Wild Mushrooms

One of the greatest joys in my life, aside from my family, has got to be mushroom hunting.  It is by far my favorite diversions even though I do nearly all of my hunting in the fall.

This spring I intend to go out and hunt some mushrooms, I've just never done it during this time of year.  I dearly love morels, one of the gold standards of the mushrooming crowd, but I have never found one.  Not one.  Thought one honest, I have not really given tithe old college try yet. 

In the fall however, I have had some spectacular days in the woods collecting chanterelles, porcini, boletes, shrimp mushrooms, hedgehogs and even two amazing cauliflower mushrooms.

Although I often go into the woods by myself, one of my true joys of this activity is sharing it with others.  Be they friends or family, for me the joy comes from sharing my love of the adventure and experience of finding the sometimes allusive fungus.

One of my favorite partners in this pursuit is my son.  Maybe someday he will actually eat a mushroom, at this time they are among a list of no-go items for him.  He is however one of the best hunters with whom I have ever ventured into the forest!  His prize find about two years ago was a 5 pound cauliflower mushroom!

The chanterelles seem to call out to him.  We often take an hour or two on a Saturday or Sunday in the fall to go and spend some quality time together.  For him, I think, part of the draw is to be in the quiet of the woods, to find something that I find of value and that he has become particularly skilled at finding.

I have also found some amazing specimens that I would never pick such as this two foot tall Destroying Angel (the car key at it’s base is a little over 4 inches long).  Eat this one and it will put the kabosh on any plans you may have.  It is described as “deadly poisonous”.

My rule of thumb is: If I cannot positively identify it beyond any doubt, we don’t eat it.  Consider the mushroom below.  It is either an Oyster Mushroom (edible) or a Western Jack-o-Lantern (poisonous).  I passed.

This love of wild mushrooms started at Röti, a restaurant where I held the position of sous chef.  At that time there was a vendor who would call on us unexpectedly and offer his myriad of gathered items that he had in his truck.  We called him "Franco the mushroom man".  He was a great guy and had some wonderful stuff in that truck.

At times he had truffles (white and black), hedgehogs, chanterelles, black trumpets, yellow foot chanterelles, maitakes etc.  He also from time to time had fiddle head ferns, huckleberries and some domesticated mushrooms.

At the time, it did not occur to me that I could find these myself.  In The City that all seemed so exotic.  I also had no idea where to go.

Enter my friend Philip.  About 8 years ago he was given some reasonably vague directions from an acquaintance for a spot that was likely to yield chanterelles and asked us if we want to go on a hunt with him.  We readily accepted.

What a day we had.  Our first unusual experience was when Philip and my wife were in  a little country store getting permits for us to remove forest products and the woman behind the counter asked "You got your orange, right?". To which I am sure he gave a vague "city dweller" answer.  Her response was that it was opening day.

Opening day to me has always meant baseball.  We rolled her statement around for a while as we continued to drive to this alleged mushroom spot.  When upon seeing hunters, not our type, but ones with guns, we realized it was opening day of dear season!

The orange that my jacket contained was two half inch wide strips that we're next to the zipper, on the inside.

That day we found a treasure trove of delightful wild mushrooms and left shortly after the second rifle shot was heard that was reasonably close to us.

I have often returned to that spot.  We all wear orange hunting vest so that we do not become the quarry of an inexperienced hunter that shoots at movement without seeing his actual goal.  

This spot in the forest has served me and my family well, often giving us a bounty for which we are all grateful.  

these days, my interest is also piqued by trying to identify the other mushrooms that I see on my hunting trips.  For this I have a really good field guide called “All That Rain Promises”.  It is in my pocket more often than not when I go into the forest.

However there are some fungi out there that are not in this book and I take photos so that they may be identified later and placed firmly on the “eat” or the “don’t eat” list.  Here are some of the unidentified fungi, I would appreciate a little help if any of you know some of these.

Remember, edible mushrooms can be found all over!  I have picked porcini and boletes from the wood chips in neighborhood gardens and a slippery jack from a neighbors lawn!

There are days that I go to the woods and return with nothing except the experience of a lovely day in the quiet.  For that I am thankful as well.