New hens not going into Eglu Go Up

[Lesley]

I bet if they'd left the puffballs they would be football sized within two days

 

We have mushrooms everywhere - I've collected 4 different ones today to identify..............I won't eat them though as it takes me ages to identify them and then there is always the bit at the bottom of the page which says "similar to...." ........something poisonous

[Krysia]

very jealous!

 

We have a number of different mushrooms in the lawn and hedges but I need an expert to come and say, thats fine you can eat it! I dont trust myself with the book and pictures for the same reason as you Lesley

[Daphne]

We've found quite a few ceps recently - but mostly gone over so not good to eat. They are quite easy to identify as they have a sponge-like underside not gills. But, we also found the only poisonous one which I've never seen before and as you'd expect its got a bright red underside

 

My OH is going to rural France next week and he is under strict instructions to bring back the best ceps he can find (they seem to grow like a weed in Normandy) so we can eat and dry them for the winter I love this time of year - all that free bounty!

[Lesley]

We're off to Normandy next week - I'll have yo make sure we look for some.

 

I've decided that all our mushrooms are either Parasols, Death Caps or Lawn Bonnets - all poisonous

[craftyhunnypie]

We have a large mushroom growing in what was my veg patch last year. I'll take a photo in the next few days & you lot can identify it. I just daren't eat it. It's a biggy, but nothing like Lesleys 3 puffballs.

 

Emma.x

[chickencam]

We had some impressive mushrooms in the back garden one year when we mulched the potatoes with 'spent' mushroom compost. It obviously wasn't that spent

[The Dogmother]

My folks used to have a house in Norfolk, it was built on former agricultural land that had been fertilised with compost form the mushroom farm up the road - they always had super mushies growing in the back garden

 

I see loads when I am out walking near here, but I'm not nearly confident enough to pick and eat them.

[Lesley]

OMG!!!!!! - it's like Day of the Triffids here!!!!

 

We have giant puffballs all over the place! six in one paddock and seven in another!

 

We're leaving them to do their own thing now - I really wish I liked them.....if they tasted of something I would. I might have to try coooking some down with stock and adding a little cream and see if that improves them......it's such a waste otherwise.

[ClaireG]

How about soup or garlicky mushrooms? I know my Dad has given some to his local pub before will have to find out what they did with them

[craftyhunnypie]

My big mushroom / toadstool has died & withered now. I'm sure it wasn't edible. However, we now have some yellow / brown scallop ones at the base of the decking. These don't have any stalks, just look like stacked shells. I have s"Ooops, word censored!"ed them up & disposed of them - as didn't want the girls finding them.

It must be the year for fungi?

 

Emma.x

[Lesley]

I've cracked it!! - I fried a little garlic, simmered them in stock and added a little cream cheese - lovely, creamy, garlic mushroom I'll try soup next Claire.

 

I need to see if I can freeze the cooked mushroom and stock without them being too rubbery when defrosted - if it works I can make a monster batch of them.

[Charlottechicken]

Can you dry them at all, Lesley?

[Daphne]

Please keep up your recipe ideas - a neighbour bought us just a quarter of one on Sunday and we still have some left! I put the rest of it into a spaghetti carbonara!

[Lesley]

I could try drying them

 

I don't know that I'll be trying anything more than cooking them down in garlicky stock and freezing them as we're off on holiday on Saturday. I did manage to give one to my sister today

[Aunty e]

I found one in my back garden! OH is refusing to eat it though - it does smell pretty musty

[Lesley]

I don't blame him really - they do start to smell as they age.

 

I cooked three large ones yesterday ready to freeze down - but after cooking them they were like little bits of slimy rubber so it all went to the pigs I think I'll just admire them from afar from now on. I don't know why a large batch should be any different to the little bit I cooked the other day

[Daphne]

Lesley - I copied your idea and slow fried my leftover bits with onion and garlic then added salt, pepper and cream and froze it to have with pasta or rice sometime. When you defrost and eat yours would you mind saying how good/bad it was? My OH is fussy over the texture of mushrooms, so I'd like to be forewarned and have a reserve dinner available if necessary! Thanks

[Lesley]

I will - the little bit I froze from the small batch the other day is still in the freezer.

[Old Speckled Hen]

Mushroom Ketchup Recipe

Ingredients:

2 lbs (900 g) mushrooms (preferably large, open ones)

2 oz (56 g) salt

½ teaspoon ground allspice

A pinch of ground mace

A pinch of ground ginger

A pinch of crushed cloves

A pinch of cinnamon

½ pint (285 ml) brown malt vinegar

Method:

 

Wash and dry the mushrooms, trim off the ends of the stalks if necessary but do not peel them. Chop into small pieces.

Layer the mushrooms in the salt in a large bowl. Cover and leave for 24 hours and then rinse and drain.

Place in a pan with the remaining ingredients and bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Strain through a sieve and pour into hot, sterilized, bottles and seal.

Makes about 1½ pints (900 mi) of Mushroom Ketchup. Similar consistency to that of Worcester Sauce (thin).

 

Note: This ketchup must be sterilized immediately.

 

Mushroom ketchup has a myriad of uses.

I make loads every year but have only ever once been lucky enough to find a giant puffball

[Daphne]

Thanks for this OSH - a different neighbour has just been round to show off her haul of ceps; there's field mushrooms everywhere and I have my beady eye hoping a patch of trompette de mort will come up a bit later. I am definitely going to try this ketchup recipe should a pile of anything else come my way in the next few weeks! I'm often casting round for that something to give a bit of a savoury back flavour to a dish, and usually I have to resort to L&P!

[Alis girls]

How lovely must admit my OH wouldnt eat either in case he thought I was poisoning him I wouldnt feel confident indentifying fungi anyway. There was a recent case in news where 3 people ended up with kidney failure thro eating dodgey mushrooms which werent mushrooms. You guys obviously know your mushies from a toadstool.

[Daphne]

My neighbour has just brought round 4kg of ceps that he found.....not for us you understand, just to gloat

[Daphne]

We went out mushroom hunting today and found zilch which was edible - too dry I think. However, we did see over 50 fly agarics more or less in one place in undergrowth/light wood

[Daphne]

We ate my frozen puffball, bit of ordinary mushroom, very slow cooked onion & garlic, lots of pepper, bit of salt, and a small bit of cream mixture last night - it was delish, on pasta. I'd do it again (but it'll have to be next year now I expect)