Why honey mushrooms are bitter: possible causes

“Mushroom hunting” is always not only a fascinating affair, but also a very serious one. After all, this process must be approached with all responsibility. Even the collection of such famous mushrooms as honey mushrooms implies the presence of certain knowledge. There are situations when fans of the “silent hunt” may find that they have gathered bitter mushrooms.

Can mushrooms mushrooms be bitter?

Many inexperienced mushroom pickers believe that it is enough to know the description of only the most poisonous mushrooms - pale grebe and fly agaric, but this is a very deceptive belief. In order to protect yourself from growing poison in the forest and not to collect what is in your basket, you need to study a lot of information about the fruiting body that you are going to “hunt” for.

Sometimes you can really notice that the mushrooms you have collected are bitter in taste. This actually really upsets mushroom pickers, because there are big doubts about the edibility of these fruiting bodies. Could honey mushrooms be bitter, and what should be done in this case so as not to endanger oneself and loved ones? Let's look at the possible reasons why honey mushrooms can be bitter.

What false bitter mushrooms look like:

One of the main reasons lies in the inexperience of the mushroom picker. The fact is that nature generously awarded honey agarics with insidious doubles. Along with the edible honey mushrooms in the forest, one can also meet their false clones. Therefore, out of inexperience or inattention, you can pick up such tasteless mushrooms. I must say that all false mushrooms are bitter. And even the presence of at least one such fruiting body in a basket can completely ruin the whole dish with impossible bitterness. Thus, you will have to throw all your efforts into the trash, so as not to risk your health.

Therefore, it is recommended to verify the authenticity of finds directly in the forest. As a rule, false mushrooms are more beautiful and expressive; worms do not start on them. In addition, they do not have a “ring-skirt” on the leg, which is an important factor in the collection. Try also the tip of the tongue on the cut of the hat. Do not be afraid, poisonous mushrooms do not grow on our territory, so there is no risk of poisoning. False inedible mushrooms will be bitter, so you will immediately understand which mushroom you are holding in your hands.

Why did boiled mushrooms become bitter?

Each type of fruiting body requires a certain treatment, and honey mushroom is no exception. Improper processing is another reason mushrooms can be bitter. So, for example, the milk should be soaked for about 2 days, constantly changing water, and then boil. Otherwise, the dish will be very bitter and even impossible to eat. Some species of honey mushrooms belong to the category of conditionally edible, so they need to be boiled in salted water for 25-30 minutes. In addition, such mushrooms should be soaked for 1-1.5 hours in cold water, also adding salt.

It happens that you brought home a basket of honey mushrooms, boiled them and cooked your favorite dish. However, your meal is clouded because the fruiting bodies are bitter.Why did mushrooms become bitter after cooking, and what can be done in this case? It must be said right away that it is better to play it safe and refuse to eat mushrooms further.

According to the above, the reason why boiled mushrooms are bitter may be due to the inexperience of the mushroom picker. In this case, one or more false doubles can get into the basket. However, if the mushroom picker is sure of the edibility of honey mushrooms, here their bitterness can be caused by other factors. For example, the gathering place and weather conditions can sometimes cause this unpleasant phenomenon. Many experienced mushroom pickers noticed that honey mushrooms growing in coniferous forests absorb a smack of resin, which gives them a slight bitterness. In addition, too frequent and long rains also adversely affect the pulp of the fungus.

I must say that the same representatives of the mushroom "kingdom" have different tastes and degrees of bitterness. So, in many respects it depends on the symbiosis of the trees around which they grow.

In addition, many housewives note that if you add a lot of bay leaf during cooking, then the mushrooms acquire a slight bitterness. However, this feature annoys not everyone.

Why did honey mushrooms become bitter after frying?

Honey mushrooms may become bitter even after frying - why is this happening? All of the above factors can play a major role here. However, there is another reason, and it concerns adult mushrooms. It happens that mature large individuals have a certain bitterness. It is known that all fungi absorb radiation and salts of heavy metals from the atmosphere. And the older the fruiting body, the more it has absorbed harmful substances. In the absence of prolonged heat treatment, you can find bitterness in mushrooms. This, most likely, indicates an increased content of toxins, which means that eating such fruiting bodies is very dangerous.

I must say that for all types of honey mushrooms, preliminary heat treatment is highly recommended. If you, without boiling honey mushrooms, immediately after cleaning, leave them to fry in a pan, then the result may upset you.

Why did pickled mushrooms become bitter?

And if the pickled mushrooms became bitter, why is this happening? Recall all the same reasons mentioned above. The gathering place of honey mushrooms, their age, improper handling, adverse weather conditions, as well as the presence of false counterparts - all these factors can give bitterness to the dish. If you find a similar feature in pickled mushrooms, then do not regret throwing them away. If in doubt, it is best not to tempt fate.