All posts by Steve

Even *MORE* Chicken of the Woods and Oysters!

Laetiporus sulphureus, Mushrooms, Pleurotus ostreatus, ,

On the side of Ryder’s Lane, my wife spotted a downed tree with no less than 30 pounds of Chicken of the Woods growing on it. To my disappointment, I was only able to harvest 1/3 of the bounty as the other portion was growing through or far too close to poison ivy.

However, we found another bunch in the Livingston Ecological Preserve that more than made up for it.

After all was cleaned, we now have 10 pounds total of ready to eat Chickens in the fridge and freezer.

We also found some Oyster Mushrooms not too far from the second Chickens batch.

It’s been a good haul.

Peace,
-Steve

Mushroom Wednesday

Agaricus campestris, Calvatia cyathiformis, Marasmius oreades, Mushrooms, Puffballs, Unidentified Mushrooms, Vascellum curtisii (Lycoperdon curtisii)

After two days of steady rain there was a huge bloom of mushrooms.

Here are some that we’ve pulled in so far. 🙂

Peace,
-Steve

Vacellum curtisii

Calvatia cyathiformis

Marasmius oreades

Agaricus campestris and one C. cyathiformis

Another M. oreades

C. cyathiformis

Two A. campestris

Two A. cyathiformis

Unidentified Marasmius.

Unidentified.

A. campestris

Yesterday’s Mushroom Catch

Daedalea quercina, Fistulina hepatica, Laetiporus sulphureus, Mushrooms, Unidentified Mushrooms, ,

After the first downpour in a month, we hit the Heylar Woods at Rutgers Gardens and after some bushwhacking came across a number of beautiful specimens.

A large cluster of Chicken of the Woods (L. sulphureus) that was being enjoyed by a mass of insects.

Lots of polypores of various sorts, including a rather maze-gilled mushroom I have never seen before. (Still identifying it.)

And a rare find in NJ: A Beefsteak Mushroom, sometimes called “Ox Tongue” (Fistulina hepatica).

Later on in the day, we found a pristine Chicken of the Woods (another L. sulphureus) over in Johnson Park growing on a stump.

Now both the Beefsteak and the latter Chicken are awaiting their fate in our fridge. 🙂

An old Laetiporus sulphureus.

Another old Laetiporus sulphureus.

A zoomed out view of where it was growing.

UPDATE Nov 16 2010: Identified as Daedalea quercina.

UPDATE Nov 16 2010: Identified as Daedalea quercina.

UPDATE Nov 16 2010: Identified as Daedalea quercina.

Unidentified.

Fistulina hepatica

Fistulina hepatica

Fistulina hepatica

Laetiporus sulphureus

Laetiporus sulphureus

Meadow Mushrooms in Colonial Park

Agaricus campestris, Mushrooms, Vascellum curtisii (Lycoperdon curtisii),

Yesterday we all decided to take a trip into Colonial Park to search for mushrooms, and we were pleased to find a large bloom of Agaricus campestris (Meadow Mushrooms) and assorted Lycoperdon (Spiky Puffballs). I’ll have some images of them up as soon as I sync my phone.

Peace,
-Steve

Chicken of the Woods… Er… Park

Laetiporus cincinnatus

Two days of steady rain after a very very dry summer has prompted one of the most delicious fungi to bloom on abundance: Chicken of the Woods.

In Johnson Park, I found a 7-10 pound specimen, fresh and colorful. As its pores were white, and it wad growing a foot from the base of its host tree, this is a specimen of Laetiporus cincinnatus, one of the most prized of the “Chicken family.”

Unlike its close cousin Laetiporus sulphureus where only the tender outer flesh is soft enough to eat, most of it’s flesh is edible, save the very hardest parts in the core.

After “butchering” it at home, I was left with 2 cookie sheets full of nice-sized pieces, one of which is now freezing, while the other is safely tucked into the fridge for cooking up after the “taste-test period” is up.

Whenever I find a new 100% positive identification, morphologically and microscopically, I *always* eat a tiny bit and wait for a few hours to overnight to make sure it won’t make me sick Even with wild mushrooms I’m accustomed to, they aren’t cultivated in a controlled environment and could be affected by any number of things.

If these are good to go, I shall be delighted.

Peace,
-Steve