Wild Edibles Part 2

Mushrooms - Porcini, Puffballs, Wild Oyster, Shaggy Mane, Honey

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Every time it rains Curt and I take a walk on the hunt for wild edible mushrooms. At the beginning of July last year, we found all sorts. This year we’ve had some luck, but I haven’t seen a ton of wild mushrooms - yet. It seems odd since it’s been a wet and rainy spring, but wild mushrooms are mysterious in that way.
Remember - I am NOT an expert, make sure to do your own research before you put it in your mouth.

If you don’t know what it is, don’t you put it in your mouth!

Learning to identify mushrooms is tricky. There are lots of variables in determining which kind you’ve found. From how they prefer to grow, to the colour that they bruise, to how slimy they are - there’s a lot to know when it comes to fungi. To me, learning to identify and try new mushrooms is fun, tasty and a bit daring.

Peach Coloured Agaric

NOT edible! At best, if you eat this mushroom you’ll ‘take a trip without leaving the farm’. I’ve seen articles stating that they are good for brain health in microdoses - but that’s not something I’m willing to play with. When I found a patch of these one had some tiny nibble marks on it. I’d say a squirrel was having one heck of a trip.

Porcini aka Bolete

There are a couple of areas on the property where these like to grow. In damp areas around aspen and poplar, they emerge from under the leaf litter and are hard to miss with their bright orange colour. I found many this year that were bigger than my hand! They have ‘pores’ instead of gills, which just means that their gills are tubular. One problem - as soon as they’ve emerged from the leaf litter, tiny bugs invade their ‘pores’ and beat me to them. I need to try eating one of these, bugs or naught.

Wild Oyster

Much like domestic oyster mushrooms, these mostly like to grow on the sides of dead trees and logs. They have gills which go down the stem or ‘stipe’ and grow in clusters. Though I’ve seen lots of these and positively identified them, I have yet to give them a try.

Honey Mushrooms

The ones pictured above are a bit overripe. They like to grow in clusters at the base of dead trees and shrubs, and kill certain trees as they grow. They are sometimes considered a problem in yards. Curt and I have fried these up and surprisingly they’re a bit sweet! They are due to start appearing any time and I’m looking forward to adding them to meals.

Puffballs

This year my yard was inundated with little white puffballs! There are quite a few different kinds and I’ve learned that all are edible IF they’re white and gill-free inside. If they’re overripe and no longer white they’re too far gone. If it has gills inside, it’s not a puffball and could be a death cap. They’re a tasty and hefty addition to any meal, and can easily replace meat as you might with tofu.

Shaggy Mane

These are distinctive and fairly straightforward to identify. In addition to having a bell shape and shaggy surface, they are an ink cap mushroom. As they mature they turn into black slime, which some people use as ink. Once harvested they need to be cooked ASAP - they begin to deteriorate very fast, turning into black slime. Curt and I eat these whenever we find them, fried with butter and garlic.

So Many Mushrooms

We’ve positively identified a bunch of other edible mushrooms that I hope to see this year. Morels, Slippery Jack, and Fried Chicken (yes, Fried Chicken) to name a few. When they finally appear, I’m hoping to dry, can and pickle as many as possible. In the meantime, berries have begun to ripen - early!
So much to forage, so little time.

Stay Tuned for Parts 3 & 4 of Wild Edibles! And if you haven’t check out Part 1: Greens.