Types of these mushrooms, appearance
Serushka and greenfinch mushrooms (see photo and description below) are very similar in appearance, but greenfinch mushrooms are not recommended for consumption. Most often, the caps of seruha look mixed with gray, however, they are also found with a slightly pinkish or purple tint. These mushrooms are also called bitter mushrooms, gray hollow mushrooms, budworts, lilac milk mushrooms, and gray mushrooms. The size of the caps of these mushrooms can be approximately 4-12 cm in diameter, depending on the age of the mushroom itself. Younger mushrooms have a convex cap, while older mushrooms have a funnel-shaped cap.
The mushrooms also have not very smooth edges, which are slightly curved inward. The stem of the mushroom also has a gray tint and is 4-10 cm long. The pulp of the bitter mushroom has a pleasant fruity aroma.
Serushka belongs to the row mushrooms, among which are known:
- The row is silver.
- The row is sulfur-yellow.
- The row is grayish-lilac.
- The row is crowded.
- The row is fused.
- The row is dry.
- Tiger row.
- Poplar row.
- The row is decorated.
- Violet row.
- The row is purple.
- The row is scaly.
- The row is humpbacked.
- The row is dirty.
Cooking methods
The pulp of the serushka has a pungent and bitter taste. These food “flaws” disappear if the mushroom is pre-soaked and boiled. Soaking should last from one to three days. Mushrooms are placed in water with salt (add 1 tablespoon of salt to 1 liter of water). The liquid is changed to fresh one every day.
Before soaking, the mushroom is cleaned of dirt, wormy, spoiled, dry, old specimens, as well as those with caps larger than 7 cm, are inspected and discarded. After soaking, the raw materials are washed 2-3 times under running water. Cook the mushrooms for 15–20 minutes, periodically removing the resulting foam, after which they are thrown into a colander, allowing excess liquid to drain and dry. Serushka is only good for salting and pickling.
Important! For pickling, it is better to pick mushrooms in August - September. It is this product that has many vitamins and will be stored for as long as possible.
First courses are not prepared from it, nor is it fried. Pickling brine can be prepared at the rate of: 50–80 g of salt per 1 kg of mushrooms and 1 liter of water. Pour water into the pan, add salt and spices: cloves, pepper, bay leaf. After the brine boils, it must be boiled for about 5 minutes. Then cool and pour into sterilized jars, in which you have previously placed the mushrooms. You need to close the container with the workpiece with a nylon lid.
Mushrooms are prepared for pickling in the same way as for pickling. The marinade is prepared from 400 ml of water, 1 tbsp. l. salt, 1-2 tsp. sugar, 10 allspice peas, 5 pcs. cloves, 2 bay leaves, 1-2 onions, ½ carrots. The liquid is boiled until the vegetables are ready. Then 50–60 ml of vinegar (30%) and 1 kg of mushrooms are added to it. Cook for another 5–10 minutes, after which the earrings are placed in clean jars, poured with marinade and covered with lids.
Application
In cooking
In cooking, serushka mushrooms (see photo and description of how to prepare them below) are used quite often. Usually these mushrooms are well soaked and salted, however, they can also be eaten boiled by boiling for 15 minutes. Ready-made boiled mushrooms can be added to absolutely any dish, for example, soup, potatoes or even salads. In addition, earrings can be dried, pickled, fried or stewed. Preparing a dish with these mushrooms does not take much time.
In medicine
As mentioned above, earrings can also be used in folk medicine. Decoctions, ointments and various tinctures are prepared from them. Today, these mushrooms are also actively used in the fight against parasites.
Possible harm to the human body
Mushrooms should not be consumed in excessive quantities. They are “heavy” for digestion by the gastrointestinal tract, so they can lead to indigestion, which is accompanied by nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. Serushki can also put additional stress on the liver and kidneys, so they should be eaten with caution by people who have problems in the functioning of these organs.
You will be interested in learning how to grow champignons in a greenhouse.
Any mushrooms, including putik, are contraindicated for use by children under 6 years of age, pregnant and lactating women, and the elderly. So, serushka is a common, conditionally edible mushroom that is used in cooking for pickling and pickling.
For preparation, it is important to select small and high-quality specimens. This product can be used (if stored in a cold place) for six months. The appetizer goes well with main courses and can also be an ingredient in winter salads.
Harm and contraindications
As such, there are no contraindications to the use of serushka, however, the mushroom should be well soaked before use, otherwise it will have an unpleasant aftertaste. Also, with these mushrooms, as with any others, you need to be extremely careful, because if you overeat, it can affect your digestive system.
For people suffering from gastrointestinal problems, it is better to consume sulfur in very small quantities, or avoid them altogether.
Description of the mushroom
Serushka mushroom is one of the most popular among gourmets and amateurs. It is common in birch groves in the north, including Siberia. Due to the caustic milky juice in its composition, the serushka is considered conditionally edible.
Description of the mushroom
Description
The mushroom has a rich gray color, which is reflected in its name. His other names:
- seruha;
- seryanka;
- gray hollow;
- milky gray (gray-lilac);
- sub-tree;
- plantain;
- greenfinch;
- traveler;
- gray row;
Ryadovka is found under some trees, often near roads and paths in the forest. The russula mushroom is classified as a genus of laticifers.
According to the description of the autumn greenfinch, the color of its cap varies from pink and violet-gray to brown-lead. In all cases, there are prominent concentric zones. During growth, the cap is convex over its entire area. In a mature representative, it has the shape of a funnel with a smooth tubercle in the middle. The edges are uneven and drooping. The diameter of the row reaches 10 cm.
Other features of the plant’s appearance:
- The plates have a pale, yellowish color. Rarely located. At first they grow to the stem, but after a while they take on a wavy shape.
- The spores are yellowish in color. The leg is hollow, but only in mature seryanka. In a growing representative, it may be slightly swollen or, conversely, narrowed. Usually its thickness does not exceed 2 cm, and its length is 8 cm.
- The dense white pulp has a fruity smell.
- When cut or broken, a watery juice with a pungent taste is released.
Edibility
Mushrooms are only conditionally edible and belong to food category 3, so they should be soaked for several days before eating. This will rid them of the bitter-acrid taste and make them suitable for pickling. Young seryankas with a cap no larger than 7 cm are better suited.
It is possible to add sulphur to first courses during cooking. It is stewed, fried, and goes well with other mushrooms, for example, in pickled form.
Spreading
The row can only be found in autumn
False row grows in loamy and sandy areas, moist but well-lit. Typically, these mushrooms grow in groups and often inhabit lowland (and not only) birch forests. They are found in areas where melt waters stand for a long time, in ordinary forest edges and clearings. Ryadovka occurs only in August-October.
Beneficial features
In the Middle Ages, serushka was used to treat the stomach and related diseases. It was even included in the medicine for cholera. The mushroom contains many vitamins and microelements in suitable proportions. They are considered unique.
Seryanka is suitable for dietary nutrition, because it is surprisingly well absorbed by the body and has the right effect on it. It is a wonderful immune stimulant and gastrointestinal support.
This mushroom has a positive effect on the brain, blood vessels and even the removal of salts from the body.
Indications and contraindications for use
According to the description, greenfinch is not harmful to humans, so there are no strict contraindications
At the same time, soaking in water is important to get rid of the unpleasant aftertaste.
Serushki are edible even in their raw form, but be sure to use moderation, because overeating will have a bad effect on digestion, and for gastrointestinal diseases, it is better to consume mushrooms in minimal doses.
Since September, spores have been found nearby. They appear when the mushroom is overripe and look like white powder.
Serushki have an excellent antiparasitic effect and are able to cope with many types of worms.
How to distinguish edible from inedible
Among all types of rows, half of them are edible and will not cause harm to the body, and half are false ones, which are poisonous. Let's figure out how to distinguish the serushka mushroom (photo) from edible and poisonous.
Poisonous mushrooms include white, sulfur, sulfur-yellow, soap, mouse, tiger and other types of rows. Young white rowers differ in the color of their cap, young ones have a white tint, more mature ones have brown spots. The appearance of the leopard print pattern resembles the fur pattern of a tiger or leopard. The color of the flesh of this mushroom is gray.
Mouse rows are colored gray inside, and the taste is quite unpleasant and burning. Mushrooms with a yellow cap should also not be eaten, since when cut, the mushrooms begin to emit hydrogen sulfide. Soap rows are not hazardous to health, however, after cooking they have a soapy taste and are impossible to eat.
How to cook serushki
If you are lucky and have collected a whole basket of earrings, we suggest preparing them correctly. But to do this, you need to know the algorithm of your actions in order to get not only a tasty, but also a healthy and safe dish.
To do this, we decided to divide this item into several main component stages. We invite you to get to know them.
How to clean
To begin with, the earrings need to be properly cleaned. This procedure is mandatory and here's why. While growing in the forest, a huge number of forest animals, insects, toxins and chemicals interact with the cap and leg of the gray salmon. Therefore, there is a high probability that there are harmful substances left on the mushroom cap that can negatively affect your body. Therefore, it is better to get rid of them. And simple washing is not enough here. In order to achieve the result, you still need to remove the skin. To do this you will need a small but sharp knife. It needs to be sharpened well. Then, carefully lift the skin and begin to remove it. If the mushroom is already old enough, then the skin from the cap is easy to manipulate and will quickly move away.
Once you have removed the top layer, do the same with the leg. For convenience, you can separate the legs from the caps.
As a result, you should end up with a large number of peeled mushrooms.
Of course, they need to be rinsed well again under water, then remove debris, insects and pieces of earth.
How to soak earrings correctly
Next, the earrings must be thoroughly soaked. This is necessary to ensure that all harmful substances are removed from the mushrooms.
For this purpose, only cold water should be used. And the mushrooms are thoroughly washed under running water and loaded into a pan or any other container. They are filled with water so that they float in it.
After this, the mushrooms are placed in a cool room and left for some time. The interaction time between mushrooms and water ranges from several hours to the whole night. The longer this happens, the better and more thoroughly the mushrooms will be cleaned.
Also, if you wish, you can add salt to the water, it will help remove negative substances from the mushrooms.
After you remove the mushrooms, you need to rinse them again under running cold water, then pat them thoroughly with a towel.
How long to cook serushki
After the mushrooms have gone through the first stage of processing, the second follows. It is associated with long cooking. Cooking is necessary in order to finally get rid of toxins, toxins and other harmful substances that may be contained in the mushroom.
In order to properly cook mushrooms, you need to put a pan of water in which, you are sure in advance, all the mushrooms will fit. Add a bay leaf for flavor, a few peppercorns, and a pinch of salt. Wait for the water to boil. Place the mushrooms there and, stirring gently with a spoon, wait for the water to boil again.
After this, you still need to wait some time until the mushrooms are well cooked. Typically, 15 or 20 minutes of boiling is sufficient. Once the time is up, remove the mushrooms using a slotted spoon. Place them on gauze to absorb excess moisture. Pat gently to remove excess liquid.
How to fry serushki
After this, the serushki can be prepared according to various recipes. However, most often gourmets prefer fried mushrooms. It is believed that fried serushki is the ideal way to prepare it. Firstly, these mushrooms are incredibly tasty, juicy and aromatic. Secondly, they go well with any kind of side dishes and meat. However, it is very important that the mushrooms are properly pre-prepared. Otherwise, unless proper preparation has been made in advance, unfortunately, mushrooms are likely to be hazardous to health. But if you have tried and provided good preparation in advance, you can move on to the next stage.
- Namely, it is necessary to cut the mushrooms into thin slices.
- Next, you need to cut the onion into half rings.
- Heat sunflower oil in a frying pan.
- Then add the onion and fry it until golden brown.
- Then, add the mushrooms to the onions and fry everything together.
- When you feel a pleasant mushroom aroma, and also see that the mushrooms have decreased in size several times, add a small amount of salt, pepper, and also a few pinches of flour.
- Fry everything together well until a homogeneous mass appears.
- Next, you can leave mushrooms and onions as an independent dish, add it to a side dish, to meat, or pour sour cream on it and simmer the chicken a little to get a tasty result.
The main thing is that mushrooms prepared in this way will be incredibly tasty, juicy and pleasant.
Preparation and storage
Raw serushka mushrooms should not be stored for too long, so there is no need to stock up on them for future use. If you are going to add mushrooms to any dishes, then it is better to immediately soak and boil them.
You can dry such mushrooms, but not everyone will like their taste, so if you decide to store earrings for yourself, it is better to simply pickle them and preserve them in jars, which can then be stored for quite a long time. A recipe for how to deliciously pickle serushka mushrooms can be found on the Internet.
Where and when do earrings grow?
Serukhi are found almost anywhere. Massive growth of fruiting bodies and abundant fruiting are observed in fairly light and well-boggy areas. Very often, such gray mushrooms appear after warm and heavy rains. Experienced mushroom pickers go for serukh to mixed forests, with a predominance of trees such as birch and aspen. A large number of fruiting bodies appear along forest paths and roads , as well as in clearings, meadows and forest edges.
The very first fruiting bodies are formed in mid-summer, approximately in the first ten days of July, and the peak of fruiting of serukhs, as a rule, occurs in the first days of September, after which a gradual decline begins. You can collect such mushrooms before the first noticeable frost.
Serukhs are found almost anywhere
Freezing
Another way to preserve mushrooms for the winter is to freeze them.
- We carry out the initial preparation of mushrooms as described above. It is not advisable to freeze valui in its raw form.
- Before freezing the travelers, they must be dried, otherwise they will turn into a piece of ice in the freezer.
- After this, the dry mushrooms are placed in plastic bags, which can be purchased at any store that sells packaging, and placed in the freezer.
Important! In the freezer, it is necessary to maintain gastronomic proximity. Frozen mushrooms are recommended to be stored for up to 6 months.
Traditional approach to preparing winter snacks
Although every housewife has the right to make a dish in her own way, she has to adhere to the established doses and set of components.
The traditional version includes the following ingredients:
- water (300 ml);
- salt (1 tablespoon);
- laurel (1 leaf);
- black peppercorns (4 pieces);
- dill seeds (pinch);
- vinegar (0.5 teaspoon);
- vegetable oil (2 tablespoons).
This recipe shows well how to salt earrings to get an excellent snack. The process begins with preparing the mushrooms, which includes cleaning, sorting, soaking and pre-cooking. Next, the mushrooms are placed in an enamel pan. Fill with water, add seasonings and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook for 45 minutes. Vinegar is poured in 5-7 minutes before readiness.
The product is packed tightly into sterilized jars. Boiled vegetable oil is poured on top. Cover with metal or nylon lids. Wrap up in a warm blanket. After 24 hours, the snack is ready. Store the product in the basement at a temperature not exceeding 5°C.
Secrets, spices, additives...
Housewives use all kinds of spices to marinate, salt and prepare various mushroom dishes. When preparing travelers, in addition to salt, sugar and vinegar, seasonings such as pepper, black currant leaves, and cloves are well suited. You can use other spices and herbs, it all depends on your taste preferences.
Serushki have a unique chemical composition that helps improve brain nutrition, enhance the body’s immune properties, remove heavy metals and salts, and strengthen blood vessels.
Cold pickled mushrooms without adding vinegar
The difference between such mushrooms and salted serushkas is that you need to add sourdough. This can be whey or soft kefir.
How to make pickled earrings:
- After soaking, boil the valui in salted water (20 grams of salt per 1 liter of water) for 30 minutes.
- Preparing sourdough. To do this, you need to dissolve salt, sugar, whey or kefir in boiled water and mix well.
- The next step is to place the mushrooms in the prepared container.
- Fill the stacked bitters with sourdough and set the pressure. We remove the container to a storage place with a temperature of 5 - 10 degrees. This temperature is favorable for the fermentation process.
- After about a day, we remove the container to a cooler place (0-4 degrees) for further ripening. It will take 30-40 days.
- After fermentation, the serushki should be placed in sterilized jars, filled with boiled brine and covered with lids.
Taste and nutritional value of earrings
The nutritional value of bitter mushrooms, as well as their taste characteristics, are determined by the chemical composition of the mushroom pulp. The total calorie content of 100 g of fruiting bodies is only 18.5 kcal when it contains:
- proteins – no more than 1.7-1.8 g;
- carbohydrates – about 1.1-1.2 g;
- fat – within 0.8-0.9 g.
Serukhas do not have any special taste characteristics, so they belong to the third category in terms of nutritional value. Bitters can be used for food purposes only after salting. They are used to prepare pie filling and all kinds of original, very tasty sauces.
The presence of bitter milky juice does not allow the fruiting bodies to be used for frying and making soups. Before salting, mushrooms of this type must be soaked for several days, regularly replacing the water.
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