Content
The kingdom of mushrooms is extremely vast, and among this many there are truly amazing species that ordinary mushroom pickers often simply do not pay attention to. Meanwhile, many of these specimens are not only amazingly beautiful, but also edible. These species include horned mushrooms, the colonies of which are very reminiscent of sea corals.
Features of horned mushrooms
To most mushroom pickers, horned mushrooms are known under the name "deer horns" or "hedgehogs". Some call them forest corals because of their similarity in appearance. In general, horns bear little resemblance to mushrooms in their traditional form. They lack a cap and a leg, the fruiting body is a single outgrowth in the form of a bush or free-standing processes.
Horned beetles are pronounced saprophytes; they live on old rotten wood or forest floor. Some types of these mushrooms are edible and quite pleasant to the taste, however, the vast majority of mushroom pickers are suspicious of them and do not consider them as an object of quiet hunting.
Species of horned mushrooms
According to various classifications, the horned mushroom family (Latin Clavariaceae) includes about 120 different species. Here is a photo and description of some of the brightest representatives of horned mushrooms:
- Alloclavaria purpurea (Clavaria purpurea). The fungus is a single elongated cylindrical fruiting body, up to 10-15 cm high, with pointed or rounded tips. Their color is light purple, with age it becomes light brown, sometimes ocher, clay or beige. Usually they grow in dense groups, each of which can contain up to 20 pieces. Clavaria purpurea grows, mainly in coniferous forests. According to some sources, it forms mycorrhiza with the roots of conifers and mosses. The main habitat is North America, but it is found in the temperate zone of Russia and Europe, as well as in China and Scandinavia. There is no data on the edibility of the mushroom, however, as well as on its toxicity.
- Clavulina coral (Horned crested horn). Forms a bushy fruiting body with many small processes. The height of the bush can reach 10 cm. The tops of the fruit bodies are flat, comb-like, pointed. The color of the mushroom is white, milky, sometimes slightly yellowish or creamy, the flesh is brittle, white. It grows from July to October in mixed or coniferous forests, on soil or litter from fallen forest debris. It can grow both pointwise and in large groups. The mushroom is not poisonous, but it is usually not eaten because of its bitter taste. However, this does not prevent some lovers of culinary experiments from trying it, as evidenced by the available reviews.
- Ramaria yellow (Horny yellow, Deer horns). This is a rather large mushroom, it can reach a height of 20 cm, while its diameter can reach 16 cm.The fruit body is a massive central part of white color, resembling a cabbage stump, from which numerous shoots grow in different directions, slightly similar to branching antlers (hence the name - deer horns). Their color is yellow, lighter closer to the base, becomes bright at the periphery. When pressed, the color of the mushroom changes to cognac. It grows in mixed and coniferous forests, the peak of growth is observed in late summer and early autumn.Widespread in the forests of Karelia, found in the Caucasus, Western and Central Europe. It belongs to edible mushrooms, however, yellow horned mushrooms are harvested only at a young age, since adult specimens begin to taste very bitter. Before starting to cook yellow ramaria, the fruit bodies of the mushroom must be soaked and heat treated.
- Ramaria is beautiful (Rogatic is beautiful). In shape, it resembles a dense bush with a height and diameter of up to 20 cm. It consists of a massive, bright pink leg, which turns white with age, as well as numerous yellow branches with yellow-pink tips. When pressed, it turns red. With age, the fruit bodies lose their brightness and turn brown. It is found in deciduous forests, grows on soil or old rotted foliage. It is not used for food, because if ingested, it can cause severe intestinal disorders.
- Clavulina amethyst (Horny amethyst). It has elongated branching fruit bodies of a very unusual lilac color accreted at the base. The pulp is white with a lilac tint. The mushroom bush can reach a height of 5-7 cm. It grows mostly in deciduous forests, the peak of growth occurs in September. Often found in large colonies. Amethyst horned, despite its unusual "chemical" color, is quite edible, but it is not recommended to fry it because of its peculiar taste. It is best used for drying, boiling, or making mushroom sauce.
A short video about how horned horns grow in the wild:
Edibility of horned mushrooms
As noted above, there are no poisonous species among horned animals. Nevertheless, mushroom pickers are wary of this family, its representatives have too unusual appearance. Among them, a fairly large number of edible ones, according to the all-Russian classification of mushrooms in terms of nutritional value, they belong to the IV, last group, which includes, for example, mushrooms and oyster mushrooms. The table shows the main types of slingshots by edibility:
Edible | Inedible |
Amethyst Yellow Grozny Reed Golden Truncated | Fusiform Comb Straight Pistillate Pale yellow Fisty Purple |
Horned fish are inedible because of their bitter taste or pungent aftertaste. Some species have a strong, unpleasant odor. All edible species can be eaten after cooking.
Colonies of horned mushrooms are usually quite large in size, so a basket of these mushrooms can be collected literally on the spot. Another undoubted advantage is that it is difficult to confuse them with something, they do not have poisonous counterparts. The big plus of these mushrooms is that they are never wormy. All this opens up wide opportunities for their use in cooking.
The benefits and harms of horned mushrooms
Slingshots have no particular nutritional value, but they can be used for medical purposes. This is due to the natural substances of the tryptamine group that are part of the fruiting body. There is evidence that with the help of an extract from the horns, they have successfully treated diseases such as Crocker's sarcoma and Ehrlich's carcinoma.
The harm from the use of slingshots inside can only be associated with indigestion or with unpleasant taste sensations. There is no information about serious poisoning with these mushrooms, which led to serious consequences for the body.
Collection rules
When collecting horns for eating, you need to remember that only young specimens should be taken, the older the mushroom, the more bitter it is. In addition, it is worth adhering to the general rules for all lovers of "quiet hunting":
- Fungi are capable of accumulating heavy metals and radionuclides.Therefore, you can not take specimens growing along the railway, busy highways, growing on the territory of abandoned military facilities or industrial zones.
- If there is no 100% certainty in the edibility of the mushroom, then you should not take it.
How to cook slingshot mushrooms
Due to the peculiarities of the structure of the fungus, a lot of dirt and debris accumulates between the fruit bodies. Therefore, before cooking, you need to rinse them thoroughly and long in running water. After that, the slingshots are boiled for half an hour in water with the addition of salt. The water is drained, the mushrooms are washed and re-boiled in salt water for another 15-20 minutes. Then the water is drained.
Now they can be eaten. They are usually fried with vegetables, sometimes used as an ingredient in mushroom soup or sauce.
Conclusion
Horned mushrooms are very interesting representatives of the mushroom kingdom. Despite the edibility of some species, they are not popular among mushroom pickers. However, numerous positive reviews about these mushrooms indicate that the situation may change, and very soon, horned dishes will take their rightful place in cookbooks.
