Mushrooming and berry picking in Finland II: Porcini, Boletes, Slippery Jack, Milkcaps and Lingonberry

 October 2022

I have never seen anywhere else such big Boletus mushrooms as in Finland. It almost feels like being in a magical forest in a fairy tale. But one must wait for this extreme harvest usually till the beginning of Fall as during summer Boletus are most often small sized and scarce. Below are listed the most common species of Boletus of Finnish forests.

On the way you can have a look on some of the milkcap mushrooms but consider it well if you have the courage to add them into your basket. I personally trust Finns and their knowledge about nature, but still, it is not advisable to eat some of the milkcap species on regular basis. See the reasons below in the text.

Porcini (Boletus edulis)

Boletus

Things you need to know when picking big size Boletus mushrooms

Mushrooms of the genus Boletus tend to be wormy. The best method how to deal with this unpleasant situation is to remove tubes and pores which are from the other side of the cap. This part often holds water, and the soft sticky consistency is not especially very taste. So, by cutting it off, one does not lose anything super valuable. However, worms like this part very much and if you leave the tubes there, it can happen that mushrooms which looked all right in the forest become wormy next day. Only young mushrooms with hard consistency should be left whole.

Porcini (Boletus edulis), in Finnish Herkkutatti

Porcini is the most popular Boletus mushroom. The cup is in youth pale brown, later usually getting darker. The shade of brown also depends on the growing conditions, especially the amount of light. In wet weather, the cup is shiny and a bit sticky. It can occasionally reach very big sizes, diameter of the cap can be from 30 – 40 cm and the weight even couple kilos.  Pores are firstly white, later changing to yellow. Stem is whitish, considerably thick to tuberous at the bottom, with a fine netting that is more pronounced under the cap. It does not have a ring. Flesh is white and it does not change colour when being cut.

Porcini is an ectomycorrhizal fungus, usually growing under spruces, pines, oaks and birches. Often can be found in the edges and clearings of deciduous and coniferous forests.

It fruits from July to the end of September.

Orange birch bolete (Leccinum versipelle), in Finnish Punikkitatti

Orange birch bolete is also very tasty, but not so delicious as Porcini. The advantage is that it is very numerous in Finland, probably because it forms ectomycorrhiza with the roots of birches. And birch is a national tree of Finland as it is an essential part of the Finnish landscape. Orange birch bolete must be properly cooked, otherwise it can occasionally cause digestive issues. The cap is orange to red-brown. Pores are grey-white. Stem is white with black and grey spotting, without a ring. Stem tends to be often bad; wormy and blackish inside, so it should be checked before adding the mushroom to the basket. Flesh is white and some time after cutting turns into black colour. That is totally all right behaviour and does not mean that the mushroom should be thrown away.

It fruits from late June to October.

Brown birch bolete (Leccinum scabrum), in Finnish Lehmäntatti

Brown birch bolet is the best as young, with age it is getting spongy and can hold a lot of water. Taste is mild. The cap is lightly to darkly brown, pores are white, later turning to grey. Stem is white with greyish blackish spotting, without a ring. It is thinner than in porcini and orange birch bolete. Flash is white, during cooking it is turning into black.

It grows in deciduous forests, especially in association with birches. It fruits from late June to October.

Slippery Jack (Suillus luteus), in Finnish Voitatti

Slippery Jack has very fine consistency. A little bit annoying can be the sticky chestnut brown skin of the cap which often holds dirt. Despite this difficulty when you come across this mushroom, do not pass it. Believe that is worthy to spend the time with cleaning its sticky cap. The easiest way how to deal with it is to remove it. Pores are yellow, tiny and in young individuals covered with membrane. Stem is pale to yellow with a ring. Flesh is lightly yellow, reminding butter. It does not change colour after cutting.

It makes ectomycorrhiza with coniferous trees, especially pines. It likes open forests. It fruits from late June to October.

Slippery Jack is very good to be prepared as a mushroom schnitzel. The whole cap is put firstly into flour, secondly into egg and as last covered in breadcrumps. Then it is fried.  

Velvet bolete (Suillus variegatus), in Finnish Kangastatti

Velvete bolete has soft texture, and it is less tasty than Slippery Jack. It is not a high-level mushroom and if there are available plenty of other kinds of mushrooms, it can be left in the forest. Cap is yellowish brown and when wet only slightly sticky, much less than in Slippery Jack. Pores are mustered colour, getting brownish with aging. Stem is pale yellow with no ring. When cut, the flesh is rapidly turning into blue.

It grows in ectomycorrhizal relationship with pines, typically with two needle species. It fruits from August to October.

Very similar looking mushroom is bovine bolete (Suillus bovinus), in Finnish Nummitatti. Bovine bolete has bigger pores than velvet bolete. It is also edible but even less tasty.

Milcaps

Ugly milkcap (Lactarius turpis), in Finnish Mustarousku

Ugly milkcap is very controversial mushroom. In many resources it is evaluated as inedible causing stomach and gut discomfort, tasting very bad. Moreover, it was discovered that it is carcinogenic. For that, it is no longer recommended for eating. These finding only caused in Finland that ugly milkcap cannot be sell in markets anymore. But Finns normally pick it in forest and make from it their traditional mushroom salad. One must get used to the bitter taste which can be at the first trying too strong, almost unpleasant. Ugly milkcap must be boiled before another preparation to at least reduce the toxins.

The cap has olive brown colour which is with aging becoming blackish. When being cut, it produces milk. The gills are off white and dirty due to the old milk. Stem is brownish green, hollow without a ring.

Ugly milkcap grows in coniferous forests with pines and spruces, but also in mixed forests with beeches.

It fruits from August to November.

Woolly milkcap (Lactarius torminosus), in Finnish Karvarousku

Woolly milkcap has peppery bitter taste and in many countries, it is evaluated as inedible, poisonous mushroom. No surprise that in Finland it is being picked and consumed. But it is necessary to boil it first to reduce the toxins. The cap is hairy, pinkish orange colour with darker orange circles, more pronounced in the centre of the cap. It produces milk when being cut; the milk does not change colour on the air, so the gills remain white. Stem is hollow, pale pink with tones of yellow. It has no ring.

Woolly milkcap grows in mixed forests, often forms ectomycorrhiza with birches. It fruits from August to November.

Lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea), in Finnish Puolukka

Lingonberries are typical berries of Fennoscandia countries and North America. They grow in moorhens and woodlands in acidic soils poor on nutrients. They like open sunny places, but not too hot and dry. They are adapted to extreme cold temperature; they even keep leaves during the winter. They provide the biggest crop from all Nordic berries. They are also much easier to pick than blueberries.

Lingonberries are ripe when they are fully red which is usually in early fall. They are great immunity boost as they are packed with vitamins and elements. They are little bit sour to be eaten raw, better is to use them for making compotes, jams and juices. These homemade products are great preparation for cold autumn and winter days. Who would not like to have in the morning warm oatmeal covered with compote lingonberries. They are also very good for baking, for example for traditional Finnish lingonberry pie with rye flour.

Get the true mushrooming experience in this video: