What does a blackberry mushroom look like and what is its description (+20 photos)

Mushrooms

A rare edible mushroom called the "blackberry" is strikingly different from others, with an unusual structure and a distinctive taste and smell. This name refers to a group of organisms that are similar in appearance but belong to different families.

Before the properties of blackberry mushrooms were studied in detail, they were grouped into the genus Hydnum. Their unusual shape, vibrant colors, frequent clusters, and relatively large size have given rise to many fears and legends about this forest dweller. For example, colonies of blackberry mushrooms are popularly known as "witches' rings."

Characteristic features of the variety

Blackberries can have a variety of appearances. They can be stipe-capped, but the stipe isn't always centered on the cap, which, in turn, is rarely symmetrical.

There are varieties that are seemingly shapeless, branched, without the characteristic mushroom outline.

Appearance and photo

In photographs, these mushrooms, true to their names, more closely resemble needle-like sea urchins, stalactites, or sea corals, and descriptions of their shapes and habitats often evoke surprise and disbelief. Reaching the size of a human head and weighing up to one and a half kilograms, some species manage to settle directly on the branches of conifers, blending in with mosses, standing out against the background with their vibrant hues.

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Morphology (species differences)

The main characteristic of hydnums are the distinctive spines or prickles on the underside of the cap, or which comprise the entire fruiting body. The spiny hymenophore (spore-bearing layer) lacks plates or tubes; its spines are rigid, brittle, and sometimes reach 20 cm in length.

Place of distribution

These unpretentious mushrooms thrive in the humid, temperate climate of the Northern Hemisphere, preferring to grow on the trunks of coniferous and deciduous trees in forests, both living and fallen. Some thrive in bark crevices, stumps, and moss litter. They often form large colonies.

Consumption

Little-known and less popular blackberries belong to the fourth category; some taste like chanterelles, while others are somewhat similar to the taste of seafood or nuts with a sweet, fruity aftertaste. Young specimens are eaten, as the fruiting bodies become tougher and more bitter with age. The strong aroma makes these species suitable for seasonings and sauces.

Types and their descriptions with photos

There are over a dozen known species of blackberry, but many are extremely rare and listed as endangered. While they differ greatly in appearance, their botanical properties are largely the same. One of the four most common varieties is most commonly encountered in the wild.

Variegated or imbricated

Belongs to the genus Sarcodon of the Bankeraceae family, has the popular names hawk, chicken and kolchak, and is called variegated for the bright brown color of the large (up to 20 cm in diameter) cap with convex, tile-like scales.

The spines are long and brittle, extending down the massive stem to the ground. The flesh is dense and whitish. It grows in coniferous forests and has a strong, pleasant aroma, often used in seasonings.

Yellow or notched blackberry

Belonging to the chanterelle family, it has a fleshy, smooth, flat-funnel-shaped cap, reaching 12 cm. The color varies in different regions, from off-white to bright orange. The cap is flat and has a concave center.

Depending on the growing region, the color varies from white to orange. The spines are located under the cap, and the stem is often attached off-center. During growth, adjacent fruiting bodies tend to fuse together.

Coral-shaped

A rare species listed in the Red Book, popularly known as deer antlers, it usually grows alone, primarily on fallen trees and stumps of deciduous trees.

The cap reaches 20 cm in circumference and is coral-shaped with spines up to 2 cm long. It has a creamy-white color, a pleasant aroma and taste, and white, firm, fibrous flesh.

Comb

The mushroom's hymenophore is in the form of hanging needle-like spines, the body is rounded and beige-white in color, and can weigh up to one and a half kilograms.

It lives in the fractured areas of oak, beech, and birch trunks and is listed as endangered in many regions. It thrives artificially on sawdust substrates.

Rules and meeting places

Hedgehog mushrooms intensively absorb all the beneficial and harmful substances from the environment. Therefore, it is important to harvest them in clean areas, away from cities, highways, industrial areas, and polluted rivers and streams.

Blackberries should be sought in sandy soils of coniferous or mixed forests with grass and moss, most often near spruce, birch, and pine trees. They grow on stumps and fallen trees, as well as on the damaged bark of living fir, pine, and spruce trees. Searches should begin from late August until frost sets in.

They typically prefer sandy soils in coniferous and mixed forests, grassy areas, and moss for fruiting. Almost all blackberries form mycorrhiza with conifers.

Useful properties and restrictions on use

Like other mushrooms, blackberries contain a rich composition of nutrients and beneficial substances that help provide antibacterial protection to the body (treating wounds from staphylococcus, destroying E. coli).

Good to know!

The presence of easily digestible proteins and amino acids promotes rapid growth of muscle mass and recovery of strength after heavy and prolonged physical exertion.

Beneficial for the nervous system, the mushroom improves sleep and helps combat depression and irritability. The micro- and macronutrients found in the pulp can improve blood quality, eliminate toxins, accelerate metabolism, and improve lung function.

Lion's mane is used in medicine to make ointments for treating skin lesions; cosmetic masks made from it are excellent moisturizers and toners; tinctures and compresses are recommended for relieving inflammation and purulent processes.

Hedgehog mushrooms are not recommended for people diagnosed with gastritis, pancreatitis, or liver disease. Individual intolerances are rare. It is best to avoid blackberry dishes if you have a fever or have undergone surgery. Pregnant women and children under 5 are strictly prohibited from eating these mushrooms.

Recipes and cooking features

Hedgehog mushrooms are most often used in French cuisine. Main courses, soups, mousses, appetizers and side dishes, juliennes, condiments, and sauces all utilize the distinctive tart flavor and piquant aroma of these exotic mushrooms. The mushrooms' ability to retain their size and shape when cooked is often used in batters and salads.

Before cooking with hedgehog mushrooms, the spines must be removed. Some varieties require parboiling to remove their distinctive bitterness. However, crested hedgehog mushrooms, tendril hedgehog mushrooms, and antler hedgehog mushrooms can be fried and salted without boiling.

Hedgehog mushrooms are fried in the same way as chanterelles or honey mushrooms, and they can also be stewed in sour cream or with vegetables. Clear and creamy soups are excellent in both flavor and nutrition. A gravy made from boiled mushrooms is especially prized for enhancing the flavor of eggs, all kinds of porridges, side dishes, and salads.

To prepare it, you'll need about 300 grams of mushrooms, 3 tablespoons each of butter and flour, 1.5 cups of milk, 2 egg yolks, 1 cup of mushroom broth, and salt to taste. You can add a few spices, but it's best to avoid them so as not to overpower the mushroom flavor.

Making the gravy is quite simple: prepare a so-called white sauce (fry flour in butter, add milk, and when the mixture begins to thicken, add broth and yolks). At the end of cooking, mix the mixture with chopped mushrooms, and simmer for about 15 minutes.

Answers to frequently asked questions

Can you eat old blackberries?

As the mushroom ages, it becomes tough and bitter, and such specimens are not eaten.

Are these mushrooms pickled?

Yellow mushrooms, similar in appearance and taste to chanterelles, are pickled using the same recipes. The mushrooms don't need to be cleaned before pickling; they should only be soaked in salted water to remove any dirt. Next, the fruiting bodies are steeped in boiling water for 10-15 minutes. After rinsing again with cool water, pour in a standard mushroom marinade.

What poisonous mushrooms look like blackberries?

Blackberries have no poisonous lookalikes. Edibility restrictions apply only to the variegated variety, which is believed to be poisonous when eaten raw.

The blackberry is a rare but perfectly edible mushroom that typically grows near coniferous trees. It's most often used as a seasoning, as its distinctive aroma and flavor make it too exotic to eat on its own.