The blusher (Amanita rubescens) is growing but always with worms in the stipe…

Mushroom picking has become a kind of national sport in Europe and this is good news, because more and more people are willing to lift their bottoms of the couch, get out and do some physical exercise. There are still many people who only collect mushrooms with pilei that have the nice spongy pores underneath. It is a shame because many mushrooms with gills actually taste better. Take for example Amanita rubescensalso known as the blusher. Its taste is superb and you can use it in many recipes. Do not be afraid that it looks like poisonous mushroom. Here is how you can recognize it easily.

One of the most popular and tasty mushrooms

Amanita rubescens actually looks friendly and nice.It is a fleshy looking mushrooms that will fill up your basket quickly. The size of the pileus ranges from 5 to 15 centimetres and the most common colour is reddish to brown. There are usually greyish spots(scales) on the surface of the pileus but that largely depends on the fruiting body. However, there are other features that distinguish this tasty fella from other mushrooms and you should learn them.

Photo: Radek Štěpán

Knurled ring and no volva

These two signs are very important. The blusher has a grooved ring on the stipe and there is not volva at the bottom. No volva is good sigh. Unlike the poisonous panther cap for example which has a rather distinctive one. Another sign is that the blusher turns pink when cut or disturbed, especially at the bottom. Sometimes it even turns brown. Unfortunately, you will always find worms in the bottom of the stipe. But it should not bother you. You will be using the pileus anyway.

Photo: Radek Štěpán

Proper heat treatment is necessary

This is true for almost all mushrooms. Professional literature says that the blusher is poisonous when eaten raw, but no case of poisoning has been recorded yet. The blusher is great with butter and cumin but you can also bread it and fry it as a steak. The only inconvenience is that the blusher cannot be dried so, you need to eat it fresh.

Source: https://mostecky.denik.cz/zpravy_region/zajimave-houby-muchomurka-ruzovka-20190713.html
https://www.houby-rostou.cz/masak-wiki-atlas-hub/

Preview photo: Radek Štěpán