Right now a lot of us go out on countryside jaunts and walk by real culinary treasures without even realizing it. In this write up I'm going to cover a few mushrooms that are easy to identify and a joy to cook with. Now before gathering up these fungal delights try to keep in mind that there is a dark side of mushroom foraging that you must always be aware of. Growing fluent in identifying them is a must as Mother Nature does not forgive mistakes in this category. A bad identification can kill. Having said this I'm going to outline a couple rules I go by:
Pictures Below: Fly Aminita And Destroying Angel. Highly/Deadly Toxic Mushrooms
RULES TO ALWAYS OBEY WHEN PICKING WILD FUNGI!!
1: If I'm not 100% positive with the identification I don't pick it.
2: If it is growing in near proximity to a mushroom I can't identify I don't pick it as toxic spores can contaminate an edible specimen leading to illness.
3: After over thirty years of mushroom hunting I still confirm the identification of my haul when I get home against the internet and the many books I own on the subject. I pay extremely close to this rule when I'm going to be cooking for others as well; simply because at that point their trust and confidence as well as safety is in my hands.
So with that out of the way here is a short list of my favourite autumn diamonds of the fields and woodland.
Parasol And Shaggy Parasol:
This is a seriously delicious mushroom. It has a light chicken like texture and it responds well to frying in garlic and butter. When picked rely not only on your visual identification but also on your nose. This mushroom has a milky smell that is incredibly distinct and it possesses a flavor that really takes on a life of its own when cooked. I tend to find it in grasslands near woodlands and it's incredibly easy to spot simply because it's huge. They can get up to 9 inches across and sometimes bigger. If you are new to foraging it is best to only pick specimens that are fully opened to prevent mistakes and allow for a full positive identification. It does have two toxic look alikes. One is called the Baby Stinking Parasol which is easy to identify due too it being both small and well..... stinky. The other is the Panther Cap. Picture of the toxic wannabe doppelgangers below.
Baby Stinking Parasol. Do Not Consume Or Pick:
Panther Cap Do Not Pick:
Shaggy Ink Cap:
I love this mushroom. It can be identified solidly simply due to the ink like coloration around its skirting and shaggy cap. I sometimes pick them right before they open and cook them in a frying pan like mushroom drumsticks. A true treat to bring back from any walk. These guys are found in grassy fields and pastures and are dead easy to spot from a distance. They have a poisonous twin that is incredibly easy to tell apart simply due to the fact that it's not shaggy. The standard ink cap is classed as toxic and it really doesn't like alcohol. That's right, if you have had a drink the standard ink cap will knock you flat with illness. However its shaggy twin loves a good old glass of red wine and doesn't grumble at tomato sauces made with white wine. Picture of the unfriendly toxic fellow below.
Poisonous Ink Cap. Do Not Pick:
Amethyst Deciever:
This trippy looking little fellow is great fun to cook with as he keeps his crazy color through the process. I find he's great fun to incorporate with things like cod loin or monk fish as his colors really stand out against the white fish fillets. It always causes uncertain inspection and analysis from your dinner guest. They are a small mushroom that can be found in cedar and oak woodlands. There is a poisons look alike called the Lilac Bonnet that if consumed in the right quantity can kill. It has a faint lilac hue and is found in roughly the same area as the Amethyst Deceiver, however it doesn't possess the deep vibrant Amethyst hue or structure of gills that the Amethyst deceiver does so it is easy to identify and stay away from. Pictures of this little reaper and harbinger of death featured below.
Lilac Bonnet. Do Not Pick:
Penny Bun. King Of The Ceps:
This massive mushroom is a member of the prized Boletus family that our beloved Porcine mushroom is a member of. It's name comes from the brown bread hue it has and the fact that it's roughly the size of a penny bunn. I have dried this noble fungi and used it in risottos months later. Picked fresh I have made cream sauces that compliment things like polenta as well as chicken breast beautifully. In short, This mushroom doesn't disappoint. It can be found growing in oak woodland through the autumn and is incredibly easy to identify due to its massive size. There are a couple toxic members of this family but to mix them up you'd really have to be determined as one smells like a corpse and the other actually has bitter in its name. Another common problem for the Penny Bun hunter is the maggot. We aren't the only species that likes them and I've found beautiful specimens before that after close examination I see are ridden with maggots underneath. When I find these I leave the specimen out on a log or in an area I know a squirrel will find it as the often snatch them up as well. This helps with spore distribution and aids in continuing the cycle of regrowth. I'll list The Devils Bun and the Bitter Boletus below for identification purposes.
Devils Bun. Do Not Pick:
Bitter Boletus. Do Not Pick:
Well guys that's it for now. I'll be doing more mycology based write ups in the future. My intention is to do as many write ups as my knowledge and foraging skill set will allow before compiling them all into a book listing on Steemit for people to print off and use to practice and sharpen their foraging skills with. Sadly a lot of the things we used to know are being forgotten which is always deeply saddening so I hope by sharing I've sparked your interest in this life long hobby of mine. Thank you so much for reading and please please please grow fluent in identifying the mushroom before you pick it. Feel free to ask me any questions and Steem on!