Rhapsody Posted September 15, 2010 Share Posted September 15, 2010 Does anyone else go shrooming? My BIL and I are getting into it with the help of two books and Wiki, I'm trying to find a local expert to take us out and show us how its really done So far we've had Field Mushrooms, Chicken of the Woods, Giant Puffball, and Porcini. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bramble Posted September 15, 2010 Share Posted September 15, 2010 I have very happy memories of shrooming with my Dad whilst on holiday in Scotland when I was a nipper. They were never formal forays, we'd just pick 'shrooms if we found them. I was never confident enough to identify anything, and Dad was by no means an expert, but he knew what he knew and there was never any doubt that if he said it was an edible 'shroom, then it was. Funny, I've always hated 'shrooms, can't stand 'em, but loved collecting them with Dad ... those were the days ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJChick Posted September 15, 2010 Share Posted September 15, 2010 I would love to start. Our local council ranger centre is running a "Fungal Foray" afternoon in a woodland nearby in October so I am hoping to go along and learn all about them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy chickens! Posted September 15, 2010 Share Posted September 15, 2010 I'm very envious - would love to learn more; we had some lovely looking mushrooms grow under our apple tree this year and after much research think they were probably horse mushrooms which are edible; trouble is the probably.... didn't want to risk it without a bit more knowledge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majorbloodnock Posted September 15, 2010 Share Posted September 15, 2010 It is one of my fondest childhood memories. Getting up really early on a cold autumnal Sunday morning, going out with my father and picking some horse mushrooms, then coming back and doing the usual morning ablutions whilst mum cooked a big fry-up. There was certainly a hedonistic pleasure with knowing we'd earned the breakfast, and the colder and mistier the morning, the more welcome the hot breakfast afterwards. I was delighted when a friend locally with a farm told me he regularly gets huge puffballs growing in one of his fields, so every now and then we get to fry up slices of mushroom that cover the whole plate. It's absolutely wonderful to be able to fit your whole breakfast on top of the mushroom slice.... Gourmet? Me? Nah, gourmand, more like..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scarlettohara Posted September 15, 2010 Share Posted September 15, 2010 My mum and I are going on a National Trust mushroom walk in October - part of my birthday celebrations and really looking forward to it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJChick Posted October 25, 2010 Share Posted October 25, 2010 Hi All Update - I went to our local Fungal Foray yesterday in the nearby woods. It was great, the guides were really knowledgeable and we found about 20 different varieties , I thought at the start we would be lucky to find about 5! Although most were inedible we found Common Puffballs, Amethyst Deceiver and another one which were all edible so we picked some and when we got back to the Ranger Centre they fried them for us to try - yummy!! I have also learned that we have Shaggy Inkcaps in our field at home and we can eat those as well. It was the perfect Sunday afternoon for me - rambling through the woods in beautiful sunshine, we were there 3 hours but I could have quite happily stayed longer. Those that went home early because they were cold (and inappropriately dressed) definitely missed out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted October 25, 2010 Share Posted October 25, 2010 Mm, nothing like fresh field mushrooms! A word of warning though - no, not about not picking the red ones with white spots on! - Epping Forest has imposed a ban on mushroom-picking. Apparently someone was found with pounds of mushrooms which they were planning to sell to a restaurant! A lot of managed woodlands will have a general ban on removing any flora or fauna from the land, so it's something to be aware of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagazer Posted October 25, 2010 Share Posted October 25, 2010 Aww I used to go mushrooming with my late best friend. She used to take a book with her to identify the mushrooms. I must say I was never brave enough to eat any of our finds. I just used it as an excuse to walk the dog. At her funeral it was mentioned that we all thought she was a bit of a white witch as she was always picking up things from the countryside and brewing stuff up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scarlettohara Posted October 25, 2010 Share Posted October 25, 2010 Hi All Update - I went to our local Fungal Foray yesterday in the nearby woods. It was great, the guides were really knowledgeable and we found about 20 different varieties , I thought at the start we would be lucky to find about 5! Although most were inedible we found Common Puffballs, Amethyst Deceiver and another one which were all edible so we picked some and when we got back to the Ranger Centre they fried them for us to try - yummy!! I have also learned that we have Shaggy Inkcaps in our field at home and we can eat those as well. It was the perfect Sunday afternoon for me - rambling through the woods in beautiful sunshine, we were there 3 hours but I could have quite happily stayed longer. Those that went home early because they were cold (and inappropriately dressed) definitely missed out! I did the same yesterday but we only found puffballs and amethyst deceivers for eating Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Webmuppet Posted October 26, 2010 Share Posted October 26, 2010 it reminds me of my childhood. I used to get up at first light (every day in the autumn) drag the dog out of her bed and head for the hill across the road ( there was a fair old gradient to the hill). There would be loads of field mushrooms and horse mushrooms. I used to regularly fill a Mothers Pride bread bag. Then I would race home, clean a few of them up and fry them up for my breakfast. Mushrooms and toast with a dollop of ketchup, yummy, before heading off to school. Mother would turn the remainder into something for dinner or soup. Did get some funny looks at school when I poured some rather grey soup out of my flask...........tasted better than it looked ( even with my mothers rather dubious cooking) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhapsody Posted October 26, 2010 Author Share Posted October 26, 2010 So good to hear all this-around my way I am already the Mad Horse Hippie who doesnt shoe or bit, now I'm also the Fungus Foraging Freak and everyone recoils in horror when they see me chucking Porcini into my saddlebag. A word of warning about Shaggy Inkcap, while they are edible and tasty do NOT drink alcohol with them you will be very very ill! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJChick Posted October 26, 2010 Share Posted October 26, 2010 Important advice, thanks Rhapsody!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkBevBen Posted October 27, 2010 Share Posted October 27, 2010 (edited) Oh I'd love to know more about which mushrooms you can eat - have noticed we have these great big ones in our front garden! (I wound hubby up the other week and said I'd cooked some of them up ). We're always seeing them whilst out and about with Ben too A word of warning about Shaggy Inkcap, while they are edible and tasty do NOT drink alcohol with them you will be very very ill! that sounds a bit scary, why can you eat them but not have a vino at the same time? Edited October 30, 2010 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhapsody Posted October 27, 2010 Author Share Posted October 27, 2010 My info may be out of date but my Italian/French mushroom guru always warned me about common inkcaps, shaggy inkcaps and alcohol, he said they contain a chemical that reacts with booze and makes you feel lke you are going to die I've never been brave enough to test the theory! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkBevBen Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 oh dear I don't blame you for taking their word for it! How curious though hey! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
green Posted November 11, 2010 Share Posted November 11, 2010 I'd love to go foraging again. I used to gather wild berries and mushroom with my mum and nan, but I haven't got a clue what to look for as my childhood foraging trips took place in another country. I need to get one of them foraging books with loads of pictures and see what I can find, although with mushrooms you've got to be careful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
