"Hare's ear": a mushroom that is not familiar to anyone

Lovers of "quiet hunting" are not so few among the inhabitants of villages and cities surrounded by forests. Many of them eventually become real professionals in this matter, foreseeing the location of the prey, no matter how it hid. However, few people have heard about the mushroom "rabbit ears": people tend to remember the appearance of what they are looking for, and ignore the uninteresting and unnecessary. Maybe someone paid attention to the unusual creature, but only caught a glimpse of a strange shape and passed by indifferently.

What does he look like

"Hare's ear" is a fungus, which has the scientific name "hare's otida". Outwardly, it really looks like an elongated ear. If a couple of copies have grown nearby, there really is an impression that the hare was buried in the ground at the very top. There are three fungi of this "ear-like" kind: in addition to the hare there are also Judas (rounded) and donkey (very similar to the described) ears.

"Hare's ear" is a small mushroom, up to four centimeters high, and does not exceed three in diameter. The edges of the flat, thin and soft body are wrapped inside; Color - from dark honey to brown.

Where and how it grows

Detect mushroom "rabbit ears" in the Far Eastern and Siberian conifers, in the Caucasus, and the Russian middle belt is the place of its habitat. Mixed forests are also suitable for growing otidei. It does not form large groups, so it would be rather difficult to collect it purposefully. However, there is no demand among mushroom pickers: the "hare's ear" - the fungus is conventionally edible, it has almost no taste, the smell is also, and the flesh is so small that even "one tooth" is not enough. And the edible part is quite elastic, leathery. However, if you want (or out of curiosity), you can collect it from July to mid-September.

How to use it

Those rare mushroom pickers who know about otidia, assure that they ate raw "hare's ear". Mushroom, they say, though tasteless, but quite hearty. Other "quiet hunters" believe that, like any conditionally edible subspecies, otidia must be boiled. An additional argument of treatment is the softening of the body of the fungus, which, in its raw form, resembles rubber in its viscosities. In addition, during the preparation, you can give the product at least some taste with the help of spices.

However, it is unlikely that any of the mushroom pickers will go to the forests to collect the "hare's ear". Yet it does not represent a particular value: it is not salted for the winter, it dries up to a thin plate and dries up during drying, and it does not give you any special freshness. Is that admire ...