Jump to content

Hydnum repandum - Hedgehog Mushroom - Any mistaken species?


kkstep

Recommended Posts

Good Afternoon Everyone,

On my lunch run I spotted some mushrooms that I believe to be Hydnum repandum and I was planning on going back after work and gathering them. In internet searches, the only species I found that comes up for mistaken identity is Sarcodon scabrosus. I'm fairly certain that these mushrooms are not those. There's no scaly bumps. I took a nibble of one and spat it out as I ran. Minutes later there was a mild bitter taste in my mouth, which I believe would be removed with cooking. Does anyone know of a similar species that may be a sickener? Also, does anybody have any suggestions for cooking?

Thanks for your responses.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Hydnum species are all edible. These include H. repandum, H. umbilicatum (smaller, more orangish than repandum), and H. rufescens (also more orangish than most repandum). It can be tricky to tell these apart, but from the perspective of edibility, unnecessary. All of these are mild-tasting with flesh that cuts easily. Hydnum mushrooms are good for beginners looking to learn a few edibles.

The Sarcodon species are all darker colored, and generally have scaly caps. Flesh is often bitter. But Sarcodon imbricatum is collected for the table in western NA.

There's also potential confusion with Hydnellum species. But the flesh on these types is very tough, woody. Hydnellum mushrooms have very small spines (teeth) on the fertile undersurface.

Use Hydnum mushrooms as you would use regular Agaricus (form the store) or chanterelles. One thing that works well is to chop up the hydnum, mix with chopped potato and onion, and prepare like hash-browns. Hydnum repandum mushrooms may persist in-situ for several weeks after fruiting. They are best to eat when young, and the flesh is firmest.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sounds great! I found a few nice Hedgehogs yesterday. I'm calling them Hydnum repandum, but the brown staining on the cut stalk has me wondering a bit. Not to worry, though. I know they're a good edible... except maybe for that giant one. That one is too old and beat-up for me to want to eat.

post-20-0-45967600-1378171275_thumb.jpg

post-20-0-51653600-1378171332_thumb.jpg

Here's a small collection of H. umbilicatum I made last week. The "belly button" in seen on only a few of them. It takes awhile for this trait to develop.

post-20-0-41058300-1378171375_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Guidelines | We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.