Do I need to peel off russula? Lamellar russula mushroom: description and how to clean it

Russula belong to the lamellar mushrooms of the Russula family. There are more than 250 varieties of mushrooms in this family, most of which are suitable for human consumption. The family got its name due to the fact that just a few centuries ago, such mushrooms were used even in raw form. In the people, almost all edible mushrooms are called flax meat. Mushroom pickers know that the collection of russules falls on June-October, when the mushrooms are tender and fragrant. In this article, we will talk in detail about the benefits and dangers of russula, as well as ways to clean and cook light meat.

Russula are edible cap mushrooms that grow on a straight stem. Their hat at a young age has a spherical shape, but later it straightens out and reaches a diameter of 10 centimeters or more. Mushrooms from this family can be found in almost any forest: deciduous, pine, birch. In addition, russula are often found by mushroom pickers on the outskirts of roads, near rivers and swamps.

Did you know? On the territory of Russia, you can find a real moving mushroom, which is called Plasmodium. Plasmodium, of course, is slower than a turtle, but in a few days it is able to climb a small stump.

The skin on the cap is matte, less often shiny, painted in various colors. The contours of the cap are ribbed or striped. The cap is easily detached from the leg.

Sometimes the cap can crack, especially if the mushroom is old or if there is an increased level of precipitation in the region. The plates are sprouted, frequent, branched. Depending on the type of russula, the plates may have blunt or pointed edges. The color of the plates varies from white to lemon yellow.

The leg of russula has a dense, even, cylindrical structure. Most species of the family have white legs without pointed ends. The pulp is dense only in the stem, the density on the cap is slightly less.

The pulp is snowy white, but older mushrooms can change the color of the pulp. It has a very delicate flavor spectrum, our receptors barely catch the taste of russula. If you come across a mushroom with a bitter or pungent taste, then most likely you have picked up a poisonous representative of light meat.

The most popular representatives of the Russula family are the following types of mushrooms:

Important! The pale toadstool is very similar to the greenish russula, which is an edible mushroom. But there is an important difference: the pale toadstool has a film under the cap.

Energy value and calorie content

The calorie content of representatives of the Syroezhkovy family can vary from 15 to 20 kcal per 100 g of product (depending on the type). 100 g of the product contains 0.7 g of fat, 1.7 g of protein and 1.6 g of carbohydrates. The water base of the fungus is 90%. Learn more about edible morels, chanterelles, poplar ryadovki, truffles, boletus boletus, boletus, aspen mushrooms, white podgruzdki, boletus, flyworms, porcini mushrooms, honey agarics, boletus, small mushrooms.

Chemical composition

This inhabitant of the mycological world contains ash, dietary fiber, mono / disaccharides, saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, omega-6 fatty acids, linoleic acid (belongs to the group of polyunsaturated fatty acids). The vitamin composition is rich in the following beneficial chemical compounds:

• vitamin C;
• thiamin (vitamin B1);
• tocopherol (vitamin E);
• riboflavin (vitamin B2);
• nicotinic acid, niacin (vitamin PP).

Russulas are also rich in essential minerals:

• ferum;
• magnesium;
• calcium;
• phosphorus;
• potassium;
• sodium.

It is important to note that 300 grams of russula covers the daily requirement of vitamin PP and dietary fiber, in addition, the body receives the second part of the norm of riboflavin and ascorbic acid. Learn how to dry, pickle, freeze mushrooms.

Beneficial features

Russula perfectly complement any dietary menu, as they contain a minimum amount of calories. They are beneficial for many vital functions in the body due to their content of vitamins and macro / micronutrients. And thanks to the presence of a natural emulsifier lecithin, mushroom pulp prevents the deposition of "harmful" cholesterol.
The benefits of russula are as follows:

• natural body cleaner, in addition, saturates it with many useful substances. Chemical compounds from the composition of mushrooms are able to absorb toxins and harmful radicals and remove them from the body;
• russule pulp contains an important and irreplaceable substance rasulin, which promotes milk clotting.
• beneficial effect on blood composition and the circulatory system as a whole. Lecithin, vitamin C, magnesium, potassium and iron strengthen the walls of blood vessels, improve the functioning of the heart, and thin the blood. In addition, iron is involved in the construction of red blood cells - erythrocytes;

Did you know? The mushroom can be called the largest and heaviest living creature on earth. Some of the myceliums living underground cover an area of \u200b\u200bseveral hundred hectares and have a total weight of over a hundred tons!

• mushroom juice actively fights hardened skin on the heels. The corns will go away after several sessions of juice compresses;
• a beneficial effect on the gastrointestinal tract takes place due to the relatively easy absorption in the stomach and intestines;
• niacin or vitamin PP has a beneficial effect on metabolic processes in the body;
• thanks to ascorbic acid, the immune system is strengthened, which protects us from many infectious diseases. In addition, vitamin C helps the normal absorption of iron trace elements;
• riboflavin protects the human respiratory system from the negative effects of external factors, improves the functioning of the thyroid gland and the organs of vision. Vitamin B2 also has a beneficial effect on the skin, hair, nails and mucous membranes.

Of course, russula do not have the same healing miraculous properties as, for example, honey or birch sap. But such mushrooms are relatively easily absorbed by the body, relieve the digestive tract organs, saturate them with vitamins and help lose extra pounds. Find out what mushrooms grow on trees, what are the main types of edible mushrooms.

Harm and contraindications

Russula will not harm the human body, unless you eat their poisonous counterparts. Experts have identified a list of contraindications to the use of these mushrooms:

• children under 7 years old;
• individual intolerance to the product by the body. Some people may experience various allergic reactions, especially if the mushrooms are eaten raw;
• in case of serious pathologies of the stomach, liver and kidneys, mushrooms can be eaten only after consulting a doctor;
• people with gastritis, ulcers and pancreatitis are prohibited from eating raw mushrooms.

Remember that members of the Russula family can harm even a ten-year-old child if they are cooked using the wrong technology.

For children's dishes, mushrooms must be subjected to intensive heat treatment, since the young organism perceives some of the substances of the mushrooms as foreign microorganisms.
Nutritionists believe that the daily norm of russula for an adult is 150 g of the product... It is in this dosage that the mushrooms will be beneficial and will not bring absolutely any harm.

Cooking russula

Representatives of the Russula family can be salted, boiled, fried, stewed, pickled. They will look absolutely harmonious in any exquisite culinary masterpiece. Mushrooms can be added to soup, salads, pies and roasts based on them.

Important!The most delicious and healthy russula are those that do not have a red or burgundy color on the cap. It is necessary to cook the mushrooms in two waters with preliminary soaking in salted water. The mushrooms should be boiled for 15-20 minutes. If you want to fry russula in vegetable oil, then first you need to boil them for 5-7 minutes. There are more than a dozen recipes for cooking such mushrooms.
Below we give an example of salted russula:

1. Rinse the mushrooms and remove any visible debris.
2. Place 500 g russula in a container for pickling and add 5 medium cloves of garlic and 2 tbsp. l. salt (for 1 liter of water).
3. Add herbs and spices (mint, dill, tarragon, basil, allspice, bay leaf, etc.).
4. Seal the container and leave it in a cool, dark place for 10-12 hours.
5. Serve the mushrooms to the table along with spices (you can pre-season with oil).

Learn how to freeze porcini mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, champignons, chanterelles, honey agarics.

How to clean a russula

Purification of russula should be carried out according to standard technology:

• cleaning of debris and grass at the stage of collection in the forest (also discard all spoiled and suspicious mushrooms);
• at home it is necessary to soak the collected product so that all larvae and insects are removed from hard-to-reach places;
• after washing, it is necessary to remove the film from the cap and cut off the lower part of the leg by 1/3 of its length;
• after cleaning, rinse the mushrooms again under running water.

If you are going to dry russula (not a particularly popular way of preparing this type of mushroom), then you cannot rinse them with water. It should be dry cleaned, cut off the spoiled and wormy places and sent to dry.

Storage conditions

Harvested russula should not be stored for more than five hours, as they can change color and lose their taste. Fried and boiled, mushrooms can be stored in the refrigerator or on the balcony (in winter).

Salted and canned mushrooms are stored for no longer than a year in a dark, cool place. Dried russula must be stored in fabric or paper bags in a dry ventilated place where the air temperature does not drop below + 15 ° C. Pay attention to the distinctive features of false boletus, pigs, inedible mushrooms, pale toadstools, satanic mushrooms.

The main differences between edible and inedible

Every mushroom picker should know the basic rules for distinguishing edible from inedible mushrooms, which should be followed when collecting russula. Here are some of the main characteristics of the poisonous representatives of the mushroom kingdom:

• inedible mushrooms have a characteristic dense pulp and an unpleasant odor;
• their plates are rough, a skirt or film may be present on the leg;
• the end of the leg is painted pink or its shades;
• the bright color of the cap with different shades characterizes many poisonous species of mushrooms, however, there are some edible russula with this color;
• during heat treatment, the mushroom pulp of the poisonous representatives of the family changes color.

Did you know?Fungi are probably the only organisms that can survive in extreme conditions (no atmosphere, high doses of radiation exposure and strong atmospheric pressure).

These rules will undoubtedly help every novice mushroom picker, but knowledge comes with experience. So that the experience is not given to you at the cost of health, carefully study the photos of edible and inedible russula. For the first time, take experienced fellow mushroom pickers with you to the forest and consult with them regularly.

Finally, I would like to note that russula is a fairly popular type of mushroom in our country, and if you do not have time to collect mushrooms on your own, then in August-September you can easily find them on the market. Just remember the basic rules for cleaning and distinguishing edible mushrooms from poisonous ones in order to get a delicious dish, not a hospital stew.

Russula belongs to the group of mushrooms that can be eaten immediately after collection in their original form - raw. However, not all of their varieties have a pleasant aftertaste. They may be:

• sweetish, reminiscent of a nut;
• pungent, with an unusual aroma.

The taste of the mushroom can be determined by their appearance. If there is little red pigment on the mushroom cap, the mushroom itself will be delicious.

The place of mushroom picking also has a significant impact on the taste. If they grew in a swampy area, they are not recommended to be eaten raw, but before cooking, they must be subjected to prolonged heat treatment.

The disadvantages of russules include their fragile pulp. To preserve it, after picking the mushrooms are poured over with boiling water - such a simple way will allow you to keep the pulp intact.

There are a huge number of recipes for preparing russula for the winter, and some of them have been used for several centuries. Such mushrooms can be:

• boil;
• fry - both as an independent dish and as an addition to the main side dish;
• stew;
• salt (with garlic and spices);
• marinate.

The only thing professional chefs advise to be careful with is the preparation of mushroom soups, since the dish can acquire some bitterness from these mushrooms.

Russula for the winter: requirements for primary processing

Before you start cooking russula dishes, you will need to carry out the mandatory processing of mushrooms. To do this, they are sorted by size, thoroughly cleaned of dirt. After that they are:

• washed under running cold water;
• placed in cold water (in a saucepan) - at the rate of twice as much as the volume of mushrooms;
• bring to a boil over medium heat, and boil for about half an hour.

After boiling, you can add:

• salt;
• bay leaf and leaves of various plants;
• black allspice (peas).

The foam formed on the surface of the broth is removed with a slotted spoon. The mushroom broth itself will be unsuitable for food.

Before salting russula, it will be enough to sort, clean and rinse them.

Methods for salting mushrooms

In cookbooks or on the Internet, you can find a lot of ways how to salt russula for the winter. However, the recipe below continues to be the simplest one.

For salting you will need:

• 1 kg raw (unsorted) mushrooms
• a few cloves of garlic
• 3 tbsp. l. sunflower oil (better than unrefined)
• a few blueberry leaves
• 1 onion, peeled
• 4 tbsp. l. table salt

The cooking process will be simple:

• Mushrooms are prepared (without cooking).
• The garlic cloves are cut into thin slices, added to the pan with mushrooms, and blueberry leaves are placed on top.
• Prepared mushrooms should stand for 10-12 hours, out of sunlight.
• After that, add finely chopped onion and oil to a saucepan with mushrooms, mix.
• Soak until fully cooked for about 30 days.

Salted russula made in this way for the winter can be stored directly in a saucepan, placed in a cellar, or laid out in jars and rolled up with lids, as usual preservation.

Is russula freezing possible?

Some housewives, not without reason, believe that frozen vegetables and fruits retain all their beneficial properties and supply of vitamins. The same rule will be true for mushrooms.

It will be very simple to freeze russula for the winter, for this:

• Mushrooms are prepared by removing the skin from the caps and rinsing thoroughly under the tap.
• Fill with water, bring to a boil and keep for another 10 minutes over medium heat.
• Thrown back in a colander.
• Packaged and placed in the freezer.

Such mushroom freezing can last up to several years, at a temperature of about -15 ...- 18 degrees.

All the delights of pickling russula

True gourmets consider pickled russula the most delicious mushrooms for the winter for a reason. Such marinades will be a worthy decoration for any festive table.

To prepare this delicacy you will need:

• russula;
• spices for the marinade to taste (sweet peas, bay leaves, clove stars or cinnamon sticks, etc.);
• table vinegar and granulated sugar - at the rate of 1 tsp. for each liter jar of marinade (instead of table vinegar, you can take apple or citric acid);
• table salt - at the rate of 2 tbsp. l. for every liter.

The process of preparing a marinade for russula for the winter in jars will be as follows:

• Prepare russula - select only young mushrooms that have a spherical cap, remove the skin from the cap, rinse.
• Cooked mushrooms are boiled for about 10 minutes (no salt added!).
• At the end of cooking, add salt, sugar and spices, keep on fire for about 3 minutes, remove from heat.
• Vinegar is immediately poured into the hot marinade and laid out in sterilized glass jars.

The storage conditions for pickled mushrooms will be the same as for conventional preservation.

"Hot" salting russula

You can stock up on excellent mushrooms by making russula for the winter in a hot way.

To do this, you need the following set:

• 10 kg of fresh russula (best of all small in size, with thin legs);
• 500 g of rock salt;
• 10 dry bay leaves;
• to taste - black currant or horseradish leaves, herbs, garlic.

Salting is prepared as follows:

• The roots are removed from the sorted out and washed russules.
• Prepare a 3% salt solution (brine), bring it to a boil.
• Hot brine is added to the mushrooms, boiled for about 10 minutes, constantly removing the foam.
• Boiled mushrooms are thrown into a colander so that the excess liquid is glass.

When placing in a dish (pan), sprinkle them with salt and shift them with leaves, adding whole garlic cloves and herbs.

You will need to put a load on top of the pan (as for sauerkraut). The mushrooms will be ready to eat in 25-30 days. It is best to store them in a cellar, and make sure that the brine completely covers the top layer of the mushrooms.

After removing from the pan (or barrel) russula must be washed from the brine with water. They will be useful both as an ingredient for various dishes and as a separate snack.

Russula - low-calorie and delicate mushrooms. They contain only 19 kcal, a lot of protein, vitamins, carbohydrates and trace elements. The lecithin contained in the composition prevents the deposition of cholesterol. Culinary experts love this mushroom for its ease of preparation: it is boiled, fried, dried, pickled and salted. Russula perfectly complement salads, vegetable and meat dishes.

How to clean russula?

Cleaning russula is no different from cleaning other mushrooms. It is better to start it at the stage of collection. Feel free to remove places eaten by insects and worms, remove leaves, twigs, needles and other garbage. When you come home, soak the russula in cold water, remove the skin from the caps, cut out the darkened areas, and check the mushrooms for worms again. Remember that russula spoils very quickly, so you only have 5 hours to cook them.

The last step in cleaning mushrooms is rinsing. There is an opinion that they should be washed as little as possible, otherwise they will lose their taste. Mushrooms that are prepared for drying are generally not recommended to be washed. Peeled, washed and dried russula can be prepared in any way you like.

Russula: what do edible mushrooms look like?

In order not to get poisoned, when collecting russules, you need to know how they look and not to confuse them with poisonous and inedible mushrooms. This species has a number of distinctive features that make it possible to distinguish them from turndown and inedible. Unlike other mushrooms, russules do not hide in shady places and do not disguise themselves as fallen leaves. On the contrary, they grow in plain sight.

Take a close look at the cap before cutting off the mushroom. In all young russula, it looks like a small ball. As the mushroom grows, the cap becomes flat. In older russula, it changes shape, resembles a funnel. Almost all of these mushrooms have an even stem of a cylindrical shape and a snow-white color. The rump can reach considerable sizes.

The color of this type of mushroom is different, it can be of the same color or with various shades: yellow, purple, red, green, brown and even black. The cap is plate-shaped inside, it can have various shades - from ocher to white. The length of the leg reaches 10 cm, and the thickness is up to 4 cm.

Most russules are edible: the mushroom tastes better when its cap is colored in a less bright saturated color.

What to do with russula: simple and original recipes

Fried russula in sour cream

Composition:

• Russula - 500 g
• Sour cream - 2 tablespoons
• Onions - 1 pc.
• Greens to taste
• Salt to taste

Preparation:

1. Peel russula, rinse, dry and cut into cubes.
2. Heat oil in a pan, add mushrooms and fry a little.
3. While the mushrooms are cooking, peel the onions and cut them into half rings.
4. Add sour cream and salt to the pan to the mushrooms. Boil sour cream and add onion.
5. Sprinkle the finished russula with chopped herbs and serve with mashed potatoes or buckwheat porridge.

Tartlets with russula: recipe

Composition:

• Russula - 500 g
• Eggs - 3 pcs.
• Tartlets - 10 pcs.
• Mayonnaise - 200 g
• Onions - 2 pcs.
• Salt and spices to taste
• Parsley - for decoration
• Vegetable oil - for frying

Preparation:

1. Prepare russula, chop them finely.
2. Peel the onion and chop finely.
3. Mix onion and mushrooms, fry the mixture in vegetable oil until tender.
4. Hard boil the eggs. Grate proteins on a coarse grater, mix with mushrooms and mayonnaise, salt.
5. Fill the tartlets with the resulting mass, grate the yolks on top and garnish with parsley leaves.

Russula salad

Composition:

• Russula - 300 g
• Chicken fillet - 300 g
• Eggs - 3 pcs.
• Pickled cucumbers - 3 pcs.
• Processed cheese - 1 pc.
• Onions - 1 pc.
• Carrots - 1 pc.
• Walnuts - 100 g
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Vegetable oil - for frying
• Mayonnaise - for dressing

Preparation:

1. Peel and boil russula in salted water.
2. Peel the onions and carrots.
3. Grate the carrots on a coarse grater, chop the onion into cubes.
4. Cut the boiled russula into strips and fry with the onions and carrots.
5. Cut the chicken meat (boiled or smoked) into cubes.
6. Boil the eggs, chop or grate.
7. Cut the cucumbers into cubes or half rings.
8. Grate the cheese on a coarse grater.
9. In a deep salad bowl, combine all the ingredients, season with salt and pepper and add chopped nuts.
10. Season the salad with mayonnaise and serve.

Russula are one of the most common mushrooms that can be found in the forest. Many mushroom pickers love them for their visibility and availability. You can cook any dish from russula, be it salad, soup or roast. The main thing is not to confuse them with poisonous mushrooms! Therefore, be especially careful during collection, do not take those specimens that seem suspicious to you.

How to clean mushrooms?

In order to properly prepare any mushroom dish, you must first learn how to clean the mushrooms. Indeed, their taste depends on how thoroughly the mushrooms are cleaned.

Any mushrooms must be peeled and rinsed several times under running water before cooking. Sticky leaves and pine needles are removed from them. If some animal has bitten off the mushroom, it is better to cut off the bite. It is also often found that worms live in the stem of the fungus, and sometimes even in the cap. Then this part of the fruiting body is cut off. In addition, for such "residents" to leave their house, you can soak the mushrooms for 20-30 minutes in salt water.

How to peel champignon mushrooms

Champignons are one of the most common types of mushrooms and can be found in supermarkets and markets. There are several opinions on how to clean these mushrooms:

Most culinary specialists limit themselves only to washing mushrooms. If the mushrooms are not very soil-stained or damaged, a simple wash under cold water will be sufficient.

How to peel porcini mushrooms

Boletus or porcini mushroom, which is also called the king of mushrooms, is the most popular among gourmets. Experienced mushroom pickers say that this variety of mushrooms is practically not needs special treatment before cooking. They believe that the leg on the boletus does not need to be trimmed, just like the peel from the cap. To separate the "excess", you just need to wipe the leg and cap with a special brush, which can be purchased at a hardware store. If such a device is not available, a simple soft-bristled toothbrush will do.

The opinion of mushroom pickers as to whether it is necessary to wash the porcini mushrooms before cooking or not - also differ.

The name of these mushrooms indicates that they can be eaten raw: at least those 7 species that are found in Russia. These are lamellar mushrooms, their caps are covered with skins of various colors and shades. Moreover, if the color of this the films are pale (gray-green, pale yellow), then it really can not be cleaned. This will not in any way affect the taste of the mushroom and will not harm the person who eats it.

When the skin on the cap is red or bright blue, it must be peeled and only then the mushrooms are cooked. As for the leg of the russula, the "skirt" is removed from it, and the "root" is cut off.

If the mushrooms are heavily contaminated or there is a suspicion that they could accumulate toxins, then the peel from the russula cap must be peeled off. If the skin is poorly cleaned, then the mushrooms can be soaked for a while. However, many do not peel the skin from the russula head, believing that this way the mushrooms are tastier.

Peculiarities of cleaning other types of mushrooms