Content
- 1 Description of the sheep polypore
- 2 Where and how does it grow
- 3 Doubles and their differences
- 4 Is sheep mushroom edible or not?
- 5 How to cook sheep tinder
- 6 Preparations from sheep tinder for the winter
- 7 Medicinal properties
- 8 Restrictions and contraindications
- 9 How to grow sheep mushroom at home
- 10 Conclusion
Sheep tinder fungus is a rather rare, but tasty and healthy mushroom from the Albatrellaceae family.It is used both for the treatment of diseases and for culinary purposes, so it is interesting to study the characteristics of sheep albatrellus in more detail.
Description of the sheep polypore
Sheep tinder, also called sheep albatrellus, is a mushroom with dense, brittle white flesh that turns yellow when dried or lightly pressed. Most often the smell is not very pleasant, soapy, but some claim that the smell can be flour or almond.
It is easy to recognize the sheep tinder fungus by its characteristic structure.
The easiest way to recognize fruiting bodies is by the structure of the cap and stem. Therefore, the photo and description of the sheep tinder fungus should be studied more carefully.
Description of the cap
Sheep tinder fungus is a medium-sized mushroom, the cap of which can reach 10 cm in diameter. It is most often round in shape, but the edges can be wavy or lobed, sharp and thin. In the photo of the sheep's tinder fungus, it is noticeable that the caps of mature fruiting bodies often crack, while on young ones they are smooth, silky to the touch and covered with smooth skin. The color of the mushroom varies from whitish to beige and cream.
The cap of the albatrellus sheep is wavy, with a thin sharp edge
The lower surface of the cap of the sheep tinder fungus is tubular, running strongly down the stem. The color of the tubes is also white, cream, greenish-yellow or lemon-yellow, and noticeably turns yellow when pressed. The pores of the tinder fungus are round or angular in shape.
Description of the leg
The sheep albatrellus mushroom rises on average 3-7 cm above the ground, the girth of the leg is up to 3 cm. The structure of the leg is dense and smooth, solid from the inside, the shape is straight or slightly curved, with a slight narrowing towards the base.A photo of a sheep's mushroom shows that the color of the stem is the same as the rest of the mushroom, white, cream, beige or grayish.
Where and how does it grow
The sheep polypore in Russia can be found from mid-summer to the end of autumn, mainly in the Far East and Siberia, as well as in the Central region. It grows mainly in mixed and coniferous forests under spruce trees, and is also found on the edges and clearings, in clearings and on roadsides. For growth, the fungus often chooses moss cover and alkaline or neutral soils.
Sheep albatrellus can be found in single specimens, but more often the mushroom grows in small groups. In this case, the fruiting bodies are usually closely pressed to each other and even grow together with the legs and edges of the caps.
Doubles and their differences
The sheep tinder fungus has quite a lot of doubles - mushrooms that are similar in structure, but differ in color and taste. The tinder fungus has no toxic counterparts, but it should still not be confused with related species. Not all similar mushrooms can please with the same pleasant taste.
Merging tinder fungus
Related species can be confused primarily because of their structure. The merging polypore also has a rounded cap with wavy edges, and often grows in small groups of several fused fruiting bodies.
You can distinguish mushrooms by color - the merging polypore is much darker, its color is closer to reddish-brown. You can also eat a related species, so the mistake in this case does not pose a danger.
Yellow hedgehog
You can accidentally confuse sheep's albatrellus with yellow hedgehog - the fruiting bodies are similar in size and shape of the cap. It is also round, slightly wavy, and it often grows in groups of several specimens. Yellow brambleberries are edible, although some sources claim that the mature fruiting bodies are too bitter.
You can distinguish between the sheep's tinder fungus and the yellow hedgehog mushroom by color - the hedgehog mushroom is much brighter, it has a pronounced yellow tint. In addition, the structure of the hymenophore is different - on the underside of the cap of the hedgehog there are not tubes, but peculiar spines, as if hanging vertically down.
Blushing albatrellus
This related species also has a wide cap with a wavy edge; it sometimes reaches 10 cm in width. You can distinguish between sheep and blushing albatrellus by color - the blushing mushroom is characterized by light ocher, light brown or light brown shades. You can also recognize it by its slightly pinkish pubescent stem, which turns red when dried.
Crested albatrellus
Inexperienced mushroom pickers who have not properly studied the photo of the sheep polypore may mistakenly mistake the related albatrellus crested for it. This mushroom is characterized by a wide cap with curved wavy edges; in general, the varieties are very similar in shape.
But at the same time, the comb polypore has a pronounced olive-brown or greenish-brown color. The mushroom should not be eaten; it is not poisonous, but it has an unpleasant taste and its flesh is too hard.
Is sheep mushroom edible or not?
Experts do not rate the taste qualities of sheep albatrellus very highly; it only belongs to the 4th category of edibility. But, nevertheless, the sheep tinder fungus is completely suitable for consumption, although it is preferable to choose only young, fresh fruiting bodies for cooking.
How to cook sheep tinder
Sheep tinder fungus is consumed in a variety of ways. It is used in cold appetizers and hot dishes, prepared for the winter and dried for medicinal purposes.
Preparing mushrooms
Before cooking sheep albatrellus, it must be processed. The preparation consists of cutting off the lower part of the stem of the mushroom, and then washing and boiling the fruiting body in salted water. Cooking should take 15-20 minutes.
During the boiling process, the light flesh of the tinder fungus acquires a greenish-yellow hue. This is completely normal and should not be a cause for concern.
Sheep tinder soup recipe
You can make a nutritious and tasty soup from the pulp of sheep albatrellus. The recipe looks like this:
- fresh tinder fungi in an amount of 1 kg are cleaned, the stems are cut off and the caps are cut into small pieces;
- the tinder fungi are boiled for 15 minutes, at the same time 4 onions, cut into half rings, are lightly fried in oil in a frying pan;
- when the onion acquires a light golden hue, add it to the pan with mushrooms, and also add 350 g of millet, buckwheat or any other cereal, a little herbs to taste and your favorite seasonings.
The soup is boiled until the cereal is completely cooked, after which it is removed from the stove and served.
How to make sheep tinder rolls
Mushroom rolls made from tinder fungi can become a decoration for your home table. It’s very easy to prepare them, all you need is:
- boil and then lightly fry 300-500 g of tinder fungus in vegetable oil;
- pass the fried tinder fungi through a meat grinder or cut into very small pieces with a knife;
- mix minced mushrooms with chopped onions, boiled eggs and pieces of cheese, the proportions are determined according to your own taste;
- If desired, add a little mayonnaise, and then carefully wrap in pita bread.
Mushroom rolls are distinguished not only by their pleasant taste, but also by their nutritional value, so they can act as an independent snack.
Preparations from sheep tinder for the winter
Sheep tinder fungus can be stored for the winter, in which case it can be consumed even several months after collection. Basically, 2 methods of processing mushrooms for long-term storage are used.
Drying
Drying sheep tinder is very easy. To do this you need:
- clean fresh mushrooms from soil, adhering needles and other debris;
- wipe them with a towel or paper napkins;
- string on a thin thread and hang in a dry place with good ventilation.
When the pulp begins to crumble when rubbed between your fingers, the tinder fungus can be placed in a dry glass jar. When drying, it is important to monitor the humidity level in the room - in damp conditions, albatrellus will simply become moldy. Before drying, mushrooms should not be washed, otherwise they will only gain excess moisture.
Pickling
Among the recipes for preparing sheep mushroom, pickling is very popular. The recipe looks like this:
- mushrooms are cleaned and boiled in salted water for 30 minutes;
- then the tinder fungi are transferred to a glass jar and covered with salt at the rate of 50 g per 1 kg of fruiting bodies;
- after that, add a few bay leaves, 2-3 chopped garlic cloves, a few black peppercorns to the jar;
- The ingredients are mixed thoroughly and covered with pressure.
In just a few days, the marinade will completely cover the fruiting bodies in the jar, and after a week the tinder fungi can be served.
Medicinal properties
Sheep polypores contain all the essential vitamins and minerals, as well as amino acids, organic acids, fiber, antibiotic and immunomodulatory substances. Therefore, with regular use of albatrellus:
- works as a natural anti-inflammatory and prevents the development of infections;
- reduces pain in chronic and acute diseases;
- increases the body's immunity due to the significant content of vitamin C and folic acid;
- has a beneficial effect on the skeletal system and strengthens blood vessels;
- helps normalize digestion.
Eating fruiting bodies is useful if you are prone to anemia; sheep polypore contains a lot of proteins, so it helps to quickly gain muscle mass and improves blood composition.
The use of sheep mushroom in folk medicine
Sheep polypore can often be found in home health recipes. Based on it, decoctions and water infusions, alcohol tinctures and dry powders are prepared.
The substance grifolin in the mushroom is of particular value; it suppresses the growth of malignant cells and helps prevent cancer.
Sheep polypore is also used to relieve inflammatory processes during colds, infections and joint ailments - neogrifolin in its composition helps fight negative processes.
Polypore contains the substance scutigeral, which is considered an effective painkiller and can be used to relieve discomfort from a wide variety of ailments.
The main thing is that sheep albatrellus is present on the table on a regular basis.
Eating sheep tinder is good for your health
Restrictions and contraindications
Despite its numerous beneficial properties, sheep polypore can be harmful to health. It is not recommended to use it:
- during exacerbations of chronic stomach diseases, tinder fungus is slowly digested and can create unnecessary stress on the digestive tract;
- with a tendency to constipation;
- for serious liver diseases;
- during pregnancy and lactation.
Also, it is better not to offer fruiting bodies to children under 10 years of age, as their intestines may not be able to cope with the absorption of tinder fungus.
How to grow sheep mushroom at home
The rare red-listed albatrellus is not often found in the forest and is sometimes prohibited for collection. However, it can be grown in the country at home. The algorithm looks like this:
- mycelium, purchased in a specialized store or online, is mixed with a nutrient substrate of wood shavings, sawdust and small twigs;
- the substrate is placed in clean plastic bags with cuts for air access, moistened with water and left in a warm room with a temperature of at least 20 ° C;
- The lighting in the room should be natural; mushrooms do not like bright sunlight, but they also do not grow in complete darkness.
From time to time, the substrate is moistened, not allowing it to dry out. Within a month, the first fruiting bodies can grow.
You can grow sheep mushroom in your dacha
Conclusion
Sheep polypore is a mushroom with valuable medicinal properties and a fairly pleasant taste. You can rarely see it in the forest; picking the mushroom is not allowed everywhere, but albatrellus is well suited for growing at home.
