Witches butter is easily recognizable as it is bright yellow to orange in color and is semitransparent with lobes that appear greasy or shiny when damp. It turns out that there are two types of witches butter, one being yellow that grows on fallen hardwood logs with bark and a more orange version that grows on barkless conifers. It is sometimes found during warm spells in Winter and often after a period of rain. Both “jellys” are considered edible and a year round survival food.

There is some debate about edibility while raw or when cooked with proponents on each side of the argument. It is usually best to cook all mushrooms for consumption as it renders them more digestible and brings out nutritive elements. It is considered a delicacy in the cuisine of other countries and is often used in soups, much like it’s cousin “Wood Ear“.

I encourage all aspiring mushroom foragers to locate an expert in your area to positively identify your finds for safety sake and to assist you in learning more about this enjoyable pursuit!

I also sent photos to my mentors who confirmed their identification, but because they didn’t actually see the Blewits in person I decided to do a spore print over night. When I do a spore print I cut off the cap and place it gill-side down on top of a sheet of paper that has a black side and white side, that way the spores will be revealed whether they are light or dark in color. Blewits leave a light pinkish/beige print vs. a toxic look-a-like mushroom that produces a dark brown print. As seen in the photo the spore print confirmed that they were Blewits.

Blewits are compared in texture to button mushrooms that you might find in grocery stores. They need to be thoroughly cooked before consumption and their color tends to fade as they are cooked. I fried some up and added them to an omelet… they were delicious! I am so pleased to add blewits to my edibles knowledge and experience. This Fall is a great time to keep a look-out for them, and be sure to pass them by a local expert for positive identification.

Chanterelle Mushroom

Chanterelles can be found close to streams and other low lying damp areas. They appeared after a several bouts of drenching rain that had followed several days of stifling heat, a.k.a. rainy muggy weather. In the Southern Appalachians, chanterelles can usually be found all summer through early fall. July and August are the most fruitful months as evidenced by our find.

Chanterelles are easy to spot in the summer forest, as they usually range in color from yellow to deep orange and grow solitary or in pairs. The cap is wavy and generally funnel shaped. The false gills start at the outer edge and appear as wrinkles that are forked and wavy and run down the stem. They are the same color as the rest of the chanterelle. Chanterelles can also have a fruity apricot-like aroma.

Jack-O-Lantern Mushroom

Chanterelles are meaty and chewy. Although some people can eat them raw, most folks prefer them to be cooked, and one of the best ways to cook them is to slice and sauté them in butter. I’m still learning how to cook mushrooms to their best advantage but longer with lower heat seems to work best for me.

Wood Ear Mushroom

I live in a rural region of North Carolina which lacks the population density that usually hosts a wide variety of ethnic markets that support the diversity of it’s residents. While recently visiting my roots in the Bay Area of California I wanted to shop for what I considered more exotic food offerings.

My Find / Market Find

I hailed one of the patrons to ask if they had eaten this and how to prepare it. They had used it in egg rolls and soups. I decided to fry them as I had done for all of my previous finds. Because of their high moisture content they actually began to snap, crackle, and pop much like bacon when it’s fried! It was rather startling! I added them to scrambled eggs for my breakfast. The next morning I decided to add new slices to an egg-drop soup along with chopped green onions. It was delicious.

Having had this experience I am looking forward to eating the local wood ears that I find and this has expanded my range of fungi diet and expanded my culinary pallet with great delight.

I always appreciate when mushrooms are distinctive and thus easy to identify. The Lion’s mane has a hair-like texture and pure white when new. This one was found a couple of feet off of the ground on a maple tree and usually grows where there has been some sort of injury to the tree. When cooked it’s texture is reminiscent of a scallop with a slight tartness at first bite. It is also known as Bear’s Head, Bear’s tooth, Bearded Tooth Mushroom, Satyr’s Beard, Bearded Hedgehog Mushroom, pom pom mushroom and others depending on it’s regional nickname.

Oyster mushrooms can be found on a variety of dead trees, stumps, and rubble. They are white with deep gills having a stem on the edge that attaches to the tree source. It can be slightly tan or buff in color in the Winter months. It has a distinctive fishy smell and when cooked are mild in taste. When I cook them I think of talapia fish because both the oyster and the talapia take on the character of the condiments with which they are prepared.

I’m learning that mushrooms, like flowers and fruit, appear in different seasons of the year. As my focus has turned to mushrooms I have begun to not only recognize their environments but observe their presence. Although it seems to be the tail end of the honey mushroom season I hope to see their possible re-emergence under the right conditions along with other new discoveries as we approach Winter.

I always advocate that if you pursue this field of interest, be sure to contact an expert so that you can verify any of your finds as there are poisonous varieties that you do not want to mistake as edible.

This week he discovered several “Hen of the woods” at the base of an oak tree. He explained that when they are harvested by cutting the base they can regenerate for multiple future harvests.

A few weeks ago he shared about “Chicken of the woods” and so now I can tell the difference between the “Chicken” and the “Hen” of the woods. The “Chicken” is very colorful with scalloped lobes whereas the “Hen” is a moderate brown with round lobes.

At the end of the day I was able to share the “Hen” with a group of friends who had gathered for a “Stone Soup” dinner. I presented the mushroom in it’s original form for display and educational purposes but also a portion was added to the soup. It was well received with bits and pieces being tasted off the display piece, and of course comments on it’s beauty too.

If you plan on exploring the world of mushrooms and fungi be sure to connect with an expert in the field who can positively identify your finds and teach you what is safe to eat and what is not.

Chicken Of The Woods

The Chicken-Of-The-Woods is so colorful! A friend contacted me with his find so that I was able to photograph it before being harvested. He explained that this mushroom was edible when grown on a hard wood base whereas if it were grown on a conifer it is considered inedible. He also mentioned that a small percent of folks (2-3%) could have gastric difficulties when digesting it so initially it would be a good idea to eat a small prepared portion before consuming more. Fortunately I am not in that category! I sautéed mine in butter and yum!

Puffball

These are two of the classic “Foolproof Four” easily identified edible mushrooms as cited in the article “Mushroom Collecting 101” posted by saveourskills.com. This list includes Puffballs, Chicken of the woods, Morel, and Chanterelle. These 4 mushrooms are named because they are very easy to identify and they do not have many poisonous look-a-likes.

I am grateful to have a friend that has experience and expertise in this field. I recommend that you find someone in your area with the same credentials or locate a local mushrooming club to learn more and have a source for positive identification. It is a fascinating and rewarding field of study and I hope to share more of my discoveries in future articles.

One of the things that he showed me is the bracket fungus known in the U.S. as “Turkey Tail”. In Japan it called “Riverbank Mushroom” which was appropriate in this case. It’s technical name is Trametes Versicolor. Some folks consider it non edible because it can be too corky & tough, but they are not toxic and my friend has boiled them on many occasions for dinner.

They generally attach to decaying logs along the back edge of the fan and have no discernible stem. It is an annual rather than perennial and can been seen throughout the year, but my friend says that they are most fresh in the Spring. Like many other fungi, they are also said to have medicinal benefit in reducing tumors.

So, if you get stranded in moist woodlands or along their rivers, you can find an edible fungus to stave off your hunger.