Tag Archives: edible mushrooms

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We've had enough rain for a Porcini, Boletus edulis, bloom. This choice, edible mushroom is such a treat to find. Paul Kozal hit a goldmine of Porcinis, over ten pounds of them.

Basketfull of Boletus edulis by Paul Kozal

And, this very morning Rick and I discovered this bloom of Coccora, Amanita calyptroderma.

Coccora by Jeanne Jackson

Coccoras should only be picked and eaten by the most experienced mushroom forage as they have a deadly look-a-like, the Destroying Angel. Since Rick refuses to eat a mushroom that could conceivably be mistaken for a deadly one - a wise decision - we leave these beauties alone and admire them growing in the forest.

Happy foraging! We have rain in our forecast for next week but for the weekend we are having a short heat wave.

Thanks to  Paul for allowing me to share his photo with you here. To see much more of Paul's photography, here is his website: http://www.paulkozal.com/

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The Prince, Agaricus augustus, has sprouted to the delight of those who loved edible fungi. Gail Thompson photographed this group of Prince mushrooms.

The Prince mushroom by Gail Thompson (Large)

Gail wrote, "If you sauté in butter, water and a little garlic salt and then pour on top of mashed potatoes, you have a princely meal."

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

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A choice, edible mushroom that *normally* blooms in the fall, usually in November, has fruited on the Mendonoma Coast. Cathleen Crosby had a half dozen pop up near her home in Gualala

This is exactly what you look for - a big, fat mushroom with a thick, white stalk and a brown cap. Under the cap is a sponge rather than gills. This mushroom is a joy to find and delicious to eat. Now I wonder what will happen when our fall rains begin. Will we get a normal bloom of King Boletes?

Our summer edible mushroom is The Prince, Agaricus augustus. It is blooming on schedule as Leslie Hoppe's photo shows you. The Prince often pops up near roads and trails. When it is young it tastes sweet and almondy; when older it tastes more "mushroomy."

Thanks to Cathleen and Leslie for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

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Matsutakes, the prized wild mushroom that smells of cinnamon, are continuing to appear.

 It's important to carefully dig up this mushroom to see the complete stem. It does have a very bad lookalike so only forage for this mushroom if you are very certain of your identification.

And here is one of my favorite edibles, a Queen Bolete, Boletus aereus.

Yet another storm is hitting the Mendonoma Coast. But this weekend is forecast to be sunny. We will be ready for some of that yellow stuff!

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Agaricus augustus, The Prince, continues to make its royal appearance. Rick and I saw a new group of this edible mushroom growing just off our road in Anchor Bay. They are having a long fruiting season this year. Irma Brandt photographed these on the last day in May. She called them soldiers on Memorial Day.

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

Update: The paper wasp nest that took over one of our birdhouses has been wiped out, probably by a skunk. I'll post a photo tomorrow.