Shrooms

[medtran49]

We ordered the pink flamingo (i think that was the name) oyster mushroom kit from fungiperfecti.com several years ago. It was the only one that would grow where we live (S Florida) as it could tolerate higher temps. It produced for us really well the first go round and then gave us an okay harvest second time and I think it even gave us a few after that before it quit growing.

As far as fresh mushrooms, we've had morels, chanterelles, various kinds of oysters, one of the trumpets (blue I think), italian and domestic porcini, black truffles on rare occasions, and of course the old standbys of white and crimini/portabello. We have to order most of them on-line as other than the oysters and the old standbys we can't get locally as a regular consumer.

We've had shitakes but they are not my personal favorite, just don't like the taste.

I'd like to try Hen of the Woods but apparently they have caused allergies in a good number of people (they come with a warning on the Fungi Perfecti site). So, since I have a number of food/environmental allergies, don't want to pay $18+ a pound plus overnight shipping and then find out it's something I can't eat.

 

[Snow.]

I got some dried porcini mushrooms today. Never had them. They sound good. $5 isn't horrible for an ounce of dried shrooms... I think? Not for an online grocery service probably.

I can't tell if my oyster shroom kit is doing much. I'm bad at watering it. But now it's sitting next to my computer monitor so I have to look at it.

 

[sparrowgrass]

Wild oysters are one of my favorites to collect--easy, unmistakable, and so delicious.

They grow on wood, they are soft, meaty and smell very slightly of anise, and here in MO, you can find them any time the temp is above freezing.

Pleurotus ostreatus, the Oyster mushroom, Tom Volk's Fungus of the Month for October 1998

 

[Snow.]

Wild oysters are one of my favorites to collect--easy, unmistakable, and so delicious.

They grow on wood, they are soft, meaty and smell very slightly of anise, and here in MO, you can find them any time the temp is above freezing.

ostreatus, the Oyster mushroom, Tom Volk's Fungus of the Month for October 1998[/url

I live in Minnesota. I don't believe they grow here. Dunno. Some kind grow on my deck though. And there was this REALLY WEIRD one in this little drainage ditch (for rainwater, not sewage or anything obviously. also it's rural so probably not much pollution) this past year by my house. It was between the size of a softball and a soccer ball and it looked like [URL="http://www.microfiberwholesale.com/images/D/Microfiber%20Car%20Wash%20Sponge%20Underside.jpg"]these things kinda except more gray-green, but it definitely was a fungus. I so wish I knew what that thing was but I was afraid it was going to eat me every time I went out there.

 

[taxlady]

Recently, I went to a local " Mycological Club" meet up / walk ( mushroom pickers), Thinking to myself I could learn how to Identify the edible vs poisonous. I didnt realize how many Inedible mushrooms there were in my area. After the walk, i totally lost my confidence in my ability to identify edible vs inedible. In many cases, long time members and leaders of the club couldnt make %100 for sure, identifications. All that being said, I agree that if not morel or hen of the woods mushrooms, i wouldnt even risk it. Just dont think i have the knowledge or confidence to make the right Identification. I leave that to the experts.

Some mushrooms can only be identified with certainty using a spore test. A good mushroom identifying book will tell you what colour the spores are. It will tell you if there is another mushroom with which it could be confused and how certain their list of things to check is.

I had white and black paper just for mushroom identifying when I lived in the country. You leave the 'shrooms on the paper overnight and in the morning you can see the spores on the paper and determine the colour.

I have to admit that just about everything I collected turned out to something poisonous after checking in the book and with the spore test.

 

[Addie]

I can just imagine Andy, several of my grandkids had that look as well
kades

And that is why I still say, Christmas and Christmas trees are for children. The adults who love the holiday get their joy of the holiday from watching the expressions on the children's faces. Adults first see all the work that goes into the holiday. Then they get the rewards of all that work by looking at the faces of children.

 

[Snow.]

Some mushrooms can only be identified with certainty using a spore test. A good mushroom identifying book will tell you what colour the spores are. It will tell you if there is another mushroom with which it could be confused and how certain their list of things to check is.

I had white and black paper just for mushroom identifying when I lived in the country. You leave the 'shrooms on the paper overnight and in the morning you can see the spores on the paper and determine the colour.

I have to admit that just about everything I collected turned out to something poisonous after checking in the book and with the spore test.

You know a lot about spores. Is there any way I can take some of the spores from my oyster shroom kit and stick it in my own substrate later to continue growing? Or do you not know?

 

[Steve Kroll]

I live in Minnesota. I don't believe they grow here. Dunno.

I saw that you live in Edina (although it changed to Jupiter today). If you're interested in growing mushrooms, there's a guy that you should talk to at the Mill City Winter Farm Market. It's held one weekend a month in the Mill City Museum in downtown Mpls. This guy grows edible mushrooms in his basement using logs and sawdust, and sells them at the market. I don't know all the specifics, but he's a pretty interesting guy and might be able to give you some tips.

 

[taxlady]

You know a lot about spores. Is there any way I can take some of the spores from my oyster shroom kit and stick it in my own substrate later to continue growing? Or do you not know?

Nope, don't really know.

But, since the spores fall out onto the paper overnight, maybe you could just lay your oyster mushrooms (gill side down) on the substrate overnight. Maybe try on black and on white paper first to see if you get anything.

 

[Snow.]

Will try, thanks.

 

[Snow.]

I can't edit my post :/

http://goo.gl/So17g
made that
best food I've had in months.

 

[Addie]

I can't edit my post :/

http://goo.gl/So17g
made that
best food I've had in months.

You have a small window in which to edit. then the Edit button disappears.

 

[Snow.]

my shrooms smelled incredibly good. it was like smoked bacon

 

[sparrowgrass]

Snow, oyster mushrooms do grow in Minnesota--I lived in Ely and found them often, generally in the spring. (Which, in Ely, is May or June, as you know.)

 

[no mayonnaise]

my shrooms smelled incredibly good. it was like smoked bacon

King Oyster Mushroom "Bacon"

 

[Snow.]

Oyster Mushroom "Bacon"

Call it "shroomin'"



o wait

 

[CharlieD]

I love wild mushrooms. This past summer my father was too busy so he did not go mushroom picking, otherwise he always in the woods during summer and brings a lots of mushrooms. I love them all. I especially like marinaded mushrooms.

 

[Snow.]

I wish I knew a real mycologist. I'm sure many of the fungi growing in my back yard (woods with lotsa rotten stuff) are edible and some might even taste pretty good. Not going to be overly optimistic and say I think there are morels back there, but there has to be something.

 

[CharlieD]

Most back yard mushrooms are poison.

 

[Snow.]

Well I know that, but I'm sure there's SOMETHING.

What are some other mushrooms that are worth looking for while I'm looking for morels this spring? (cooking ability/flavor wise)