Honey mushrooms begin to appear in the autumn woods near the end of August.You can collect them throughout the first half of September.Autumn mushrooms grow in waves.Depending on the weather conditions in each year may be 2-3 waves of these fungi, the first of which is usually the most abundant.Another feature of the growth of autumn honey agaric - they appear quickly and profusely, and then just as abruptly disappear.Therefore, fans of "quiet hunting" it is important not to miss the beginning of the collection.
Which forests found this kind?
Mushroom honey agaric autumn can be considered cosmopolitan our latitudes.It can be found in almost any forest, whose age exceeds 30 years.Mushrooms grow more than 200 species of trees.Usually, these fungi appear colonies on dry trunks, fallen trees, stumps, roots and stems of living plants.The most common mushrooms found in the spruce and birch trees, a little less likely to find them on the pine, aspen and oak trees.Wood mushrooms - nurses forests of the temperate zone.Settling on dead wood, they destroy it.In the biological cycle of substances back valuable elements of which it is composed.At one and the same place autumn mushrooms can be collected up to 15 years in a row.After this period, the wood is completely destroyed mycelium.
Colonies autumn honey agaric growing very abundantly.With one stump you can collect a few liters of the precious mushrooms.Young mushrooms to collect unopened hat with the foot.Have grown mushrooms are cut only hats.These legs have nutritional value.
There are many recipes for these fungi.Mushrooms can be boiled, pickle, dry and salt and fry.When picking mushrooms do not need to pull out of the wood of their feet "by the roots" not to damage the mycelium, which next year will give you a plentiful harvest.
Precautions
However, going into the woods, it is important to bear in mind the precautions.Many edible mushrooms are poisonous doubles, so no year passes without poisoning.Before going into the forest to explore the important features of not only those species that you plan to collect, but like them, who better to miss.If you are not sure that this particular mushroom - just edible, do not risk your health, better leave it in the woods!
Myths about edible and poisonous mushrooms
Do not listen to "old wives' advice on how to distinguish edible from poisonous mushroom.For example, some people seriously believe that poisonous species not eaten any wild animals or snails.The fallacy of this statement, you can see for yourself - even deadly for people pale toadstool without problems for his life eaten by slugs and insects.Another "sure-fire" way to ensure edibility of forest - as they cooked warm up with them a silver spoon (or bulb).
said that if they do not darken, it means that among the mushroom no poisonous.Of course, this is not true.Silver may turn black, for example, Boletus, but will not change color when heated to the same pale toadstool.You can check it yourself, but still better not to hold such experiments.Also, the people there are myths that mushrooms are poisonous if growing near rusty iron or nest of snakes.These stories need to be treated as folklore, interesting as folk tales, but having no practical value.
Do I need to know the signs of poisonous mushrooms?
no less absurd and dangerous belief of some optimistic people who believe that poisonous mushrooms are rare, so do not bother with their distinctive features.In fact, in our forests can be found approximately 90 species, and about 10 of them fatal to us.
course, this does not mean that, in order to avoid mushroom poisoning, they need only buy in grocery stores.The purpose of this article - to show the reader the importance of knowledge is not only tasty and edible species, but also the grounds on which they can be distinguished from the poisonous doubles.
Mushrooms Armillaria autumn doubles
are signs edible species may resemble poisonous.And such or similar cases, quite a lot.Among the pair of mushroom known "honey agaric autumn - a dangerous double."Name inedible kinsman - false estimates of location.This generic name of several species with some similarities to the autumn Estimates.These fungi belong to the genera and hypholoma Psalitrella.Some of them simply considered inedible, some - poisonous.As for the individual species are still there are discussions about whether it is possible to consider them conditionally edible.However, clear evidence that the person who uses them for food, do not hurt yourself, no.Therefore it is better not to risk and to restrict the collection only honey agarics autumn.Especially in the season a lot of them in the woods.
where there are inedible and poisonous look-alikes?
False mushrooms growing in the same places as the edible - at stumps, fallen trees and live trees, so a novice mushroom hunter can make a mistake.In order to be sure that you have gathered from the forest can be eaten, it is necessary to know the signs of edible mushrooms and their dangerous counterparts.
Differences from false Armillaria Armillaria autumn
dangerous counterpart can be easily distinguished from its congener edible.
The first thing you should pay attention - this is the color of the cap.In edible Armillaria it has a color from beige to dark yellowish brown.And the old mushrooms are usually darker than young.Parts hats, covered from the sun, is usually much lighter.Dangerous double Armillaria autumn often has a bright causing coloring.
second distinctive feature - the color of the dispute.In the edible honey agarics they are white, so the hats of old mushrooms can see white patches.This is the debate.With their help settle mushrooms.Third, it should be checked - the presence of membranous "skirts" on the leg Armillaria.False honey agaric autumn it has not.This feature is the most important difference that are worth paying attention."Skirt" autumn Armillaria is a residue of the protective covers, enveloping the young mushroom.Dangerous double Armillaria autumn this is not covered.
fourth contrast, helps to highlight the dangerous double Armillaria autumn - the color of the plates on the inside of the mushroom cap.In non-edible species with which it is better not to have affairs, yellow plate, if the fungus is young and green-olive in old.For autumn honey agaric characteristic cream, beige or pale yellow color plates.
fifth difference - the surface of the mushroom cap.In autumn honey agarics it is covered with small scales.And their color is usually darker than the cap.But the old mushrooms lose their scales and become smooth.It is true that the nutritional value of these overgrown mushrooms do not have, so they are not interested in mushroom.
sixth feature, which will help to distinguish edible mushroom - its smell.Autumn mushrooms smell nice, but the smell of mold gives false.
Conclusion
Knowledge of these features will be enough to be able to distinguish honey agaric autumn.Photos of the fungus will help you avoid mistakes.But even better to take an experienced expert who will show you how to look autumn mushrooms.After you see them with your own eyes, you will be difficult to mix them with any other kind.But the old woman is proruha, so do not forget the main rule of mushroom: "I'm not sure - do not take."
