‘Tis the season for colder weather, rainy days, and lots of wind. Trees are changing colors from bright green to warmer shades of red, brown, and orange. Leaves are falling, and the forests have an abundance of decay.
Decay sounds bad, but I promise you, it’s not:
With the knowledge of which trees to gravitate towards when mushroom hunting, you also need a few primal identification skills in order to avoid potentially toxic mushrooms.
The first method mentioned is for IDing any possibly toxic mushrooms. When inspecting a possible addition to a meal, check these things off in order to determine if they could be toxic:
However, if one wanted to get in on a little bit of fun, knowing the basic appearances of different fungal families will help a lot.
Edible agaric mushrooms have a color range of pink to brown spots on their cap, a pure white background on their cap, usually black gills, and a stout stem with a skirt.
The Russulaceae family is mostly all toxic!
If you taste chili or a different chemical taste, spit it out because it’s toxic! Most toxic brittlegills won’t cause death, but if fully consumed, you’ll definitely be sick.
If you live near or are able to travel towards the more western forests, do!
Decay sounds bad, but I promise you, it’s not:
The rotting leaves support fertilization for new plants and rotting wood gives home to many species of fungi.
Mushrooms and other fungi are parasites. They feel and adapt; they're living! They are also very yummy. Well, some anyway. Others are toxic and can be deadly.
Keep reading for a brief guide on figuring out the best areas, the best hunting times and climate, and how to distinguish different species of fungi.
The climate we have in the Pacific Northwest is perfect for growing several types of popular mushrooms. Mushroom hunting is one of the many fall and winter activities Oregonians are known for.
According to That Oregon Life, a sure-fire way of finding mushrooms is to know your trees! Certain trees support certain fungi. Two of the more common families of mushrooms are boletes and chanterelles: They both have distinct flavors and appearances which make them hard to miss.
According to That Oregon Life, a sure-fire way of finding mushrooms is to know your trees! Certain trees support certain fungi. Two of the more common families of mushrooms are boletes and chanterelles: They both have distinct flavors and appearances which make them hard to miss.
They both grow mostly on fir trees, pine trees, oak trees, and western hemlock trees. Luckily for us, those are a few of the most common trees in Oregon forests.
Other species grown by these trees, and trees like Aspen, Spruce, Willow, and Birch home subspecies like the hedgehog mushrooms, matsutake, ‘Slippery Jack’ mushrooms, Suillus, blewits, black trumpets, honey mushrooms, and oyster mushrooms.
With the knowledge of which trees to gravitate towards when mushroom hunting, you also need a few primal identification skills in order to avoid potentially toxic mushrooms.
However, before knowing where to look and what to look out for, it's necessary to have basic knowledge of the anatomy of a mushroom:
Mushrooms all have a cap, which is usually umbrella shaped, if it's not a semi-flat surface. They will have a stem, which should be pretty self-explanatory; it's used to hold up the cap and transfer light, water, and other nutrients to and from the roots. Mushrooms will also sometimes have a 'volva' which is a bulb-like or sack-like shape from which the stem grows from. Some mushrooms will have a 'skirt,' which grows around the stem close to the cap or in the middle of the stem.
Several mushroom families have twins or doubles. One is delicious, the other… Well, not so much. There are ultimately two basic ways of identifying. One is very basic, meant for someone who wouldn’t mind missing out on a few yummy ‘shrooms. The second is also more basic than hunting with a guide or app but help distinguish more in-depth between families.
Are there white gills? Is there any red coloring or bright, neon yellow spots on the cap or stem? Is there a skirt or ring around the stem? Does it smell unpleasant, like chemicals? Is there a sort of sack that the stem is protruding out of (also called a volva)? If yes to any of these, the ‘shroom could be toxic, so look out!
However, if one wanted to get in on a little bit of fun, knowing the basic appearances of different fungal families will help a lot.
Edible agaric mushrooms have a color range of pink to brown spots on their cap, a pure white background on their cap, usually black gills, and a stout stem with a skirt.
If you press the cap a bit to create a bruise like you would with a banana, the color will change to pale yellow, pink, or pale red. Toxic agarics bruise a bright, chrome yellow and will have an extremely unpleasant chemical scent.
The bolete, sillius, and Leccinum families have short, stout stems and instead of gills, they have sponge-like pores. Any toxic doubles in these families will have red spots on the cap, stem, and pores.
The bolete, sillius, and Leccinum families have short, stout stems and instead of gills, they have sponge-like pores. Any toxic doubles in these families will have red spots on the cap, stem, and pores.
Another way you can test for a bolete’s toxicity is by carefully slicing it vertically. If a rapid color change happens, likely blue, it’s toxic!
The Russulaceae family is mostly all toxic!
Unless you have an expert in the field with you to help identify it, preferably a human, stay away from them.
They are most commonly known as milkcap mushrooms because they leak a milk-like lactate substance from their gills.
Another mostly toxic family of mushrooms is the Amanita genus.
Another mostly toxic family of mushrooms is the Amanita genus.
Every subspecies of this family has white gills or spores. They also all grow from a volva. Check for one before picking it!
One of my favorite families, and the last, is commonly known as the Russula. Particularly, the brittlegill mushroom.
One of my favorite families, and the last, is commonly known as the Russula. Particularly, the brittlegill mushroom.
When you come across one, and you are sure it’s the species, try it! Obviously, don’t take a huge bite out of it, but put a tiny piece of the cap onto your tongue.
If you live near or are able to travel towards the more western forests, do!
They are particularly perfect growing places. McDonald forest, Chip Ross, Alsea Falls, and the Siuslaw National Forest are top-notch places to start.
I will say however because these areas are well-known hunting spots, try finding an area that is lesser known. Mushrooms love being near creeks or growing on hills!
If you can, find a more seasoned hunting partner, if not, be sure to use as many guides as you can and do a bit of research before hand so you have a plan. If you're reading this, looks like you're on the right page!
If you can, find a more seasoned hunting partner, if not, be sure to use as many guides as you can and do a bit of research before hand so you have a plan. If you're reading this, looks like you're on the right page!
If you have a written guide, the best way to identify mushrooms is to ask yourself some questions:
What time of year is it? What does the mushroom smell like? Does it have any red spots? What color does it bruise? What’s the physical description? Where is it growing?
If you aren't big on cooking, or just want to see if you can find any mushrooms, bring a camera or sketchbook along and document them!