Spring white mushrooms. What mushrooms grow in May

Spring is not only the time of the first flowers and drops. The first mushrooms appear in the forests, and in terms of the number of species they are no less than summer ones. The most important thing is to learn to distinguish edible from poisonous and master a few simple cooking recipes.

The climatic conditions of different regions and sectors of Russia, as you know, are very diverse, and the arrival of spring, for example, in the regions of the Black Earth region is already observed in March, while the real warm season in Siberia will come only in April or even May. Since the earliest mushrooms appear already during the first warmings (at temperatures from +7 to +10 ° C), when all the snow has already melted, then you need to focus on this time:

Krasnodar Territory, Crimea, some regions of Ukraine (for example, Vinnitsa) - the end of February;
Volga and Chernozem regions - mid-March;
Moscow region and the North-West - the beginning of April;
Ural, Western and Eastern Siberia, Far East - mid or end of April.

At the same time, there are some features of finding spring mushrooms, since each specific species most often settles only on certain trees or in those places where there is a significant accumulation of melt water:

all types of morels settle on strong moist soil, and most often they grow in well-lit, warm places - these mushrooms do not like even a little shading;
the lines grow in different places, but there are certain patterns for specific species: for example, the giant line is especially common next to long-fallen birch trees, the wood of which has had time to rot;
appear most often on old trees - especially aspens and poplars;
- on old willows, maples and aspens;
throughout March and April, on elderberry and alder with a thin trunk, you can see the Muer mushroom, which has a characteristic dark gray color and a velvety-looking surface: its other name is widespread among the people - Judas' ear.

In general, when looking for spring, the earliest mushrooms, one should not only take into account their species characteristics (who likes to grow on which tree), but also the general pattern: they are mainly found in well-heated places, sufficiently protected from the wind and well moistened, because almost all types of mushrooms begin to dry out from lack of water.

Gallery: the earliest mushrooms (25 photos)

What mushrooms appear first (video)

What edible types of mushrooms grow in the garden in spring

Spring mushrooms can be found not only in the forest, but also in gardens. Some of them grow on fruit trees that are found only in the southern regions of Russia, for example, the village of Nizhnekundryuchenskaya, Rostov Region, regions of the Krasnodar Territory, Crimea. And others can also be found on their own site - for example, unpretentious oyster mushrooms can establish a colony on any rotten stump or fallen tree. Below is a list of the most common species that have been growing since the beginning of March.

Oyster mushrooms

This is one of the most unpretentious mushrooms. They always settle on old, dying wood and almost never on living, well-growing trees. Sometimes oyster mushrooms can be found on old sawdust, driftwood, even ashes. The substrate for them does not really matter, therefore, under artificial conditions, they are often grown on cake, husk or cotton wool.

In appearance, they have light, milky and grayish shades. They always grow in groups. They have a pleasant mushroom aroma: if the smell of rot is found, such a mushroom should not be taken. Oyster mushrooms have a fleshy stem, although basically the fruiting body consists of a large cap with a diameter of 15 to 25 cm.

Oyster mushrooms

Meadow mushrooms

These mushrooms cannot be attributed to the earliest ones, since they appear in early May, however, they are quite widespread in the southern regions and in general in the European part of Russia. They grow among meadow flowers and plants - in gardens and on the edges.

Despite its small size (the hat is less than a centimeter in diameter), honey agaric almost never grows alone - it forms families of 1.5-2 dozen. It has a pleasant color like a blush of rich products. The smell is very pleasant, but the pulp has almost no pronounced taste. That's why such mushrooms are often dried, and then used in the preparation of sauces for second courses.

Champignons

They are distributed not only in the garden and forests, but also in large park areas of cities, in ravines and glades. Prefer to grow under poplars, acacias or chestnuts. Since champignons do not like winds, they can be found in large numbers in shelterbelts, as well as in cultivated fields that are surrounded by ditches.

They grow in colonies of several. Caps are white, fleshy, have a pleasant aroma. With age, they begin to turn gray, and, as a rule, wormholes appear in them - such mushrooms should not be collected. Champignon is one of the classic, familiar mushrooms, and is similar in taste to boletus.

Champignons

Raincoats

These are mushrooms that look like a ball on the ground, since their fruiting body is represented only by a hat. Raincoats include three varieties that are found both in gardens and in forests from April to June:

giant gunship;
golovach;

IMPORTANT

Contrary to popular belief, raincoats are, and they are especially tasty when fried. However, only young representatives who have a pure white hat are completely safe.

Raincoats

Podbrikosovik, succulent, podslivnik

This fungus has a pleasant pinkish-orange color, which is why it is also called the pink thyroid fungus. Found only in southern areas near apricot trees and: in ravines and gardens.

It has a low, dense leg. Hat with orange plates, which are somewhat darker in older representatives. At the same time, the pulp is white and at the break has a pleasant, rich aroma. Such mushrooms are consumed in any form: fried, boiled, but pickled is the tastiest.

The podbrikosovik is related to the edible succulents and pods, which, along with these fruit trees, are also found under the pear, apple, thorn and hawthorn trees.

IT IS INTERESTING

More recently, it was discovered that the bow tie has medicinal properties - it contains substances that prevent blood clotting. Therefore, at the moment, many drugs that block these processes. are produced on the basis of the succulent.

What mushrooms can be picked in May (video)

Spring mushrooms that grow in the forest

All described garden mushrooms can be found with the same success in the forest. But the most important thing is not to confuse real mushrooms with false ones, so you need to carefully study their visual signs in advance, and also remember the golden rule of picking mushrooms: "If you're not sure - don't take it."

Edible and conditionally edible mushrooms

Among the edible spring mushrooms in our latitudes, the following are most often found:

Morels have a brown (rarely blackish) hat of a characteristic conical shape. It is considered an endangered species, so finding it is considered good luck. All types of morels are edible mushrooms; they grow in April and May.
Stitches are both edible and poisonous. The shape of the cap is similar to the convolutions of the brain or the structure of the walnut fruit. Has red, orange and brown shades. The whole body of the fungus is a hat, the leg is not developed.
scaly has a fleshy cap of orange-red hues and a rather high leg (up to 10 cm). It is located on the trunks of trees - for example, walnut, poplar, willow. It is distributed throughout Europe, the USA and the European part of Russia. Some fruiting bodies have caps 3-4 times the size of a hand.

IT IS INTERESTING

Morels, like some other mushrooms, have a unique organ - the ask (bag), in which the process of reproduction and spore formation takes place. These bags are located outside, while in more highly developed fungi of other species they are hidden inside the fruiting body. For this feature, morels were assigned to a special family of marsupials.

Poisonous and inedible spring mushrooms

Poisonous and inedible mushrooms that appear in spring include:

entoloma;
fibre;
fly agaric spring;
greenfinch;
russula stinging (bright red hat);
milky;
pepper mushroom;
satanic mushroom and some others.

How to cook delicious spring mushrooms

Like everyone else, spring mushrooms are pickled, fried and boiled. However, not all of them are applicable to all types of processing. In addition, there are several original, really interesting recipes - they are given below.

Morel Sauce

Morels with onions and sour cream are especially delicious. First, they are soaked for a couple of hours in cold water, washed and boiled for half an hour at a low boil. And then they are fried for several minutes, after which they are finished with onions and sour cream - it turns out a very tasty mushroom sauce, perfect for all second courses.

Morels with onions and sour cream are especially delicious.

Recipe for stitches

After processing the lines, they are cut into pieces, boiled for another 15 minutes, removed and stewed in sour cream with onions until boiling. And another option is to roll the pieces in flour, salt and just fry in oil for 15 minutes, then add sour cream and also bring to a boil.

Pie with chicken and champignons: the fastest recipe

If time is running out, you can do this:

Take a package of ready-made puff pastry.
Chicken breast fillet (2 pieces).
Champignons - 400-500 grams.

Cut the meat into pieces and fry over high heat until half cooked. Fry mushrooms in the same pan (but without meat) for 10 minutes. Next, a layer of dough is rolled out, the ingredients are laid out on it, after which you need to roll it into a roll. Bake in the oven at 180°C for no more than half an hour.

Pie with chicken and champignons

Preparing raincoats

Raincoats need to be prepared only by frying: if they are boiled, the fruiting bodies, like a sponge, will absorb water and become completely unpleasant in taste. It is also important to consume the fruiting body immediately after collection: even after lying in the refrigerator for a day, the product will lose its taste. And one more rule - just before cooking, the shell should be peeled off the cap.

Here are some ways to fry:

Cut into thin slices, salt and roll in breadcrumbs. Fry like a cutlet.
Make a dough of the consistency, like on pancakes and fry the pieces in batter.

I am sure that among the avid mushroom pickers there will definitely be those who are looking forward to when the snow melts in the forest and the first grass turns green. And for good reason, because only in the spring - in April and May - special mushrooms appear that have excellent taste.

These are the well-known "second after truffles" morels and controversial lines - no less tasty, but dangerous without special treatment. However, they are not the only ones in the list of collected ones. It turns out that other mushrooms grow in spring, which have been eaten for centuries. I intend to list all of them in this article - with the obligatory indication of the dates of appearance and places of growth.

But, I will not limit my story to edible (or conditionally edible) mushrooms alone, and for greater scientific completeness I will supplement it (toward the end) with those species whose edibility is a big question. The list is closed by the only spring mushroom, which is considered absolutely poisonous under any conditions.

Important: about boiling morels and lines

Before moving on to the list of spring mushrooms, it would be useful to mention the nuances of preparing the two most popular groups - morels and stitches.

In almost all sources, it is recommended to pre-boil, or (more reliably) for a long time - from 3 to 6 months - to dry these mushrooms in order to avoid poisoning. However, it is known for certain that dangerous toxins are contained only in the lines, and morels (and many experienced mushroom pickers point out this) can be cooked without boiling at all - this way they turn out much tastier. However, scientists warn: once at a time is not necessary.

Depending on the place of growth and weather and climatic conditions, toxic substances may well accumulate in morels, and the lines may grow with a minimum, actually not dangerous toxin content, or vice versa - the concentration of poison in them will go off scale, and no boiling and even six months of drying will not will help.

From this we can draw the only conclusion: the most reliable way to avoid poisoning is not to collect lines at all, and always boil or dry morels before cooking.

Eating lines or not boiled morels, especially - lines that have not been pre-treated - any mushroom picker carries out at one's own risk.

Morel edible

Photo 2. A young fruiting body of an edible morel.

The edible morel, known to most mushroom pickers, is the most widespread species in our forests. It is usually the most and harvested in the spring.

This mushroom grows in places where there is a lot of light and calcareous soil, rich in nutrients. It especially likes deciduous forests, although it can also come across in pine forests. He loves the southern slopes of hills, clearings, edges, gaps, as well as cluttered places with deadwood and windbreak. May be found in urban tree plantations, parks and gardens.

It bears fruit from early May to about mid-June. The fruit bodies of the edible morel are the largest of all morels. Their usual size is from 6 to 15 cm in height, but sometimes 20 cm specimens come across.

Morel conical

Photo 3. A group of fruiting bodies of the conical morel.

This mushroom is not found as massively as the previous one, but it appears much earlier. In general, it can be called the very first spring mushroom.

The conical morel prefers coniferous and mixed forests to deciduous forests. He likes wet grassy places - swampy lowlands, floodplains.

It bears fruit from mid-April to May, occasionally it can appear in early June. The size of the fruiting bodies usually does not exceed 15 centimeters.

Morel tall

It is very similar to the conical morel, but often has a darker cap color and is somewhat elongated in height. In terms of the rest - places of growth and terms of fruiting - it fully corresponds to it, except that it is much less common.

Morel cap

A small mushroom that looks like morels, but is not a real morel, but is included in the Verpa genus. By the way - the Latin name of the cap is translated into Russian as "Verpa Bohemian."

With such a "noble" name, this mushroom should definitely be edible! In principle, it is: a morel cap can be consumed in the same way as morels - after boiling without a decoction.

This fungus grows in light, but damp forests - on loamy and sandy soils. He loves lowlands, floodplains of streams, slightly wetlands, simply speaking - all those places where it is humid. Mycorrhiza forms with trees such as aspen, linden, birch, where they do not exist, the fungus does not grow. Fruits in the second half of April - the first half of May. Its fruit bodies are very small in size - the diameter of the cap usually does not exceed 3 centimeters.

Cap conical

Outwardly, it resembles the previous mushroom, but a little smaller in size, and there may be no pronounced wrinkles on its hat. It grows in a variety of forests, prefers calcareous soils. It has been repeatedly seen in gardens, in particular - near hedges.

Fruits in late April - May. It is considered edible, consumed after boiling without decoction, however, it does not differ in special taste qualities.

Line ordinary

This fungus grows on sandy soils, preferring coniferous and mixed forests to deciduous ones. He likes old burnt areas and clearings, can be found under poplars.

It bears fruit in April-May, the size of its fruiting bodies usually does not exceed 10-15 centimeters.

The line is giant

The line differs from the usual line in a lighter color of the cap and somewhat larger sizes. However, the giant prefers birch forests or mixed forests with an admixture of birch to coniferous forests of lines. Most often found in well-lit places - edges, clearings, clearings.

It bears fruit from late April to May, occasionally appears in early June. Fruit bodies are quite large, the cap can reach up to 30 cm in diameter.

Pointed line

He is a bunch of lines. A rather little-known mushroom, previously considered a subspecies of the giant line, but was isolated as a separate species.

It grows in broad-leaved forests on calcareous soils, especially loves old oak forests, as well as any forests with an admixture of oak in general. He avoids other places, you definitely won’t find him in the taiga. Often found next to rotten stumps, fallen trees.

Fruiting from April to May.

Ryadovka Mayskaya (May mushroom)

It is also called "St. George's mushroom". Quite famous, highly revered by some mushroom pickers. Widely distributed, prefers places where there is litter and plenty of light: deciduous forests, edges, lawns, glades, gardens, parks. Grows even on lawns.

It bears fruit quite massively from April to June, often forming large clusters. As mentioned above, it is collected and eaten, although in some places mushroom pickers ignore this row.

Ryadovka short-legged

A very little-known early mushroom, usually referred to as grebes - because of the resemblance. Although, it is quite edible and in some places is eaten.

The short-legged row grows in different forests, unpretentious to the place. You can meet her in a park or garden. Fruiting from April to June.

Champignon two-ringed

He is a sidewalk champignon. It grows on soils rich in organic matter, among the grass. Often it can be found on city lawns, on roadsides, and it has also become famous for its ability to grow through cracks in the asphalt. Widespread and fairly common.

The fruiting bodies of the two-ring mushroom appear in May and disappear in June. Knowledgeable mushroom pickers collect it, because this mushroom is edible and has good taste. Sometimes it is cultivated.

Sack-shaped golovach

Photo 13

One of the earliest puffball mushrooms. Appears at the end of May, bears fruit until September. You can meet him in open places - forest edges and glades, meadows and pastures.

Like all raincoats, it is considered edible at a young age - while the flesh is white, elastic and has not yet turned into a spore powder.

Polypore gray-yellow

Photo 14. Young fruit bodies of sulfur-yellow tinder fungus.

Many at the word "tinder fungus" first of all will remember a hefty "flying saucer", firmly stuck to an old stump or fallen wood. There can be no talk of eating these mushrooms, they can only be offered to the beaver as a dessert. However, barely breaking through the bark, still young fruiting bodies of tinder fungi are tender and juicy, therefore, they are quite usable. But not all, but only certain species, a couple of which made their way into our spring list.

The sulfur-yellow tinder fungus is one of them. Its fruiting bodies are somewhat reminiscent of yellow dough that has crawled out through cracks in the wood. Appear on deciduous, less often - coniferous trees in May - approximately in the second half of the month. The mushroom bears fruit for a short time - until the end of June.

It is rarely collected in our country, but in some places abroad it is considered a delicacy and has the nickname "tree chicken". However, you should be careful with it: there is evidence that a fungus grown on coniferous trees causes poisoning and allergic reactions when consumed, the same effect can be observed when eating old fruiting bodies.

Polypore scaly

Photo 14. Young fruiting bodies of tinder scaly.

He is also a variegated tinder fungus, a pied. Like the previous mushroom, it grows on trees, you can eat it while young. Nevertheless, in famine years, people had to eat old fruiting bodies - they cooked broth from them.

Appears in May - towards the end of the month, bears fruit throughout the warm season - until October.

Collibia forest-loving (spring honey agaric)

This mushroom begins the list of spring mushrooms, the use of which is not a serious matter, either because of poor nutritional qualities, or because of outright inedibility and poisonousness.

Collibia wood-loving - a small mushroom with a wide hat and a thin stem. In fact, it is edible, but outwardly it looks very much like a false honey agaric, so it is rarely collected and harvested by anyone, except perhaps the most experienced (and fanatical) mushroom pickers.

Grows in deciduous forests with litter, very fond of oak forests. The fruiting bodies are thrown out throughout the warm season - from May to October.

Dung beetle flickering

Photo 17. Fruit bodies of dung beetle on rotten wood.

A small fungus that grows anywhere there is rotting wood. You can meet him in various forests, as well as in parks and gardens. Many mushroom pickers know this mushroom well, but it is unlikely that anyone collects it: the shimmering dung beetle is unprepossessing and shallow (its hat does not exceed 4 cm in diameter), in addition, it quickly turns into a black liquid (like all dung mushrooms). And some experts even consider it inedible.

It bears fruit from May to September, usually found in large groups.

Pezica spindle-spore

Photo 18

It grows in a wide variety of forests, mainly on moist loamy soil. The first fruiting bodies appear in April - pretty decent bunches. Pezica spindle-spore bears fruit all the warm season - until October.

A beautiful fungus, in the photo it looks quite appetizing, and perhaps it could be edible, but the sprout failed. The diameter of its fruiting body does not exceed half a centimeter, and therefore it has no nutritional value.

Pepsi bright red

Photo 19. Bright red pepper - compact and beautiful.

This early mushroom, like the previous one, can be found in any forest, but it does not grow on the soil, but on tree debris (usually on old branches immersed in the soil). He especially loves places littered with deadwood.

The bright red pepper also bears fruit throughout the warm season - from April to October. The size of its fruiting bodies does not exceed 6 centimeters in diameter (usually less). There is no information about the regular use of this mushroom in food. Its flesh is quite hard and does not have a pronounced taste. However, it is known for certain that this mushroom is not poisonous.

Lahnum bicolor

Photo 20. Fruit bodies of Lakhnum bicolor on a rotten branch. Enlarged several times.

A rare small mushroom growing on the branch litter of deciduous trees. Fruits in April-May. It has a yellow hat, trimmed along the edges with white, fluffy villi.

Under a magnifying glass, this fungus looks very impressive, but it has no nutritional value - its diameter does not exceed two millimeters.

Tinder fungus multicolored

Photo 21. This frequenter of the forests is familiar to many hikers. A tinder fungus is multi-colored on a stump.

A very widespread and familiar to many lovers of forest walks is a fungus that grows on the trunks of dried deciduous trees. Occasionally it can be found on fallen trees.

Fruiting from May to October. Like many tinder fungi, it is tough and woody, and therefore has no nutritional value.

common slit leaf

Photo 22

Just like the previous one, this mushroom loves wood, and it can grow not only on dried trunks and stumps, but also on living trees (mainly hardwoods). It comes across quite often - in a variety of forests.

It bears fruit in spring and summer - from May to August. It has no nutritional value - because of the small size (the diameter of the cap does not exceed 3 cm).

Lacrimaria velvety

A widespread fungus that grows on decaying wood in mixed and deciduous forests.

Small fruiting bodies begin to be thrown out in May and continue until September. It is considered inedible due to its strong astringent taste.

Stropharia hemispherical

Photo 24. Fruit bodies of hemispherical stropharia.

A fairly common mushroom that grows on well-manured soil, but most often right on manure. It belongs to the very famous Strophariaceae family, which also includes hallucinogenic mushrooms from the genus Psilocybe.

Fruiting from May to October. It is considered an inedible mushroom, although some authors claim that it can be eaten. However, few people want to pick mushrooms that grow on ... well, you get the idea!

Entoloma spring

Photo 25. Spring entoloma. Left - bottom view, right - a young fruiting body.

Spring entoloma is the only poisonous mushroom on our list, which cannot be collected (especially eaten), because it is fraught with severe poisoning.

This mushroom is quite widespread. It is found in various forests, as well as in gardens and parks. Its small fruiting bodies (no more than 10 cm high) appear in April - May, in large clusters.

The spring months are not traditional for mushroom picking, although more than 60 edible species begin to grow at this time. In the spring, mushrooms begin to appear immediately after the snow melts, some grow exclusively until the summer, while others continue to delight with the harvest even after the onset of autumn. About what types of mushrooms can be collected in May, we will talk further.

Counts conditionally edible mushroom, as it requires pre-cooking for 15 minutes before further heat treatment. Raw morels do not have a pronounced taste and smell, but when cooked, their aroma and taste are very good.
You can find this species in deciduous and coniferous forests on the edges, between trees, in mossy and burnt areas. The soil prefers humus or sandy, with a sufficient amount of moisture. Morels can often be found along highways and roads, at clearing sites. In general, the area should be well lit by the sun.
You can collect forest gifts from early April to early June. And if the winter is warm enough, then the first morels break through at the end of March. Sometimes mushroom colonies grow in September-October. However, as soon as lush greenery appears in spring, the growth of this species ends.

Important!The most favorable time for collection is April. The growth of morels lasts only a couple of weeks, before the mass appearance of greenery, so it is important not to miss the harvest season.

The fungus belongs to the morel family, the most common species is the common (real) morel, but there are also other species: conical and delicacy morel, morel cap, thick-legged and semi-free morel. These species may differ slightly in the shape of the folds on the cap, the shape of the cap.
The cap of common morels can be spherical or oblong, with numerous depressions of various shapes. The color is different: from all shades of yellow and brown to gray-brown. The older the mushroom, the darker the cap. Its size does not exceed 5-8 cm in height and 4-8 cm in diameter. The leg grows from 3 to 9 cm, in diameter - up to 3 cm, painted in yellow or white. The cap and stem are empty inside, forming one common cavity.

You can cook any dishes from these spring mushrooms: fried and stewed, they complement side dishes well, they can be frozen, dried, pickled.

Video: cooking morels

This mushroom is also conditionally edible, since fresh can cause severe poisoning with a fatal outcome. In the West, the mushroom is considered poisonous, in some countries it is prohibited for harvesting.
On the territory of the former Soviet Union, the mushroom could be consumed, but only with preliminary heat treatment. When cooked, it has a pleasant taste and aroma. Collection time is April-May.

You can find this species in deciduous and coniferous forests, on sandy soils. Mushrooms prefer edges, clearings, places where trees are cut down, and can be found near the road.
The line has a very unusual, expressive appearance. The hat is shapeless, very wrinkled and sinuous, similar to a walnut, empty inside, diameter is 2-10 cm. The color depends on environmental conditions and can vary from light brown to dark brown with a red tone. The leg is short and thick, the diameter and height are up to 3 cm, the color ranges from white to cream, hollow. The edges of the cap are connected to the stem. The pulp is painted white, very brittle and tender.

Important!The fungus contains the toxic substance gyromitrin, which destroys the central nervous system, liver and gastrointestinal tract. For detoxification, raw materials must be boiled twice for at least 30 minutes, changing the water between visits. In no case do they try the broth, but drain it. Since gyromitrin is volatile, mushrooms can be dried for up to 6 months so that the poisonous substance evaporates. The mushrooms can then be cooked according to the recipe.

You can cook any dishes from this type: they are great for frying and stewing, they are used for salads, side dishes with cereals, added to meat and chicken.

Video: collecting and preparing stitches

It is an edible and safe variety of mushrooms. However, not everyone likes their specific smell and taste, because some simply adore this species, while others bypass it.
The smell of fresh mushroom resembles the aroma of wet flour (mealy smell), but some note the similarity with the aroma of cucumber or grass, the smell is strongly pronounced, specific. May mushroom, as the name implies, appears in the last month of spring. Prefers open, well-lit areas - grows in clearings, edges of low grass, found even in city parks and flowerbeds, generally not picky about soil or terrain. With the onset of summer heat, the collection season ends.
The cap and leg of this species are monophonic, painted in whitish or cream color. The hat is hemispherical in shape, thin plates are located in the lower part. In diameter it can reach 3-10 cm. The leg is cylindrical, thicker downwards, short: in height - up to 8 cm, in diameter - up to 3 cm. The flesh is snow-white, dense, fleshy.

This is another name for this species. Like all representatives of the genus of rows, the May mushroom grows in colonies, which are often called "witch circles".
When cooked, the mushroom acquires an amazing delicate taste and aroma. The most popular cooking method is frying, but mushrooms are great for pickling, salting, and drying. It goes well with meat dishes, added to salads and sauces.

Video: May row

Counts completely edible, however, it is worth eating only small young specimens, which are characterized by a pleasant taste and aroma, snow-white, elastic pulp.

Over time, the pulp loses its taste properties, becomes loose and turns green. Therefore, the collected mushrooms cannot be stored for a long time, they must be cooked within a day. Raincoats should be collected in late spring or early summer, after rainfall.
They bear fruit from the second half of May, during the summer months and until autumn. Raincoats prefer fertile soils and open areas: they can be found in meadows, fields, pastures, forest edges and clearings.

Did you know? The raincoat is considered the record holder for the release of spores: 7 trillion spores are ejected from the fungus at a speed of 90 km / h.

There are several types of raincoats, which differ in size and shape of the hat. For example, a giant (giant) raincoat is extremely large - the weight can reach 10 kg, and the hat is 30-50 cm in diameter. The hat is spherical, the leg is either very short or absent. Spiky raincoats are modest in size: up to 6 cm in height, the surface is covered with small spikes up to 6 mm.
As mentioned earlier, the pulp of young representatives is snow-white, dense, but over time it loses turgor, becomes gray, purple or greenish. Only young specimens are suitable for food. They are best used for drying, frying, stewing. They are an excellent filling for pies, complement salads and snacks. Boiling is not the most successful way of cooking, since saturating a lot of water, mushrooms lose their shape.

Video: fried raincoats

Polypore gray-yellow

On the territory of Russia and Ukraine grows from the end of May to the end of June. The most intensive collection period is in mid-June. You can meet them at a low height on trunks or stumps.
At the initial stage of development, the tinder fungus is a drop-like mass of saturated yellow or orange color. Over time, the body of the fungus hardens, acquires a typical shape resembling an ear, and the number of pseudocaps increases. At the base, the thickness of the mushroom is 7-10 cm, the size of the caps varies from 10 to 40 cm. The caps are fan-shaped, wavy, with numerous lobes. Since many large hats can be located on one leg, the mass of some representatives is 10 kg.

Did you know?Most of the fungus is located underground and hidden from our eyes. can reach impressive sizes and spread over hundreds of square kilometers underground. For example, in the state of Oregon, a mycelium with an area of \u200b\u200balmost 1000 hectares, weighing hundreds of tons, was discovered.

The tinder fungus has a snow-white, brittle, tender and juicy pulp. It is well preserved when frozen, it can also be used for pickling, salting and drying. Popular cooking methods are frying and stewing. From sulfur-yellow tinder you can make minced meat for filling pies, adding to casseroles.

Video: collecting and cooking tinder fungus

boletus

It is a completely edible mushroom that is safe to eat. It has a speaking name, from which it is clear that this mushroom can be found in deciduous and mixed forests, but birch groves are a favorite place to grow. It prefers high soil and air humidity, therefore it often “settles” near water bodies and in swampy areas. You can collect boletus from the end of May and throughout the summer. This species is highly valued for its excellent taste, composition and aroma.
This mushroom has more than 40 varieties, but the differences between them are insignificant. The color of the mushroom varies from light brown to gray-black. The size of the cap is up to 15 cm, the shape is hemispherical, with high humidity it is covered with a mucous film. The leg can reach 3-15 cm in height, up to 4 cm in diameter, cylindrical, wider downwards, scaly.
The pulp of this species is colored white, does not have a special smell and taste, very soft. Mushrooms are characterized by rapid growth: a week after the appearance, they reach their maximum size and begin to age, while the flesh becomes loose, watery, and loses elasticity. That is why only young, elastic specimens are suitable for food.

The boletus has a universal use in cooking. Among the cooking methods, cooking, stewing, frying, harvesting for the winter by salting, pickling and drying are allowed. The boletus is great for first and second courses, it can be an independent snack or an ingredient in salads. It is used for filling pastries, making gravies, sauces.

Video: cooking boletus

Perhaps the most popular and well-known species. Very tasty and fragrant edible mushroom. Massively, however, under natural conditions, it grows in European territory, in the countries of Asia, Africa and America.
Prefers rich, fertile soils with high moisture content. Sometimes it can grow on the bark of trees, anthills, in gardens and parks. The collection season lasts from the second half of May until autumn.

Did you know?The first greenhouses for growing mushrooms appeared in France already in the 1750s.

The mushroom cap is hemispherical in shape, 6 to 16 cm in diameter, dry, may be velvety or scaly. The leg reaches 4-10 cm, cylindrical in shape, slightly expanded downwards, even, divided in the middle by a wide ring. The color of the legs and cap is the same: it can be white, cream with a slight yellowness or pink.
In young specimens, the plates are snow-white, turning brown or brown with age. The pulp is tender, soft, snow-white, at the places of fracture and pressure, as well as when oxidized in air, it becomes pink.

The most cultivated type of champignon, familiar to everyone, is Sh. dvusporovy (Agaricus bisporus). Edible are also two-ringed, field, ordinary, forest species. Dangerous species are flat cap and yellow-skinned, or red-haired champignon.

Mushrooms can be eaten raw without any health effects. Mushrooms are prepared in any way. They are suitable for soups, broths, side dishes. They can also be fried, stewed and baked. Some believe that champignons do not have a pronounced mushroom taste, therefore this type of mushroom is often cooked with the addition of spices, seasonings, and herbs.

Video: forest champignons

In general, the spring months are an excellent period for collecting delicious forest gifts. If you do not miss the moment, show care and perseverance, you can harvest a good harvest of useful forest gifts.

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Those who are impatient to engage in "quiet hunting" can not wait for the main mushroom season and go with a basket to the forest in the spring.

However, in this case, you should be very careful: at this time there are not as many edible mushrooms as in autumn, there is a great risk of bringing home poisonous fruiting bodies, which are easily disguised as edible species.

This article presents photos, names and descriptions of edible and inedible spring mushrooms that can be found in the forests near Moscow.

Spring mushrooms in the villages are well known, but urban and suburban residents know them poorly. During this period, you can find great-tasting morels, oyster mushrooms and summer mushrooms. However, it is in the spring that the first hallucinogenic and poisonous mushrooms appear, for example, ordinary lines.

In early spring, when the snow has not completely melted and the first thawed patches have appeared, autumn oyster mushrooms can be seen. They are called autumn because they appear in autumn, but hide under the snow all winter. They can be simultaneously attributed to winter and early spring mushrooms. They keep well in the spring. In early spring, in forest clearings, you can find everywhere: strobiliuruses, sarcoscyphs, xerompholines.

In spring, tinder fungi (May, variable) and many other species begin to grow intensively in the forests.

Spring walks or hikes in the forest are not only good for health, they also give you a boost of energy and awaken inner strength. This period is also good because there are no mosquitoes and moose flies in the forest yet, and nothing prevents you from enjoying nature. It is in spring that you can not only pick mushrooms, but also hear the wonderful singing of birds, enjoy the pictures of their current flight, when the male soars up, flaps his wings and sings his wonderful trills.

At the beginning of the spring season, there are no other blood-sucking insects, but ticks already appear in May, and their activity is especially high at the end of May and at the beginning of June, therefore, during this period, you should have tight clothes, a hat or a handkerchief, use appropriate products that impregnate clothes .

This video tells in detail about spring mushrooms in the forests near Moscow:

Strobiliurus edible and cuttings

After the snow melts, the first spring edible mushrooms the size of a ten-kopeck coin appear in the forest on rolling cones and on a spruce litter. They are called strobiliuruses. These early spring mushrooms grow in groups. Although strobiliurus are edible, they are not very tasty and it is problematic to collect them due to their small size.

A photo and description of spring strobilurus mushrooms of different types is presented below:

Strobilurus edible, or juicy (Strobilurus esculentus).

Habitats: spruce forests, on spruce litter or on cones, grows in groups.

Season: early mushroom, April-May.

The cap is 1-2 cm in diameter, sometimes up to 3 cm, at first convex, later prostrate, flat. A distinctive feature of the species is a brownish or chestnut slippery hat with a tubercle in the center and a thin edge. The color in the center of the cap is darker, brown-brown.

As you can see in the photo, these spring mushrooms have a thin stem, 3-5 cm tall and 1-3 mm thick, cylindrical, yellowish above, yellowish-brown below:

The second distinguishing feature of the species is the presence of a long shaggy rooting with woolly strands stretching towards the cone.

The flesh is white, dense, with a pleasant, slightly pungent smell at first, later with a slightly herring smell.

Variability:

Similar types. Edible strobiliurus is similar to the edible cutting strobiliurus (Strobilurus tenacellus), which is distinguished by a more convex yellow-brown hat.

These first spring mushrooms are edible, they belong to the 4th category. Only young hats are used for food, they are fried after preliminary boiling for 15 minutes.

Strobiliurus cuttings (Strobilurus tenacellus).

In addition to edible strobiliurus, there are also inedible Lai, which are distinguished by a herring smell. They are called cutting strobiliuruses.

Habitats: pine and spruce forests, on litter or on cones, grows in groups.

The season for collecting these spring mushrooms: May-June.

The hat is 0.7-1.5 cm in diameter, sometimes up to 2 cm, at first convex, later prostrate, flat. A distinctive feature of the species is a light brown, pinkish-brown matte hat with a blunt tubercle in the center, uneven and with a slightly ribbed thin edge.

The stem of these mushrooms, growing in the spring in the Moscow region, is thin, 2-5 cm tall and 1-2.5 mm thick, cylindrical, cartilaginous, often pubescent at the base, white above, yellowish below. The second distinguishing feature of the species is the presence of a long shaggy rooting with woolly strands stretching towards the cone.

Look at the photo - the pulp of these mushrooms, which appear among the first in spring, is white, dense:

At first, the smell of the pulp is pleasant, slightly herring, later it becomes unpleasant, slightly musty.

Records of medium frequency, notched-attached, white at first, later yellowish. Spore powder is white.

Variability: the color of the cap varies from brownish to brownish-brown.

Similar types. The cutting strobiliurus is similar to the edible strobilurus (Strobilurus esculentus), which is distinguished by a shinier cap with a darker brownish-brown tint, a more brightly colored stem, and a less strong smell.

These first spring mushrooms are considered conditionally edible due to the specific herring smell.

Spring xerompholin mushroom

At the end of April and at the beginning of May, the first colonies of mushrooms appear, which completely occupy a rotten stump or a rotten trunk. These are, first of all, stem-like xeromphalina (Xeromphalina cauticinalis). These spring mushrooms growing in the Moscow region are cute, reminiscent of tiny yellow chanterelles with a long thin stem. These little-known fruiting bodies can be seen near country roads and paths, in a wet area.

Habitats: in mixed and coniferous forests, grow in large groups on rotten stumps.

Season: May-July.

The hat has a diameter of 0.5-3 cm. A distinctive feature of the species is a shiny, sticky bright yellow or yellow-orange umbrella-shaped hat with a small depression in the center and radial stripes from translucent plates.

Leg 2-6 cm high, 1-3 mm thick. From the cap there is a cone, then the stem is smooth, cylindrical, pinkish-brown or yellowish-orange.

The plates of these mushrooms, which are among the first to grow in the spring, are rare, at first creamy, later yellowish-creamy, descending in a cone along the stem.

The flesh is white at first, later light yellow, brittle, odorless.

Variability. The color of the cap varies from yellow-orange to egg.

Similar types. Xerampholine stem-like in color is similar to oak hygrocybe (Hygrocybe quieta), which also has a yellowish-orange color, but there is a tubercle on the cap.

Xerompholine mushrooms are inedible.

Poison False Mushroom

The most massive spring poisonous mushrooms in the Moscow region are sulphurous-yellow pseudomushrooms. They grow in large groups on the stumps and trunks of fallen trees. From a distance, they look like edible summer mushrooms, but differ in the sulfur-yellow color of the underside of the cap. Most often they are found in mixed forests where spruce, birch, oak, and aspen grow.

Habitats of the sulfur-yellow false foam (Hypholoma fasciculare):

Habitats: rotting wood and stumps of hardwoods and conifers, growing in large groups.

Season: April - November

The cap has a diameter of 2-7 cm, at first hemispherical, later convex. A distinctive property of the species is a light yellow or light pinkish-brown convex-flat hat with a noticeable tubercle, which has a brighter red-brick color.

The stem is thin and long, curved, 3-9 cm high, 3-8 mm thick, has the same color as the cap, or is slightly lighter, with a yellowish tinge, cylindrical, slightly narrowed near the base, with traces of a ring. The base of the stem is darker - orange-brown.

Pulp: sulfur-yellow, tender and fibrous, with an unpleasant odor and a bitter taste.

The plates are frequent, wide, adherent, sulfur-yellow or olive-brown.

Variability. The color of the cap varies from yellow-brown to sulfur-yellow.

Similar types. The inedible sulfur-yellow false honey agaric can be confused with the edible sulfur-yellow false honey agaric (Hypholoma capnoides), which differs in the color of the plates - light gray, as well as a more convex oily yellowish-orange cap.

These mushrooms are poisonous and toxic.

Collecting psatirell mushrooms in the forest in spring

Habitats of gray-brown psatyrella (Psathyrella spadiceogrisea): soil, rotten wood and stumps of deciduous trees, growing in groups.

Season: May - October.

The cap has a diameter of 2-5 cm, at first bell-shaped, later convex-prostrate with a blunt tubercle in the center. A distinctive feature of this spring mushroom species is a gray-brown hat with radial fibrous appearance, which looks like thin dashes, as well as a light thin border along the edge, a uniform color in young specimens and large colored zones in adult mushrooms. These zones are of two types: yellowish-pink in the center of the cap or gray-brown in the center, and further, approximately in the middle zone, a yellowish-silver concentric zone with blurry edges.

The leg has a height of 4-9 cm, a thickness of 3 to 7 mm, cylindrical, slightly thickened at the base, hollow, smooth, whitish, mealy in the upper part.

Pay attention to the photo - at the base, the leg of this edible spring mushroom is darker, brownish:

Pulp: watery, whitish, fragile, thin, with a pleasant taste and a good mushroom smell.

The plates are adherent, frequent, narrow, reddish-brown.

Variability. The color of the cap can vary from gray-brown to reddish-brown with yellowish-pink spots or zones.

Similar types. The gray-brown psatyrella is similar in shape and size to the velvety psatyrella (Psathyrella velutina), which is distinguished by a reddish-buffy hat, densely covered with fibers, giving a velvety appearance.

Psatirrella mushrooms are edible, category 4, after preliminary boiling for at least 15 minutes.

edible collibia mushroom

In the middle and end of May, the first species of collibia appear. These include primarily chestnut or oil collibia. These cute little mushrooms attract with their spectacular appearance, although they are small in size. Although they are edible, they are not harvested due to their small size and the lowest, fourth category in terms of nutritional properties.

Habitats of chestnut collibia, or oily (Collybia butyracea): mixed and coniferous forests, on forest floor, on rotting wood. These mushrooms usually grow in groups in the spring forest.

Season: May - October.

The cap has a diameter of 3-8 cm, at first hemispherical, later convex with a round tubercle and then prostrate with a flat tubercle and raised or convex edges. A distinctive property of the spring mushroom called collibia is a chestnut-brown color of the cap with a flat tubercle of a darker brown color and light, cream or light brown edges.

Leg 4-9 cm tall, thin, 2-8 mm thick, cylindrical, smooth, first creamy, later pale brown. The base of the leg is thickened.

The flesh is watery, thin, soft, whitish or yellowish, at first odorless, later with a slight moldy odor.

The plates are cream or yellowish, notched-grown. Between the adherent plates are short free plates.

Variability: the color of the cap is variable depending on the maturity of the mushroom, the month and the humidity of the season. The color can be chestnut-brown, especially in early summer, red-brown with a brown tint, brown-brown with a dark middle, gray-brown with an olive tint, lilac-brown. During the dry season, the cap fades to light tones of yellow, cream, and light brown.

Similar types. The chestnut collibia is similar in shape and size to the edible wood-loving collibia (Collybia dryophila), which differs in that it has a much lighter cap.

Edibility: edible, but require pre-boiling in 2 waters to eliminate the smell of mold. They belong to the 4th category.

Inedible otidea mushroom

The spring forest brings us surprises. One of these surprises is graceful otideas. Their name speaks for itself. You walk through the forest and suddenly you see delicate yellowish-straw ears or tulips on the forest floor. They tell us: look, what a unique and diverse nature. Guard us!

Habitats of graceful otides (Otidea concinna): on the forest floor in mixed forests, growing in groups.

Season: May - November.

The fruit body has a diameter of 2 to 8 cm, a height of 1 to 6 cm. Outwardly, these mushrooms are often similar in shape to tulips. The outer surface has a granular or powdery coating. The inside is yellow-brown.

As shown in the photo, these first spring mushrooms grow in groups, united by one common base:

The base of the fruiting body is leg-shaped.

Pulp: brittle, almost thick, light yellow.

Variability. The color of the fruit body can vary from light brown to yellow-brown and lemon yellow.

Similar types. The graceful otidea is similar to the bubbly pepper (Peziza vesiculosa), which is distinguished by its bubbly shape.

Graceful otideas are inedible.

These photos show spring mushrooms growing in the Moscow region:

Hello dear friends!

It is no coincidence that mushrooms are called forest meat - they are a great help in our diet. The nutritional value of the "gifts of the forest" exceeds the meat of animals, whole milk and eggs.

Nothing compares to the wonderful mushroom aroma, which is due to the content of many enzymes in mushrooms. It is enzymes that stimulate our appetite, contribute to good digestion and assimilation of food. Also, various vitamins were found in mushrooms, namely PP, D, C, B9, B3, B2, B1, A. They also contain minerals - zinc, selenium, copper, manganese, cobalt, iodine, iron, phosphorus, calcium, potassium .

So which mushrooms appear first in the spring forest

morel cap

The first to open the mushroom calendar are marsupial mushrooms - morels and a morel cap. Depending on climatic conditions, they appear from mid-April, when the snow has not yet melted in the forest in places. In cool weather, they can grow until the end of May. They are easy to find near forest paths, on the edges, glades and clearings.

Morel likes to settle in a light birch forest, aspen forest. His hat is hollow, ovoid, but can be rounded, conical and asymmetrical. The surface resembles a honeycomb. The color of the caps is from light brown to gray, darkening with age. The leg is light brown with a single internal cavity.

Morels and a morel cap should be distinguished from stitches, which are considered poisonous. At the lines, the hat is red-brown, wide, deeply wrinkled, resembling a human brain. Inside it is divided into several hollow chambers. The stalk is short, also divided into several hollow chambers.

Morels and morel caps are classified as mushrooms, which are often called conditionally edible. This means: you can eat them only after doing the preliminary work. First, the mushrooms must be cleaned, rinsed well and poured with cold water. Then rinse a few more times. When processing fresh morels, they must be carefully sorted, because some poisonous mushrooms have a rather strong resemblance to morels.