eat-bolete Posted July 16, 2015 Report Posted July 16, 2015 Found this one for the first time, just want to confirm. How can one tell if the mushroom is too okd to consume?
brianf Posted July 16, 2015 Report Posted July 16, 2015 It's hard to tell from your picture. If it's tender and flexible yet maintains "structural integrity" you're good to go. If it's crumbly and woody, it's really not worth eating. By that point, in my opinion, it just tastes like earth. And I don't mean earthy mushroom. If it's bug free, it would make for good soup stock. Though, the more moisture the mushroom has, the more flavor it imparts in your stock. Generally it's good to eat when it's tender and when it's oozing kind of a milky sap. Sometimes the sap can be white and slightly foamy to clear and bright yellow. The bright yellow (sulphureus) makes for an excellent tasting soup and it gives it a real nice golden color. The yellow pored sulphureus is slightly superior to the white cinncinatus as far as I'm concerned. It even has a bit of a citrusy flavor/odor. You might be able to cut off some of the outer parts and braise it with some pork shoulder or something if it's going through it's inbetween stages. Though, sometimes what seems like it would be edible, ends up being somewhat akin to chewing styrofoam. Albeit, tasty tasty styrofoam. After you find one, you'll probably start finding more, and more, and more. If not this season, then next season. I still enjoy spotting past due chickens.....it means there's hope. As far as getting sick off of them. I have never seen someone get sick as in stomach upset, vomiting, etc, I have seen it act as a reasonably powerful laxative. Generally in people who have a fairly high carbohydrate intake. That being said, food allergies are strange and with this chemically rich(naturally occuring, but still) mushroom it might actually be advisable to start slow. I'm not sure if you're familiar with fistulina hepatica/beefsteak polypore, but I suggest familiarizing your self with this mushroom as well. It serves a similar purpose, tastes even better, and is most common late summer/early fall. Looks like a big red heart that's bleeding out. Hence the name. It's also pretty difficult to confuse with other mushrooms. If it's not bleeding, it'll be too buggy anyways.
Dave W Posted July 17, 2015 Report Posted July 17, 2015 A friend of mine had digestive issues/discomfort after eating pizza with Laetiporus topping. Nothing serious, but she's apparently allergic to this type mushroom. Adding to what brian says about Fistulina. I know this guy who had lived for years on Long Island --don't know the specific area-- who said that Fistulina hepatica was one of the more common mushrooms there.
eat-bolete Posted July 17, 2015 Author Report Posted July 17, 2015 Thanks guys. I deep fried a few last night and styrofoam is exactly what it tasted like. I ate about 6 of 1"sq. pieces, no after effects but tossed the rest, not enjoyable. Thanks for letting me know about Fistulina, I don't believe I've seen one yet but I'll be on a lookout. Went to 4 parks in the last couple of days snd it seems further East I go, the more mushrooms I find. Not sure if it's a coinsidence or what.
brianf Posted July 17, 2015 Report Posted July 17, 2015 I didn't want to get anyone's hopes up but I have also heard Fistulina is VERY common in the tri-state area of NY, NJ, DE. The further east you head, especially on a place like Long Island, the closer you get to water and the higher the water table. I'm sure there is some science there, with the ground being able to retain that much more moisture. I know if I really want to, I can find plenty of mushrooms growing even without rain. The downside is, these types of places tend to be very uncomfortable to navigate and older mushrooms will always be loaded with bugs. It can also involve serious mileage. And I'm only talking about saprobes. You won't find much edible ground fungi in these places. I have a place that's probably a good 6 mile trip one way off trail and this is where I can find two types of Reishi, Fistulina, Laetiporus, and various "Oyster" species. The oyster species aren't usually edible when found in the swamps, bogs, and ponds. I have never actually picked and eaten wild oyster mushrooms. We grow two or three types at home at any given time, so why bother? I found my first Hericium just last year in a place like this. And it was actually Coralloides, which as far as I know, is the least common Hericium in Southern, NH, if not most of the world.
eat-bolete Posted July 18, 2015 Author Report Posted July 18, 2015 6 miles one way? Wow, I don't think i'm that devoted to mushroom hunting yet. Where does one get logs to grow oysters at home?
ChefsWild Posted July 18, 2015 Report Posted July 18, 2015 You need to simmer the older polypores low and slow. Consider an overnight crockpot treatment. For me they are ideal as a vegan meat substitute when I cook for people who do not eat meat. The texture is very meaty and gets like 'pulled pork' when you crockpot it in a flavorful liquid. I've paired simmered 'pulled polypore not-pork' with my elderberry-habanero BBQ sauce or wildcrafted root beer BBQ sauce to great effect.
Dave W Posted July 18, 2015 Report Posted July 18, 2015 That "pulled polypore" idea sounds interesting. If I find some older Laetiporus which is in good shape, I'll give it a try.
brianf Posted July 19, 2015 Report Posted July 19, 2015 Bolete, best bet is to call a local landscaping or tree service companies. As someone who comes from a trade background, I have good relationships with these people, but I don't see why they wouldn't hook you up with a couple of 16 or 18 inch lengths of pretty much anything they have on hand. If anything, they'll sell them to you cheap, cheap, cheap. If there is a business that produces bark mulch they'll probably be willing to see you a few lengths. If you own a chainsaw you could probably get some free wood this fall when the storms start taking out trees. Just stop and ask the homeowner who's dealing with the problem. Or you could be like the jerks around here who not only drive on my grass, and up a private road, but sneak into the woods on the south side of my property and just start cutting trees for firewood. I hate the thought of posting my land as I would like for people to feel free to enjoy it, just not destroy it. We even cleared out a nice parking area so people can enjoy the limited trails. I like the idea of an elderberry/chili pepper BBQ sauce. This will be the second year our elderberries are in full production. Planted 5 blue elderberry bushes almost 4 years ago. Didn't go with a force pollinator so the crops could be bigger. Still, last year it produced plenty of fruits. I don't like the idea of cross polinating the elderberry as I'm uncertain as to what it will do to future seed stocks. Care to share your recipe chef?
eat-bolete Posted July 19, 2015 Author Report Posted July 19, 2015 Thanks brianf, I guess I'll call up a few lanscaping or mulching companies, here in LI I can wait for 10 years or more for the next storm strong enough to take trees down.
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