It's that time of year - Chanterelle Mushrooms

I am going to go out and scout this weekend. If it looks good maybe we can organize a NWKA shroom hunt in the near future.

I am going to go out and scout this weekend. If it looks good maybe we can organize a NWKA shroom hunt in the near future.

This is a great idea. If I can make it, I'm in!

I am gonna be doing the same.  Been too long since I had truffleroni and cheese.  Towards the coast you say?

I wish I liked mushrooms.  This sounds like a pretty fun adventure with the NWKA crowd, and a chance to come home with some wild local food.  Have Fun.

Truffles should be available everywhere they'll just be bigger in the coastal range now. Give the ones in the Cascades another month to get bigger. Whites are easy to find but the Blacks just look like dark turds in the duff after you've raked. Mind you these are delicious aromatic turds that are worth $300/lb.

Squirrels are your friend. If you see any sign that an animal has been digging then you should dig there yourself as squirrels love truffles. Black truffles will be more common in 50+ year old stands of Doug Fir and White truffles are more common 20-50 year old stands. Don't bother looking in areas dominated by cedar. No mycorhizal fungi can form a symbiotic relationship with cedar. This time of year most truffles will be marble to golf ball size. By Dec/Jan you can start finding a few baseball sized ones. Good luck and remember if you find one truffle there are probably several more in immediate area.

If anyone wants to go out shroom hunting in the Vancouver/PDX area let me know and I'd be happy to teach you how to identify chanterelles, lobsters, and other edible as well as point out some key characteristics of dangerous ones.

I have been picking and cultivating mushrooms for years and have completed an intensive graduate level course on mycology. The only reason your liver would fail after going mushroom picking with me is because I made you drink too much beer.

I'd love to go hunting sometime, especially after getting off the water with some fish as an accompaniment. I've been chanterelle hunting but I'd like to get into finding other types of shrooms. A buddy & I had some mild success inoculating logs with shiitake & chicken of the woods.
Hugh

One more thing. Its modern rifle season for elk this time of year so if you are going to go traipsing around in the woods wear hunter orange or some kind of bright color.

Went out yesterday, found both white & golden chanterelles.
Prepping for an omelet with the whites. There is one golden in the pan also.

For dinner tonight.
 
Into the dryer.

Not that I am lazy in any way shape or form, but I was at my local New Seasons yesterday and they had fresh Chanterelle's on sale for $8.99/lb.  I bought a bag full, since I have never tried them and they were fantastic.  Saved me a 2 hour drive to the coast, and time to watch the Duck Game!

I'm definitely in for an NWKA shroom outing