Content
- 1 Where do conical morels grow?
- 2 What do conical morels look like?
- 3 Is it possible to eat a conical morel?
- 4 Taste qualities of conical morel mushroom
- 5 Benefits and harm to the body
- 6 False doubles of conical morels
- 7 Rules for collecting conical morels
- 8 How to cook conical morels
- 9 Application in medicine
- 10 Conclusion
The conical morel is one of the earliest mushrooms that grows in coniferous or deciduous forests from late March to May.
This unusual, exotic-looking mushroom has long been known as a delicacy. Even in ancient Rome, they were served to the table of emperors and they are still used to prepare dishes for real gourmets.
Despite its high taste characteristics, this species is considered conditionally edible, so you need to know in what form it is eaten, what kind of processing should be done before use in order to get only the benefits from consumption.
Where do conical morels grow?
To find cone-shaped morels, it is worth traveling to coniferous or deciduous forests in early spring. Mushrooms love warm, sandy and calcareous soils. From the end of March to May they can be found in clearings, landfills, parks, places of former fires, and clearings. Knowledgeable mushroom pickers find them in damp places: floodplains, lowlands, and swampy areas.
You can grow conical morels at home. They feel good in the garden, where there is carrion near old apple trees. At the same time, the crop does not grow under berry bushes.
What do conical morels look like?
The conical morel (Morchella conica) belongs to the Morel family, class Pecizomycetes. The mushroom has no specific taste or smell. It has an original appearance, so it is quite difficult to confuse it with others.
The hat of representatives of this variety has a cellular structure and a conical shape. Together with the leg, it forms a single whole. The mushroom is hollow inside, its diameter is about 3 cm, its height is 6 cm. The color can vary from gray to chocolate. The pulp is elastic and dries quickly. The spores are whitish-cream in color.
According to the photo and description, the conical morel has a stem, empty inside, cylindrical in shape, about 5 cm long and 1.5 cm thick. When it dries, it changes its whitish-yellowish color to gray. There are grooves along the entire length of the leg. Their flesh is brittle, white, resembles wax in appearance, and has no odor.
Is it possible to eat a conical morel?
For many years, the conical morel has been classified as a group of conditionally edible mushrooms, i.e. Before use, it must be subjected to special treatment, first cleared of leaves, grass or soil, then washed and boiled for half an hour.After this, the water should be drained, and the mushrooms should be used as an addition to side dishes, as well as for soups, pickles and pickles. The product is also quite suitable for drying.
There are several opinions regarding preparation for processing. Many experts consider boiling unnecessary and inadvisable, since morels are absolutely harmless and do not contain helvella acid. Because of this, fruiting bodies were considered conditionally edible. But several decades ago it was found that such a compound as helvella acid does not exist in nature. The only reason for the need for boiling is the possibility of confusing these representatives with lines that are very similar to them and actually contain a toxic substance - gyromitrin. Both mushrooms appear at the same time, often end up in the same basket, and in markets they can be sold under the guise of conical morels.
Taste qualities of conical morel mushroom
The conical morel has a soft consistency. It is believed that its taste is in no way inferior to truffles. For more than two centuries in European countries they have been collected as a delicious natural product. In our country it is classified as a third group of mushrooms. According to this classification, the conical morel cannot be called poisonous, but it cannot be consumed without treatment.
Benefits and harm to the body
Conical morels contain vitamins B, C, PP, and polysaccharides. Due to their chemical composition, mushrooms have a positive effect on the body:
- help strengthen the eye muscles;
- increase appetite;
- remove toxins from the body;
- normalize blood circulation;
- increase immunity;
- have an antibacterial effect.
Contraindications for use are diseases:
- hepatitis;
- stomach and duodenal ulcers;
- hyperacid gastritis.
False doubles of conical morels
The double has several names: common morel, stinking morel, or gouty morel.
Its place of growth is Europe and the entire territory of Russia.
The mushroom cap has a cellular structure and is shaped like a bell. It is covered with mucus on top to attract insects. Its color is green. The leg is white, porous, empty inside.
During growth, a body first emerges from the ground in the form of a white egg. The mushroom remains in this state from several days to a month, after which it grows in 30 minutes, reaching a height of 30 cm.
This species emits a disgusting smell of rotten meat, attracting insects for reproduction, which can be smelled 20 m away. After a couple of days, the false morel dies, turning into a puddle of mucus.
In France, the mushroom is considered a delicacy and is eaten raw in the egg stage or immediately as soon as it grows.
Rules for collecting conical morels
The popularity of conical morels is explained by the fact that their collection begins in the spring, when there are no mushrooms yet. Experts advise going on a “quiet hunt” when it gets warm and catkins appear on the aspen trees. It is quite difficult to find them in mixed forests, since they skillfully camouflage themselves, and their light caps in last year’s dry grass are hardly noticeable. If one mushroom is found, then several more will definitely be found nearby, but to do this you should change the point of view.
It is much easier to find conical morels in clearings and burnt areas. Here they are dark in color and clearly visible.Mushrooms love to hide in piles of brushwood and settle down there in entire families. They are often found on roadsides and earthen dumps.
How to cook conical morels
Conical morels are usually prepared according to a certain algorithm:
- The mushrooms are thoroughly washed under running water, since sand gets clogged into the folds and cells of the caps, which is quite difficult to remove from there.
- Pour water into a saucepan, salt it and bring to a boil.
- Morels are cut and immersed in boiling water.
- Cook for 30 minutes.
- Place the mushrooms in a colander and wait for the water to drain from them.
Then they can be fried, salted, pickled, prepared in salads, baked in pots, or added to porridge.
Application in medicine
In addition to being used in cooking, conical morels have long been used in the form of decoctions, teas, and infusions in traditional oriental medicine. In India and China, the product was used to improve the functioning of the digestive system, increase immunity, and stop inflammatory processes.
In Rus', morels have found their use for the treatment of eye pathologies - myopia, cataracts, and age-related decline in the quality of vision. For this purpose, mushrooms are dried, a powder is prepared from them and 1/2 dessert spoon is used twice a day.
A tincture for treating blood is prepared from several copies, which are washed, crushed and poured with a glass of vodka. After a month, it is filtered and used for 1 hour. l. twice a day, washed down with juice or other sour drink.
Conclusion
The conical morel is an excellent mushroom that has a good taste and does not require long preparation for cooking. It is used as an auxiliary remedy and as the basis of many dishes. Collecting this variety is interesting and not difficult, the main thing is to follow the rules. Then even beginners can easily find fruiting bodies, do not confuse them with false mushrooms, and end up with wonderful dishes on their table.
