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Pucheruelos
Spring eggs, potatoes and mushrooms recipe
Mushroom of the Helvella leucomelaena mushroom that is harvested half-buried in spring. It has a cup-shaped cap of up to 8cm, with a serrated edge, brown or black on top and white underneath; the foot is short or non-existent, and has folds that extend towards the cap. Its flesh is thin, fragile, white, with an inappreciable odor and flavor. Before consumption, it must undergo heat treatment (drying or cooking). It is consumed in scrambled eggs, in omelets or simply sautéed.
The best edible mushrooms
«All edible mushrooms are medicinal. That is why we must include mushrooms in our diet, we should not avoid their consumption», says the director of the Mycology Chair of the University of Valladolid, Juan Andrés Oria de Rueda.
Of the mushrooms that appear in spring, one of the best known, especially as a gastronomic delight, is the popular «perretxiko» (Tricholoma georgii) also called blanquilla, mansarón, fine mushroom or St. George’s mushroom because it appears around April 23 and lasts until the heat of June in pastures with thorns in calcareous soils. It has hypoglycemic power, an advantage for diabetics.
The different species of boletus also abound. The oak mushrooms (Boletus lepidus), more yellow than Boletus edulis but also excellent for the table or the Boletus Pinicola found in the pine forests.
Also proliferating this spring are the peat or desert truffles (Terfezia claveryi) associated with peat grasses, herbaceous plants typical of the dry and calcareous soils of the central peninsular that appear on the surface when the earth cracks.
The pucheruelos. edible mushroom appreciated in
It can be confused with M. collinus Singer, which is believed to be toxic and grows in the same places. This one has a hollow and fragile stem, which breaks easily, and its flesh gives off an unpleasant odor, like garlic.
For its conservation, the trunk is separated from the hat, joining several hats with a thread and stretched out to dry. Thus dehydrated, it is stored for later consumption. The feet are usually discarded, although some people let them dry and grind them, using them as a condiment for meat or fish stews.
When do the marzuelos come out? (very good hatching trick).
-There is no denying that there are edible mushrooms and poisonous ones, but just because some of them cannot be eaten, we should not discard the rest. What happens is that many people take mushrooms without having the necessary notions for it and then misfortunes happen. To pick mushrooms you have to know how to distinguish one from another and if you doubt, do not pick them.
-There are many mushrooms that are good. The Helvella Leocopus, known by Bonetes de Cura and Orejones. It is very appreciated, although it must always be cooked before being consumed to eliminate toxicity. It must be harvested with care, because the hollow of the foot fills with soil. To eat it is very good with scrambled egg.