Tag Archives: edible mushrooms

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That's the title of David Arora's pocket field guide to mushrooms. And as he lives on the Mendonoma coast, pretty much all foragers here have this guide. Here are some mushrooms that have recently arrived on our property in Anchor Bay.

First I was happy to find a couple of Queen Boletes a few days ago. They have a darker cap than the Kings, and their stem isn't as fat. They are delicious. When I trim them and remove the sponge underneath the cap, I gather up the trimmings and scatter them outside in suitable habitat - yes, I'm hoping for more!

queen-bolete-by-jeanne-jackson Also fruiting in abundance now is the edible amanita, Coccora. These mushrooms have a deadly lookalike, so you must be extremely careful with  your identification. They are nicknamed "Creamy Tops," as one of their characteristics is a cottony-like white top. You can scrape it off with your finger.

coccoras-by-jeanne-jackson-2The Fly Amanitas are also up in abundant numbers. I love watching these mushrooms evolve as they grow. Arora will tell you they are edible if you parboil them twice, throwing out the water between boiling. I find them in sunny spots here.

fly-amanita-by-jeanne-jacksonIn this basket I also have Matsutakes. They are so distinctive, with their cinnamon smell. They grow in sandy soil.

a-basket-of-mushrooms-by-jeanne-jacksonThe wonderful rains have brought back mushrooms after five sub-par years. For the many critters in the forest that feast on them, including we two-legged critters, we rejoice in their return.

David Arora has a mushroom event coming up soon. To learn more, here is his website: http://www.davidarora.com/events.html

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Rozann Grunig went foraging on Friday and she found the first reported Chanterelle of the season. She also found a Queen Bolete and several King Boletes, a nice bounty of edibles.

chanterelle-queen-bolete-and-king-boletes-by-rozann-grunigThis morning on our walk, Rick and I found a big Queen Bolete, two Matsutakes peeking through the duff, and several Coccoras. Many other mushrooms are up too. They are loving the rain we just had!

Thanks to Rozann for allowing me to share her photo with you here.

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Jackie Baas found the first Boletus edulis, King bolete, of the season about two weeks ago. Here's the beauty that popped up in an area she has never found one before.first-boletus-edulis-of-the-season-by-jackie-baasSince then we've had more rain and now the King boletes are abundant. Irma Brandt found a very fertile area last week.

a-treasure-trove-of-boletus-edulis-by-irma-brandtOne of the most delicious edible mushrooms, they are so fun to find. Look for them near Bishop pine trees.

I spotted the first Fly amanitas two days ago, and two Coccoras are peeking up under the duff in our forest. Tiny mushrooms are appearing in masses. Oh, it's so fun to have this early rain and have the mushrooms appear!

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

 

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What a season we are having this year with wild mushrooms. Hedgehog mushrooms, one of my favorites, are  up in abundance, as are Winter Chanterelles and Black Trumpets. One of the most distinctive mushrooms is the Fly Amanita. Jim  Garlock recently photographed one.

Fly Amanita by Jim Garlock

Rick and I went on a mushroom hunt last week, looking for edibles, of course. We found a treasure trove of Matsutakes! Also found was a Shaggy Man, Candy Caps, Black Trumpets and Hedgehogs.

Basket of edible mushrooms by Jeanne Jackson

Finding edible mushrooms in the forest is like finding treasure - a gift from Mother Nature.

Thanks to Jim for allowing me to share his 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.