Characteristic of Boletus edulis.

Characteristic of Boletus edulis.

Although the mountains and forests are full of poisonous mushrooms (be careful!), This is not the case with Boletus edulis , a mushroom of the Boletus genus that is the protagonist of many recipes that, by the way, we will comment later (we would love to hear you! ). While the ideal would be to pick them up and enjoy the outdoors, they can also be grown ‘artificially’. Let’s get to know her well.

Index

BOLETUS EDULIS , AN EDIBLE MUSHROOM

Let’s get to know her a little more. Although it is scientifically known as Boletus edulis , and honestly, it is a quite attractive and not very forgetful name, in Spain it is commonly known as white mushroom, pumpkin mushroom or porcini. To find it we will have to go to mountains with pines, as was also the case with the cultivation of chanterelles .

If we see it with the naked eye, our mouths don’t water, but as it usually happens, it is a big mistake to reject it. In fact, those mushrooms that most attract us to the eye (such as the colored frogs of South America) have the most toxic potential.

CAN WE CONFUSE BOLETUS EDULIS WITH ANOTHER MUSHROOM?

Herein lies the biggest problem in mycology and the one that has brought the most misfortunes. Confusing a mushroom with another that looks very similar can lead to a disaster with catastrophic consequences. It is best to ride safe. As for Boletus edulis, it can be confused with  Tylopilus felleus,  presenting small differences in terms of the color of its pores. If we taste it, we quickly realize that it is not the mushroom of choice since it has a very bitter taste. Luckily, Tylopilus felleus is not toxic. There can also be confusion problems with  B. reticulatus, which is edible.  

Tylopilus felleus
Autor: James Lindsey

BOLETUS EDULIS GASTRONOMY

We are not exaggerating if we say that this mushroom is one of the most appreciated in gastronomy. Its flavor reminds us of hazelnut, with light sweet touches. Recipes with Boletus? So many! For example a Boletus Rissoto . Or directly if you do not want to mask the flavor of the mushroom, you can put them directly on the grill with an egg batter. Anyway. The possibilities are endless.

Precisely now that our mouths are watering, the following question arises …

CAN IT BE CULTIVATED?

It has a system similar to that of the cultivation of chanterelles. Lose magic and nothing may come out. The ideal is to spend a good day in the mountains and collect them in the company of friends. But hey, there are possibilities.

There are specialized stores and online that sell Boletus edulis spores The procedure is simple and consists of spreading them around pines, oaks, birches, chestnut trees, etc. The time to try to grow them is from spring to autumn, so we have a wide range of months to have them available . This would be the way to arrange the spores around the tree, although as we have said, it can not only be done with conifers.

An important condition is that the specimen where we are going to place Boletus edulis is an adult. In other words, they must be at least 15 years old.

To finish we leave you a video: « Boletus edulis,  from the laboratory to the forest». These mycelia can be bought in many places and at a fairly cheap price. As they say in the video, mycorrhizing a tree costs around € 9 and guarantees a great collection of Boletus.

If you liked it, do not hesitate to share it on social networks. We want to see Boletus edulis recipes in the comments! 😉

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