What does the blueleg mushroom look like and what does it describe? (+18 photos)

A blue stem with a purple tint and a grayish-white cap—rather unusual for a mushroom. This unusual coloring often discourages novice mushroom hunters. This is unfortunate, as it's a blueleg mushroom, an unusual-looking but perfectly edible one. There aren't many lookalikes, but it's still important to know its characteristics to avoid making a mistake while foraging in the forest.

Characteristic features of the variety

Blueleg, blue-leg, two-colored row, blueleg row, purple-leg row, or blue root – these are all names for the same mushroom. It gets its names from its color and unique arrangement. Bluelegs grow in rows, tightly pressed together.

Appearance and photo

Experienced mushroom pickers enjoy collecting the purple-legged rowan, as this mushroom's scientific name is, because it's so delicious. Beginner mushroom pickers should look at the photos and carefully read the description to avoid confusing it with saprophytes, which should never be eaten.

The blueleg mushroom is distinguished by its shiny, rather dense cap, which curls inward. This makes it resemble a round bun.

Structure and species differences

Let's take a closer look at this species' appearance. The cap typically reaches 10 cm in diameter, but some are quite large—up to 25 cm. The color is light yellow, with a slight purple tint. It's important to note that the color can vary depending on weather conditions, growing location, and the age of the mushroom.

As noted, the cap margins are recurved, but in older fruits they may be everted. The cap is slightly oily to the touch and sticky in rainy weather. Beneath the cap are gills. They are most often yellowish in color, but can also be cream, pinkish-cream, or grayish-cream. The gills themselves are large and loosely arranged.

The stems are quite thick at the base (up to 3 cm), club-shaped, and smooth. They generally do not exceed 10 cm in length. The unusual bright purple, violet, or gray-violet coloration and fibrous structure are the main distinguishing features of young mushrooms.

The flesh of the Blue Leg mushroom is also purple. Its texture is also characterized by its density and thickness. With age, it becomes more crumbly. Its aroma is very unusual. Some mushroom pickers compare it to pineapple.

Place of distribution, rules and conditions of collection

Bluelegs can be found throughout almost all of Russia (except the Far North). They also grow in North and South America, Europe, and Kazakhstan.

Purple-legged rowans like to settle in meadows and pastures. However, they don't particularly favor forests, preferring plenty of light. If they are found there, it's usually under deciduous trees. They also prefer places with organic fertilizer, such as compost pits and abandoned farms, peat and black soil. Bluelegs can also be collected from forest gullies with rotting leaves.

They grow very close to each other, in clusters. This makes them hard to miss. There have been cases of harvesting up to 20 kg of fruit in a single spot. Experts recommend going "hunting" from April to October during dry weather. During the rainy season, the fruits become slimy and sticky, making them unpleasant to the touch, but they tolerate light frosts down to -5 degrees Celsius very well.

Consumption

The blue leg mushroom is conditionally edible, but despite this, it is very tasty and somewhat reminiscent of champignons and even chicken. It can be fried, salted, pickled, boiled, dried—in other words, eaten in any form except raw.

Useful properties and restrictions on use

Bluelegs are not only delicious but also very healthy. They're perfect for those watching their diet and counting calories: 100 grams of this product contains only 22 kcal. They're also rich in vitamins and minerals. That's why bluelegs are recommended for consumption during cold and flu season.

Bluelegs improve cardiovascular function, normalize blood pressure, strengthen the immune system, have anti-cancer, antimicrobial, and antibacterial properties, and have beneficial effects on all organs. However, people with chronic gastrointestinal or liver diseases should avoid mushroom dishes.

Distinction from false, inedible mushrooms

Bluelegs are easily confused with the purple and weedy (or dirty) rowan, the purple and white-purple webcap, and the goat webcap. Here, you need to be very careful and attentive:

1. The purple rowan, as its name suggests, is distinguished by its color. This mushroom is entirely purple or blue. The weed rowan is smaller in size and has a thinner stem.

   

2. Unlike the edible rowan mushroom, the goat webcap is poisonous. It is larger and has a distinctive, unpleasant odor (like goat or acetylene).

   

3. The purple cobweb mushroom is conditionally edible, but its flavor is quite different. It can be identified by its "skirt" under the cap. It also differs in color: the top is grayer, with an ashy sheen.

   

4. The purple-and-white webcap is far more frightening. It's poisonous. In calm weather, you can smell its distinctive odor in the forest. To avoid putting this fruit in your basket, you need to know its signs. If you break the mushroom, you'll see light yellow flesh, sometimes with purple spots.

   

Recipes and cooking features

Bluelegs mushrooms are fried, pickled, and used in soups, juliennes, pancakes, and other dishes. But for a dish to be truly tasty and healthy, they need to be prepared properly.

Processing

The first thing to do is sort the mushrooms and soak them in salted water to remove any insects. Afterward, rinse them thoroughly under running water. This will remove any debris that may be lodged in the gills. Carefully peel the mushrooms, removing the skin from the caps, and boil them for 15 minutes.

After the first boil, the mushrooms are cooled and placed in a second, already boiling vinegar infusion. The onion is also added. All these steps will help remove the bitterness and unpleasant odor. After boiling, the mushrooms are thoroughly washed under running water. Now you can begin preparing the main dish.

How to marinate?

If you marinate mushrooms correctly, they can be stored for a long time and delight you with their excellent taste all winter long.

The recipe is simple:

1. For 1 liter of water, take 2 tablespoons of salt and sugar, 2 bay leaves, cherry and currant sprigs, 8-10 black peppercorns, 5 cloves of garlic.
2. Fully prepared mushrooms are poured with this mixture, cooked for another 20 minutes and 1 tablespoon of vinegar is poured in.
3. The prepared mushrooms are placed in sterilized jars and rolled up.

Other recipes

Fried rowan mushrooms are incredibly delicious, especially with butter and sour cream.

Once the cooked fruit has drained, place it in a colander, let it drain, and then place it in a hot frying pan until the excess liquid has evaporated. Now you can add butter and finely chopped onion. Once the fruit has browned, add sour cream and simmer for another 15 minutes over low heat.

Answers to frequently asked questions

The blueleg mushroom is very unusual. Its striking coloring can sometimes frighten inexperienced mushroom pickers. However, it is edible. Blueleg mushrooms are delicious boiled, fried, and pickled, and they can be added to a wide variety of dishes. It's important to remember that there are mushrooms similar to this one in nature. Since some lookalikes are poisonous, caution should be exercised when foraging.