Mushrooms

[Doug Fattic]

I'm not a gatherer and like them okay if they come out of a can and are mixed in with other foods. I've got a very big yard that borders on some woods and I'm constantly seeing all kinds of varieties for a few seconds before I mow over them. There are people whose hobby is finding and gathering mushrooms. One of them is a frame building class student that lives nearby. On a huge fallen oak tree behind my frame shop are these huge clumps of orange fungi. They grew up suddenly seemingly like overnight. I sent him a picture. He came right down with big plastic container. He identified them as "chicken in the woods". No doubt that is not is official Latin name. My student took some pictures and posted them to his internet mushroom group. He said the reaction was huge. I guess it is about the biggest grouping most had ever seen at one time. He said he was careful not to give away my location. I'm just kind of amused by it all.IMG_2531.jpgIMG_2532.jpg

[rowdyhillrambler]

Oh boy oh boy-my favorites!!! Amateur mycologists and devout long term vegan has me all tears eyed!!! That’s the jam right there!

[rowdyhillrambler]

I know you don’t wanna give away your location-but there is no way you will eat all of those. Make someone’s day and don’t let ‘em go to waste-

[thollandpe]

I noticed a nice-looking cluster of them on a roadside tree yesterday, and today they were neatly trimmed. Wild fowl hunters!

[rydesteel]

Saw these on our walk with the dog Sunday morning. Might be ok, Might not and I wasn't taking chances. I don't know the Fall Mushrooms as well.

[j44ke]

That's quite a bounty there Doug!

It is chicken of the woods season. These are on our land. My wife goes numb in the face after eating them, a known reaction in some people that is more likely to occur with more mature or less freshly plucked (i.e. stored in the fridge) COTW. So we gifted them to our mycologist friends - who are still alive! The fungi were 1/2 a dinner plate size so young and fresh.

[ides1056]

I collected 45 lbs from an ash tree last year. Sliced and froze about ten pounds and gave the rest to friends.

[rwsaunders]

People guard mushroom locations like they do walnut tree locations. Just blindfold your visitors and have them take a blood oath, not to reveal the location.

[Doug Fattic]

People guard mushroom locations like they do walnut tree locations. Just blindfold your visitors and have them take a blood oath, not to reveal the location.

:) It isn't exactly a secret where my nice frame shop is behind my house. My framebuilding class friend came back to harvest some more for himself and family and his friends. Since I'm not going to eat them myself, I was glad to share. His online mushroom group were eager to get in on the action. They offered to pay and he said no he got them free and was happy that others can experience what they taste like. I've seen these clumps other years but I don't remember if they grow like this every year. Now that I know Chicken of the Woods is a popular mushroom variety I can consider figuring out how to use them to raise a little money for our Ukraine Bicycle Project. Bicycles are one of the few means of getting around in Eastern Ukraine where Putin is still trying to steal Ukrainian territory to make a land bridge to strategically important Crimea.