Friday, October 23, 2020

We Bought a Farm: Mushrooming Advice from JB

Presidential debate? Who cares! We have mushrooms.

That is obviously supposed to be a bit sarcastic, but honestly, John and I find ourselves more interested in just hunkering down here on our farm, loving our neighbors, loving each other, and loving our Jesus and land.

John recently posted this to Facebook:

Since I’ve been posting photos of our foraged mushrooms, I’ve been asked about how to get started foraging mushrooms on your own.
First, get a good mushroom guidebook for your area. Not every location has a specific mushroom guidebook, but there are a lot of good ones out there.
Second, get outside! Get in the woods, and just start looking.
Third, take photos. All different angles. Top, bottom, side.
Fourth, join a mushroom identification group on Facebook. There are quite a few. Local is better, if possible.
Fifth, download and use a nature identification app. These apps use your photos to help identify all kinds of things: trees, flowers, insects, birds, and mushrooms. I frequently use iNaturalist. But know that this is NOT perfect. Don’t just rely on an app and think you’ll be safe to eat a mushroom. I’ve taken care of patients in the emergency department who have gotten sick because they relied on an app which identified a mushroom incorrectly.
Sixth, go mushrooming with someone who knows what they are doing. I never really had this opportunity, so it took me a lot longer to get comfortable harvesting mushrooms, but it makes a lot of sense.

Seventh, don’t be in a rush to harvest edible mushrooms. Enjoy being in the woods. Learn to identify trees and shrubs and flowers and birds as you go as well. Learn how to make a spore print. Be patient. You’ll find a number of inedible mushrooms. You’ll find a few that’ll make you vomit. You may even find a deadly mushroom (there are not that many in reality). All this identification and learning is good. Eventually you’ll find a few mushrooms that you think are edible. And you’ll realize you’ve learned a whole lot and had a lot of fun in the process.

Old-Man-of-the-Woods (edible)

Indigo Milkcap. One of the only foods that are truly blue! Edible, but unfortunately, this one is past its prime.

Crown-tipped Coral Fungus (edible)


Hen-of-the-Woods, Purple-Gilled Laccaria, Saffron Milkcaps (all three are edible)

My son making a "scary face" since he's holding a deadly Destroying Angel mushroom.

This bolete (type of mushroom) has no common name, but is also edible.

Purple-Spored Puffball (edible)

Wood Blewitt (edible)

Parasol Mushroom (edible)



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