| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| PeteS |
ChanterellesWhile walking the dog early this morning I spotted a small group of Chanterelles starting to fruit. I had gone out to look for them as the weather is ideal. However, did not have my camera with me but had to take a picture with my mobile phone - which is useless especailly in bad light.
Also saw Oytser mushrooms in great numbers. 
Also noticed a few wild strawberries which were already ripe! Could be a good year for them. Bingo, the mushrooms were from your favorite spot. I did not pick any but did not search that hard. I still get lost when I go there!Early for Chanterelles but if this rain keeps up they will soon be there in numbers. |
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| hardworkinghippy |
We've been out a few times in the last few days and the Chanterelles are really starting to bloom. (If that's what you call it!)
We got about seven kilos and were offered only 8€ a kilo, so we said "No" and I've spent the last two days bottling them. These are the first six pots out of the boiler. 
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| PeteS |
Hello Hardworkinghippy. When you say 'bottling' do you mean pickling? I pickled some last season and was well impressed with the results. They don't dry well, so this is a good why of preserving a haul.
I will check my other patches at the weekend, but it's still quite early for them up here. |
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| hardworkinghippy |
Hi Pete,
I've never tried them pickled - how did you do that? I cook them them in a little bit of duck fat then bottle them without adding anything at all and simmer the jars for about 35 minutes. They taste as good as fresh even after a few years if you keep them somewhere cool and out of the light. It's a nice treat to have some once in while when there's none around. |
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| PeteS |
Good weekend - Chicken of the Woods, Oyster mushrooms, Fairy Rings, a few St George's, a nice little ring of Chanterelles around a birch tree and a few wild strawberries.
Chanterelles 
Wild Strawberries 
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| Stewy |
I used to always find wild strawberrys when I was a kid but I aint found none for years, must look harder. | ||||
| bingo |
I'm gonna have to pop out soon. 
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| Slim |
Strawberries must be naturalized there, right? I thought they were a new world native.
anyhoo, it's been a dry spring here, so little on the fungal front, but the wild blueberries are starting to bloom, profusely in some spots - looks like I'll need to bring some containers on a few midsummer hikes. I went for a hike yesterday and had a nibble on some wood's sorrel and some wintergreen berries. 
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| cab |
If memory serves (and often it does not), theres a North American species group, and a European one. The domesticated strawberry is a hybrid of the two. Dunno what the native strawberries over there are like. |
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| Slim |
small and seedy 
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| PeteS |
Actually I don't like the strawberries you get in the shops - the Garden or English Strawberry. I think that they are too watery and don't taste of much. On the other had the wild strawberry is fantastic. Sure, they are small but what a taste! And you don't need many to get results.
I think that the Garden Strawberry is a hybrid between the two species from the Americas and nothing to do with the Wild Strawberry. See: http://www.cvni.org/wildflowernursery/wildflowers/wild-strawberry Bilberries are a favorite of mine. Just finished flowering here and you can see the small (still green) fruits. |
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| PeteS |
Go on, you know it makes sense! I think it'll be another couple of weeks before the Chanterelles really get going. And another couple of weeks before the majority of wild strawberries are ripe. |
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| PeteS |
To pickle... Combine good white wine vinegar with about half the amount of water, salt (about a TBSP to litre of liquid), a few bay leaves and 7-10 cloves. Bring to the boil and add the mushrooms. Boil for 5 mins for small mushrooms, around 12mins for large ones. You will find that the mushrooms shrink to about 1/3 their original size. Drain and allow to cool on a very clean cloth (boil/scald it first). Put the mushrooms in a sterilised jar ( a few at a time) and add olive oil. Mix, add more mushrooms and oil until the jar is full. Make sure there are no air bubbles. Close the jar and keep for 4-5 weeks before using. I have keep mine for 6 months and they were still fine. Hardworkinghippy, your method sounds good, but I have not heard of it before. I'd like to try it. When you say "simmer the jars" what do you mean? |