Mushroom Hunting

[Tech Tim]

'Tis the season in the PNW. Mushroom hunting season that is...

About an hour and a half of walking through the woods produced about 6lbs of Yellow Chanterelles (Cantharellus cibarius)

Also produced a large Shrimp Mushroom (Russell Xerampelina) and a dozen Milkcaps (Lactarius deliciousus).

They all got chopped up, mixed with some spices, garlic and sausage and were stuffed into a turkey for "practice Thanksgiving" on Sunday.

 

[Tech Tim]

A week and a half ago we noticed some big white blobs in the neighbor's yard....

They looked huge from the road, once up close we got to see how really big they were.

A whole mess of them growing in a ring in the front yard. That is a 35" tire for size comparison.

The biggest one was 12" in diameter.


They were definitely of the Agaricus family and by the strong almond-like smell, were edible, but it wasn't until we got them home and cracked a book to go through the ID steps, we came up with them either being the Horse mushroom (Agaricus arvensis) or the Almond mushroom (Agaricus subrufences), both choice edibles and both very similar.

Silced them up and was just impressed with how meaty these things were.

They went into a hot pan with some fat left over from the previous night tri-tip. Got them golden brown and then hit them with some butter, salt and pepper, wow, what a great mushroom. Never picked that one beforehand. The neighbor said it was the first time they popped up in his yard.

Sent a few samples down to a buddy of mine that has been myco-hunting many more decades than me and he said Horse mushroom.

 

[Stuck]

Must be that time here to. Was out deer hunting Sat morning and we were driving down the road to check a different spot when we happened on a couple gathering shrooms off a old rotted log.

 

[boardbysled]

I see tons of Lobster mushrooms at work. Just haven't worked up the nerve to try one yet. Same with Chicken of the Woods.

 

[jeeptj19992001]

our season is the spring

 

[SLOWPOKE693]

 

[FrankenToy]

I wish I did NOT lack your knowledge and, more importantly, confidence regarding harvesting and consuming mushrooms. The pan fried ones do look delicious...

 

[woods]

Love mushroom. Don't trust myself to choose which ones to eat.

I must have a dozen different types growing off the trees on my land.

 

[Tech Tim]

I see tons of Lobster mushrooms at work. Just haven't worked up the nerve to try one yet. Same with Chicken of the Woods.

We moved north about 3 years ago, haven't found any lobsters up here yet. Lobsters are best pan roasted in butter. YouTube that, there are a couple good vids out there.

Chicken of the woods is one of those "Some people are fine, others get an upset stomach", so tread carefully there and pick the little leafs.

I wish I did NOT lack your knowledge and, more importantly, confidence regarding harvesting and consuming mushrooms. The pan fried ones do look delicious...

Look at it this way, there are only a handful of mushrooms that will kill you dead, most of them will just make you really forkin' sick...

Most of the edibles are very recognizable, hard to mistake them for the wrong thing if you know the basic characteristics.

On new-to-me mushrooms I am very careful and spend a lot of time going through the book (Mushrooms Demystified - David Aurora - it's the mushroom Bible) and making sure to ID it correctly and even then those first few bites I'm still a little nervous, check the book again, etc. But that is getting rare these days, this is the first new-to-me mushroom in a few years.

Love mushroom. Don't trust myself to choose which ones to eat.

I must have a dozen different types growing off the trees on my land.

Post up pics, let's see what you got.

 

[YotaRedneckGirl]

A few weeks ago while putting up tree stands we found a ton of Puff Balls and Lions Mane. I had never tried Lions Mane before - it is crazy looking! Both of them we coated in cracker crumbs and pan fried, they were awesome. I'll try and remember to post some pics when I have time.

Morel season around here is crazy - every townie "forgets" about private property/trespassing. They are good and I enjoy the time being out in the spring with turkey season/shed season/crappie bite being on.