Bashkiria's climate allows for excellent harvests of various mushroom species. They grow abundantly in many regions and vary significantly in morphology and flavor, allowing for a varied home menu. Only 30% of Bashkiria's mushrooms are edible, so before heading out on a "silent hunt," it's essential to carefully study their photos and descriptions.
Mushroom distribution and harvesting seasons in Bashkiria
Edible mushrooms begin to appear in Bashkortostan in early spring, shortly after the snow melts. However, in warmer parts of the region, they are already harvested in late March, while in colder areas, they only begin to appear in May. The mushroom season ends with the first autumn frosts.
Places of distribution of mushrooms:
- In the Ufa region:
- The meadows, forests and gardens near the village of Krasny Yar are especially rich in champignons;
- Along the banks of the Urshak River near the village of Kamyshly there are many rare species of mushrooms, including the yellow milk mushroom;
- Near the village of Osorgino, people usually look for milk mushrooms.
- In the forests of the Kushnarevsky district, the main find is the milk mushroom.
- In the Ilishevsky district, in the vicinity of the village of Ishkarovo, in the forests, clearings and forest edges, there are especially many saffron milk caps.
- Porcini and boletus mushrooms grow in the Blagovarsky district near the village of Yazykovo.
- There are a lot of boletus mushrooms in the Chishminsky district.
- The Melkombinat area - chanterelles and honey mushrooms.
You may be interested in:Photos and descriptions of edible spring mushrooms
In spring, the selection of mushrooms is not as rich as in summer and autumn, but you can still find healthy and tasty mushroom varieties.
Liner
Morels are considered conditionally edible. Opinions differ regarding their safety. Some recommend cooking and drying. Others claim that boiling, soaking, or drying does not remove the toxins. At the very least, boiling the product beforehand is recommended.
The morel has a nondescript, velvety cap, 2-10 cm in diameter. It's sinuous, shapeless, resembling a walnut or brain, hollow inside, with numerous folds. Depending on environmental conditions, the color can vary (from yellow to reddish-brown).
The interior of the short (2-3 cm) and grooved stem is also hollow. The stem is slightly thickened at the base and often buried in the soil. The brittle, waxy flesh has a damp smell. Morels are easier to spot in pine forests, burnt-out areas, and clearings that are warmed by the sun.
You may be interested in:Morel mushroom
Morels grow in areas of old fires. They thrive in a variety of soils, often near ash trees, at forest edges, and along roadsides. They can be found even when there's still snow left.
It is distinguished by a wrinkled, ovoid-elongated cap, 5-30 cm tall, covered with irregularly shaped cells. Despite its size, the fruiting body is quite light, as it is hollow inside. Depending on age and local conditions, the color can be brown, yellow, gray, or ochre. The fragile stem is cream-colored or completely white, smooth, tightly fused with the cap, and also hollow. The flesh has a pleasant aroma. Pre-heating is required before consumption.
Morel cap
To find this cap in large numbers, it's best to head to an aspen or birch forest in late April or early May. Like other members of the Morchella family, it has a wrinkled cap. This cap resembles a cap, a thimble, or a bell. It is small (1-5 cm in height and 1-4 cm in diameter) and brown or bright yellow. Compared to the common morel, its lower edge is free and not attached to the stem. The underside of the cap is lighter.
The cylindrical stem grows to a height of 6-11 cm, sometimes as much as 15 cm, and a thickness of 1.5-3 cm. The stem is solid and white-yellow in young specimens, hollow and ochre-colored in mature specimens, pubescent or slightly scaly, with a slight mealy coating. The flesh is waxy, light (the cap is darker), thin, and quite fragile. It has a distinctive, damp-like odor.
Summer mushrooms with photos and names
Following warm thunderstorms, summer mushrooms appear in abundance in Bashkiria.
White mushroom
Also known as the boletus or simply the white mushroom, it is considered the king of mushrooms thanks to its excellent taste and unique aroma. Boletus mushrooms typically grow in clusters along forest paths and at the edges of birch forests. They are a very impressive sight.
The wide, dark-brown cap (7-30 cm) is usually convex or flattened. It is covered with a smooth or wrinkled, glabrous, thinly felted or scaly-fibrous skin that does not separate from the flesh. However, the tubular layer, indented near the stem, is easily separated. It is initially white, but over time, it yellows and becomes olive-green.
The flesh is firm, meaty, and juicy, white when young and fibrous and tinged with yellow when older. Beneath the dark skin, the flesh is brown or reddish-brown. The color remains virtually unchanged when cut. The mushroom's pleasant aroma can be detected during cooking and drying.
The massive, club-shaped or barrel-shaped stem reaches 7 cm in thickness and 25 cm in height. The stem is white, red, or brown, lighter than the cap. Its upper portion usually has a network of veins.
Fox
Chanterelles, also known as cockerels, are very popular both in Bashkiria and beyond. They transport and store well, are suitable for cooking in any form, and the presence of chinomannose in the flesh discourages insects from preying on them.
The largest harvest can be gathered in late summer, after warm rains. Cockatiels prefer bright spots in mixed forests with birch trees, but they can also be found in coniferous forests. Noticeable concentrations of them can be found at forest edges, along roadsides, and in clearings.
The light yellow or yellow-orange cap of young mushrooms, fused with the stem, is round and slightly convex, later becoming funnel-shaped. It measures 2-12 cm. Its surface is almost smooth, matte, and the edges are usually rolled. The skin is difficult to peel.
The stem is moderately dense, firm, and solid, 4-7 cm high, 1-3 cm thick, and tapering at the base. The flesh is yellow at the edges and white in the center, has a slightly tart taste, and smells of dried fruit or roots.
Aspen mushroom
From June to October, the aspen mushroom, known for its flavor and abundant harvest, enters its peak fruiting season. For mushroom pickers, it's second only to the porcini mushroom in terms of flavor. Naturally, the aspen mushroom prefers to be near aspen trees. It can also grow near other deciduous trees, but not conifers. It's found in small groups in the grass along forest paths and in clearings.
You may be interested in:The hemispherical, eventually cushion-shaped cap is red, reddish-brown, or orange. The tubular layer is white, but over time it becomes grayish-brown. The cap, like the stem, reaches 15 cm in size. The stem is covered with gray scales. The dense, fleshy, and white flesh can turn blue when cut.
Birch boletus
This is another mushroom whose name indicates its location. It's also called the scaly-headed mushroom, and people start hunting for it in the first half of July. It has a thin stem, which, when mature, is quite tough and fibrous, and a brownish-brown cap (15 cm in diameter).
Unlike the aspen boletus, the flesh doesn't change when cut, but remains white. However, there is a pinkish variety of the birch bolete that grows in marshy areas. The birch bolete is suitable for any culinary dish.
Autumn mushrooms of Bashkiria with descriptions and photos
Autumn is a favorite season for mushroom pickers, as there are more mushrooms in the Bashkir forests, making autumn walks a real pleasure.
Collecting butter
One of the most popular mushrooms is the butter mushroom, so named because of its slippery, oily (convex or flat) cap. The peak harvest is in September, when butter mushrooms appear in young pine stands and forest edges. The cap can be colored in various shades of brown and yellow.
The skin is easy to remove. The yellow or white tubular layer simply separates from the cap. The stem is straight, tall, and fairly thin, with a remaining veil (ring). The flesh is white or slightly yellow, and can turn blue or red when broken.
Ryzhik
The bright orange, even reddish, saffron milk cap owes its color to its high beta-carotene content. It's rich in nutrients, and its energy value is comparable to beef, chicken, and eggs. It's found in pine forests and mixed pine forests. It's often found in groups. It thrives in moisture, so it appears in large numbers after heavy rains.
The saffron milk cap is rounded. It changes from convex to funnel-shaped. The surface is smooth and shiny, sticky in damp weather. Dimensions: stem height is 3-7 cm, cap diameter is 4-18 cm. Thin but dense gills slightly taper onto the stem. The orange milky sap has a fruity aroma and quickly turns green when the fruiting body is broken.
You may be interested in:Honey fungus
In the first half of September, you can go in search of honey mushrooms, which appear in large groups on the remains of fallen and cut trees (alder, aspen, birch, oak, pine, and others). Mushroom pickers are especially interested in mushrooms with unopened caps. The color of the cap (3-10 cm in diameter) depends on the substrate in which the mushrooms live (the cap can be honey-brown, olive-green, etc.). The cap is initially convex, then flattens.
The surface is covered with sparse scales that may gradually disappear. The gills are sparse. The stem is tall (8-10 cm) and medium-thin (1-2 cm), solid, lighter at the top and slightly wider at the bottom. There is a narrow whitish ring just under the cap. There is no volva. The mushrooms have a pleasant aroma and taste.
Real milk mushroom
A great option for pickling is the milk mushroom. It's also called the milk mushroom because when broken, it releases a milky sap that quickly turns yellow when exposed to oxygen. It can be found in birch forests and mixed forests where birch trees are present.
The rounded cap is often cream-colored (other shades are also possible), with a fringe of yellowish fibers visible along its curved inner edge. The cap is flat when young, later becoming funnel-shaped. The cylindrical, hollow stem is usually the same color as the cap. Although the mushroom is quite large (8-15 cm), it is not always easy to see due to the foliage clinging to it.
Answers to frequently asked questions
Bashkiria is a rich region that generously shares its gifts with lovers of the "silent hunt." Mushroom-picking spots abound in various directions, each region boasts a rich supply of delicious mushrooms, and the climate is conducive to harvesting from early spring to late fall.
You may be interested in:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTcSSLEXU9Y
What are the benefits and harms of oyster mushrooms for humans (+27 photos)?
What to do if salted mushrooms become moldy (+11 photos)?
What mushrooms are considered tubular and their description (+39 photos)
When and where can you start picking honey mushrooms in the Moscow region in 2021?