If you have an aging shade tree, a stump, or even a pile of firewood in your garden, sooner or later, one of the six wild mushrooms shown in the accompanying photographs is almost sure to appear.
They all grow on dead or dying deciduous wood. Not only country dwellers but also city and suburb dwellers can gather them; these mushrooms are easier to find in populated areas than in the woods.
Autumn is the peak season, but a single stump may produce the scaly polypore in the spring and fall, velvet foot in the winter, and successive crops of inky caps throughout the warm weather.
All Are Edible
Although only diehard mycologists catch the scaly polypore, the other five are delicious when young, fresh, and properly cooked, but don’t expect them to taste like store mushrooms. Every wild mushroom has its distinctive flavor.
And they are so easy to recognize, unlike anything poisonous, that standard field guides recommend them to beginners.
You can pick each crop clean; they will still come in their proper season.
The fungus itself consists of a threadlike mass called mycelium which weaves around inside the tree. From time to time, it produces its fruiting bodies, the visible mushrooms.
Cutting these off has no more effect on the vitality of the mycelium than picking grapes does on the grapevine.
Appearance of Mushrooms
The appearance of mushrooms on a living tree shows the tree is past its prime. Mostly, mycelium lives on dead wood— around old wounds, for instance— but some species (notably chicken of the woods) trespass onto living wood.
Tree surgeons say that by the time mushrooms show, the mycelium has such a head start that it is not worthwhile chiseling it out except perhaps in the case of historic trees.
A little mild tree surgery plus heavy feeding is the most recommended. Moreover, mushrooms work slowly, and trees have a longer lifespan than people, so why not enjoy the manna when it appears?
Velvet Food For Cooking
To prepare velvet food for cooking, cut off the stems and peel the caps if they have a gelatinous film.
They are good sautéed in butter, better if after sautéing a little flour and sour cream are added.
Their flavor combines especially well with bacon and a touch of onion and garlic. Good in scrambled eggs and omelets.
Inky Caps
Inky caps grow from buried and visible dead wood and have even been known to push up through asphalt paving.
Nevertheless, they are very fragile. Only young, fresh specimens should be picked, and the caps cooked within a few hours.
Two or three minutes of gentle sautéing is ample. For chemical reasons, inky caps tend to be indigestible if served with beer, wine, or other alcoholic drinks.
Oyster Mushroom
The oyster mushroom has several close relatives, all of them edible. The tender parts, out towards the growing edge and away from the stem, are the best.
But watch out for signs of insect larvae. Since these mushrooms are large, they are usually cut into bite-sized pieces.
They can be simmered in a little water for about 20 minutes and served in a cream sauce, dipped in beaten egg and bread crumbs, and then fried, or dried and then powdered in a Waring blender.
Hen-of-the-Woods
Hen-of-the-woods (tender parts only, of course) is such a treat sautéed that mycologists rarely can resist the temptation to eat it fresh.
It has a crisp consistency, delicious nutty flavor, and the aroma of the woods.
But it is excellent fried in a little oil for about twenty minutes along with tomatoes, green peppers, and onions, and then canned by the cold pack method.
Scaly Polypore
The scaly polypore is edible and even has an acceptable flavor in its youngest stages, but as a rule, only less discriminating mycophagist eat it.
It produces gigantic crops from the same spot for several years and interests scientists because it can grow in darkness after a brief exposure to light.
Chicken-of-the-Woods
Chicken-of-the-woods is a universal favorite; the only problem here is how to beat other enthusiasts to the harvesting. The growing edges are tender and delicious and may be either fried or stewed. They combine superbly with lobster in a lobster Newburg.
Kinds of Fungi Growing on Wood
Of the many other kinds of fungi which grow on wood, some are too tough to think of eating, and others are edible and delicious but harder to identify.
The six described here are conspicuous and common—a safe introduction to a hobby that can begin in the garden and be continued. Who knows how far?
Images:
Oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus) grow on overlapping shelves.
The scaly polypore (Polyporus squamosus) is large and smells like uncooked tripe.
The velvet foot (Collybia velutipes) can be easily identified by its velvety stem.
Chicken-of-the-woods (Polyporus sulphureus) are bright yellowish colors.
44659 by Barbara B. Paine