Today we went to our secret mushroom spot that only half of Seattle knows about, based on the number of snapped stems we find lately.
I found a gigando Boletus, which I’m pretty sure is a Boletus flaviporus, because the pores did not go blue when I bruised them. They are edible, but are supposed to be only so-so, so I am saving them for my last mushroom class. It’s fun to oooh over the large ones people bring in. Notice how bright yellow the underside is. It has to be seen to be believed. It’s really fluorescent.
They don’t have gills, they have pores like honeycombs.
My friend said, “That looks SO poisonous!” She’s right, of course, but I am discovering that in some cases poison mushrooms look so benign and edibles can be really flamboyant. Case in point: chantarelles.
I found the biggest chanterelle EVAR in perfect condition. Shocker.
We lost our friends and resorted to cell phoning and howling to locate them like goombas. I have never gotten so separated from people in the woods before, because we usually have the children with us.
This park is not infinite and there are landmarks you can walk toward, like a creek or the freeway, so I wasn’t worried. It was kind of fun being alone for a while, though. It reminded me of when I was a kid and I used to wander off to the forest preserve behind my house. I kept my head down the whole time then and I did today, too. Now that I know that mushroom toxins won’t go through the skin on your hand, I touch everything. It’s fun.
I have been going since 2004 now, and I am going to try and add spring mushrooming into my plans with the society here. During my long sentence here I guess I should take advantage of the PNWed and all the moldy crap that grows on the moldy ground here. Mushrooms=mushroomade.
Hey, boxcar dewey and I are in the process of buying a house with about an acre of forest on it. I saw at least four different kinds of mushrooms last time we were out there. I don’t know anything about the little critters — is it possible to get someone to come out and look at them and tell us what we can eat? Is there an organization or anything?
Hey Lauren–Your best bet is to hit up the mycology society and take some classes. I suppose you could get a friend who’s into mushrooms to take a look, but unless they are a totally unmistakable variety, you’re rolling the dice eating mushrooms when you don’t know anything about them yourself. You need to know how to ID the ones you’re looking for, and also how to ID the ones that look a lot like the ones you’re looking for. With chanterelles, there’s a somewhat close in appearance variety that can make you fairly sick. They’re pretty different in appearance, but I could imagine someone who had only seen them in the grocery bringing home the wrong one.
Long SENTENCE? You have to be kidding. I’d give some fairly necessary body parts to be where you are. Or, really, to be a few hours south of where you are…but I could definitely settle for your area.
That chanterelle makes me drooly…
Ha! Wish I could trade with you. Funny how that works.
Your shrooms are lovely. I’m so jealous–it’s way too dry here for them to grow outdoors and I’ve so far been too lazy to buy an indoor kit.
Wow, resourceful woman picking your food in the forest! I want you to hang out with me after the apocalypse. Then the mushrooms will be reeeeeaaaallly big.
I for one will welcome our new mushroom overlords.
I Personally think that those King Boletes are DEE-Licious. They are sold as Porcini, too. Best evah – make gravy from those pores with a little bit of some stinky-cheese wine. Serve over faro. YUM!!!
The giant boletus you have in the first picture is a Boletus Mirabilis, commonly known as the Admirable Boletus. I’m guessing you found it either growing directly from a stump, or very close to one. These are edible and considered of excellent quality – not quite as good as the King Boletus (porcini) but pretty close – they have a faint lemony aroma and flavor. (If you don’t trust my ID, google the latin name and check out the pictures – there is no mistaking the Mirabilis.) You should eat it, pronto, before it starts to deteriorate – I recommend with chicken. (Keep all mushrooms in the fridge inside a paper – NEVER plastic – bag, btw.)
Also, that chanterelle is DA BOMB. Not only is it gigantic, it’s in great shape. Well done!!
those mushies are rather sexy… i love the pic of you and the chanterelle.
Hmm, thanks Jake. Good to know. It was not near a stump, but right next to a growing tree…can’t remember which one. I was convinced it was the other type because it is *so* bright yellow. I looked up the admirable in my book, and I see what you mean.
I has noobness.
You are awful good at shroomin for a noob! Seriously, most people never see a chanterelle that big.
The cool thing about b.mirabilis is that as they get older, the pores will turn an almost neon chartreuse color, and the very faint spots on the cap will become more apparent. (At this point they are usually too far gone for eating though.) They are one of the coolest looking mushrooms you can find around here.