It’s so much fun and enlightening to learn of wild edibles out there ready and waiting for you. Whether you are foraging plants or members of the fungi family you must learn to make 100% certain identifications before consuming anything you pick.
Once you have that down, a whole world opens up to you. Here is a list of wild mushrooms that are pretty simple to ID, some great tips on growing your own mushrooms at home, and a bonus article on some fungi you should avoid.
Bonus *Do Not Eat
When we go out in search of wild mushrooms, we are typically not nosing around for poisonous ones, but the odds are that some will cross our paths. Some highly toxic mushrooms are also highly present, which is why it is important to be able to recognize both edible and dangerous mushrooms. Check out this list of 6 Deadly Mushrooms to Be Aware of While Foraging.
1. Chanterelles
Foraging for mushrooms is a fantastic pastime and a wonderful skill. It gets a person outdoors and into the depths of nature, the forest in this case, and it pays off dividends in the specialty foods one can bring home. Chanterelles are one of the most rewarding mushrooms to find and a great treat that can provide a lot of food when they are in season. Read on to learn how to Forage for Dinner: Chanterelle Mushrooms.
2. Chicken of the Woods
Chicken of the woods (any of around twelve species of genus Laetiporus) is one of the best to discover. It offers diners a dense texture that can’t help but be described as, appropriately, “like chicken.” Even better, it’s common in North America, and there aren’t any poisonous mushrooms that, after vigilant identification, it could be confused with. Read on to learn how to Forage for Dinner: Chicken of the Woods, a Magnificent Mushroom.
3. Hen of the Woods
The hen-of-the-woods mushroom goes by several other names. Ram’s head and sheep’s head are common handles for it. In Japan, it’s referred to as maitake or, due to its size, king of mushrooms. Italian Americans might call it signorina. Officially, it is identified as Grifola frondosa. Whatever we choose to call it, the fact of the matter is that it is a choice edible, both delightfully delicious and easy to identify. Check out how to Forage for Dinner: The Hen of the Woods, One Tasty Mushroom.
4. Wine Cap
Wine cap mushrooms (Stropharia rugosoannulata), also known as king Stropharia, haven’t gotten quite as many headlines, but they are amongst the easiest mushrooms to cultivate at home, provide huge harvests, and are likened to one of the most popular mushrooms in the US: the portabella. For those looking to get into the mushroom game, the wine cap may just be the gateway fungi. Look here to learn more about Wine Cap Mushrooms: One of the Easiest Edible Fungi to Grow at Home.
5. Lion’s Mane
Lion’s mane mushrooms have a host of names: monkey head, satyr’s beard, pompom, and bearded tooth. The Japanese call it yamabushitake, or “those who sleep in the mountains”. Whatever it is called, it warrants attention from budding mushroom foragers because it is easy to identify and, for many, is perhaps the most delicious mushroom—with a texture and flavor often compared to lobster—in the forest. Finding something like that is what makes foraging so much fun. Read on to learn How to Forage, Cook, and Eat the Medicinal and Delicious Lion’s Mane Mushroom!
6. Oysters
Oyster mushrooms, aka Pleurotus ostreatus, aren’t afraid of a bit of frigidness. The winter is its time. In normal years, oyster mushrooms thrive between November and March, but in colder years, that season can stretch a month further on either side. These mushrooms aren’t even interested in fruiting until temperatures dip down into the low 50s, and they still produce at temperatures colder than that. In other words, December or not, fine food is out there to be found. Read on to learn how to Forage for Dinner: Oyster Mushrooms, Wintertime Survivor.
7. Turkey Tail
Turkey tail mushrooms resemble the fanned tail of a strutting male turkey. They have bands of beautiful colors ranging from brown and tan to grey and purple. These amazing little mushrooms grow on dead wood and work hard to help decompose the matter, returning it to the earth. They are extremely common and grow in almost all forests throughout North America, Asia, and Europe. If you have spent any time at all hiking in the woods, chances are you will have passed some turkey tails. Read on to learn more about Turkey Tail Mushrooms: Benefits, Foraging Tips, and How to Use.
8. Pheasant Back
Pheasant back mushrooms (Cerioporus squamosus) are something people usually find when out looking for morels. But, in no way does that mean pheasant backs, also known as dryad’s saddle, are second-rate. They are a delicious springtime mushroom that is found throughout the Eastern US. When foraged correctly, though, the pheasant back has a pleasing firm (meaty) texture and a nutty finish common to wild mushrooms. Read on to learn about Foraging for Dinner: All About The Pheasant Back Mushroom.
9. Puffball
Puffball mushrooms are another favorite for foragers. They are rarely found in markets because they can’t be cultivated, but puffballs—there are several edible types–are very common finds in their native habitats. Identifying them is simple, and more importantly, identifying what isn’t a puffball and possibly dangerous is also simple. Take a look here to learn How to Forage Puffball Mushrooms for Dinner.
10. Mushroom Logs
With the return of home food production, such a fun and useful way of living, it only makes sense that many of us are looking to get into the mushroom-growing game. And, lucky for us, all that interest has made adopting the practice that much easier, with ready-to-order starter kits with spawn and spores that have been prepared by professionals. Then, it’s up to us. One of the most popular and natural ways to cultivate mushrooms is to use a log, wood being the natural food for this fungus, the forest being its natural habitat. Read on to learn How to Make Your Very Own Mushroom Log.
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