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Green russula is found in almost every forest. It belongs to the genus of lamellar mushrooms of the same family. Connoisseurs and connoisseurs of forest gifts will never pass by it. But beginners sometimes confuse it with its poisonous counterparts or don’t know how to cook it. As a result, inexperienced mushroom pickers lose part of their forest harvest.
Where do green russula mushrooms grow?
This is one of the most unpretentious representatives of its kingdom. The green forest beauty is completely undemanding to soil composition and climatic conditions, therefore it is found everywhere. It usually grows in mixed forests and deciduous forest belts - most often singly or in small groups.
At first glance, the mushroom is unpresentable; the greenish tint of the cap evokes an association with toadstools. But experienced collectors know that when properly prepared, green russula is tasty and healthy. And their low calorie content makes them valuable for lovers of a healthy lifestyle.
What do green russulas look like?
It is important to study the photo and description of green russula before heading into the forest. This will allow:
- Do not pass by the edible green inhabitants of the forest floor: beginners often leave those specimens for which they cannot find an exact definition;
- Do not add a poisonous specimen to your cart.
These organisms form a symbiosis with the roots of trees. Therefore, you need to look for them near birch trees, less often - coniferous trees. The mushroom has a tubular structure and is colored green or white. As it ages, it turns gray. The caps are usually small, from 5 to 10 cm, but under favorable conditions real giants can grow, up to 20 cm. Young green russulas have a beautiful, even cap that resembles an umbrella.
- The caps are covered with mucus, which becomes shiny when dry.
- The height of the leg reaches 7 cm, and the diameter is up to 3 cm. When cut, the leg is dense, without cavities, and smooth. In severe drought, brown spots appear on it.
- The pulp is white with a pleasant smell. When pressed it turns brown.
Is green russula an edible mushroom or not?
The characteristic shade of the cap gives it a clear resemblance to a toadstool. Despite this, the mushroom is an edible species of russula. It has a pleasant taste without bitterness.Of course, it cannot be compared with white or boletus, which is why it is classified in the 4th category.
Of the entire russula family, green ones are considered the safest to eat. They can be fried and stewed, salted and pickled.
Taste qualities of mushroom
Having returned from the forest, I want to quickly clean the green spoils and start cooking. Cooking green russula requires a little more time and endurance than other representatives of the species. The green variety is considered the most delicious, but its characteristic pungency can ruin the dish if cooked incorrectly. This problem can be solved simply. Mushrooms are soaked for 24 hours or boiled for 15–20 minutes. You can combine both methods.
Russula is a dietary product; the calorie content of the fruiting bodies is 19 kcal per 100 g. Its rich protein composition makes it useful for athletes and people engaged in physical labor.
Benefits and harm to the body
When collecting forest gifts, you need to know exactly how their consumption will affect your condition and well-being. If you are preparing a mushroom dish for the first time, you should not offer it to children and the elderly.
And this, despite the fact that russula, due to its multicomponent composition and beneficial properties, helps the body cope with daily stress:
- This is a natural antibiotic that suppresses the development of pathological microflora and bacterial growth.
- The vitamins contained in the composition are necessary for the functioning of all organs.
- Low calorie and high protein content will help people fight excess weight.
- Exceptional nutritional value makes russula an analogue of chicken breast for athletes. It quickly saturates the body and does not cause heaviness in the stomach.
- Green russula contains substances that reduce the risk of blood clotting.
Possible contraindications
Despite the fact that it is an edible mushroom, some categories of people should be careful with its consumption or exclude it from food altogether. This applies to cases:
- Individual intolerance;
- Serious diseases of the liver, kidneys and heart;
- Pregnancy and lactation period. This is especially important for women with sensitive digestion;
- Children up to 7 years of age. Pediatricians limit the consumption of mushrooms to children under 2 years of age, but even after that, caution must be exercised.
Poisonous counterparts of green russula
The biggest danger when going for mushrooms is bringing a dangerous specimen in your basket that can cause damage to your health. Therefore, it is important to study the mushroom map of the region of residence. As for the green russula, it has no poisonous counterparts, that is, there are no varieties that are exactly like it.
But in practice, it happens that this mushroom is confused with toadstool or fly agaric. It should be noted that this similarity is very conditional. You just need to understand a little to avoid mistakes. Signs of distinction:
- The edible mushroom does not have a volva ring and also has a pleasant aroma.
- The young russula has a poorly visible leg, which enhances its resemblance to a toadstool. Therefore, you need to dig up the soil a little: the toadstool grows from an egg - a volva, and two rings are visible on the leg.
- The pungent odor reveals a poisonous toadstool.
The second “poisonous green russula” is the fly agaric. The scaly variety is confused with it, despite the absence of the characteristic cap and white spots. But in russula, the scales grow tightly to the cap, while in fly agaric, they are easily torn off.
Green russula in the photo:
Fly agaric:
Poisonous Russula
These mushroom specimens are shaped like the edible green variety, but have a distinctive, bright coloring that gives them away.
There are species that are not poisonous because they do not contain toxins. However, they can cause indigestion and stomach upset. These russulas include:
- Berezovaya. Her hat can be pink, purple, red. It grows in damp places, near birch trees. Due to its bitter taste, it is not used as food.
- Caustic. It is distinguished by its purple color, pronounced mushroom aroma, and tastes bitter. It is acceptable to eat it, but the quality of the dish will be low. This variety is also not used for medicinal purposes.
- Blood red. Her hat seems to warn that such a mushroom should not be collected. Has a pungent taste.
- Acute. The hat can have different shades, from lilac to purple. Due to its caustic nature, this species is not used in cooking, since even with soaking and boiling, an unpleasant odor remains.
Collection rules
Mushroom pickers are lenient towards this family and if there is other prey, they leave the green variety to the less fortunate followers. Green russula, unlike other members of the family, almost does not crumble during the collection process and tolerates transportation well. They have a dense structure, which is a feature of this species.
How to cook green russula
Mushrooms brought home need to be sorted and washed well.
- A prerequisite is soaking, preferably for 3 to 5 hours;
- The field is boiled for 15 minutes, which will help remove the bitterness.
After this, you can proceed to cooking. Russula is not suitable for frying and soups, but for preparations, it’s better not to think of it. The dense flesh of the mushroom tolerates soaking well and does not fall apart after cooking. Salting green russula is an art that will be useful for the housewife to master. There are two techniques, each of which is successful in its own way:
- Cold pickling. This method does not involve boiling. To prepare the marinade, take 100 g of salt per liter of water and pour this solution over the mushrooms. To remove bitterness, the water is changed every day for the first three days. After 1.5 months you can try.
- Hot way. Allows you to make the mushroom pulp elastic. The salt concentration in the brine is similar to the first recipe. Boil the russula and add spices: garlic, pepper. Readiness is easily determined when the mushroom mass settles to the bottom.
Conclusion
Despite the fact that green russula is not a standard in terms of taste, it can still be successfully used in cooking. With a certain skill, housewives prepare soups, casseroles from it, and add it to various sauces. And even though the aroma of russula cannot be compared with porcini mushroom, it is still a valuable food product, a source of protein, without extra calories.
Beginner mushroom pickers can be advised to carefully study the information before going into the forest. It is not difficult to distinguish russula from toadstool, as well as from its less edible counterparts. And if conditionally inedible mushrooms are included in the basket, then boiling them will help avoid digestive problems.
