Description of the size of the puffball mushroom. Is the puffball mushroom edible or not? Common false raincoat

According to the international culinary classification, mushrooms are divided into 4 categories. The first is the best - you can generally eat them raw. The fourth, accordingly, is the worst, since such mushrooms must be pre-processed, soaked and cooked for a long time. In peacetime, they don’t even look at this category - why, if there is something that is much tastier and healthier? But you shouldn’t forget about them, because knowledge about potentially edible mushrooms can save the life of a tourist lost in the wild.
And in the case of BP - the more you know about edible plants and mushrooms - the higher the chances of survival. We have already written about such wonderful mushrooms as and, but these mushrooms are not very common in Russia. Therefore, today we will talk about another mushroom that everyone has seen at least once in their lives, and most of them also had fun crushing it. We'll talk about pear-shaped raincoat.

Pear-shaped raincoat

...or Lycoperdon pyriforme is a genus of mushrooms from the champignon family. The fruit body is round, light-colored, with a small but well-defined false stalk. The top is covered with small spines or scales. When ripe, the fruiting body opens, forming a box with a hole. The pulp is whitish, with a characteristic mushroom smell. With age it darkens and gives way to a large number of spores. Distributed everywhere, intensive growth is observed immediately after heavy rainfall. Most often it grows in large groups on rotting wood. It occurs from the beginning of July to the end of September.

If you step on an unripe raincoat, it bursts and splashes the contents. And if you step on a ripe one, it greets you with a cheerful crack. Admit it: almost everyone who has ever seen them has not failed to step on them. They just beg to be crushed. And these little white balls, it turns out, are edible.

Unlike most other conditionally edible mushrooms, puffballs do not need to be soaked for a long time and boiled for a long time. In addition, the pear-shaped raincoat cannot be confused with anything - the pronounced leg distinguishes it from other raincoats, which, moreover, do not grow on old wood, but simply on the ground. The only thing you need to remember is that it is better to collect young mushrooms, the flesh of which has not yet begun to darken. It should be hard, dense and uniform - this is an indicator of the youth and edibility of the mushroom. Also, assembly sites should be located as far as possible from roads and industrial facilities- after all, the raincoat, like all other mushrooms, perfectly accumulates all sorts of nasty things.

Beware - the raincoat's inedible doppelgänger

Everyone knows that every edible mushroom has its own inedible counterpart, which can cause extremely unpleasant symptoms. The raincoat also has it. This is the common false puffball or Scleroderma citrinum. But it is quite difficult to confuse them, since the skin of the false raincoat is much darker, and its flesh has a purple tint. Moreover, young white fly agarics can also slightly resemble puffballs. But on the cut everything becomes obvious - plates, a long leg and other signs that are completely uncharacteristic of the pear-shaped raincoat.

Method of preparing raincoats

Preparing pear-shaped raincoats is very simple - first, wash them thoroughly to remove all adhering debris. Then they clean it off surface coating. Well, what’s left can be fried, boiled, stewed, pickled, in a word - do whatever you want with them. You can, for example, make soup from them. This is done as follows:

Raincoats are washed, the film is removed, cut into large pieces and thrown into a pan. Salt and water are added, after which the whole thing is cooked for 20 minutes. Next, add pepper, bay leaf and fried carrots and onions. After 4 minutes, the potatoes cut into cubes are added. All this is cooked over medium heat until the potatoes soften. Serve with greens.

Agree, for a mushroom that is widespread everywhere, but is not collected industrially for food anywhere, this is very good. Now, when the familiar round white balls catch your eye again, you know what you can do with them.

Today we will introduce you to a very interesting, healthy, and also tasty mushroom called puffball.

Description

Quite often, mushroom pickers call this mushroom differently. The most popular names are tobacco mushroom, dust mushroom or hare potato. This phenomenon is associated with various factors, the details of which we will not go into.

But it is important to know that this particular mushroom is characterized increased activity absorbing toxins from environment. In this component, it is several times superior to its “relatives”.

Belongs to the Champignon family, has a closed pear-shaped or rounded body. The leg is false. The skin grows tightly to the upper part of the plant, thereby creating internal pulp. When ripening, voids appear there - a kind of chamber. They collect a lot of spores in the form of powder. They may have different colors.

In a mature puffball, the peridium is quite thin, which causes it to rupture and allow the powder to fall out.

Appearance You can see the raincoat and where it grows in the video.

Species

The raincoat has quite a few subspecies, but among them there are several main ones.

Spiky

It can often be found in the forest and meadows. There is a characteristic tubercle on the mushroom cap in its upper part.

The name is due to the surface of the mushroom. It is white in color and has small spines that fall off easily.

Giant

Another type of raincoat, the distinctive feature of which is its size and ovoid or spherical shape. The mushroom may have a white or yellow-gray color.

Quite often, fallen shells collect on it, which makes the plant not very attractive. However, it can mature up to 7 kilograms.

Golovach

Oblong

It is somewhat reminiscent of the previous species, but its shape is club-shaped, the upper part is thickened, and the lower part is narrowed. This mushroom is sterile.

Where does it grow

Such a mushroom, in fact, has no specific geography or origin. He is well known in Russia. Raincoat can be found everywhere, but not everyone knows about its features and valuable medicinal properties.

However, there are references to this plant, according to which puffball has been used since ancient times, using its healing properties.

Storage method

Having collected mushrooms, they will retain beneficial properties no more than two days.

So you need to put them in the refrigerator right away. To increase shelf life, place in freezer, but first cut the mushroom into slices.

The product can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months. Only pickled raincoat or dried raincoat lasts longer - about a year.

If you need this mushroom from a medicinal point of view, then you need the powder from the ripe puffball. It should be stored in a glass container in a dry place away from direct sunlight.

Peculiarities

In fact, there are more than enough features and a raincoat. But I still want to highlight the most interesting points.

First of all, it serves as an excellent assistant for our health. The key feature is the ability to absorb radionuclides, as well as heavy metal salts, and then quickly and easily, naturally remove these “nasties” from the body.

It is because of this that many dietary supplements are created based on raincoat. The authors of this drug are confident that it promotes healing, cleansing the body, as well as restoring the skin and giving it elasticity.

How to choose

When going for mushrooms, few mushroom pickers dare to bend down to pick off the raincoat. Quite often they are simply neglected. Moreover, many deliberately crush, kick and destroy it.

This is due to the fact that many people mistake it for a dangerous, poisonous mushroom. This is not true, and today we will talk about this in detail.

If you decide to pick mushrooms and your goal is a raincoat, then you need to know important rule. You cannot collect it if the weather is damp. Otherwise, your initially snow-white beauty will literally turn into a kind of dirty rag in just a couple of hours, which cannot be eaten.

Suitable for cooking are young “individuals” that are not soaked or boiled to remove harmful substances. They simply don't exist. So feel free to throw it in a frying pan, into the oven, dry it, salt it and eat it.

The young puffball, suitable for food, has a rather non-standard appearance for edible mushrooms - the body is spherical, white, small scales on top. Its false leg, which can reach no more than 5 cm in length and 2 cm in diameter, may be absent.

When the mushroom ripens, a brown coating forms on the surface and it becomes smooth.

Choose exclusively young mushrooms, the flesh of which is elastic and dense. Don't be afraid to collect various types raincoat, since each of them can be eaten.

An old mushroom is dangerous because it intensively absorbs toxins. It is better not to collect it near highways, since the exhaust from cars is not the most pleasant thing to experience.

Nutritional value and calorie content

As you know, mushrooms are a very dietary product. And the raincoat was no exception. For 100 grams of this mushroom there is:

Chemical composition

In terms of chemical composition, puffball is not inferior to many other mushrooms, and in some components it even surpasses them. For example, it has more protein than our favorite champignons.

It is worth noting that the mushroom includes:

Fats;
Complex of vitamins;
Useful micro- and macroelements;
Polysaccharides;
Mineral salts;
Antibiotics, etc.

Useful and healing properties

This mushroom should be appreciated not only for its taste, but also for the benefits it carries.

The pulp contains calvacin, which fights bacteria and fungi, has an anti-cancer effect, and reduces the activity of tumor development.
Preparations made from spores remove heavy metals, radionuclides, and toxins from the body.
The pulp can be used externally as well as internally. External use involves applying it to ulcers that appear due to skin cancer. For internal use, tinctures and decoctions are used. They relieve fever, inflammation, swelling in the throat, fight kidney problems, and help suppress the development of cancer.
Spore-based products help with gastrointestinal problems, high blood pressure, blood viscosity, and have an immune-strengthening effect.
Spores also help stop bleeding, relieve pain, and heal festering lesions on the body.

In fact, there are incredibly many benefits from this mushroom, which is why mushroom pickers underestimate it in vain.

Contraindications

There are several nuances that relate to a raincoat and its use.

Do not collect these mushrooms in places located in close proximity to polluted areas, factories, or highways. The raincoat actively absorbs toxins so you can go;
During pregnancy and lactation, it is better to avoid mushrooms;
If you have kidney problems, then this mushroom is not for you;
Another condition under which a raincoat cannot be used is individual intolerance.

Application

In cooking

What else can you do with a mushroom other than eat it? After all, it’s tasty and healthy. Mushrooms can be an excellent substitute for meat and many other foods when on a diet.

How to cook

How to prepare raincoats:

Pickle;
Fry;
Marinate;
Bake;
Put out;
Boil and so on.

But first they need to be prepared. To do this, remove the skin from the white fruits. Cut the resulting pulp into pieces you like.

Fried mushrooms

After completing the previous manipulations, chopping the mushrooms, roll them in flour, add a little salt and fry in simple vegetable oil. A special sauce goes well with this dish.

To prepare the sauce, you need to finely chop sweet pepper, add finely chopped capers, green onions, as well as pickled or pickled cucumbers. Mix all this with mayonnaise, add salt to your taste, as well as fresh lemon juice. To add some spice, we recommend adding a little soy sauce.

Pour this sauce over your mushrooms, and your guests will be delighted with such a simple but incredibly tasty dish.

soup

If you're a fan of mushroom soups, then the raincoat will open up new horizons for you.

Take the prepared chicken broth, add sauteed carrots and onions to it. Mushrooms need to be cut into slices, although this is not essential. They are fried in a frying pan, thrown into the broth and cooked for literally 10 minutes.

The soup will be even tastier if you add fresh herbs and some canned peas. The result exceeds all expectations.

Raincoat under sour cream

This is a great stand-alone dish. But it is also very tasty to eat with boiled rice.

The following ingredients are needed:

Mushrooms – 0.5 kg;
Sour cream – 0.2 l;
Potatoes – 0.3 kg;
Onions – 2 pcs.

Plus you will need vegetable oil and seasonings to taste. The indicated amount of ingredients is enough for about four large servings.

Preparation is carried out as follows:

Peel the potatoes, boil them by adding salt to the water;
Peel the mushrooms, rinse thoroughly, cut as you like;
Fry the mushrooms in a frying pan for 25 minutes;
Peel and chop the onion, fry in a separate frying pan until golden brown;
Place the onion in the mushrooms, add salt and pepper as desired. Mix everything and fry for 15 minutes;
About 5 minutes before the mushrooms are ready, add sour cream. Mix the ingredients and let them simmer a little over low heat.

Well, now you can serve it to the table. These mushrooms are great for young potatoes or crumbly steamed rice. Choose for yourself which side dish you like best.

In medicine

Alas, mushroom pickers are not particularly aware of the true properties of the raincoat. But medical experts will confirm that eating raincoat is not just tasty, but also very healthy.

We have already talked about the positive and healing properties. Therefore, now we bring to your attention several recipes for medicinal tinctures and decoctions prepared on the basis of raincoats.

Powders. They can be purchased at pharmacies. You need to consume 1 tsp, diluting with half a glass of water, once every day before bed. In case of severe poisoning - 1/2 tsp. 8 times during the day.

Infusion. Take a dessert spoon of spore powder, pour 200 ml of water (it should not be boiling water, but about 70 degrees). You need to insist for 40 minutes in a porcelain bowl. Drink half a glass twice a day before meals.

Tincture. The proportions of spores and vodka are 1 to 5. The mixture is infused for 2 weeks in a warm place protected from the sun. Drink 1 tsp three times a day before meals. The course lasts no more than 28 days, after which a week break is required.

For cancer. Mix a glass of powder with 500 ml of vodka. Close the jar tightly, bury it in the ground, where it should stand for 24 days at a depth of 0.3 m. Then dig it up and strain (do not shake the jar). Use the product three times a day before meals. Serving – 1 tbsp. l.

From purulent wounds. Treat the wound with peroxide, blot it with a medical bandage, and then sprinkle it with spores. Do not tie the wound, as pus will continue to leak out over the next few days. Remove it, disinfect it, and spray the spores again. Once the wound is clean, the healing process will begin. A similar procedure can be done 2-3 times during the day. Treat yourself until you get rid of the wound.

From a runny nose. If you have a severe runny nose and simple remedies If they don’t help or they simply don’t exist, just inhale the spores from the raincoat 2-3 times a day. This will quickly relieve nasal congestion and eliminate an unpleasant runny nose.

Growing

As practice shows, their use gives positive results, although on your own summer cottage It is better to use the simplest method.

To do this you will need arguments. They need to be sown in moist soil. The site should resemble the conditions in which the raincoat grows. That is, the grass is not thick, there is a lot of shade from trees, fallen leaves.

If you have ever collected raincoats in the forests, then pay attention to what is different about the place where you found them. If you manage to repeat the same conditions, you will ensure yourself an impressive harvest.

The fruits will appear a year after sowing the spores. To ensure fruiting does not stop, periodically add spores to your chosen area. They are not difficult to obtain, but you will have your own mushrooms every season.

Edible or not

Many mushroom pickers do not dare to say for sure whether the raincoat is edible or dangerous to humans. It is because of this that he is often crushed or passed by when going into the forest to pick mushrooms.

So this is edible mushroom at 100%. However, it must be consumed when it is young, when the flesh is white. Before eating, be sure to remove the shell. The pulp inside is delicious, which we recommend checking for yourself. There are many ways to prepare it.

If you go mushroom picking and are afraid to make a mistake in choosing a raincoat, here are a couple of tips:

The pulp should be exclusively white, without adding other shades.
The pulp should have a dense, elastic structure. With age, it loses hardness, and determining this by touch will not be a problem.
The inside of the mushroom should have a uniform consistency. To do this, you can slightly break it.
The structure of the edible raincoat does not have a pronounced cap and stem.
There should be no signs of developing spores inside.
In order not to confuse the raincoat and the young fly agaric, cut the mushroom. Our hero does not have a long leg, cap or plates.

This year we didn’t get out to go mushroom picking. My husband is a hunter and the hunting season always coincides with the mushroom season. Guess what is more important to my husband. But we still collected some mushrooms, although we didn’t go anywhere specially.

We have a dacha outside the city, there are both pine and deciduous plantations, we drive past fields, but for some reason there are never mushrooms there.

And so, returning from the dacha, we suddenly see people walking across the field and picking mushrooms. Of course, we were surprised and stopped. People collected champignons and practically didn’t leave any for us, but we still picked mushrooms. And these were raincoats.

For some reason, people didn’t collect them; apparently they didn’t know that it was a puffball mushroom and that it was edible. We are not great experts in mushrooms, but we know some species for sure and collect them with confidence. And we have no doubts about the puffball mushroom - edible or not, we know 100% that it is edible.

And I decided to talk about this mushroom; it’s a pity that people, sometimes out of ignorance, trample them and kick them. And this is not only edible, but also a very tasty and healthy mushroom. By the way, in Italy they consider the puffball to be the most delicious mushroom.

Mushroom raincoat - photo and description

The puffball mushroom belongs to the champignon family.

There are varieties that are round, and there are slightly elongated, pear-shaped ones, as if with a stem, as they also say - “false stem”.

Some raincoats are smooth, and some have small spikes.

We quite rarely come across raincoats and they were always round and smooth.

There is another variety - these are giant raincoats and they weigh up to 10 kg. Our son found such a mushroom the only time, it weighed 1 kg and even then it seemed big to us, but 10 kg is hard to even imagine. Watch the video about the giant raincoat.

Important! This mushroom differs from other species in that it does not have a pronounced stem and cap with plates.

This must be remembered so as not to be confused with a young fly agaric, the spiny puffballs are especially similar, but looking at the photo, it seems to me that the difference is obvious, the fly agaric has a leg and a cap.

Puffball mushroom - edible or not

As I already said, this is an edible mushroom, but it has a feature that important know and collect taking into account these features.

Raincoat ages very quickly and becomes unsuitable for collection, so only young mushrooms should be collected.

The pulp when cut should be pure white, dense, elastic and homogeneous. If the flesh is yellowish or greenish, then such a mushroom is not suitable for collection.

Over time, the insides of the puffball mushroom become flabby, and then generally turn into a powdery spore mass, which is pushed out through the hole formed in the upper part of the mushroom. Because of these features, it is often popularly called “flutter”, “dust tobacco”, “grandfather’s tobacco”. Maybe this influences the opinion that the puffball mushroom is inedible.

There is a false mushroom and it is distinguished by the fact that it has a hard, leathery shell, the flesh of young mushrooms is also white, but it ripens very quickly and becomes dark purple in color; another main distinguishing feature is the smell, in false ones it is unpleasant. The raincoats we collected have a smell very reminiscent of champignons.

Raincoat mushroom - how to cook

The puffball mushroom is a versatile mushroom; it can be fried, boiled, or pickled. For long-term storage, both freezing and drying are suitable. True, it should not be dried in the fresh air, but in an oven or dehydrator for fruits and vegetables.

You can cook puffball mushroom without pre-treatment (boiling or soaking).

And although it belongs to the fourth category, this does not affect the taste. This is a delicious mushroom, and by the way, the dried puffball mushroom is not inferior in taste and smell to the famous boletus mushroom.

Puffball mushroom - beneficial and medicinal properties

Puffball mushroom, included in your diet, will have a beneficial effect on the body:

it helps eliminate toxins, as well as chlorine and fluorine-containing compounds, cleanses gastrointestinal tract, improves the composition of blood and lymph;
its antiseptic, hemostatic and wound-healing properties are known; they say it can be used right in the forest to treat wounds and cuts by applying the pulp of a freshly cut mushroom to the wound;
This mushroom contains a substance called calvacin, which has antitumor properties.
It is believed that puffball mushroom broth is healthier than chicken broth and is widely used to quickly restore the patient’s vitality, in the treatment of bronchitis, laryngitis, tuberculosis, and to strengthen the immune system.

Traditional healers make a tincture from the puffball mushroom and use it to treat various diseases.

Chop clean mushrooms and pack tightly into 0.5 liters. jar, fill the remaining space with vodka diluted with water in a 1:1 ratio. Infuse in the refrigerator for 15 days, then strain and keep the tincture in the refrigerator

Take the tincture orally once a day, 30 ml, half an hour before meals, with water or natural juice for diseases such as viral hepatitis, diseases of the genitourinary system, helps dissolve sand, kidney stones, and eliminates dysbacteriosis.

This tincture can also be used externally in the form of lotions for acne, purulent formations, for the treatment of burns.

Even in folk medicine, powder from the puffball mushroom is used; it helps normalize blood pressure and hormonal balance, strengthens the immune system, when taken regularly.

How to cook: dried mushrooms grind in a coffee grinder, pour into a dry container with a lid.

Add to dishes every day, but in order not to destroy the beneficial effect of the powder, the dishes should not be hot, no more than 50 degrees.

But not only traditional healers know about the beneficial and healing properties of raincoats. Based on this mushroom, various drugs and dietary supplements have been created in pharmacology; this mushroom is also used for the manufacture of cosmetic products, since the puffball mushroom helps improve the structure of the skin and eliminate sagging.

At home, you can make face masks by cutting the mushroom into thin slices, applying it to your face and holding it for 15-20 minutes.

We collected such wonderful mushrooms, although not much, just a couple of kilograms, maybe a little more, but we also spent very little time on it, about half an hour. But we are happy about that too.

I hope the information was useful and even if you do not dare to collect puffball mushrooms, do not kick or trample them with your feet, remember that there are lovers of these mushrooms, for example, us.

Better yet, collect them in your own baskets and use them for cooking delicious dishes, and for health.

Often in a forest or park after rain you can find unusual mushrooms nesting in the damp grass in small groups of white balls of different sizes. Puffballs belong to the genus of mushrooms of the champignon family and grow in temperate latitudes of the country. The fruit crop has a pleasant taste, therefore it is widely used in cooking, and thanks to its unique composition, the puffball mushroom has healing properties and is used to treat various diseases.

Characteristics and varieties

Instances of the mushroom culture have many names, for example: hare potato, tobacco mushroom, dust mushroom, bee sponge, fluff mushroom. They ripen in late August - early September. Raincoats can be found during the autumn period throughout Russia, except for the northern regions with a cold climate. Some representatives of the species prefer to grow in the forest, while others can be found near roads and paths, in meadows, gardens and clearings.

Features of unusual mushrooms

It is worth remembering that you only need to use recently grown mushrooms for cooking, then you can fully enjoy their taste and enrich your body with the necessary vitamins present in their composition.

Among the representatives of the genus there are also poisonous specimens that are unsuitable for consumption. These include false species of puffballs, which are very similar to edible ones. To distinguish dangerous fruits from useful ones, you need to know what a puffball mushroom that causes poisoning looks like:

To prevent false puffballs from falling into the basket when picking mushrooms, you need to cut one of them and check the inside. Specimens suitable for eating will have a white and dense body with the smell of fresh mushrooms and without the unpleasant and putrefactive notes that accompany poisonous fruits.

Healing properties

Unusual mushrooms have great taste and saturate the human body with useful substances, and thanks to the presence of medicinal components, they are used in the fight against many diseases. Therefore, raincoats are used in official and folk medicine for the preparation of medicines.

Smoke composition

Peel the potatoes, cut them and boil them in salted water. After finishing cooking, drain the water from it.

Rinse the raincoats thoroughly, cut and fry in a frying pan with oil for 30 minutes.

Peel the onion, then cut into small cubes and fry until golden brown. Combine mushrooms and onions, add salt, pepper and simmer for another 20 minutes. Towards the end of frying, add sour cream to the pan, mix everything well and turn off the heat after 2-3 minutes.

Stewed mushrooms should be placed on plates along with boiled potatoes. Separately, it is recommended to serve sour cream and chopped tomatoes.

Puffballs are very interesting and tasty mushrooms. Unfortunately, many people are afraid to collect them because they have no idea about the many benefits of healthy fruits. But if you cook them correctly, you can get a great dish that will appeal to all supporters of a healthy diet.

Puffballs (Lycoperdon) are unique mushrooms of the fourth category, which belong to the champignon family. All their species have a specific closed fruiting body that is round or pear-shaped. People called them hare potatoes, dust mushrooms, tobacco mushrooms and many other names. In addition to the fact that raincoats are incredibly tasty, they are also useful, as they have a rich chemical composition and have a number of medicinal properties, among which the main ones are antitumor and antibacterial.

Their antioxidant qualities are also of great value: they absorb radionuclides and heavy metals and easily cleanse the body of them. Currently, based on them, a number of drugs have been developed that not only heal the body, but also have a beneficial effect on the condition of the skin, rejuvenating it.

General characteristics

The puffball is a completely unpretentious mushroom with a fruiting body, which, depending on the species, can have a wide variety of sizes and weight from several grams to two kilograms. Its surface may be white, grayish-white or yellow, and is sometimes covered with small spines or warts. The white pulp turns yellow over time, and when the spores ripen, it turns into a dark brown powder that is released into the air. The puffball is edible only when young, when it has a delicate structure, pleasant aroma and high taste.

Description of edible species

Several species are found in Russia edible raincoats, which vary significantly in both shape and size.

Raincoat: where and how to collect (video)

Giant

The giant puffball, giant puffball or bigheaded puffball (Langermannia gigantea) looks like a huge ball, and can sometimes also have a slightly flattened shape. Its fruiting bodies, with smooth or flaky skin, can reach more than 50 cm in diameter. Its color ranges from white to yellow depending on the age of the mushroom. Also, as it grows, the color of the flesh changes from white to greenish-brown.

Giant puffball often grows singly. If a group of mushrooms is encountered, it may consist of more than ten mushrooms that form large rings. Fruiting begins in August and ends in early October.

Spiky

Spiny puffballs (Lycoperdon perlatum) are also called pearl, hedgehog or needle-shaped. Their pear-shaped, slightly flattened fruit bodies are white and then light brown in color and miniature in size, reaching from 2 to 6 cm in diameter and up to 5 cm in height. The surface skin of the puffball is covered with small warts; initially it is white, but as it grows it becomes brown. Young specimens have pleasant white flesh with a pungent taste and delicate aroma. Over time, it turns gray and then purple-brown and is no longer edible. The collection of spiny raincoats begins in July and ends in early September.

Pear-shaped

The pear-shaped puffball (Lycoperdon pyriforme) is named after the shape of its fruiting body, which resembles a pear, the thick part of which reaches a diameter of about 7 cm and a length of 4 cm. Young mushrooms have a milky color, which becomes dirty brown over time. The thick skin is initially covered with small spines, which fall off over time, and the surface of the raincoat begins to crack.

The white pulp does not have a very bright taste, but it has a very pleasant mushroom smell. Over time, it becomes brownish-red and then turns into powder brown. Fruiting lasts from July to early October.

Description of false species

In addition to the delicious edible puffballs, there are also poisonous ones. Visually, their differences can be identified by looking at pictures depicting them.

Warty

The warty false puffball (Scleroderma verrucosum) is a poisonous mushroom with a tuberous fruiting body with a yellowish-gray and then light brown surface with thick and tough skin. Its diameter reaches 5 cm, the stalk is absent. The aroma of false puffball combines the aroma of young raw potatoes and herbs. These mushrooms appear at the end of May, their fruiting lasts until the beginning of October.

Common puffball

The common or orange false puffball (Scleroderma citrinum) with a fruiting body about 6 cm in diameter has a tuberous shape, a smooth and thick shell of a dirty yellow or brown color with small scales in the upper half of the mushroom. In its bare lower part there are characteristic folds. When ripe, the white pulp becomes almost black, speckled with white fibers. Although this false puffball is considered inedible, it is fragrant and taste qualities, somewhat reminiscent of truffles, they are added in small quantities (no more than two or three cloves) to various mushroom dishes. The collection period for common puffballs begins in August and ends in September.

Spotted

Spotted, panther, or leopard's scleroderma (Scleroderma areolatum) is characterized by a spherical or pear-shaped shape. The diameter of the fruiting body ranges from 1 to 5 cm. The smooth, very thin skin is white or cream in color; as it grows, it changes to brownish-yellow. Small scales with peculiar rims are scattered on its surface; it is this structure that creates the leopard pattern. The white flesh of young mushrooms changes over time to greenish-brown or dark purple with white veins. The smell is weak, sweet. The spotted puffball has no legs. This type of mushroom bears fruit from August to early September.

Places of growth

Edible and false (poisonous) puffballs are found in the temperate latitudes of our country almost everywhere and on any soil. They love open, well-lit and moist areas, so they can be found in fields, meadows, and sunny clearings of any forest. However, you should know that these mushrooms, as a rule, do not grow in the same places every year. The raincoat collection season varies depending on the type.

Important! There is no need to collect raincoats in environmentally unfavorable places, since they absorb all harmful substances much more actively than other mushrooms.

Cooking methods

You can prepare various dishes and make provisions for the winter only from young raincoats with snow-white flesh. Before cooking, mushrooms need to be washed and peeled. They must be used for food immediately after collection; they cannot be stored.

Raincoats baked in the oven

Ingredients:

Mushrooms - 1 kilogram;
Onion - 200 grams;
Mayonnaise - 5 tablespoons;
Cheese - 300 grams;
Vegetable oil - 3 tablespoons;
Salt, black pepper, dill.

Cooking method:

Peel the mushrooms and cut into large pieces.
Cut the onion into thin half rings and add to the mushrooms.
Make marinade from mayonnaise, vegetable oil salt and pepper.
Pour the marinade over the mushrooms and leave for an hour.
Grate the cheese on a coarse grater.
Place the pickled raincoats on a sheet of foil, wrap well and bake in the oven for half an hour.
Unfold the foil, cover the mushrooms with shredded cheese and place uncovered in the oven for another ten minutes.

Sprinkle the finished dish with chopped herbs before serving.

How to dry raincoats (video)

Medicinal properties

Currently, the medicinal properties of raincoats are used not only by folk medicine, but also by official medicine. Due to its cleansing properties, preparations based on raincoats are used after suffering severe inflammatory processes. The wound-healing, analgesic and absorbable effects of the pulp of this mushroom are often used for injuries, diseases of the throat, skin and kidneys.

To quickly heal wounds, mushrooms are cut into thin large slices and applied to the damaged area. Decoctions and alcohol tinctures are used for rinsing and internal use. Traditional medicine uses raincoat spores to prepare drugs that lower blood pressure, increase immunity and stop the growth of tumors.