Content
Veselka Ravenelli belongs to the conditionally edible representatives of the Veselkov family. The species is unique because at a young age it exists in the egg stage, and as an adult - in the receptacle stage. To avoid confusing the mushroom with inedible specimens, you need to know the external characteristics and view photos and video materials.
Where does the merry Ravenelli grow?
Veselka Ravenelli is a saprophytic mushroom that grows on dead wood or rotting substrate. It can be found in mixed forests, gardens, parks, and open forest clearings. It grows in large groups and begins to bear fruit from May to October.
What does a merry Ravenelli look like?
The Veselya Ravenelli in the initial stage of development has an ovoid shape, about 5 cm in size.The surface is covered with a leathery peridium, mycelial strands extend from the wrinkled base. The egg is covered with a snow-white shell, which becomes pink, lilac or purple as it matures. With mechanical damage, the color becomes brighter and more saturated.
The peridium consists of a jelly-like substance. Once ripe, the egg opens and a receptacle emerges, which consists of a cap and a stalk. Also during this period, the fungus fully matures, and the spores are released into the external environment.
Grows in mixed forests
The cap of an adult specimen is about 4 cm in size. The conical surface is covered with fine-grained skin of olive or greenish-coffee color. The upper part has a gleba - the inner pulp of the fruiting body.
The snow-white or yellowish leg is hollow and porous. The pulp is dark with an unpleasant strong aroma that attracts insects.
Is it possible to eat Ravenelli's merry
Veselka Ravenelli belongs to the 4th group of edibility and is conditionally edible. Only specimens in the egg stage are used in cooking. Adults have healing properties, so the mushroom has found use in folk medicine. Mushroom decoctions and infusions are used to treat visual dysfunction and rheumatic diseases.
Because of its unusual appearance, Merry Ravenelli is surrounded by legends and beliefs:
- the species is considered a strong aphrodisiac;
- thanks to antioxidants, infusions and decoctions stop the growth of cancer cells;
- When used externally, mushroom pulp helps heal wounds;
- in the Middle Ages it was believed that a man who saw a vegetable must eat it, otherwise he would suffer from male impotence;
- The mushroom grows so quickly that it surpasses bamboo shoots in growth speed.
Taste qualities of mushroom
In cooking, Ravenelli is used only in the egg stage. Ripe specimens emit an unpleasant odor, so mushroom pickers prefer not to collect them or use them for food. Overripe mushrooms, when eaten, cause mild food poisoning.
False doubles
This representative, like any inhabitant of the forest, has similar doubles. These include:
- Ordinary - an edible representative that grows in fertile soil, in mixed forests and open areas. Fruits from May to October. Only young specimens are used in cooking. But many mushroom pickers use the species not for gastronomic, but for medicinal purposes. Infusions and decoctions are used for abdominal syndrome, impotence and cancer.
Only young specimens are used for food
- Adriana – the species is edible both in juvenile and adult form. When used for food, it is necessary to remove the spore-containing layer, otherwise the food will turn an unsightly color. At a young age, the mushroom has an ovoid shape; as it matures, the fruiting body bursts and the mushroom acquires a stem and a cap. The pulp is dense, snow-white, and when ripe it emits an unpleasant odor. Grows on dead wood throughout the warm period.
Fruits throughout the warm period
- Edible morel - conditionally edible species. You can recognize it by its light coffee cap and snow-white leg. Appears in mixed forests in early spring. The pulp has a pleasant taste and a faint mushroom aroma.After preliminary boiling, the mushroom harvest is fried, stewed, and stored for the winter.
The mushroom has a pleasant taste
Collection and use
Veselka is collected throughout the warm period. To use the mushroom for medicinal purposes, it is carefully cut with a sharp knife and not twisted. Since the mycelium is very fragile and practically cannot be restored.
In cooking, only young specimens are used, when the mushroom has not yet opened and formed a stem and cap. After heat treatment, the harvested crop is used fried, stewed or boiled. Also, collected specimens can be dried and frozen for the winter.
Conclusion
Veselka Ravenelli is a conditionally edible representative of the forest kingdom. It grows on rotting wood in mixed forests and within the city. Young specimens are used in cooking; after a long boil, the harvested crop is used for food in fried, stewed and boiled form. For the winter, mushrooms are dried and frozen.
