Content
- 1 Where do thick-legged morels grow?
- 2 What do thick-legged morels look like?
- 3 Is it possible to eat the thick-legged morel?
- 4 Taste qualities of the morel mushroom
- 5 Benefits and harm to the body
- 6 False counterparts of thick-legged morels
- 7 Rules for collecting thick-legged morels
- 8 Consumption of thick-legged morels
- 9 Conclusion
The thick-legged morel (Morchella esculenta) is one of those mushrooms that are listed in the Ukrainian Red Book. Fans of “quiet hunting” will certainly collect the first spring harvest of these tasty mushrooms to preserve it for the winter.
Where do thick-legged morels grow?
Fat-footed morels prefer deciduous forests, which are dominated by trees such as ash, poplar and hornbeam. You can also reap a good harvest in areas heavily covered with moss. The main condition for the growth of the fungus is fertile soil enriched with organic substances and microelements.
Most often, thick-legged morels are located in groups - about three fruiting bodies in one bunch. But there are also single copies.
As for territorial preferences, the morel has a fairly extensive geographical coverage: the territory of North America, Western and Central Europe.
What do thick-legged morels look like?
The mushroom got its name due to its appearance: its fruiting body is of impressive size and thickness. It is not difficult to recognize a thick-legged morel by a number of signs:
- the cap has a size from 5 to 9 cm, a diameter from 3 to 5 cm, a shape - cylindrical-conical or oval, color - yellowish-gray; very deep pits appear on its surface, and the edges can grow to the stem, especially in mature specimens; the smell and taste of the pulp is pleasant, juicy;
- the height of the entire mushroom is 23 - 24 cm;
- the leg is of a hilly structure, thick, the length can vary from 4 cm to 17, its diameter is about 6 cm, its color is yellowish-white, there are grooves on the entire surface that are located longitudinally; in structure it does not have a “fleshy” filling and is hollow and very fragile;
- the seed material consists of spores that are collected in peculiar cylindrical bags, each of them contains 8 spores of an ellipsoidal shape with a smooth surface and a color varying from light yellow to a more saturated shade; spore powder has a different color, more creamy.
Is it possible to eat the thick-legged morel?
Thick-legged morel is a conditionally edible mushroom. Therefore, it is important to know that this type of fruiting body requires high-quality heat treatment, as well as subsequent washing.
Taste qualities of the morel mushroom
It’s not for nothing that connoisseurs of “quiet hunting” come out in search of thick-legged morels every spring. After all, this species is one of those mushrooms that can be called incredibly tasty. Their fragile but juicy flesh remains so even after frying and pre-boiling, and the aroma of the mushroom cannot be overwhelmed even by a large amount of spices.
Benefits and harm to the body
Thick-legged morels contain a number of useful substances and microelements, for which they are valued by lovers of quiet hunting:
- carbohydrates;
- fats;
- proteins;
- disaccharides;
- alimentary fiber;
- monosaccharides;
- ash compounds;
- thiamine;
- riboflavin;
- perfluorooctanoic acid.
In addition, the thick-legged morel is low in calories - less than 20 kcal per 100 g. Thanks to this, the mushroom is considered dietary and suitable for consumption by people suffering from obesity, diabetes and other metabolic disorders in the body.
Regarding the harm, the only thing that can be noted is the fact that you can be poisoned by this species. But the risk of such problems only exists if mushrooms are prepared incorrectly. To destroy helvelic acid (it is hazardous to health and is found in all types of morels), you just need to boil the harvested crop for 15 minutes. and rinse thoroughly under running water. The raw materials can then be used to prepare various dishes.
False counterparts of thick-legged morels
It is extremely difficult to confuse the thick-legged morel with any other type of mushroom. The only option is to collect common morels, but they are edible mushrooms, so they do not pose a danger to life and health.
The remaining varieties have a radically different appearance.This is especially noticeable in the shape of the cap and the size of the legs.
Rules for collecting thick-legged morels
The first harvest can be observed in April and May. In Crimea, this type of mushroom grows in March after the 15th. As a rule, in the autumn, thick-legged morels no longer grow. But in recent years, in the conditions of climate change, a repeat harvest has been observed in the southern territories of Russia, which occurs in September.
Despite this, experienced mushroom hunters know that the first harvest is best. It contains all the necessary vitamins and microelements inherent in this culture.
Regarding the places where “silent hunting” is carried out, it is best to cut the fruiting bodies away from busy areas, roads and chemical plants. All these factors are negative, since the mushroom is capable of accumulating in its pulp harmful substances and heavy salts that are found in the ground and air.
The collection of the thick-legged representative is carried out by removing the stem from the soil; cutting off the mushroom is also allowed.
Consumption of thick-legged morels
Thick-legged morels are conditionally edible mushrooms. Many cooks use them in dried form, adding them to various dishes throughout the winter. If this option is preferable, then it is worth considering the important nuances of preparing dried morels:
- Fruiting bodies must be cleared of debris and dirt.
- Let dry a little on a flat, dry surface.
- Cut into pieces for convenience (specimens can be left whole).
- Dry in any convenient way (oven, open air, microwave, etc.).
- Such mushrooms can be eaten only 40 days after they are completely dried.
In addition to drying, thick-legged morels can be pre-boiled and then used for pickling, pickling, frying, preparing soups and other dishes.
This culture is also used in medicine:
- Tincture of caps - used as an external remedy for diseases such as rheumatism, arthrosis, arthritis.
- A decoction of the fruiting body is taken orally for digestive problems.
- From the decoction of the caps, drops are prepared for the eyes in the presence of myopia and farsightedness, to strengthen the eye muscles, and for cataracts.
Culture has undoubted benefits for the entire body as a whole. Therefore, morels are often used by nutritionists in preparing diets for those who need to correct weight and stabilize the body’s metabolic processes.
Conclusion
The thick-legged morel is a tasty and healthy mushroom that is difficult to confuse with poisonous representatives, so even a novice “quiet hunter” can accurately detect it.
