Mushrooms of Fort Valley Virginia

Agaricus bitorquis

2011-04-16T10:29:00.000-04:00

First good find of the 2011 season was a new one for me. My wife said there were white mushrooms in the mint patch in the backyard. Couldn't imagine what they could be, so I checked immediately. Turns out they were Agaricus bitorquis, which are usually found early before other Agaricus make an appearance. We fried them in butter, applied a light dash of salt and ate them on toast. Delicious.

Agaricus bitorquis, Sidewalk Mushroom

Late Winter Finds - Daedalea quercina

2011-02-24T07:42:00.000-05:00

This thick-bodied polypore is common on oak stumps. The pore surface develops into a labyrinthine, maze-like structure which can look very strange. No value as an edible, but it contains compounds that have an anti-inflammatory effect. If you are familiar with the work of artist, Rodger Dean, you can't help but think this mushroom may have provided inspiration.

Daedalea quercina, Thick-maze Oak Polypore

Artwork by Rodger Dean showing possible inspiration from Daedalea fungus.

Detail from Rodger Deans' "Arrival," included in the album "Yessongs," by Yes

Late Winter Finds - Trametes versicolor

2011-02-23T18:56:00.000-05:00

Any time you go into the woods you'll find this mushroom. It is ubiquitous on old, fallen timber. It is rather lackluster when dry, fading to tints of light gray and tan. But, after a day or two of damp weather the colors really develop contrast and variety. Supposedly medicinal, I ground some of these to make a tea. Wouldn't describe the taste as good. Kinda tastes medicinal.

Trametes versicolor, Turkey-tail

Black & White Fungal Abstractions

2011-01-06T21:23:00.000-05:00

Being winter there aren't many mushrooms in the frozen woods, and not much color either. But, if one looks hard and long enough, subjects reveal themselves. Black and white is a good medium for abstraction, since the mushrooms are usually a washed-out faded memory of their once vibrant glory. Here's some of what I'm finding.

Old Oysters, Pleurotus ostreatus

Daedalea quercina, Thick-maze Oak Polypore

Xylobolus frustulatus, Ceramic Parchment

Off Season Adventures - Sourdough

2010-12-13T10:16:00.013-05:00

Winter is fast approaching. The thermometer has dropped into the lower teens°F on and off for a couple weeks now. Hopes are dwindling for finding desirable mushrooms in the chilly outdoors. (Although, finding polypores to grind into powder for making tea is always a prospect, even in the dead of winter.) So, what is a mushroom nut to do in the off season?

I decided to have a go at making sourdough bread. Online discussions and research reveal limitless techniques and recipes. The first hurdle is to get a good starter going. You can beg, borrow or steal healthy starters from other breadheads, and this is undoubtedly the surest bet. But, not being one to listen to reason I decided to make a stab at starting my own starter.

Sourdough starter, as I understand it, is a live culture of both yeast and bacteria coexisting symbiotically in a nutritious medium of flour and water.The bacteria produce lactic acid giving sourdough its characteristic tangy taste, while the yeast do the leavening, allowing the dough to rise during baking. Without inoculation using a proven starter, you depend on the indigenous yeasts and bacteria floating around your native environment to do the inoculating. Although not a mushroom, yeasts are fungi, and so I think they are fair game for this blog.

My own particular environment is far from sterile. We live in the forest, and use wood from our yard to fire the woodstove for heat in the winter. There is no air filtration as with central air-conditioning or heating. I assume there are countless bacteria just waiting to feed off a floury broth. Yeasts too must be plentiful, but in this case I decided to include a wild persimmon to provide an indigenous yeast inoculant for the starter. As this is an experiment, good results are just speculation as of now.

Here's a photo of the persimmon showing a whitish "bloom" on the skin. Supposedly, native yeasts can be found adhering to this thin layer.

Wild persimmon showing whitish bloom

Small pieces were cut from the persimmon and included in the starter, which consisted 1/2 cup organic dark rye flour, 1/2 cup whole wheat flour, and 1 cup spring water. My hope is the small pieces of wild persimmon will act as islands of yeast populations from which a diaspora of yeast emigrants will depart their homeland to populate the sea of floury broth in which they now find themselves.

Here's the sourdough starter after the third day. It doesn't look very active, only a few bubbles. The aroma is good, smells of sweet wheat flour and slightly sour. The taste is definitely sour. On the 2nd and 3rd day, half the starter was discarded and replaced with fresh whole wheat and rye flour and water. The starter is in a covered bowl sitting over on the side of the fireplace hearth for warmth.

Sourdough starter

Ok, it's been a week since the starter got started, and it's really showing some action. There are many, many bubbles, and an aroma that is heady and good. The volume of the starter seems to expand after a fresh flour addition. Flour additions have been switched over to all-purpose white flour, but you can still see some of the rye and whole wheat flour in the starter. I ordered a 10.5" round proofing basket, and a 9" baking stone that will fit comfortably in the dutch oven. These haven't arrived yet. Here's the starter.

One week old sourdough starter from scratch

Late Season - Oysters, not On the Beach

2010-12-02T10:37:00.004-05:00

One of the common, dependable and tasty fall mushrooms is the Oyster, Pleurotus ostreatus. After a heavy rain, large clusters of Oyster almost explode out of dead trees, either fallen or still standing. Most often I find them on dead or injured Tulip Poplar trees. These however look to be growing from a felled and sawed oak.

This cluster and individual mushrooms were so large they were easily visible from dozens of yards away. White spores (characteristic of Pleurotus) can be seen dusting the leaves on the ground.

Pleurotus ostreatus, Oyster Mushroom

A different cluster from the 1st photograph, but growing from the same log. It sometimes pays to scout around after finding an initial cluster of Oyster Mushrooms.

Pleurotus ostreatus, Oyster Mushroom

Basket of harvested Oysters. Wild Oyster Mushrooms put store-bought to shame in size, taste and texture.

Pleurotus ostreatus, Oyster Mushroom

Oysters enjoyed the same day they were picked. Here they are sauteed with leeks in butter. This dish was eaten over rice, but imagination suggests this same combination might go very well in a cream of mushroom soup; already in the planning....

Pleurotus ostreatus, Oyster Mushroom and leeks

Late Season - H. fuligineus cont.

2010-12-01T20:59:00.005-05:00

Hygrophorus fuligineus is an incredibly tasty late autumn mushroom. Its appearance marks the end of the season. As a gourmet flourish at the season's finale, it is a fitting reminder of rewards once had and the promises to be realized in future seasons. I used the mushroom to make Asian spring rolls, supposedly good luck in China.

The mushrooms are cooked in butter in a skillet over low heat. Low heat preserves the tender nature and mild flavor of the mushrooms. Taste and texture are reminiscent of fresh flounder, which is to say not fishy.

Hygrophorus fuligineus

Green peppers and green onions are fried separately in olive oil. When sufficiently tender, the heat is turned off, the mushrooms are added, and hoisin and sriracha sauce are stirred into the mix.

Hygrophorus fuligineus

Finally, the cooked mushrooms and vegetables are spooned onto rice or mung bean noodles placed on wet rice wrappers. Raw green peppers and green onions are added for crispy freshness, and the wraps are rolled up. The rolls are usually dipped in a spicy sauce between bites.

Hygrophorus fuligineus

Late Autumn Harvest - Hygrophorus filigineus

2010-12-01T19:39:00.002-05:00

Seems I have some time on my hands. I'd forgotten how much you can get done for yourself given a little time. Time is a precious commodity indeed, and it is most rewarding when spent developing a timeworthy personal hobby such as edible wild mushroom foraging. The following pictures show Hygrophorus fuligineus.

Hygrophorus fuligineus is a late season edible. They are found growing with pine, on the ground in the forest. Young specimens are extremely slimy and hard to hold. Gills are white and descend down the stem. Center of the cap is typically darker than the edge. Spore print is white.

Hygrophorus fuligineus

This shows the slimy layer found on younger specimens. If you are deterred by the slime, you will miss out on a very tasty mushroom.

Hygrophorus fuligineus

Basketful of what I consider a gourmet edible. Pine needles are seen stuck to the mushrooms after the slime layer has dried.

Hygrophorus fuligineus

Cooked over low heat in butter, this mild tasting mushroom has the flavor and texture of fresh flounder or sole. The taste is not fishy, but has a savory richness that melts in your mouth. The picture shows mushrooms cooked in olive oil, the taste of which overwhelms the mild taste of the mushroom. Better to use butter.

Hygrophorus fuligineus

Late Season - Thanksgiving Stuffing

2010-11-25T08:53:00.005-05:00

This year's turkey stuffing included two novel ingredients. In addition to the normal bread, carrots, celery and onions, we threw in significant quantities of turnips and Hygrophorus filigineus mushrooms picked from the wild.

The turnips give a mouthwatering sweetness to the stuffing, while the mushrooms added moisture and cohesiveness to the texture, as well as a mild taste with undertones of exotic wild nature.

This picture appeared in the New York Times collection of Thanksgiving photographs submitted by readers. Pine needles from the mushroom's natural habitat are seen stuck to the mushrooms before cleaning.

Hygrophorus fuligineus included in turkey stuffing

Late Season - Mushroom Ragu

2010-11-07T19:50:00.002-05:00

This is wild mushroom ragu prepared with dried Agaricus campestris harvested from a local vineyard. Red wine from the same vineyard was included in the recipe, as well as fresh sassafras leaves dried and crushed to make file.

Being dark-spored, A. campestris gives the pasta an intriguingly dark color. The pasta is farfelline, or small bow-ties, which invite dainty, small scoops of the thick, dark ragu sauce. Light colored grated cheese and pineapple are a pleasing contrast for the eyes. Of course, the same wine used in the recipe is the beverage used to accompany the overwhelmingly rich meal.

Wild mushroom ragu using Agaricus campestris and red wine

Early Autumn Harvest

2010-10-07T21:20:00.017-04:00

Three inches of rain brought a good harvest of mushrooms common to fields and grass. Both Meadow Mushrooms, Agaricus campestris, and Purple-spored Puffballs, Calvatia cyanthiformis, were plentiful enough to satiate my hunger for wild mushrooms, at least temporarily.

This is a basket of very fresh Meadow Mushrooms. Closely related to the white button and Portobello mushrooms at the grocers, the ones picked from the wild are more flavorful. Most of these will be dried and become part of a mushroom ragu recipe using red wine and cavatelli.

Agaricus campestris, Meadow Mushrooms

A basket of Purple-spored Puffballs sits on the grass from where they were picked. If their destiny is the kitchen, select young, firm puffballs with a uniform pure white interior.

Calvatia cyanthiformis, Purple-Spored Puffballs

These are the Meadow Mushrooms sauteed in butter and spread on top of toasted pumpernickel bread. Thin slivers of Swiss cheese are melted to keep the mushrooms in place. The cooked mushrooms are very dark and compliment the color of the pumpernickel.

Agaricus campestris, Meadow Mushrooms

This hearty breakfast has fried puffball slices placed on a scrambled egg while still in the skillet so the slices get cooked into place. Egg and mushrooms then top-off a toasted bagel. The puffball is a uniform white inside. Fry puffball slices over low heat to avoid off flavors and aromas.

Calvatia cyanthiformis, Purple-Spored Puffball

These are the dried Meadow Mushrooms to be used in making mushroom ragu. Hopefully, I will find some Maitake, Grifola frondosa, that can also be included in the ragu.

Agaricus campestris, Meadow Mushrooms

A Very Impressive Amanita

2010-06-06T15:51:00.006-04:00

The woods are beginning to show some potential. Rain and early June make for good mushrooming, and the proof is in the pictures.

This magnificent Amanita jacksonii, the Eastern Caesar's Mushroom, is among the largest Amanitas I ever found. Listed as edible but not choice, the taste is said to be somewhat fishy. Others say specimens found further north (Maine) have excellent flavor. I may try a little to satisfy my curiosity, and be able to say I've eaten more than one species of Amanita (A. rubescens).

Amanita jacksonii, Eastern American Caesar's Mushroom

To give an idea of size and stature, the knife case at the base of the mushroom is 3.75" long.

Amanita jacksonii, Eastern American Caesar's Mushroom

Here's my hand for a size comparison. You can also see the large, white sack-like volva at the base of the mushroom. The specimen was solitary, with oak being the predominate tree in the vicinity.

Amanita jacksonii, Eastern American Caesar's Mushroom

First post in 2010 - Conveniently alphabetical

2010-05-29T16:11:00.010-04:00

Haven't had a chance to use my time for practical reasons (e.g. mushroom foraging). Instead, I've been hampered by work. Hope to get into the woods this Memorial Day weekend and make up for lost time. These Agrocybe have been popping up by the hundreds in garden mulch spread around the winery where I work.

I'm tempted to say this is some variant of Agrocybe praecox. Others have suggested A. dura. The striations near the top of the stem are distinctive and eye-catching. Said to be of little to no culinary value, I didn't even give it a try. But, those deep fissures in the cap look like they could soak up a batter or sauce... Some salted garlic butter, maybe? I bet there must be some way to make these things taste good.

Tools of the Trade

2009-11-29T12:20:00.003-05:00

The picture shows the tools I most frequently use when mushroom foraging. The knife and basket are essential. A knife cuts the mushroom free from the ground and prevents dirt from being collected and messing up your harvest. The basket is a nice device for carrying your harvest, and keeps your collection fresh. Additionally, spores may drop onto the ground through the basket weaving creating opportunities for future collecting. My basket was locally made using strips of White Oak.

The camera is a small Olympus digital with a decent f1.8 lens, able to catch a lot of light in the dark forest. You may notice the tissue paper taped over the flash. This helps to diffuse the light when taking close-ups while using the flash. The tripod is a small Manfrotto model 709B. Tripods are essential in low light conditions, plus they're indispensable when taking multiple exposures for use in high dynamic range photography.

The field guidebooks are regional guides to mushrooms commonly found in the area where I forage, or as a source of recipes and food preparation. The Internet can be useful for assisting in identification, and as a source for recipes.

Orange Mock Oyster

2009-11-23T21:51:00.004-05:00

Orange Mock Oyster, Phyllotopsis nidulans, is pretty to look at, but that's about all it has going for it. Field guidebooks describe it as having a disagreeable odor and taste, but I couldn't distinguish any bad smell or taste. Nevertheless, it is considered to have no culinary value. The top is noticeably fuzzy. After drying the gills are a vivid orange.

Galerina autumnalis - Deadly Galerina

2009-11-23T21:34:00.005-05:00

If one is serious about collecting mushrooms it is important to learn which species are harmful. And, since deadly mushrooms are the worst kind of harmful it is wise to be able to recognize them. The picture above is what I've always assumed to be Galerina autumnalis, the Deadly Galerina. It is small, grows on dead wood, and about the same color as freshly fallen oak leaves; a warm brown. Spore print is rusty brown.

Oyster Mushrooms

2009-11-22T21:40:00.006-05:00

Oyster Mushrooms, Pleurotus ostreatus, are always a big, flavorful treat when you find them. The top photo shows them growing on a fallen Tulip Poplar tree. The bottom photo shows them in the basket. You can see the light-lilac spore print left by overlapping caps. Some of the caps can reach considerable size. The largest shown are almost 5" across.

I recently saw a show on Virginia Public Television that showed mushrooms being used to make spring rolls. The recipe is quick and simple using rice paper, rice noodles, fresh green onions and peppers, mushrooms, sriraja and hoisin sauce. Since I had fresh Oyster Mushrooms, I decided to give them a try in the spring rolls. Here are some pictures:

Here's the recipe:
Tassi Pippert’s Dinner on the Run

Spring Rolls
Ingredients:
• Sliced green onions
• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• Sesame oil
• 2 c. thinly sliced mushrooms
• Sautéed and raw sliced peppers (green, red, or yellow)
• Rice noodles
• 1 Tbs. sriracha (red chili paste)
• 1 Tbs. hoisin sauce
• Rice patties

Directions:
1. Add olive oil and a shot of sesame oil to a heated pan.
2. Add mushrooms and toss until the mushrooms are wilted.
3. While they are cooking, place rice noodles in boiling water for 30 seconds. Strain boiling water into bowl large enough to lay rice patties in later and place rice noodles in an ice cold water bath.
4. In a separate bowl, mix together equal parts of sriracha and hoisin sauce and drizzle 1 Tbs. of the mixture over mushrooms. Toss together.
5. Take rice patties one at a time and cover them completely in the strained boiled water. Lay flat on a flat.
6. Squeeze water out of a fistful of rice noodles and lay on lower third of a rice patty.
7. Add some sautéed and raw pepper slices, mushrooms and, green onion.
8. Roll patty over once. Roll over sides like wrapping a present. Finish rolling the rest.
9. Slice diagonally across center and plate with remaining sauce. Sprinkle green onions over for garnish.

Blewits

2009-10-31T06:34:00.005-04:00

Fellow workers at the winery found several nice mushrooms and brought them for me to see. I was most impressed by the Blewits, Lepista nuda (=Clitocybe nuda). Their haul also included some beautiful and large Amanita muscaria var. formosa, for which they expressed an unusually strong and suspicious interest.

Anyway, they were happy to give me the Blewits, and I was very happy to accept. Not having a comfortable amount of experience with Blewits, I did the mandatory spore print to distinguish from possibly poisonous Cortinarius. A light pink spore print was confirmation enough for me, and into the frying pan they went. I will use the opportunity to forage for more this weekend. The carpet of falling leaves is growing thick so they may be difficult to find.

Agaricus campestris

2009-10-28T05:46:00.005-04:00

One of the all time most prized and collected of wild mushrooms, the Meadow Mushroom, Agaricus campestris, is usually found in open grassy fields. It has a low, squat stature and chocolate-brown spores. We find it in the rows in the vineyard where I work. It is frequently found late summer and fall after a rain in areas where the grass is cut very short.

We use a flail mower in the vineyard which cuts and pulverizes grass to dirt level, allowing the light cream-colored caps to be very visible when they begin to grow. The physical mixing of grass and dirt by the flail mower probably assists in the growth and spread of A. campestris.

This is a close relative of the button mushrooms and Portabellas you find at the grocers. However, the flavor of the Meadow Mushroom is very rich and much superior to the varieties available in the store. Given favorable conditions, you sometimes find A. campestris in great abundance, in quantities that can fill baskets and bags.

Grifola fo' breakfast

2009-10-18T11:25:00.009-04:00

Almost 2" of rain and drizzle in the Shenandoah Valley over the last 4 days has improved the mushroom situation. I hope to post some photos over the next couple days of things I find this late in the season. Freeze warning tonight, but weather should warm afterward. I'll start off the current round of findings with what I had for breakfast this morning:

This is a toasted bagel w/Grifola frondosa and white cheddar cheese. "Maitake" as the mushroom is known in grocery stores is touted for its health benefits and somewhat nutty aroma. Wild specimens are usually very meaty and flavorful. The mushroom was pulled apart and fried with butter until slightly crispy. White cheddar cheese was mixed with the salted, fried mushrooms, put on top of the bagel and microwaved to melt the cheese. This holds the topping on the bagel. Breakfast was delicious.

This is the same G. frondosa but the mushroom was marinated in cabernet sauvignon *juice* and soy sauce. The marinated mushrooms and marinade were fried w/onions in olive oil and a couple drops sesame oil, and a dash of red pepper. Rice was added to soak up the excess marinade and give bulk to the meal.

This is the G. frondosa, or Hen of the Woods, or Maitake growing next to what I assume is an oak stump. In my experience it is usually more gray in color. This one was various shades of dark brown. The dull, dark brown color usually is indicative of age, but this one was fresh and tender. The caps were very thick and dense, more like thick lobes, making the mushroom feel heavy for its size, a couple pounds at least.

Lycoperdon pyriforme

2009-10-10T23:26:00.006-04:00

Lycoperdon pyriforme is a small, pear shaped puffball commonly found growing on fallen trees. It is edible when the interior is pure white, but not especially flavorful. I plan to to cut it into cubes and marinate it in a balsamic-based marinade to give it some flavor, then eat it with rice.

Hygrocybe species

2009-10-10T20:49:00.007-04:00

This brilliant red Hygrocybe caught my eye from some distance. I thought it might have been a brightly colored fallen leaf, but because it was next to a spring I decided to check it out. It is relatively large for a Hygrocybe. There are several bright red Hygrocybes. The orange cap-margin is distinctive. The distant, decurrent gills suggest H. appalachianensis. Reportedly edible but tasteless.

Laetiporus sulphureus

2009-10-04T09:58:00.003-04:00

Pickings are still slim in and around the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Lack of significant rain has reduced the mushroom harvest to almost nothing. I did find the showy Chicken of the Woods, Laetiporus sulphureus. A good edible when fresh, soft and moist, the above was pass its prime. It had reached inedible maturity, dry and tough. This species of Laetiporus is characterized by a sulfur-yellow fertile surface seen on the underside in the photo.

Gymnopilus luteus

2009-09-27T20:33:00.005-04:00

One of the so called "magic mushroom" species, Gymnopilus luteus is found in hardwood forests of the eastern United States. Young specimens are bright yellow, gaining orange tones as they age. Spores are rusty brown and flesh is bitter. These were found growing from the buried remains of an oak stump. This mushroom is often included under the species group of G. junonius (=G. spectabilus), or Big Laughing Jim Mushroom. The photograph was taken under the rich colors of an evening sky after sunset.

Basket Pic July 30, 2009

2009-07-30T19:27:00.003-04:00

Went into the forest with my son to pick some mushrooms. I had picked a few the previous evening, so I knew the pickings were good. High summer means bugs, so it is best to harvest soon after a rain. The basket contains Golden Chanterelles, and various Boletes and Lactarius. The day before included what you see here, plus some Beefsteak Polypore. I need to cook and eat these tonight, as tomorrow we're headed to coastal North Carolina. In NC we'll be digging clams and netting shrimp. Summer is bountiful.

Home Fried Laetiporus for Breakfast

2009-07-19T11:27:00.003-04:00

I have lots of Laetiporus cincinnatus in the 'fridge. Some of it was "dirty" with dirt and plant material included into the mushroom as it grew. I marinated the dirty batch, and include it on salads and linguine w/clams. The "clean" portion is exactly that; clean, only pure mushroom.

This morning for breakfast, I decided to fry the clean Laetiporus with onions in olive oil. I did not go light with the oil. I liberally coated the bottom of the small iron skillet, knowing the mushrooms would soak up most of it. The home fry consisted of equal parts onion, mushroom and potato. We ran out of table salt, so I drizzled a small amount of soy sauce over the batch.

Eaten while still very warm, the dish was beyond scrumptious. The onions were allowed to cook for awhile before adding the mushrooms. The mushrooms soaked up the sweet, onion-flavored oil. Medium-high heat gave everything a delicious brown glaze. This dish was so good, I'll make some for the wife this evening. I know she'll love it.

Summer Harvest Begins

2009-06-24T07:41:00.007-04:00

I installed a new hard drive and reinstalled lost software onto my ailing computer. It is again humming at top proficiency. So, as a kind of inaugural post, I will show what's growing in my front yard as the summer season begins:

This is Lactarius camphoratus, the Aromatic Milk Cap. It is very aromatic and used to add a spicy, curry-like or maple syrup flavor to dishes. The aroma becomes more intense after drying, afterward the mushroom is ground and used as a spice. This is very similar to the Candy Cap found in the western U.S. Some have argued with me that Candy Caps (L. rubidus) are not found in the east, but this thing comes extremely close to the revered mushroom of the west.

This is Craterellus fallax, the Black Trumpet. I was pleasantly surprised by the number of these coming up, scattered around the oaks in my front yard. They are delicious and dry well, to be used in dishes at a later time.

Here are the Aromatic Milk Caps and Black Trumpets together in my mushroom basket. These were gathered quickly in the early evening on the day I found them. If the rest of the summer is as fruitful as this portends, I'll spend many a happy hour gathering.

Apologies

2009-05-26T18:19:00.003-04:00

This is to inform blog followers that my home computer suffered a primary hard drive failure. I may have lost everything; photos, photo editing software, etc. I am in the process of getting a new hard drive and operating system and recovery software. I'm having withdrawal from my photo editing programs, which I hope to use to bring mushroom photos to the blog. When I get things going again, you'll see the photos get furiously posted.

More Early Season Stuff

2009-04-19T15:01:00.003-04:00

These pop up in the front yard in the same spot almost every spring. It has a noticeable radish odor when crushed, which is usually characteristic of Hebeloma rather than Inocybe. But, the cap surface is dry and fibrillose rather than viscid, which is more like Inocybe. The dark, broad umbo is distinguishing. Neither genus offers good edibles as far as I know. Poisonous mushrooms are common in each genus.

Early Find ID Request

2009-04-02T07:55:00.006-04:00

Critters were digging holes in the soil in the front yard. This is in the forest, and a large oak is near where I was finding the holes. Looking into a hole, I saw something light-colored, 3" or 4" down in the darker soil. I retrieved a small (~10mm), spherical object that looked like it had been broken open.

The peridium was hard with small, regular bumps (kinda like a basketball, I had to use a loupe to see them). The gleba was light-gray and pasty. On drying the gleba became powdery. Couldn't detect any odor. The taste is moldy. ID suggestions are welcome.

No suggestions as of yet (Apr. 11). I'm gonna hazard a guess; Leucogaster? This guess is based on the white mature spore mass, and the hard, rind-like skin/peridium. Animals (squirrels?) are still digging fresh holes where I found the first specimen. All the holes are concentrated in a circular area about 5' in diameter, with tighter clusters of holes within this space. I'll try to find another specimen, today or tomorrow. This being Easter weekend.

WTF? ID Request for Early Finds

2009-04-02T07:05:00.008-04:00

These were found growing around the trunk of a standing dead pine tree. They appear widely-spaced around the trunk, not clustered. Average size is about an inch, some bigger some smaller. The golden-orange color attracted my attention.

The skin or peridium is very smooth, somewhat shiny, thick and tough. Initial appearance resembles a balloon being squeezed out under pressure from fissures in the tree bark. It resisted being cut with a sharp knife. Taste is bitter, more so than other puffballs I've tasted. On slicing, I was surprised to find it hollow. I will have to check others to see if they too are hollow. IDs are welcome.

A comment to this post suggests this is actually a polypore, Cryptoporus volvatus! If the chance arises, I'll return to the tree to see if the mushrooms have matured into a form more resembling a polypore.

Early Season Finds

2009-03-31T07:45:00.008-04:00

Tremella lutescens, Witch's Butter

Lenzites betulina

Took a stroll in the woods to see what's up. It's still early in the season and not unusual for night temperatures to dip down to freezing. The top photo is Tremella lutescens (= T. mesenterica). It is edible but tasteless. I've heard some use it in soups. You usually find it on dead wood in damp weather.

Thanks to the 1st comment ever to this blog, the bottom picture is identified as Lenzites betulina. L. betulina is actually a Polypore, but it has gills as seen in the picture. Tough as shoe-leather and just as edible, some research indicates possible medicinal uses (antitumor, immunosuppressive). Might be able to grind and use in a tea?

Where I Forage

2009-03-28T19:52:00.005-04:00

Above is a radar topographical image (courtesy of NASA/JPL) of the region where I forage for mushrooms. Fort Valley runs diagonally from the bottom left to the top right across the middle of the image.

Passage Creek is the drainage basin for Fort Valley. "The Fort" is bordered by the roughly parallel ridges of Massanutten Mountain. The North and South Forks of the Shenandoah River can be seen meandering along the base of Massanutten Mountain on either side. Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains are in the bottom right corner.

Luray, Edinburg and Woodstock, Virginia are towns found in the region pictured. Interstate 81 runs through Shenandoah Valley, on the left side of the image. Most of Massanutten Mountain is forest, and is a good place to find mushrooms.