Mushroom HuntingThread
Discussion
I had a quick walk in the woods yesterday evening and came back with an excellent haul of hedgehog mushrooms. I love these, they're delicious and absolutely unmistakeable. I also found a few of what I correctly identified as brown birch boletes but incorrectly remembered as being worth eating - edible but worthless, according to my books.
I must admit, I am not particularly adventurous with wild mushrooms - there are a number of species I know are excellent, common and easily identified (or at least cannot be confused with anything dangerous), and I tend to stick with those. Most of the time, the species I can't identify are few enough not to be worth trying to identify. I noticed this time, though, that there were a lot of mushrooms I didn't recognise off the top of my head, so I think perhaps I will bring some unknown specimens home next time for a bit of close examination.
Anyone else finding anything good at the moment?
I must admit, I am not particularly adventurous with wild mushrooms - there are a number of species I know are excellent, common and easily identified (or at least cannot be confused with anything dangerous), and I tend to stick with those. Most of the time, the species I can't identify are few enough not to be worth trying to identify. I noticed this time, though, that there were a lot of mushrooms I didn't recognise off the top of my head, so I think perhaps I will bring some unknown specimens home next time for a bit of close examination.
Anyone else finding anything good at the moment?
I had a smallish haul last week, but saw loads of Russula ochroleuca wrecked by rain. A shame since they're good to eat fried in butter - quite 'bacony' tasting.
Russulas are a good one to collect since they're plentiful and most people avoid the genus since there are a couple of poisonous ones in there. Avoid any with red or pink caps, and sniff and taste the others. Sling any that smell strongly or are hot on the tongue - the rest are edible (and good).
Incidentally I have noticed many more people collecting fungi this year than previously. Whether it's the H F-W factor, or the impact of the recession, I don't know. Either way, the competition is getting fiercer. I tend to go out on a Thursday or Friday in order to bag the best specimens before the weekend crowd descend. Any choice species past their best are picked anyway and 'seeded' in suitable locations that only I know about.
Russulas are a good one to collect since they're plentiful and most people avoid the genus since there are a couple of poisonous ones in there. Avoid any with red or pink caps, and sniff and taste the others. Sling any that smell strongly or are hot on the tongue - the rest are edible (and good).
Incidentally I have noticed many more people collecting fungi this year than previously. Whether it's the H F-W factor, or the impact of the recession, I don't know. Either way, the competition is getting fiercer. I tend to go out on a Thursday or Friday in order to bag the best specimens before the weekend crowd descend. Any choice species past their best are picked anyway and 'seeded' in suitable locations that only I know about.
I wonder whether the influx of workers from Eastern Europe has also increased the popularity of mushroom foraging? I can't say I've seen anyone else collecting in my stamping grounds, but then they're not exactly heaving with ceps and chanterelles. I can think of some better known woods which I expect get emptied pretty quickly, though.
This was from last weekend. Mostly Porcini (Boletus Edulis) with a few Leccinum thrown in for good measure.
Approx. 9 kilo wet weight, which will see me through the year once dried and jarred up.
This years haul is unheard of in the UK. Must be down to the wet and warm August we've had.
Ric.....Thats a library stock photo. No way
30 minutes or so at 'the spot' yielded the following:
From the top: a cep for drying / seeding, two embryonic Hydnums, Laccaria amethystea, Russula ochroleuca, Boletus badius.
Not a monster haul, however I'd say that (at least where I forage) these species are appearing a month before I'd expect them to. Let's hope the 'shrooming season will be a prolonged one.
Meanwhile, in other news, I caught 10 good-sized crayfish.
From the top: a cep for drying / seeding, two embryonic Hydnums, Laccaria amethystea, Russula ochroleuca, Boletus badius.
Not a monster haul, however I'd say that (at least where I forage) these species are appearing a month before I'd expect them to. Let's hope the 'shrooming season will be a prolonged one.
Meanwhile, in other news, I caught 10 good-sized crayfish.
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