The Genus Suillus belongs to order Boletales, or what is called in plain English Bolete. The mushrooms in this genus have several distinct characteristics:
- love for conifers, especially pine family
- slimy cuticle on the cap
- remnants of partial veil leaves a ring on the stem or sometime hangs from the cap margin
- glandular dots on the stem
- large pore openings, angular and often arranged radially
Not all of the species posses all of the above characteristics. For example, Suillus spraguei (Painted Bolete) does not have slimy cap. On some of them glandular dots are hardly visible or not visible at all. Generally they are smallish or medium mushrooms and do not get to be huge as some of the Boletes. In the Fall they do come in flushes, sometimes really huge.
In my area two species are by far the most common:
- Suillus granulatus (Granular-Dotted Bolete)
- Suillus americanus (White Pine Bolete or Chicken Fat Mushroom)
The majority of species in the Genus are edible (including the ones above). None of them is highly praised and there is a lot of cautions and warnings concerning the slimy cuticle. Apparently it can cause gastric upset. The most sources recommend removal of the cuticle before cooking.
Furthermore, picking and handling the slimy species leaves you with quite stubborn stains on the fingers. The older specimens are usually soft and spongy, very easily waterlogged and infested with vermin. Therefore smallish and compact specimens should be picked. The slimy caps tend to have a lot of debris on them, and that leads to more time wasted in cleaning.
All this begs the question: Do I bother with Genus Suillus at all?
My answer is yes, if you follow several simple rules:
- pick Suillus mushrooms only when you find great flushes
- use latex gloves
- do not waste time on cleaning in the woods or in the kitchen
- dry all of your finds
Dried Suillus mushrooms have concentrated flavor and drying eliminates slimy issue completely. In any recipe calling for Bolete you can use dried Suillus mushrooms with great results. After reconstituting in water or wino, strain through chinois strainer to eliminate all dirt and debris. The liquid should be used in cooking.
The shelf life of dried mushrooms is practically indefinite.