Based on this mushroom calendar I made last week, velvet shank is just past its peak. When I went for a foraging walk yesterday, here’s what I found:
A cluster of velvet shank, just past its prime. There hasn’t been much sprouting around here this year
As you can see, their stalks are dark and velvety, hence the name.
Their striking colour makes them easy to spot even from afar.
Velvet shank is one of my favourite tasty mushrooms. I picked them, and luckily, wiggly worms don’t seem to bother them much, unlike wood oysters, which can be full of them if harvested past their prime.
I also spotted this, possibly a blushing rosette. It’s very tough, so it’s classed as inedible, though it hasn’t been mentioned as toxic.
Then there’s witch’s butter, always around, all year!
…along with wood ears, or jelly ears! I picked them even though I don’t have a kitchen at the moment, so I’ll be drying them for now.
👉Interactive calendarI still have more mushrooms to add to the calendar, but it really helps me track sprouting times. For example, around this time, I need to watch for St George’s mushrooms. So far, jelly ears and velvet shank have matched up perfectly with my calendar. More info about seasonality in the UK only
I also plan to make a calendar for poisonous mushrooms to watch out for. It’s just nice and inspiring to use one's own work. Hopefully, I won’t miss much of the mushrooming season and can share more finds with you!
Have a lovely day, Mariah :)