dung beetle

The dung beetle is often mistaken for a toadstool or a poisonous mushroom. But it's not! They are considered inedible mainly due to the lack of pulp, because. thin-bodied mushrooms.

As for toxicity, they cause food poisoning only when consumed simultaneously with alcohol, but at the moment no deaths have been recorded. Belongs to the genus of agaric mushrooms, the Champignon family.

It has other names: coprinus (from lat. coprinus) and ink mushroom.

The cap of the dung beetle is shaped like a bell, the flesh is fibrous. From above, it is abundantly covered with scales, resembling flakes. Thin plates change color from white to black with age.

The thin leg is very fragile, hollow inside.

Thin-bodied, the pulp is practically absent. Black oval spores. It grows extremely quickly, in a matter of hours, and in some cases the full ripening cycle is no more than one hour.

When ripe, the cap dissolves (autolysis), in place of the fungus, a slurry or an ink-colored spot in the form of a ring is formed. Autolysis continues after harvest, so it is impossible to store fresh mushrooms, even frozen. Require immediate heat treatment.

Edible only while young, determined by white plates. Therefore, dung beetle belongs to conditionally edible mushrooms. If the plates begin to turn yellow or turn pink, the fungus is no longer suitable.

Saprotroph, i.e. Helps break down organic matter.

Likes soil rich in organic remains, fertilizers, found on rotting trees, stumps. Collection time from May to October.

There are only 25 species of dung beetles. Most mushrooms are considered non-edible, and some are even slightly poisonous.

The cap is covered with white scales, young mushrooms have the shape of a cylinder with a shaggy surface, in the mature one it opens to the shape of a wide bell, the surface becomes ribbed or wrinkled. It has a diameter of up to 3 cm. The cap, ripening, arches and darkens to black. The stem of the mushroom is thin, hollow, grows up to 10 cm, up to 0.5 cm wide, has a slight thickening at the base. It grows both in small groups and solitary.

The hat is abundantly covered with snow-white, silky scales, the mushroom immediately attracts attention with its beauty. Bell-shaped hat, up to 7-10 cm in diameter, and not more than 15 cm in height. Initially, the color is white, gradually darkening to brown or gray, becoming brownish in the middle. The leg grows up to 30 cm with a thickness of only 1-2 cm. Conditionally edible, incl. and raw. It has soft pulp. Growing up in families.

The hat is gray in color, in the middle it has a darker seal. Scales are present, but small, slightly darker than the cap. The cap of a young mushroom has an ovoid shape, in a mature one it opens to the shape of a bell (about 10 cm in diameter). A young dung beetle has a white centric ring that disappears as it grows. The leg grows up to 15-20 cm, no more than 2 cm thick. The pulp has a sweetish taste. Grows in large groups.

A small ovoid or bell-shaped hat (only 3.5 cm high and 4 cm in diameter).It has a yellow-brown color, darker in the middle. Covered with small granular scales that disappear as they grow, the Scale is given a slightly glossy sheen. The flesh is white, with a slightly sour taste. The leg is thin, fragile, hollow, up to 8-10 cm in height, up to 0.5 cm thick. The plates are thin, adherent, frequent, in a young dung beetle are white or with a brownish tint, blacken and dissolve as they mature. Found on dead, decaying wood. Grows in groups.

Loves fertilized soils rich in plant remains. Therefore, it can be found not only in the forest near rotting trees or immediately on them, but also in summer cottages, city parks, near residential buildings, on stumps. It can be found right on the beds, garbage dumps, compost heaps. Widespread in many countries with a temperate climate.

Per 100 g of product:

• 90% of all pulp is water;
• vitamins of groups B, C, E, D1, D2, K1, thiamine, riboflavin, choline, betaine, tocopherol, tocotrienol;
• minerals: calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, sodium, manganese, zinc, selenium, iron, copper;
• amino acids (17 pcs, including 8 essential ones);
• koprin - a substance incompatible with alcohol (severe poisoning occurs);
• glucose, fructose;
• tyrosinase;
• nicotinic, pantothenic, folic acids;
• saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids;
• tyrosine and histidine - only in wild mushrooms, they are absent in artificially grown mushrooms;
• trypsin and maltase;
• polioses.

• promotes digestion, stimulates appetite;
• lowers blood pressure;
• antibiotic;
• reduces sugar levels;
• antitumor;
• hemostatic;
• bactericidal;
• anti-inflammatory;
• antioxidant.

Dung beetles are so harmless that there are practically no contraindications for them. But for the treatment of alcoholism, they should not be used if there are severe cardiovascular diseases, as well as problems with the kidneys, liver or lungs.

Dung beetles are used mainly in the form of a powder.

Only young mushrooms are harvested: the caps have not yet been opened, the plates are pure white. If there is a pinkish, yellow or grayish tint on the plates, such mushrooms will no longer fit. Only mushroom caps are used!

Dry them in a pan. To do this, the mushrooms are carefully cleaned of debris, quickly washed, dried and laid out in a pan. Fry over low heat, stirring occasionally. No oil! During drying, a lot of water will be released. Roast until completely dry. The process itself will take an average of 45-60 minutes.

When used as a spice, the powder gives the taste and aroma of champignons. For cooking, it is preferable to make powder from white dung beetle, for the treatment of alcoholism - gray.

Fresh mushroom caps can be stewed or used dried as a spice. It is highly not recommended to eat different types of dung beetles, because. their combination provoke food poisoning. It is noteworthy that individually these species are quite edible. The dung beetle is considered the most delicious mushroom. Cooking time - 45 minutes.

You can freeze only boiled dung beetles. To do this, the mushrooms are cleaned, washed and boiled for about 15 minutes. Frozen mushrooms are a semi-finished product and are stored for no more than 6 months.

Mushrooms are cleaned, quickly washed and dried. If necessary, the hats are cut. Fry in vegetable oil, towards the end of cooking, add onions and salt. The water released during the frying process can be drained and added to soup or pasta sauce. Boil pasta or spaghetti separately. After the water is drained, mushrooms are added to the pasta and gently mixed.

Fried mushrooms can be eaten separately or served pasta as a side dish.

Mushrooms are stewed in a pan until the water boils away, then vegetable oil is added and lightly fried. Onions and carrots are fried separately, and then combined with mushrooms. Chicken meat is fried separately (preferably legs). All ingredients are mixed, spices, salt are added, poured with water or meat broth. Washed rice is poured on top and stewed for 20-25 minutes until cooked.

You can learn more about dung beetle mushrooms from the following video.

• stomach cancer;
• gas gangrene;
• staphylococcus;
• mammary cancer;
• prostate adenoma, prostate cancer;
• joint diseases;
• alcoholism;
• prevention of cardiovascular disease;
• auxiliary treatment of diabetes mellitus;
• promote digestion;
• as an anesthetic for hemorrhoids and constipation;
• strengthen immunity.

Powder and extracts are used in treatment.

Dung beetles are actively used as a means of combating alcoholism. Many pharmaceutical preparations contain these mushrooms.Mostly used powder, which is simply added to food. Of all types of dung beetles, gray dung beetle is recommended for the treatment of alcoholism.

Symptoms:

• nausea, vomiting;
• the skin turns red, purple spots appear;
• heartbeat quickens;
• there is a feeling of heat;
• strong thirst;
• vision deteriorates;
• speech is impaired.

Despite the serious symptoms that will be present for 2-3 days, the person is not in mortal danger. There were no fatal cases of dung beetle poisoning.

For treatment, one 1 tsp is added to food. (2.5 g) dung beetle powder. Pour the medicine should be every other day for 2 weeks. If a person has been suffering from alcoholism for several years, then the course of treatment is increased to 3-4 months, and the dose itself can be increased to 5 g.

It is not necessary to inform the patient that dung beetle powder is mixed with him. But the treatment itself is best done under supervision and after consulting a doctor. It is important to consider contraindications.

White and gray dung beetles are successfully grown. To do this, you can prepare a bed in a dark place and fertilize well. In autumn, find grown mushrooms, dig them out along with mycelium and plant them in a prepared flower bed. Harvest should be expected only next year.

Dung beetles themselves are grown using the same technology as champignons. This gives larger yields. They can also be grown in beds and in boxes.

For the substrate, they take humus, tops, fallen leaves, manure with straw. The substrate is laid out in wooden boxes or bags. The mushroom picker should be buried to a depth of 4-6 cm. Pour water several times so that the substrate is well saturated. From above, you can sprinkle the substrate with earth, but not more than 4 cm. Then cover with cardboard or paper to prevent drying. For dung beetles, the temperature regime is very important: it should not exceed 30 C.

The first harvest should be expected in 2-3 weeks. The mycelium can produce crops several times a year. You can collect only young mushrooms with white plates. If they have changed color, then such a mushroom can no longer be touched, but left to ripen.

Dissolving, the mushrooms form a liquidish stain or gruel of dark color. Previously, it was used instead of ink. Hence the second common name for dung beetles is ink.