20150717 Genus Russula.

It is the time of the year when in my part of Southern Ontario woods explode with Russulas.This genus is very easy to recognize, even for the total beginner. In summary:

• mid-size, beautiful and colorful
• always terrestrial (growing on the ground, not on wood)
• white or yellowish gills and stalks
• stalks are of uniform width (there is no bulb at the bottom) 
• there is no ring
• older specimens frequently have almost funnel shaped cap 
• they are very brittle and crumble easily (hence common name "brittle gills")
• spore print is light

Here are several examples:

But when it comes to species, the problems start. Around 750 worldwide species of  mushrooms compose the genus Russula. It is extremely hard, even for very experienced person to confidently determine species. Variations of color within same species is great. Furthermore, the slugs, squirrels and mushroom flies love them, making finding untouched specimen almost impossible. If you overcome all this, it is very hard to transport specimens from the woods to your kitchen table. You usually end up with bunch of mushroom pieces.

For all this reasons I usually do not bother with picking his type of mushrooms.

20150713 King Bolete

Today I stumbled upon group of King bolete (Boletus edulis) under the spruce trees. They are certainly one of the best there is. Excellent  to prepare simply with some butter. Easy to preserve dried or pickled. Very easy to recognize. The color can vary from tan to dark  brown, frequently lighter away from the center; cap is dry and when young hard; the tubes are white, turning yellow and green as mushroom ages.The stem is reticulated (net-like ridges all over); meet is white and does not change when cut. Unfortunately, bugs and slugs love this mushroom and it is a challenge to find unspoiled specimens.

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I also found some specimens of Boletus subvelutipes, that superficially looks similar, but this one is poisonous.The giveaway are red pores and dramatic blue flash when cut.

Unusually early there were some Granular-Dotted Bolete (Sullus granulatus)/ Pretty good edible, sometimes really abundant. Easy to dry. It can be a little labor intensive  since caps need to be peeled. The cap is slimy and stem has numerous glands -dark dots (hence the name).

20150708 Main Loop and Heritage Trail

Today there were  oysters everywhere. It was possible to pick several perfect bunches for pickling.

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Unfortunately oyster last very short time and quickly get infested by bugs, not to mention eaten by slugs.
The Pluteus cervinus (Deer mushroom) is also around. This one varies in color greatly, but always grows on the well rotten wood (even if it is invisible under surface). It is edible, but unsubstantial and very fragile. It is hard to get them home in one piece.

Stumbled upon one amanita, Amanita vaginata (I think), some chanterelles and group of mature reishi (Ganoderma tsugae).

This is how harvest looked on my kitchen table:

And this is the end result, pickled and dry:

2015707 Headwaters Trail

In coniferous parts of the woods there is a number of Fly Agaric mushrooms (Amanita muscaria) They are of the Great Lakes type, big and mainly orange/yellow:

At this time of the year, actually through out the whole summer and fall, oysters are present. Species from genus Russula   are just starting:

This early in season it is rare to find king bolete. This one is a perfect specimen, firm intact.

20150705 Main Loop

Found today some oyster mushrooms and fair number of chantrelles. Despite all the book sources claiming that chantrelles are resistant to bugs, I find them always very infested. Oysters have extremely small worms, hard to spot, but they change complete feel of the mushroom. The best remedy is to dry nice looking mushrooms. That eliminates any kind of tenants for sure. Experimented with making conserve using small puffballs and oysters.

   

Found a single American cesar mushroom (I think), and great number of worm like coral (Clavaria vermicularis)

   

Also first pair of Xerula furfuracea: