Eugen wrote: ↑Thu Oct 07, 2021 9:34 pm
Tim, I only tasted wild fresh mushrooms twice but the taste was amazing. I can only imagine how good your meal was. Wish I knew which ones are safe to eat!
There is are small pocket books that show what is safe and NOT. There are 6 I look for.
Elm Caps, this time of year. Grow on Box Elder trees (go figure) where a branch has broken off and the wood has started to rot. May be 30+ feet up, I modified a telescopic pole saw by adding 1/2" electrical conduit to make it 3 sections with a serrated knife on the end. The pole knife is 19' long + as high as my 5'4" frame can reach
Pheasant Backs. Get their name from the dark triangles on them that look like the feathers on the back of a pheasant.They are a shelf type growing low on dead elms. Very active in early spring, but stragglers show up into the fall. Can be very tough if large, I use a sharp knife to test them, straight pull from the edge to center, if it goes in with little resistance I the test the circumference with the knife. Again straight pull if you have to use a sawing motion it will be like crewing on shoe leather when cooked. This means I often leave 1/2+ in the woods to act as seed and less I have to carry out just to toss later.
Crown Coral. Should be white, tan to brown will be bitter.
Chicken of the Woods. A bright orange shelf type with a pale yellow bottom. Sauteed in butter has the taste and texture of chicken. Generally on solid but rotting hardwood logs.
Hen Of The Woods. Pyramidal to cone shaped with lots of petals, dark grayish in color. Grows around Oaks.
And of coarse the illusive Morels. I find them around sick or fresh dead elms and populars in early spring.
There are other rarer edibles I just don't spend the time looking for
Gordy