August to November
Slippery jack
Suillus luteus
Certain identification required before any consumption
Quality · Standard
- Raw
- Raw consumption not documented
- Cooking
- Cooking recommended, minimum time not established
- Review
- Certain identification required before any consumption
- Instruction
- The Swiss Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office advises against eating wild mushrooms raw. Have this harvest checked by an expert and cook it thoroughly; no species-specific cooking requirement is established here.
A brown, very sticky Suillus identified by small yellow pores, a large membranous ring, a dotted stem and pines nearby.
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Guide contents
Guide contents
Season
The indicative period runs from August to November, within a broader summer to late-autumn season depending on the region.
Habitat
Open pine woods, plantations and edges where pines, particularly two-needled species, are clearly present.
Method
Check several visible features before retaining a species name.
Three features to check on the specimen.
Sticky brown cap
The chestnut to olive-brown cap is convex, then flatter, very slimy in wet weather and shiny as it dries.
Small yellow pores
The underside has small, round lemon-yellow to straw-yellow pores, ageing towards ochre, never gills or red pores.
Large membranous ring
The stem bears a large ring, initially pale and later violet-brown; it is yellow and dotted above, paler to wine-coloured below.
Examine the specimen in this order.
- Check the sticky cap, small yellow pores, complete ring and glandular dots on the stem together.
- Confirm that pines are present, without using the host tree as the only evidence.
- Keep the identification open if the ring is absent, the base is pink, the cap is orange or the pores are grey or red.
Features incompatible with this species.
- Suillus granulatus lacks a ring and may release milky droplets from its pores.
- Suillus collinitus has no true ring and may show pink mycelium at the stem base.
- Suillus grevillei has a yellow-orange cap and grows with larch.
- Suillus viscidus is greyer, with greyish pores, and also grows with larch.
From an inspected basket to the kitchen
From an inspected basket to the kitchenDrying, storage and two recipes for Slippery jack.
Two fully cooked preparations for a collection of Slippery jacks that has been identified with certainty and inspected by an expert.
Slippery jacks sautéed with shallots
A pan dish of Slippery jacks, cooked until their water has completely evaporated before the aromatics are added.
- Preparation
- 20 min
- Cooking
- 25 min
- Serves
- 4
View the complete recipe
Ingredients
- 500 gFirm, identified and inspected Slippery jacks
- 2Finely sliced shallots
- 2 tbspOlive oil
- 20 gButter
- 2 tbspChopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 pinchSalt and pepper
Method
- Inspect and prepareKeep the collection separate until inspection. Confirm the pine host, sticky brown cap, large membranous ring, yellow pores and glandular dots together. Clean the accepted specimens and cut them into even slices.
- Evaporate the waterHeat the oil in a large pan and cook the slices for 15 minutes, stirring until their water has evaporated.
- Finish cookingAdd the shallots and butter, then continue cooking for 10 minutes, stirring regularly.
- ServeAdd the parsley off the heat, season and serve immediately with polenta or toasted bread.
Use only an inspected collection of Slippery jack. Reject mature specimens without a ring, with red pores or with any feature that does not match this species. The recipe times do not validate identification or safety.
Creamy polenta with Slippery jacks
The Slippery jacks are fully cooked separately before they are added to creamy polenta and served immediately.
- Preparation
- 20 min
- Cooking
- 30 min
- Serves
- 4
View the complete recipe
Ingredients
- 400 gFirm, identified and inspected Slippery jacks
- 250 gPolenta
- 1 lHot vegetable stock
- 2 tbspOlive oil
- 30 gButter
- 40 gGrated hard cheese
- 1 pinchSalt and pepper
Method
- Prepare the collectionUse only specimens accepted after inspection. Confirm the pine host, sticky brown cap, large membranous ring, yellow pores and glandular dots together. Remove damaged parts and slice the mushrooms.
- Cook the mushroomsCook them in the oil for 20 minutes, stirring regularly until their water has evaporated.
- Cook the polentaPour the polenta into simmering stock and stir for 10 minutes, or follow the product directions, then add the butter and cheese.
- CombineDivide the hot polenta between plates, add the fully cooked mushrooms, season and serve without delay.
Expert inspection of the whole collection comes before cooking any Slippery jack. Reject mature specimens without a ring, with red pores or with any feature that does not match this species. Never taste the mushroom raw or mix an uncertain specimen into the collection.
Documented limit
Drying Slippery jack: no retained protocol
This guide validates no species-specific drying time.This guide does not apply a generic drying time to Slippery jack. It recommends short refrigeration before cooking so that the method remains documented and appropriate for the species.
- Keep the batch whole, identifiable and separate until the inspection required by the guide.
- Do not automatically apply the temperature or duration intended for another species.
- Use the “Short refrigeration before cooking” method detailed in the Storage section instead.
- Read the general drying guide to understand equipment, checks and safety limits without inferring a protocol for this batch.
Recommended storage
Short refrigeration before cooking
Cook promptly after inspection of the collection.No drying procedure specific to Slippery jack is recommended here. Keep the inspected collection separate, cool and identifiable until it is fully cooked.
- Keep only firm, inspected specimens after removing damaged parts.
- Keep the unwashed collection in a clean, breathable container, separate from every other species.
- Refrigerate promptly and keep the identification label with the collection.
- Cook promptly and discard any specimen that becomes soft, slimy, waterlogged or has an unusual smell.
