top that becomes flat over time. The surface of the cap is smooth and dry.
The leg is from 3 to 11 cm high, hollow, curved, with a powdery coating. The plates are beige, gradually changing color to brown. The pulp is brown, odorless, and tastes bitter.
Is it possible to grow summer mushrooms on a personal plot?
Honey mushrooms are grown in the garden; they grow successfully at home on sawdust or seed husks.
Mycelium is obtained independently by grinding mushroom caps. It can be purchased ready for planting.
In April or May, the mycelium is colonized in growing stumps or felled trees, after which they are regularly watered. Maintaining a constant temperature (from +15 to +20° C) helps stimulate the growth of mushrooms. The logs are kept in a basement or cellar.
When the mycelium begins to grow, the wood is transferred to the site and partially buried in the ground. For growing honey mushrooms A greenhouse or any darkened piece of land will do.
In the first year, the mycelium produces a low yield. Fruiting begins in June and depends on the quality of the wood and climatic conditions. Under favorable circumstances, next year the yield increases 4 times. Honey mushrooms are collected from one mycelium for 4-6 years.
Conclusion
Summer honey fungus is a tasty and healthy mushroom. When collecting honey mushrooms, it is important to distinguish them from dangerous doubles. The collected mushrooms are cleaned and cooked.
