On the Hunt for WILD Chicken of the Woods!
I love Sunday afternoons. The woods call me out for long hikes like a mother calling her child home. I get my wool socks, boots and woods gear together and sometimes have to talk myself out of staying after dark. My 14 year old son, the "Old Soul" child of mine, tells me there's no way he's letting me go out alone. He grabs his pocket knives, lighter, canteen, and machete and we head out.
"What are you on the hunt for today Mom"? This kid KNOWS me Lol. I've had it in my head for some time now that somewhere on our property there just has to be a mushroom called Chicken of the Woods, Laetiporus sulphureus.
http://themushroomforager.com/category/foraging-philosophy/
It is a sulphur shelf variety so there is no stem or branch holding a cap. It grows in layers and tastes like chicken! I am not a wild mushroom expert by any means, but as a prepper and survivalist this is something I am learning. Many experts agree that this is a great mushroom to begin foraging because there are few to no toxic look-alikes (https://wildfoodism.com/2014/10/07/5-easy-to-identify-edible-mushrooms-for-the-beginning-mushroom-hunter/).
So we set out, keeping in mind it's been a hot day in the 90s and the rattlesnakes, gators, and mosquitos are just waiting for us! The very first thing we find is signs of the giant hog that's been rooting in one of our ponds. He's made a little mini-pond by using his nose as a shovel to dig in a large circle for roots, snails, and frogs. Then it rained this afternoon and filled his mini-pond with water:
We've seen this big boy and he's over 400 lbs! The biggest pig I've ever raised was 325 and she was enormous. A tusked hog this size is dangerous, but he keeps to himself so live and let live.
We walked around another hour and a half. The sun was slung low and I started to think twice about getting chewed up by skeeters. My son, who insists in wearing flip flops on our hikes (eye roll), felt we should stay away from the pines. You really don't want to eat a mushroom that's been growing on inedible wood or sap. So off to the oaks we went. And there it was.....
The heavens parted and a lone ray of light glittered on this lone tree! Ok, that part didn't happen, but that's how happy I was! Again, this is not a positive I.D. since I am not an expert, but we will be allowing this youngster to grow and flourish until I can get someone to certify it. Here are acouple more angles:
After our amazing SHTF/survival find, we ate our sandwiches and sweet cherries, drank our lemonade, and watched the sunset. Even if I hadn't found my foraging target, I'm still one of the luckiest mamas ever❤
The Amateur Mycologist here. Very cool post and very cool find. However, I am not convinced you have found a Sulphur Shelf. I'm not even convinced it is a Laetiporus species at all.
From what i can see of the top of the mushroom it seems to have a slightly varnished look. Plus the fact that is is growing as a single shelf and with a very thick outside band, makes me think this is some other variety of shelf mushroom. Not sure about the exact species. Take a look at my How to ID a mushroom post and see if you can take some clearer pictures of the mushroom's characteristics which might help an ID.
In the meantime i would encourage you to join the new mycology discord channel.https://discord.gg/FVwxq
Not much conversation yet but I'm hoping to get lots of mycology buffs over there in time.
DBER
I will do an update post soon. It has thinned out on the edge and has started to ruffle. It also has a second shelf forming underneath.
That sounds more like it - the young specimens do have a thicker edge like that- and the color seems mostly right. It was the view of the top that instilled the most doubt because it looked like it might be the beginning of a varnish like finish
Edit 1: i just looked at t again and im sti
Unsure about the colors - sorry some weird editing problems on mobile
Here's an update with more pictures. It has rained the last two days so it's literally dripping wet. Doesnt do that on dry days.....https://steemit.com/homesteading/@farmandadventure/quickly-changing-chicken-if-the-woods-or-is-it
Thank you for taking time to look 🍄
Upvoted, followed and Resteemed. I've learned a lot from following Marjory Wildcraft. Her first DVD on Grow Your Own Groceries is what got me hooked. I was raised on my grandparents farm as a kid and was already a prepper long before that, but Marjory's DVD and homesteading and foraging articles took things to a whole new level for me with things I was previously unfamiliar with.
I beleive I have come across her as well! I will have to add her to our home library. ...Being raised on a farm is such a great childhood, I'm sure you can attest to that! I follwed you as well, welcome to Steemit!
Unfortunately, not chicken of the woods. Check out the update here! Answer is in the comments and is a very good read! Thanks🍄
https://steemit.com/homesteading/@farmandadventure/quickly-changing-chicken-if-the-woods-or-is-it
I get so excited when I find any edible mushroom (total ray of light moment, haha)! I just found some oyster mushrooms this past week, but I've yet to find chicken of the woods, great work!
We will be looking for more throughout the next seasons. Good luck in your hunts too! Let us know what else you find🍄
Unfortunately, not chicken of the woods. Check out the update here! Answer is in the comments and is a very good read! Thanks🍄
https://steemit.com/homesteading/@farmandadventure/quickly-changing-chicken-if-the-woods-or-is-it
That was the greatest read all day! You are a good story teller. :)
Hopefully that chicken of the woods will get some clusters on it and start piling up.
Would you believe it already has a baby?! We're so happy! Thanks for reading!
Unfortunately, not chicken of the woods. Check out the update here! Answer is in the comments and is a very good read! Thanks🍄
https://steemit.com/homesteading/@farmandadventure/quickly-changing-chicken-if-the-woods-or-is-it
Cool! We won't see chicken of woods until the fall but we were picking chanterelles this weekend.
Yumm! Lucky dogs!
Unfortunately, not chicken of the woods. Check out the update here! Answer is in the comments and is a very good read! Thanks🍄
https://steemit.com/homesteading/@farmandadventure/quickly-changing-chicken-if-the-woods-or-is-it
Nice report on a fun fungi foraging foray! Even though you didn't find your Chicken of the Woods, time in the woods looking for mushrooms is time well spent, for sure! Especially with family.
You've gotten some great comments about the identification of your mushroom and thanks for following up with it in your post update about the mystery mushroom. Steemit has a great foraging community!
We are having so much fun! Especially since we are also home schoolers, this feels more like a group project with people all over the world pitching in! Absolutely amazing.
This post, and your update, are such a great example of the stellar Steemit foraging community! This post also highlights how it's OK to get the identification right, rather than to try to eat everything we find. The Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) can really get some folks in trouble. Good foraging!
Well, you know what they say about food poisoning? First, you think you're gonna die, then you wish you would! And since there are many shrooms out there that can actually kill us, we are being very cautious. Thanks for your input!