Among all the mushrooms that grow in our forests, pine saffron is one of the most delicious. This mushroom has been known for many years. Its orange color became the reason for such an interesting name. Moreover, this mushroom was almost never called the other "nicknames".
A lot of delicious dishes are made from saffron mushrooms. There are many variations on this subject. To collect this variety of mushrooms correctly , you need to know its main signs and areas of its growth. On a walk in the forest, this knowledge will not hurt any person.
Appearance
Ginger, a description of which can often be found in various sources, are characterized by the orange color of the hat. This is their calling card. If saffron is young, his hat will be flat or slightly depressed. The older he gets, the more his upper part becomes like a funnel.
The diameter of the cap is 3-12 centimeters. Its surface is smooth. The pine camelina has quite a lot of shades. These include orange (light or dark), saturated copper and even greenish-bluish tones. Concentric circles, spots and stripes are visible.
The plates under the hat also have an orange color. The saffron ryzhik has a resinous smell. Its top is fleshy. The juice has an orange color, but in the air it can turn green. The leg may also be orange. On it there are recesses and stripes.
Mushroom species
In total, two forms of camelina are distinguished. There are other varieties, but they are more rare. Pine, or boletus, camelina is the most common type of this fungus. The hat reaches 5-10 centimeters in diameter. Mushrooms prefer a loamy soil type. Their color (even in section) is bright orange. Copper-red tones may also prevail. The cut does not lose this color for a long time.
The second variety of mushrooms represented are spruce mushrooms. They are slightly smaller than their pine counterparts (the hat reaches a size of 5-8 cm), but their appearance is also quite bright. True, blue or greenish shades may predominate in their color. This is especially true for the center of the hat.
The cut of spruce camelina is also bright orange. But in the coloring of the legs and hats, one can distinguish more muted shades. Due to the small size of these mushrooms, they can be pickled even in a bottle with a narrow neck. Many housewives use this technique.
Rare species
Among the representatives of this group of mushrooms there are more rare mushrooms. Their description will be interesting to study for mushroom pickers. Red mushrooms are slightly larger in diameter of the hat - 6-12 cm. It can have a color from orange-pink to dirty salmon. Concentric circles are well defined on the hat. The cut in the air takes on a wine-red hue. The mushroom pulp can be characterized as fragile, with a yellowish-white color. The mushroom does not have a pronounced smell.
Another rather rare variety is milky red saffron milk cap. His hat can reach from 3 to 10 cm. His color is orange, but not bright. Zonality is expressed at the edges. Mushroom juice is characterized by an orange color. But from being in the air it turns red or burgundy. The leg is brittle. She is hollow in the middle. The smell of camelina in this group is also neutral. Its flesh is fragile, has an orange color.
Inedible Double
The considered varieties are edible mushrooms. They are eaten, subjected to various processing technologies. But they can be confused with another mushroom. This is an amber milkman. The characteristic coloration makes this practically impossible for experienced mushroom pickers, but those who do not often go to the forest should take this information into account.
Redheads do not have poisonous doubles. Therefore, they can be collected even by inexperienced mushroom pickers. Amber amber has a reddish or yellowish-red color. Its difference can be easily established by cutting the mushroom. The juice will be watery. It dries quickly in the air. The juice tastes either sweetish or bitter.
The difference also lies in the smell. It looks like chicory or even a bouillon cube. Fresh amber lactarius is not eaten. But in dry form it can be used as seasoning.
Where and when does saffron grow
It is also necessary to know where and when pine mushrooms grow. They prefer shallow forest. From the name of the mushroom it is clear that they prefer pine or spruce groves. They grow in groups. They can be large or small.
Mushrooms appear in the middle of summer. Sometimes they can be found in the forest, even in mid-June. But this is rather the exception. A large crop is harvested in August-September. In October, saffron mushrooms can be found, but much less often.
This mushroom is not afraid of frost. In summer, saffron mushrooms can be described as more watery. In the fall, when it starts to get colder, they become stronger. Mushroom pickers believe that it is during the cold season that the saffron mushrooms are the most delicious.
How to collect mushrooms?
You should look for a noble pine mushroom in well-lit groves along long ditches. Mushrooms are masked very well, so finding them is not so easy. Bright coloring should not be misleading. Sometimes it is possible to determine that there are saffron mushrooms only by the crunch that is heard under the foot. They begin to grow under the moss. Therefore, at first only a small tubercle is visible. Many mushroom pickers simply step on them without seeing a bright hat.
If you look closely and find the treasured saffron, you need to properly pick it. It is impossible to cut. This will damage the mycelium, and new individuals will not appear here. It will be correct just to carefully pick a camelina. You can even unscrew it, and then sprinkle the place with needles or moss. Drying has a bad effect on mycelium.
How to cook
Saffron mushroom is a delicious mushroom. Its taste has been appreciated for a long time. This mushroom can be pickled, fried, salted or stewed. Mushrooms retain their bright color even after processing.
In terms of taste, they surpass even boletus. According to the description, they are somewhat reminiscent of russula. They can be eaten even after only a few hours of salting, being right in the forest.
If the hostess plans to fry saffron mushrooms, it takes only a few minutes to cook. This presented variety is significantly different from other mushrooms.
It is believed that the smaller the cap of the mushroom, the higher its cost when sold. Redheads are even exported to nearby countries, to Europe. Some types of drugs are obtained from them.
Having become acquainted with such a mushroom as pine mushroom, everyone can go after him into the forest. The day off will leave a lot of positive impressions. You can prepare the harvest in various ways. This is a very tasty and healthy mushroom.