shroom picking

[BCMtnHound]

I was wondering which were the chanterelles on the plate, but the one front and centre sure looked like a lobster, which I also enjoy. But pics are never enough for fungi ID.

There are boletes that are poisonous on both NA coasts; I stick with the kings here, and avoid the slippery jacks which are not poisonous per se but very bitter. The only field test I know for determining an inedible bolete like the satan's bolete is to bruise/mark the skin and see if the scar turns blue or black. I also have a dissecting microscope to examine the spores after making a print to help confirm. But even edible boletes can cause stomach upset in some people. Same with another favourite of mine, the shaggy parasol. Always best to test a small amount of any new shroom to gauge if my stomach (or the stomach of my table guest) will enjoy the supposed delicacy.

[tgapp]

I was wondering which were the chanterelles on the plate, but the one front and centre sure looked like a lobster, which I also enjoy. But pics are never enough for fungi ID.

There are boletes that are poisonous on both NA coasts; I stick with the kings here, and avoid the slippery jacks which are not poisonous per se but very bitter. The only field test I know for determining an inedible bolete like the satan's bolete is to bruise/mark the skin and see if the scar turns blue or black. I also have a dissecting microscope to examine the spores after making a print to help confirm. But even edible boletes can cause stomach upset in some people. Same with another favourite of mine, the shaggy parasol. Always best to test a small amount of any new shroom to gauge if my stomach (or the stomach of my table guest) will enjoy the supposed delicacy.

the shaggy parasol or the shaggy inkcap (coprinarius comatus) just doesn't play well with alcohol


all the non-edible boletes look scary as fuck, I've never seen them but I would never want to eat them

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[Cocximus]

The bear head tooth was totally bland. I tried:
1. Frying
2. Baking
3. Stew

Dunno maybe the pine variety don't have the same taste the hardwood ones have.

[TBS]

Found this growing out of a ponderosa pine a couple of days after a rain.
I left it alone because it looked cool
Any idea whether its edible?

[BCMtnHound]

Found this growing out of a ponderosa pine a couple of days after a rain.
I left it alone because it looked cool
Any idea whether its edible?

Looks like a Lentinus of some sort, probably L. ponderosus? If so, not poisonous, but not considered choice despite being fragrant.


Some Angel's Wings (Pleurotus or oyster family).


Squirrels harvesting boletes and russulas

[tgapp]

Looks like a Lentinus of some sort, probably L. ponderosus? If so, not poisonous, but not considered choice despite being fragrant.


Some Angel's Wings (Pleurotus or oyster family).


Squirrels harvesting boletes and russulas

I agree with the likely L. ponderosus ID, but there are others that can have scales on caps like that. I've seen older Pholiota squarrosa that looked like L. ponderosus until you smelled them and the garlic was overwhelming. BCMtnHound knows his shit!!

Shrooming here has been pretty sleepy lately. Lots of Amanita muscaria var formosa. Cool because they're unique to Utah. Not cool because I can't eat them without tripping balls.

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[riser4]

I agree with the likely L. ponderosus ID, but there are others that can have scales on caps like that. I've seen older Pholiota squarrosa that looked like L. ponderosus until you smelled them and the garlic was overwhelming. BCMtnHound knows his shit!!

Shrooming here has been pretty sleepy lately. Lots of Amanita muscaria var formosa. Cool because they're unique to Utah. Not cool because I can't eat them without tripping balls.

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Tripping balls is the good part, dying not so much.

[bodywhomper]

Got a little bit of moisture two weeks in a row in the western Sierra foothills. Hoping for something to pop. Been seeing a lot of beautiful local picts of chicken of the woods.

Locally, we have a pretty awesome fb group that is frequented with helpful subject matter experts. It’s pretty fun!

[BCMtnHound]

The fly agarics are beautiful at this time of year, but I prefer to leave them so that the reindeer can fly.

Still no pines out at my local haunts. Maybe I'll get to find some in the Kootenays in a couple weeks.

[riser4]

The fly agarics are beautiful at this time of year, but I prefer to leave them so that the reindeer can fly.

Still no pines out at my local haunts. Maybe I'll get to find some in the Kootenays in a couple weeks.

Santa gives the reindeer pink space coke so they can fly.

[Dantheman]

Shrooming here has been pretty sleepy lately. Lots of Amanita muscaria var formosa. Cool because they're unique to Utah. Not cool because I can't eat them without tripping balls.

Saw this guy today. Allegedly, if thoroughly dried they can be smoked to produce a pleasant non-toxic high. I'm not sure it's worth finding out.

[tgapp]

Saw this guy today. Allegedly, if thoroughly dried they can be smoked to produce a pleasant non-toxic high. I'm not sure it's worth finding out.

That's the A. muscaria var formosa that is unique to Utah. Great specimen right there.

Normal muscaria are red, ours are a light golden for some reason. Same mushroom though.

Dried/boiled/earn is what I have always been taught. Had a few friends do it and they described it as interesting but not pleasant.

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[tgapp]

the second half of the shrooms season started. enjoyable too : ) this was the first find.
still early but there we go...
in october it is always funny to observe some DUDES crawling around the alpine meadow searching for this brown gold delight



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Ahh yeah, we found those in Iceland one time. Ended up eating 15 or so and then watching the northern lights from a geothermal spa all evening. Good times.

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[BCMtnHound]

A young Boletus murabilis. Been finding quite a few the past few field days.


Angels wings Pleurocybella porrigens everywhere as well.


These resemble a destroying angel, Amanita virosa. I was tempted to bring them home to get a print and examine to spores to confirm. Not common around here thankfully.

[BCMtnHound]

And finally, the prized Matsutake! Big one, even if a #3 at best. New spot, wasn't expecting to find them here. No buttons, this was the youngest, but the GPS location is now marked.

[neckdeep]

Kings, August monsoon



Morchella Brunnea, late May

[ex-powderbroker]

SCHWING!


where do you all stand on slippery jacks, yay or nay?

[neckdeep]

Anyone know what this is? It looks similar to Lions mane, but it was on some sort of dead conifer. Lions mane only grow in hardwood, no?

That's definitely Hericium Abietis, aka western bear's head. A good specimen that's plump, moist and solid white has a vaguely seafoody shroomy flavor. Flavor is good, texture is a bit chewy. Off color specimens and dry specimens get a little bland to bitter. Note the yellowing, that one looks a bit past it's due date. It's best sauteed with a lot of butter and a splash of sherry to unlock the alcohol soluble flavor compounds.

[CarlMega]

what's the best way to harvest something like that? To preserve more fruiting.

[neckdeep]

SCHWING!


where do you all stand on slippery jacks, yay or nay?

Nay. Around here, jacks come up at the same time as kings, chants, shaggy manes so there's more desirable things to hunt. Jacks are better for drying.

Dried jacks are usually what you get when you buy dried porcini sourced from China and eastern Europe. It's a huge scam. Even big name brands in the restaurant trade like Roland Foods are usually 50 to 75 percent jacks, not porcinis.

[jorion]

And finally, the prized Matsutake! Big one, even if a #3 at best. New spot, wasn't expecting to find them here. No buttons, this was the youngest, but the GPS location is now marked.

Is that really a matsie? I don’t think I’ve seen the cap open like that but I’ve never seen one on the wild, I just buy them.

The autumn weather of the last few days has gotten me looking forward to making some matsutake gohan when they show up in the market, I guess it won’t be long now.

[jorion]

Kings, August monsoon



Morchella Brunnea, late May

Sick score!

[neckdeep]

what's the best way to harvest something like that? To preserve more fruiting.

Trim them off where the stipe comes out of the log. When I find them, they are on rotting logs that are usually so soft that the shrooms are only productive for a few years before the log breaks down. It's a saprotrophic shroom.

[BCMtnHound]

Yep, definitely Armillaria ponderosa, or matsutake. Saw a couple others already gone to mush nearby that got me wondering, and found more old ones later after finding this one. 1400m elev, which is higher than I've ever found them in this valley. Couldn't find any #1 buttons, but this one will still be tasty fried in a bit of butter. Almost didn't fit in a large ziploc, still had half the day to complete my work but they are pretty robust for travel. No good at this stage for the mushroom buyer, but I never pick for sale anyways.

Hey neckdeep, great to see you back! Nice haul, especially the kings. And interesting bit about the jacks and the restaurant porcinis.

[ex-powderbroker]

Nay. Around here, jacks come up at the same time as kings, chants, shaggy manes so there's more desirable things to hunt. Jacks are better for drying.

Jacks are so easy to find... haven't had much luck since the great lobstah bump in july.