Common champignon (meadow mushroom, pecheritsa mushroom): photo and description of how to cook

Meadow champignon, also called “pecheritsa” (lat. Agaricus campestris) is a large mushroom with a white cap, which is difficult not to notice against the green background of grass. This mushroom is popular among mushroom pickers not only for its excellent taste, but also for its high content of highly digestible proteins, as well as vitamins and minerals. In particular, champignons are rich in microelements necessary for the body, such as phosphorus and potassium, which are responsible for the normal functioning of the cardiovascular system.

However, do not forget that meadow champignon has poisonous counterparts that are dangerous to eat. Therefore, it is important to know what real champignons look like and be able to distinguish them from false mushrooms by external signs.

The meadow champignon has poisonous counterparts

What does meadow champignon look like?

The pecheritsa mushroom, a photo and detailed description of which is given below, is the most popular all over the world. Pecheritsa were first cultivated in Italy about a thousand years ago. In Europe, champignons began to be grown in the 17th century in France, where they were considered a delicacy along with truffles.

Meadow champignon has a light (white, dirty gray or cream) color of the cap and legs. The flesh is white when cut, acquiring a pinkish tint when pressed, elastic, dense, becoming soft and yellowish with age. Mushrooms have a pleasant characteristic aroma, reminiscent of almonds or anise, and a rich mushroom, slightly sweet taste.

Below is a detailed description and photo of the common champignon.

Meadow champignon smells pleasantly of almonds and has a slightly sweet taste

Description of the cap

The cap is spherical or hemispherical, dry, with a diameter of 8 to 15 cm. In young individuals, the edge is turned down, and the veil partially covers the plates. At maturity, the cap is covered with small scales, forming a brownish spot in the center. The plates of the meadow champignon are frequent, thin and wide (up to 12 mm). At an early age they are white, but over time they acquire a pinkish tint. In mature mushrooms they become red-brown or brown, with a purple tint.

In meadow champignon, the cap plates become reddish-brown over time.

Description of the leg

The leg of the meadow champignon is 1-2 cm wide and grows from 3 to 10 cm in height. The shape is cylindrical, with a thickening at the base (sometimes it can taper). The pulp is solid, fleshy, without cavities, fibrous, light in color. In a mature mushroom, it may acquire a brown tint at the base. A clear ring is visible on the leg, located closer to the middle; it disappears with age.

The ring on the leg of the meadow champignon disappears over time

Types of meadow champignons

In total, there are four types of meadow champignons in nature:

1. Ordinary - an edible mushroom with a cap diameter of 9-12 cm and a stem height of 8-11 cm, which has a wide white ring in the center.
2. Field – widely used in cooking, has a cap up to 20 cm in diameter and a stem up to 11 cm in height.
3. Double ring (pavement) - an edible, medium-sized representative of the family, the dirty gray cap rarely grows more than 10 cm in circumference.
4. Bernard – also refers to edible mushrooms; the scaly soft cap, reaching 12 cm in diameter, cracks over time and becomes flat.

It is important to be able to distinguish edible mushrooms from poisonous ones and not confuse them with pale toadstool or white fly agaric, which at a young age are very similar to real meadow champignons.

Where and how do meadow champignons grow?

Meadow champignon is distributed throughout Russia and can be found from the end of May to the beginning of October. Prefers open areas and humus-rich soils. It appears abundantly after rains in meadows, pastures (which is why you can sometimes find the name “horse mushroom”), as well as in gardens, vegetable gardens, parks and on roadsides. It grows both singly and in groups, forming wide rings.

Doubles and their differences

Meadow champignon has false doubles, very similar in appearance. The following are photos and descriptions of meadow champignon lookalikes. It is important to know how to distinguish them from edible mushrooms in order to avoid the danger of poisoning.

Flat-headed champignon

This representative of the champignon family is inedible, moreover, it is poisonous. After consumption, signs of poisoning are observed within two hours.

Flat-headed champignon is considered a poisonous mushroom and is not suitable for food.

The cap is covered with characteristic scales, grayish-brown in color, converging towards the center and forming a dark spot. The fibrous stalk, 1-1.2 cm thick, reaches a length of 6-9 cm, with a tuberous thickening visible at the end.

Red champignon

This poisonous mushroom is also called yellow-skinned pecheritsa. It is very similar to what meadow champignons look like, but the cap is covered with a yellowish skin with brownish patches closer to the center. It can be distinguished from a real champignon by the white flesh of the leg, which is yellow at the base and, when heat treated, emits an unpleasant phenolic odor.

The reddish champignon is poisonous and can be easily recognized by the brownish inclusions on the cap.

At a young age, the caps are round, but over time they become bell-shaped. It is the young yellow-skinned pechets that end up in the basket of amateur mushroom pickers.

Is the pecheritsa mushroom edible or not?

Meadow champignon is an edible mushroom; in terms of gastronomic qualities it belongs to the second category. Tasty and aromatic, can be eaten raw. In terms of digestible protein content, it is comparable to porcini mushroom, and therefore is widely popular in cooking.

There are many ways to prepare meadow champignons: they are boiled, fried, baked in the oven, pickled, salted and used as the main ingredient for making salads.

How to cook meadow champignons

Pecheritsi are widely used in cooking, since the mushroom goes well with most common and frequently consumed foods. It is served with meat and vegetable dishes fried or grilled; various mushroom soups, pates, sauces, casseroles, appetizers and salads are prepared.

How to select, store and prepare champignons for cooking:

• mushrooms must be whole, without stains or dents;
• fresh meadow champignons can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than five days;
• before eating, clean the stem and cap from dirt and rinse under running water;
• In the fresh air, the flesh of pecheritsa quickly darkens, so after slicing, you must immediately proceed to cooking.

The most popular recipes with photos and descriptions of how to cook meadow champignons are given below.

How to cook fried meadow champignons with sour cream and onions

The most common way to prepare meadow champignons is frying. It's simple, quick and incredibly tasty.

You will need:

• 0.5 kg meadow champignons;
• 1 large onion;
• 2 cloves of garlic;
• 50 g butter;
• 2 tbsp. l. sour cream.

Fried meadow champignons are tender and aromatic

Cooking method:

1. Peel the mushrooms and cut into thin slices.
2. Heat a deep frying pan, add butter and as soon as it melts, add meadow champignons.
3. After the liquid has evaporated, add finely chopped onion, squeeze the garlic through a press, pepper and salt.
4. When the pecheritsa acquire a golden color, reduce the heat, add sour cream and simmer under the lid for 10 minutes.

The mushrooms will be tender, aromatic and, thanks to the garlic, piquant.

How to cook meadow champignons in the oven

To cook pecheritsa mushrooms in the oven, you should select medium-sized specimens so that they are well baked.

You will need:

• fresh pecheritsa;
• dried aromatic herbs (any);
• 1 tbsp. l. lemon juice;
• 1 tbsp. l. soy sauce;
• 2 tbsp. l. vegetable oil.

For cooking in the oven, it is better to select small specimens of meadow champignons

Cooking method:

1. Wash the champignons and dry with a paper towel.
2. In a deep container, mix the pecheritsa with all the ingredients.
3. Place on a baking sheet in one layer and bake in the oven at 180°C for 15-20 minutes.

Mushrooms cooked in the oven will turn out juicy, saturated with the aroma of herbs.

How to prepare salad with pecheritsa mushrooms

This salad is made from raw meadow mushrooms. The dish turns out incredibly tasty, bright and juicy.

You will need:

• 400 g of fresh meadow champignons;
• 3 pcs. sweet peppers (red, yellow and green);
• 1 red onion;
• 100 ml olive oil;
• 50 ml wine vinegar;
• 2 tbsp. l. soy sauce;
• dry herbs (oregano, Italian, dill).

It is better to prepare a salad from young pecheritsa

Cooking method:

1. Cut the pepper into strips, the onion into half rings, put everything in a bowl.
2. Cut the mushrooms into several parts and add them to the vegetables.
3. Mix soy sauce, wine vinegar, oil and spices and pour the resulting dressing into a bowl with vegetables and pecheritsy.
4. The salad ingredients should be marinated for half an hour, after which the finished dish can be served.

This salad should be prepared only from young, store-bought pecheritsa. It is better to pre-heat treat meadow champignons collected from nature.

How to cook soup with pecheritsa mushrooms

Meadow champignon soup will be not only tasty and aromatic, but also nutritious.

You will need:

• 450 g mushrooms;
• 500 g potatoes;
• 1 small carrot;
• 1 onion;
• greenery.

Champignon soup is not only tasty, but also nutritious.

Cooking method:

1. Wash and chop the vegetables. Cut large mushrooms in half, leave small ones whole.
2. Fry carrots and onions in oil for 3 minutes, add mushrooms and cook for another 5-7 minutes.
3. Boil 2.5 liters of water in a saucepan and add the diced potatoes.
4. When the water boils again, transfer the fried vegetables and meadow mushrooms from the frying pan, and cook after boiling for 15 minutes.

Pour the finished dish into plates and sprinkle with fresh herbs.

How to pickle meadow champignons for the winter

Marinated pecheritsa are a universal and popular winter preparation.These mushrooms go well with meat and vegetable dishes.

You will need:

• 1.5 kg of meadow champignons;
• 200 ml table vinegar;
• 2 tbsp. l. salt;
• 2 tbsp. l. granulated sugar;
• 3 pcs. bay leaf;
• 5 black peppercorns.

Marinated champignons can be served with meat and vegetable dishes

Cooking method:

1. Clean the mushrooms from dirt, rinse under running water and dry with a paper towel.
2. Boil two liters of water, add pepper, bay leaf, dissolve salt and sugar, add vinegar.
3. After waiting for it to boil again, add the mushrooms and simmer over low heat for 40 minutes.
4. Place in jars and fill with marinade. Secure the covers.

Pickled pecheritsa can be stored throughout the winter in the pantry or on a glazed balcony.

How to freeze

Freezing is one of the common methods of storing mushrooms for future use. Meadow champignons should be sorted, cleaned of debris and quickly rinsed under running water so that they do not have time to absorb moisture, and then blotted with a paper towel.

Place the prepared, dry pecheritsa on a flat surface (you can take a baking sheet) in one row and place in the freezer for 10-12 hours. Frozen pecheritsa are stored in a bag or container at a temperature of - 18 °C.

Canning meadow champignons for the winter

To preserve pecheritsa for the winter, you should choose fresh, strong, medium-sized mushrooms of approximately the same size.

You will need:

• 1 kg of pecherits;
• 1 liter of water;
• 1 tbsp. l. vegetable oil, the same amount of table vinegar;
• 25 g sugar;
• 30 g salt;
• 4 buds of cloves;
• 4 things. bay leaf;
• 5 pieces. allspice.

Canned meadow mushrooms can be stored for up to 10 months in a cool place

Cooking method:

1. Boil the pecheritsy for 10 minutes.
2. As soon as they settle to the bottom, add spices, salt, granulated sugar, oil and vinegar and cook for another 15 minutes.
3. Place in jars, pour marinade on top and pasteurize in boiling water for 20 minutes, then roll up.

Such mushrooms can be stored for up to 10 months in a cool place (on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator or in the cellar).

Beneficial properties of meadow champignons

Regular consumption of summer meadow champignons has a very beneficial effect on the health of the entire body. These mushrooms contain a lot of useful substances necessary for humans, such as:

• amino acids (there are 18 of them in total);
• vitamins (B1, B2, B9, B12, C, E, D, PP);
• organic acids (folic, oxalic);
• minerals and trace elements (iron, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, potassium, iodine, selenium).

In addition, the pulp of meadow champignons contains lecithin, which has a positive effect on the functioning of the nervous and cardiovascular systems.

Meadow champignons contain vitamins, amino acids and microelements

Use in folk medicine

The beneficial properties of champignons have long been used in folk medicine to treat diseases such as influenza, bronchitis, tracheitis and bronchial asthma. The pulp of the fruiting body of meadow champignons has antiviral, expectorant and anti-inflammatory properties.

An extract from these mushrooms successfully treats purulent skin diseases, ulcers, and psoriasis, since it has a disinfecting effect. In addition, the antioxidants contained in meadow champignons have a rejuvenating effect on the body.

Restrictions and contraindications

Champignons are considered the safest mushrooms and have no contraindications (except for individual intolerance).However, you should not abuse them, since they contain chitin, which is poorly absorbed by the body. Therefore, it is recommended to heat treat meadow champignons before eating them.

It is not advisable for children under 12 years of age to introduce mushrooms into their diet, since they are heavy foods. Also, people with gastrointestinal diseases should eat champignons with caution.

Growing meadow champignons at home

Meadow champignons can be cultivated at home. They love coolness and high humidity, so they will feel good in boxes or containers located in the basement, cellar, or barn. Containers must be at least 20 cm deep. Mycelium can be purchased at a specialized store or taken from natural mycelium. The planting substrate should be rich in humus, since pecheritsa grow quickly and require active nutrition.

Champignons can be grown in shaded areas with high humidity.

You can also grow mushrooms in open ground; for this it is important to choose a well-shaded place (under a tree, in the shade of a house), protected from the wind and direct sunlight.

Interesting facts about pecheritsa mushrooms

There are many interesting details in the history of pecheritsa:

• these are the first mushrooms that began to be grown in an unnatural environment for them;
• The unique properties of champignons are widely used in cosmetology: they are included in masks and lotions;
• Eating pecheritsa relieves fatigue well;
• arginine and lysine contained in the fruit body stimulates human mental activity;
• In terms of the amount of phosphorus, pecheritsa are superior even to seafood.

Conclusion

In addition to the fact that meadow champignon is very tasty, it is also healthy, since it is a storehouse of microelements necessary for the body. The rich mushroom aroma gives the dish a special zest, and the nutritional value of this dish is comparable to meat.

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