Loving The Wild Harvest: Black Trumpets!
This summer I have been obsessed with mushrooms.
It's been so rainy and hot and rainy some more, the sun would only make a quick appearance for a day here and there. And than, the mushrooms started coming out... EVERYWHERE.
I know I've told you before that we wouldn't eat any mushrooms (no matter how tempting it would be) but when I found Black Trumpets and they were confirmed by more than five different sources, I decided to go for it.
It was also confirmed that the only look-alikes are also choice fungi in the genus Cantharellus (chanterelle).
We've had them 2 times now, once in a quiche and once for breakfast with scrambled eggs. I sautéed them in butter with garlic and herbs de provence. They truely remind me of something out of fine French cuisine... had I had this as a kid in France? Maybe the aroma is reminiscent of my birth country?
Either way, these mushrooms were delicious, we felt a little more connect to the forest and they gave us a better understanding of how precious the natural world really is.
The other day I took a little hour to hunt for more. I found several new spots and only picked those that seemed big enough or old enough, I also left more than half untouched (I'm not sure if that matters or not with mushrooms... I just feel it's only right to leave some for the forest!). As I pick these mushrooms, I tend to thank them in my own way.
I'm not the type to hug a tree and talk to it, but I do feel a great sense of appreciation for nature everytime I harvest something.
In order to conserve all those black trumpets (I picked far too many for dinner), we are drying them.
Like I've said earlier this month, I am not an expert and I am only getting started in this world of foraging, but what I know about mushrooms is this:
When in doubt, throw it out.
And that goes for all types of foraging, not only in the world of mushrooms will you find deadly specimens! Look at the difference between wild carrot (Queen Anne's Lace) and it's deadly look-alike poison hemlock. You don't want to ingest anything you don't know what it is... could be very regretful!
...And the Proof of Us:
Some people have a green thumb, I think I may have a green hand!
Nice harvest. I love mushrooms! all kinds. prepared all ways. Once you figure out they are safe...the skies the limit.
Safe if the key word there! And I think some of us may be more sensitive than other!
Awesome harvest! Yeah....gotta be careful. This is the kind of mushroom hard to oops on. Enjoy! I love your drying tray.
Thanks... took me about 20 minutes to make. Scrap wood and mosquito net! We rwally need to build a drying room!!!
yum!!! what a score coconut!! i looove mushrooms and cooked with a little butter and salt and garlic... nothing better! sounds like you sustainably wildharvested- well done! with mushrooms, the spores are their method of dispersal so it is okay to take most of the mature and not overaged mushies, unless you want to be kind and leave them for others :)
Lol thanks for the lesson. I knew about spores but I guess when they're small I thought they could have more to drop?
Yes butter and garlic my favorite... I wonder if it would be also very delicious adding parsley like we do for muscles!
Thanks Mountain Jewel, I'm happy to be learning as I do everyday.
yes! you're correct about the fact that as they mature, they have more spores to drop. sorry if i come across as too teach-y :D <3 happy to be learning every day here too, so much to learn forever ! :)
No worries about sounding too teach-y to me. I take your knowledge with the upmost respect. 😁.
Thank you for being teach-y!
Nice one, you are so lucky having forest on the land you live on, and having such an abundance of mushrooms, you should definitely get the book mycelium running can't recommend it enough.
well done on the drying tray xxx
I'll look into that book for sure, thanks for the suggestion.
Yeah we feel very blessed amd gratefull for this property we live on. It's been so giving thus far, it would be very difficult not to appreciate everything it has to offer.
Thanks, I had to come up with something quick to dry.. didn't want to lose them!
Looks like nice mushrooms!
Very nice in deed, thanks!
Congratulations @senorcoconut! You've got an upvote coming from the @ecotrain thanks to @eco-alex! This upvote is part of the Community Support Initative to help encourage you to keep writing great posts! Thank you for being a positive part of the Steem Blockchain!
Thank you @ecotrain!!!
I love mushroom for their nutritional value and health benefits.. Nature is indeed great in the way it provide our needs.
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Yes it is, yes it is. Oh no... I had forgotten about @treeplanter! Thanks for the reminder. Is that your project by the way?