Winter mushroom mushroom (velvet-legged flammulina)

It is generally accepted that winter is not the time for the mushroom season. Indeed, few people can be found in the forest in such a cold period. However, for experienced mushroom pickers, winter is not a reason to bask at home by the stove. It is with the onset of cold weather that it becomes possible to go on a “hunt” for winter mushrooms. It turns out that collecting mushroom crops at such a time of the year is not without meaning. It is in the winter forest that bright fruiting bodies grow abundantly, which will be discussed. For clarity, on this page you can find a description, photos and videos of winter mushrooms.

Winter honey mushrooms (flammulina velutipes) - cap mushrooms belonging to the Ordinary family. These fruiting bodies are very appreciated among many mushroom pickers, because they have a pleasant and delicate taste, therefore they are widely used in cooking. They are great for processes like pickling and pickling. Various soups and sauces are also prepared from them. However, some prefer not to deal with winter mushrooms, since during the cooking process they become slimy, although this feature does not affect the taste of the dish.

Another name for winter honey agaric is velvet-legged flammulin. It indicates a characteristic feature of the appearance of a given fruiting body. As for edibility, it is classified into 4 categories. This means that the mushroom requires mandatory heat treatment.

Below you can see a more detailed description of winter mushrooms and photos of mushrooms, clearly showing the characteristic features of their appearance.

Edible winter mushrooms: a description of how mushrooms look in the forest (with photo)

Latin name: Flammulina velutipes.

Gender: Flammulin.

Family: Ordinary, also belong to the family Negniyuchkovye.

Synonyms: Agaricus velutipes, Collybia velutipes, Collybidium velutipes, Gymnopus velutipes, Myxocollybia velutipes.

Russian synonyms: velvet-legged flammulina, velvet-legged collibia, winter mushroom. In the West, they are most often found under the Japanese name "enokitake."

Hat: round-convex, with age acquires a flat shape. The diameter is from 2 to 8 cm, however, some large specimens can reach 10 and even 12 cm. The color of the cap varies from yellow or honey to orange-brown. In most cases, the edges of the cap have a lighter shade than the central zone. Mucous, smooth, with a little drying, gets a glossy look. Pay attention to the caps of winter edible mushrooms by looking at the photo.

Leg: cylindrical, tubular, dense, velvety, 3-8 cm high, up to 1 cm thick. The upper part has a lighter shade (yellow), and the lower part is darker (brown or red).

Pulp: thin, stiff at the lower edge of the leg and softer at the hat. White or light yellow, with a mild pleasant odor and taste.

Records: rare, slightly adhered to the pedicle, sometimes shortened.The color of the plates in young individuals ranges from cream to yellowish-white, and darkens with age.

We offer you to see some more photos of the winter honey fly in the forest:

As you can see, they have a brighter color than representatives of other species of edible mushrooms. Knowing what the winter mushrooms look like in the photo, it will be much easier for you to find them in the forest.

Edibility: conditionally edible, refers to 4 categories.

Winter variety of honey mushrooms: photos and how to distinguish edible mushrooms from false

Application: It is used in cooking and medicine. They are pickled, salted, fried, made from them caviar, soups and sauces. In young specimens, only the lower part of the leg is removed, in mature ones only hats are taken. Mushrooms are very popular in Japanese cuisine. In medicine, it is used for the treatment and prevention of benign tumors - fibroma, fibroids, fibroids, adenomas, mastopathy and other types of oncology. Used for thrombophlebitis and increased blood coagulation.

Similarities and differences: the winter variety of honey agarics has no false poisonous counterparts. Nevertheless, their appearance can be confused with the summer honey agaric and the spindle-footed collibia. However, they are almost impossible to meet next to the winter open-air. The fact is that the time of their bearing is completely at odds with the season of activity of flammulins. But be that as it may, it is necessary to know some differences between them.

As you can see in the photo, you can distinguish winter mushrooms from false ones by the presence of a ring on the leg: in edible species, it is clearly visible, while in false species it is completely absent.

Colibia spindle-footed - fruiting body of dubious food quality. The mushroom cap has a pronounced red-brown color. The leg is often twisted, noticeably tapering down, has a reddish-red hue. Comparing photos and descriptions of winter mushrooms with false species, you can easily determine where and what fruiting bodies.

Spread: winter honey fly grows in the northern temperate zone, being a parasite fungus. It prefers stumps, deadwoods, live and damaged trunks. Most often, flammulin can be found on deciduous trees: willow, poplar, aspen, ligature, maple, etc. On conifers grows much less often, sometimes picks dead wood.

Winter mushroom season: where and when mushrooms grow

Many beginner mushroom pickers are interested in when winter mushrooms grow. Judging by the name, we can conclude that the season of winter mushrooms starts with the onset of cold weather. As already noted, this type of fruiting body grows most often in deciduous forests, but sometimes they can be found in urban gardens and parks, near roads and industrial enterprises.

Flammulina grows in large families, like most other species of honey agarics, forming honey-golden "bouquets". Due to its bright color, winter mushrooms are often grown as a decorative decoration for personal plots of houses. However, it should be remembered that these mushrooms destroy wood, leading to its drying out and death.

Depending on where the winter mushrooms grow, we can say what taste and smell they have. So, growing on deciduous trees, the flesh of the mushroom will have a more delicate taste and aroma. And settling in a pine or spruce, the fruiting body acquires a characteristic smell and a bitter resinous aftertaste.

When winter mushrooms appear and how to find them in the forest

The period when winter mushrooms appear depends on the climatic characteristics of individual territories. Traditionally, the first crop appears in late September - early October. Peak abundant fruiting occurs in November-February, sometimes a large number of mushrooms can be observed in May. Thus, under certain weather conditions, it is possible to collect winter mushrooms almost year-round.

One of the characteristic features of flammulina is that it tolerates frosts perfectly. In the period of frost, the mushroom freezes, but does not die. At the first thaw, its growth resumes, and the structure of the fruiting body itself returns its flexibility and pristine appearance.I must say that you can find this mushroom even under the thickness of snow. It can be easily collected both frozen and thawed, because even with severe frosts it will not lose its taste.

Knowing when winter mushrooms grow, and under what conditions this process occurs, many mushroom pickers do not miss the opportunity to visit the forest in the cold season. They may find that during freezing, the honey agarics begin to crumble when pressed, but you should not be afraid of this. In a warm room, they thaw and return to their former elasticity.

And how can you find winter mushrooms in the forest? Fans of the “silent hunt”, who have many years of experience in this matter, note that such an activity is not easy. In addition to fallen trees and stumps, it is necessary to look into the hollows. Sometimes there you can find a whole "army" of honey-golden "soldiers". In addition, picking mushrooms, you should not only look under your feet, but also look up. Often, winter mushrooms grow precisely at a height that can reach up to 3 m. In this case, it is worth taking a long stick with a hook, thanks to which it will be easy to remove mushrooms from a tree.

How quickly winter mushrooms grow and when they can be harvested

Also, many beginner mushroom pickers are interested in how quickly winter mushrooms grow. As you know, all mushrooms, without exception, grow very quickly. If the weather has established outside the window, favorable for the growth of the fruiting body, then after 2-3 days you can go to the forest. Under what circumstances then does winter fungus grow? In this case, everything will depend on weather conditions. In the absence of strong and prolonged frosts, the fruiting body can grow in a few days. According to studies, flammulin per day can increase by 1-2 cm. And vice versa, if frost sets in, then the growth of such mushrooms practically stops, but only until the first thaw. It is with her arrival that the fungus continues to grow, delighting with its motley eye color in the “bare” forest. Therefore, in order to know when you can go pick winter mushrooms, you need to be guided by the weather, because the growth of fruiting bodies depends on it.

The surface of the cap at the winter openings is slightly covered with mucus, which does not disappear even when boiling. In addition, the leg of the fruiting body is usually removed completely, since it is too rigid. There is also evidence that the pulp of the fungus may contain a small amount of toxins, so it must always be subjected to heat treatment. To do this, the winter mushroom after cleaning is boiled in salted water for at least 20 minutes, and then proceed to cooking.