A mycologist spoke about the early start of the mushroom season in the Moscow region this year

Mycologist, Candidate of Biological Sciences Mikhail Vishnevsky said that the harvest of early mushrooms in the Moscow region will largely depend on how quickly the snow melts. In an interview with Radio 1 on Thursday, March 12, the expert noted that a rich harvest is possible if the snow cover melts quickly enough: then the soil will get wet and warm up well, which will create favorable conditions for the appearance of the first spring mushrooms.

The mycologist also stressed that the usual natural signs of mushroom pickers are working worse today due to climate change. According to him, the phenological signs that people used to focus on have become less reliable over the past 10-20 years due to the influence of global warming.

Speaking of places for "quiet hunting", the expert advised paying attention to birch forests. He explained that one of the most common early spring mushrooms in the middle zone is the giant birch, which often grows next to fallen or rotting birches.

The expert also noted that the probability of accidentally collecting red book mushrooms is low, since it can be difficult to identify such species without the help of specialists.

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On March 5, Vishnevsky said that advanced mushroom pickers collect ten or more varieties of spring mushrooms. Morels and stitches may appear first — they may start in early or mid-April, depending on the weather, writes RT. In May, if the spring is warm, oyster mushrooms, raincoats, and butterflyfish may appear.

On February 17, Vishnevsky said that the law on the protection of red book mushrooms in the Moscow region is not only difficult to implement in practice, but also scientifically untenable. He noted that in order to apply the law, specialists are needed who are able to distinguish a rare mushroom from its usual counterpart, and this requires serious training and laboratory research. At the same time, mushrooms deteriorate quickly, which makes them difficult to identify correctly.

In September, mycologist Maxim Dyakov said that there are many poisonous mushrooms with various toxins, sometimes very dangerous. He stressed that it is necessary to collect only those mushrooms that a person knows well, and it is better to go on a quiet hunt with experienced mushroom pickers, notes 360.ru .

At the same time, the brand chef of the restaurant, Alyona Komar, told how to freeze porcini mushrooms correctly. According to her, porcini mushrooms should not be frozen raw, as after defrosting they will become watery, lose their taste and aroma. Before freezing, they need to be sorted, cleaned of debris and rinsed. Then they are boiled for 5-7 minutes or lightly fried, cooled and placed in serving bags for the freezer.

Last summer, Dyakov reminded about the danger of mushrooms collected in the city. It is worth remembering that mushrooms tend to absorb heavy metals, so you should not collect them at a distance closer than 50 m from the road. It is best to collect mushrooms in the forest, writes the website kp.ru .

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.