Violin (Lactarius vellereus) photo and description

The benefits and value of the violin

Everyone wants to get the maximum benefit from food, but not all products are rich in this, which cannot be said about squeaky mushrooms.

After the mushrooms are properly processed, they lose harm, and saturate the body with vitamins, amino acids and trace elements (magnesium, potassium and calcium, and others). The violin contains 49% carbohydrates and 47% proteins. Mushrooms can even be eaten while on a diet, since there are 22 Kcal per 100 grams of product.

Mushroom composition:

proteins;
fats;
carbohydrates;
water.

Minerals:

calcium;
potassium;
iron;
magnesium;
phosphorus;
sodium;
zinc;
copper;
selenium;
manganese.

Vitamins:

vitamin C;
thiamine;
riboflavin;
a nicotinic acid;
choline;

vitamin B6; betaine; vitamin B12; vitamin B; vitamin E; fatty acid.

Regular consumption of properly prepared mushrooms will have a positive effect on the work of the digestive tract, bad cholesterol will be released, blood sugar will decrease and the work of the heart system will improve.

Growing at home

The principle of growing a violin is not difficult, you just need to buy a ready-made mycelium in the store. This option is more reliable and simpler, but, unfortunately, it is not sold everywhere.

Once the mycelium has been acquired, it is mixed with a preliminary substrate (a mixture of soil and hardwood sawdust). Next, you should collect leaves and moss in the forest, where many squeaks grow. Sowing should start from May to September.

Next, a nutrient solution is made based on yeast and sugar, and the mycelium should be grown on soil closer to forest soil.

Some mushroom pickers are planted as follows: overripe mushrooms are broken into pieces and mixed with peat and sawdust and watered with a nutrient solution. The container is covered with a lid, where small holes are made, and set aside for three days at a temperature of 23 degrees.

Before planting, the soil is watered with a lime solution, which should be diluted from 50 grams of lime to 10 liters of water. The holes are made closer to the deciduous wood, the prepared substrate is poured into the hole, filling it halfway. The mycelium is laid out on top and added with the prepared substrate to the top. At the end, moss and leaves are laid out.

You can also grow squeaks in a basement or shed. To do this, fill a plastic bag with squeaky mycelium and make holes in it, from where the mushrooms will grow. In this case, they can be collected for 5 years in a row.

Squeaky mushrooms, although not one of the most delicious mushrooms, can still be eaten. It is quite possible to be confused with some types of mushrooms, so you need to know how to distinguish a squeak from another mushroom. It is also necessary to properly prepare the squeaks so that there are no problems with the digestive system.

Violin mushroom - characteristic features

The violin, like the real milk mushroom, is closely connected with the birch in its life. The fungus forms mycorrhiza with this tree, and grows in forests where there is always a birch.

Usually, these two fungi are found in almost the same areas of the forest. And very often the mushroom picker is mistaken. I was hoping for a valuable booty ... but got a creak!

Squeaks, squeaks - these are even more common names than the "official" name of the mushroom - violin. Received their mushroom for a very characteristic creak, which is heard, for example, when cutting the fruit body.

What are the most obvious signs of a violin mushroom?

The violin is a dense mushroom, often very large. The diameter of the cap of a mature fruiting body can reach 15 - 20 cm.

In a young mushroom, the cap is almost flat, white. Later, it becomes funnel-shaped, acquires a yellowish tint. On the cap of a mature mushroom, yellow spots are often visible.

The mature fruiting body of the funnel-shaped violin fungus

But there are no concentric circles, albeit implicitly expressed, like a real breast, on the head of the violin. The edge of the cap is usually tucked up. But the "furry" of the edge, along which a real white lump is easily identified, is not observed in the violin either.

And the surface of the cap of the violin mushroom is predominantly dry. Unless, of course, you are considering a mushroom in the rain.

But on the hat there is usually a lot of adhered forest debris, which is not so easy to clean.

The stem of the violin mushroom is short and thick, dense.

The violin's leg is thick and rather short

The plates are descending, rather rare and thick. The color of the plates can be white or pale yellow.

Such are the plates of the violin mushroom

A plentiful white milky juice is released on the cut, which slowly turns yellow in air. Drops of milky juice can also be seen on damaged plates. This juice tastes very bitter.

The violin has abundant bitter white milky juice, which gradually turns yellow in the air.

The violin fungus is extremely rarely damaged by insect larvae. Mushroom mosquitoes do not like it! However, this does not mean at all that the mushroom is poisonous.

Comparison of the violin mushroom with similar mushrooms

The easiest way is to distinguish between a violin and a real lump. These mushrooms are similar only from a distance, in white. Moreover, the milky juice of the violin and the weight is bitter, white, yellowing.

The cap of a real lump is usually wet, slightly shaggy. There are noticeably more hairs along the edge. Concentric rings are visible on the surface.

It looks like a real load

The violin's hat is dry. There are no hairs. Concentric zones are not pronounced.

Another bitter milkman is similar to the violin - the peppermint. I rarely meet him here. It is predominantly an inhabitant of deciduous forests. But pepper milk mycorrhiza forms not only with oak, but also with birch.

The peppermint also has a very bitter milky juice. But in the air it does not turn yellow, but turns blue. And the plates of the pepper mushroom are more frequent than those of the violin.

And yet, in my opinion, the bitterness of pepper milk is not removed by any soaking or boiling. I remember I soaked it for five days, but after salting the mushroom remained bitter!

Outwardly, many are similar to a mushroom with a white fiddle, otherwise called "crackers". The same large white funnel-shaped fruiting bodies. And there is always a lot of garbage on the hat.

Here are just no milky juice (and therefore "cracker"). And there is absolutely no bitterness. And in general - the podgruzdok belongs to another genus - Russula (i.e., Russula). And you can fry the load immediately, only by bringing it from the forest. But most often "crackers" come across extremely wormy.

Using the violin mushroom

It is difficult to say that the milk mushroom and the violin are similar in taste. Rather, they are radically different. The common milk mushroom is considered more valuable in terms of its usefulness and its taste.

In addition, the violin needs a long culinary process. The collected mushrooms are used in cooking only after preliminary soaking in one of two ways:

in cold water for 5 days, periodically changing it to fresh;
in hot water, while it is drained and replaced with a new one every 4 hours.

The hot soaking method helps to shorten the preparation time, as the mushroom will be ready for further use after 3 days.

Both methods are aimed at removing the unkempt bitter aftertaste from the mushroom pulp. But even then, they are only suitable for salting. They can be eaten immediately or rolled up in jars for the winter. The ideal storage temperature is +15 degrees.

Before salting, the squeaks need to be soaked well under pressure for 5 days to remove the bitterness. But it is imperative to ensure that the water does not acidify and change it regularly. If you pour the mushrooms not with cold water, but with boiling water, the soaking time is reduced to 2-3 days.

Banks need to be prepared especially carefully.They must be washed with water and soda, rinsed well and sterilized over steam for 20 minutes. Boil the plastic lids for at least 2 minutes.

Preparation:

Fill the prepared clean jars with mushrooms, caps down, sprinkle with salt. Since the squeaks have been soaked for a long time, when placed in a jar, they will release liquid, which should cover them with the top.
Optionally add cloves and bay leaves.
It is advisable to cover the top of the cans with currant leaves to prevent mold.

Store the jars in the refrigerator for 7 weeks. During this time, the bitterness should completely disappear. The duration of salting depends on the pulp: in old mushrooms, it is hard, so it will take longer to be salted. If the brine level drops, it is necessary to add fresh water with salt to the jars (1 liter - 20 g).

Description

Lactarius vellereus, or felted milk, squeaky, violinist, milkweed or spurge - this is also called this conditionally edible organism. White juice with a peculiar aroma stands out from its cut.

It belongs to the 4th category of edibility, to the class Agaricomycetes, the genus Mlechnik and the russula family.

Description of Lactarius vellereus:

funnel-shaped cap;
cracked edges;
size - from 7 cm to 25 cm;
color is milky white;
the pulp is tough and fragile;
turns yellow on the cut;
leg up to 5 cm high, 4-5 cm in diameter;
the color of the leg is pure white;
the plates are rare (the distance between them is 0.5-1 cm).

The caps of the young violin mushroom have cracked shaggy edges bent towards the stem. The name "felt" mushroom received for its inherent slight hairiness of the surface of the cap. The plates under it are light cream, delicate and fragile.

By the way. The cap of the violin is characterized by variability: it can acquire a yellowish or reddish-brown tint with ocher spots, and the plates can be greenish or yellow and sometimes with the presence of ocher spots on the surface, like a cap.

The leg tapers towards the ground. If you cut it off, milky juice is released, which gradually dries up, does not change its color. Dry juice looks dull.

When you touch each other in a basket or when you slide your finger over the cap, a characteristic creak is heard, hence the name squeaky mushrooms.

The violin is a mushroom that lives in coniferous and mixed forests. Where there is a lot of moss, old rotted leaves and enough lighting. The mushroom loves to settle at the foot of birches and aspens. It often forms mycorrhiza with birches; it is characterized by the formation of mycorrhiza with various types of coniferous and deciduous tree species. It grows in whole families in summer and autumn.

It has several similar species, so when harvesting it is important to understand their differences, although there are no poisonous ones among them. Irina Selyutina (Biologist):

Irina Selyutina (Biologist):

The squeaky has, so to speak, a twin mushroom - Bertillon's milkman (Lactarius bertillonii). Outwardly, it is almost impossible to distinguish them. The only difference is the taste of milky juice - soft and only slightly tart in the violin and very hot in the milky Bertillon. To determine the species differences, you can also take a solution of caustic potassium (KOH): when interacting with it, the milky juice of the milkman Bertillon (it is with him, this reaction is not typical for the violin) changes its color: first it turns yellow, and then orange.

The types of "podskrebysh" include:

aspen squeak;
real lump;
peppercorn;
loading.

The real breast milk differs from the squeak by the shaggy edges of the cap, the hollow stem (in old specimens) and rare plates under the cap, which are exclusively white (but in the violin they are light yellow). In addition, the milky juice of the milk jug turns yellow when it comes into contact with the air, while the squeak remains the same.

Squeaky mushrooms have a bitter milky juice.According to the description, the edges of the cap at the podgruzki are fluffy, not torn, the stem becomes hollow and brown with age. Thin plates are often located.

The surface of the cap of the peppercorn is even, without fibers and scales. The juice at the break has a green color with an olive tint and a peppery aroma. The leg is dense and solid. The plates of the pepper fungus, thin and narrow, are often located.

Harm and contraindications

In nature, mushrooms are sponges that freely absorb and accumulate harmful substances from the atmosphere, soil and groundwater. It is better not to collect them near expensive and factories, near residential areas.

Among the negative properties, the severity of digestion is distinguished, which is formed by the presence of chitin in the cell walls of the fungus. If mushrooms are improperly cooked, after eating them, heaviness, cramps and pain in the stomach appear.

For children, such food in the diet without consulting a pediatrician is prohibited due to the severity of digestion and excess salt. It is better for women in position not to eat salted mushrooms: they retain water in the body and lead to unwanted edema.

Preparation

Often, this type of mushroom as squeaky is called a false mushroom. However, this is not entirely true, since this species is quite edible and tastes just as good as other wild mushrooms. Its preparation involves a rather lengthy process - but it's worth it. First of all, it is necessary to cleanse the fruit body of adhering grass and foliage.

Violinists, just like milk mushrooms similar to them, are most delicious in pickled or salted form. Salted mushrooms acquire a characteristic creak, aroma and firmness

It is important to take into account that the older the mushrooms are in the harvested crop, the longer the salting process should take. As a rule, its duration does not exceed 1-2 months.

Also, one should not forget about carrying out such processing of the fruit bodies of the violin as the removal of the bitter-burning milky juice. To do this, peeled mushrooms are soaked for several days in cool water (for at least 3 days, the water should be changed 2 times a day).

Prepared felt milk mushrooms are boiled in salt water for several tens of minutes. After that, you can start pickling. After 7-10 minutes, the prepared violins are rolled into sterilized glass containers.

Storage of both salted and pickled mushrooms of this type should be carried out in a cool and dark place. Like their closest relatives, violin milk mushrooms do not undergo such processing as drying.

Edibility, useful properties and restrictions on use

Violinists belong to the 4th category of mushroom nutritional value. They are representatives of the conditionally edible group. The use of violin fruits for food is possible only after the following preparation:

Soaking. Mushrooms are poured with water and left for up to 5 days. It is recommended to replace fresh water 2-3 times a day. Soaking is necessary to get rid of the caustic milk contained in the squeaky fruits.
Boiling. Like all other conditionally edible types of mushrooms, violins must be heat treated. During boiling, dangerous protein compounds that cause food poisoning are destroyed in the fruit.

Prepared squeaks are salted. The mushrooms turn out to be strong, crispy, a little creaky on the teeth.

Violinists have useful properties. The composition contains a lot of fiber, vitamins and minerals necessary for the normal functioning of the human body. One serving of mushrooms can replenish the daily intake of phosphorus, iron, potassium and sodium.

Good to know! Systematic use of the product leads to a decrease in blood sugar and cholesterol levels. The body's resistance to viruses and bacteria improves. The violins have a beneficial effect on the human immune system.

In addition, these mushrooms contain a natural antibiotic. In folk medicine, squeaks are used to treat joints.

Certain groups of people should refrain from eating violin dishes. These are, of course, children, women during pregnancy and breastfeeding, as well as people with gastrointestinal problems. With gastritis, gastric ulcer and low acidity, squeaks are also contraindicated.

The place where the violins are collected is also important. Fungi of this species tend to absorb substances from the external environment of substances, including those of a toxic nature. Collect squeaks only in places far from busy highways and industrial facilities.

The violin belongs to conditionally edible mushrooms. Cooking dishes from its fruits is complicated by certain stages of product preparation. This mushroom has an inedible counterpart - Bertillon's milkman. It can also be mistaken for representatives of white milk mushrooms and white waves.

How is the violin mushroom used?

The violin is a conditionally edible mushroom. It can be eaten if it has been pretreated.

The violin is usually used for pickling or pickling. Of course, most often this is done “without mushrooms”. I also sometimes salt the violin, if I don't find anything more "noble".

Even a black mushroom suits me in a salty form more than a violin mushroom. We are so picky!

But if you nevertheless decided to salt the violin, the actions will be as follows.

We clean the mushrooms from debris. You can even fill them with water first and leave them for a while to get wet.

We choose the method of salting - cold or hot.

In the first case, we soak the mushrooms for three days, placing them in a tank or a large saucepan. It is best to arrange a little oppression so that the violins do not float. We change the water daily. You can do it twice a day.

In the second case, boil the mushrooms for half an hour.

After soaking or boiling, we proceed to salting. The method of salting a violin is practically no different from how it is usually done with other bitter milkmen: a pink wave, a variety of milk mushrooms. Valuy ("bull") is salted in the same way.

For salting a violin (like other mushrooms), we use an enamel pan, a stainless steel pan, or ordinary glass jars.

Place currant or horseradish leaves at the bottom of the container chosen for pickling mushrooms. We spread the mushrooms in layers, sprinkling with salt. The most suitable rate of salt is a heaped tablespoon for 1 kg of soaked or boiled mushrooms.

However, you can take more salt - about one and a half tablespoons per 1 kg of mushrooms.

Leaves can also be placed on top. Then we arrange oppression. The mushrooms must be completely covered with brine, otherwise they will deteriorate (mold develops).

When using a saucepan, we either make a circle of wood to size, or select something that replaces it. Alternatively - a shallow dish, suitable in diameter. On a circle (plate) we place some kind of stone - fine-grained, and dark gray in color.

When using glass jars, oppression can be arranged with a plastic water bottle. Or put a soft plastic lid in the mouth of the can, and then unfold it.

Cold pickled mushrooms, after soaking, are ready for use in a month and a half. Salted after boiling can be tasted earlier.

And the violin mushroom has medicinal properties. True, in our traditional medicine, the mushroom has not been used and is not used.

However, research shows that alcoholic extracts of fresh violin fruit bodies have anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor effects.

So the violin is a "so-so" mushroom. But it's not that simple!

Skrypitsa refers to conditionally edible mushrooms, that is, those that require specific processing in order to become edible. It belongs to the genus of the lactarius, and the mushroom got its characteristic name due to the fact that it makes a creak when it touches the hat.Popularly, this mushroom is also called euphorbia, and in most civilized countries it is considered inedible, which, in general, is correct. This type of mushroom is quite common in Russia, it is white with a large cap, which sometimes grows up to 25 centimeters in diameter. The cap is quite massive, a hole is formed in the center, and the cap is reddish. The leg is low and rather thick: usually 5 cm in height and the same in diameter.

The violin very rarely attracts the attention of insects or worms, just like ordinary milk mushrooms, therefore, some mushroom pickers collect it for further use. It reproduces by spores, which are located in the plates at the bottom of the cap.

The fact that the violin is classified as a conditionally edible mushroom has come to us since the times of the USSR, where this mushroom was included in the GOST as edible after salting. However, most of foreign mushroom pickers, as well as scientists, classify it as an extremely inedible mushroom, and, in general, they are doing the right thing. Unlike the milk mushroom, the violin does not have a pleasant taste, even after prolonged salting and digestion, it remains extremely mediocre in taste and very few people like it. Salting is necessary in order to get rid of the juice of the violin, which can be considered conditionally poisonous, it has a very bitter and unpleasant taste.

Beneficial features

Mushrooms lower cholesterol

Like other forest mushrooms, the felt mushroom, or the violin mushroom, has many beneficial properties that are due to its composition. It contains a lot of fiber, vitamins and minerals necessary for the human body.

One serving of properly prepared milkweed can meet the daily requirement for phosphorus, iron, sodium and potassium.

Periodic use can normalize cholesterol levels and lower blood sugar levels.

Skripun supports the general condition of the body, serves as a natural antibiotic and helps fight viral and bacterial diseases. It contributes to the overall strengthening of the immune system and restores the energy balance of a person.

For all its low calorie content (22 kcal per 100 g), the mushroom gives a quick feeling of fullness. When following a weight loss diet, it is used as a protein substitute for meat or fish.

Description of the squeaky mushroom

The violin is a large mushroom; in adulthood, the diameter of the cap can reach 17 centimeters. In young specimens, the cap is convex in shape, pure white in color, but as it matures, it straightens, and then transforms into a funnel-shaped one, while the edges become wavy. The color of the cap becomes noticeably yellower with age. The cap is fleshy and dense.

There are rarely located yellow plates under the cap. In mature mushrooms, the plates brighten. The pulp is hard, brittle, white. If it is broken, white juice is released. This juice, as noted, is very pungent. Fresh mushrooms have no specific smell.

The foot of the violin is solid, it is painted white. Its height is no more than 6 centimeters. It narrows towards the base. The leg is thick and short, and its surface is covered with fluff, which is why the people called the mushroom a felt mushroom.

Places of growing violin

Violinists are very common mushrooms. They grow next to mushroom floats. You can find a violin under single birch and aspen trees. These mushrooms prefer well-lit areas.

Squeaky mushrooms grow on soil covered with dry leaves or moss. These mushrooms are most likely to be found at the forest edge. They are found in numerous groups, consisting of specimens of different sizes and ages. In one place they can meet from young to overripe fungi.

Fruiting begins in July and lasts until October. But it is almost impossible to meet mushroom pickers who would specially collect squeaky mushrooms, since they are considered to be of very low quality.

How to distinguish a violin from a white lump?

As mentioned, squeaky mushrooms are collected by mistake, confusing them with white mushrooms. But there are several differences that make it possible to understand that these are completely different mushrooms:
• The squeak does not have a fringe in the lower part of the cap, which is typical for white milk mushrooms;
• The plates under the cap of the milkweed are light yellow, while the plates are white in the milkweed;
• The violinist secretes milky juice, which remains practically unchanged in the air, and turns yellow at the weight;
• To the touch, the violinist is much tougher and more durable in comparison with the weight.

Eating the violin

In our country, the violin is classified as an edible mushroom, but of the 4th category, and in the west they are considered inedible and unsuitable for human consumption, which is quite justified. In our forests, you can almost always find an abundance of violins in autumn.

Connoisseurs of the exotic grease the violins, before that it is recommended to soak the mushrooms for at least 5 days, regularly draining the water. After that, the mushrooms are boiled, and only then they are salted. Mushrooms are soaked in order to remove the milky juice from them. Although the taste of these mushrooms is mediocre, craftsmen can process them so correctly that when finished, it becomes difficult to distinguish them from white milk mushrooms.

Salted squeaky mushrooms are white with a slightly bluish tinge. They are strong, while eating, they slightly creak on the teeth and smell like a load. The great advantage of the violin is that it has no poisonous counterparts.

Correct processing

As soon as the mushrooms have been brought home from the forest, the first thing to do is to sort them out and free them from adhering leaves and other dirt. Next, the mushrooms are washed and soaked in salt water. After that, the squeaks can be boiled, fried, stewed, made various sauces, dried or marinated, but all this after preliminary boiling.

Soaking lasts 5 days in cold clean water. This must be done if it was decided to pickle the mushrooms or cook in any other way. During this time, the water must be changed to clean water several times.

In addition to the fact that the mushroom contains many useful substances, it also contains harmful components that make the fresh mushroom bitter.

It's not even a matter of taste, if this mushroom is simply boiled or fried, then attacks of nausea and vomiting and gastrointestinal poisoning may occur, therefore it is so important to soak and dry or salt them beforehand.

Evaluation of taste, medicinal properties, benefits and possible harm

The taste of fresh violin is rather pungent, with a significant aftertaste of bitterness, which does not disappear even after heat treatment. It contains trace elements that irritate the gastrointestinal tract and cause the gag reflex, so this mushroom cannot be consumed raw.

But after proper processing, the fruit body gets rid of harmful substances and is able to supply the body with amino acids, fiber, vitamins and minerals. One serving contains your daily intake of iron, sodium, phosphorus and potassium. And the low calorie content (22 kcal per 100 g) makes this mushroom suitable for dietary nutrition.

Frequent consumption of felt weight in food contributes to:

normalization of cholesterol and blood sugar levels;
maintaining good health;
general strengthening of immunity;
restoration of energy balance;
protection against viral and bacterial diseases.

Due to its rich chemical composition, the violin is widely used in folk medicine. In China, it is used to treat pain in the joints, tendons of the limbs and pelvic bones.

But there are also a number of contraindications:

gastrointestinal diseases;
liver and kidney disease;
gout;
allergic reactions;
pregnancy and lactation period.

Description

Lactarius vellereus, or felted milk, squeaky, violinist, milkweed or spurge - this is also called this conditionally edible organism. White juice with a peculiar aroma stands out from its cut.

It belongs to the 4th category of edibility, to the class Agaricomycetes, the genus Mlechnik and the russula family.

Description of Lactarius vellereus:

funnel-shaped cap;
cracked edges;
size - from 7 cm to 25 cm;
color is milky white;
the pulp is tough and fragile;
turns yellow on the cut;
leg up to 5 cm high, 4-5 cm in diameter;
the color of the leg is pure white;
the plates are rare (the distance between them is 0.5-1 cm).

The leg tapers towards the ground. If you cut it off, milky juice is released, which gradually dries up, does not change its color. Dry juice looks dull.

When you touch each other in a basket or when you slide your finger over the cap, a characteristic creak is heard, hence the name squeaky mushrooms.

How to determine the correctness of the salting

After a week, the correctness of the violin pickling process can be determined. To do this, take out several mushrooms, smell them and taste them. With normal salting, the smell should be sourish, pleasant. The taste is moderately salty.

If there is not enough salt, then it can be added in the form of a solution of 1.5-2 tbsp. l. for 1 liter of cold water. The same should be done if there is not enough liquid formed above the top layer of mushrooms. Normally, it should protrude 1-2 cm.

A musty odor can also indicate a lack of salinity. Another reason may be a violation of the temperature regime. You need to store salted violins in the cellar or in the refrigerator.

Squeaky mushrooms are not as tasty and popular as their cousins, milk mushrooms. However, if properly prepared, they can easily diversify the winter-spring diet.