Content
Mushrooms of the Strophariaceae family are distinguished by the peculiar color of their spores: they have purple or lilac shades. The cylindrical vole (lat. Agrocybe cylindracea) is distinguished by tobacco-colored, gray-brown spores located between the plates.
Where does the cylindrical vole grow?
This lamellar fruiting body loves warmth and moisture and grows mainly in the subtropical zone in lowland and mountainous areas. Found in the south of temperate climates. In Russia, mushroom pickers see them in mixed, broad-leaved forests of the European part.The favorite habitat of the cylindrical vole is living and dead parts of deciduous trees: willow, poplar, birch, elm. It appears in entire colonies, where the young generation is adjacent to overripe fruiting bodies from April to October. Experienced mushroom pickers know that a vole in the same place produces several generations of harvest.
The color of the legs is much lighter than the surface of the caps
What does a cylindrical vole look like?
The mushroom cap is spherical, up to 15 cm in diameter. The smooth surface gradually becomes flat and wrinkled. In rainy weather, the skin shines, shimmering with shades of brown; in dry weather, it dries out, with small cracks. The pulp is fleshy and loose. In the lower part there are plates, the color of which coincides with the outer surface of the cap and varies from light brown to tobacco.
The leg is cylindrical, height up to 15 cm. In adult fruiting bodies it is dense, up to 3 cm in diameter. In the upper part it is bordered by a pronounced ring, above which a light fluff can be felt.
Cylindrical vole - these are lamellar mushrooms with brown spores in the shape of an ellipse
Is it possible to eat the cylindrical vole?
This is an edible mushroom. Belongs to the third taste category. He is not very well known in Russia. But in Southern Europe it is widely used in cooking, dried, and canned. Currently, artificial cultivation of the cylindrical vole on a woody substrate is widespread. Amateurs get several harvests per year.
Taste qualities of mushroom
The pulp cannot boast of a bright taste. It smells like wine or long-stored flour. Not a very pleasant smell, but Europeans like it. They use the mushroom in cooking and prepare sauces for meat dishes.
False doubles
The cylindrical vole has similar species. One of them is a ringed cap from the Arachnoid family. He loves coniferous trees. Settles in the forest in large groups. Young fruiting bodies form an egg-shaped cap with a strong cylindrical stem. Over time, the surface straightens. Edible. It tastes good.
The hat looks like a cap, and there is a ring on the stem
Alder scale (moth) with a light brown cap surface grows in mixed and broad-leaved forests, choosing alder, willow, birch stumps and dead trees for growth. They are inferior in size and are not suitable for food due to the bitter pulp.
Beige moth caps with a purple center are covered with small scales
Poplar honey fungus is another doppelgänger that has an excellent taste. Even the ancient Romans used it in food and put it on a par with truffles. Found on dead poplars and stumps, the remains of other deciduous trees.
Poplar honey fungus has a pleasant taste and smell
Collection rules
Cylindrical vole is collected by carefully cutting off young mushrooms with a more pleasant taste and dense flesh. If you do not disturb the mycelium, in a month fresh growth of young fruiting bodies will grow in this place.
Use
The cylindrical vole can be eaten without special heat treatment. It is salted, pickled, dried, fried. Depending on the preparation, it acquires a different taste: from specifically mushroom to exquisitely meaty. The French especially appreciate it.
Dish recipes
Any table looks festive if you diversify it with dishes of mushrooms, pickled, salted, fried or boiled. They are appetizing, tasty and delicious.
Mushroom julienne
Ingredients:
- cylindrical vole – 0.5 kg;
- sour cream – 0.2 kg;
- onions – 2 pcs.;
- garlic – 1-2 cloves;
- dill – 1 bunch;
- vegetable oil;
- salt and pepper to taste.
Julienne in a cocotte looks aesthetically pleasing and elegant
Preparatory stage:
- Peel the vole and rinse with cold water, cut into small cubes.
- Chop the onion into half rings. It will simmer for a long time in a large amount of oil and will become stewed, soft, and almost dissolved.
- Finely chop the garlic or crush it in a crusher.
- Finely chop the dill.
Preparation progress:
- Pour oil into a frying pan, add onion and simmer until golden brown for 20-25 minutes.
- In another pan, simmer the mushrooms for about 40 minutes. They can be pre-boiled and fried.
- Add onion, stir, salt and pepper, simmer for 2 minutes, add sour cream, leave for another 5 minutes, add chopped dill and garlic.
- Place in cocotte makers, spread with a thin layer of sour cream, sprinkle with grated cheese, and bake in the oven for about 10 minutes at 180 degrees.
Risotto with mushrooms
This is a traditional Italian dish and is very easy to prepare.
Ingredients:
- arborio rice – 0.3 kg;
- butter – 0.1 kg;
- onion - 1 pc.;
- dry white wine – 0.1 l;
- chicken broth – 1 l;
- cylindrical vole – 0.3 kg;
- Parmesan cheese – 0.1 kg;
- salt pepper.
Risotto is a traditional Italian dish
Preparation progress:
- Cut the onion into small strips. Vole - larger so that they retain their shape when fried. Grate the cheese.
- Fry the onion until golden brown, add the mushrooms and simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Add rice, fry for 2-3 minutes, pour in wine, simmer for 10 minutes.
- Pour in enough chicken broth to slightly cover the rice. If it evaporates too quickly and the rice is not yet ready, add liquid. But it is important not to overdo it so that the cereal does not overcook.
- Add spices and cheese. Close the lid and let stand for a few minutes.
It turns out a hearty, flavorful dinner for 4 people.
Conclusion
The cylindrical vole is a small mushroom that does not have an exquisite taste or smell. It is valued in many Western European countries.
