Porcini- This is a large and strong dense mushroom. Belongs to the genus boletus, to the family Boletovye. It is a fungus. There are a lot of names for white mushrooms. This is yellow, pan, capercaillie, boletus grandmother, ladybug and others. But there are not many types of these mushrooms. They are rightfully considered the masters of the forest and are very popular with mushroom pickers.
Its shape resembles a barrel. But in the process of growth, it can acquire a narrowed or expanded form.
The leg of the white fungus can reach an average of 10-12 cm in height (there are mushrooms with a leg height of up to 20-25 centimeters), the thickness of the leg is about 10 cm. Near the ground it looks like a tuber, and then stretches. It is thicker at the bottom, thinner at the top. Sometimes it has a thickening in the middle.
The cap of porcini mushrooms is rounded, the bottom of the cap is white. The flesh of the mushroom is white. The mushroom has a pronounced pleasant smell. The size of the mushroom is directly dependent on weather conditions. On average, it can reach a weight of 0.5 to 1.5 kg. But this is not the limit. There were cases when mushrooms weighing up to 6 kg were found.
Where do white mushrooms grow
The habitats of white mushrooms are very extensive. Depending on the name of the fungus (white birch fungus and white pine fungus), they are found in both coniferous and deciduous forests.
It grows in the forest zone throughout the European territory. It grows even in the tundra, next to the dwarf birch. It is found in the Caucasus, in the taiga. This mushroom can be found in North America.
Where do white mushrooms grow? It occurs almost throughout Finland, Ukraine, Russia, Poland, Belarus. The eastern parts of this country are richest in these mushrooms.
It gets along well with almost all tree species, mainly in oak, pine, birch forests, but experienced mushroom pickers know that white fungus never grows next to larch, despite the fact that it is quite widespread in Russia.
Grows well in sandy soils. Grows, as a rule, in groups, less often alone.
White mushroom nutritional properties
The porcini mushroom gained great popularity due to its excellent taste and a wide variety of ways to prepare it. And also the porcini fungus holds the record for the presence of manganese.
And there are a lot of ways to cook these mushrooms, ranging from pickles and pickles, dried consumption, and consumption without long, additional processing. When cooked properly, the porcini mushroom has a delicious taste. You can give a hundred recipes for dishes that can be prepared from these mushrooms.
Useful properties of porcini mushroom
I want to stop separately and talk about the benefits of white fungus in the field of medicine, and what properties this mushroom has.
White mushroom contains many useful substances and belongs to the mushrooms of the first category. This means that it is absorbed in the human body better than any other mushrooms.
Porcini- an excellent source of proteins, so necessary for our body. Its healing properties and the enzymes contained in these mushrooms are used to improve metabolism, with a breakdown, and to treat tuberculosis.
Porcini mushrooms contain a sufficient amount of riboflavin. This substance is responsible for the functions of the thyroid gland.
White mushrooms have anti-infective and wound-healing abilities.
White mushrooms contain ergothioneine, which supports cell regeneration processes, which is used for diseases of the eyes and skin.
For the treatment of atherosclerosis, anemia, and a host of other diseases that porcini mushrooms help us fight. It must be said that all the medicinal properties possessed by porcini mushrooms have not yet been fully studied by science.
Dangerous properties of white mushrooms
But for all their useful qualities, porcini mushrooms also have dangerous properties. What should be considered when picking mushrooms and harvesting them?
The disadvantage is the ability of mushrooms to absorb (collect) toxic substances from the environment that are harmful to our body.
Therefore, when picking mushrooms (any), you should avoid places near industrial areas and busy highways.
