Autumn may mean the end to the fruits of summer, but nature has more showing off to do before winter’s first chill stops most wild things from blooming. The changing of the leaves is a suspenseful time for mushroom hunters, who know that fall is the best season for foraging. If you are new to the mushroom scene, now is a great time to start learning. Delicious bracket mushrooms thrive in the fall, and their unique shapes and colors make them easily identified, safe mushrooms for beginners.
Finding Fall Shrooms
Seasoned mushroom hunters have a mental map of stumps and trees to visit after every rainfall when the weather gets cool. One day, the secret spot will be bare, but the next an enormous cluster of chicken of the woods or oyster mushrooms will appear, fully formed and ready to eat. Both of these fall favorites erupt from dead and decaying wood, but can be found around live trees as well. Sometimes these mushrooms appear in the middle of a field, with no tree in sight. That’s because these mushrooms are decomposers, feasting on an old root system of a removed tree. They will continue to fruit in the same area until the root system has been fully devoured.
The chicken of the woods are neon orange and white, colored a bit like a dreamcicle at the height of its edibility. The mushroom’s unique shape, enormous size and bright color make it so recognizable and identifiable that it can even be seen from fast-moving vehicles on the highway. Oyster mushrooms also grow in layered shelves, though their colors are muted shades of beige to lily white. Both are a thrill to see, especially considering that once you’ve spotted one bracketed cluster you can be assured that they will return throughout this season and every subsequent season until the tree or underground root system it’s feeding on has vanished. They can grow to be gigantic, so exercise proper foraging etiquette and cut only what you and your family can eat, being sure to slice along the base near the root.
Eating Fall Shrooms
Chicken of the woods are best prepared like fried chicken. Clean them with a knife, cutting away the parts that are firm and keeping the soft bits, cut into bite-size portions, batter and then deep-fry. They are heavenly, living up to their name in texture and flavor. They are a vegetarian’s dream mushroom.
Oyster mushrooms add an earthy flavor and meaty texture to a stir fry. Fry with garlic, olive oil, ginger and onion, then add other vegetables and rice. Another popular method is to prepare them alone, sauteing with a few tablespoons of cider vinegar until the liquid evaporates. Serve over rice, pasta or greens.
Although both of these mushrooms are safe, without poisonous lookalikes in Missouri, it is always best practice to double check your finds with the Missouri Department of Conservation. Always cook mushrooms thoroughly to prevent upset stomachs. Happy mushroom season!
Photos by Mabel Suen and http://www.mushroom-appreciation.com/ . This article appears courtesy of Feast Magazine. Feast Magazine is dedicated to broadening the conversation about food and engaging a large, hungry audience of food lovers.
