Since ancient times, mushrooms have been a valuable food product for humans. Today, they also continue to be collected and harvested. One of the most mysterious mushrooms is the black breast. It is considered to be elite in taste, but its collection and preparation require special knowledge.

Description

Black breast (Lactarius necator) is a conditionally edible mushroom that has a low leg and a marsh-black hat with a small indentation in the middle. It does not look very attractive, however experienced mushroom pickers advise not to pass by such a forest “delicacy”. Some even compare chernushka (this is the second name for the mushroom) with truffle on a taste scale.

Did you know? Mushrooms are the largest group of living things on the planet! Each species has its own hierarchy and laws of habitat.

The mushroom can be easily recognized in the forest by its external description, despite its rather unremarkable appearance:

• cap diameter: from 7 to 20 cm;
• leg height: from 3 to 8 cm;
• white flesh;
• the texture is dense, not porous;
• the peel of the hat is sticky, slippery;
• the color of the hat is olive, brown or brown with black spots;
• the average weight of one mushroom is 30-50 g.

The lactation belongs to the family russula, belongs to the genus Mlechnik. Its habitat is birch groves, as well as mixed forests with lots of moss. It grows in large groups on a mossy litter, in places where a large amount of light enters, sometimes under trees.

Other names of black breast

Popular names of black loaf:

• black (due to the color of the spots on the hat);
• spruce chest (this name appeared as a designation of the place of cultivation - coniferous forests, mixed forests);
• black hole (associated with a recess on the surface);
• gypsies (also due to color);
• the mushroom has as many as eight Latin names assigned to it by such mycologists and botanists as Jean Baptiste Francois Pierre Bullard, Elias Magnus Fries, Otto Kunze and Samuel Frederick Gray.

Important! The best time to pick is early morning. The mushroom hat glistens from the sun and dew, and it is easier to find in the thick grass.

Edible or not?

Today, this type of mushroom is not recommended for consumption. Recent studies show that black breasts contain a substance such as necatorin. This is a plant mutagen, which, accumulating in the tissues, harms the human body. On the other hand, some researchers deny the harm of breastfeeding.

To destroy toxins or neutralize them, the product is usually first boiled in strong salt water, and then salted or baked milk is salted or cooked. They rarely eat fried foods. After heat treatment, the mushroom acquires a saturated purple color.

Taste qualities

If cooked properly, it will look like a gourmet dish, the equal of which cannot be found among homemade preparations. Due to the dense pulp, this product saturates very quickly. Has a delicate mushroom smell. The surface of salty or soaked breasts is smooth, mucous. In fried or raw form, it is practically not consumed.

The taste is generally neutral, but it is possible to strengthen it by adding garlic or other spices and spices. Served in a salty form, served with butter and seasoned with greens or crushed garlic. It is a wonderful cold appetizer.

Did you know? Mushrooms were the forerunners of trees on Earth. Before the appearance of trees, they were gigantic in size (up to 7 m in height).

Medicinal properties, benefits and possible harm

The healing properties of the breasts have been known since ancient times. In Ancient Russia with their help, purulent wounds and kidney diseases were treated. Now this mushroom is used for food only after soaking for 3 days (so that bitterness will go away). In terms of nutritional value, its flesh exceeds beef, milk and chicken, because it contains 32 g of protein per 100 g of product.

• The benefits of loaders:
• high nutritional value;
• cheapness (if you know where to collect, you will have to spend only time and effort);
• pleasant taste and aroma of the cooked product.

The harm of these mushrooms is not completely proven, because they are called conditionally edible. It is believed that all toxic substances do not leave them even after boiling, which means there is a risk of food poisoning.

• Damage to the cargo:
• contraindicated for people with impaired gastrointestinal function (long digested);
• should not be given to children;
• You can’t eat without soaking, as they are very bitter.

Spread

Distributed in central Russia, including in Transbaikalia, Western Siberia, Karelia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova. The main habitat location is near streams, on a hill, in places where there is a large amount of moss and enough sun, but there is no strong heat, near firs, birches, pines, oaks and aspen.

Nigella grows wherever there are coniferous forests and birch groves.

Collection period

The ideal time to gather is August and September. At the same time, the best temperature for their active growth is up to + 11 ° С. The maximum number of nigella appears after long rains, but the collection is timed to coincide with a dry and sunny day. Overripe mushrooms become tasteless, bitter too much, in addition, worms start up in them, forest slugs eat them. The best specimen to collect is a medium-sized lump, dense, strong and whole.

Important! When harvesting chernushki do not roll up the lids. It is very important to ensure air access to the product so that gas exchange occurs.

How to collect?

The rule of collecting any mushrooms is to cut off with a knife at the base, leaving the root system (mycelium) in the ground. Rooted instances are not restored. A small folding knife is suitable for cutting. Cut mushrooms are placed in wicker baskets or enameled buckets. Then they wash, removing extraneous elements and soak.

False doubles

There are a lot of doubles of breasts. The main ones are:

• violinist;
• spruce rowing;
• a pig;
• wave whitewater;
• toadstool;
• white milkman.

All false representatives of the mushroom world differ from chernushka, primarily in color, although they are similar in general shape and height. They are white or have light shades, and their flesh, unlike the original, is more friable and does not smell, while chernushka smells strongly, spicy and pleasant. On a real black pile, purple juice always appears when cutting, and its leg is light.

With proper collection, preparation and preparation, this product becomes the favorite of many mushroom pickers. He is loved for his unique taste and very pleasant dense texture, as well as for his spectacular appearance.