Content
Elegant champignon or pink-plated champignon belongs to the edible forest inhabitants of the Champignon family. The species is beautiful and rare, grows in mixed and deciduous forests, from July to October. To recognize this representative, you need to carefully study its external characteristics, view photos and videos.
What does an elegant champignon look like?
The cap is small, reaching a diameter of 10 cm. At a young age, it has a hemispherical shape, and with age it straightens, leaving a small hill in the center. The surface is covered with a light gray skin, which can be easily removed during cleaning.The bottom layer is covered with a film, under which there are dark, wide plates. As the film grows, it breaks and descends to the lower part. The rounded leg is painted light yellow and grows up to 3 cm.
Where does the pink plate champignon grow?
Elegant champignon prefers to grow in grass, among deciduous trees. It can also be found on lawns, in parks and squares, garden plots and along the road. Grows in single specimens or small families. The species begins to bear fruit from June to September. Reproduction occurs by elongated spores, which are found in dark brown powder.
Is it possible to eat elegant champignon?
This representative of the mushroom kingdom is considered edible. The fruit pulp has a barely noticeable anise aroma and a pleasant mushroom taste. The harvested crop can be boiled, fried, canned and stored for the winter.
False doubles
The elegant champignon, like any forest dweller, has doubles. Such as:
- White champignon long-rooted - edible species. You can recognize it by its convex-flat cap, 13 cm in size. The edges are turned up, but over time they straighten out and become brittle. The surface is covered with velvety-scaly skin, snow-white or light brown in color. The dense whitish pulp has a pleasant taste and nutty aroma. The oblong leg is long, reaches up to 12 cm. It grows in warm regions, bears fruit from June to September. The mushroom can be found in personal plots, gardens, city parks, and along roads.
- Flat-hat - an inedible representative of the mushroom kingdom. The species has an ovoid cap, no more than 10 cm in size.The surface is covered with white dry skin with numerous light brown scales. The fibrous stalk is club-shaped, reaches 9 cm. At the base there is a large ring that appears after the film breaks through. The pulp is dense and emits an unpleasant odor. This specimen grows in deciduous forests and begins to bear fruit in the fall. They can be found on lawns and near residential buildings. They grow in large families, forming a “witch’s ring.” If consumed, it causes food poisoning. If the first signs of intoxication appear, you should immediately seek medical help.
Rules for collection and use
Young specimens are considered the most delicious and healthy. Therefore, during mushroom hunting, it is better to put champignons with a dense film in the basket, the cap of which has 4-6 cm, the fruiting body without mechanical damage.
During a quiet hunt you need to know the basic rules:
- It is better to take only young representatives with a pleasant mushroom aroma.
- Mushroom picking should be carried out far from roads, in environmentally friendly places.
- After a quiet hunt, the harvest must be immediately processed.
- The mushroom is not cut off, but carefully twisted, trying not to damage the mycelium. The growth site is covered with foliage or soil.
Forest harvest cannot be stored for a long time, so processing must be carried out within 6 hours after harvest. Before preparing dishes, champignons are inspected; a mushroom suitable for consumption must be evenly colored, free from damage and dark spots. If it emits an unpleasant odor, it is better to discard it.
Freshly picked champignon is considered the most delicious and healthy. It is used to make mushroom roast, aromatic soups and preparations for the winter.The harvest can also be frozen and dried. But you need to remember that frozen mushrooms can be stored for no more than 1 year, and a thawed product cannot be frozen a second time.
Conclusion
Elegant champignon is a tasty, healthy representative of the mushroom kingdom. It grows on lawns, among deciduous trees and within the city. Since the species has an inedible counterpart, it is necessary to know the external description, since the false counterpart, if eaten, can cause food poisoning.
