In the Astrakhan region, there are many mushroom places that will delight you with the variety of species found here. The forests of this area bear fruit from spring to late autumn.
Mushrooms of the Astrakhan region
General characteristics
Mushrooms of the Astrakhan region have both edible and poisonous species, so you need to know how to distinguish them and what features are inherent in them. Each species has certain taste qualities, so mushrooms are prepared in different ways: some are suitable only for salting, while others are for frying, boiling or freezing.
According to the degree of edibility, mushrooms of the Astrakhan region are divided into 4 categories:
- Category 1: edible;
- Category 2: conditionally edible;
- Category 3: inedible;
- Category 4: poisonous.
The first two categories are subdivided into 4 more categories according to taste.
TO 1 category include the most delicious and aromatic: porcini mushrooms, mushrooms, milk mushrooms.
In Category 2 included white and pink waves, oak, boletus, forest mushrooms and Polish mushrooms. Culinary specialists often fry and stew them with spices, and then serve them as side dishes.
TO 3 categories chanterelles, mushrooms, honey agarics, russules and morels are listed, which have a faint aroma, but are no less tasty.
And here 4 category - These are conditionally edible mushrooms that require pre-processing (soaking and boiling) before the main cooking process. Most often they are salted (hot or cold) or pickled with spices. For hot dishes, heat treatment takes at least 1 hour. This group includes flywheels, dung beetles, milkmen, etc.
Classification
They go on a "quiet hunt" with the onset of warmth, but especially large harvests occur in the fall, when the air is still warm, but already saturated with moisture.
In Astrakhan, there are over 100 species of mushrooms.
Edible species
Among the edible mushrooms under last year's foliage in Astrakhan grow:
- morels;
- lines;
- tabular mushrooms;
- birch sponges.
Sponges are rare and are one of the few edible polypores. You can find them in the place of fallen trees. Champignons grow throughout the season, from spring to late autumn. The tabular champignon sometimes reaches enormous sizes. He has an unusual hat, by which he is easily recognizable. It shows patterns in the form of squares, pyramids or rhombuses, which actually gave the name.
Mushrooms love moisture
In the summer, other species are added to them:
- loading;
- chanterelles;
- white and black milk mushrooms;
- tinder fungus;
- waves;
- oyster mushrooms.
The following species are collected in autumn:
- mushrooms;
- poplar trees;
- valuey;
- aspen mushrooms;
- rows;
- violins.
Valuy and mushrooms are often found in forestry areas. In mushroom places in the north of the region, oak trees are rarely seen. Honey mushrooms grow before the onset of cold weather. Meadow mushroom and meadow mushroom are found on open edges. These are the most common edible species in the area.
Poisonous species
To avoid unpleasant consequences, you must take precautions. Ingestion of poison leads to poisoning, often fatal.
The following types are poisonous:
- satanic mushroom;
- yellow-skinned champignon (yellowing, or reddish);
- fly agaric toadstool;
- death cap;
- ryadovka (talker);
- lepiota;
- fiberglass.
The outwardly attractive appearance of the fly agaric is misleading. It's better not to pick it up at all. Some species are so toxic that their poison is absorbed into the skin and enters the bloodstream, after which severe poisoning occurs.
Irina Selyutina (Biologist):
Amanita is an extremely rare exception among the known poisonous species - it has a pleasant aroma and a rather attractive taste. Therefore, it often happens that small children (and often not small ones), attracted by these qualities of him, dodging the "annoying" control of adults, can try this forest wonder. Therefore, it is worth talking to children before going into the forest, to warn them about the possible danger. Muscarine - a toxin that is part of the fly agaric acts like a drug. After its use, after about 0.5-2 hours, severe vomiting begins, saliva and sweat go abundantly, pains appear in the abdomen. Breathing becomes hoarse and phlegm is produced. Very often, these manifestations are accompanied by delirium and hallucinations, and in especially severe cases, convulsions occur, a person may lose consciousness. Therefore, the help of a qualified physician is needed.
The most common poisoning occurs due to the pale toadstool. This is one of the most poisonous mushrooms. They call him the "forest killer". The poison of this organism is able to penetrate into edible mushrooms growing nearby through the mycelium or when spores hit the surface by nearby growing representatives of other edible species ..
Yellowing champignon or yellow-skinned peppermint grows in deciduous forests. Its use will not lead to death, but it is considered inedible and causes intestinal upset. In order not to confuse it with edible champignon, you need to carefully look at the cut, it will turn yellow. The smell of this organism is unpleasant, it gives off phenol, as they often say "ink" or "pharmacy". If you did not catch it in the forest, then when cooking (frying) you will definitely feel it - heat treatment enhances it several times.
Mushroom places
Enotaevsky district is rich in mushrooms
Mushroom pickers prefer the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain for quiet hunting, where many different types of mushrooms grow.
- Enotaevsky district: is considered one of the best places. Behind the village of Zamyany there is a huge forest with many mushroom places. In the spring it is flooded with floods, the soil is saturated with moisture and retains it on hot summer days, which is why there are so many mushrooms throughout the season. On tree trunks, mushroom pickers meet oyster mushrooms and sulfur-yellow tinder fungi.
At the end of May, a bright tinder fungus appears, which is considered conditionally edible, but with proper processing, they are pickled and salted. Fried mushrooms taste like chicken meat.
- Rycha river: along its riverbed, mushroom pickers gather champignons throughout the season. To get there simply along the main Astrakhan-Krasny Yar highway.
Outwardly unusual mushroom "titmouse" (dirty ryadovka) is found on the forest outskirts. His description indicates a fabulous lilac-lilac color. Some consider it poisonous and destroy myceliums by pulling mushrooms out of the ground, which is called "by the roots." But if properly prepared, the titmouse turns into a real delicacy and has a pleasant exotic taste.
- Ikryaninsky district, erik Nozhovsky: this is another good area for mushroom picking. In its forests, under the mulberry (mulberry) trees, many mushrooms and honey agarics are found.
Benefit and harm
All mushrooms, without exception, have both beneficial and harmful properties.
Benefit
The main component of forest organisms is water. Mushrooms contain fiber, potassium and calcium, which regenerate cells in the human body.
A huge amount of amino acids helps prevent kidney disease and relieves urolithiasis, stimulates the brain, improves heart function and stabilizes blood sugar.
Harm
Dishes that contain this ingredient are considered difficult to digest. The legs contain more chitin than the caps, which slows down the digestion processes and, if not properly prepared, causes putrefactive processes in the digestive system. For people suffering from diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, it is important to observe the measure in eating mushrooms.
Mushrooms of the 4th category are pretreated: they are carefully sorted out, soaked from 3 hours to several days, so that toxic and bitter substances completely come out of them and cannot harm health.
Porcini mushrooms in the Astrakhan region
✈ Video about where and how to pick mushrooms in the Astrakhan region (rest in Astrakhan)
TRIP FOR MUSHROOMS, NATURE AND REST IN ASTRAKHAN REGION
Contraindications
All mushrooms absorb toxins from the soil and air, so you cannot harvest near roads, industrial enterprises, cattle burial grounds, settlements and other places where a variety of compounds are actively released into the environment.
People suffering from food intolerance should not eat such food.
Pregnant women eat them with the permission of the gynecologist. These products should not be given to children under 7 years of age.
Conclusion
There are more than 100 species of mushrooms in Astrakhan, both familiar to the sight and exotic. Among them are edible and poisonous, so as not to confuse them, you need to know the distinctive features.