Tag Archives: Laetiporus sulphureus

Today’s Edibles

Today’s trek through the Helyar Woods and a few other places yielded a few fun culinary specimens.

A tiny Beefsteak Polypore. At this point I think that the literature needs updating. Beefsteaks seem to be naturalized in NJ.

Two good brackets of Chicken of the Woods. One in Helyar from a bigger cluster that was picked over by another mushroom hunter, another exceptionally young bracket from the log by Ryder’s Lane (much more grew, but sadly so did the poison ivy).

Lots of Meadow Mushrooms from a variety of places, including the largest specimen of the year so far.

In the next post I’ll have the inedibles and unidentifieds.

Peace,
-Steve

All above: Fistulina hepatica

All above: Laetiporus sulphureus

All above: Agaricus campestris

Even *MORE* Chicken of the Woods and Oysters!

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

Yesterday’s Mushroom Catch

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