Where do porcini mushrooms grow in the Carpathians?

The Carpathians are amazing at any time of the year. People come here for picturesque views, clean air and authentic cuisine. This is a place where everyone will find something to their liking. You can visit the most popular places of Transcarpathia among tourists, take a walk in the forest or go on a "quiet hunt" - gathering edible mushrooms. Experienced mushroom pickers plan in advance rest in the Carpathians in autumn, because they know that the local nature is very generous. Everyone who wants to can pick mushrooms and rest in comfort by booking a house or a room in the hotel of the Lake Vita tourist complex.

When white mushrooms start growing in the Carpathians

The season of porcini mushrooms in the Carpathians begins at the end of May and lasts until the end of November. At the beginning of summer, there are not enough of them, but the number gradually increases. They appear in "waves" every 2 weeks. And most of them can be collected from mid-July to mid-October.

White mushrooms grow on meadows and steep mountain slopes. You should look for them near oaks, beeches, pines and spruces. If the weather is dry and hot outside, it is better to look for porcini mushrooms in moist mosses and on the northern slopes of mountains. After the rains, they are easier to find on the southern mountain slopes, where the earth warms up faster.

Where to collect porcini mushrooms in the Carpathians: top 5 mushroom places in the Carpathians

The Ukrainian Carpathians are a treasure trove of forest mushrooms and berries, which are collected by local residents and guests from different parts of the country. Experienced mushroom pickers know the paths that should be taken for "quiet hunting" in the summer, and even more so in the fall. In September and October, the number of mushrooms increases. When the rains come, a new "generation" grows within one week. During a walk through the forest, you can also find chanterelles, woodpeckers, buttercups, honeysuckle, etc. If you are visiting or on vacation in Transcarpathia, you can organize a hunt for porcini mushrooms:

• In the Mizhhirsky district in the vicinity of Lake Synevyr and the Shipit waterfall. There are also many different edible mushrooms near the villages of Lumshory, Dragovo or Vyshka.
• In the Khust district near the village of Malynyvka, the villages of Nizhny Selishche or Nizhny Studeny, where sometimes you can find not only porcini mushrooms, but also expensive truffles.
• In the Rakhiv district near the village of Yasinye. In the local forests, you can pick mushrooms, and also eat lingonberries.
• In the Mukachevo district, look for mushrooms in the forests near remote villages. For example, you can go to Rodnikova Huta or Solochyn.
• In the Perechyn district, there are many mushrooms in the forests near the village of Vilshinky.

If you are going to Transcarpathia through the Lviv region, visit the Skolivski Beskydy National Nature Park. 57 types of mushrooms grow in local beech and coniferous forests. You can still find porcini mushrooms in the Carpathians of the Lviv region in the vicinity of the villages of Oriv, Oryavchyk, Grebenne, Tukhlya.

If you are going to Transcarpathia through the Ivano-Frankivsk region, be sure to visit Verkhovynskyi district. Here you can visit Polonyna Dukonya near the village of Shibene or drive to the Kryvopilsky Pass. This is one of the most popular places for mushroom picking in the Carpathians. During the season, you can see many cars on the side of the road P62 Vorokhta-Verkhovyna, which crosses the pass.

Appearance

The color of the white mushroom depends on the place of growth and the season, and the size and shape of its cap depends on its age. Even in one place in the summer you can see mushrooms with a light cap, and in autumn they will already have a dark one. The more coniferous trees in the forest, the darker the color of the cap. You will be able to recognize the porcini mushroom by the following signs:

• the cap is semicircular, thick, "fleshy", light brown or dark brown, with a diameter of 3 to 27 cm;
• the leg is white or light yellow, similar to a barrel with a narrowed top, 4 to 20 cm high, 2 to 6 cm in diameter;
• pulp is white or white-yellow, with small pores.

During growth, the semicircular cap becomes flattened and wide. Its edge turns outward when the mushroom ages. If there was little rain during the season, then its stem begins to stretch upwards and narrows.

Useful properties

Carpathian white mushroom contains carotene, vitamin B1, B2, C, D, lecithin, amino acid L-ergothioneine and other substances. It can be fried, boiled, stewed, dried and frozen. Regular use of white mushroom helps:

• normalize the work of the digestive system;
• clean blood vessels from cholesterol plaques;
• strengthen immunity protection against viruses, bacteria and carcinogens;
• improve skin condition;
• strengthen nails and hair.

Carpathian porcini mushrooms are advised to be used by those who complain of atherosclerosis, anemia, tuberculosis, and cancer. Or those who have problems with vision, kidneys, liver and bone marrow. Medicinal tinctures and decoctions are prepared from it. White mushrooms contain more protein than meat and eggs. But this is quite "heavy" food for the stomach, so it is better not to eat a lot of them at once.

How to properly collect porcini mushrooms

Local mushroom pickers go to the forest early in the morning and put the found "trophies" in baskets. It is better not to use polyethylene bags and buckets, because due to insufficient air circulation, the mushrooms will spoil quickly.

Porcini mushrooms have the same stem as porcini mushrooms, birch mushrooms, and buttercups. It is tubular, so it is better to twist it than to cut it. In order to properly pick a porcini mushroom in the Carpathians, you need to twist the stem counterclockwise. But it is necessary to do this very carefully so as not to remove the fruiting body and mycelium from the ground along with it. It seems too difficult for beginners. If you have little experience in picking mushrooms, be sure to take a small knife with you.

Mushrooms should be processed immediately after "quiet hunting". If you rent a house in the Carpathians, you can cook or freeze them, and then take them home with you. There are several gazebos with barbecues on the territory of the Vita Lake tourist complex, and a refrigerator is installed in each cottage and hotel room. Cold and hot water is available 24 hours a day. You can go to the forest for mushrooms and berries at any time, fish in the lake and take a health course. To be in time for the porcini mushroom season in the Carpathians, book your seats in advance and come to Nizhny Studeny to the Lake Vita tourist complex.