When im not making jewellery im usually working, out walking peoples dogs.
I've got my pooch Minnie, who comes on most of the walks with me. The last couple of years, around September/October i began noticing more and more the numerous fungi growing all over my dog walking routes. Last year i finally decided to start learning about them.
I got a couple of books online and started spending my evenings learning about the different genus' of fungi, there are a lot of species, over 15,000 in the UK alone. The best way to learn i have found is to pick 1 or 2 specimens of a species i come across and take them home for studying and identifying. One thing i have never done is eat something straight after picking it, now im still a beginner in the mushroom foraging world but the best advice i have been given is simply;
'All Mushrooms are edible, some only once'
With this in mind i am very very cautious when deciding what is safe to eat, im sure ive thrown away some perfectly good edibles but i am still alive and there are always more so im ok with that!
Heres something i have found more times than i can remember as they are very common locally to me, arent they beautiful!
These are Field Blewits. The are identified by the violet/purple stipe (stem) and brown cap.
Ive collected these alot, as they pop up after the first frost and there isnt much else about. Delicious when fried with some garlic in butter! Normally i find small clusters of them each being small enough to fit in my hand. This is the biggest one ive found, it was huge!
Another species that is abundant locally to me is the Waxcap, i believe its generally said you shouldnt pick waxcaps as they arent very big but the spot i find them in is packed with them. More than enough for a meal.
This particular haul includes Scarlet and Meadow Waxcaps