One of the most common edible mushrooms, summer honey agaric, grows in conifers, on stumps, rhizomes, snags and in the grass. The mushrooms of this subspecies are common in Russia, Europe and Asia, as well as in North America. They are found wherever there are conditions for their development. Felled coniferous and deciduous trees are quickly infected by spores, and the summer honey agaric begins to bear fruit abundantly already in mid-June.
Because of their rapid growth and excellent taste, honey mushrooms are very popular among gardeners trying to grow mushrooms on their site. With the right approach, you can get a double benefit: to grow a delicious aromatic mushroom and get rid of powerful stumps of fruit trees that will collapse in 4-5 years if the mycelium has settled there.
Given that summer honey agarics (photo is in the article) grow in huge colonies, you can even get a decent harvest from one stump. This mushroom is considered edible, with excellent aroma and pleasant taste. Suitable for both marinades and first and second courses.
Unlike autumn and winter, the summer mushroom has a thin long leg, its diameter is only 0.5 cm at a height of 5-10 cm. The yellow or brown hat has a bright spot in the center, at the beginning of mushroom growth, the hat is always rounded, with a small tubercle .
As it grows, it straightens, becomes flat, in rainy weather it can be sticky. In an adult mushroom, the cap diameter reaches 7-8 cm. A characteristic feature is the presence of a ring on the leg, below which the surface is scaly, fleecy. The color of the legs is much darker than the hat, the growth point is dark brown. In overgrown mushrooms, it often bends, becomes stiff, and inside it is hollow. The pulp is very tender, fragile, beige, has a characteristic mushroom smell and pleasant taste. The leg is coarser, fibrous, during long cooking it becomes stiff. Therefore, when processing often leave only hats.
Summer honey agaric has a poisonous analogue - galleria bordered, which also lives on stumps and contains powerful toxins, comparable to the strength of the action of pale grebe. It is especially difficult to distinguish a summer mushroom in dry weather, when its color changes, a bright spot in the center disappears. To prevent mistakes, it is worth collecting mushrooms from coniferous stumps and trees.
According to avid mushroom pickers, it is very difficult to collect summer mushrooms, the season of which begins in June, in rainy weather. Mosquitoes love to ambush mosquitoes near the thickets.
When collecting, you should pay attention to the color of the cap of the lower layer of mushrooms. Often it becomes grayish due to the spore powder that the upper fungi spread. Such mushrooms are also edible, although they seem slightly rotten.
This mushroom is often affected by worms. The opinion that there are no worms in honeymoon remains only a myth. A superficial inspection often does not reveal parasites, however, when cooking small white individuals float to the surface. For this reason, it is recommended to change the water immediately after boiling. The second broth becomes brighter. When drying, it is recommended to carefully sort the mushrooms, leaving only healthy young mushrooms.