“Assumption” mushrooms: how they look and when to collect
Honey mushrooms are called “Assumption” mushrooms because of their mass growth at the end of summer, namely for celebrating the Orthodox holiday of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This holiday is known for the fact that autumn mushrooms begin to appear in the forests and forest plantations of Russia on this day. Mushroom pickers with experience boldly go to the forest for the first young mushrooms, which have been growing for 2-3 weeks from this day. There are years when, due to the arid and hot summers, the dates for collecting Uspenka mushrooms can be postponed by 2 weeks, but these are very rare cases.
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When to collect "assumption" and autumn mushrooms?
When to collect "assumption" mushrooms, can you ask? Some regions of Russia abound in autumn mushrooms. In the Northern Hemisphere, 2 or even 3 waves of fruiting of autumn and “assumption” honey mushrooms can be observed. Depending on the weather conditions of a particular area, these mushrooms can be harvested almost until the end of October. We offer you to see photos of the "assumption" mushrooms growing in our forests:
Autumn mushrooms or “assumption” begin to appear first on birch or birch stumps. Their size resembles a pin head that cannot be cut or poked with a knife. However, after only 2-3 days, having returned to this place, you will be able to collect a large crop of mushrooms. As the "assumption" mushrooms grow, see the photo, which will help you to see these fruiting bodies closer:
How "Assumption" mushrooms and photos of mushrooms grow
Since honey agarics grow in large colonies, collecting them is a pleasure. Having found a mushroom place, you just have to do monotonous work - cut mushrooms and put them in a basket. In addition, the “Assumption” mushrooms are well transported in any capacity. The main thing is that they need to be quickly delivered home so that they do not “burn out” and sprinkled with a thin layer. You will be surprised how mushrooms are durable mushrooms, because during transportation only overripe mushrooms can break. If they were collected in rainy weather, then during transportation they lose their attractive appearance, however, the aroma and taste remain the same. From these honey mushrooms it will be possible to cook caviar, pate, fry or boil and freeze.
For beginner mushroom pickers who are just about to go to the forest for a "quiet hunt", we offer a photo and description of the "Assumption" mushrooms:
Indeed, sometimes these fruiting bodies are confused with false representatives of this species, so everyone needs to know the distinguishing features.
The main difference between an autumn and a false honey agaric is a “skirt” made of a film on a leg located at the level of the lower edge of the mushroom cap. In young mushrooms, the space under the hat is always covered with a white film. During the growth of the fungus, the "skirt" breaks away from the cap and remains on the leg, forming a ring. Note that not a single kind of false mushrooms have such a ring.Edible autumn mushrooms at a young age have a hemispherical hat. With age, the hat becomes umbrella-shaped with a tubercle, and then completely flat. It has a diameter of 2 cm to 12 cm. The caps of edible honey agarics are covered with small scales, however, in adulthood they disappear. The color of the hats varies from cream to reddish. The legs have a length of 2 to 17 cm, and in circumference up to 3 cm.
Mushroom pickers with experience advise always to remember the places where you found stumps or fallen trees with "assumption" mushrooms. Their subsequent harvest can always be harvested at the previous gathering place, if no one has found it before.
Experts consider honey agarics as a dangerous enemy for forests. These fruiting bodies affect weakened and diseased trees, but can also settle on healthy ones. Honey mushrooms spread to those parts of the forest where they had never been before, especially if deforestation was carried out without prevention.
But this information is of little interest to fans of "silent hunting." The stump on which many honey mushrooms grow is a godsend for any mushroom picker. As for cooking, here he simply has no equal among other species.
Although the “Uspenskie” honey mushrooms are harvested from the end of summer until the month of October, the collection season can move both in one direction and in the other, depending on weather conditions. However, the harvest harvest relates specifically to September and early October.
Now, having looked at the photos of the “assumption” mushrooms and knowing what these fruiting bodies look like, you can safely go to the nearest forest. However, do not forget about safety rules and do not go into the forest alone, especially if this forest is completely unfamiliar to you.
