Chicken of the Woods

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Chicken of the Woods

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Jam Lady

Joined: 28 Dec 2006
Posts: 2185
Location: New Jersey, USA

Posted: Sun Oct 16, 11 1:36 am Post subject: Chicken of the Woods

Have been keeping my eye out for chicken of the woods (Laetiporus sulphureus) as there was a tree with an excellent "crop" in Spring 2009.

As you can see today was my lucky day.

Completed my errands, came home, put perishable groceries away and walked back, kited out with foraging box / basket and Opinel mushroom knife.

They are prime quality: softly firm but not tough, clean, no bugs. Filled my basket but didn't take all that was on the tree. My haul weighed 13 pounds which I think translates to 6 kilos.

Shared with 3 friends, have started "feeding the freezer" and of course we had some with our dinner.

Last month I found superb hen of the woods (Grifola frondosa.)

What a great year this has been for mushrooms. And next year is supposed to be another, just as wet, La Nina year.

bubble

Joined: 13 Apr 2008
Posts: 960

Posted: Sun Oct 16, 11 8:49 am Post subject:
terrible year for wild mushrooms for us this side of the pond[UK] so far this season,we need rain rain and rain again but no penetrating frosts.

hedgehogpie

Joined: 02 May 2006
Posts: 684
Location: Kent

Posted: Sun Oct 16, 11 11:36 am Post subject:
Yeah, I'm with Bubble, it's dryer that a witches whatsit here, but go you - they're fabulous finds. Busy looking at flight schedules

TTouch Homestead

Joined: 13 Oct 2011
Posts: 703
Location: Cardigan, West Wales

Posted: Sun Oct 16, 11 12:30 pm Post subject: Identifying a mushroom growth.

We seem to have a sudden upsurge in mushrooms around our plot.I have counted at least 10 different shapes and colours, if only I knew what they were and if edible!!

Particularly good amount were some 'shrooms that were growing on a dead palm tree we cut down and left some time ago. I thought they were chicken of the woods, but these were much paler. They seems to grow in the same manner, fanning out and have a lovely oyster shape. I will try and take a pic.

Could they be oyster mushroom? They smell nice and mushroomy, and I have a tupperware tub full!

Jam Lady

Joined: 28 Dec 2006
Posts: 2185
Location: New Jersey, USA

Posted: Sun Oct 16, 11 8:07 pm Post subject:
They certainly look like oyster mushrooms TTouch Homestead. But I would never take a chance eating a mushroom identified from a picture by someone in a different county. Mantra of the New Jersey Mycological Association is "If in doubt, throw it out!" Chicken of the woods as I know it is traffic-stopping brilliant orange, lemony yellow on the underside, and no gills like your mushrooms have.

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