What kind of mushroom looks like a fox. False chanterelles: how to distinguish? Where does the false chanterelle mushroom grow

Many people like to collect:, boletus, boletus,. But there are representatives that are very similar to edible mushrooms, but in fact it turns out that they are twins. False fox - a prime example such representatives.

How not to collect a basket of "doubles"


The false chanterelle, belonging to the Hygrophoropsidaceae family, is quite common in the forests of Russia. Its description can be found in many literary publications. The second name is the yellow talker

Previously, there was an opinion that such a mushroom is poisonous. Today, this representative is classified as conditionally edible. A false representative cannot boast of excellent taste, like a real one.

How to distinguish false chanterelles from ordinary ones? Not edible mushroom can be found in any forest. The false chanterelle appears in August-November. AT last month in autumn, it can only be found if frost has not yet set in. It grows on stumps and on the ground. You rarely see her on a rotten tree. The true chanterelle, the description of which can be easily found in books for mushroom pickers or on our website, grows on mossy stumps, but not on fallen trees. "Double" grows strictly one by one.

Key differences

A chanterelle-like mushroom can be distinguished from a true one by appearance. "Double" has a brighter cap color. The diameter of its cap is about 2-5 cm, while in a real individual it is about 10 cm.

The hat looks like a funnel. Its color can be orange-brown, sometimes with a copper tint. The edges of the cap are evenly shaped. real mushroom has rough edges. Branched plates can be seen under the hat. The false chanterelle has a thinner leg, which tapers towards the bottom.

Chanterelle false


The diameter of the double cap is about 2-5 cm, and the stem tapers towards the bottom.

If in doubt, mushrooms can be distinguished by their pulp. The pulp of the "double" does not have a pleasant aroma. back side hats are a little bitter. The mushroom has yellow or orange flesh. If you press it with your finger, the color will remain the same.

False fox has spores white color. A real mushroom is not wormy due to the content of chitinmannose, which has an anthelmintic effect. The “double” does not contain chitinmannose, which is why insect larvae can feed on it.

The product is allowed to be eaten, but it does not differ in special taste. If it is cooked correctly, then poisoning will not occur. Like any conditionally edible mushroom, it is soaked for 3 days. It is important to change the water twice - in the morning and in the evening. Then it is necessary to boil the product for a quarter of an hour in boiling water. After that, it is ready for pickling, as well as frying. At sensitive people eating this product may cause nausea, headache, vomiting, indigestion.

It is not always possible to distinguish poisonous mushroom from edible. False chanterelles are not much different from real ones. Eating them will not cause much harm to health, but taste qualities cannot be called good. False chanterelles are popularly called talkers. They can be found in deadwood and on rotten stumps.

general characteristics

Chanterelles appear in June in coniferous and deciduous forests. At first summer month they are rare. In July they can be found in in large numbers. In regions with a mild climate, chanterelles can be harvested from May to September.

Mushroom features:

  • do not rot after rain;
  • do not dry without precipitation;
  • keep a fresh look for a long time;
  • excellent taste qualities.

Chanterelles usually grow in families, and talkers - one by one.

Distinctive features

False chanterelles can be identified by a bright orange color with brown spots. Feature: the edges of the cap are lighter than the core. In talkers, the surface of the cap is velvety, the edges are even and rounded.

In real and false chanterelles, the hat is slightly raised at first, and eventually takes the form of a funnel. Such a sign cannot be taken into account.

False fungus plates:

  • thin and frequent;
  • bright orange hue;
  • separated from the leg.

Chanterelles (lat. Cantharellus) - mushrooms that belong to the department of basidiomycetes, class agaricomycetes, order cantarellaceae, family chanterelles, genus chanterelles. These mushrooms are difficult to confuse with others, as they have an extremely memorable appearance.

Chanterelles (mushrooms): description and photo

The body of the chanterelles is shaped like the body of the cap mushrooms, but the cap and leg of the chanterelles are one whole, without visible borders, even the color is approximately the same: from pale yellow to orange. Chanterelle mushroom cap from 5 to 12 centimeters in diameter, irregular shape, flat, with curled, open wavy edges, concave or depressed inward, in some mature individuals it is funnel-shaped. In the people, such a hat is called "in the form of an inverted umbrella." To the touch, the cap of the chanterelle is smooth, with a hard-to-remove skin.

The pulp of chanterelles is fleshy and dense, fibrous in the leg area, white or yellowish in color, has a sour taste and a slight smell of dried fruits. When pressed, the surface of the fungus becomes reddish.

The chanterelle leg is most often the same color as the surface of the cap, sometimes somewhat lighter, has a dense, smooth structure, uniform in shape, slightly narrowed towards the bottom, 1-3 centimeters thick, 4-7 centimeters long.

The surface of the hymenophore is folded, pseudoplastic. Represented by wavy folds falling down the leg. In some species of chanterelles, it can be veiny. The spore powder is yellow in color, the spores themselves are ellipsoidal, 8 * 5 microns in size.

Where, when and in what forests do chanterelles grow?

Chanterelles grow from early June to mid-October, mainly in coniferous or mixed forests, about , or . They are more common in damp areas, in forests. temperate climate among the grass, in the moss or in a pile of fallen leaves. Chanterelles often grow in numerous groups, appear en masse after thunderstorms.

Chanterelle species, names, descriptions and photos

There are over 60 types of chanterelles, many of which are edible. poisonous chanterelles does not exist, although the genus contains inedible species, for example, false chanterelle. Also, this mushroom has poisonous counterparts - for example, mushrooms of the genus Omphalote. Below are some varieties of chanterelles:

  • Chanterelle ordinary (real chanterelle, cockerel) (lat. Canthar ellusciba rius)

Common chanterelle grows in deciduous and coniferous forests in June and then from August to October.

  • Chanterelle gray (lat. Cantharellus cinereus)

Edible mushroom gray or brown-black. The hat has a diameter of 1-6 cm, the height of the stem is 3-8 cm, the thickness of the stem is 4-15 mm. The leg is hollow inside. The cap has wavy edges and a depression in the center, the edges of the cap have an ash-gray tint. The pulp is elastic, gray or brownish. The hymenophore is folded. The taste of the mushroom is inexpressive, without aroma.

The gray fox grows in mixed and deciduous forests from late July to October. This mushroom can be found on the territory of the European part of Russia, Ukraine, America and countries Western Europe. The gray fox is known to few, so mushroom pickers avoid it.

  • Chanterelle cinnabar red (lat. Cantharellus cinnabarinus)

An edible mushroom that is reddish or pinkish red in color. The cap diameter is 1-4 cm, the height of the stem is 2-4 cm, the flesh is fleshy with fibers. The edges of the cap are uneven, curved, the cap itself is concave towards the center. The hymenophore is folded. Thick pseudoplates are pink. Spore powder is pink-cream.

Cinnabar-red chanterelle grows in deciduous forests, mainly oak groves, in the eastern part North America. The mushroom picking season is summer and autumn.

  • Chanterelle velvety (lat. Cantharellus friesii)

An edible but rare mushroom with an orange-yellow or reddish cap. The color of the legs is from light yellow to light orange. The cap diameter is 4-5 cm, the height of the stem is 2-4 cm, the diameter of the stem is 1 cm. The cap of a young mushroom has a convex shape, which turns into a funnel-shaped one with age. The flesh of the cap is light orange when cut, whitish-yellowish in the stem. The smell of the mushroom is pleasant, the taste is sour.

The velvety chanterelle grows in the countries of southern and eastern Europe, in deciduous forests on acidic soils. Harvesting season is from July to October.

  • Chanterelle faceted (lat. Cantharellus lateritius)

Edible orange-yellow mushroom. fruiting body has dimensions from 2 to 10 cm. The hat and stem are combined. The shape of the cap is carved with a wavy edge. The pulp of the mushroom is thick and dense, has a pleasant taste and aroma. The diameter of the stem is 1-2.5 cm. The hymenophore is smooth or with small folds. The spore powder has a yellow-orange color, like the fungus itself.

The faceted chanterelle grows in oak groves in North America, Africa, the Himalayas, Malaysia, singly or in groups. You can collect chanterelle mushrooms in summer and autumn.

  • Chanterelle yellowing (lat. Cantharellus lutescens)

Edible mushroom. The diameter of the cap is from 1 to 6 cm, the length of the leg is 2-5 cm, the thickness of the leg is up to 1.5 cm. The cap and the leg are a single whole, like in other types of chanterelles. The upper part of the cap is yellow-brown, with brown scales. The stem is yellow-orange. The pulp of the mushroom is beige or light orange, has no taste and smell. The spore-bearing surface is most often smooth, rarely wrinkled, and has a beige or yellow-brown tint. Spore powder is beige-orange.

The yellowing chanterelle grows in coniferous forests, on wet soils, bears fruit until the end of summer.


  • Chanterelle tubular (funnel chanterelle, tubular cantarell, tubular lobe) (lat. Cantharellus tubaeformis)

An edible mushroom with a cap diameter of 2-6 cm, a stem height of 3-8 cm, a stem diameter of 0.3-0.8 cm. The cap of a chanterelle has the shape of a funnel with jagged edges. The color of the cap is grayish-yellow. It has dark velvety scales. The tubular leg is yellow or dull yellow. The flesh is firm and white, with a slight bitter taste and a pleasant smell of earth. Hymenophore yellowish or bluish gray color, consists of rare brittle veins. Beige spore powder.

Trumpet chanterelles grow mainly in coniferous forests, sometimes found in deciduous forests in Europe and North America.

  • Chanterelle Cantharellus minor

An edible mushroom similar to the common chanterelle, but smaller in size. The diameter of the cap is 0.5-3 cm, the length of the stem is 1.5-6 cm, the thickness of the stem is 0.3-1 cm. The cap of a young mushroom is flat or convex, in a mature mushroom it becomes vase-like. The color of the cap is yellow or orange-yellow. The edge of the cap is wavy. The flesh is yellow, brittle, soft, with a barely perceptible aroma. The hymenophore has the color of a cap. The color of the stem is lighter than that of the cap. The stem is hollow, tapering towards the base. The spore powder is white or yellowish in color.

These mushrooms grow in deciduous forests (most often oak) in eastern North America.

  • Chanterelle Cantharellus subalbidus

An edible mushroom that is whitish or beige in color. Turns orange when touched. Wet mushroom takes on a light brown hue. The cap diameter is 5-14 cm, the height of the stem is 2-4 cm, the thickness of the stem is 1-3 cm. The cap of a young mushroom is flat with a wavy edge, becoming funnel-shaped as the mushroom grows. Velvet scales are located on the skin of the cap. The pulp of the mushroom has no aroma and taste. The hymenophore has narrow folds. The leg is fleshy, white, uneven or smooth. Spore powder is white.

Cantharellus subalbidus grows in the northwestern part of North America, found in coniferous forests.

False chanterelles: description and photo. How are they different from edibles?

There are 2 types of mushrooms with which you can confuse an ordinary chanterelle:

  1. Orange talker (inedible mushroom)
  2. Omphaloth olive (poisonous mushroom)

The main differences between an edible chanterelle and a false one:

  1. The color of an ordinary edible chanterelle is monophonic: light yellow or light orange. False chanterelle usually has brighter or lighter colors: copper red, bright orange, yellowish white, ocher beige, reddish brown. The middle of the cap of the false chanterelle may differ in color from the edges of the cap. On the hat of the false chanterelle, spots of various shapes can be observed.
  2. The edges of the cap of a real chanterelle are always torn. The false mushroom often has smooth edges.
  3. The leg of a real chanterelle is thick, the leg of a false chanterelle is thin. In addition, in an edible chanterelle, the hat and leg are a single whole. And in a false chanterelle, the leg is separated from the hat.
  4. Edible chanterelles always grow in groups. False chanterelle can grow singly.
  5. The smell of an edible mushroom is pleasant, unlike an inedible one.
  6. When pressed, the pulp of the edible chanterelle turns red, the color of the false chanterelle does not change.
  7. Real chanterelles are not wormy, which cannot be said about their poisonous counterparts.

False fox or orange talker

Calorie content of chanterelles

The calorie content of chanterelles per 100 g is 19 kcal.

How and how long can fresh chanterelles be stored?

Mushrooms should be stored at a temperature not exceeding +10°C. Freshly harvested chanterelles cannot be kept for more than a day, even in the refrigerator. It is best to start processing them immediately.

How to clean chanterelles?

Mushrooms must be cleaned of debris and damaged mushrooms should be separated from whole ones. Forest debris is removed with a hard brush or soft cloth (sponge). Dirt does not stick to the surface of the chanterelles so strongly that it needs to be cleaned off with a knife. The rotten, softened and damaged parts of the fungus are cut off with a knife. Rubbish is removed from the plates with a brush. This is especially important for subsequent drying.

After cleaning, the chanterelles should be washed well, paying special attention to the cap plates. Usually they are washed in several waters. If a bitter taste is suspected, the mushrooms are soaked for 30-60 minutes.

Due to their appearance, chanterelles cannot be confused with other mushrooms. Their hats and legs look solid and seem to have no boundaries. The hat has an irregular shape, it is flat and has jagged edges.

It can be concave or funnel-shaped, which is why it resembles the shape of an inverted umbrella. The color is mostly yellowish or with an orange tinge.

You can find chanterelles in the forest from early summer to mid-October. Mushrooms are often found next to spruces, pines and oaks. Especially in damp places, in moss, among leaves on the ground.

Chanterelles can be easily spotted as they grow large groups. Below are photos of chanterelle mushrooms, which illustrate the above written.

What are the types of foxes?

In total, more than 60 varieties of chanterelles are distinguished, among them both edible and inedible. The most famous types are listed below:

Ordinary. The flesh has a yellowish tint around the edges, the cut is usually represented by a white tint. The taste of the chanterelle is sour, the thickness of the leg is 1-3 cm, and the length is 4-7 cm.

What distinguishes the common chanterelle from other species is the absence of worms or larvae, since mushrooms contain poisonous components.

Gray. This variety is little known to mushroom pickers, so they usually avoid them. The hat has waves along the edges and recesses in the center. It is impossible to accurately describe the taste of gray chanterelle, as the variety is not fragrant. You can meet this type of mushroom from mid-summer to mid-autumn.

Cinnabar red. This variety of mushrooms has a red and pinkish-red color. At the edges of the hat is uneven and curved. The fungus can be found in deciduous forests, in oak groves, and in eastern North America.

Velvety. This is one of rare species chanterelles. In young mushrooms, the cap is more convex, but the older it becomes, the more funnel-shaped it becomes. The mushroom smells pleasant, but the taste is rather sour.

You can meet chanterelles in the south and east of Europe, as well as in a deciduous forest. The collection runs from July to mid-autumn.

faceted. The stem and cap of this type of chanterelle mushroom are connected. The pulp is rather dense and has a pleasant smell. To understand where chanterelles grow, you need to go to the oak grove of Africa, the Himalayas. The collection takes place during the summer and autumn periods.

Yellowing. Its top is represented by a yellowish tint, and the bottom is orange. The flesh is beige in color, but odorless and flavorless. Often, yellowing chanterelles grow in a coniferous forest, on moist soil, and they can be collected until the end of the summer season.

Tubular. The cap of this type of fungus has a funnel shape, scales are found on it. The flesh is usually white, has a bitter taste, and smells like soil. Deciduous and coniferous forests are favorite locations for these mushrooms.

Cantharellus minor. This variety of mushrooms can be easily confused with other varieties, but it is distinguished by its small size. The color is predominantly yellowish and orange. The chanterelle leg is hollow, becoming narrower towards the end. Head to the deciduous forest to collect Cantharellus minor.

Cantharellus subalbidus. The color is mostly white or beige. The cap looks wavy at the edges, the leg is fleshy and uneven. Coniferous forest is the most common location for this variety.

Edible and inedible chanterelle: what is the difference?

Below is a description of chanterelle mushrooms, among which are both edible and inedible species.

  • A normal mushroom will have a light color, a dangerous one will have a bright color;
  • The first type has torn edges, and the false one has perfectly even ones;
  • A thick stem is found in edible ones, a thin one in inedible ones;

  • The first type of mushrooms grows in groups, and the second one singly;
  • Useful mushrooms smell good;
  • From pressure on the pulp of the correct chanterelle, red is reflected;
  • No worms.

What are the benefits of chanterelles?

  • They contain many vitamins;
  • Almost no worms;
  • The content of ergosterol in red mushrooms helps to strengthen organs;
  • Useful for curing diseases.

There are three ways to store chanterelles: salt, dry and freeze. The last way retains useful substances in them.

Regarding the basic requirements - avoid storage in the room.

The ideal temperature for all varieties should not exceed 10 degrees, and you need to store no more than a day. Better process them soon.

Processing mushrooms involves cleaning them of debris and separating them into healthy and damaged ones. Then rinse the chanterelles and dry on a towel.

Make sure that there is little moisture left on the mushrooms. Before frying in a pan, boil the mushrooms in a saucepan.

Photo of chanterelles

Chanterelles- quite beautiful, tasty and useful mushrooms. Due to their bright yellow color, they are clearly visible in the forest and are difficult to confuse with other types of mushrooms.

Let's take a closer look: where and when to collect chanterelles, types of chanterelles, descriptions and photos, useful and medicinal properties, storage and preparation for the winter.

Chanterelles - description and photo

Golden-colored mushrooms have a delicate fruity smell, slightly reminiscent of apricot.

They are common in Europe, Russia, Africa, Mexico, the Himalayas.

Hat and leg chanterelles looks whole, without visible borders, approximately the same color from pale yellow to orange.

Cap diameter 5-12 cm, irregularly shaped with wavy edges, funnel-shaped or concave, smooth with hard-to-remove skin.

The pulp is dense and fleshy, white or yellowish in color with a slight smell of fruit, a little spicy taste. The surface of the chanterelle becomes reddish when pressed.

Chanterelle leg dense, with a smooth structure, narrowed towards the bottom up to 3 cm thick and up to 7 cm long.

Hymenophore surface represented by wavy folds falling down the leg.

spore powder yellow color.

In what forest do chanterelles grow and when to collect?

From June to mid-October, chanterelles can be found mainly in coniferous forests, as well as in mixed. More often, mushrooms are found in damp areas, in moss, among grass, near pines, firs, oaks.

You can meet chanterelles in numerous groups that appear en masse after thunderstorms.

Types of chanterelles photo and description

Most species of chanterelles are edible. There are more than 60 species of chanterelles, there are no poisonous ones, but there are inedible species - a false chanterelle, for example.

Chanterelle ordinary - edible mushroom. Hat 2-12 cm in diameter. Mushrooms with fleshy pulp, yellow at the edges, and white at the cut. Chanterelle ordinary taste with sourness. It grows in coniferous and deciduous forests from June to October.

Chanterelle gray- edible mushroom. The color of the chanterelle is from gray to brown-black. A hat up to 6 cm in diameter, with wavy edges and a depression in the center, the edges are ash-gray.

Elastic pulp of gray color, with inexpressive taste and without aroma.

The gray fox grows in deciduous forests from June to October. This species is little known to mushroom pickers, they avoid it.

Chanterelle cinnabar red - edible mushroom. The color of the chanterelle is reddish or pinkish red. The cap is up to 4 cm in diameter, the stem is up to 4 cm high. The flesh is fleshy with fibers. The hat is concave to the center with uneven curved edges. You can find the cinnabar red chanterelle in oak groves in eastern North America. Mushroom picking takes place in summer and autumn.

Chanterelle velvety - a rare, edible mushroom. The cap is orange-yellow or reddish, up to 5 cm in diameter, convex, becoming funnel-shaped with time. The flesh is light orange with a pleasant smell. Chanterelle velvety grows in deciduous forests of eastern and southern Europe on acidic soils. This mushroom is harvested from July to October.

Chanterelle yellowing - edible mushroom. Hat up to 6 cm in diameter, yellowish-brown, covered with scales. The flesh on the cut is beige, tasteless and odorless. It can be found in coniferous forests, on wet soils during the summer.

Chanterelle tubular - edible mushroom. Hat up to 8 cm in diameter, funnel-shaped with jagged edges, grayish-yellow. The pulp is dense, white on the cut, has nice smell earth and has a bitter taste. It mainly grows in coniferous forests.

Chanterelle Cantharellus minor - looks like a common chanterelle, an edible mushroom. Hat up to 3 cm in diameter, orange-yellow, with wavy edges. The pulp is soft, brittle, yellow. Such a fox grows in the oak forests of North America.

False chanterelles - photo and description

The common chanterelle can be confused with two types of mushrooms:

Omphaloth olive (poisonous mushroom)

and orange talker (inedible mushroom)

How to distinguish false chanterelles from real photos

1. edible chanterelle has a uniform color - light yellow or light orange. False chanterelles have bright colors - red-brown, bright orange, copper-red, yellowish-white. In a false chanterelle, the middle of the cap differs in color from the edges and can be covered with spots of various shapes.
2. false fox usually has smooth edges of the cap - a real chanterelle is always torn.
3. A false chanterelle has a thin leg, a real chanterelle with a thick leg. The hat and leg of an edible chanterelle are one whole, false mushrooms the cap is separated from the stem.
4. False chanterelles can often be found singly, while a real chanterelle always grows in groups.
5. false mushroom has bad smell, edible always smells good.
6. If you press on the pulp of edible chanterelle, it will change color to reddish, false chanterelle does not change color when pressed.
7. Poison Doppelgangers may be wormy, the real fox is never.

Video - Beware! Chanterelle false and real

Chanterelles useful properties and contraindications

Chanterelle mushrooms have a high content of various vitamins and minerals - D2, B1, A, PP. Zinc, copper.

Chanterelle mushrooms are useful in fight against cancer, to restore vision, in the fight against bacteria, with obesity.

How natural antibiotic they are used in folk medicine.

The calorie content of chanterelles is 19 kcal per 100 grams.

How long can chanterelles be stored fresh

After picking mushrooms, they can be stored at a temperature not exceeding +10 degrees. Do not store in the refrigerator for more than two days after collection, it is better to start processing immediately.

Chanterelles - how to clean

Before processing, the chanterelles must be cleaned of debris, and damaged mushrooms should be discarded. Dirt does not strongly stick to the surface of the chanterelles, so you can remove it with a soft brush or sponge.

Cut off the damaged, rotten parts of the fungus with a knife. For subsequent drying, debris is also removed from the plates with a brush.

After cleaning the mushrooms from debris, rinse them in water, with special care the cap plates. Rinse should be by changing the water several times. If the taste remains bitter, soak the mushrooms for 30 minutes in water.

Why are chanterelles bitter, how to remove bitterness?

Chanterelles have natural bitterness, so pests and insects do not like them, but they are appreciated in cooking. If the mushrooms are not processed immediately after harvest, the bitterness will intensify. Also, increased bitterness of chanterelles is possible due to the influence of some natural factors.

More bitterness in chanterelles collected in dry weather, under coniferous trees, next to trails and businesses, overgrown mushrooms growing in moss, if these are false chanterelles.

It is better to collect and cook young chanterelles, the bitterness content in them is minimal. To remove bitterness, you need to soak the chanterelles for 30-60 minutes in water, then boil. Drain water after cooking.

For freezing, use boiled chanterelles - they will not be bitter and take up less space. If you froze fresh and thawed found that the mushrooms are bitter, boil them in salt water, the bitterness will go into the water.

How to cook and store chanterelles?

Chanterelles boiled, fried, salted, marinated, dried.

Boiled chanterelles within 15-20 minutes after boiling. If you eat chanterelles after cooking, then salt the water. If you fry after cooking, then you do not need to add salt and the cooking process in this case should not last longer than 5 minutes.

Rinse dried chanterelles, soak before cooking for 2-4 hours in warm water. Then boil in the same water for 40 minutes.

Chanterelles are roasting without boiling, but if the chanterelles are bitter, then it is necessary to boil.

Cut the mushrooms before frying. First, fry the finely chopped onion in oil in a pan, then add the chanterelles. Saute mushrooms until all moisture has evaporated. Then salt to taste, add sour cream and simmer until cooked for 15 minutes.

Chanterelles are salted in a cold and hot way.

Pickled chanterelles are prepared with and without pasteurization.

Marinated chanterelles with pasteurization

Thoroughly clean and wash the mushrooms, cut large ones and cook for 15 minutes in salted water with the addition of citric acid.

Arrange prepared chanterelles in clean jars and pour hot marinade, adding onion rings and bay leaf on top. Cover jars with lids and pasteurize for 2 minutes. Then immediately roll up the lids, store in a dry place with a temperature of 0 to 15 degrees.

Dry chanterelles on a drying board or a special dryer, the mushrooms should not touch each other. Before drying, the mushrooms are not washed, but they are cleaned of dirt with a brush, if large ones are cut into several parts.

The rooms in which chanterelles are dried should be well ventilated. Can be dried outside in the shade.

If drying in an oven or oven, the temperature should first be 60-65 degrees, and then higher.

Store dried chanterelles in glass, plastic containers with tight fitting lids.