Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[CarolynF]

Quote: Chanterelle mushrooms (those in Chickielady's picture) have neither gills nor a cap, so I'm glad you're being careful. ;-)

 

[Bridebeliever]

Yeah, Chanterelles are like a sponge underneath!

 

[CarolynF]

Yeah, Chanterelles are like a sponge underneath!

Nope, sorry, no sponge either.

 

[Chickielady]

"Gemmed-Amanita" possibly poisonous.

Oh thank you !

 

[Chickielady]

Great camera!

Actually a cheap-o Kodak Z1285...the easy-share type....CHEAP ! It does have a few filters that are awesome, this one was the "flower" which takes great close-up photos.

 

[Chickielady]

I took this picture today. I don't think these are edible either. We get loads of chanterelles here too. Forest-y area up by the Canadian border.

Those look like Shaggy Manes, which are edible, but make sure !
Saggies typically love to grow out of sand, or in our case here, right out of the road base gravel driveway that is hard to pick-ax through !

 

[Bridebeliever]

Yeah, they all grow up through the gravel here. None grow in the lawns.

 

[Chickielady]

When we get a bumper crop of Shaggy Manes, we would clean them, steam them, and freeze what we don't eat.

My father was a mushroom addict. We would go out all the time above Orting. There used to be farms along the road south of town that grew Meadow mushrooms by the skillions, but modern day chemical fertilizers kill them. Housing developments are also cutting down on the Meadow Those are really great too when and if you find any. My very best score was some Woodland Blewts (sp? my books aren't handy at the moment) which had the most delicious odor, and the flavor was right up there with the odor. The color probably would put most people off of them. They were a bright purple and fairly small.

To stay on subject, all are wonderful with all the ways one would prepare eggs.

When we got a bumper crop of Shaggies, we'd have to clean them well due to the sand they grow in, and then saute' in butter. and add HOT water , boil briefly, add 1/2 t salt per pint jar..., and pack into jars & process about 15 in a pressure canner....SO YUMMY on toast !

 

[Chickielady]

Yeah, they all grow up through the gravel here. None grow in the lawns.

Those are probably shaggies ! Crazy, huh ?

Borrowed photo from the web, but this gravel (road base) sharp large gravel is just like our driveway, and the shaggies love it. In Idaho, they grew spring & fall in the middle of the sandy loamy driveway there .

 

[Chickielady]

There are no simple rules for identification, you have to learn each one specifically. I stick to the few I know specifically and have an expert identify the ones I THINK I know.

I belonged to Puget Sound Mycological Association for several years and I have books to refer to. There are several rules that need to be followed unless you are absolutely sure.

1. When in doubt DO NOT EAT!
2. Never eat more than one type of mushroom/fungi at a time that's new to you, and eat only a very small amount the first time or two. All mushrooms have varying types and levels of toxins. Just because a friend ate them with no issues does not mean you can. For example, DH has a terrible reaction of morels, but only after eating several -- even if that several is over a 3 day period.
3. Don't assume that a mushroom in your region is safe because you're used to a similar one in a different country. This has been the downfall of a lot of immigrants.

Great advice.