Description of the bruise mushroom and is it edible (+26 photos)?

Rare in Europe today, but a much-loved and popular mushroom, which is called the bruise mushroom due to its flesh turning blue when broken or cut, is tasty, aromatic and healthy.

Although rare, it can be found in mixed or coniferous forests, or grown locally. Dishes made with it have a unique flavor, are easy to prepare, and are nutritious.

Characteristic features and other names of a bruise

The blue mushroom is very easy to recognize from a photo or description alone, but it's not so easy to find in the forest due to a decline in its population in recent decades. Other names for the mushroom—blueing blue mushroom, birch blue mushroom—are used much less frequently, as its main distinguishing feature predominates.

Appearance, structure and photos

The cap of this felt-like mushroom changes from convex to flat as it grows, and can range in color from whitish, brown, and yellow. However, with simple pressure, it quickly turns blue at the point of contact. The tubular portion has few pores, typically white or straw-colored, and the spores are yellow. The stipe is loose and hollow, without a ring.

The cap of the blue berry can reach 15 cm, the stem is cylindrical, up to 8 cm high, and has a wider base. The flesh is whitish-cream and brittle. The taste and aroma are pleasant. The fruiting body, when cut or broken, turns a characteristic cornflower blue.

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The location of the bruises

Oak groves, coniferous forests, warm, sun-baked sandstone, humidity, and a warm climate are the primary preferences of these mushrooms. They grow best under birch, pine, chestnut, and oak trees, as gyropora form a symbiotic relationship with the roots of these trees, exchanging nutrients.

In Russia, these mushrooms are most often found in the deciduous and mixed forests of Western Siberia. In Europe and Central Asia, the mushroom is more common in the steppe zone.

Edible or inedible

Because this mushroom is rare, many wonder whether it's edible. It's classified as either category two or three according to various classifications. However, experienced mushroom pickers agree that it's edible, tasty, and nutritious, although it's only suitable for consumption after cooking.

Individual intolerance to the mushroom is possible due to gastrointestinal tract disorders and chronic liver and kidney diseases.

Differences from false mushrooms

Gyropora cannot be confused with dangerous poisonous mushrooms due to their unique characteristic of turning blue.

However, due to inexperience, it is easy to mistake the chestnut gyroporus for a bruise, which is very similar in appearance, but at the first cut of any part of the chestnut lookalike, the mistake immediately becomes obvious; its fruiting body never turns blue.

The conditionally edible Junckville boletus can also be mistaken for a bruise; its flesh turns blue at the break, but very soon the blue color turns black.

When and how to collect correctly

Bruises require restoration, without which they risk extinction as a species, so they must be harvested very carefully, trying not to damage the mycelium. It's best to cut off only part of the stem, avoiding old or damaged mushrooms, saving them for further propagation.

Types and their descriptions with photos

Several species of mushrooms are classified as bruise mushrooms. These include the Gyroporus family, tubular cap mushrooms that form the genus Gyroporus, and the Gyroporaceae family. These mushrooms also belong to the Boletaceae family, and are called oak mushrooms.

These edible mushrooms have flesh that is characteristically blue or shades of blue. They have a spongy, central stem without a reticulated pattern. The flesh is light-colored, the hymenophores form loose tubes and have regular, rounded pores. Their individual characteristics include:

1. Gyroporus cyanescens The edible mushroom has a velvety cap, reaching 15 cm in length, which can be convex or flat, light yellow or darker, even brown. The flesh is creamy white, turning a bright cornflower blue when broken. The stem, up to 10 cm long, is cone-shaped and thickened at the base. In young mushrooms, it is filled with cottony tissue, while in mature specimens, it is hollow.

   

   

   

   It often grows near birch, oak, and chestnut trees, preferring sandy soil in mixed and deciduous forests. It bears fruit from July to late September. It has a strong, pleasant aroma and flavor without bitterness, and is used dried for making soups and sauces.

2. Oak tree olive-brown – considered conditionally edible, it requires boiling and subsequent water changes; otherwise, it can cause stomach and intestinal upset, especially when combined with alcohol. It's easy to distinguish from edible species; it has a very large cap (up to 20 cm) of olive-brown color.

   

   

   

   The flesh is yellow, and the base of the stem is reddish. Any pressure causes the entire mushroom to become spotted; where broken, the fruiting body turns blue, but soon turns brown. It thrives in calcareous soils of mixed forests. It thrives in warmth, and the harvest season is August. It is often pickled.

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1. Speckled oakweedWhen young, it has a prominent, matte cap in various shades of brown. The stem is reddish-yellow, tuberous, or barrel-shaped, with red scales. When cut, it takes on a blue-greenish color in the cap and a reddish color in the stem.

   

   

   

   It thrives in acidic soil, marshy areas, and moss, and is most often found in coniferous forests. It begins bearing fruit in May and can be found until the end of October. Since the mushroom is conditionally edible, it should not be consumed without first boiling it for 15 minutes. It is mostly used dried.

The beneficial properties of bruises and the specifics of their preparation

A third-category edible mushroom, it has a pleasant taste, is not bitter, does not become tough during cooking, has a distinctive strong aroma, and contains many beneficial substances, including the natural antibiotic boletus, which has a broad spectrum of action and minimal side effects.

The antioxidants found in the fruiting body of the bruise are used to prevent various types of tumors. Potassium, magnesium, and sodium, in easily absorbed forms, help improve cardiovascular function and boost the body's defenses.

However, bruises also contain compounds that are difficult to digest, so people with impaired stomach, liver, and kidney function, as well as pregnant women and children, are not recommended to consume them.

Bruise mushroom soup with raisins and prunes is piquant, unique, and nutritious. It's best prepared using dried ingredients, along with potatoes, onions, a little wheat flour, vegetable oil for frying, parsley, and salt. The mushrooms are boiled separately first, and the resulting broth is then drained.

Bruises fried with nuts are delicious. For 0.5 kg of fresh bruises, add a cup of peeled walnuts, onion, cilantro, apple cider vinegar, ground pepper, butter, and salt.

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Answers to frequently asked questions

Due to its rarity and little-known nature, the blueing mushroom raises many questions among inexperienced mushroom pickers:

Tasty, aromatic, and nutritious blueberries with bluish flesh are rare, but they can be found in European forests. By carefully harvesting them or growing them yourself, you can diversify your diet and enrich your body with beneficial nutrients.