Mushroom Season

[Cane Rod Maker]

I picked these the other day. I got some nice Ramsheads today that I will try to post tomorrow......

Here are the Popinki, a small Ram, and some leftovers from someones cutoff from what would have been a Hen of the Woods aka Chicken Mushroom that I'd bet weighed at least 40 pounds based on the size of the root cut off on this old tree it was on.

 

[dhermann1]

My mom went on a big mitology kick back in the 70s, but was never brave enough to try to eat anything she found in the woods. One false move and . . . arrrggghhh. But I must say, those look delicious.

 

[Cane Rod Maker]

My mom went on a big mitology kick back in the 70s, but was never brave enough to try to eat anything she found in the woods. One false move and . . . arrrggghhh. But I must say, those look delicious.

They are absoutely terrific.

The Popinki, those are the small tan ones, and the Ramsheads are really easy to identify. Both grow in on and around Oak trees and florish in the woods in my area.

I only take these for the most part. A friend of mien is a schroom hunter, so the first time I stumbled into the Popinki; I picked a small bag of them and went to get them verified......he told me they were good ones and when I told him I'd bet we could fill a garbage bag with what I left, well, I never seen someone run so fast for a bag. We got about 3 bushel that day.

My first lesson with a Ramshead was when I was about 7. I was riding my bike and the Oak lined streets had a big one growing attached to the trunk, on a side street. I,a curious kid, and somewhat distructive.....I got off my bike and started kicking it to pieces. An elderly man came flying out of his house to scold me and told me that was a good eating mushroom and started to bag up the remains. I always remembered what they looked like from that day on.

I gave that batch I picked last week to a young guy at work.....he took them and after the boil and cleaning, he jars them with 50/50 vinagar water, pickling salt, some oil, chunks of garlic, oregano and some Banana peppers all which came from his garden.

I just sat down to a jar with a good Itialian Bread and enjoyed the entire jar.

He brought me in left over Chicken Marsala with a combo of both Mushrooms, terrific......as was the stromboli he made with them inside.

I pick em and let others do the hard work.....then they give me a portion. Its a good deal

 

[bburtner@moran]

You are one brave soul...

 

[Burton]

A fascinating hobby, thanks for sharing!

 

[mariagarcia495]

I am wondering, how you people likes mushroom? I don’t like it.

 

[kiwilrdg]

Wild mushrooms are worlds apart from the ones from a grocery store.

 

[Chasseur]

Nice! That is one hobby I'd like to start doing one day... Nothing like fresh wild cepes or morels... hmmm...

 

[randooch]

Great idea for a thread. I go mushrooming every year here in Oregon. It's what I look forward to most about fall. Chanterelles, lobsters, chicken-of-the-woods (ram's heads), and corals are the mainstays here until spring, when morels appear. All are easily and safely identified; all are mouth-wateringly delicious. Nothing to fear if you study up a bit.

The ram's heads need to be thoroughly cooked. Something I learned the hard way.

Can't wait for some solid rain!

 

[flyfishark]

I haven't had a morel since I left Indiana, where I used to teach. I'm gonna look for you to list your mushrooms in classifieds. I try myself, but I think I keep finding toad stools!

 

[randooch]

Yesterday's chanterelle take:

 

[LocktownDog]

Oh man. Those look good. I used to harvest them near Portland and Salem, when I lived up that way.

 

[TomS]

Man, be careful with those!!!

 

[howardeye]

It is that time of year again in NW Indiana! Fall Sheepshead Mushrooms!

 

[winterland1]

Are those the same as Hen of the Woods? We have them in MN. They are very good.

 

[howardeye]

I think so but don't quote me. The buttons and these Sheepshead mushrooms come out in the fall when it cools off and after a rain. They need moisture also.

 

[John Galt]

CRM, have you ever tried Shaggy Manes? I used to pick them all the time when I was a logger in far Northern California & Southern Oregon. As for the morels, they are great dried, and taste a little smoky. My mother-in-law brings me some each year, and I crumble them into soups, stews & the like.

Randooch, you must be familiar with these?

"Faint hat never won fair lady."

 

[howardeye]

I have never found the Shaggy Manes. I don't go after the morels either since I am too lazy to go out in the spring. I stick with the buttons and sheepshead because they pop up during hunting season when I am already out in the woods. I would deer hunt in the morning and evening and look for mushrooms in the middle of the day when the deer were not moving around. The mushrooms were around the same stumps every year until the stump disappeared.

 

[Giftmacher]

Gifts of woods

 

[howardeye]

I am jealous!