Tag Archives: Boletus edulis

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We're usually looking for Boleus edulis, porcini, in late October and November. But we did have a nice rain in September. That, combined with fog drip, has coaxed several Boletes to pop. Justin Rosenthal found the first ones on The Sea Ranch.

Early Boletus edulis by Justine Rosenthal (Large)

Justin said they were growing about 1/4 mile inland in tall grasses. She said they were hard to see.

Irma Brandt was encouraged to go check one of her spots this past week. Look what she found - two pristine, perfect Boletes.

Two pristine Boletus edulis by Irma Brandt

Several others have found a few too. I think it is going to take a couple of good rainstorms to convince more of these delicious edible mushrooms to appear.

Thanks to Justine and Irma for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

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Oyster mushrooms have bloomed on a downed Tan Oak in our forest. This  tree came down last year and we left it in place in the hopes that we'd get these mushrooms - they grow on dead hardwood. Our hopes were rewarded!

Oyster Mushrooms by Jeanne Jackson (Large)

And a Dyer's Polypore has bloomed too - not an edible, but beautiful to see and watch evolve.

Dyer's Polypore by Jeanne Jackson

The new polypore is the light-colored one. The dark brown polypore was last year's bloom. It's unusual for the old one to still be entact. These mushrooms are used by dyers of wool. When young they dye wool yellow or orange. When older, the dye wool brown. Their role in Nature it to decompose dead wood.

I have a photo of the first Boletus edulis, a choice edible. Four were found at The Sea Ranch a few days ago. But I am sharing it first with the Independent Coast Observer with my Sightings column. It will be out on Thursday!

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Boletus edulis, also called King Boletes, Porcini or Cep, have responded to a good rain we received in April. They decided to pop up in all their glory. Justine Rosenthal found two big ones. They are deliciously edible.

Justine Rosenthal with a huge Boletus edulis by Janine Johnson

Justine was celebrating World Tai Chi day when she found this beauty. Janine Johnson photographed this happy mushroom forager.

If you are on the Coast, check your spots - more were found earlier this week. They normally fruit in the fall, after the first rains, usually in November and December. With climate change who knows what the new normal will be.

Thanks to Justine and Janine for allowing me to share this photo with you here.

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The recent rains have brought a tremendous bloom of mushrooms, many of them choice edibles. Just look what Subir Sanyal foraged recently. Boletus edulis, Chanterelles, Coccora, Pig's Ears and a big Cauliflower mushroom, plus the first Candy Caps! Wow!

A haul of edible mushrooms by Subir Sanyal

And here is another basket of mixed mushrooms picked by Subir. Not all of these are edibles; some he picked for their color. They sure make a beautiful basket, don't they?

A bounty of wild mushrooms by Subir Sanyal

Many people are still finding large porcini, Boletus edulis. Chanterelles are just beginning. After two  years of nearly zero wild mushrooms, we are having a wonderful explosion of fungi!

Thanks to Subir for allowing me to share his photos with you here.

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There has been a bloom of very large Boletus edulis, Porcini mushrooms. Jinx McCombs came across this huge one near Point Arena.
_I'm afraid we've come too late - a huge, over-the-hill Boletus edulis by Jinx McCombsjpg

Jinx's dog posed next to the big bolete, which Jinx said was over the hill. Jinx and her husband, Paul Nordstrand, did find a nice cache of boletes though.

Paul Nordstrand with his haul of Boletus edulis by Jinx McCombsPaul is cleaning and slicing his find. When I find a large amount like this, I dry them in a dehydrator. It's easy to reconstitute them in a dish of water or red wine.

We did not have a good mushroom season last year due to dry conditions. This year, thank goodness, rains have come early. May they continue! And the rain brings wonderful edible mushrooms for us, and other creatures of the forest, to enjoy.

Thanks to Jinx for allowing me to share her photos with you here.