Collecting oyster mushrooms

[georgem]

I saw a few deliciously edible oysters mushrooms growing on a willow tree the other day. The tree was on private land in an area where I didn't feel comfortable hopping the fence, so rather than taking a risk I headed out by boat to a river bottom rich in willows to see if the flush was more widespread -- it was. Unfortunately most of the mushrooms were well beyond my reach (I'm only 3 feet 4 inches tall

). Had I been a bit more adept at planning in advance a small ladder would have been taken. Came home with around five pounds... a ladder would have easily increased the total harvest by a factor of three or four -- lesson learned (or relearned, this sort of thing happens every year).

Here is the youtube video shot while plucking the shrooms.

 

[verlaj]

Wow! Beautiful mushrooms and beautiful photos! I so would like to learn how to identify edible mushrooms!! We have mushrooms all over the place and I'm sure lots of them would be delicious and safe to eat! Tell me how to learn!

 

[georgem]

I would suggest starting with www.mushroomexpert.com and www.mushroomhunting.org, the former is a site with descriptions and photos of a large number of different mushrooms, keys on how to start identifying them, and tips about how to do it safely. The latter is a web forum similar to BYC where you can post photos and receive feedback etc (the webmaster at mushroomhunting.org is from your state and recently posted several mushrooms from florida).

www.rogersmushrooms.com is another great site.

There are several books about mushroom hunting, a great one I would recommend to beginners is 100 Edible Mushrooms by Michael Kuo -- the author of this one is the guy who maintains www.mushroomexpert.com. You can pick up a copy of this for around $20.00.

There is book called Common Florida mushrooms by James W Kimbrough, but it might be hard to come by at a reasonable price -- the two used copies currently available at amazon.com are priced at $210.00 and $262.00... pretty crazy aye.

 

[Imp]

Beautiful Mushrooms. Are the white one Angel wings?
Try carrying masking tape when you go out, then you can tape your knife to a long stick and get higher in the trees.

Imp

 

[BOBHOPE]

That was a good video with good pics of them too,you should make more vids identifying shrooms.

I found a few morels for the first time ever this year , they were some of the best shrooms I have ever had so I am definitely looking forward to getting into other edible ones this year.

Are there any poison ones that look like the oyster shroom ? If they are shaped like that and growing on willow trees it is for sure safe?

I know the morels are only a certain time of year so do you know of any in my area that are going good right now? I am in middle tennessee.

 

[verlaj]

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I'll say! I have a copy of Common Florida Mushrooms - but Kimbrough cautions a newbie to get the input of a knowledgable, experienced person before eating anything you collect!

I ordered mine less than a year ago from the UF extension press - paperback, $19.95.
Try http://ics.ifas.ufl.edu/ForSaleResources if anyone wants a copy.

I can't wait!
This was supposed to be my new project - then I mail-ordered chicks and hatched a brood and I'm still absorbed with young chicken chores! You have motivated me to start studying mushrooms again! There are tons of mushrooms right now that look like orange chanterelles - was thinking today I really need to find out if they are edible! Thanks for the motivation!

 

[Imp]

Most of the Chantrelles I find around here are orange in color, occasionally white.

Imp

 

[Wifezilla]

Thanks for the links. I love mushrooms and would really love to learn to hunt them without poisoning myself

Morels are "the" mushroom to find in my area. Got some from a coworker and boy are they delicious!

If dragging a ladder would be too cumbersome, would one of those grabby things* work or would that just squish the mushrooms?

*Not exactly sure what they are really called, but both of my grandmothers had them...they both were 4' something and had to use them in the kitchen.

 

[Cackling Hen]

We just had chicken fried steak sauted chantrelles and onions with gravey yummy My hubby and I go every year here in the PNW its Chantrelles that we go for

 

[georgem]

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I have heard them called Angel Wings a few times. There are a handfull of common names around for most edible mushrooms.

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I have more mushroom related videos on my youtube channel, and plan to add more in the future

And yeah, morels are pretty awesome.

In Tennessee you could find oysters if conditions are right, chanterelles during the summer, hedgehogs... Hen of the Woods (Grifola frondosa) is a reliable autumn mushroom in oak forests east of the Rocky Mountains. Chicken of the Woods is another awesome mushroom that you are likely to encounter -- there is a pretty long list of shrooms you could collect in TN. Check out www.mushroomexpert.com . Here is a site specific to your state http://mmmushrooms.tripod.com/index.htm .

For your question about toxic mushrooms that could potentially be confused with oysters I would direct you here: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/pleurotus_ostreatus.html
and here http://www.mushroomexpert.com/spore_print.html

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Cool!!!

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Chanterelles are absolutely one of my favorite mushrooms, you have to be careful not to confuse them with something called Jack O'Lanterns. I'll post links below, be sure you read the descriptions in addition to looking at the photos as some key features may not be immediately apparent in your collections (or photographs you see online) unless you know what to look for.

Two links for at mushroom expert.com covering two of the more common species of chanterelle:
http://www.mushroomexpert.com/cantharellus_cibarius.html
http://www.mushroomexpert.com/cantharellus_lateritius.html

And then compare them to Jack O'Lanterns.
http://www.mushroomexpert.com/omphalotus_illudens.html

Of course, if you want to post photos of your mushrooms here I would he happy to help you attempt to ID them if possible.

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You also have something in Colorado called Porcini aka The King Bolete (Boletus edulis). One of the most prized mushrooms in the world.

Colorado has a great club, find them here http://www.cmsweb.org/

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Show off

Chanterelles are awesome... they are pretty much done for the year in the my neck of the woods.