Turick Posted September 1, 2014 Report Share Posted September 1, 2014 Really looking forward to snagging some maitake this year. It's been really odd weather here in Missouri this year, so it'll be interesting to see when they start popping. How soon do you guys plan on looking for them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dualsetters Posted September 1, 2014 Report Share Posted September 1, 2014 I started looking last Thursday and found my first on Saturday. The first spot I checked had quite a few last year so Ill check again this week. Good luck on the hunt !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coastwx Posted September 2, 2014 Report Share Posted September 2, 2014 Found two clusters on the same tree during one of my first attempts at foraging last Oct. I've been watching the same tree for the last few weeks. It appears like some mycelium is appearing on the tree just above the dirt. For the more experienced, are there triggers or signs to keep an eye on that may indicate a hen is about ready to form? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave W Posted September 3, 2014 Report Share Posted September 3, 2014 Hen in the button stage looks like a softball-sized cluster of compressed grayish material. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott C Posted September 4, 2014 Report Share Posted September 4, 2014 Found my first, tricked by cool weather in W/C Ohio about a week ago and it was already pored out and nasty. This tree did the same last year in August after a cool spell. Fortunately none of my normal trees have fruited, but we have had a complete reset with chants and boletes here the past couple of weeks. We have had a lot of rain recently and just need some cooler temps to kick the Grifola frondosa in gear here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turick Posted September 5, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 5, 2014 I'm in Missouri and it's been very cool all summer... this has been the coolest summer I can remember in my life, however we've had a very hot spell the past couple of weeks. That all ends tonight as the 7 day forecast has lots of rain, highs in the 70s, and lows in the 50s and 60s. I think maybe next week I'll start my first hunts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott C Posted September 6, 2014 Report Share Posted September 6, 2014 Should do it Turick, I have many friends in MO stomping at the bit for maitake/hen/Grifla frondosa and we are finally expecting cooler temps in W/C Ohip which should trigger them. The plus side has been a fabulous bolete season extension as I have been finding "lilac" boletes, bi color group, and the sweet Tylopilus badiceps in huge numbers far later than normal with the high temps as well as many many lobsters. Take what the weather gives you and follow the rain. I for one hope the pink bottom Agaricus season or meadow mushrooms don't get skipped like last year, one of my other favorites that prefer he cool, for many years a few would be tricked out by now if not many, last year was a dud here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shroomersue Posted September 10, 2014 Report Share Posted September 10, 2014 Found some already mature here in southwestern ontario first week in September! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turick Posted September 10, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 10, 2014 Very nice! What have the temps been up there? It's been in the 80's here in Missouri this week, but lots of rain yesterday, today, and tomorrow, and starting tomorrow the highs are going to be in the high 60's early 70's for the foreseeable forecast. I'm going out Friday and probably Sunday or Monday. Not sure if it's still too early, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shroomersue Posted September 11, 2014 Report Share Posted September 11, 2014 Oddly we have had some very hot weather too, preceeded by some coolish days and quite a bit of rain too... much cooler nights are starting tonite after a deluge of rain. Lucky I got to them before all this wet weather. They were mature in 10 days when I found only small nubbins. These were found growing at the base of a very mature maple tree! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave W Posted September 13, 2014 Report Share Posted September 13, 2014 The hens that were part of our first flush of the season are mainly decayed by now. If we get enough rainfall, then there will be more. My brother gets a nice one or two in his yard almost every year. So I was able to harvest a really nice one the other day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turick Posted September 13, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 13, 2014 Very nice I'm salivating! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evan Posted September 26, 2014 Report Share Posted September 26, 2014 None here yet. It's been dry the past couple weeks. But we got some rain last night and this morning. Just in time for our normal fruiting season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tripwr1964 Posted October 5, 2014 Report Share Posted October 5, 2014 the poultry is official in IL this year! it's crazy! one heck of a season. last three pics are separate hauls this week. needless to say all i've been doing this last week is cleaning and processing hens. drying, canning sauce/chilli, parboiling/freezing, etc....! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Smalldridge Posted October 5, 2014 Report Share Posted October 5, 2014 Wow, what a haul! I would be happy with just one. Congrats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coastwx Posted October 6, 2014 Report Share Posted October 6, 2014 Great finds! We're waiting here in NC. I've been out several times over the last few weeks and nothing to note was collected. My shiitake logs are filling up the void. The positive... the tree that produced my first lions mane find last Oct has three clusters forming in the same spot. It was that same day the first hen of woods was found, so with the 40 deg nights, I'm hoping my lucky day is soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evan Posted October 8, 2014 Report Share Posted October 8, 2014 I know we have hens out there, but I haven't had time to go look. Maybe I'll leave work a little early today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladyflyfsh Posted October 8, 2014 Report Share Posted October 8, 2014 Evan, my friend, you work too much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coastwx Posted October 8, 2014 Report Share Posted October 8, 2014 Cross post from the Facebook page.I had to re-check the hericium yesterday and look for the grifola frondosa emerging from the oak that produced my first hen last year. I was in luck. The lions mane has doubled in size from Sunday and 4 clusters of hen-of-the-woods emerged in the last 2 days. Last year I got 2 hen clusters, so excited to see 4 already, maybe more. My main worry is that someone will come along and grab before they reach prime eating size.Hericium growing on underside of sycamore I think. Need to double check. The big issue is the closeness to ground. I dug it out a bit and replaced the plastic with thick paper bags to keep them out of the dirt. This is one of 4 clusters. One of the very young 2 day old hens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coastwx Posted October 8, 2014 Report Share Posted October 8, 2014 Oh, we just had our first 40's night 3-4 days ago, so this may be a trigger to consider here in central NC. I suspect all hen oaks in the area are producing. Good time to do some intensive exploration of white oak forests. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Smalldridge Posted October 8, 2014 Report Share Posted October 8, 2014 Hi coastwx, that's great news about the hens, maybe there's still a chance for me to find one. Nice to see the hericium too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turick Posted October 8, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2014 I went to the spot where I thought I found rotting ones last year in a state park here in MO... nothing. I went trapsing around a bit more in areas that seemed like good places to potentialy find one... still nothing. I finally decided to give up and never come back to this area of the park again, cursing the trees and the bugs. On my way back, defeated, I was taking a trail and decided to walk just a little of the trail, just in case. Saw a dead tree still standing and thought I'd check around it... sure enough, I found one! I'd say it's a little past being perfectly fresh, but good enough! Hard to see how big it is in that picture. Here it is next to my knife... I'm guessing it weighs ~20lbs. And here's the dead tree. Wish I knew what it was. How do you guys go about cleaning them? As a kid, my dad and I would break them apart and soak them in water to kill all the bugs. Then we'd break them apart more and hand clean them the best we could. Finally, we would store them by putting them in freezer bags full of water and freezing them in big chunks of ice. To thaw, we would run the bags under hot water to melt the ice as quickly as possible. They would keep for years this way, but it seems like everybody says soaking in water is bad. Any recommendations? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turick Posted October 9, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 9, 2014 Well, I ended up just doing that... putting them in baggies full of water and freezing them like my dad used to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coastwx Posted October 14, 2014 Report Share Posted October 14, 2014 Good deal! The one I picked yesterday was sauteed, then laid out on tin foil covered cookie sheet in the freezer. Once frozen, I cut into chunks and put in freezer bag. For breakfast on work mornings I use this steam egg poacher with omelet tray. Just pull out a chunk of mushrooms, mix two eggs and cheese and put in tray and cook. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChefsWild Posted October 16, 2014 Report Share Posted October 16, 2014 Got a nice one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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