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Mushroom
Hunting—a Beginning
By Jeff Hawker, St. Supéry Marketing Consultant,
Home Winemaker and Great Cook
My
first mushroom hunt was arranged by the Fungus Federation of Santa
Cruz, California. The hunt took place in Albion, California, a small
coastal town between Mendocino and Fort Bragg. The Federation rented
a cluster of cabins near the target mushroom hunting spot, the areas
surrounding the Albion State Forest. The group was pleasant and
helpful, and having some real pros around gave a sense of confidence
and safety in our forays. Forty hunters broke up into small groups
based on individuals’ hiking and terrain thresholds. Our trailblazing
was rewarded with a bevy of Chanterelles (one of the most sought-after
mushrooms) and several rare species. After the day’s foray,
all participants got together for a potluck (and fungi identification
fiesta, for those so inclined). The array of mushrooms gathered
was truly amazing.
Some mushrooms are poisonous, so please take caution not to eat
something that can cause harm. There are thousands of species of
mushrooms, and there is no simple test to sort out the good ones
from the poisonous varieties. A sound method is to simply pursue
the mushrooms that you like and can identify accurately. Just as
a few varieties are poisonous, only a few varieties are delicious
to eat - the majority is edible but not very tasty. A good strategy
for safe mushroom eating is to simply pick the ones that are the
best to eat, and leave the rest of them for the challenge of identification.
Absolutely be sure you have your “keepers” properly
identified by an experienced person before you bring them to the
kitchen.
Finding mushrooms has a lot to do with luck, but there are times
and places that are better than others. When is somewhat intuitive
- after a rainstorm. For those of us in the northern hemisphere,
that means November through February for most species. The best
places to find mushrooms tend to be in between different biological
areas (e.g. between an open meadow and a grove of trees). Consider
the moisture content of the area - most mushrooms don’t grow
in bright sunlight. The trees in an environment are key - not much
of anything grows under a grove of redwoods, but older oak and elm
trees are mushroom magnets, particularly if there is dead wood in
the area. Fallen trees and recent fires disturb the terrain, which
stimulate fungi development. Be careful not to hunt on private property
without permission.
The best way to begin your mushroom hunting career is with a group
led by an experienced, knowledgeable mushroom hunter or Mycologist.
There are chapters of mushroom aficionados around the country. The
de-facto book for North American mushroom hunters is Demystifying
Mushrooms by David Arora (Ten Speed Press). Don’t let its
girth scare you; a tremendous amount of knowledge for the beginner
can be had in just the first 50 pages.
I have found mushroom hunting to be a decidedly fun and cerebral
adventure, and I recommend it to anyone that has the slightest inclination.
Just remember: do your forays where it is legal to bring home mushrooms
and have those mushrooms verified by an experienced Mycologist. |
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