Foraging Tips 1- Mushrooms

I'm not sure how many of you reading know me in real life, but if you do, you know that I love exploring. We have been hiking about once a week for over a year now, although this year it's been really difficult due to heavy rainfall. I thought once, while hiking, that there has to be a multitude of food that I could pick/dig up/pluck to take home and eat. I knew what wild raspberries looked like and sumac but I wasn't super sure about everything else. I'm here to start a mini series about foraging. This first installment is a few general tips and 5 easily identifiable mushrooms! I'm also linking some books and other tools for you guys to buy if you feel the need or want! :) 

This is a picture of some of the mushrooms I found while out hiking last year. And some wild blackberries we found as well. 

BEGINNING TIPS. START  HERE!

1. Be certain that you know what you are about to eat! 

This one is the most important. Plants can easily look similar and you don't want to ingest something poisonous. 


2. Have the right gear.

You don't want to trek around the forest with flip flops on. And try to shove things into pockets. Make sure you take a bucket, bag, basket, something with you. Wear some comfortable and sturdy shoes. Another handy item is a pair of scissors or a knife, preferably both. I would also suggest wearing clothes you don't mind getting dirty, I've personally taken a tumble or two.


3.  Avoid gathering foods in areas that are polluted.

As much as I would like to think this is obvious, some people just forget. DO NOT forage in areas you aren't sure are safe. If you think its even possible someone sprayed pesticides, don't grab edible items from that area. I like to find some wooded areas or forest as people don't spray pesticides in them.


4. Don't trespass! 

Please don't get arrested or shot by wandering on someone's land. I like to go to state land and walk around. You're less likely to run into issues. If you are unsure, ask someone.

5 Easy to Identify Edible Mushrooms:

1. Oyster Mushrooms-


Oyster mushrooms almost always grow on dead wood, such as trees, stumps, or downed logs. While they sometimes appear to be growing out of the ground from wood chips or other substrate, I would not trust that they are oysters unless you find them on wood.


Oyster mushrooms grow in shelf like clusters, usually on hardwoods, but sometimes on conifers. They generally like cooler weather, so spring and fall are the best times to find them. They are quite common, and very tasty!

2. Morel Mushrooms- 


Morels like south facing hillsides and are typically found in sunny patches. They also commonly come up in areas that have been recently burned.





They are one of the easier mushrooms to identify, as nothing looks quite like them. Morels have a pitted and deeply ridged, honeycomb like cap, and are completely hollow when cut in half. Morels need to be cooked before eaten.


There are some mushrooms that are called "false morels" that are somewhat similar in resemblance, but they are not hollow. They are not so toxic as to kill you with only a few bites, but they can definitely cause a lot of gastric distress.

<---- This is a false morel. Please don't eat it!



















3. King Bolete Mushroom-

Boletes do not have gills under their cap, but rather a yellow or brownish spongy surface of pores. The stem is usually quite thick and can sometimes be bulbous. There are often worms or maggots in boletes, so give them a once over before throwing them in the pan!


There are many species of boletes, and a few are toxic. The toxic varieties will turn blue when cut or bruised, and many of them also have a spongy surface of pores that is red in color.

4. Lobster Mushrooms-

Lobster mushrooms have a hard red to orange exterior and a white interior, thus resembling a lobster. The best part about them is that there are no poisonous look alikes at all!
These aren't even technically a mushroom, they're a fungus but still :) 












5. Chanterelle mushrooms-



They are typically found in the fall after the first rains, but in some areas with higher humidity they can be found throughout the summer. Chanterelles are yellow to orange in color, and have blunt ridges that fork and run down the stem rather than true gills. The stems are solid, the flesh is white, and they have a fruity aroma.


There is another variety of chanterelles that are similar in appearance, but have hollow stems. They are called winter or yellowfoot chanterelles.


There are two possible chanterelle look alikes that are poisonous, the jack o' lantern or false chanterelle. Both of these have true gills rather than blunt ridges, so that is key to properly distinguishing a true chanterelle.






Below I'm listing some links for books about foraging for mushrooms as well as a mushroom/fungus knife. All are amazon links. 

Mushroom/Fungus Knife

Mushrooming Without Fear- Book

Mushroom Hunter- Book

Field Guide North American Mushrooms- Book