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In the mushroom "kingdom" mushrooms are easily recognized. The main sign that you have come across these fruit bodies in the forest is their uncomplicated location. So, honey mushrooms grow in whole colonies on stumps, old clearings, dead wood or live wood. There are also species of honey agarics that grow simply in the grass in meadows, parks and gardens, forming the so-called "witch circles".

Most of the mushrooms are saprophytes and settle on dying trees. However, there are other species that parasitize healthy living plants, quickly destroying them. According to biologists, it is these fungi that are the cause of the death of forests. But for lovers of "quiet hunting" such events only play into the hands. In this case, there is a reason to go into the forest in search of the next mushroom harvest.

Sometimes, having come to the gathering place, you can meet a whole "family" of old honey agarics. Many mushroom pickers, in frustrated feelings, leave such places without taking a single specimen into their basket. Often, overgrown mushrooms are thrown away, because their flesh is very tough, and the appearance does not cause appetite at all. In addition, everyone knows that fruiting bodies like sponges absorb radiation and salts of heavy metals, and honey agarics are no exception. Therefore, the older the mushroom, the more harmful substances it absorbed from the atmosphere. However, for some mushroom pickers, meeting overgrown mushrooms is not a reason for sadness.

What to do with old mushrooms and photos, how they look

Often, old mushrooms are very wormy and have a very unattractive appearance. In this case, such mushrooms really need to be thrown away. However, even among them there are whole and strong "burdocks". What to do with old mushrooms in this case - take them to the basket or pass by? Very often, many novice mushroom pickers ask a similar question. As already noted, some lovers of "quiet hunting" do not disdain overgrown honey agarics, but on the contrary, take them with pleasure in their basket. However, they first make sure that the adult specimen meets the so-called “quality standards”. It should be free of any damage, black spots, and signs of worminess. In addition, the place of collection of such mushrooms should take place in an ecologically clean area - away from factories and industrial enterprises.

Experience shows that it is possible to collect old mushrooms, but not always. As mentioned above, each specimen must meet all the requirements for a strong and attractive mushroom. Unfortunately, most of the overgrown honey agaric does not fit this description, so mushroom pickers so easily "say goodbye" to them. However, when in front of you you see an adult honey fungus that is quite worthy in terms of organoleptic properties, on which there are no traces of rot, worminess, mold and other damage, then you can cut it off and put it in a basket.

Mushrooms grow and ripen very quickly, so before you can look back, they have already outgrown. The following photos will show what old mushrooms look like. So, with age, the fruit body changes color to darker shades. In addition, the size and shape of the cap changes. We offer you to visually familiarize yourself with the appearance of overgrown honey agarics using the example of summer and autumn views. It is worth noting that adults can be easily confused with false species, so it is very important to know what their appearance is.

Old autumn and summer mushrooms (with photo)

Autumn honeydew is the most popular among the rest of the species. At a young age, he has a convex, unopened cap, which eventually opens up like an umbrella, becomes round and flat, reaching up to 13 cm in diameter.We offer to compare photos of old autumn mushrooms with their young "brethren".

As you can see, the surface of the young mushroom is covered with many light scales, but with age they disappear and the cap becomes completely smooth. If you look under the cap of the "young" honeydew, you can see that it is covered with a white film. An adult specimen loses this blanket, leaving only "rags". In addition, there is a ring on the stem of each edible honey fungus, which almost completely disappears in older individuals.

The color of autumn mushrooms varies depending on the wood on which they grow. Older specimens will always be slightly darker than their smaller counterparts, including the color of the pulp itself. With age, it changes from a whitish-flesh-colored to a yellow hue, sometimes with dark spots. The aroma is pleasant mushroom, although in older individuals it is less expressive.

Summer honey agaric is one of the most recognizable species, especially in wet weather. Its smooth, sticky cap, swelling with dampness, has a pronounced two-tone color. A light brown spot can be seen in the center, and a wide brown or brown stripe along the edges. In young individuals, the cap is small, hemispherical, 3-7 cm in diameter, which grows as it grows and becomes flat-convex, up to 10 cm. The photo shows that old edible mushrooms of this species may be completely left without the characteristic ring on the leg, which every young specimen has:

The cap plates of young mushrooms are creamy in color, which eventually turn brown. In addition, old summer mushrooms often "sprinkle" the caps of the lower tier with a layer of brown spore powder.

In many species of overgrown honey agarics, the caps are covered with a white coating that resembles mold. Most likely, this is a spore powder, but for greater confidence, it is better to smell the mushroom. If it has a pleasant mushroom aroma, then there is nothing dangerous in the white bloom. However, if the fruiting body gives off mold, then it is better not to take it. Also pay special attention to the lower part of the adult honey agaric cap - if the plates are covered with mold and begin to turn black, it is strongly recommended to leave it in the forest.

Is it possible to eat old overgrown mushrooms?

As you can see, the attitude towards such fruiting bodies is ambiguous. In this regard, a completely natural question arises about the old overgrown mushrooms: is it possible to collect and eat them in the future? I must say that there are no specific frameworks or rules here. Some experienced mushroom pickers confidently use such fruit bodies for cooking various dishes. In their opinion, the caps of these mushrooms are quite edible and even very tasty, while the leg is too hard, so it is really better to get rid of it.

Is it possible to cook old mushrooms and how to use such pickled mushrooms?

Some mushroom pickers have taken the practice of pickling old mushrooms - can this be done? Yes, if they taste good. To do this, they must be soaked in salt water, cut into pieces and boiled for 20-30 minutes. How can you use old pickled mushrooms? In addition to a standalone snack, they are great as an additional or even the main ingredient in various salads.

Is it possible to pickle old mushrooms and a recipe for cooking fried mushrooms

There are few recipes for making old mushrooms. Basically, these are mushroom caviar and pates. As already noted, they are sometimes pickled or dried. However, it should be remembered that the legs of overgrown honey agaric should be removed, leaving only one cap. Is it possible to cook old mushrooms by frying them in a pan? It must be said that this is a very popular type of processing of the mushroom harvest, and some lovers of "quiet hunting" use it with pleasure in their practice. To do this, they advise to cut the caps of the overgrown honey agaric into small pieces and soak in water for 1.5 hours, adding table salt to it.Then rinse them under the tap and boil 2 times for 15 minutes, changing the water each time. Then you can safely start frying or stewing.

How else can you cook old mushrooms? It turns out that they can be dried and then added to first courses and sauces. However, in this case, honey mushrooms are not pre-boiled and soaked in water. These 2 procedures should be carried out with dried fruit bodies as needed.