Mushrooms are in season too
Pennsylvania
There are lots of wild mushrooms that are edible in Pa. This is the prime time of the year for a few of the best. Some of them are very unique and easy to positively identify. Sheepshead(hen of the woods), sulfur shelf(chicken mushrooms), and giant puffballs can be found now with relative ease, among others.
I've found in excess of 120 lbs of edible mushrooms in the last two weeks and dozens of interesting inedible varieties, some of which I've only seen in books until this year. It was so dry and hot all summer, I doubted I'd find much of anything this year. Boy was I wrong. Once it DID rain, they jumped up everywhere. This has been my best year ever and I've learned a lot. I'll get some pictures up.
This is a Sheepshead mushroom, a.k.a. 'Hen of the woods', Maitake. They can vary in color a bit and this is a lighter, blonde color. It's edible and promotes health and is one of the best mushrooms for fighting cancer.
Sulfur Shelf on a log in Moraine State Park.
A giant Sulfur Shelf(chicken mushroom) on a cherry tree, in Moraine. Pic doesn't do it justice. This one weighed just shy of 15 lbs and I cut it down in one piece... almost knocked me off the ladder when it hit me in the chest.
I find these on cherry or oak trees or logs, usually.
Minutes later I spotted these sulfurs along the road on my way to fetch my ladder to get the ones above. I stopped and asked permission to take them... I could tell it was a first for them :^)
We're hunter/gatherers. We won't be buying those anemic white button mushrooms from the store for the foreseeable future. 104 lbs of mushrooms ready for butchering. This is the closest I'll come to a 'trophy pic'. lol
By the way, those brown ones in the last picture are what Sheepshead usually look like... brown, tan... white underneath.
I bet I left more in the woods than I hauled out so far this year just because they weren't 'prime'. Mushrooms grow fast, almost overnight, but they have a short lifespan as well. Getting them when they're big enough, yet still tender is largely a matter of timing, or luck.
A slice of puffball plucked from the backyard, fried in olive oil and minced garlic clove, with warmed hot salsa and fresh peppermint from my wife's herbs dipped in a pair of eggs for a spicy breakfast.
It was good, but puffball is delicate, and I find it better used as a base for a healthy desert, perhaps fried or grilled fast and hot-ish on a grill plate for a minute in butter and then coated, 'fried' and finished in honey... or good local maple syrup. I'll eat it again this weekend.... maybe with a dash of cinnamon???
Believe it or not, mushroom hunting, and pursuing other wild edibles can be as challenging and rewarding as deer hunting. It begs knowledge, experience, effort, wherewithal, and care. It offers personal challenge, reward, sustenance, connection to nature, health benefits, and fringe benefits like incidental interactions with the game we'll soon chase... largely reminiscent of why some of us started bowhunting in the first place. While hunting mushrooms on a local game lands last weekend, I saw several does and two respectable bucks within shooting distance of an old oak log growing dozens of sulfurs that were just a bit too far gone. I'll be back... for all of em.
It's been so dry here in the eastern part of the state, I haven't even really looked at my favorite spots. Picked a few oysters last week on the way to my deer stand though. This past winter during one of those warm, damp spells they were all over the dead poplars.
Love those rams heads as we call them around here. They tend to grow at the base of really mature oaks and will grow on the same tree year after year. I've heard some old timers say they used to "milk" them, as in, pour milk on them to help them grow. Ever heard of this Jeff?
I pick nine different types, some I don't even know the names. Taught by my father many years ago.
Joe, I haven't heard of the milk thing, but coincidentally, I've thought about and mentioned just in the last week... whether watering the roots of these big white oaks, where the sheepshead like to grow, would help them grow a little more predictably... because their production seems tied inexplicably to a well timed rainfall... at least some years.
My secret spot is a ginormous white oak, 8-10' from the bank of a 2' wide creek.
Four days of steady rain, if I'm not bowhunting Jersey on Sunday I'll spend the day gathering. Nuttin better with a venison steak!
That's cool Jeff! I'd like to get into 'shrooming, but don't trust my knowledge yet.
What's the white one in your trophy pic Jeff? Looks to be about the size of a softball.
How do you keep them once harvested? In fridge? In Freezer? Root cellar?
Rut, that's a puffball... often seen growing in yards and such. They're edible as long they're solid and snow white inside. I'm gonna try a new dessert recipe on that one tonight.
As far as the sheepshead and sulfur shelf, I bring em home and put them in the fridge if I can't get to them right away. I usually just pull them apart, clean them, and freeze them fresh in gallon ziplock bags. They last for at least a year that way. I'm looking into canning, pickling and drying them now though since I have so many.
Nice ones Jeff. I got a couple puffballs last week. Got as big as softballs in 2 days. Ground is covered with chestnuts if you want to come pick some up. I still have turkey feathers in the freezer too.
Dint offer me to come up :( Expect an email this weekend:)
Din't offer me to come up either.....
Art, yeah, I could bring some mushrooms in trade if you'd like. When would be a good time?
Getting ready to go out again, Jeff. Sunday morning would be a good bet. Taking Kathy out for her birthday dinner late in the afternoon Sunday.
Anybody can out and pick up chestnuts anytime. Get them before the squirrels and deer do. 4 trees in my front yard.
You are funny Roy. Get the package?
Sulphur shelf- look for bugs first. I Just found about 30 pounds shulphur shelf and about 25# of honey's.... All full of bugs- too old Look on the bottoms.
Those bottom 4 pics look like way too old sulphurs.
IMHO- Dont eat em. If you put those top ones in a pan of water you'll see the bugs coming out.
Jeff will be soon:)
Bob, the orange ones are sulfur shelf, otherwise known as chicken mushrooms. Yes they are edible... very good in fact. Some of the ones you pictured however may be too far gone. It's hard to tell in a picture, but I'll give you some ideas on how to judge them.
A matter of just a couple days can make all the difference. I bet I left over a hundred pounds of them in the woods this year that I missed by just a few days. Remember or log the spot though because if the conditions are right, they'll grow there again next year. It took me a few trips out with, and trying to eat, some unpalatable sulfurs before I found out what they looked and felt like at their peak. It just takes a little experience. I didn't have anyone to tell me how to tell the difference.
IMO, they're best in the days prior to reaching full size, and then begin to get 'woody' and tough, and then they rot pretty quickly afterwards. There are a couple of tests I use to check their tenderness and freshness.
First of all, they're most tender before their outer edges become thin and 'sharp'. When they're growing, their edges are rounded and full, like a woman's soft pouting lips, and the whole thing is generally more tender. But even if they're thin and sharp, you might still get lucky. Try these tests.
You can give them a pinch test. They should be soft, and somewhat spongy and springy. When they start to get the slightest bit woody, they will be a bit harder. They get harder first back near where they attach to the tree, and then tough moving outward as the days go by. Sometimes you're able to trim off the inner part and use the outer, softer parts.
You can also give them a bend test against the grain. The most tender, best eating ones will bend a ways before they crack and break, while those that are getting tougher will break sooner than bend.
I find bugs in many wild mushrooms, especially sulfurs and sheepshead because they're full of hiding places. When they're fresh and young, bugs will hide in there, but they generally won't begin eating or burrowing into them until they're older, and past their peak.... generally.
I'm not sure what that brown mushroom is. I don't think it's a sheepshead. Dale might be right. It might be an old sulfur shelf. They lose their color as they die, eventually turning almost white. Whatever it is, it looks too far gone to be much good for anything.
Wasnt tryin to butt in but I didnt want him to get sick:) yeah I care about him :))) FWIW- those chicken mushrooms do taste very similar to chicken!
Can you vacpack those or is it better just to dehydrate them? Do they lose flavor? Ive strung up and hung morels in the basement to air dry but I dont think you can do that with sulphurs?
Dale, so far I've just froze them in ziplock bags and they last a year or so. Vacuum packing would help them last longer. Dehydrating them will let them last indefinitely. I'm going to dry some. I just wanted to get them in the freezer so they wouldn't go bad.
I also wouldn't mind canning some... both pickling them and canning them as a soup or stew... maybe with some venison, garlic, and veggies? Mmmmmmm.
Yeah we don't want anyone getting sick. I'm hesitant to even offer advice on mushrooms for that reason.
When I pick em the first thing I do is turn them over to see if the bugs started boring holes in them. First ones I ever picked I took them home and put them in water nd a zillion little white worms came out.
Once you know how to make sure theyre fresh all you need to do with sulphurs is to rinse them off. Most freeze them immediately so they dont get ruined.
Ewww. Never saw the worms.
Yeah I rinse them quickly as I brush them to remove any dirt. Keep in mind they soak up water like a sponge.
Some of the edges were a little mushey/slimey. I trimmed that away. Almost all werw put in the freezer.
I pulled back 1 leaf and the bugs were on it's underside. Brike a group off only to see worms thru the stems. They'll be there again:) I just gotta get there sooner!
Just starting here...we've been dry.
Lots of good info here! Thanks guys!
Had no idea their "shelf life" was so short! Guess you gotta be at the right place at the right time!
Brother Hajas (Big smile!) Give me a call when ya kin? PM me a number and time for me to call if ya wish.
Live here in NE PA. Sheepshead mushrooms are growing very fast due to perfect weather. my friend and I harvested 16 already well over 100lbs worth. we still have a 1/2 dozen or so growing. Had 1 weighing well over 50lbs. which I will send picture of when my son downloads from my cell. I use my food saver to pack away in freezer. best recipe olive oil, salt ,pepper, garlic powder,onion powder in hot skillet. higher heat to make them golden brown. top them off with your best red pasta sauce spinkle some mozzarella over them and put in oven on broil til chesse melts . oh so good. enjoy!!!!!1
My buddy picked a couple sheepshead yesterday, went back out and picked 4 bags full again today... just sent me a picture. I'm working a double today, 80 hours this week, or I'd be out there looking right now. I'm going out hunting em again tomorrow.
Jeff, just curious,is it legal to sell mushrooms?? I just saw on the hunters flea market that a guy was selling them for $8.00 a pound.
My wife scored a bunch of chickens today here in Tioga County. Big pile on the kitchen sink
I can't answer that with 100% certainty, Ben, but I can't imagine why not.
They're not like game animals, regulated by the game commission, dcnr, or anyone else for that matter. Mushrooms can be found or cultivated and grown practically anywhere.
Folks sell them here at flea markets and such sometimes too. $10 a pound last I saw.
It looks like they're slowing down here in these parts, although I'm keeping an eye on a handful of small sheepshead to see whether they get bigger, or just die off.
Jeff or Dale, I think these are sheepshead...hen of the woods. Affirm or not?
George, yes, for sure... that is a Sheepshead/Maitake/Rams head/Hen of the Woods... and a prime specimen at that, it seems. It should be snow white underneath, with minimal if any bug damage, if it's prime. A couple of bugs/bugholes upon disassembly isn't a big deal and I try to work around them.
I spent all morning cleaning them, but had to throw two large ones away because they were a bit too old and the bugs had gotten into them pretty bad. They were a tad yellowish underneath, riddled with holes, bugs, and actually smelled like an old pair of socks. lol Good ones should smell freshly 'earthy', shadowed, in the very best specimens by a subtle 'flowery' fragrance. But just plain ol' earthy is good :^)
Another gauge regarding their palatability is to do a 'bend test' on them. Simply bend one of the leaflets and see how far it bends before/if it breaks. It should bend over the radius of your finger, or 45 degrees or so without breaking. Sulfur Shelf mushrooms can by gauged the same way.
Nice find. Enjoy.
George, I suspect those may be Driads Saddle mushrooms, aka 'pheasant back'. Edible when fresh/prime but they appear to be getting a bit older. The pattern varies, and on those seems a bit 'loose', but that may be partly because they're a bit mature(and bigger, more spread out), as is also evident by their bruising, cracks, and blackish stems. Stems are more white when 'fresh' and younger. Underneath, they have pores rather than gills or teeth. They're most often found on dead elm trees but can be found on maple and a few others. I found some very young ones last week on a dead elm and am waiting for them to get a little bigger. Even young they have quite 'stout' stems, 1" or more in diameter, but the head is funnel-shaped then... which grows into a shelf type. I'll go back in the next couple of days and take a picture, if not pick them. Do a search for Driads Saddle and see what you think.
What kind of tree were they on, did you notice?
If possible, always take note of the species of tree, log, or stump they grow on as it can be of great help with identification. I also try to take note of proximity to running water, overall ground moisture, ridges or bottoms, north and south slopes, sunny side of trees and logs, etc. I see generalizations, a couple specifics, though nothing is cut in stone. This is a banner year, and a great one to learn with.
I thawed some sulfurs today, squeezed the excess moisture out of them, and my wife is now making lasagna with them... sulfurs instead of pasta.... and I didn't eat lunch :^) I'm real hungry.
In conjunction with my notes jotted down on an index card in my truck, I started a retroactive mushroom log today, and realized I need to take more pictures and detailed notes in the field. I hope one day to hand it off to my son, son-in-law, and/or grandson and give them a greater appreciation, and easier time of it :^)
Justin's spelling is better than mine. It is Dryad's.
They were on a smaller maple we had to cut down to put the cabin in.
Sulfur Shelf, spinach, and black bean pasta lasagna fresh out of the oven. House smells Goooooood :^)
We had the Maitake for supper. We just did them like we do Morels and they were really good. We froze eight packs as well from that one cluster.
Sounds good George. The wife and I are guilty sometimes of getting too fancy with wild mushrooms. They're good just cooked in a little butter and olive oil, salt and pepper. I like garlic with em too.
It's funny how things work out sometimes. I thought this might be a bad mushroom year because it was so dry all summer, but it turned out to be the best year for sheepshead I've ever seen.
Today was kind of bittersweet. I shot a buck fox squirrel with my bow, and found 33 Sheepshead mushrooms. The bad part is, the majority of them were too old and had to be left to finish rotting. I was in Moraine State Park when I found most of them, where I know some ancient oaks stand. Around one especially huge red oak, I found 11 Sheepshead! The biggest of the 11 would nearly fill a small wheelbarrow by itself. Best hunting/gathering venture so far this year. Wouldn't ya know I left my camera at home. Even with most of them overripe, I still hauled out as much as I could carry.
The multiflora rose tore me up pretty bad today, and it was 78 degrees. I had a heat on hauling those things. I hope it cools down soon.
I checked my journal, and this puts me at 82 Sheepshead found so far :^/
I found 18 more sheepshead this morning. Kept a few, left some to grow bigger.
Jeff, First I would like to thank you for posting this thread. Mushrooms have always interested me. From first picking pinkys with my grandfather, in NE Pa as a young child, to morels in the spring every year while I am supposed to be turkey hunting. That being said, I regret to say, I may have ate a bad shroom. You see I was looking at the awesome picture of your lasagna. I could almost smell it and it made me hungry. Upon zooming in on the lasagna picture I could not help but notice all the faces and heads that are hidden in its no doubt delicious baked top. From peoples heads, monkeys, skulls, smiley face's even a bison. Now I thought that I was losing it, even more than I know I have, until I found a women's face. Just as perfict as it could be on the left edge of your masterpiece of a creation. If anyone doubts just take a look for yourselves. In the mean time I think I better start paying better attention to my field guide. Bob
That's hilarious. I can't find any faces in there. Yeah, you'd better be a little more careful with your identification. I think you ate a psychedelic one :^)
lol! As long as they ain't talkin... go ahead and eat them!!!
Found some big ones today.
This one had to be 18-20 lbs. At $10/lb? That's crazy. I left both of these in the woods because they were past their peak by a week or so. I did come home with a full pack though, and I'm up to 107 Sheepshead found so far.
Haven't been able to get back in here in a while. Mushrooms finally kicked in here with late rains. Pretty much the most impressive autumn I can remember since starting this shroom insanity. Never have seen such a profusion of mycology in my life. At least 5 different species of turkey tail in profusion...sometimes all on the the same tree or log! I've seen dozens of species I've never seen before. I've spent hours pouring the books. Cut my last new fresh clump yesterday afternoon.
Same here, Ed. Found some beautiful turkeytails this year... I especially like the lilacs and oranges. I found a 2' high stump two days ago, absolutely enveloped in turkeytail. Awesome. Didn't have a camera though.
I found 4 sheepshead this week, 2 were rotten, and 2 looked half decent but didn't pass my fresh test so I let them be.
This has been such an exceptional year for mushrooms, I wouldn't doubt if it's a 'lifetime event'. I took a lot of pics and kept a detailed myco-journal. I learned a lot this year and am now hopelessly 'aware'... like bow making did for/to me with trees. I'm going to investigate the lower half of shroom valley tomorrow a.m. Biggest variety in one place I've seen by far. Happy hunting.
Ever consider Brother that the widely recognized " one degreeF change " has changed both rain distribution...and spore satisfactions with more decaying forests?? If you look close...you can almost see evolution:) Sometimes wonder if and how we might all fit in ?? :)
No, hadn't considered that. I just thought it likely happened to be a good year due to a more 'random' timing of rain and temperature, maybe in conjunction with a preceding lack/less thereof.
Often thought I was a little behind the times on the evolution thing though :^)
https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/fatal-toxins-found-in-edible-wild-mushrooms/7473.article#.WEWYqPSCyco.facebook
