Content
Psaritella grey-brown is almost unknown even to experienced lovers of quiet hunting. In most cases, mushroom pickers mistake it for a toadstool. However, it is an edible variety that is found from early spring to late autumn.
Where do grey-brown psatirellas grow?
You can meet gray-brown psaritella in deciduous forest. For growth, she chooses old stumps and decaying wood. This representative of the mushroom kingdom appears one of the very first in May, in park areas and forests. The fruiting season comes in waves.Some mushroom pickers claim that these mushrooms can be collected in some regions until October.
What do grey-brown psatirellas look like?
In young specimens, the cap is dome-shaped, with a diameter of 2 to 5 - 6 cm. Over time, during the aging process, it straightens and becomes flat, with a small tubercle in the middle. Its color ranges from brown to gray, depending on ripeness and weather conditions during the development period. The edges of the cap are fringed. As the fungus grows, the color may change towards darkening.
Psaritella grey-brown belongs to the lamellar species. The underside of young specimens is covered with fused thin light plates, which darken with age to a rich brown color.
The leg is thin, hollow, up to 10 cm high, with a diameter of no more than 6–8 mm. There is a thickening on the lower part. The flesh of the leg is whitish, brittle and slightly watery.
Is it possible to eat gray-brown psatirella?
Biologists classify psaritella grey-brown as an edible mushroom. Its fruiting body does not contain toxins that can have a negative impact on human health. But among mushroom pickers, the opinion about the edibility of this gift of the forest is ambiguous. Some are sure that this species should not be collected for food, since it looks like poisonous mushrooms. In addition, its fruiting body is thin, so it is not of great value for consumption.
Taste qualities of mushroom
However, experts say that grey-brown psaritella has quite high gastronomic properties. When boiled, it retains its bright mushroom taste and aroma. It is noted that transportation and preparation of fragile fruiting bodies causes difficulties.
Benefits and harm to the body
There is practically no information about the beneficial and harmful qualities of the mushroom. It does not use gray-brown psaritella for commercial purposes. Therefore, no serious research has been carried out on the content of beneficial or harmful substances in the product.
False doubles
The color of the fruiting body of Psaritella grey-brown is very variable. In dry weather it can become lighter, but with age it darkens. Therefore, it is difficult to distinguish it from other representatives of the genus Psaritella, among which there are also poisonous specimens.
Psaritella aquatic
This mushroom is very similar in shape, as well as the size of the cap and stem, to the gray-brown species. Depending on weather conditions, color may vary. In drought, the fruiting body becomes lighter, and in rainy weather the hydrophobic cap absorbs moisture and darkens. The main difference between the species is the false ring, which is located in the upper part of the leg.
The water-loving psaritella grows on old stumps and fallen trees. It is very similar to the autumn honey fungus, so it is sometimes mistakenly classified as a false representative of this species.
Psaritella cottonata
Another representative of the genus Psaritellus, which likes to settle on the remains of coniferous trees. More often this variety grows in dense groups, but can also occur in single specimens. Psaritella cottonata has a lighter shade of the cap. But in shape it is similar to most representatives of its genus. The mushroom is considered inedible, although there is no information about the content of toxins in the fruiting body.
Collection rules
The fruiting bodies are cut with a knife without damaging the base and mycelium. For consumption, you need to choose young representatives of the species with a dome-shaped cap.Do not collect gray-brown psaritella damaged by insects.
Fragile fruiting bodies are stacked loosely in rigid baskets. Otherwise, the caps and legs can easily be damaged during transportation.
Use
Due to the absence of toxins in the composition, it is believed that psaritella can be consumed even in its raw form. But it is recommended to boil the mushrooms for a short time.
Before cooking, the fruiting bodies must be carefully washed in water. You can pre-soak mushroom raw materials in a salty solution to rid the space between the plates of insects and sand. When soaking, change the water 2-3 times. Damaged parts of the fruiting bodies are cut off.
The mushrooms are placed in an enamel bowl and filled with a small amount of water. During the cooking process, a lot of foamy liquid is released. Cook gray-brown psaritella for no more than 15 minutes. After this, the broth is drained and the mushroom mass is washed in a large amount of clean water.
Psaritella grey-brown is used to prepare vegetable soups, stir-fry or sauce.
You can harvest mushrooms for cooking in winter. Fruit bodies, previously boiled and washed, are placed in containers or bags for freezing.
Like most forest products, this species can be dried. When moisture is removed, the mushroom pulp becomes lighter. The raw materials are cleaned dry to remove debris, damaged parts are cut out and crushed. The fragile mushroom can be crushed by hand.
Dry the fruiting bodies in vegetable dryers or a regular oven. The temperature should not exceed 100 °C. It is advisable to use a cabinet with ventilation. In conventional mushroom ovens, the door is left ajar.
The dried mushroom mass is ground in a coffee grinder or manually.
Conclusion
Psaritella grey-brown is rarely used as food. Its unprepossessing appearance and difficulties during transportation make it undeservedly ignored by mushroom pickers. It is better for beginners not to collect such an ambiguous species on their own. At the same time, it is difficult to confuse the gray-brown variety with its poisonous counterparts.
