Puffball mushrooms: varieties, medicinal properties and recipes. Puffball mushrooms: characteristics of species and medicinal properties Giant golovach - beneficial properties

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 by increased activity in absorbing toxins from the 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 inner 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.

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

Kinds

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 their beneficial properties for no more than two days.

So you need to put them in the refrigerator right away. To increase shelf life, place in the 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 out of 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 an 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, edible, has a rather unusual appearance for edible mushrooms - the body is spherical, white, with 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 different types of puffballs, as 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 the sweet pepper, add finely chopped capers, green onions, and 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 do not help or are simply not available, simply inhale the spores from a raincoat 2-3 times a day. This will quickly relieve nasal congestion and eliminate an unpleasant runny nose.

Growing

As practice shows, their use produces 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. It's not difficult to get them, 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 a 100% edible mushroom. 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 tasty, 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.

Puffballs belong to the genus of mushrooms of the champignon family. These mushrooms have many popular names, for example, young mushrooms are called bee sponge, hare potato, and mature mushrooms are called fluttering mushroom, puffing mushroom, dust mushroom, grandfather's tobacco, wolf's tobacco, tobacco mushroom, devil's tavlinka. Puffballs are edible mushrooms until they lose their whiteness.

Characteristics of the puffball mushroom

hat

The fruiting body of the puffball is pear-shaped or club-shaped. Cap diameter 20-50 mm. The lower cylindrical part is 20-60 mm high, 12-22 mm thick. The surface is spiny-warty, white in young mushrooms. In old mushrooms it is brown or ocher, bare. The fruit body is covered with a two-layer shell. It is smooth on the outside, leathery on the inside.

Pulp

The flesh of a young mushroom is white; with age it gradually becomes yellow or orange.

Leg

The raincoat either has no legs at all, or it is very small, up to 1 cm in height, light, cylindrical.

The distribution area of ​​puffballs is very wide; they are found on all continents except Antarctica and are considered cosmopolitan fungi. Raincoats grow in coniferous and deciduous forests in temperate climate zones.

The raincoat collection season lasts from June to November. A lot of mushrooms usually appear immediately after the rains during this period. However, raincoats are not collected in wet weather, since after a few hours the mushroom turns into a wet rag, which is no longer suitable for consumption.

Puffballs are edible, tasty mushrooms that are often used in soups and also served as a side dish, fried in small slices.

It is important that only young mushrooms, which have elastic flesh of pure white color, are eaten. Before using for food, it is also recommended to peel the fruiting bodies of puffballs, as their skin is quite tough.

The pulp of young raincoats does not need to be soaked or boiled for a long time; they are immediately boiled, dried, pickled, fried or salted.

Raincoats are good at cleansing the body of waste and toxins, heavy metals, fluorine and chlorine compounds; their use in food is useful for people who live in areas with high radiation.

The raincoat does not lose its healing properties when dried, and also retains its taste and aroma.

Raincoats do not cause harm to humans; no poisonous analogs are known for this type of mushroom. But still, you should not collect these mushrooms near roads, since in such places they can absorb various toxic substances and radionuclides during growth.

Types of puffball mushroom

The mushroom grows on all continents, with the exception of Antarctica, in forests and meadows.

The fruit body is obverse pear-shaped or club-shaped, height 2-9 cm, width 2-4 cm. The pulp is initially white or grayish in color, turning yellow as the mushroom matures. Young mushrooms with white flesh are edible. When the flesh turns yellow, the mushroom should not be eaten.

The fruiting body is spherical in shape in a young mushroom, gradually it becomes flattened, pear-shaped, in adult mushrooms the apex is flattened, the height of the mushroom is 1.2-3.5 cm, the width is 1-4.5 cm. The mushroom is white on top, the mature one becomes brownish. The leg is well defined, reaches 1.2 cm in length, and is wrinkled. The pulp has a strong pleasant odor and is white; in adult mushrooms it is orange.

The mushroom is edible when young.

It grows in meadows, forest clearings, mainly in dry places. Widely distributed everywhere except humid tropical regions.

The fruiting body is pear-shaped, 1.5-6 cm high. The flesh of the young mushroom is white, then becomes olive and grayish-brown, the smell is strong and unpleasant.

The mushroom is edible when young, as long as its flesh is firm and white.

Substances with antitumor activity were found in the fruiting bodies of pear-shaped puffball.

This species grows in large groups in forests, gardens and parks, on rotting deciduous wood. The range is very wide; the mushroom is rarely found only in the Mediterranean region.

Poisonous and inedible types of puffball mushroom

Poisonous and inedible similar types of mushrooms for puffballs have not been described.

It is not difficult to grow raincoats at home. For this, first of all, fungal spores are needed. They are sown in moist soil. The site is chosen similar to those where mushrooms grow in natural conditions. The grass should not be thick, the area should be shaded by deciduous trees, and there should be fallen leaves on top.

The first harvest appears a year after sowing the spores. To ensure that fruiting does not stop, new spores are periodically sown on the site.

Calorie content of puffball mushroom

100 g of fresh raincoat contains 27 kcal, of which:

• Proteins, g………………. 4.3
• Fats, g………………..1.0
• Carbohydrates, g:……………….1.0

• Raincoats are familiar to everyone, but they are collected quite rarely. If you knock down the white balls, clouds of brown smoke rise up - these are the spores of the fungus scattering.
• These mushrooms were called puffballs because they begin to grow strongly after heavy rains.
• Raincoats are not inferior in nutritional properties. In the 18th century, puffball soup was used to treat tuberculosis patients and was valued even more than chicken broth.
• In Italy, puffballs are considered the most delicious of mushrooms. However, it is important to remember that they are edible only while their flesh is white, and when it becomes yellowish or greenish, the mushroom turns into cottony and tasteless, although not poisonous. Therefore, collected raincoats are not stored for a long time; after the mushroom is picked, it ripens very quickly.

Many mushroom pickers undeservedly bypass these mushrooms, and completely in vain. Young puffballs are very tasty and healthy mushrooms. And most often, they are one of the first to appear in the spring forest, so for lovers of just such gifts, forests will be a pleasant variety in the diet after a long winter, when dishes made from fresh mushrooms collected in the forest are still a rarity on the table.

Puffballs belong to the mushroom family. The fruiting bodies of these mushrooms of different species have a round, pear-shaped shape, most often white. Many of them have a pronounced false leg, and their sizes can be medium or large (like those of giant puffballs).

In young mushrooms, the entire cap is covered with small growths similar to thorns, which fall off over time. The spores of this mushroom ripen inside the fruiting body; when they ripen, a hole opens at the top of the fruiting body through which the spores spread around the fungus. The color of ripe spores can range from green with an olive tint to brown.

Common names for this type of mushroom:

• bee sponge;
• hare potatoes.

And raincoats, in which the spores in the fruiting body are fully ripe, are called:

• flutter;
• puffing;
• dust duster;
• grandfather's tobacco;
• wolf tobacco;
• tobacco mushroom, etc.

Puffballs belong to the mushroom family

Edible types of puffball

The following common groups of fungi are classified as puffballs:

• true raincoats;
• bigheads;
• flutters.

Typical raincoats are small in size (height - 5-6 cm, radius - 2.5-3 cm). Their fruiting bodies are closed; in young individuals they are covered with a double shell. The outer layer of the fruit body shell may be covered with cracks, small scales or spines. As the mushroom ages, the outer layer falls off, exposing the inner - brown or ocher - layer, which covers the ripening ones.

Gallery: puffball mushrooms (25 photos)

Where do raincoats grow (video)

Meadow, pear-shaped and pearl raincoats

All of the above types of true puffballs are the most common category 4 mushrooms in the central regions and central zone of our country. They are very similar to each other, and the pearl type is also called real, or edible. It is covered with large spines, which makes it look like a bighead mushroom.

Golovachi

Mushrooms of this genus are similar to puffballs; some mushroom pickers often confuse them. The main differences between bigheads and raincoats:

• larger sizes (at least 7 cm in height and 3.5 cm in radius);
• The fruiting body of these mushrooms, after the spores ripen, ruptures much more strongly than that of ordinary puffballs.

Otherwise, they look about the same as raincoats. The most commonly encountered species of bighead are described below.

Golovachi

Baggy golovach

Common names for this type of raincoat:

• Bladderhead;
• The golovach is round;
• Sac-shaped golovach;
• Rabbit raincoat;
• The golovach is pot-bellied.

The fruiting body of such a bighead can be from 10 to 20 cm in diameter, round in shape, slightly flattened on top, fine-grained inside, tapering downward. Young bigheads are light milky in color as they grow up and become brown with a gray tint. Cracks run along the fruiting body of an adult bighead, and tubercles similar to warts will also appear. Old mushrooms open up at the top, becoming like bowls with torn parts.

This mushroom belongs to the 4th category; only young bigheads are used for food.

Baggy golovach

Golovach oblong (extended raincoat)

Synonyms – bighead marsupial. This species has a fruiting body of a peculiar shape - pin-shaped or club-shaped. The pseudopod is elongated, the apex looks like half a ball. The height of the fruiting body together with the pseudopod is from 8 to 14 cm; in rainy and warm weather it can grow even more. The thickness of the upper part of the pseudopod is about 4 cm, and the lower part is about 6–7 cm. But different sources indicate different values ​​for these indicators.

Young mushrooms are white in color, which over time becomes yellow and then brown. There are spines along the entire surface of the fruiting body. The flesh of young mushrooms is white, but over time it becomes yellow, withers, and then turns brown. The upper spherical part of the fruiting body opens and brown spore powder falls out. The young elongated bighead is quite edible.

Golovach oblong (extended raincoat)

Giant golovach

This mushroom is the largest among all varieties of bigheads. Some of its specimens can grow up to 0.5 m in height, and their weight reaches 18-20 kg. It is this representative of the bighead genus that is considered the most delicious of all representatives of the genus. But, unfortunately, giant bigheads always grow alone and do not appear in one place, and this is considered their main drawback.

How to assemble raincoats (video)

Poisonous false puffballs

But in the family under consideration there are also inedible species, some of which are also mildly poisonous.

False raincoat warty

This mushroom belongs to the category of inedible mushrooms from the genus False puffballs of the Scleroderma family. It usually grows in “families” in deciduous forests and groves (especially on the edges or forest clearings), and is found in grass meadows and on roadsides. Growth period is from the first ten days of August to mid-October. The fruit body is 3–5 cm in diameter, tuberous in shape, and the color of the outer shell is brownish. The outer shell is leathery, corky, leathery.

False raincoat warty

Common false raincoat

The fruiting body of this mushroom is tuberous in shape, 5–6 cm in diameter, the shell can be smooth or covered with small scales. The color of this raincoat is dirty yellow. When the shell cracks, small warts appear.

Medicinal properties of puffball mushroom

Not all mushroom pickers know that raincoats have unique medicinal properties. They are able to stop bleeding and also have a healing effect. In case of a severe cut, you can simply break this freshly picked mushroom and apply the pulp to the wound - the bleeding will stop very quickly. Similarly, it can be used to treat other skin diseases:

• severe burns;
• poorly healing purulent wounds;
• acne;
• urticaria, etc.

Raincoats have unique healing properties

Decoctions are prepared from mushrooms, which are used to treat inflammatory processes in the upper respiratory tract:

• bronchitis;
• tuberculosis;
• laryngitis.

The giant bighead has the ability to prevent the growth of malignant cells, so the medicine calvacin was made based on this mushroom, which helps in the fight against malignant tumors in different parts of the human body.

So that this useful mushroom is always at hand, it is prepared for future use (pickled, dried).

Places where puffball grows

Varieties of puffballs can grow in different places. The baghead is usually found from the last ten days of May to mid-September in open sunny places - forest edges or clearings, in shallow ravines, and in pastures. Most often it grows singly.

The elongated raincoat appears in forests, on the edges or forest clearings from the second ten days of July. The last mushrooms of this species are found in mid-October.

How to cook puffball mushrooms (video)

Options for preparing puffball mushrooms

Only young mushrooms should be used for cooking. They can be fried, stewed, or prepared as first courses.

Stuffed zucchini

Peel the young zucchini, cut into rings 2.5-3 cm thick. Remove the middle (along with the seeds), boil in salted water until half cooked, place in a colander to drain. Then roll in flour and fry in sunflower oil. Pass young mushrooms through a meat grinder along with onions and fry in sunflower oil. Fill the zucchini with the prepared mushroom mince.

Vermicelli casserole

Vermicelli is boiled in salted water and drained in a colander. The raincoats are finely chopped and fried in butter until cooked. Then the fried mushrooms are mixed with noodles and raw eggs, placed in a form greased and sprinkled with crushed breadcrumbs and placed in an oven heated to 170 - 180 degrees for 1/3 hour. Pepper is added to this dish to taste.

Although raincoats belong to category 4, you can prepare a lot of tasty and healthy dishes from them. Fried young mushrooms are especially tasty.

Gallery: puffball mushrooms (35 photos)

Puffballs are round-shaped porcini mushrooms that appear in nature and in parks at the end of summer. They are loved by children, because if you hit the ball with a stick or kick it, a brown cloud will fly out of the middle. But raincoats are notable not only as a fun toy: they taste good and have medicinal properties.

What does the puffball mushroom look like and where does it grow?

In biology, “Dozhdevikov” is understood as an entire genus that is part of the Champignon family, although more recently it was separated into a separate family of Dozhdevikov. These are gasteromycete fungi, in which the formation of spores responsible for reproduction occurs inside the fruiting body. When it matures, a hole opens at the top to allow the spores to escape into the environment.

All representatives of the genus are characterized by a round or pear-shaped structure of the fruiting body. Unlike most, they do not have a strictly defined cap. But there is a false leg, smoothly turning into a round part.

The pulp (gleba) is elastic and fleshy. This is the part that is eaten. The color of the gleba directly depends on the age of the mushroom and serves as a kind of indicator of suitability: only young white specimens have a pleasant taste. When it darkens and the flesh turns olive-like, the puffball loses its culinary value and is considered inedible.

Description of edible species of puffball

Types of raincoats differ in appearance and location of growth. But they are united by fruiting from the second half of summer until October and the fact that they are all edible as long as the flesh remains white.

Meadow raincoat

It has a small fruiting body, the diameter of which is 2–4 cm. It is round, gradually tapering towards the base. The pulp of a young mushroom is snow-white, over time it becomes yellow and then brown or olive in color. It grows mainly in fields and along roads.

It has a spherical fruiting body growing on a thick stalk. Its surface is dotted with thin needles that fall off when touched. The height of the mushroom reaches up to 10 cm. You can find it on the edges or in a light forest.

Raincoat brown (umber)

It sits tightly on the soil because the leg is almost invisible. It has a small fruiting body (only up to 5 cm in diameter) of brown color, dotted with dark needles. They can form patterns that resemble stars.

Giant

Of all its relatives, the giant raincoat is distinguished, often reaching the size of a soccer ball. True, this is a rare mushroom, and in the middle zone it is rarely found. Giant puffball growing in old pastures, fields or meadows; less often - in deciduous forests.

Collecting giant puffballs (video)

Medicinal properties of puffball mushroom

Raincoats are successfully used in alternative medicine. Their pulp contains useful substances that have a positive effect on health.

The healing properties of a raincoat:

• cleansing – the mushroom is an excellent absorbent and removes harmful compounds from the human body;
• taking folk remedies based on it is used to cleanse the liver and intestines;
• it leads to normal blood composition;
• It must be said separately that it, like a sponge, absorbs radionuclides and removes them from the body.
• the pulp stops bleeding and promotes rapid healing of wounds.

Traditional healers have known about such possibilities for many centuries, who use these gifts of nature in their practice.

The use of raincoats in folk medicine

The use of a raincoat is varied:

1. For skin injuries. Many mushroom pickers know that if you cut yourself or get burned in the forest, you need to look for a raincoat. It should simply be folded in half and applied to the injured area.
2. Local use of folk remedies from this mushroom will also help with skin diseases, relieving inflammation and accelerating tissue regeneration. For example, with hives or boils.
3. The decoction is used in the treatment of diseases and respiratory tract(bronchitis, pneumonia and even tuberculosis). According to healers, this remedy is not inferior in value to chicken broth.
4. The giant species is used to prevent and stop the growth of tumors, because it contains calvacin.

A raincoat is also used for preventive purposes if you want to cleanse the body of waste and toxins. After this, the person feels better and filled with vitality.

False types of puffballs and their toxicity

Their relatives, the false ones, are similar in appearance to raincoats. According to scientific classification, they belong to the Sclerodermataceae family. In Russia and neighboring countries, the common and warty puffball are more common. Both are apparently unsuitable for consumption and are even called mildly poisonous.

When consuming them, a person feels slightly unwell, and if you eat mushrooms in large quantities, a classic picture of poisoning appears. Sometimes false raincoats cause an allergic reaction in the form of conjunctivitis and runny nose. Although there is no direct threat to life, mushrooms should be avoided.

The species is found in Eastern Europe, the northern Caucasus and the Far East. Prefers to grow in well-lit coniferous and deciduous forests, meadows and along paths, choosing dry places. Fruiting time is from July to October.

It has an inconspicuous yellowish fruiting body, not exceeding 12 cm in height. Brown scales, warty formations and cracks are located on its surface. There is no false leg.

False puffball warty

The mushroom has a tuberous or kidney-shaped shape. It differs from the common false puffball by the presence of a false stalk about 1.5 cm high, although there are specimens with a stalk 5–7 cm. The color of the fruiting body can be from gray-white to brown. There are warts on its surfaces.

This is a cosmopolitan species, growing in both hemispheres, including the tropical zone. Fruiting time is August–October. You can find it in forests with hard trees (for example, oak), on the edges, in gardens, along roads

Where do raincoats grow and how to collect them (video)

Recipes with puffball mushroom

When prepared correctly, puffballs are an excellent ingredient for many dishes. But only young mushrooms with white flesh have high taste properties. When it becomes brown and brown, hardness appears, and the pleasant taste and smell disappear. The mushroom picker should also know that finds cannot be stored for a long time: they are prepared immediately after collection.

Raincoats in a frying pan with sour cream.

To prepare you will need:

• raincoats;
• rast. oil;
• salt and pepper to taste;
• spoon of sour cream.

Mushrooms are cleaned and washed, and large specimens are cut into cubes; after which the raincoats are fried in oil for about 30 minutes. At this time, an intensive release of mushroom juice with a delicious aroma occurs, in which the pulp is additionally stewed. Onion half rings are fried in another frying pan. They need to be added after cooking the roast along with salt and pepper, leaving the dish on the fire for another 20 minutes. After this time, all that remains is to add sour cream.

Rain soup

To prepare a rich soup with a pleasant smell you need:

• 5 raincoats;
• 4 medium potatoes;
• 1 onion;
• 1 small carrot;
• vegetable oil;
• 2 bay leaves;
• to taste – salt and ground black pepper.

The mushrooms are processed, cut into cubes and immersed in a saucepan with 1.5 liters of water. First boiling time: 20 minutes. Add salt and spices to the broth and add chopped potatoes for another 20–30 minutes. At the same time, sauté the onions and carrots, which are added to the soup 5 minutes before readiness. The dish is served with fresh herbs and sour cream.

How to make raincoats (video)

Raincoat schnitzels

The pulp of the puffball is suitable for making unusual mushroom cutlets. You will need:

• 500 g of fresh raincoats;
• 500 ml milk;
• 100 g flour;
• 1 egg;
• vegetable oil;
• salt.

First prepare the batter by mixing flour with egg and salt. It should be like sour cream of medium thickness. Mushrooms are cut into thick slices and fried in oil, first dipped in batter.

Puffballs are interesting and useful mushrooms. Unfortunately, many people pass by them, not knowing about the beneficial properties and excellent qualities of these white balls. By preparing them according to all the rules, you can taste a delicious dish that will benefit the body.

These unique mushrooms belong to the champignon species. All of them have a specific closed fruiting body that is round or pear-shaped. Rainfly is also called hare's potato, duster, tobacco mushroom and many more names. Meanwhile, the edible varieties of this mushroom are very tasty and healthy, as they have a number of medicinal properties, among which the main ones are antitumor and antibacterial.

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.

Mushroom Raincoat: photo, description

This 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 2 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.

Important: Puffball is edible only when young, when it has a delicate structure, pleasant aroma and high taste.

What does the Raincoat mushroom look like?

In Russia there are several types of edible puffballs, which vary significantly in both shape and size.

Types of Edible Puffballs

Giant mushroom puffball

The giant, gigantic, or bighead puffball 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 pulp 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 Raincoat

They 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 mushroom Puffball

It is named after the shape of its fruiting body, reminiscent of 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 a brown powder. Fruiting lasts from July to early October.

False mushroom Raincoat, photo

In addition to the tasty edible puffballs, there are also false species, and these are often poisonous. Visually, their differences can be identified by looking at a photo depicting them.

Warty puffball

The warty false puffball 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 stem is missing. 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 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 has an aroma and taste 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 Puffball Mushroom

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 has a white or cream 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.

How to cook puffball mushroom

Many people ask: - Is it possible to eat puffball mushrooms?

Important: You can prepare various dishes and make preparations 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.

Mushroom Raincoat: recipes

Mushrooms baked in the oven

We will need:

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

Preparation

1. Peel the mushrooms and cut into large pieces.
2. Cut the onion into thin half rings and add to the mushrooms.
3. Make a marinade from mayonnaise, vegetable oil, salt and pepper.
4. Pour the marinade over the mushrooms and leave for an hour.
5. Grate the cheese on a coarse grater.
6. Place the pickled raincoats on a sheet of foil, wrap well and bake in the oven for half an hour.
7. 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.

Raincoat soup

Ingredients:

• Mushrooms - 300 grams
• Flour - 150 gr.
• Butter - 80 gr.
• Potatoes - 4 pieces
• Onion - 1 pc.
• Eggs - 2 pcs.
• Greens - 1 bunch
• Water - 150 milliliters
• Salt - to taste

Preparation

Let the potatoes cook, and in the meantime, sort and wash the mushrooms. Fry them in a frying pan with onions. Make choux pastry for dumplings - to do this, bring water to a boil with a pinch of salt and butter, add flour and eggs, while quickly stirring the dough with a spoon. Having kneaded it in this way, throw the mushrooms into the soup and, using a teaspoon, lay out the dough in small portions. Let simmer for 5 minutes. Then add the greens, stir and remove from heat. Can be served immediately. Bon appetit!

Raincoats with sour cream

Ingredients:

• Raincoats - 400-500 grams
• Sour cream - 200 milliliters
• Potatoes - 6-8 pieces
• Salt - to taste
• Ground black pepper - to taste
• Onion - 2 pieces
• Vegetable oil - 5 tbsp. spoons

Preparation

1. Peel the potatoes, wash them, cut large ones into pieces and cook in salted water. Drain the cooked potatoes.
2. Clean raincoats from thorns, soil and leaves. Rinse thoroughly several times.
3. Place the raincoats in vegetable oil in a frying pan and fry for 20-25 minutes.
4. Peel the onion and cut into cubes. Fry the onion in a separate frying pan in oil until golden brown.
5. Add the fried onions to the slickers. Salt and pepper. Stir and fry for another 15-20 minutes.
6. About 5 minutes before the end of frying the raincoats, add sour cream to the mushrooms and onions. Stir and simmer for a few minutes.
Serve raincoats with sour cream and potatoes.