How to distinguish an edible mushroom from a poisonous inedible one, what is the difference

Mushrooms are a tasty and healthy product that can add variety to people's daily diet. Therefore, many people look forward to the onset of mushroom picking season and prepare them for the winter. However, sometimes such products cause serious harm to the body and can even cause death. That’s why it’s so important to know how to distinguish an edible mushroom from an inedible one.

What benefits do edible mushrooms bring?

Edible mushrooms are considered a valuable food product.They contain many valuable vitamins - groups B, A, C, PP. They also contain important minerals - potassium, iron, sodium, sulfur and others. In addition, the product is rich in protein. This component makes up 65-70% of the total.

The calorie content of a product varies depending on the type. 100 grams of fresh mushrooms contain 6-35 kilocalories. This allows you to include them in your diet.

The beneficial properties of mushrooms are difficult to overestimate. With regular use of this product, the following can be achieved:

1. Cope with chronic inflammation and neutralize the effects of free radicals. This is due to the high content of antioxidants.
2. Reduce blood cholesterol levels. This effect is achieved due to the presence of beta-glucans in the composition.
3. Reduce blood pressure. The product contains a lot of potassium, which helps relax the muscle walls of blood vessels. Due to this, it is possible to cope with hypertension.

Main differences

Depending on the possibilities of use, all mushrooms are divided into several categories, which differ from each other:

1. Edible – it is permissible to eat without prior boiling.
2. Conditionally edible - requires pre-soaking or cooking for a long time.
3. Inedible - resemble edible species, but contain poisons. Consumption of such varieties provokes poisoning and even leads to death.

To avoid dangerous complications, it is important to be able to distinguish between edible varieties. They are characterized by the following features:

• there is a skirt on the leg;
• there is a tubular layer under the cap;
• there is a pleasant aroma;
• the caps have a characteristic appearance and color - they differ depending on the variety;
• insects are visible on the surface.

To recognize poisonous varieties, it is recommended to pay attention to the following signs:

• are distinguished by unusual or rich colors;
• some varieties have a sticky cap;
• the leg changes color - an unnatural shade may appear on the cut;
• there are no worms or insects on the surface or inside - they are not able to tolerate mushroom poison;
• there may be a bad smell - medicinal, fetid or chlorine;
• There is no tubular layer under the cap.

To prevent the consumption of mushrooms from leading to serious health consequences, experts recommend following these rules:

1. Explore a few common edible varieties growing nearby. Collect only those specimens that have characteristic features.
2. Do not take mushrooms that raise at least the slightest doubt.
3. In the absence of sufficient experience, you should give preference to tubular mushrooms. These include boletus, boletus, and boletus. They have a minimum of doubles, which cannot be said about lamellar varieties.
4. You should not try raw mushrooms. Their taste qualities will not provide the required information. Moreover, consuming even a small piece of a poisonous variety leads to severe intoxication.
5. In the identified family, you should first pay attention to large specimens. They are characterized by the most obvious signs. This will make it easier to identify the variety.

The most common mushrooms

To properly collect mushrooms, it is important to familiarize yourself with their most common varieties.

Popular edible species

In order not to collect poisonous mushrooms, you need to study the main characteristics of edible ones. The most common varieties include the following:

1. Porcini mushroom - it is also called boletus mushroom. This type is very popular.This is due to its high nutritional properties and pleasant aroma. The product can be boiled, fried, dried or salted. This variety is characterized by a thick, light-colored stem and a large tubular cap with a diameter of 20 centimeters. It may have a brown, red or brown color.
2. Camelina is a nutritious and high-calorie variety that can be pickled and salted. Its main feature is its bright orange color. Moreover, this shade is characteristic of all fragments - caps, legs, pulp. The plate cap is distinguished by a depression in the center. In this case, the camelina is characterized by a heterogeneous color. The rich orange hue is diluted with dark gray spots.
3. Boletus is a very common species that can be found near clusters of birch trees. The product can be fried or boiled. This species is characterized by a light cylindrical leg, which is covered with dark scales. It is very fibrous to the touch. Inside there is dense light pulp. When cut, it takes on a slightly pinkish color. The hat is large in size and gray or brown-brown in color. Below are white tubes.
4. Boletus - this nutritious mushroom grows mainly in temperate zones. It is characterized by a thick stem that widens downward. It is covered with many small scales. The hat has a hemispherical shape, but becomes flatter over time. It may be red-brown or white-brown in color. When cut, the inner flesh changes color, becoming blue, red or black-violet.
5. Butter dish - small in size and ideal for marinating. Boletus predominates in the northern hemisphere.They have a smooth or fibrous cap, which is covered with a mucous film on top. The leg is predominantly smooth. Sometimes she has a ring. Before cooking, butter must be cleaned. However, the skin usually comes off easily.

What are inedible

Dangerous mushrooms that are strictly prohibited from consumption include the following:

1. Pale grebe is considered the most dangerous variety. However, it has very characteristic features. The pale grebe has a skirt under its cap. In this case, the leg at the base is, as it were, inserted into a glass.
2. Stinky fly agaric - resembles a pale toadstool. It is characterized by a light yellow color and a conical cap. When broken, the mushroom emits an unpleasant aroma.
3. Patouillard fiber is a very poisonous mushroom. Young specimens have whitish caps. However, as they grow, they straighten out and become yellow, and then red.
4. Waxy talker is a beautiful porcini mushroom that has a pleasant taste and aroma. Its characteristic feature is the plates. They are located at the bottom of the cap and smoothly transition to the stem.

Mushrooms growing in Russia

Before picking mushrooms, it is important to familiarize yourself with the varieties that predominate in Russia. Among the poisonous varieties, it is worth highlighting the following:

1. Pale grebe - has a yellow-brown or light green cap. Usually in the central part it has a darker shade than at the edges. The mushrooms are distinguished by their fleshy structure and pale green cylindrical stripes. On top of the stem there is a white or striped-pale ring.
2. False honey fungus is distinguished by a convex cap that reaches 5 centimeters in diameter.It is predominantly yellowish in color with a red or orange tint. In the central part the cap has a darker color. The mushroom is distinguished by a smooth and thin stem. Inside there is light yellow pulp, which has a bitter taste and bad odor.
3. False chanterelle has an orange-red hue. The hat resembles a funnel with smooth edges. In this case, the plates have a bright red tint and a sinuous structure. The leg reaches 10 centimeters in length and 10 millimeters in width. It often narrows towards the base.

You must be able to distinguish edible mushrooms from inedible ones. These varieties are characterized by unique features. They should definitely be taken into account during collection. This will help protect your health from negative consequences.