Reindeer horns (hare cabbage) - such mushrooms grow in the Crimea. Deer horns - mushrooms of an unusual shape Deer horns mushrooms how to distinguish from poisonous ones

These strange mushrooms in Primorsky Krai are no less popular than "ordinary" mushrooms. There are practically no deer horns poisonous mushrooms, although a number of not tasty and not quite edible mushrooms presented quite widely. Find bright in the forest beautiful mushrooms- Deer antlers or as they are also called Coral mushrooms are quite simple. Like most tree mushrooms, deer horns prefer the rotten wood of fallen trees. By the names it is easy to guess on the wood of which tree this or that mushroom grows.

Although deer horns palatability approaching the most tasty mushrooms, they are not cultivated, growing less demanding and more productive mushrooms under artificial conditions.
In the forest, on fallen trees, you can easily pick up bags of mushrooms in a matter of minutes. Deer horns form whole clusters on the trunks, and the ease of collection makes harvesting these mushrooms a pleasure. .

There is a widespread opinion that these mushrooms are not suitable for classical cooking and the recipes for preparing these mushrooms are complex and not varied. This is fundamentally not true. The author believes deer horns the most convenient mushroom for harvesting and cooking.
You can easily get acquainted with my recipes by clicking on the link, right under the description of the mushroom.

Mushrooms bear fruit deer horns already from the middle of summer, but it has been noticed that it is in the fall that these mushrooms acquire a truly magnificent taste. I personally like deer horns grown. on fallen old oak trunks, these mushrooms have a pleasant sweetish aftertaste and do not deteriorate for a long time during transportation. Mushrooms grown on linden or poplar are more juicy and fleshy, and deer horns growing on rotting wood of pines and cedars are much less tasty, they are not considered medicinal mushrooms and are used in traditional folk medicine as a remedy for worms, hypochondria, and even in rheumatic diseases of the joints.

Although it is difficult to make a mistake in picking antler mushrooms, always be careful! Most cases of mushroom poisoning occur due to illiteracy and negligence, when an inexperienced mushroom picker mistakes a poisonous mushroom for an edible one. Sometimes poisoning occurs with ready-made salted, pickled or canned edible mushrooms due to improper preparation or storage. It should be remembered that some edible mushrooms consumed raw (or undersalted or undercooked) can also cause mild poisoning. We should not forget that some people have an individual intolerance to mushrooms.

By the end of summer and in the first month of autumn, deer horns or yellow horn mushrooms grow in domestic forests with highly branched fruiting bodies that look like corals. It is quite edible under certain rules of collection and processing.

Deer horns (Ramaria flava), a branchy yellowish conditionally edible mushroom, also has the names bear's foot and coral yellow.

It is characterized by the following distinguishing features:

• the total height of the fruiting body reaches 20 cm, the maximum diameter is also 20 cm. The color, initially creamy, yellowish, lemon or sulfur yellow, eventually becomes ocher to orange. Flattened "branches" repeatedly split in a U- or V-shape, have equal length, somewhat blunt ends;
• the stem grows up to 8 cm long and 5 cm thick. It is painted in shades of yellow characteristic of the whole fungus, brightens towards the base. In places of pressure it becomes reddish-brown;
• spores are pale ocher, formed on the outer surface of the fruiting body;
• the fragile pulp of a watery consistency is light, yellowish, with a slight pleasant smell. As it matures, it becomes bitter, especially in the "twigs".

Distribution and fruiting period

Deer horn mushrooms grow in the zone temperate climate. They settle on the soil coniferous forests, deciduous groves and mixed forest areas. Branching fruiting bodies grow singly and do not large groups in August-September.

Similar species

Deer horns have a significant similarity with the mushroom, other yellowish horns:

• inedible blunt (Ramaria obtusissima), having rounded ends of the "twigs" and a bitter taste. It is found in Siberian mixed forests with the presence of fir and Far Eastern oak forests;
• conditionally edible yellow-brown (Ramaria flavobrunnescens), the height of which does not exceed 10 cm. With age, brown spots appear on the mushrooms of this species;
• conditionally edible golden (Ramaria aurea), painted in a brighter ocher-yellow color, brighter towards the base;
• conditionally edible golden yellow (Ramaria lutea), smaller (up to 15 cm in height), found in Primorsky Krai.

In addition, the inedible sticky calocera (Calocera viscosa), which grows on stumps and deadwood, is often confused with deer horns. This mushroom has a bright egg-yellow color and dense gelatinous flesh.

Primary processing and preparation

Yellow Horn refers to conditionally edible mushrooms, has 4 taste categories. Because with age yellow horn a bitter taste appears, only young fruiting bodies should be collected.

To ensure the absence of bitterness, deer horns are pre-boiled for 15-20 minutes, draining the broth, or the ends of the branches are removed. Forest "corals" treated in this way can be cooked, like other edible mushrooms - boiled until fully cooked, fried and stewed. Some lovers of mushroom exotic pickle and salt them.

Abundantly branching "bushes" of conditionally edible deer horns attract attention with their extraordinary appearance. Properly harvested and cooked young mushrooms have a taste reminiscent of lean meats.

Mushroom deer horns (coral, horned) is scientifically called golden ramaria or yellow ramaria. The point is that there are two different types, but so similar that only experienced biologists in the laboratory can distinguish them. Morphological data and taste qualities of these varieties are almost identical. Deer horns mushroom can often be found in pine forests on white moss. Often there are very large specimens - weighing about 1 kg. Sometimes, in order to cook dinner for the whole family, just a few horned ones are enough. Worms do not infect this macromycete, with the exception of the wireworm. An interesting fact is that many "silent hunters" pass by these amazing mushrooms, without even suspecting that they are edible.

Edibility

Deer horn mushrooms, despite their exotic appearance, edible. They belong to the fourth mushroom category. It is best to eat young specimens. Old mushrooms have an unpleasant aftertaste, and bitterness appears in them. Deer horn mushrooms are used in cooking to prepare various dishes. It can be salted, fried, boiled soup from it, but the horned one is best suited for cooking second courses. Reindeer horns taste like chicken or shrimp (depending on the cooking method). They have unusually tender flesh.

Description

Deer horns - mushrooms, the body of which grows vertically and resembles a branching sea ​​coral or for which they received their popular names. The average specimen reaches a width of 7-16 cm, however, there are mushrooms that exceed a width of 20 cm. An interesting fact is that their height, as a rule, coincides with the width. The color of the horn is yellow, golden yellow or light brown. In older specimens, it is bright orange.

The flesh is golden white, watery, very fragile and tender, with a pleasant smell. In the air, when broken or cut, it quickly changes color to brown (with overripe mushrooms, when pressed on the leg, the flesh acquires a red or blood-red hue. The fruiting body consists of many branches with blunt tips. Outwardly, the macromycete resembles coral. Its surface is dry, smooth and matte.

Spreading

The deer horns mushroom is common in the temperate and northern zones of Eurasia and North America. Grows in groups, prefers mossy and moist areas of soil in coniferous, mixed and deciduous forests. Sometimes forms large communities, can grow in rows or arcs, forming "witch rings". Especially the hornbeam loves pine forests, but does not disdain beech and hornbeam massifs. It occurs in the lower and middle belt of mountains. Optimal time for collection - August-October. IN southern regions deer horns are harvested even in winter.

Peculiarities

Deer horns, or golden (yellow) ramaria, have a lot of twins - similar to them coral mushrooms. However, all of them are inedible, and some are poisonous. For an experienced person, it will not be difficult to distinguish a horned one from others. However, if the mushroom picker does not have too much experience or is generally a beginner, then it is better not to “hunt” deer horn mushrooms. Photos of them are in this article.

DEER HORNS (HARE CABBAGE) - SUCH MUSHROOMS GROW IN CRIMEA Description of the appearance and features of the fungus Seeing such a mushroom in the forest, not everyone dares to pick it. This is due to a very unusual appearance. But it is worth noting that deer horns are an edible mushroom, and you can cook it in many ways.

Description of the appearance of antler mushrooms One glance is enough to understand why "forest bread" has such a strange name. The mushroom grows vertically, expands in width due to numerous branched processes. from the side, they surprisingly resemble deer antlers or sea coral. Due to this, the fungus also has other popular names: coral blackberry, horned or coral. The color also adds similarity: light yellow, light brown, beige, rich orange or even purple. Pigmentation depends on the place of growth, features environment and age.

It is enough to make a little effort to separate the tender flesh into several pieces. A fresh cut begins to quickly acquire a burgundy hue, so the horns should be collected as quickly as possible.

Places of growth, timing and characteristics of the collection It is listed in the Red Book, so you can meet deer horns only in some regions. These are the Crimea, the Far East, Western and Eastern Siberia, and also Karelia and the Caucasus. Due to the characteristics of growth, blackberry is unpopular in the Central part of Russia, most do not even know about this type of "forest bread".

But, despite the rarity, mushroom pickers often find places where the coral-shaped blackberry forms large rows or three-dimensional rings. Prefers damp and dark places in deciduous or pine forests, it is there that the most delicious specimens grow. It can also be seen on the stumps or roots of any trees, regardless of their species.

Corals or deer horns are collected in summer and autumn, and in the Caucasus and Crimea even in the winter months. You should choose small mushrooms of light colors. The older the horned, the more inedible it is, as it acquires a characteristic bitterness and rigidity. You can judge the age by the shade of the fungus: they show more orange pigment. It is rarely affected by worms, but the horns must be carefully inspected during collection to detect their presence.

About the edibility of deer horns Interestingly, because of these taste differences in adults, some consider the mushroom to be poisonous, but this is not so. Properly cooked antlers are quite unusual, but harmless and tasty. They belong to the fourth category of mushrooms (and inedible ones are not included in the classification at all). The fourth category is assigned to rarer mushrooms, inferior in taste to varieties from higher levels. They are preferred by gourmets or experienced mushroom pickers. But this does not mean that the horns should be avoided, you just need to better study the features of this fungus.

Mushrooms have long been a fairly popular food product with high gastronomic value. In addition to the traditional, familiar representatives of the mushroom kingdom, there are also quite exotic ones that have an unusual appearance, for example, deer horns, looking at which you can’t immediately understand that these are mushrooms.

Biological description

Deer horns (golden ramaria, yellow ramaria), belonging to the gomphaceae family, have a rather specific and beautiful tree-like shape, really resembling branched antlers or a bizarre sea coral. Apparently for this in the people they are also called horned mushrooms or coral mushrooms. Their body consists of dense, thickened matte twigs with forked tips and small, brittle spines. They are attached to the substrate with a dense and short leg. white color narrowed to the bottom. Its height ranges from 2 to 10 cm, and its diameter is from 5 to 10 cm.

The outer surface of young specimens may have a beige, milky or yellow color of various shades, while in old specimens it changes to bright orange. Initially, the growth of mushrooms goes, as a rule, vertically, and over time they begin to bush, their branches break up and fall somewhat. Their the size can reach twenty centimeters in diameter and the same in height, and the weight of three kilograms.

But at the same time it is recommended to collect small, young mushrooms that have a pleasant taste and sweetish aroma, as well as tender, dense, fragile white flesh, which becomes brown in color when cut or broken. Old and large specimens become bitter, tough and completely unsuitable for eating. The bitterness of them does not go away either in the process of soaking, or during cooking and further processing.

Location

On the territory of our country, deer horns are most often found on Far East, in Western and Eastern Siberia, foothills of the Caucasus, as well as in Karelia. They can be found in both deciduous and coniferous forests, especially pine. They grow on rotted stumps, trees, less often on soil covered with various types of moss. But it is believed that the most delicious are specimens found in moist, shady places in oak, aspen and birch groves.

Although deer horns are considered rare mushrooms, and even listed in the Red Book, sometimes you can find places where they grow in large groups in a row or in a ring. Their collection is usually carried out from mid-summer to early winter, depending on the region of growth. In places with very warm climate they even meet winter period. Interestingly, this type of mushroom is not damaged by worms.

Reindeer horns: collecting (video)

Cooking methods

Despite the fact that deer horns are classified as category 4 mushrooms due to their characteristic bitterness during growth, they are quite tasty when young and can be cooked in the same way as most other edible mushrooms.

Immediately after collection, they are divided into small parts, washed, boiled and the most variety of dishes: fried, stewed, added to soups and salads. They are also used to make sauces, fillings for pies, dumplings and various preparations for the winter (salting, pickling, freezing). Cooked reindeer horns resemble the taste of chicken or shrimp. For example, for starters, you can cook those completely simple dishes, the recipes of which are given below.

mushroom salad

Ingredients:

• deer horns (boiled) - 200 grams;
• carrots - 200 grams;
• bulb of medium size;
• - 2 teeth;
• apple cider vinegar - 2 tablespoons;
• vegetable oil - 1 tablespoon;
• salt, black pepper, herbs.

Cooking method:

1. Combine chopped mushrooms with carrots, cut into thin strips, chopped garlic, add salt, pepper, half the norm of vinegar to them, vegetable oil and let it sit for about half an hour.
2. Cut the onion into half rings and marinate in the remaining vinegar.
3. Mix mushrooms with onions and chopped herbs.

Reindeer horn soup

Ingredients:

• deer horns - 500 grams;
• water - 3 liters;
• carrots - 200 grams;
• potatoes - 500 grams;
• onion - 100 grams;
• green pea(canned) - 200 grams;
• garlic - 3 teeth;
• butter - 100 grams;
• cheese - 100 grams;
• salt, black pepper, herbs.

Cooking method:

1. Boil the mushrooms for half an hour, cool and divide into small strips.
2. Cut potatoes, carrots and onions into small cubes, put in boiling water and cook until tender.
3. Add mushrooms, green peas, salt and pepper to the boiled vegetables and leave the soup to simmer for another fifteen minutes.
4. In the finished dish, put the cheese, grated on a fine grater, butter and greens. Before serving, you can add sour cream or cream to the soup.

Precautionary measures

You should be aware that there are quite a few a large number of mushrooms resembling appearance deer horns. Many of them are inedible or even poisonous. Therefore, beginners need to start collecting them under the guidance of experienced mushroom pickers.

Also they should be well washed and processed, especially those that are harvested for future use, because even edible mushrooms, if improperly prepared and stored, can pose a serious danger. In addition, you should not collect them along roads and in other polluted places where they accumulate a large amount of toxic substances.

How to cook deer horns (video)

As you can see, deer horns are not only an exotic decoration of the forest, but also an excellent product that will allow you to cook many interesting and delicious meals, both for everyday menu and for holiday table. And for those for whom mushroom hunting”is a hobby or an active holiday, finding and collecting them will be a real pleasure.