Mushrooms are rich in valuable nutrients and add a special flavor to many dishes. They can be pickled, dried, fried and salted; The Internet is full of a wide variety of recipes. However, when purchasing or collecting it yourself, the slightest mistake can lead to serious poisoning and even death.
The most important rule when handling mushrooms: when in doubt, don’t pick it!
Basic edibility criteria.
Mushrooms contain protein, fat, iron, calcium, zinc, iodine, potassium, phosphorus and other nutrients. Despite the high content of vitamins and minerals, some also contain toxins dangerous to health and life. More than 100 thousand species are known in the world, of which more than 70 thousand have been described by specialists.
All mushrooms can be divided into three groups based on their edibility and toxicity:
edible; conditionally edible; poisonous.
The former can be consumed safely (but it is necessary to take into account several factors, which we will analyze below). Perhaps the main sign of edibility can be considered the spongy structure, convexity and massiveness of the cap. These are, for example, boletus, boletus, porcini mushrooms. They have large, solid legs.
Conditionally edible mushrooms can also be eaten, but only after prolonged heat treatment. They should be boiled for at least 40 minutes and only then fried, salted and marinated. These are, for example, morels, autumn mushrooms, milk mushrooms.
It should be understood that improperly prepared mushrooms, even edible ones, can cause poisoning. Overripe and wormy ones are also dangerous and should not be eaten.
Danger signs
Inedible mushrooms, there are about a hundred of them, cannot be eaten. The most poisonous and deadly for humans is the poisonous mushroom, which is often confused with mushrooms. Signs of poisoning usually appear between 8 and 12 hours after consumption.
This mushroom has a pale ring on the stem, a cap up to 10 centimeters in diameter, light green, white, yellowish-olive brown: usually its center is darker than the edges. The pulp of the pale mushroom is white, odorless and tasteless.
Photo: istockphoto.com/Thomas Demarczyk
The following signs may also indicate that the mushroom is poisonous:
unusual or very bright color; absence of a tubular layer under the cap; absence of insects and worms on the surface and inside the mushroom; unpleasant odor (not always a sign of toxicity); change in the color of the cut mushroom to a natural one.
Safe collection and preparation methods.
The rules for collecting mushrooms are quite obvious.
First of all, mushrooms should be collected away from large factories, harvesters and roads. Only known, young and fresh species can be collected.
Currently, a large number of reference books have been published to help mushroom pickers. There are also special mobile applications that will help you distinguish an edible mushroom from an inedible one; Just point your phone’s camera at it. However, this method does not always work and an error may appear in the application’s algorithm.
Perhaps the most effective way to help you understand mushrooms is the advice of experienced mushroom pickers. They will not only talk about the signs of edibility of a particular specimen, but also show its distinctive features using specific examples.
In second place, in the forest you cannot be greedy, that is, put even old mushrooms in a basket; They will go in the trash anyway. Only young and whole specimens are suitable for consumption.
Photo: istockphoto.com/Zbynek Pospisil
Third, experts recommend that a beginner mushroom picker collect not all edible or conditionally edible mushrooms, but only one or three types. This will increase attention and provide the opportunity to get up close and personal with specific specimens and recognize all their features.
Experts also advise not to buy pickled, salted or dried mushrooms from unknown sellers. If you buy these products second-hand, only from trusted mushroom pickers.
How to store
It is impossible to store the collected mushrooms for a long time, since substances dangerous to human health quickly appear in them. If after a trip to the forest it is not possible to immediately start cleaning and cooking, then you should fill them with cold water with salt or spread them on paper or plywood in a thin layer and put them in the cold.
As for preparation, mushrooms can be dried, salted, pickled, fried and boiled. They are used to prepare soups, sauces and add to meat, fish and vegetable dishes. However, before cooking, it is worth preparing and carefully studying the processing and storage methods.
What the doctor says
gastroenterologist, hepatologist of the Hadassah Clinic branch of the Skolkovo International Medical Cluster
“Unfortunately, there is no clear answer to the question of whether a mushroom is edible or poisonous. The poisoning statistics are clear proof of this: even an experienced mushroom picker can make a mistake.”
The rule that most poisonous mushrooms have a bad smell and a tubular structure has many exceptions. The most important thing here is to collect only those species that you know. It is better to limit yourself to variety than to end up in intensive care.
My father, for example, once showed what porcini mushrooms look like and suggested collecting them alone. Frankly, I still use this advice. It is also good practice to know the distinguishing characteristics of false mushrooms, that is, the seemingly similar, but poisonous, siblings of the mushrooms we know.
Consequences of eating inedible mushrooms
Eating inedible mushrooms is extremely dangerous for health and life. Its effect on the body depends on the toxin. Most often, acute damage to the kidneys and liver occurs due to intoxication, and a little less often – due to toxicity associated with the brain and respiratory system.
Acute organ injury is a medical term that means a sudden interruption in the functioning of an organ, its failure as a functional unit. In short, organ and system failure.
It is also not recommended to eat conditionally edible mushrooms. Depending on the characteristics of the environment in which the fungus grew, the amount of harmful substances and toxins and, accordingly, their harm to the body may vary. Even the well-known boletus and boletus can cause vomiting and diarrhea.
Symptoms of poisoning
The clinical picture of mushroom poisoning is very diverse. You can suspect this by comparing the unexpected deterioration of the condition with the time of eating.
It is important to remember that toxin poisoning occurs both very quickly and very severely. In such a situation, the sooner you seek help, the better the chances of a favorable outcome.
Frequent signs of mushroom poisoning:
severe weakness; vision changes; thirst; headache; nausea and vomiting; decreased volume of urine excreted; slight increase in body temperature.
If such symptoms appear and mushroom poisoning is suspected, it is recommended to immediately consult a doctor. First aid is aimed at reducing the intake of toxins into the body: gastric lavage. It is also recommended to drink more water.
When cooking, remember that mushrooms are a heavy food. In different populations, 5% to 30% of people do not have any enzyme that can digest this product. Therefore, it is better to use longer cooking methods and consume mushrooms in small quantities at a time.
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THE NAIS IS OFFICIAL EDITOR ON NAIS NEWS