Mushroom Hunt!

[furtech]

[Sorry for the burst of posts...finally got my pics (thanks, Brian!) and some time and something to avoid (election results and rain)]

Wild Matsutake Mushrooms

calicougar invited me to the local mushroom club (they have a fancier name, but I'm lazy) for one of their collecting events. Basically, a bunch of people go out into the woods and collect fungus and stuff that looks like fungus (like old antenna balls, disposeable diapers, menudo). As I *love* treasure hunts of any sort, I leapt at the chance (though at that hour, "oozed enthusiastically" is more the ticket). Since we arrived late, we had no one to advise us on a direction, so we went to her Secret Site. Someone suggested that the styrofoam cups stuck on the branches in the tree are possibly markers by other fungi hunters to indicate something good there (like the chantrelles Tracy found last time).

We found no matsutaki mushrooms...but I didn't exactly know what I was looking for (the ones in the stores are "real" matsutake...and quite clean and dry). When we finally quit and headed for the meet-up at the lodge, the head of the club pointed us to some wild matsutake growing just up the trail...Wahoo! Score!

At the lodge, the finds were spread out on the sorting table and identified. Here's my haul. And, my spectacular puffballs! One of the spectacular finds was a huge clump of rare black chantrelles. Very impressive! Unless you're a dog...

Comments

[waynekaa.livejournal.com]

Any of those happen to be Amanita?

[furtech.livejournal.com]

Actually, I did find something related to this variety of amanita (http://www.polaris.net/~annep/FloridaFungi/muscaria.html)...but I'm ultra-cautious: I don't even like the buggy-wuggies commonly found in even the most delicious wild mushrooms...

I did find a couple of great eaters...but most of mine were common "gives-you-gut-ache" variety mushrooms and "blah-but-won't-make-you-sick" kinds.

[tcreynolds]

I just threw out two or three of the oldest, biggest ones. They were...past redemption. I won't say any more, or you'll never eat any again! You should be comforted I'm erring on the side of um...caution. And palatability!

[skorzy.livejournal.com]

Neat hobby..but I'm too nervous to risk it. :) Besides what people tell me, not all "gourmet" mushrooms are to my liking. I'd love the chance to go collecting though, as the identification phase would appeal to me.

I'm just too much of a wussy to risk eating them!

[farallon.livejournal.com]

Man that's a lot of mushrooms, we get the small number we have around here, but nothiing like that. I can see it being a fun treasure hunt in places that have such a variety.

I saw a book in a Japanese book store that was a slick full color catalog "Mushrooms of Japan" or something. It had something like a thousand mushrooms and fungi categorized and photographed in situ. The pictures were so beautiful I almost bought it just for that, even though I really detest eating most fungi :)

[furtech.livejournal.com]

How long ago did you see that book? I'd love to grab it! If you remember a title or store, let me know!

[farallon.livejournal.com]

It was within the last year and I think it was in Little Tokyo, though I can't recall exactly right now. Maybe in the morning after my brain has rested... :)

[spunkywulf.livejournal.com]

Hmmm. Collecting shrooms. This would explain a lot about you ;) *runs*

Seriously though, seems like an interesting hobby. It's like the fungus version of the GPS hunting game (I forget what it's called)! Just be careful what you put in your mouth :)