With all the rain lately along with touches of sunshine it’s no wonder that mushrooms are popping up in the forest.
Now if I just knew what they were.
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Mushrooms do add a bit of interest to the forest floor. ID’ing mushrooms is an art, and one you don’t want to be wrong about if you’re considering eating them. Ones very similar to yours are among the many varieties that are popping up all over my yard. A huge mushroom was growing up in the middle of a zucchini plant, and while I’m sure it was a Shaggy Mane which is edible I am still reluctant to trust my ID.
These shrooms are not easy to ID Elaine and I won’t pick them unless I know for sure. In fact, I figured to see some Shaggy Manes but haven’t yet.
I had LOTS of mushroom slides form when I was really interested in mushrooms/toadstools, and only recently donated them to the mycological society here at the University of Belgrade.
I too have many photos of mushrooms from when I helped with a mycology inventory at Oregon Caves NM. Wait until you see what I’m eating tonight.
Well I’m not eating them.
We know where a patch of beautiful Chantrelles are in the forest by us and those are very idable. But those—leave ’em be. MB
Love Chantrelles. Do you gather and eat them MB? Wait until you see what a mycologist visitor gave me today.
Don’t eat them! Stick to the rose hips and those funky juniper berries.
We have mushroom growing in our mulch but I wouldn’t chance a taste. They are fun to photograph. I can imagine you on the ground with the second picture.
If you don’t know what they are you shouldn’t chance it Ruth.
Mushrooms are beautiful. So interesting. So difficult to identify. Love the picture Roxi posted today. You sure gave them a fabulous experience!
They are beautiful Sherry. And can sometimes be difficult to ID. I don’t take changes. Haven’t had a chance to see Roxi’s post yet. I had a tremendous time. And wait until you see the mushroom I’m eating tonight.
I have the same problem here. We often get lots of ‘mushrooms’ popping up but I never know what they are. I really must get some of them checked out. Have a good day Diane
Diane, today I met some visitors who are mycologists and they gave me two really nice boletes, which I sauteed with dinner.
The ‘shrooms are busy down in Tucson. I woke up one morning after monsoon and saw so many of them in our garden. I snapped shots because we don’t see them often. Aren’t they beautiful to see in the wild? Really nice.
We have so many mushrooms popping right now I wish I could ID more of them, and confidently eat more too.
I’m glad you didn’t pick them–wouldn’t want you getting sick!
I don’t pick them unless I’m absolutely positive.
The big white ones with fat stems are likely to be Boletus barrowsii, also known as the white king bolete or white porcini. It is easily one of the three or four tastiest mushrooms in the world, and also a cinch to identify once you spend twenty minutes or so learning what to look for. An eight year old child could be taught to pick porcinis safely, and in places like Poland and Romania and Spain, they do so all the time.
If you live in Ponderosa pine country in the southwest, and you don’t learn to identify the white king, you are missing out on many gourmet meals. Vast quantities can be found in wet summers, especially on the Kaibab Plateau and the Mogollon Rim. They are incomparably better tasting when fresh than any store-bought mushroom, and also dry extremely well for soups, stews, omelets and risottos through the rest of the year.
The point of mushroom hunting is not so much to learn the details of all the poisonous or disagreeable ones (although you definitely want to learn to recognize the three or four really bad actors), but rather to learn all the distinguishing details of the safe ones that you can happily pick and eat in complete confidence. You choose only the ones you slam-dunk know, and disregard the rest. When in doubt, throw it out!
There are several books you can buy that will give you confidence. The Audubon field guide is good, but I am particularly fond of a little guide book called “All That The Rain Promises, And More” by David Arora.