Top 10 edible wild mushrooms

[Guest Vlad]

EasternWA,

I searched and found the page where I have the picture of the one I found. I identified it as Hericium coralloides at that time (2005). Does this look like what you find in Washington?

http://mushroomhunter.net/bears.htm

I checked the next few years, about the same time, but no more appeared.

[Luigi Daniele]

When do these things grow in the wild? Fall/Winter or Spring or Both?

[jginbc]

When do these things grow in the wild? Fall/Winter or Spring or Both?

Bears head is found in the fall in the Pacific NW; check Arora's book for California.

[jginbc]

1. Morels

2. Hedgehogs

3. Shaggy Parasols

4. White Chanterelles

5. Boletus edulis

6. Winter Chanterelle (Craterellus tubaeformis)

7. Lobster Mushroom

8. American Matsutake

9. Hericium erinaceus

10. Sparassis radicata).

I have only included mushrooms that I find reliably each year.

[jginbc]

That's one of the funny things about weighting the rankings - it pushes some low scorers higher on the list while it pushes some high scores lower down... for example Shaggy Parasol had a higher average rank (4) but was included on only 3 lists compared to Chanterelles and Hen of the Woods which both had lower average ranks (5 and 6) but were included on more lists (8 and 7).

In my weighting overall inclusion counted higher than average rating - thus Chanterelles and Hens appeared before Parasols even though it seems that Parasols get a higher average rating.

There are so many variables to consider it's hard to say that my collective top ten really means anything - after all what it really comes down to is your personal tastes. But it is a neat way of looking at a group or responses. I think you're right that geography and ease of identification are going to be big factors here.

By the way - since you brought it up I took another look at my numbers and realized I made a mistake - here are the corrected numbers:

(Corrected) Weighted Top Ten

1. Morels

2. King Bolete

3. Chanterelles

4. Hen of the woods

5. Misc. Boletus

6. honey

7. Oyster

8. Shaggy Mane

9. Shaggy Parasols

10. Tie: Hedgehog/Amanita

The results are a bit skewed since most people using this website are from Eastern North America. I believe that shaggy Parasols are rare or don't occur in the East. This may explain the weighted result. I don't think anyone listed the true Parasol mushroom which occurs in Eastern North America. It is supposed to be one of the best edible mushrooms.

[upsinker]

Luigi,

The mushroom guides rate Hericium erinaceus as Choice. It does grow in CA and PNW as shown here:

http://mushroomobserver.org/observer/observation_search?pattern=Hericium+erinaceus

I found it only once and ate it but it was long ago that I forgot how I liked it

I count about four lists that have it listed in their top 10.

I found hericium americanum three times this fall in CT and I liked it but I didn't love it - I think I need to experiment with cooking some more because it seems to get high marks from many experts. Good news is it seems to be fairly plentiful here so I'm hoping I get to try it again this coming fall.

[Guest Vlad]

jginbc,

Shaggy Parasol is “fairly common” according to Mushrooms of Northeastern North America. It states that they can be found “solitary or in groups on the ground among leaves, conifer needles, and wood chips, grassy areas, and in gardens”. Lincoff’s guide says the range is throughout N. America. Also “single to several or in fairy rings on the ground along roads, in gardens.” Both say “gardens”. They can not mean vegetable gardens. As far as I heard England and France have gardens, we have Parks or lawns. Do they mean Parks? Do they mean lawns?

The well groomed Parasol, the normal one, comes up single on a lawn where I used to live so I got to try only one at a time. It is hard to judge the flavor on less than one mouthful. Now that I live in a different area I might luck out and see more of these Parasols. I was not aware the Shaggy stained a carrot color when cut. I figured the “shaggy” was enough to distinguish it from the normal. Then I run into a shaggy normal one.

[easternWA]

When do these things grow in the wild? Fall/Winter or Spring or Both?

I find them in late summer or early fall. But we get almost no rainfall during the summer here. I suspect that it would fruit during summer if there was enough moisture but I may be wrong.

[easternWA]

I found hericium americanum three times this fall in CT and I liked it but I didn't love it - I think I need to experiment with cooking some more because it seems to get high marks from many experts. Good news is it seems to be fairly plentiful here so I'm hoping I get to try it again this coming fall.

This summer, I made some into tempura. It has a firm texture which worked really well with tempura.

[easternWA]

I'm surprised that Marasmius oreades (fairy ring) is not more highly rated. They're widespread, easy to find, easy to identify (but be careful for interlopers mixed-in with the real thing) and delicious. Are folks afraid of chemicals/pesticides picked up from lawn treatments? Or are you trying them and not liking them?

[mushroomaniac]

To show the difference in taste it would be interesting to see what different people consider the ten best tasting wild mushrooms. My list of choice mushrooms consists of 17 species.

http://www.mushroomhunter.net/found.htm

If I had to trim this list to my top 10, they would be:

1. Two-colored Bolete - Boletus bicolor

2. Hen of the Woods - Grifola frondosa

3. Aborted Entoloma - Entoloma abortivum

4. Lobster Mushroom - Hypomyces lactifluorum

5. King Bolete Boletus - edulis

6. Shaggy Mane - Coprinus comatus

7. Honey Mushroom - Armillaria mellea

8. The Gypsy - Rozites caperata

9. Oak King - Boletus variipes

10. Fly Agaric - Amanita muscaria var. formosa

What is your top 10?

Vlad,

I see Amanita muscaria var. formosa in your top ten list.

As far as I know, it's a poisonous kind of mushroom, or at least hallucinogenic.

Do you eat it?

As for my top ten, they are;

1. Morels

2. Amanita caesarea

3. Lactarius delicicous + sanguifluus

4. Lepista nuda

5. Coprinus comatus

6. Agaricus fuscofibrillosus + augustus

7. Macrolepiota procera

8. Boletus edulis

9. Armillaria mellea

10. Laccaria laccata

[Guest Vlad]

Mushroomaniac,

I detoxify the Fly Agaric as per David Arora Article. Look in the Books Magazines or Research Articles of Interest.

[Guest Vlad]

I suspect that not many people put down Marasmius oreades for the reasons you already stated. Where I now live they appeared this fall right outside my door on the lawn. Neighbors say the lawn was treated to kill root eating grubs. If that chemical kills grubs…

Another reason could be that they require quite a bit of effort to harvest. The stem is too tough so you have to pick only the caps. Since they are rather small it takes a lot of caps to make a meal. Also there is not much meat on the caps. Here in the northeast there not enough for even one meal in any location that I found them. I tasted them but I did not eat enough to form an opinion as to how I would rate them.

[DufferinShroomer]

easternWA the issue with Marasmius oreades for me is being able to id the thing with confidence. I spend almost no time at all in grass looking for mushrooms which would explain why I dont find a lot of these. I do however have a big honking fairy ring maybe 10 feet acress in a pasture that I was fairly sure was Marasmius oreades. I said was sure because I took samples to a club foray and everyone assured me I was wrong, although no one could provide a better id with any sort of confidence. Where I live this fairy ring will fruit in the last few days of May or the first few days of June, right after the morels finish. I am pretty much stumped by the thing. Most of the folks I asked rejected my guess at an id because the samples I brought were growing in clumps and they said that was out of character for Marasmius oreades. shrug...

[Guest Vlad]

The picture is blurred so it is hard to see the details. But it could be the Fairy Ring Mushroom. The once I found grew in a clumps of 2-4 and I do not see why they could not be more in a clump. Lincoff says they fruit from May to September so you find them at the right time. These, that I found, were bleached by a few days of rain so they are lighter than they should be.

http://www.mushroomhunter.net/100410.htm

Lincoff’s guide says the stem is supposed to be “rubbery”. A mycologist showed me how test for this characteristic. You hold the cap with fingers of one hand then take the end of the stem between your thumb and forefinger and roll it between your fingers so that the stem twists 4 or 5 revolutions. Still holding the cap release your hold on the stem and see it spring back into its original untwisted form. This is what is meant that the stem is rubbery.

[easternWA]

I can't tell from a photo, I must admit. The gills should be very widely spaced, as they are in all the Marasmius species. Also, as mentioned earlier, the stems should be very tough and difficult to break just using your hands. Did you make a spore-print?

[Mushroom Jack]

These probably won't help much but it's all I have. In Michigan they grow everywhere. It's not hard to get several meals out of a patch. They also fruit from late spring to fall, most years. They dry very well too. I love them in a cream sauce, served over flaky biscuts.

[Luigi Daniele]

Bears head is found in the fall in the Pacific NW; check Arora's book for California.

Thanks!

[mushroomaniac]

Mushroomaniac,

I detoxify the Fly Agaric as per David Arora Article. Look in the Books Magazines or Research Articles of Interest.

I was told by some local people that some mushrooms can be detoxified in some methods as in the case of Gyromitra but I didn't know that this could be applied to A. muscaria, Vlad. I've read about the detoxification method already.

Thanks.

[Guest Vlad]

As I understand it, the False Morel, with the rocket like chemical, poisoned some people in particular the person doing the cooking. It appears to vaporize when heated and when you inhale it, it can kill you. I have read of some people who have eaten the False Morel for 40 years without any problems. Maybe they cook their mushrooms in a well ventilated kitchen?

The chemicals in Fly Agaric appear to be non volatile and are water soluble. So by parboiling the mushroom and throwing away the water, the intoxicating chemicals are eliminated. This way the Russian people can eat ALL Boletes and ALL Russula without getting an upset stomach. They know that Amanitin is not water soluble so the mushrooms containing this chemical should be avoided unless you are dying to get to heaven

[easternWA]

As I understand it, the False Morel, with the rocket like chemical, poisoned some people in particular the person doing the cooking. It appears to vaporize when heated and when you inhale it, it can kill you. I have read of some people who have eaten the False Morel for 40 years without any problems. Maybe they cook their mushrooms in a well ventilated kitchen?

The chemicals in Fly Agaric appear to be non volatile and are water soluble. So by parboiling the mushroom and throwing away the water, the intoxicating chemicals are eliminated. This way the Russian people can eat ALL Boletes and ALL Russula without getting an upset stomach. They know that Amanitin is not water soluble so the mushrooms containing this chemical should be avoided unless you are dying to get to heaven

Some people cook the false morel outdoors. However, most people don't understand that the toxins in false morel are cumulative. That is, they are not eliminated from the body and build up over time, until they eventually reach harmful levels. So you eat them safely for 40 years but have liver failure on the 41st. I just can't bring myself to eat them when I know I can find morels and porcini around the same time of year.

I suppose you could detoxify the Amanita pantherina as well. That's the subject of my avatar pic (I think). I found some during morel season one year - I've never seen muscaria before summer.

[Calvert]

Vlad,

My relatives who have come here (with 1 exception) have all said that our porcini taste better. I agree. I will say that I have had porcini here from different areas, and the flavor is different, though...some spots produce better tasting porcini. At least to me.

From my experience, all the European's think everything from the "old country" tastes better, not just the mushrooms!

I guess many people prefer what they are used to. For example, a friend from Quebec recently visited Seattle, and came back complaining how everything tasted so "strong" in Seattle, and how happy he was to back to the "bland" tastes of Quebec ?!?@#???? I won't comment on that any more, for my blood is beginning to boil!

One other thought: maybe the europeans are more apt at the proper preparation of mushrooms?....hmmm, think about it. which will taste better, chantrelles on hot dogs, or a chantrell sauce on {insert name} pasta with {insert other yummy something}...I realize I exaggerate to make a point, and sorry for poking fun at my American neighours!!

[Guest Vlad]

I just looked up Panther Amanita and they say that the European version is eaten but it sounds like it is consumed by people who want to get high so they are not interested in detoxifying it nor how it tastes. Beside that it is very rare in my area. I never saw one. I am still looking for the dangerous Amanita but have not found it in the 8 years of hunting. I would just like to meet the enemy

I have heard of other Amanita being consumed such as the Blusher but they did not rate it as being Choice, just Edible. The thing about Fly Agaric is that it is very common in my area and William Rubel, a chef, rates it as being Choice. I tried it in the past year only once and tend to agree with him.

Have you read about someone dying of the cumulative effect of eating Gyromitra esculenta after eating it for many years? Is there proof? Or is it just a Big Brother rumor? I have not heard about such a case. I found only one Gyromitra esculenta in 8 years and it did not look like anything I would choose to eat. If I lived in an area where it is common I might be tempted to try it. But if it did not taste Choice to me I would not continue to eat it. The people who eat it for 40 years must consider it to have an exceptional flavor. My rating of Yellow Morel has fallen from Choice to Good so I do not bother even picking it now. There are plenty Choice mushrooms around which are easier to find.

[Calvert]

I found hericium americanum three times this fall in CT and I liked it but I didn't love it - I think I need to experiment with cooking some more because it seems to get high marks from many experts. Good news is it seems to be fairly plentiful here so I'm hoping I get to try it again this coming fall.

"Upsinker: You might try cooking them slowly on low heat, I find this works best. Definitely worth another try!

"Eastern WA" : Thanks for the tip on using Hericium for tempura...something tells me that would work well. Also, have you ever tried using dandilion flowers for tempura, a Japanese friend made it for me last spring. Using the young, not yet opened flower buds, and the stems attached.

And while I'm at it, here is my best 10 list, although they are in no particular order, that would be like deciding which child I loved the most

1) Chantrelles (and more Chantrelles!!)

2) Lepista nuda: Blewits (tons last summer, and Lepista irina gets honourable mention)

3) Leucoagaricus leucothites: Smooth parasol (enjoy with caution!)

4) Boletus sensibilis: as tasty as Edulis but much more beautiful (hard to believe but it's true)

5) Russula aeruginea: Green Russula

6) Hydnum umbilicatum : The hedgehog's moss loving little cousin.

7) Lobster :

8) Amanita fulva: not often found in quantity, unfortunately

9) Xerula furfuracea: another solitary mushroom, but very tasty if you find enough

10) Hygrocybe pratensis: The best of the waxy caps, but not very well known, however, it is easy to reconnize, and is nearly as sweet and delicious as the chantrelle.

now that I've gotten started I'm thinking of all the others that I love. This is mostly a list of favorites that I ate last year. Notably absent are the morels, but I just can't seen to find them at my current location. I moved here four years ago, and it's been four years of morel famine. Maybe if I find some this spring, I might be tempted to pick a favorite "child"

[Dave W]

Calvert, at least a few of my manuals list Boletus sensibils as poisonous. I've not ever tried it.