Royal chanterelle mushroom. Mushrooms for the table: why we love chanterelles
The common mushroom is an edible forest mushroom that grows in places where there is a lot of moisture. The characteristic appearance will allow a person who has previously seen it only from a photo to distinguish this mushroom from others. However, not everything is so simple: be prepared that you can meet a false poisonous fox in the forest.
Meet the fox: appearance
The mushroom called chanterelle is well known to both avid mushroom pickers and newcomers to this business. It loves coniferous forests, but also grows in birch and mixed forests - often singly, but close to each other.
In the common chanterelle, the leg and cap are so fused that they do not have a clear transition. The cap is most often funnel-shaped, up to 12 cm in diameter, from light yellow to yellow in color, with a smooth, matte surface that is not very well separated from the pulp. The pulp is dense and very fleshy, white, but slightly red when pressed. It tastes sour, even peppery, and smells like dried fruits and roots.
Chanterelle mushroom
Advice. Go to the forest after heavy rain. Chanterelles love water and grow en masse after rainfalls.
Chanterelles grow in families. Therefore, in order to bring home a basket or bucket that is not empty, carefully examine the surroundings of the place where you found the mushroom. If there is moss, carefully lift it up. Do not cut the mushroom under any circumstances - carefully unscrew it, removing it completely from the ground. Otherwise, you will damage the mycelium. If everything went smoothly, remember the place; after a while it will be full of mushrooms again. The fox is often inseparable from a basket of saffron milk caps. Mushrooms are similar to each other, but you can still distinguish them with the naked eye:
- the edges of the chanterelle are more wavy;
- The color of the chanterelle is lighter - from yellow to almost white;
- the pulp and milk are paler than that of camelina;
- there are no wormholes.
Beneficial features
Chanterelle is always clean and juicy. The mushroom does not rot due to excessive moisture, but in drought it simply stops growing without losing juice. Chanterelles can be collected in large containers without fear of being crushed, broken or lost in presentation. This is the case when accessibility is coupled with taste and health benefits.
Chanterelles are not only tasty, but also healthy
The mushroom is popular among people not only because of its nutritional properties, but also because of its usefulness. It contains valuable polysaccharides, 8 essential amino acids, manganese, copper, zinc and vitamins PP, A and beta-carotene. Medicine has discovered natural anthelmintic (fighting worms) and hepatoprotective (positive effects on the liver) properties in the mushroom.
And the most useful substance in chanterelles is considered to be trametonolinic acid, which is designed to fight hepatitis. Traditional medicine speaks of the benefits of the mushroom for vision and physical health of the eyes, as well as for immunity and even the removal of radionuclides from the body. In addition, it can be an excellent meat substitute for people who do not eat meat.
Inedible look-alikes
Poisonous pseudo-chanterelles include the false chanterelle (also known as the orange talker) and the olive omphalot. They are not related to common chanterelles, although they are similar in appearance. Mushrooms are called conditionally edible. After keeping them in water for 3 days, boiling or stewing, you can eat them, but you will not get pleasure from the signature chanterelle taste and aroma. Experienced mushroom pickers can recognize an “infiltrator” by eye. However, if you do not consider yourself one of those, it is better to rely on auxiliary signs:
Orange talker
- The false chanterelle grows exclusively on the forest floor, moss, dead wood, and old rotting trees, and not on the soil, like the real one.
- It's brighter than the real thing. The cap becomes lighter towards the edge. The surface is velvety. The real one has a uniform color and a smooth surface.
- The edges of the false chanterelle's cap are smooth and even, neatly rounded. The hat is smaller than the real one. The transition to the stem is not continuous.
- The leg of the false chanterelle is hollow, while that of the real one is fibrous.
Omphalote is a deadly poisonous mushroom. It grows only in the subtropics and exclusively on wood dust.
Attention! Even a real chanterelle can poison you: the one that grows near an industrial plant or a busy roadway. The mushroom collects the radioactive nuclide cesium-137.
Mushrooms on the table
Raw chanterelles taste hard and sticky, even spicy. But they are also eaten in this form. In Germany, for example, this is par for the course; the mushroom is respected there: it is pickled in vinegar and dried. However, after such processing the chanterelles become rough in taste, so it is still better to cook them.
Before processing, the mushroom is washed in cold water, the plates are cleaned and cooked for about 20 minutes in a large pan of salted water, skimming off the foam. Cooking retains the original spicy taste, and the aroma becomes similar to the smell of cardamom. To definitely rid the chanterelles of bitterness, you can soak them in milk for an hour and a half. For a multicooker, the “baking” mode and half an hour on the timer are suitable.
Fried chanterelles
Mushrooms are also frozen. Moreover, after cooking they will take up less space. Chanterelle is 89% water, so when cooked, its size can decrease by 3-4 times. If they taste bitter later when cooking, sweeten the water with brown sugar.
Chanterelles are used in various dishes: soups, salads, pies. They are also simply fried with potatoes and onions, seasoned with sour cream. Whatever you choose, this mushroom will give the dish a unique taste and aroma. The European serving of mushrooms involves cutting them into pieces and seasoning them with butter, crushed breadcrumbs, onions, lemon peel and seasonings.
Advice. Despite containing only 19 kcal per 100 g of chanterelles, they, like other mushrooms, are considered heavy on the stomach. Therefore, take precautions when eating.
False and real fox: video
Chanterelle mushrooms: photo
The kingdom of mushrooms is diverse. For people there are edible and inedible mushrooms, medicinal and suitable for consumption. Chanterelles have a memorable appearance. The yellowish color resembles the fur of a fox, which is why this type of mushroom is called so. They grow from early summer to mid-autumn, so they can be harvested several times per season.
Description and types of chanterelles
Chanterelle mushrooms include several varieties. Not all of them are edible. Distributed throughout Russia and Belarus. Due to its special properties, it is exported to Germany and France. Due to its immunity to the fungus fly (which makes mushrooms wormy), chanterelle is considered a kosher product for Jews.
The common yellow chanterelle is called Cantharellus cibarius in Latin. The cap reaches a diameter of 12 cm. The colors range from light yellow to orange. Pulp characteristics:
- fleshy to the touch;
- white on the cut;
- yellow at the edges.
The inner surface of the cap is folded. The leg is difficult to separate from it. Grows mainly in deciduous and coniferous forests.
Less known is the gray variety. Also edible mushrooms, painted in gray or black-brown tones. Distinctive features:
Distributed throughout America and the European part of Russia. Due to its unusual appearance, it is rarely collected.
The cinnabar-red variety is also an edible chanterelle. These mushrooms are pinkish or reddish in color. Small in size, with a cap diameter of up to 4 cm. They grow in the forests of America.
The medicinal properties of mushrooms are varied. They boost immunity and help fight colds. Thanks to quinommanosis, they are a good remedy for helminths. Large amount of vitamin A helps prevent eye diseases. Inflammation of the mucous membrane, visual impairment, night blindness - this is not the most complete list of ailments that this fungus successfully fights. Chinese doctors recommend eating it regularly for anyone who works at a computer.
Alcohol tinctures with mushroom fruiting bodies reduce the growth rate of cancer cells. The polysaccharide present in them actively fights the hepatitis virus.
In folk medicine it is used in the form of vodka tinctures. To make them, mushrooms are dried and ground into powder. For 1 liter of alcohol take one tablespoon of powder.
The resulting mixture is thoroughly shaken and left for 10 days. The bottle is shaken every day. You need to drink one tablespoon of the tincture every day. The duration of treatment depends on the disease.
Common chanterelle (true) is an edible mushroom of the Chanterelle family. The name comes from the Old Russian "fox", i.e. "yellow".
Description and appearance
There is no pronounced cap fused with the stem. The color of the mushroom body is from light yellow to orange. The diameter of the cap is up to 12 cm, the cap is smooth with wavy edges, depressed in the middle. The mushroom has the shape of a funnel.
The leg is dense, lighter than the cap, tapering towards the bottom. Thickness 1-3 cm, length 4-7 cm.
The pulp is fleshy, dense, yellow on the edge and light in the middle; if pressed, it will turn slightly red. The smell is specific, sour with notes of dried fruits and roots. The mushroom has practically no worms or wormholes in its pulp. The pseudoplate hymenophore has highly branched folds descending to the stalk.
The spores are light yellow, elliptical, 8.5*5 µm. The harvest season is June and August-October. They grow in groups.
Kinds
There are more than 60 species, but the most common is the common chanterelle. Mushrooms are found in different climate zones.
Funnel fox
It has a funnel-shaped cap of brown yellow color on a long tubular stem with a gray-yellow stem. The pulp is white, very dense, with a faint pleasant aroma. The flesh is edible but tough and requires a long cooking time. Also known as tubular lobe or tubular cantarel. Loves shade and acidic soils.
Gray chanterelle
She is also a funnel-shaped funnel. Outwardly it looks like a deep funnel with a wavy edge. The leg is short. The body is dark gray.
Thin, very brittle pulp, practically odorless and tasteless. Meets in August-September. found in mixed forests. In Europe it is considered a delicacy and is used to make sauces.
Faceted chanterelle
It has an almost smooth hymenophore, the flesh is more brittle. Distributed in North America.
False chanterelle
Bright orange color, odorless, very similar in appearance to the common chanterelle.
Grows in large groups and alone. Can be found in grass and rotten wood. It is difficult to get poisoned by a mushroom, but people with weak digestion are at risk of intestinal upset.
Omphalote olive
Grows in the subtropics, loves dying deciduous trees, in particular olives. Poisonous.
Where does it grow
The fungus is common in temperate and subtropical climate zones. Loves acidic soils. Grows in grass, moss, under fallen leaves. Can be found in coniferous and mixed forests.
You can find out where chanterelle mushrooms grow and how to find them faster by watching the following video.
Method of making seasoning
During heat treatment (over 60 C), chanterelles lose most of their beneficial substances. But raw mushrooms have a specific taste, although they are edible. You can prepare a seasoning from chanterelles and add them to ready-made cold or warm dishes, and use them for medicinal purposes.
Fresh mushrooms are cleaned of dirt with a soft brush. It is recommended not to wash mushrooms, but very dirty ones can be rinsed under running water. Dry the mushrooms in the sun or in a heat dryer at a temperature of 40-50 C.
If the mushrooms are large, then they need to be torn into pieces along the fibers or cut with a ceramic knife. Metal cannot be used, because... it will oxidize all the nutrients in the pulp.
Dried mushrooms should be ground into powder. Store in a thick canvas or fabric bag. Shelf life - 1 year.
Nutritional value and calorie content
Per 100 grams of product:
Chemical composition
Beneficial features
- anti-inflammatory;
- bactericidal;
- immunostimulating;
- antitumor;
- bactericidal;
- antihelminthic;
- strengthen the nervous system;
- help enrich the blood with hemoglobin;
- restoration of vision.
Watch the following video, from which you will learn even more about chanterelle mushrooms and their beneficial properties.
Contraindications
- individual intolerance;
- children under 5 years of age;
- acute diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
Application
In cooking
They boil, marinate, simply salt, but fried ones are the most delicious. In Jewish cuisine they are kosher.
As a side dish, serve with buckwheat, durum wheat pasta and brown rice.
Preferred spices:
- allspice,
- dill,
- carnation,
- coriander,
- marjoram,
- celery,
- dried carrots,
- Bay leaf.
Mushrooms are used as an independent dish, added to pizza and casseroles, and used as a filling.
Chanterelle salad
Sauce: In a water bath, mix 35 g of dry white wine and 3 egg yolks until a light foam forms. Without ceasing to mix, carefully pour in 150 ml of olive oil. Beat everything thoroughly until smooth foam. Add 1.5 tsp. lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.
Salad: Boil 100 g of small potatoes in their skins. Then cool, peel and cut each in half. Fry 150 g of fresh chanterelles in olive oil along with boiled potatoes, 70 g of green and 100 g of pearl onions, add 6 cloves of garlic and season with 1-2 sprigs of thyme. Place everything on a large plate, top with 100 g of lettuce leaves and 150 g of cherry tomatoes cut in half. Pour sauce over everything.
Cream soup with truffle flavor
Cut 300 g of potatoes and fry in vegetable oil (40 g) until crispy. Dice 1 medium onion and fry along with the potatoes for about 5 minutes with the addition of butter (50 g). Add 1 kg of coarsely chopped fresh chanterelles to them and fry for another 3-5 minutes.
Add fried vegetables with mushrooms to 1.5 liters of water and cook until tender (about 20 minutes). Grind the finished soup in a blender until smooth. Add 200 g of cream, salt, pepper to the soup and bring to a boil. Serve in plates, drizzling with truffle oil (only 15 ml for the entire recipe).
Chanterelle mousse with buckwheat porridge
For the mousse you will need 200 g of fresh chanterelles. Fry in vegetable oil (25 ml). Then pour in a little water, 30 ml of cognac and 150 ml of cream. Simmer until done. Grind the mushrooms in a blender until smooth and add salt.
For the garnish you will need 300 g of porcini mushrooms, 300 g of buckwheat, 100 g of onions, several sprigs of fresh parsley. Boil the buckwheat. Cut porcini mushrooms into slices and fry in vegetable oil (25 g). Then cut the onion into strips and add to the mushrooms. Fry for about 3 minutes more. Remove from heat. Add buckwheat, finely chopped parsley and stir. Place on plates and top with mousse.
Pickled chanterelles
Peel 1 kg of chanterelles. Place in an enamel bowl and add 100 ml of water. During the cooking process, the mushrooms will give juice, so you do not need to add more water than specified. Cook for 10 minutes, skimming off any foam. Add spices (bay leaf, cloves, black pepper), salt (1.5 tbsp), sugar (1/2 tbsp), vinegar (125 ml) and continue cooking for another 15 minutes. Place hot mushrooms with marinade in jars and roll up. Turn the jars upside down and leave until completely cool.
In medicine
- liver disease (cirrhosis, hepatitis C, fatty liver, etc.);
- pancreatic diseases;
- night blindness;
- upper respiratory tract diseases, pharyngitis, sore throat, ARVI;
- tuberculosis;
- sarcoma;
- malignant neoplasms;
- fungal infection of the skin, purulent wounds, ulcers, boils and other skin inflammations;
- remove radionuclides from the body;
- for worms.
Used in the form of alcohol tinctures, powder or oil extract.
Alcohol tincture of chanterelles
2.5 tbsp. dried chanterelle powder pour 500 ml of vodka (preferably with Alpha alcohol). Seal and leave for 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Don't strain! Be sure to shake before use. This tincture is used:
- When treating the pancreas take 1-2 times a day, 1 tsp. half an hour before meals. The course of treatment is 3 months. When treating liver disease (including hepatitis C), take the drug in the same way, but the course of treatment can be extended to 4 months.
- To cleanse the liver take 2 tsp. before bed for 15 days. The course is held once a year.
- To remove worms take 2 tsp before bedtime. from 2 to 4 weeks. Chanterelle tincture is more preferable than pharmaceutical preparations, because has a gentler effect on the body, affects only worms.
When losing weight
Satisfies hunger for a long time, while mushrooms are low-calorie. It is recommended to replace meat with chanterelles 4 days a week. With such a simple diet you can lose up to 6 kg in a month.
In the diet menu, it is preferable to use stewed or boiled chanterelles with sauce: mix low-fat yogurt with fresh dill, green onions and spices to taste.
Porridge for weight loss
Peel 1 kg of chanterelles and cook for 1.5 hours. Drain the water and mince the mushrooms. You can eat it as a separate dish with yogurt sauce or add it to other dishes.
Weight Loss Powder
Prepare powder from dried mushrooms. Take 1 tsp. 2 times a day on an empty stomach with 1 glass of water. This method is especially effective if obesity is caused by improper liver function.
In cosmetology
Chanterelle extract and powder are added to face creams, which help fight fungal formations, while moisturizing and nourishing the skin.
How to choose and where to buy
It is best to purchase mushrooms in stores and markets. There the mushrooms are checked and the sellers are given an appropriate conclusion.
Fresh mushrooms
Pickled
Pay attention to the expiration date on the packaging. If the can is iron, there should be no dents on it. If it is glass, the lid should not be swollen.
Growing
There are two ways to grow chanterelles at home:
- using spores;
- using mycelium.
In the first case, you will need caps of old mushrooms that need to be dried. Then the caps themselves must be dug into the prepared soil. Or soak the caps in water for several hours, and then water the ground with this water.
In the second case, you will need a mycelium from the forest. There is a clearing with chanterelles, and closer to the tree a piece of earth 20 by 30 cm in width and depth is dug up. You should take soil only near healthy trees, without external signs of drying out.
The brought soil should be thoroughly dried. This is necessary so that other competing organisms die.
It is best to prepare seed soil at the end of summer and store it for a year in a dark, cool room, for example, in a basement or cellar. The container itself must be breathable.
Next, the sowing itself is necessary. It is best to carry out work at the end of June. Several holes with a diameter of 10 cm and a depth of 20 cm are dug around the tree. The seed is tightly packed into the holes and watered with water from a watering can (1 liter per hole). Then cover the holes with moss or fallen leaves. The harvest should be expected no earlier than in a year.
It is preferable that the mushroom is planted under the same type of tree where the soil was taken. The best symbiosis is between chanterelles and coniferous trees, birch, beech, and oak.
How to freeze
You can prepare fresh and boiled mushrooms for the winter. In the first case, thawed chanterelles may taste a little bitter. But if these are young, strong mushrooms, then bitterness will not be felt.
Boiled chanterelles are safer because... will not spoil if the freezer is defrosted, and take up less space.
Mushrooms should be frozen on the day of collection.
It is preferable to select young, strong mushrooms, without signs of drying out or mold. Can be cut into large slices. Next, the mushrooms should be washed well and drained in a colander. You can blot it with a paper towel. Place into bags and place in the freezer.
Freshly frozen chanterelles can be stored for no more than 6 months.
Real chanterelle Grows in numerous groups
The fox is real in the photo
The fox is real is a widespread edible mushroom characterized by high yield. It grows in numerous groups, forming so-called witch circles or wide stripes, from mid-July to mid-October, with peak fruiting occurring in July-August. You need to look for it in damp, open areas of coniferous or deciduous forest.
The initially flat-convex mushroom cap with wavy edges gradually becomes funnel-shaped, its edges become thinner and uneven. Its diameter is about 10–12 cm. The surface of the cap of the forest chanterelle mushroom is smooth, matte, whitish or bright yellow. The spore-bearing layer is represented by numerous thin yellow convolutions, smoothly descending onto the stalk.
The plates are folded, descending far onto the stalk, branched, thick, sparse. The stem smoothly expands upward, without a discernible border, turning into a cap, dense, yellow, smooth, up to 7 cm in length and 3 cm in thickness, cylindrical, solid.
The pulp is thick, fleshy, brittle, with a pleasant mushroom smell, and is almost never wormy.
The real chanterelle mushroom belongs to the third category of mushrooms and has high nutritional value due to the vitamins and microelements contained in its tissues. It can rightfully be called a universal mushroom that lends itself to all types of culinary processing, demonstrating good taste.
Goes into preparations for canning. Used boiled and fried without pre-treatment. It is prepared for future use in the form of boiled canned food (in jars), and can also be used for pickling and salting (hot method).
The main characteristic of the real chanterelle mushroom is its high carotene content, much higher than in all other well-known mushrooms. In addition to carotene, this mushroom contains many other vitamins and has antibacterial properties. In some countries, chanterelle is used to prevent cancer.
The humpbacked fox grows in small groups. The humpbacked fox in the photo.
Humpbacked fox, or cantarellula, is a rather rare edible agaric mushroom in Russia that produces consistently high yields every year. It grows in small groups from mid-August to September, but produces especially abundant harvests at the very beginning of autumn. In what forests do chanterelle mushrooms of this type grow? You need to look for them in areas of coniferous forest overgrown with a thick layer of moss, preferably in a pine forest.
The mushroom cap is convex at first, but gradually takes the shape of a wide funnel with a diameter of about 4 cm, with a small bulge in the middle. Its surface is painted in a shiny gray color with a smoky tint and brown concentric circles. The spore-bearing layer consists of frequent grayish plates descending to the stalk. During the process of growth, the plates and the upper part of the stalk adjacent to them become covered with small red dots. The leg is rounded, smooth, straight, the same color as the plates. Its height is about 8 cm, and its diameter rarely exceeds 0.5 cm. The surface of the leg is smooth, with light white pubescence at the base.
The pulp is thin, soft, tender, with a pleasant taste and a subtle mushroom aroma, grayish in color, which quickly turns red when the pulp comes into contact with air.
The humpback chanterelle belongs to the fourth category of mushrooms. It is eaten boiled or fried.
These photos show what real and humpback chanterelle mushrooms look like:
Chanterelle yellowing and gray: the color of forest mushrooms and their description
Chanterelle yellowing in the photo
The fox's hat is shaped like a deep funnel.
Chanterelle yellowing is an edible mushroom that grows in small groups from early August to late September in coniferous, predominantly spruce forests.
The shape of a chanterelle's hat resembles a deep funnel with a diameter of about 5 cm, with a curled curly edge. Its surface is smooth, matte, dry. The color of this chanterelle mushroom is yellowish-brown. The lower part of the cap is also smooth, but in mature mushrooms it is covered with a large number of thin winding folds descending onto the stem. It is colored yellow with an orange tint. The stalk is rounded, thinner at the base, often curved, less often straight, hollow inside, the same color as the spore-bearing layer. Its height is about 10 cm, and its diameter is about 1 cm. The pulp is elastic, dense, brittle, light yellow, tasteless and odorless.
Yellow chanterelle belongs to the fourth category of mushrooms. It can be eaten both fried and boiled, and can also be dried for the winter.
Gray fox in the photo
The cap is funnel-shaped, lobed, gray-brown-black
Gray chanterelle has a cap with a diameter of 3-5 cm. The cap is funnel-shaped, lobed, gray-brown-black, fading with age, the edge is drooping. The pulp is thin, with a fresh taste, without much odor. The plates are descending, gray, uneven in length, frequent, thin. The stalk is cylindrical, hollow, colored a tone lighter than the cap, size 4.0 0.5-0.2 cm. Spores are ellipsoidal, size 8-10 5-6 microns, colorless.
Nemoral forest species. The range covers Europe.
Found in deciduous forests. Fruiting bodies are periodically formed in September - October. There are single specimens.
It is protected as part of the natural complexes of the Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve, the Narochansky and Belovezhskaya Pushcha national parks. It is necessary to create specialized mycological reserves in places not covered by protective measures. It is necessary to periodically monitor the state of known populations, search for new ones and, if necessary, organize their protection by prohibiting or limiting anthropogenic impacts.
Below is a photo and description of the common chanterelle mushroom.
Common chanterelle: in which forests it grows and what it looks like (with photo)
Common chanterelle in the photo
(Cantharellus cibarius) in the photo
Common Chanterelle (Cantharellus cibarius) is an edible mushroom. The cap is 2-12 cm in diameter, convex at first, then pressed in the center in the form of a funnel with a solid or lobed-folded edge, quite fleshy, yellow or yellowish-white. Plates in the form of forked-branched veins or folds of skin of the same color as the stalk, strongly descending along the stalk. The stem is 2-10 cm long, 0.5-2 cm wide, the same color as the cap. The pulp is dense with a pleasant smell, whitish or yellowish.
It forms mycorrhiza with birch, spruce, pine and oak.
You can find it from June to November. It is especially valuable in June and July, when there are few other mushrooms.
This chanterelle mushroom looks almost the same as the inedible false chanterelle, but it is more regular in shape.
The common chanterelle is edible both young and old. Does not require boiling. Fried chanterelles are especially tasty.
(Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca) in the photo
False fox in the photo
False fox (Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca) - the mushroom is inedible. The cap is 2-12 cm in diameter, convex at first, then depressed in the center in the form of a funnel with a curled edge, orange or buffy, fading to a reddish-whitish color with age. The pulp is dense yellow or orange. The plates are frequent, thick, forked-branched, the same color as the stalk, strongly descending along the stalk. The leg has a regular round cross-section, 2-5 cm in length, 0.5-1 cm in width in the lower part, where there are no plates, the same color as the cap. The spore powder is pale cream.
Grows in sparse pine and pine-birch forests, on heather heaths. Found in large quantities.
You can find it from June to November.
The false fox is similar to the real fox. The false chanterelle has real plates under its cap, while the real chanterelle has thick veins or folds instead of plates.
You can see different types of chanterelle mushrooms in this video:
Among the many mushrooms, the most popular are chanterelles. These are edible mushrooms whose color ranges from pale yellow to orange. They have a rather unusual shape - the center of the cap is concave inward, the edges are curled and uneven.
The chanterelle's leg is small, strong, and the same color as the cap. It should also be noted that the lower part of the mushroom grows tightly together with the upper. The mushroom itself is small - the diameter of the cap is from 2 to 10 cm.
Types of chanterelles
Representatives of the Chanterelle family have about 60 species, most of which can be eaten. Here are the most common types of chanterelles:
Mushroom suitable for human consumption. The diameter of the cap varies from 2 to 10 cm, the stem – up to 7 cm. The color is pale yellow or yellow. The lower surface of the cap is covered with folds. The skin is smooth and does not separate from the chanterelle pulp. This mushroom grows in coniferous and deciduous forests from summer until mid-autumn.
Edible mushroom. Small in size - the cap is up to 4 cm in diameter, the stem is 2–5 cm. The color of the mushroom ranges from pale red to red. The shape of the hat resembles a funnel. The favorite habitat of the cinnabar-red chanterelle is a deciduous forest, and especially an oak grove. These mushrooms are collected from mid-June to early October.
Velvety Chanterelle
An edible mushroom that can hardly be found at the edge of the forest. The color is the same as the common chanterelle. The mushroom is aromatic and sour in taste. The velvety chanterelle usually grows in deciduous forests from mid-summer to early autumn.
Edible mushroom. The cap is up to 6 cm in diameter, the leg is up to 8 cm in height. The color of the cap is dark gray. The flesh of the gray chanterelle is elastic, pale gray in color. The gray chanterelle does not emit a distinct smell or taste. Typically, this species of chanterelle is found in mixed and deciduous forests from summer to mid-autumn.
Faceted chanterelle
Edible mushroom of small size (2–12 cm). The color of the cap is rich yellow or orange. The mushroom has a rather dense pulp with a distinctive smell. Mushroom pickers collect faceted chanterelles in oak groves from July to mid-October.
Characteristics of the common chanterelle
The common chanterelle is also called the real chanterelle or cockerel. It is the most common species in its genus. The mushroom is quite small: the diameter of the cap rarely exceeds 10 cm, the height of the stem is between 4–6 cm, and its thickness is 1–3 cm.
The chanterelle's cap smoothly transitions into the mushroom stem due to its funnel-shaped shape. The skin of the chanterelle is smooth to the touch and matte. It is difficult to separate from the dense pulp. The lower surface of the cap is covered with folds that run down the stem. The common chanterelle exudes a pleasant fruity aroma.
Also, real chanterelle is distinguished by the fact that the pulp does not contain worms and insect larvae. After ripening, the mushroom does not rot, but simply dries out. This is due to the peculiarities of the chemical composition of chanterelles.
Due to its color, the chanterelle is often the prey of a “silent hunt”, as it is easy to spot and grows in large groups. Most often, chanterelle grows in areas with high humidity, in mixed and coniferous forests, especially in well-lit areas in fallen leaves, moss or dried grass.
Chanterelles begin to be collected in mid-July and end in October. Chanterelles grow in large numbers after heavy rains. It is better to collect chanterelles that are pale yellow in color, since overripe mushrooms have a bright orange color and should be avoided.
False chanterelles
The common chanterelle has many counterparts, among which there are conditionally edible and poisonous mushrooms. Most often, the real chanterelle is confused with the velvety chanterelle or faceted chanterelle, since at first glance their appearance is very similar to the common chanterelle. But the color of the velvety chanterelle is more saturated and tends towards orange, and the faceted chanterelle has a surface under the cap that is smoother than that of an ordinary chanterelle, and the flesh is not elastic, but brittle.
Orange talker or false fox
It has a great resemblance to the common fox due to its color. But these mushrooms belong to different families. Recently, orange talker has been considered a conditionally edible mushroom, which requires thorough processing before consumption. But the false chanterelle does not have any pronounced taste.
Yellow hedgehog
Also a double of the common chanterelle is yellow hedgehog. A distinctive feature of the twin mushroom is small spines on the surface of the cap. Yellow hedgehog is an edible mushroom; young mushrooms of this species can be immediately used for cooking, while more mature ones require additional processing to improve the taste.
Omphalote olive
The most dangerous double of the fox can be called Omphalote olive because it is poisonous. But in our area it is almost never found.
So, in order for real chanterelles to end up in the basket, you need to pay attention to:
- Mushroom color. The common chanterelle's cap color is pale yellow and monochromatic, while the false chanterelle's cap color ranges from orange-yellow to red-brown.
- hat. A real chanterelle's cap has uneven, curved edges. Smooth edges are observed in twin mushrooms.
- Leg. The common chanterelle has legs that are not hollow and very dense, while the false chanterelle has a hollow leg.
- Smell. Common chanterelles have a pleasant fruity aroma; false chanterelles do not have a distinct odor.
- Presence of worms or insect larvae. The common fox differs from its false counterparts in the absence of any larvae and wormholes.
Composition and beneficial properties of chanterelles
The common chanterelle can be called a record holder among mushrooms for the content of vitamins and microelements in its pulp. Among the vitamins, vitamin A, B1, PP should be noted. The following components make the chanterelle unique:
It should be said that the beneficial properties of chanterelle can only be obtained through proper processing of mushrooms. Otherwise, all medicinal substances will be destroyed.
Treatment with chanterelles
Based on their chemical composition, chanterelles are very useful assistants in the fight against:
- Infectious diseases. In folk medicine, chanterelles have long been used to treat sore throat, bronchitis, and furunculosis.
- Tuberculosis. Thanks to the powerful active substances contained in chanterelles, treatment is more effective and recovery occurs faster.
- Diseases of the liver and pancreas.
- Overweight.
- Worm infestations.
How to prepare and preserve chanterelles for medicinal purposes
But before you use chanterelles for treatment, you need to properly collect them and subject them to the necessary processing.
It is necessary to remove dirt and debris from the collected mushrooms with a dry brush. The more carefully you do this, the longer their shelf life will be. There is no need to wet fresh chanterelles. After this, you can store the chanterelles in the refrigerator for no more than 10 days.
The flesh of dried chanterelles can become rubbery, so they are usually ground into a powder that has a shelf life of about a year. In this case, the temperature when drying mushrooms should not exceed 40°C.
Accordingly, for medicinal purposes, chanterelles are eaten fresh or in powder form. The powder is added to prepared dishes. Boiled and fried mushrooms will have much less nutrients.
Contraindications
Among the contraindications to the use of chanterelles are:
- Individual intolerance to chanterelles or mushrooms in general.
- Age up to three years.
- Pregnancy.
- Breastfeeding period.
People suffering from diseases of the gastrointestinal tract should treat chanterelles with caution, since mushrooms are difficult to digest foods. It is also important to pay attention that the chanterelles were collected in an environmentally friendly area and were not overripe.
Chanterelle recipes
Chanterelles are widely used in the preparation of various dishes, and therefore are a welcome find for any mushroom picker. Both fresh and dried mushrooms are used in cooking. Here are some recipes for cooking chanterelles.
Country-style chanterelles
Will need:
- 500 g fresh chanterelles,
- 3 tbsp. spoons of chopped onion,
- 100 g vegetable oil,
- ground black pepper, salt.
Preparation:
- Boil the prepared mushrooms in salted water and chop.
- Heat oil in a large frying pan.
- Place the mushrooms in a frying pan along with the onions, add salt and pepper.
- Simmer over low heat for about an hour.
- Before serving, sprinkle with chopped herbs.
Salad with chicken and mushrooms
Will need:
- 150 g boiled chicken,
- 250 g boiled chanterelles,
- 30 g cheese,
- 2 boiled eggs,
- 1 pickled cucumber,
- 1 onion,
- 1 tbsp. spoon of vegetable oil,
- 4 tbsp. spoons of mayonnaise,
- greens, salt.
Preparation:
- Chop the onion and fry in oil.
- Grate the cheese on a coarse grater.
- Chop the eggs.
- Cut the mushrooms, chicken and cucumber into strips.
- Combine the prepared ingredients, add salt, add mayonnaise and mix.
Mushroom sauce
Will need:
- 150 g dried chanterelles,
- 100 g flour,
- 100 g butter,
- 200 g sour cream,
- salt, ground black pepper.
Preparation:
- Soak the mushrooms, boil and chop.
- Strain the broth.
- Saute the flour in oil, then gradually pour in the broth, salt, pepper, sour cream, mushrooms and boil.
Thus, chanterelle is a very useful mushroom with a unique composition. It is used not only as an ingredient for various dishes, but also as a medicine. It is important to distinguish the common chanterelle from its dangerous counterparts. You should also pay attention to contraindications for eating chanterelles. If you follow all the rules for collecting and preparing, chanterelle dishes will delight you with excellent taste.