Description of oak mushrooms and what they look like (+23 photos)?

Mushrooms

One of the most well-known mushrooms is the oak boletus. It also has other names, including the oak boletus, the oak boletus, the dead boletus, the bruise, and the dirty-brown boletus. This species has a wide variety of representatives. Every mushroom picker should be able to distinguish between all the subspecies, as some are poisonous and can be dangerous to health and life. The oak boletus is classified as a tubular mushroom and is conditionally edible. The porcini mushroom is considered a close relative of the oak boletus.

Characteristic features of the variety

The Podbubnik belongs to the genus Boletus and the family Boletaceae. This species has many representatives, differing not only in appearance but also in toxicity and edibility. Despite this, all subspecies share common characteristics—fruiting body size and mycelial structure. Photos and a detailed description help identify the main differences between this mushroom.

Appearance and structure

The oak mushroom is a higher fungus, characterized by the presence of mycelium and a fruiting body. The mycelium is responsible for anchoring the entire body to the substrate and consists of hyphae—long white threads that become thinner toward the periphery. Each hypha is divided by septa into nucleated cells. These can only be seen under a microscope. In appearance, the hyphae resemble a tangled web.

Place of distribution

The oak tree is most commonly found in mixed and deciduous forests in temperate climates. It prefers calcareous soils and thrives in well-lit areas with high humidity. It can be found near oaks, lindens, and birches, but it can also grow in open areas, such as fields.

This species also inhabits rocky surfaces. Most of the oak trees are found in oak groves. This species grows in groups, making harvesting much easier. The trees can be found from mid-summer until September, with the peak season occurring in mid-August.

Consumption

It's crucial to learn to clearly identify whether a given mushroom is edible or not, as many similar subspecies of the oak boletus are poisonous. The oak boletus itself is classified as conditionally edible.

This means it requires thorough cooking before cooking and eating. To do this, it is first boiled in water for 15-20 minutes, after which it can be cooked. Its taste is very similar to that of the porcini mushroom, so it is also often salted, fried, and pickled.

Types and their descriptions with photos

The oak boletus can often be confused with its subspecies, which include the common oak boletus, the speckled oak boletus, and the kelé oak boletus. These subspecies are similar in appearance and growing habitat. All species also have similar fruiting periods. A brief description of each species and a photo are provided below.

Boletus luridus

This subspecies is considered the most widespread. It is a heat-loving species, and is therefore widespread in southern Europe. It has a cap with a yellow hue and a variable texture. The flesh is yellow, uniform, and firm, quickly turning blue when pressed or cut, and later turning black.

The stem is massive, tall, dark with a red tint, often covered with a dark mesh. It often forms mycorrhiza with the trees under which it grows. The tubular portion of the cap has a golden hue and turns red as the oak mushroom matures.

The tubular portion of the mature oak boletus is olive-colored, hence its nickname, the olive-brown oak boletus. This species is widely used in cooking for dishes and sauces.

Boletus erythropus

This species is also known as the bruise or blue mushroom. It differs from the previous species in its smaller size. Its cap is brown, velvety in texture, and has a distinctive feature: it darkens when pressed. The tubular part is red, with a yellowish tint at the edges. When pressed, it instantly turns blue.

The stem is thinner, red in color with olive grains at the base. The flesh is light yellow and darkens sharply when pressed. It is most often found in oak groves rich in humus. The peak yield occurs in September. The spotted boletus is a conditionally edible mushroom, so it requires heat treatment before cooking.

Kele's Oak (Boletus queletii)

The main characteristic of this subspecies is that it is inedible and, when fresh, poisonous to humans. The Quele's boletus was named after the French mycologist and founder of the Mycological Society. The Quele's boletus has distinctive appearance, which helps both experienced and novice mushroom pickers distinguish it from other boletuses:

It has an olive-colored cap, velvety or suede-like in texture, which later changes and becomes smooth.
The cap is brown in color and is quite difficult to separate from the stem.
The tubular part has an orange color, close to brick, and easily turns blue upon any contact.
The flesh is uniform, light yellow in colour, the flesh of the stem is slightly darker.
The stem itself is creamy, uniform in color, without mesh or graininess, cylindrical in shape, and immediately turns blue when cut, but not very noticeably.

Please note!

Some sources indicate that after thorough heat treatment, Kele loses its toxic properties, but experts strongly advise against consuming it.

Satan's Poisonous Mushroom

The Satan's mushroom is a dangerous, poisonous mushroom that can be fatal if consumed. Inexperienced mushroom pickers may confuse the Satan's mushroom with the oak mushroom, due to their similar appearance.

Despite this, there are some signs by which they can be distinguished from each other.

Criteria	Dubovik	Satanic mushroom
hat	Olive, dark olive, brown with a red tint	Brownish-yellow
Pulp	Yellow, quickly turns blue after cutting	When cut, it immediately turns red and gradually becomes lighter.
Leg	Yellow with red mesh and grain	Yellow, red mesh only in the middle
Smell	Pleasant, almost not noticeable	Unpleasant

Collection and use

Due to its high organic content, oak mushrooms are used to make antibiotics and in folk medicine. Edible species, if harvested in time, are also used to prepare various hot dishes, pickles, and as a component of seasonings.

When and how to collect correctly?

Mid-July is considered the start of the oak mushroom picking season. However, the peak harvest occurs in early September. They grow primarily in clumps under trees, making them much easier to find. Mushroom picking begins early in the morning before they warm up in the sun (otherwise, their shelf life is significantly reduced).

Advice!

Experts do not recommend picking old or overgrown mushrooms, as they tend to accumulate harmful environmental substances.

The harvested oak mushrooms are immediately cleared of soil, leaves, and debris and placed in a basket, cap-side down, for best storage. After harvesting, they are immediately cooked and then used in cooking.

Recipes and processing features

Before cooking, soak the mushroom in boiling water for 15-20 minutes. Then, proceed directly to cooking. Eating raw mushrooms can lead to poisoning, which manifests as acute dyspepsia.

Most often, oak mushrooms are marinated or fried. The marinade is made from garlic, bay leaf, black pepper, dill, cloves, sugar, and sea salt. To marinate, add all ingredients to 200 ml of water and boil for 5 minutes, then add the mushrooms and boil for the same amount of time. The cooked mushrooms are placed in jars, vinegar is added, and the jars are tightly sealed.

A particularly popular recipe is fried mushrooms with potatoes. For this dish, the mushrooms are first fried with onions and butter, then the potatoes are added. After frying, the dish is topped with sour cream and baked in the oven. After cooking, you can sprinkle it with herbs and garlic.

Useful properties and restrictions on use

Besides culinary uses, the oak mushroom is used medicinally to make the antibiotic bolitol. The pulp has immune-boosting properties. The mushroom contains amino acids that improve memory and help prevent atherosclerosis.

Furthermore, eating oak rue helps relieve dyspeptic disorders, improves digestive tract function, and reduces blood glucose levels. The beneficial substances in oak rue speed up metabolism, leading to weight loss.

In folk medicine, tinctures were prepared from this species, which were taken for ailments and nervous system disorders. The mushroom contains proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins A, C, B1 and B2, zinc, magnesium, iron, and manganese.

Answers to frequently asked questions

The most common questions include questions about the toxicity and beneficial properties of the mushroom:

Is it possible to get poisoned by oak tree?

The boletus is considered a conditionally edible species, so it can cause poisoning if not cooked properly. The Kele species is poisonous, and eating it is life-threatening.

Is it possible to collect old oak mushrooms?

Experts do not recommend picking old mushrooms, as they accumulate harmful substances and also lose their flavor.

Can they be eaten raw?

It can only be eaten after heat treatment, as the mushroom is toxic when fresh.

The Poddubnik is a common, conditionally edible mushroom species widely used in cooking, folk medicine, and pharmaceuticals for the production of antibiotics. This variety has many toxin-containing subspecies, as well as a poisonous lookalike, which must be distinguished.

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