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A few from the last couple of days.


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It seems I may have picked the last decent amount of chanterelles I'll get this season. It really was boom or bust, but I'm thankful for what I was able to harvest. I did see some interesting mushrooms on my walks the last few days. This is the fourth sparassis I've found in the last couple of weeks. For some reason I was so happy to see the first ones that I forgot to photograph them.
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The next I believe is

Meripilus sumstinei

.
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And the last I believe may be older pleurotus dryinus. These were on the same tree last year and looked just like king oysters when just emerging. The young ones last year bruised yellow.
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Did you pick/eat that sparassis yet? These can be found further north in NH, but I don't find them around my immediate area for no good reason. What a great find!

I'd give that black staining a go as well. I'm on the lookout for one young enough to deal with, I'd like to try it. Fistulina hepatica as well.......though that's only so similar.

Thanks for sharing, I'm not sure why looking at pictures of mushrooms is so exciting, but it is!

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Coastwx, I hope you find some good ones on your walk today. Brianf, I did pick the sparassis but haven' t eaten it yet. The ones I've eaten in the past were very woodsy / earthy tasting. The black stainer was a little old and the pleurotus needs to be found when very young or it will be tough.

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I'd eat it man. It's not even black yet. Next time! I don't pick any pleurotis in the wild. I know an oyster when I see one.....but that doesn't mean I'm completely confident in totally identifying them, or any pleurotis in the wild. Sometime I plan on better familiarizing myself. Any benefit to wild vs. cultivated? I really don't find much flavor difference between the various cultivated varities. Texture perhaps. Flavor hits me the same way.

I'd love to find any of the sparassis varieties, I have never had the chance to eat one. Spunds like great flavor for soups, pizza, or even a cooked than cooled salad topping. It certainly has the look for them.

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John, we still have a few cinnibar chantrelles. Found about 25-30 decent size and one large yellow. Nothing spectacular, but good addition to dinner last night. I'm going to try a different spot today. Steady rain for the last 36 hours.

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Nice pics, thanks

I like the Sparrasis quite a bit. The only problem is getting rid of all the bugs inside, and if your not too greedy and cut the underground part, the earthy taste is not as strong.

I don't really recommend the Fistulina Hepatica. It is really beautiful when cut in thin slices and bathed in olive oil, but has a very acidic/tanin taste although the texture is enjoyable.

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  • 2 weeks later...

John, I think the polypore in the second pic may be Phaeolus schweinitzii, the Dye Polypore. The white underside is a bit non-standard for this type, but the mustard-brown top surface, the growth pattern, and the brown bruising fit schweinitzii. Was it found growing at the base of a conifer?

I wish I could find more Sparassis in my area. A friend of mine has a couple spots for this, but I seem to never find it. I think the chewy texture would make it fun to experiment with... maybe try a recipe for Italian-style tripe with the Sparassis substituted. Or maybe slow-baked in a casserole.

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The polypore was growing on a undetermined stump in a mixed forest. If I get a chance, I'll go have a closer look. I only occasionally run into harvestable sparassis. From my experience, sparassis tends to start decaying from the base up quite soon after it appears. If you do find one, I have found that it is easier to cut the lobes off and field clean rather than harvesting the whole thing from the base as they can be full of dirt and debris. I think I need to invest in more ID guides, that may be more up to date.

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