ladyflyfsh Posted June 17, 2015 Report Share Posted June 17, 2015 It is already miserably hot and humid here in SW Florida, so if you are going to forage, you need to do so very early in the morning or risk a total melt down. I was taken to a new spot about an hour from my house to an area my friend found chanterelles last year by accident. We went there Sunday morning and were not disappointed. I must have picked about 6 pounds of prime chanterelle buttons with not one bug to be found. Just gorgeous! Am I a happy camper or what? Apparently black trumpets grow in this spot also and the amount of huntable land is huge. It's going to be a good summer and i don't have to travel far and wide to find some edibles for a change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Smalldridge Posted June 18, 2015 Report Share Posted June 18, 2015 Very nice!!! They look just like the patches I find here in N.C. I usually find mine in mixed hardwoods with a light scattering of pines. Solid stands of hardwoods with no pines do not produce chanterelles here. Is that the forest type you found yours under? Also the black trumpets usually are found under beech trees in my area, maybe the same there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladyflyfsh Posted June 18, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2015 John, exactly the same habitat. Hardwoods with scattered pines. No pines, no chants. BUT I'm told the black trumpets grow in the same area with the golden chants. Something to look forward to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladyflyfsh Posted June 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 19, 2015 What is it about the pines do you think that causes them to fruit? An acid thing? It is funny that if there is no pine present there are no chanterelles present. But too much pine and no chants either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Smalldridge Posted June 19, 2015 Report Share Posted June 19, 2015 I've found them occasionally in pine forests and they probably occur more often than I know. The thing is that I rarely go into pine forests to hunt mushrooms because over the years I've found more mushrooms in association with hardwoods. Last year my first black trumpets of the year were found under very old pines, a tree I have never seen them under before. I think soil acidity may be one reason, but I've also noticed that pine plantations are in a fairly rapid cut and replant cycle. This means that most solid stands of pine are not as old as the pine trees growing in a mostly hardwood forest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evan Posted June 25, 2015 Report Share Posted June 25, 2015 Very nice, Mary. That's a pretty good haul. I just went out for the first time in forever yesterday and the chants are just starting. Found a few that were maybe a half inch across. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladyflyfsh Posted June 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2015 Hi Evan, nice to see you! I'm so happy to have chants to pick here. Now I don't have to feel so mushroom deprived. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evan Posted June 26, 2015 Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 Yeah, I'm pretty busy with work, and other hobbies. All my animals and now bee hives. I found the chant buttons and another mushroom I don't know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave W Posted June 26, 2015 Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 With all the rain we've been getting here in PA, the chanties should develop quickly. I got some last weekend, 80 miles north of here. The unknown mushroom is Galiella rufa. http://www.mushroomexpert.com/galiella_rufa.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Smalldridge Posted June 26, 2015 Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 Ladyflyfsh, as far as taste, how do you think the southeast chanterelles compare to chanterelles found in other parts of the country? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evan Posted June 26, 2015 Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 Thanks, Dave. I figured you would know what it was. I took a picture because I thought it was an interesting looking mushroom. I came across a few Russulas also. One was different than most I see. The cap hadn't opened completely. It was a dark maroon color with a thin pink stalk. By thin, I mean compared to other russulas I see. Pic is on my phone. I'll post it from there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evan Posted June 26, 2015 Report Share Posted June 26, 2015 Here it is. Maybe just a normal russula, but they usually have a white stalk when I find them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave W Posted June 28, 2015 Report Share Posted June 28, 2015 Looks like possibly Russula mariae. This one is usually purplish with a whitish dusty appearance when young, and some pink/purple on the stalk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladyflyfsh Posted June 28, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2015 I agree with Dave on the Russula. Either that or R. xerampelina if it had a fishy smell. John, I think these chanterelles taste really good. I also think east coast chanterelles taste superior to most west coast chanterelles I've had with the exception of the ones I used to find in MT, Cantharellus roseocanus which has a nice flavor, and a bit of spicy backnote. These are the nicest once I've ever picked anywhere. No bugs, super fresh and firm and really pretty. I'm a super happy camper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Smalldridge Posted June 28, 2015 Report Share Posted June 28, 2015 Those are some beautiful chanterelles! It's nice to hear that our chanterelles are as good or better than most west coast chanterelles. I really enjoyed reading all your chanterelle cooking recipes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladyflyfsh Posted June 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 30, 2015 Thanks John, I know some people who will echo my sentiments about chanterelles being better from the east than the west. The only thing that is a negative is finding buggy chants here in the east. You NEVER find buggy chants in the west. So far my pretty Florida chanterelles have been pristine, clean and bug free. They are also delicious! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Smalldridge Posted June 30, 2015 Report Share Posted June 30, 2015 That's interesting about buggy east coast chanterelles. I have never encountered buggy chanterelles, I have encountered chanterelles in very wet weather that appeared to be infested with hypomyces however. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dualsetters Posted June 30, 2015 Report Share Posted June 30, 2015 So far when chants have been good around here, so were the bugs. I like to cut them off clean and see how many holes are bored through them. They seem to go right out the top. If there are just a few I keep them although the bug tunnels seem to go bad fast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladyflyfsh Posted July 2, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2015 I pikced some gorgeous Cantharellus lateritius in VA last summer and they all had bug holes. I'm kind of surprised these FL are bug free. Must be too hot for the bugs! It's too hot for me!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave W Posted July 3, 2015 Report Share Posted July 3, 2015 It's funny how sometimes the bugs just seem to not be around. I just picked a bunch of Boletus edulis that was solid white inside. A few mature ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladyflyfsh Posted July 6, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 6, 2015 Boletes grow really fast, but I've found bugs in even the smallest buttons that looked primo and then you cut them in half and yuk! Glad to hear you're getting some nice ones, Dave. I am missing Montana this year, but I fear the mushrooms would not be fruiting anyway since it has been so hot and dry. I guess I'm not missing much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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