Yes yes yes! I ID’d wild oyster mushroom last year (with thanks to the beetles who live in it). It was painstaking to choke out the beetles (I put the mushroom in a plastic bag in the fridge for the first 24 hours), then rip into tiny pieces, remove dead beetles and set mushroom pieces to dry. After that was done, my husband finally used them in a 4-mushroom soup. It was incredible! I have not had much luck identifying other mushrooms in our area (pacific northwest, Canada). Most mushrooms we see are gilled and not recommended for eating. I did some research on the witches’ butter mushroom. It has a cooling effect on the mouth and tongue and is recommended to use for cough syrup or you can candy it as cough drops. One natural eye cream I found also used this mushroom as a base ingredient! I am always on the hunt! We also have several shaggy mane mushrooms around but I found they have no shelf life and either need to be eaten right away or they go to waste. Can’t wait to dive into your guide!
Next time you find oysters, you might try using a soft brush to get the beetles off. I use a vegetable brush or the one on my harvesting knife. Also, if you are going to cook them right away, use a water sprayer and wash them over a colander.
Shaggy manes are excellent eating, just need to have a plan to cook them within an hour or two after harvest. You can pre-cook them to stop the melting-inky function also. Enjoy the guide, I haven't foraged in your area so you should double check local guides, but for sure some mushrooms like morels are mostly the same across North America.
What do you do with the hazelnuts?
Dry them, then crack ‘em and eat ‘em.
Yes yes yes! I ID’d wild oyster mushroom last year (with thanks to the beetles who live in it). It was painstaking to choke out the beetles (I put the mushroom in a plastic bag in the fridge for the first 24 hours), then rip into tiny pieces, remove dead beetles and set mushroom pieces to dry. After that was done, my husband finally used them in a 4-mushroom soup. It was incredible! I have not had much luck identifying other mushrooms in our area (pacific northwest, Canada). Most mushrooms we see are gilled and not recommended for eating. I did some research on the witches’ butter mushroom. It has a cooling effect on the mouth and tongue and is recommended to use for cough syrup or you can candy it as cough drops. One natural eye cream I found also used this mushroom as a base ingredient! I am always on the hunt! We also have several shaggy mane mushrooms around but I found they have no shelf life and either need to be eaten right away or they go to waste. Can’t wait to dive into your guide!
Next time you find oysters, you might try using a soft brush to get the beetles off. I use a vegetable brush or the one on my harvesting knife. Also, if you are going to cook them right away, use a water sprayer and wash them over a colander.
Shaggy manes are excellent eating, just need to have a plan to cook them within an hour or two after harvest. You can pre-cook them to stop the melting-inky function also. Enjoy the guide, I haven't foraged in your area so you should double check local guides, but for sure some mushrooms like morels are mostly the same across North America.
Happy foraging!
Thanks for the tips!
Always learning something new from you John. Thank you
Already wanna ditch my grocery list and wander Maine woods.
Wander first, shop later if need be. I wish I could stop shopping, but that’s not easy. Here’s to hopium.
Cheers to hopium 😂
Incredible delicious finds! Thanks for sharing your foraging wisdom, John-!