Month: September 2018

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Cantharellus cinnabarinus “Cinnabar Chanterelle

    Choice and a delicious edible. Found in early autumn in mixed hardwoods. Easily identified by the reddish orange color, pastel appearance and false gills commonly having spreading veins in between. The spore print will be white to a light pink color. When cut they will have a white flesh inside. Cinnabar chanterelles are generally very small and delicate and have a sweet fruity fragrance similar to apricots.

**Care must be taken when harvesting as there are similar look-alikes including the poisonous Jack-o-lanterns “Omphalotus olearius” and the red waxy caps.**

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Armillaria mellea “The Honey Mushroom”

Armillaria Mellea

Armillaria mellea also known as honey mushrooms or “stumpers” is a choice autumn edible and one of my favorites. Found growing in large clusters around dead oak trees and stumps and occasionally on the ground following the decaying roots.  They are easy identified by the size of the cluster, white ring under the cap with a golden yellow outer edge, white spores and a solid white pith inside of the stem.

**Caution should be used when harvesting Honey mushrooms as a dangerous look-alike Galerina autumnalis can easily be mistaken for a honey mushroom. The deadly Galerina will be found growing on dead wood, spread out, not clustered and has a brown spore print. Study both species well before you harvest honeys for food. Mixing in a Galerina will be a fatal mistake that you will only make once.**

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Craterellus cornucopioides “Black Trumpet Mushroom”

Craterellus cornucopioides, or horn of plenty is very delicious and sought after by mushroom enthusiasts and chefs alike. 

Found in early autumn in hardwoods around oak and beech trees. These mushrooms are delicious fresh or dried. There are no poisonous look-alikes to these when they are found in the late summer/fall, however Devils Urns have a slight resemblance but are found early spring.