Mushrooms occupy an honorable place in the list of the most delicious mushrooms. The aspen (poplar) breast is somewhat different from its counterparts in appearance, having its own unique features. Before collecting and using poplar milk, it is important to familiarize yourself with its features closer.
Description
The main external signs of poplar milk:
- the mushroom has a fleshy hat, white with light pink spots. The middle of the cap is depressed and resembles a funnel, the edges are strongly bent down. On the back of the hat are cream or light pink plates. The diameter of the cap is 7–20 cm;
- the leg is short and thick. Leg height 2–7 cm, width 3-4 cm in diameter. Has a color similar to a hat;
- pulp of white color with a characteristic fruity odor.
If you read the descriptions of the varieties of breasts, it becomes clear how they are very similar to each other. In order not to be mistaken that this is aspen, you should look under his hat, it should be pinkish.
Variability and distribution
With age, the breast changes in color. Thanks to this, you can distinguish an old mushroom from a young one. The plates of the old mushroom change color from cream to yellow. Brownish spots may also appear on the hat.
Did you know? In Europe, many have not heard of the breasts. This species has received the greatest distribution precisely in the territory of Russia.
Aspen lumps are rare and grow in small groups. You can find it not far from willows, aspens and poplars, with which it forms mycorrhiza - a symbiosis of the root system of trees and mushroom hyphae, so it is better to look for it in aspen forests and poplar forests.
Gathering season
You can start collecting in July. But true fruitfulness begins in September and lasts until the beginning of October. The most reasonable way to go in search after heavy rain. But the trip for mushrooms is better not to delay, because after the rains they not only appear faster, but also rot faster.
Similar views
The real breast, which has the greatest nutritional value among all representatives of the species, is similar in appearance to aspen. But there are a couple of differences between these mushrooms: a real white plate has a light fluff at the edges of the cap, an aspen pinkish plate does not have a gun.
Important! Poplar milk can be eaten only after salting. Although this fungus is edible, it contains a small amount of toxin, which can lead to poisoning.
By the same criteria, you can distinguish poplar breast from violin. An inexperienced mushroom picker can confuse a breast with a whitefish. With all their external similarities, it is not difficult to distinguish them - the whitewashed has a characteristic thick fluff on the hat.
Edibility
Poplar mushrooms are edible, but require pre-processing. They must be soaked in water for two days. Water should be slightly salted, and it must be changed at least twice a day. For soaking, wooden or enameled dishes are suitable so that salt, metal and mushroom secretions do not enter into a chemical reaction. After soaking, the product must be put in order, that is, wash off the remaining dirt and eliminate wormholes. Soaked and peeled mushrooms need to be salted.
Important! In warm water, mushrooms are steeped faster than in cold water. However, there is a risk of product damage.
Food quality
Per 100 grams of mushrooms are:
| Fats | 0.5 g |
| Squirrels | 1.8 g |
| Carbohydrates | 0.8 g |
| Calorie content | 16 kcal |
All members of the russula family are rich in vitamin B, which serves as an excellent prevention of nerve problems.
Benefit and harm
- Beneficial features:
- contain a small amount of glucose, therefore, can be included in the diet of people with diabetes;
- used by pharmacists as a cure for tuberculosis.
- Disadvantages:
- limited in cooking options - they can only be salted;
- poorly absorbed by the body;
- toxic if neglected by soaking and salting and cooking them differently, poisoning is possible.
Did you know? Fungi are extremely tenacious and adaptable organisms that can withstand even a huge level of radiation. In 2007, fungi were discovered in Chernobyl that used radioactive radiation instead of sunlight.
Signs of Poisoning
Mushroom poisoning begins with symptoms that are no different from any other poisoning. Pain in the abdomen, diarrhea, vomiting, then severe thirst, impaired breathing and cardiac activity, and cooling of the extremities may occur. The first signs may appear after half an hour after eating. It would be wise to call an ambulance and begin to provide first aid before her arrival.
First aid
If you are poisoned by mushrooms, then you should drink as much warm water or saline as possible. Rinse your stomach with vomiting. If there are laxatives, it is better to take them. All this will help to improve the well-being of the victim until the ambulance arrives.
Perhaps this mushroom does not compare to taste with birch bark or honey mushrooms. But, despite this, he can still take his rightful place on the dining table. Most importantly, do not neglect proper cooking.
