Xerocomus ferrugineus

Yes. All Xerocomus, Xerocomellus and Imleria boletes in Ukraine are edible. Avoid only mushrooms with RED pores (Rubroboletus — the devil's bolete). Xerocomus ferrugineus has yellow pores — it is safe.

Deciduous and mixed forests with oak, beech and hornbeam, less often with pine. Throughout the forest zone and the Forest-Steppe. It likes moderately moist spots, forest edges and shady ravines. It is rare in the steppe and in pure coniferous pine forests.

June — October, peaking in August–September after heavy rains. In very dry years it is rare. It likes moderately humid, warm weather.

The suede bolete (Xerocomus subtomentosus) has an olive-yellow or greenish-brown cap. Xerocomus ferrugineus is a rich rusty brown, darker. The flesh of the suede bolete blues more actively, that of X. ferrugineus more weakly. Both are edible, both are closely related.

Mostly with oak (Quercus), beech (Fagus) and hornbeam (Carpinus). Sometimes with pine in mixed forests. Almost absent from pure coniferous pine forests.

Clean and slice. No need to parboil. Fry with onion and butter, stew with cream, add to soups and risotto. It pickles only so-so (watery texture). You can dry it, but the aroma is weak — for longer storage it is better to freeze it after a quick fry.

For an ordinary forager — not really. Like all Xerocomus boletes, it is of middling culinary quality. Most foragers pick all these boletes together without telling the species apart — and that's fine, they are all safe. It is of collector's interest mainly to mycologists.