Mushroom Exotic In The Forest, Or Coral Mushrooms. Edible And Inedible Species. Photo

Autumn is the most mushroom time. It's not hot anymore, in the morning there is abundant dew. Since the earth is still warm, and foliage has already attacked from above, creating a very special microclimate in the surface layer, the mushrooms are very comfortable. Mushroom pickers are also comfortable at this time, especially in the morning, when it is cooler. It's time for both of them to meet. And, if not introduced to each other - to get acquainted. In this article I will introduce you to exotic, little-known and not always edible mushrooms that look like corals.

Content:

• Amazing ramaria
• Irresistible clavulins
• Clavicorona cryotate
• Kalocera - horned jellyfish
• Safety precautions when dealing with unfamiliar mushrooms

Amazing ramaria

On the rotten tree, which is not particularly pleasant to look at, one finds amazingly beautiful corals - fragile and photogenic. It would seem completely inappropriate on these rotten ones. The words of Anna Akhmatova are immediately remembered: "If only you knew from what rubbish poetry grows without knowing shame!"

Ramaria golden

Beauty is born from dust, the living from the dead, fragile from the rough. But if you digress from poetry and philosophy and look at this miracle from a culinary point of view, you can see a delicious conditionally edible mushroom, popularly called yellow coral, mushroom cabbage or deer horns, and in science - golden ramaria.

If you come across a young mushroom of golden color, you can safely put it in the basket: in the marinade, in the soup, and as a roast - a very tasty mushroom. The main "stump" of a young mushroom (it is white) after boiling seemed to me even sweetish.

The older the mushroom, the more bitterness it contains. Starting with twigs. Perhaps that is why there are references to the conditional edibility of this mushroom and the need for boiling with a drain of water.

A mushroom of numerous branches growing from one base can weigh more than 2 kilograms. True, I did not come across more than 0.5 kg. But often the mushroom is found in heaps. With age, it becomes bitter, "rubbery" and inedible.

The age is indicated by a change in color in a rather wide palette: from grayish-yellow to brown-orange. Either golden ramaria or yellow ramaria can be found throughout the forest zone. Only mycologists can see the difference. And even then under a microscope.

Ramaria is beautiful

In pursuit of edible horns, a beautiful ramaria, even more attractive, more rare, but inedible due to bitterness and unpleasant gastrointestinal consequences, can insidiously fall under the arm.

It has pink tones, the base, twigs and branches at the tips are colored differently. A kind of design approach with a hint of a photo shoot. Glamorous beauty. Turns pink on palpation. It is better not to rip off, but to limit ourselves to feeling and photographing.

Ramaria ordinary

The simplest ramaria is simply called ordinary. In comparison with the previous ones, it is really simpler. But it is found in the temperate zone more often mainly on coniferous litter and is very abundant. Sometimes not just a family, but a whole diaspora.

Moreover, it grows, sometimes, in the form of a braid, or an arc, or a row, or a complete "witch's ring". He dabbles in geometry.

It is difficult to confuse it with other mushrooms, its branches are straight, without any frills at the tips. And the color from root to crown is the same, not changing when damaged.

It is necessary to collect young specimens. To remove bitterness, soak for 24 hours with 2-time water change or boil, drain the water. Bitterness, just like in golden and yellow horned horns, accumulates with age, but, unlike them, there is a starting bitterness.

Ramaria uviform

But not everything is so arbitrary with edibility in the ramaria family, there are also representatives there with outstanding culinary properties, for example, the ramaria uviform.

Also very beautiful, with pink colored twigs. Only the branches are shorter, thicker and have a very massive base. A sort of donut. The structure of the twigs is similar to cauliflower. Nice smell and pleasant taste, no need to suffer with soaking and preliminary boiling, you can immediately fry or cook without draining the water.

Edible, as long as the branches are pink-red, browning indicates the onset of inedible old age.

Unfortunately, it is less common, loves warmth (both in terms of degrees and in terms of regions), an individualist - she does not grow up in large families.

Inedible ramaria

There are also inedible representatives in this family, but deserving attention and photographing: ramaria is stiff, slender and straightforward, with parallel growing branches and turns red / brown when pressed. Initially bitter.

Ramaria is ocher-green in lime shades in youth, rapidly bluish / green when damaged. It is rarely found, mainly in coniferous forests on litter. Bitter.

This mushroom, strictly speaking, is not particularly ramaria. At first, the mushroom was attributed to the genus Clavaria, then to the Ramaria, and now it is called Theoklavulina fir. A slingshot walking through the sections.

Irresistible clavulins

Deer horns, mushroom cabbage and forest corals in different regions are called not only ramaria.

Clavulina coral

For example, the charming coral clavulin, similar to white coral. Quite common in coniferous and mixed forests, attractive mainly from an aesthetic point of view. Light, fragile, does not change color.

Information on edibility varies, but even those who have tried it do not express enthusiasm for the taste. So let it grow and please the eye.

Clavulina amethyst

Clavulin amethyst can not only be photographed. You can take it home, show it to relatives and friends, post photos and videos in a company with such beauty on all resources, and then cook and eat it. The taste is not outstanding, but quite acceptable for such beauty.

It grows both singly and in companies in deciduous, mixed forests.

Clavicorona cryotate

One more reindeer horns and mushroom cabbage, only now with cups on the tips of the twigs - to the lavicorona porchiform.

This mushroom grows on rotten hardwood, its branches are not fragile, but even somewhat rubbery, and does not change its sandy color with a pinkish tinge.

Young mushrooms are edible after preliminary boiling with water draining. The taste is somewhat spicy. In a jar of marinade, they look completely exclusive. Old mushrooms are already completely rubbery.

Kalocera - horned jellyfish

Sometimes gummy calocera can look like yellow ramaria. But this is outside. Feeling puts everything in its place - calocera is covered with mucus and somewhat sticky. And the pulp is gelatinous rubber. Not that inedible, rather, none. Grows on decaying coniferous wood.

These, of course, are not all "deer horns" that can be found in the forest, but the most bushy ones. There are also single sticks sticking out, there are beauties of clavaria, and there is a lot more, everything cannot be described at once. You should not touch unfamiliar mushrooms, as well as kick and knock. Many fungi destroy wood - there is no need to spread them around the neighborhood.

Safety precautions when dealing with unfamiliar mushrooms

It is better to go for mushrooms, especially exotic ones, with knowledgeable people. They will show you edible ones and warn you against the suspicious. At the same time, they will share the recipes.

There are no deadly poisonous antlers among the deer. The use of beautiful ramaria can cause severe intestinal disorders, ramaria is tough and ocher-green - tough and bitter. They must be studied separately and not touched at all.

In the Red Book of Russia, there are no described horns. It is difficult to consider them as a specific object of “quiet hunting”, since it is often problematic to collect a whole basket of young and edible ones. But if the ramaria is grape-shaped, even one, we must take it. And amethyst clavulin. At the same time, it is better to fold it separately and transport it carefully, since the very beauty - the twigs - are fragile and easily break.

For those who set themselves the goal of independently studying unfamiliar slingshots, we can advise you to take no more than one characteristic mushroom and put it in separate bags (otherwise, when the branches break off, you cannot tell where whose). And already at home, having laid out everything separately, start studying by reference books, by trustworthy sites. In case of doubt, you can contact the experts of mushroom sites, providing high-quality photographs from all angles and in section.