brianf Posted October 22, 2015 Report Share Posted October 22, 2015 I really do know when to quit when I'm ahead, more important, I know when to admit when I'm wrong, and I was wrong. I couldn't help myself. Turkey Tail, Artist Conk, Birch Polypore, Honey's, Wolf Farts, and Sparassis Crispa. Not bad. All a tad old, but plenty consumable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave W Posted October 22, 2015 Report Share Posted October 22, 2015 Nice! I rarely find Sparassis. Grows in my area; I just seem to not visit the right spots for it. Brian, I think the ones you are calling Artists Conks may be Fomes Fomentarius, The "Hoof Fungus". Do you use the Birch Polypores for something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianf Posted October 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2015 We're in the same sparassis boat. I've found several in the past but this is only the 2nd or 3rd time they've been edible or worth eating. Yeah, they're fomes/hoofs, technically also called tinder conks....but I throw all three major conks into the artist conk category. If I can draw stick figures on the pore surface, it's beautiful art.......I think it has a nice flavor....almost chocolatey, and I've only found it growing on Birch, so it probably does have some medicinal properties. Plus, you can convince people who know very little about mushrooms that it's a small bee's nest. I use the birch polypore for tea, it has a nice flavor, like weak coffee. I have to admit between the conks and birch polypore my blood pressure seemed to be radically reduced and now well maintained......perhaps that's psychosematic....but I'll take what I can get! Aging is a cruel mistress. I'm also trying a long term ferment on the birch polypore......it will probably end up as fermented mushroom powder....but that's fine. If I can purpose the ol' pipto's for this, I can better use the other mushrooms in my life. Plus, it might end up being a super super food. I'm also curious to see what effect the piptoporus mycelium growing alongside the lactobacillus has. It's obviously in vain, however I also try to pull as many before they spore as this mushroom is a serious problem for our birch populations up here. I've seen huge swaths of birch forest go from perfectly healthy to disaster in just a few years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave W Posted October 24, 2015 Report Share Posted October 24, 2015 All interesting stuff, brian. I didn't know that Piptoporus is a tree pathogen. I thought it only colonized dead wood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianf Posted October 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2015 It sure seems like a pathogenic fungus.......that or something else is destroying the birch population and the mushrooms are just capitalizing. I do find it on seemingly healthy, sturdy trees. I doubt I'll get a new camera before I am actually done for this season, but I should better document my birch polypore experiences. Lot's of people think this mushroom's flavor is putrid, and it is a tad bitter......but not repulsive! Either way, I'd hate to see trees die If I picked every birch polypore I saw this season, I could probably fill a five ton dump truck or more.......do you find this mushroom in such ludicrous abundance? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alooney11 Posted October 24, 2015 Report Share Posted October 24, 2015 Wow got a lot of quantity and variety there! Nice finds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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