The sure safe 6

It certainly feels like summer's scorching heat has finally sizzled away based upon some delightful mornings we enjoyed this past week.

All thanks to a few long-awaited showers followed some cool and crisp prevailing winds— the recent bout of refreshment not only invigorated our senses but, based upon what I have witnessed, an emergence of tasty tidings and colorful tableware ready for the pickings; all compliments of Nature’s market with doors wide open.

It’s not your typical grocery store but, a place where you can search and shop for oddly enough; clusters of cauliflower, oysters up in trees, little brown cornucopias, balls of tofu, chanterelles covered with gold, and clusters of chicken found in the wood. What is on sale during this brief but exciting late summer shopping spree is a variety of edible wild mushrooms.

Practically every woodland trail, grassy field, aspen meadow and country roadside that I had recently hiked, driven by and searched along had plenty of edible fungi to pick, choose and shop.

As I drove down Route 390 near Promised Land State Park the other day my attention focused on a dead tree trunk alongside the road. As in years past, this particular trunk happens to be the first of many one-stop shopping sprees during mushroom picking season. What signals my attention is the eye-catching, brilliant orange layers of this edible fungus. I knew exactly what species of mushroom it was based upon the color, shape and situation. Any bright orange, non-gilled mushroom that grows in bracts or shelves, typically on dead logs or tree stumps during late summer and early autumn is most likely chicken-of-the-woods. In fact, when it comes to edible wild mushrooms there are a few unmistakable species such as chicken-of-the-woods. I walked over to the cluster of mushrooms and admired its vivid orange color.

The clusters resembled orange shingles protruding out from the tree trunk. They appeared quite fresh and firm to the touch. With my hunting knife, I carefully sliced the other edges nearly two inches wide as this part is the most succulent to consume. As with all wild edible mushrooms, I made a final identification inspection and confirmed it to be chicken-of-the-woods by the lack of stems as well as the lack of gills on the undersides as the smooth creamy white surface beneath had tiny pores or openings; unlike the bright orange poisonous Jack O' lantern mushroom which exhibits a noticeable stem or stipe and distinctive gills beneath.

Within a minute I collected enough slices of chicken-of-the-woods mushrooms for a nice meal and some leftovers to be frozen and used at a later date. It seems quite easy to pick a meal of wild mushrooms in the forest—  however, the best advice one can follow when it comes to harvesting wild mushrooms for consumptive reasons is, "When in doubt, keep it out of your mouth," as many wild mushrooms are dangerously poisonous!

The second bit of sound advice, especially to novice and beginners is to learn some of the fool proof fungi: chicken-of-the-woods, chanterelles, giant puffballs, brown trumpets, cauliflower mushroom, and the oysters. These species of wild edible mushrooms all have unique characteristics and require a few simple visual inspections before harvesting. But, before you plan a fun day of fungus shopping learn what species grow in your local area during the specific time of year. Furthermore, it would also be helpful to know certain species of trees such elms, oaks, apples and pines, in which certain mushrooms tend to grow beneath or in close proximity.

Also knowing various types of habitats and disturbed areas is important since many edible species are often found in specific habitats such as abandoned orchards and elm forests for morels; logging roads and woodland edges for chanterelles; grassy lawns and pastures for giant puffballs; and deciduous forests with plenty of dead trees, logs and stumps for chicken-of-the-woods. One final word of caution, which I cannot help but emphasize is that many wild mushrooms are poisonous and might resemble edible species. So, before you harvest any wild mushroom or plant be absolutely certain of your identification before you consume it. There are many wild edible plant and mushroom books, field guides and internet resources available to further your knowledge.

Brown Trumpets

The Brown Trumpet, Craterellus cornucopioides, is one of the easiest mushroom to identify, but one of the hardest to find. It bugle-horn shape is characteristic, however, barely exceeding three inches in height, its brown or black color blends quite remarkably with the forest floor. Don't be discouraged in your challenging search for these tiny and inconspicuous tasty edibles. After discovering a few brown trumpets one develops a "search image" and a bag full can be easily collected. Some say that brown trumpets are by far one of the most flavorful edible wild mushrooms and best used in omelets. I couldn't agree more.

Chicken-of-the-woods

Chicken-of-the-woods, Laetiporus sulphureus, is a large, bright orange to yellow-orange colored mushroom that typically grows in dense clusters on dead stumps, logs and trees in deciduous forests. Another common name of this fungus is called sulfur shelf. The smooth outer surface of chicken-of-the-woods is distinctly colored with whitish or pale yellow edges. There are no gills on the underside of this mushroom but upon closer inspection, you will notice tiny pores. Avoid the poisonous Jack O'lantern, Omphalotus illudens , which is similar in color but has distinct gills and stem. Hence its common name, chicken-of-the-woods, has a chicken-like texture; especially when young and fresh, They tend to cook well in soups, stir fry or in omelets. My son Dave covers finger-size slices in bread crumbs and then cooks in a deep fryer and afterwards smothers them in his favorite hot sauce, which makes them taste like boneless chicken bites.

Chanterelles

Colorful and delectable are the chanterelles and add a dash of scarlet orange and a pinch of gold and the cinnabar chanterelle, Cantharellus cinnabarinus, and golden chanterelle, Cantharellus cibarius, are two of the most eye-catching mushrooms in our forests. Fortunately, these small woodland mushrooms are easily identified by their funnel shape, convex caps, bright colors and most importantly having false gills that venture from the underside of the cap down into the stem. The term is called false gills because the gills are not easily removed from the cap, and look as though they are fused to the stem, unlike the poisonous false chanterelle, Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca, which has have true gills that can be peeled off of the cap or stem.

Prepare freshly picked chanterelles in a variety of dishes as they go great with pasta, butter and cream sauces. They taste delightful with rice, risotto, curry, and various casseroles. I personally savor chanterelles sautéed in butter, flavored with garlic, onions or shallots.

Giant Puffball

The giant puffball mushroom, Calvatia gigantean, is one of the most unmistakable of all mushrooms; especially when it is fully developed. The giant puffball is commonly found in grassy lawns, meadows and fields. It is most eye-catching when seen growing in a front yard, as it resembles a soccer ball. The giant puffball has been known to grow over four feet in diameter and over 40 pounds! Before you consume any puffball mushroom be absolutely certain that it is firm and white inside. Avoid any puffball mushroom which is solid black and dark colored inside. Also do not consume any puffball when fully mature and full of powdery spores similar to smoke bombs. Most folks cut portions off of the giant puffball like a slice of bread, as it can be fried, steamed, baked, grilled, sautéed or used in soups. When cooked, it offers a delightful flavor with a soft texture similar to tofu.

Cauliflower Mushroom

Just like its common name the cauliflower mushroom Sparassis sp., appears to resemble a tan crinkly ball of cauliflower. The globular mushroom grows as large as a hefty ball of cauliflower and typically can be found along along the base of stump or near tree roots. When mature, the mushroom forms a tightly compact cluster of flattened folds. If you happened to stumble upon a stump and a cauliflower mushroom growing beneath it consider yourself very lucky, as this is one of the more uncommon and highly prized wild edible mushrooms in our region.

Oyster Mushroom

The oyster mushroom, Pleurotus ostreatus, is a very common wild edible mushroom, and quite frankly, one of the easiest to locate, clean and prepare. Search for this wild edible mushroom along stands of dead aspen trees; especially along stream corridors, bottomlands and old beaver dams. But don't look down on the forest floor but high up into the stands of dead timber. The oyster mushroom is easily identifiable species based upon several characteristics. Unlike the brick-hard bracken fungi, the oyster mushroom is creamy white, soft, smooth above with defined gills beneath . It has a soft but firm and clean texture, which requires very little cleaning. And most importantly, the shelf-like bracts or clusters typically grow on standing dead and fallen aspen trees.

Recommended reading and reference:

A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants: Eastern and Central North America by Lee Allen Peterson and Roger Tory Peterson

The Complete Guide to Edible Wild Plants, Mushrooms, Fruits and Nuts by Katie Letcher Lyle

Mushrooms of Northeast North America by George Baron

Field Guide to Wild Mushrooms of Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic by Bill Russell

www.mushroomexpert.com