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Chanterelles in Florida of all Places!


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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.

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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?

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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. :)

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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!!!

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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.

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