4rum Posted December 23, 2014 Report Share Posted December 23, 2014 ... have me antsy to visit my little poplar patch. Temps are in the upper 30's this a.m. and forecast to get to 50 or so later today. Still warmish with rain tomorrow ... I think a GREAT Christmas present would be a couple of hours to visit the woods on Christmas day !!! Adding a photo. There are old oysters like this everywhere you look in that poplar patch. Wish I'd found 'em sooner and kept them harvested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SalemScott Posted December 23, 2014 Report Share Posted December 23, 2014 Very similar weather going on here in Ma. Looks like I'll be spending my 4 day weekend in the woods poking around. Good luck out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eat-bolete Posted December 23, 2014 Report Share Posted December 23, 2014 same weather here in LI, I'll go for a nice walk on Saturday or Sunday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave W Posted December 27, 2014 Report Share Posted December 27, 2014 1-2 inches of rain during a short stretch of mild days. Cold last night, but I was a bit hopeful. Walked a nice trail where there are a few areas featuring plenty of poplars. Nothing more than... Two common winter mushrooms. The deadly poisonous Galerina marginata and the inedible Panellus stipticus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Smalldridge Posted December 28, 2014 Report Share Posted December 28, 2014 We've had the same weather here. I went out the last couple of days and there are oyster mushrooms everywhere along with a few other types. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave W Posted December 28, 2014 Report Share Posted December 28, 2014 The latest I have found true Oysters around here is early December. I think it just gets a bit too cold, and the cold sustains for too long, in order for them to continue beyond this time. But I still don't mind looking. No snow on the ground means no xx-skiing, so any other motivation to get out into the woods is welcome. Finding a log full of Panellus stipticus along a muddy trail is a lot better that planting myself on the couch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4rum Posted December 28, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 28, 2014 Got to the poplar patch yesterday. There were numerous new, fresh clusters of oysters. Picked a poke full ! Found another dead poplar standing with nice oysters up 60 feet or so ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave W Posted December 28, 2014 Report Share Posted December 28, 2014 That tree looks like Tulip Poplar. The poplars where I collect most of my Oysters are aspens. But we do have plenty of Tulip Poplar in my area. I've got some time off from work. I'm tempted to travel south of the Poconos --about an 80 minute drive. Climate is different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Smalldridge Posted December 28, 2014 Report Share Posted December 28, 2014 Dave, almost all the oysters I find are on tulip poplar. I have on rare occasion found them on hickory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4rum Posted December 28, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 28, 2014 Found some early fall oysters on ash a couple of years ago. And that cluster I found this year on Tree of Paradise has spread to the one next to it. The wood from those trees stinks so bad I don't think I'll try the mushrooms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave W Posted December 28, 2014 Report Share Posted December 28, 2014 Maple also works for me. Lots of various maple species up here in PA. Basically, any hardwood species seems to be a potential Oyster host. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4rum Posted December 29, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 29, 2014 Yep, found some on a live Maple outside the office. The ones I've been picking are from poplar or Tulip Poplar as you suggest. It's rained hard for the last two days and the temps have made it into the 50's in the day time. Supposed to come to a screeching halt tomorrow. Temps forecast to hit the teens. I have a busy day, but if at all possible, I'll gather what may be the last batch of the year (season since the year is pretty much done). Hope everyone is having fun. 'rum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Smalldridge Posted December 29, 2014 Report Share Posted December 29, 2014 Hey 4rum, I think as long as you don't get snow, you should keep checking on the oysters. I've found them throughout the winter even when the nights have been below freezing. If you do get snow, then check when you get a thaw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4rum Posted December 30, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 Mornin' John ... I agree. It's snowing this a.m. but I want to check Thursday or Friday just for the novelty of maybe picking a few in January. As discussed earlier, this patch of huge tulip poplars that blew down in a storm a couple years ago are at the perfect stage to host oysters. I'll exploit it for as long as it lasts. One way my mom preserved mushrooms (morels) was the standard shake 'em in flour and brown 'em in butter (or bacon grease back on the farm) then double wrap them and freeze them. I've had morels from the freezer that had been in there for 10 years and they were still gooooooood! Not as good as fresh,but good. I had about 2 quarts of the ones from my last trip, so I did them up and froze them. They'll be good in Feb. or March when I can't find any. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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