Pepper mushroom is a rather rare tubular macromycete, which, as a rule, grows alone. However, there are also small groups. Pepper mushroom rarely grows in open, dry soil in coniferous and deciduous forests. You can find it from mid-summer to mid-autumn.
Description
You should not confuse pepper breast (it is shown in the third photo) with pepper mushroom. They have nothing in common with each other and even belong to different genera. Pepper mushroom in appearance resembles an oiler. It has a convex hat, which flattenes over time. Her skin is moist and smooth. After rain, it becomes sticky. As a rule, the hat is painted in a reddish-brown or tan.
The tubular layer has large pores. Its color approaches the shade of the hat, only a little darker. Leg is thin at the base, round, solid inside. It can be curved or straight, reach a height of about 8 cm and a diameter of 1 cm. Its surface is the same color as the hat (sometimes it can be slightly lighter), matte, smooth. Mushroom flesh is brittle and loose, colored yellow, without any smell. However, it tastes very bitter, reminiscent of pepper. It is because of this that he got his name.
Edibility Discussions
Oddly enough, but the subject of serious controversy has become a relatively small pepper mushroom. A photo of him can be found in this article. Opinions of fans of the “silent hunt” were divided into diametrically opposed. Some mushroom pickers recognize this macromycete as inedible. Others claim that although it is little known, it is suitable for food not only in pickled and salted, but even in fresh or dried form. Some use pepper mushroom (dried), ground into powder, as a hot seasoning for various dishes.
According to fans of this mushroom, it is underestimated, and is inedible due to its bitter taste. Prolonged cooking makes it possible to eat it, although the peculiar aftertaste can not be completely removed anyway. Often, even a well-prepared pepper mushroom gives bitterness to food. Nevertheless, he has a lot of fans. Its taste seems to many refined, because it gives the dishes a piquant sharpness.
The opinion of experts
Pepper mushroom is ambiguously evaluated by scientists. Many experts say that it is absolutely safe. However, some biochemistry scientists unequivocally evaluate it as poisonous. They claim that the composition of this macromycete contains rare and highly toxic compounds that are not destroyed by heating. When this mushroom is eaten, they accumulate in the body. These compounds gradually destroy liver cells and provoke mutations in them. The result of these processes can be oncology or cirrhosis. Moreover, their causes are very difficult to establish, since years can pass between eating pepper mushroom and the disease. Therefore, the disease is attributed to something else, and the mushroom remains “edible”. The first sign of pathology is severity and discomfort in the right hypochondrium. Based on the foregoing, there can only be one recommendation. While experts have not clearly proven the safety of pepper mushroom, you do not need to take risks by eating it.