The flywheel is an edible mushroom that is a member of the flea family. It is called so because fruiting bodies grow in moss. Outwardly, the flywheel resembles a boletus. It is edible.
General characteristics of the fungus
Mokhovik is a representative of the flea family. There are several varieties of this fungus, which are slightly different from each other in external characteristics.
The mushroom has a hemispherical hat, the diameter of which reaches 10 cm. As the mushroom ripens, cracks cover the surface. A distinctive feature of the flywheel is the blue color of the pulp on the cut.
The color of the upper part varies from light golden to bright red. The surface feels like velvet, dry to the touch. The lower part is smooth or slightly covered with wrinkles.
These mushrooms contain many valuable substances: essential oils, amino acids, B vitamins, phosphorus, copper, potassium, urea. 100 g of the flywheel contains the daily norm of zinc and copper required by the body.
In total, 18 species of mossovics are known. In Russia, 8 of them grow.
Varieties of Mosses
Edible species of such a mushroom are:
- Polish mushroom (also known as chestnut). This is an edible mushroom, moreover - it is considered one of the most delicious in Europe. Its dimensions are quite large: the cap circumference can be 12-15 cm. Its surface has a brown color. The pulp of the Polish mushroom is fragrant, has a pleasant taste.
- The flywheel is semi-gold. This is a conditionally edible type of mushroom. This species is not too common. A distinctive feature of the semi-golden moss fly is the gray-yellow hue of the fruiting body.
- Velvet. His hat has a spherical shape. As the mushroom ripens, it becomes spherical. Color - from brown to reddish brown. Leg length - from 4 to 12 cm.
- Yellow brown. It is also called a yellow-brown oiler, sandstone moss, swamp. The hat is semicircular, its edges are bent down. The size of the hat varies from 5 to 14 cm in diameter. The surface of the young mushroom is velvety; as the mushroom ripens, cracks and scales appear on it. In the process of growth, the hat has a gray-orange or yellow-gray color. There are small yellow tubes on the bottom of the hat. The pulp is hard and almost tasteless.
- Red flywheel. The mushroom cap reaches 9 cm in diameter. It is fleshy and fibrous. The flesh has a yellowish tint; it turns blue on the cut. The leg is long and even, its length on average is 10 cm.
- Green flywheel. The upper part of this fungus is colored golden brown, its diameter is up to 10 cm. The leg has the shape of a cylinder, expands closer to the base. The pulp is dense, white in color, with a pronounced mushroom smell.
- Variegated (or fissured) flywheel. A distinctive feature of such a fungus is the presence of a whole network of cracks in the hat. Its diameter reaches 3-7 cm. Color varies from gray to burgundy. The foot is club-shaped.
Polish mushroom
The flywheel is semi-gold
Velvet Mushroom
Yellow Brown Moss
Red flywheel
Green flywheel
Fractured Mushroom
Among the fungi of this species, inedible species are also found. These include:
- Parasitic flywheel. Such a mushroom can be confused with young green moss fly. It is small in size, while edible varieties are wider and higher. So, his hat reaches 5 cm in diameter, no more. The mushroom is not poisonous, but it is also unsuitable for food.
- Gall mushroom. It can be confused with boletus or boletus. It has a characteristic bitter taste. Not poisonous, but not consumed.
- Pepper mushroom. This type of flywheel has a convex hat with a diameter of up to 7 cm. Its color is light brown, the taste is sharp, pepper. Pepper mushroom is a poisonous species of flywheel.
Parasitic flywheel
Gall Moss
Pepper flywheel
In order to distinguish an edible flywheel from a false one, it must be remembered that the latter is small in comparison with an edible mushroom, and also does not have a characteristic mushroom smell. It is more correct to say that he does not have any smell at all.
Another sign that distinguishes edible moss from edible moss is that if you cut the edible moss, the cut will turn blue. Inedible flywheel does not change color on the cut.
Places and time of growth
Different types of mushrooms grow in different places. For example, the Polish mushroom is found in Siberia, in the North Caucasus. He prefers coniferous forests, growing on sandy soils.
Red flywheel can be found in the Far East. Also, this type of mushroom can be found in North Africa, in deciduous forests of Europe.
The green flywheel grows everywhere, in forests with deciduous and coniferous trees.
Semi-golden moss fly can be found in the forests of the Caucasus, as well as the Far East.
Mushrooms begin to grow actively in July and complete fruiting in September, but for different species of the moss fly, these periods are different. For example, the Polish mushroom is harvested from June to November, and the red mushroom is harvested in August and September.
The technology of growing a moss fly at home
To collect generous crops without leaving your home, you can plant the mycelium mycelium on a garden plot. The mushroom bed does not take up much space. For her, you need to choose a shady area. The depth of the trench into which the mycelium should be planted should be about 30 cm.
The substrate for the mushroom beds can be taken in the forest. In its composition should be present branches, humus and leaves. It’s better to take the land where the moss-growers grew.
The soil taken from the forest must be laid out in a prepared trench. After this, you need to fill in the clean, collected water with the mature ripe mushrooms. They should stand like this for a day.
After the specified time, mushrooms need to be kneaded by hands to make porridge. Add a little water here and pour the mass into a trench in which you need to first lay out the nutrient mass (leaves, humus, branches). Thanks to such manipulations, an artificial mycelium will appear. Sprinkle the mycelium on top of the ground (about 5 cm).
In the first 2 months, it is necessary to water the mushroom beds abundantly so that the mycelium does not die due to drought. The first mosses will appear a year after sowing the mycelium.
If you grow such a type of mushroom as a Polish mushroom, then it is better to grow it not on the ground, but in a natural environment for it. This means that near the landing site should grow oak, beech, pine or hornbeam.
Moss mushrooms can also be grown on stumps. In this case, you need to sow the mycelium near them. Crops need to be covered with straw.
Useful properties of the mushroom
The flywheel has such useful properties:
- facilitates the work of the gastrointestinal tract: in the flywheel contains enzymes that help improve the digestion of food;
- stimulates thyroid function;
- reduces the risk of developing atherosclerosis;
- improves eyesight;
- removes toxins from the body;
- supports the tone of the body;
- promotes restoration of nerve cells;
- strengthens hair and nails, improves the condition of the skin;
- helps to eliminate harmful toxic substances from the body;
- helps to reduce the severity of inflammatory processes, since the moss fly contains a special substance that acts as a natural antibiotic;
- supports the strength of teeth and bones, because it contains calcium.
Mushroom mushrooms contain few calories, but they are nutritious, so they can be eaten even if there are extra pounds.
Despite all the useful properties of mushrooms, mossy bobs should not be consumed by people suffering from diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, liver diseases, and urolithiasis.
How and what to cook from mushrooms?
When proceeding with the processing of collected moss flies, it must be remembered that they darken when cleaned when in contact with air. That is why they need to be immersed in water with citric acid (2 g per liter) and salt (teaspoon per liter) dissolved in it.
These mushrooms can be pickled and salted, as well as fry them and add to various dishes. Flywheels have a pronounced mushroom taste and aroma. The whole mushroom goes to the dishes: both the hats and the lower part.
The flywheel goes well with meat, chicken, cabbage, pumpkin, cream.
Popular dishes from such mushrooms are:
Pickled Mushrooms
Mushrooms must be thoroughly cleaned and washed. Put in a deep pan, pour water, put on fire until it boils. Boil for 15 minutes over low heat, discard the mushrooms in a colander.
While the water is draining, prepare the marinade. To do this, pour a tablespoon of sugar and salt into a liter of water, add 2 bay leaves, a couple of cloves of garlic and a little clove. Put on fire, let it boil, add a tablespoon of vinegar.
Without turning off the heat, put the mushrooms in the marinade, boil for 5 minutes. Arrange mushrooms in sterilized jars. The liquid should cover the mushrooms. Roll up the cans. Store pickled mushrooms in a cool place.
Braised Mushrooms
To prepare this fragrant dish, take a kilogram of mushrooms, onion, 200 g of sour cream. Boil the mushrooms in a bowl with a thick bottom for 1.5 hours, then fry.
A few minutes before the mushrooms are ready, add chopped onion, salt and pepper. After that add sour cream and some water to the mushrooms.
When the sauce thickens, the dish will be ready. It can be served as a sauce for cereals or pasta.
Fried mushrooms for the winter
This is a workpiece that differs from the usual pickled or salted mushrooms. For cooking, you need to take a kilogram of mushrooms, 250 ml of vegetable oil, salt and pepper to taste.
Peel and wash the mushrooms, boil 2 times for 15 minutes, after each time changing the water and washing them again. Heat the pan with vegetable oil, place the chopped mushrooms there, cover and simmer for half an hour. After that, remove the lid and simmer for another 15 minutes until the liquid has completely evaporated, add salt and pepper.
Put the prepared mushrooms in sterilized jars, pour 2 cm on top of the oil remaining from frying, roll up. Keep the moss flocks prepared in this way for 6 months.
Flywheels with honey
This is a very unusual dish with a pleasant sweet and sour taste. For cooking, you need 1.5 kg of mushrooms, 2 tablespoons of honey, 2 cloves of garlic, 2 tablespoons of mustard and the same amount of vinegar, 50 g of vegetable oil, parsley.
It is necessary to clean and wash the mushrooms, cut into cubes. Chop the greens, pass the garlic through a press, add honey, vinegar, mustard and chopped mushrooms here. Mix everything thoroughly, refrigerate, stand for 3 hours.
Heat vegetable oil in a pan, add the whole mass with the marinade. Simmer on low heat for 45 minutes. This dish goes well with boiled potatoes.
Mushroom soup
You can cook it both on meat broth and on vegetables. Process mushrooms (300 g), trim the legs. Cut the flywheels. Peel and chop the onion and 3 potatoes, a bunch of green onions.
Fry mushrooms for 8-10 minutes, then add onions to them, fry for another 4-5 minutes. Dip the contents of the pan into boiling water or broth, salt, add 2 tablespoons of pearl barley, cook for 10 minutes over medium heat. After that, add potatoes to all the ingredients, cook for 15 minutes.
Then add chopped greens, turn off the heat, let the soup stand under the lid for 10 minutes. Serve with sour cream.
Salad with Mushrooms
To prepare a salad, you need to take 3-4 potatoes, boil in their skins, chopped. Also slice an apple, 300 g pickled mushrooms and 150 g ham. Mix, add chopped celery and parsley. Season with vegetable oil and vinegar, add salt and black pepper if desired.
Mushroom mushroom is common on all continents. It is represented by several species, most of which are edible. You can cook different dishes from the moss-fly, and also prepare them as canned food for the winter. The flywheel is easy to grow independently in a summer cottage.