Tag Archives: edible mushroom

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We long for rain. It has been sunny, warm and dry, dry, dry. So it's a surprise that any mushrooms would appear. We did have some rain last month, enough for at least one King Bolete. Eric Estrada found Boletus edulis several weeks ago and his brother, Ricky Estrada, took the photo.

Ricky wrote, “I was recently home and to my great surprise have found that the rains have brought some mushrooms up. The great Bolete is back and mushroom pickers should be excited to get back to the outdoors. [Here] is a picture of my little brother, Eric Estrada, who is nine years old and an avid mushroom hunter. He knows how to pick ‘em, and won’t put down his mushroom book. In his hands is a King Bolete found in the woods on the ridge. Happy mushroom picking!”

Thanks to Ricky for allowing me to share his photo and thanks to Eric for sharing his joy in finding this edible mushroom.

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I think of The Prince, Agaricus augustus, as a summer mushroom. With the dry weather we've been having on the Coast, this mushroom has bloomed early.

Mark Hancock recently photographed a group of them on the Gualala Arts Center grounds. In the first photo you see Mark's hand to give you the scale.

Gifts of the forest! Thanks to Mark for allowing me to share his photos with you here.

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The smaller Hedgehog, the Bellybutton Hedgehog, has begun to appear. Hydnum umbilicatum is a delicious, easy to identify mushroom. Rather than gills, or a sponge like boletes, it has tiny teeth. On our property it grows under Tan-oak trees. Rick and I were happy to find a nice bunch of them yesterday.

This morning I dry sauteed some of the hedgehogs to get the water out. Then I put them in scrambled eggs with a little cheddar cheese grated on top. Delicious!

There are lots more of these mushrooms to come. They don't seem to mind the very cold weather we've been having this past week.

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I really wasn't expecting the first King Bolete until later next week but here's proof the first one has fruited. Lita and Joe Gitt found their first Boletus edulis of the season.

What a beautiful mushroom! Porcini mushrooms are wonderful to find and delicious to eat. I love Joe's shirt - say it out loud and you'll get the pun.

Thanks to Lita for allowing me to share her photo with you here. To see the biggest King Bolete I've ever seen, here's the link: http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2011/10/17/the-biggest-king-bolete-ive-ever-seen-was-found-in-the-manchester-area-a-few-days-ago/