2024 September Foraging Experience

What did we find?

We are so grateful to have hosted such a dynamic group of individuals across all ages and skill sets. As you now know, foraging is really all about staying curious, asking questions, and noticing the little things you may not have when you focus on reaching a summit or putting on miles. You were all incredible at noticing and asking! So much so that there is no way we'd get through this summary if we listed every little fungi we found! That being said, enjoy some September Foraging Experience highlights.

Cantharellus cibarius

Golden Chanterelles

Fertile surface area has decurrent, forking false gills/ridges
Spore print is white
Color is light yellow/tan to deep yellow/gold
Stipe will peel away like string cheese; the inside is white
Smooth caps that develop vase-like indent as they age
Mycorrhizal (unique relationship between mycelium in ground and the trees) with deciduous and coniferous forests; these guys cannot be cultivated
Generally mid-summer, but in my experience, golden chanterelles have a much longer season than other mushrooms
Grow IN the ground, not ON wood directly
Grow in single mushrooms, sometimes very small clumps, but never in large clumps like oysters
Faint apricot aroma

Armillaria mellea

Honey Mushrooms

Pathogenic and parasitic fungus that grows in tight clusters, usually on hardwoods, but sometimes on conifers. It causes white, pulpy rot in wood, spreading via rhizomorphs from tree to tree
Golden yellow to brownish, bald cap, with few yellow to brownish scales near the center
Fertile surface area is tight, attached gills that are whitish to pinkish to brownish
Sturdy, yellow-edged white ring (or attached veil) on the tapered stem
Whitish to pinkish flesh
White spore print
Cook your honey mushrooms thoroughly! If you are extra-prone to GI distress, blanch them first. This will also help rid the mucilaginous factor; you can also work with it by cooking honeys in soup, which will help thicken it.

Hydnum umbilicatum

Hedgehogs

Fertile surface area is toothed/spined rather than gilled or pored
Cap is dry, yellow to light orange to brown, irregularly shaped
Flesh is white with a pleasant odor
Stains orange
Mycorrhizal/symbiotic with oaks and conifers
Related to both orange and black chanterelles (Cantharellus and Craterellus)
Smooth, white spores
Slightly sweet taste and slightly fruity odor, similar to its chanterelle and trumpet cousins!
Cap has an “umbilicate” form–a little “innie” belly button in the center of the cap

Trametes versicolor

Turkey Tail

Common polypore meaning "of several colors"
Surface of cap has concentric rings with a white margin
Surface of cap is velvety and smooth
Pore surface is whitish to light brown, with small round pores
Grows in a rosette pattern and tiled in layers in groups or rows on logs and stumps of deciduous trees, resembling the tails of turkey
Polysaccharide-K (PSK or krestin), extracted from T. versicolor, is considered safe for use as a therapy for cancer treatment in Japan where it is approved for clinical use
Another wonderful medicinal, turkey tail tea is easy to make

Tremella mesenterica

Witch's Butter

Considered a jelly fungus, Witch's Butter has gelatinous, orange-yellow fruit body
Frequently found on both dead but attached and recently fallen branches and rotting logs, especially after rain
Occurs widely in deciduous and mixed forests
Smooth fertile surface area and no cap
Lacks a stipe
Spore print is white-to-yellow
It's like nature's Jell-O!

Craterellus tubaeformis

Yellowfoot Chanterelles

Mycorrhizal (unique relationship between mycelium in ground and the trees) with conifers; in clusters; during the late summer through fall
Caps are vase-shaped with a perforated center, and a wavy/scalloped/irregular margin at maturity; bright orange to orangish yellow to brownish yellow, fading with maturity
Underside has thick, false decurrent gills; pale yellow to grayish, to pink to purplish to tan
Stipe is hollow
Spore print is pinkish yellow to yellow
Thin, whitish flesh
Odor and taste are slightly fruity but not distinctive

Notes on consumption and more

As they say, all mushrooms are edible once.

Use caution when consuming wild foods. No mushroom will harm you by touching it, smelling it, or even licking it. It is the actual swallowing and consumption we want to be aware of.

That being said, 99% of edible wild mushrooms should be thoroughly cooked before consuming to avoid gastrointestinal distress. If you're unsure how an edible mushroom will affect you, try a small amount and wait several hours before trying more, to see how your body reacts.

Fresh mushrooms should be stored in a cool, dry place, around 38°-42°F. Field cleaning your mushrooms is the best way to keep them tidy and limit your prep work later. Do not rinse mushrooms in water until you're ready to use them; this helps prevent rot and lengthen their freshness.

Should you choose to dehydrate your mushrooms, please note that your finished product is still considered raw, and should be cooked before consuming.

September Foraging Experience

September 14, 2024 | Saratoga County

Let's spend a morning being curious