Free Food From God

[Cabin Fever]

We've had several threads regarding wild edibles. Consequently, I would like to share some photos of the common edible and delicious mushrooms we collect in our area. It goes without saying that collecting and eating wild mushrooms can be somewhat dangerous if you are not familiar with the species that you are collecting. Because of this, we collect mushrooms that are pretty much unmistakable when it comes to their ID. In other words, there are not any other mushrooms that look similar to the ones we harvest - at least in our area. As always, before you venture out on a mushroom hunt, prepare yourself first with some instruction from a knowledgeable, experienced guide or by taking an identification class. Lastly, a good mushroom ID handbook in invaluable. The handbook we use is the National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mushrooms. (All photos are ours)

Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus)

Blue milk mushroom (Lactarius indigo)

Old Man of the Woods (Strobilomyces floccopus)

Chicken of the Forest mushroom or sulfur shelf (Laetiporus sulphureus)

 

[Cabin Fever]

Lobster mushroom (Hypomyces lactifluorum)

Morel mushroom (Morchella esculenta)

Puff balls (many species)

Besides mushrooms we collect and eat a variety of wild berries, purslane, lambs quarter, hazel nuts, acorns fiddleheads, ramps, dandelion, wild rice, and cattails. I'm probably forgetting a few. Of course, the lakes and forests that surround our home are abundant with wildlife, especially fish, deer, and wild turkey.

 

[lonewolf]

I dont know much about mushrooms but an expert who was running a course on the subject told me there are far more types that will kill you (or put you in hospital at the very least) than are edible, so unless you know what your doing leave them alone.

 

[Cabin Fever]

I dont know much about mushrooms but an expert who was running a course on the subject told me there are far more types that will kill you (or put you in hospital at the very least) than are edible, so unless you know what your doing leave them alone.

I'd agree. The mushrooms we collect are easily identified and have no look-a-likes.

 

[lonewolf]

I'd agree. The mushrooms we collect are easily identified and have no look-a-likes.

I'm not mad on mushrooms, I might have a couple of small ones with a fry up but I'm not bothered if they arent available.
did pick some horse mushrooms many years ago and gave to the local homeless shelter.

 

[Cabin Fever]

I'm not mad on mushrooms, I might have a couple of small ones with a fry up but I'm not bothered if they arent available.
did pick some horse mushrooms many years ago and gave to the local homeless shelter.

Just don't pick up any horse apples for the homeless shelter.

 

[winds-of-change]

Or cow pies. They don’t seem to like those.

 

[Patchouli]

Just don't pick up any horse apples for the homeless shelter.

Horse apples around here are the fruit from the bois d’arc tree. They are huge, round, knobby/bumpy. As far as I know they are not edible.
One year we had a few choice edible mushrooms in the yard. They were excellent and easily identifiable.
Nice selections of groceries ya got there! @Cabin Fever

 

[Cabin Fever]

Horse apples around here are the fruit from the bois d’arc tree. They are huge, round, knobby/bumpy. As far as I know they are not edible.
One year we had a few choice edible mushrooms in the yard. They were excellent and easily identifiable.
Nice selections of groceries ya got there! @Cabin Fever

My wife calls those, "Osage Oranges."

 

[Patchouli]

My wife calls those, "Osage Oranges."

That sounds right!! We had one of the trees on our first property here by the stream. Are you saying you have those in your area?

 

[Bacpacker]

Horse apples around here are the fruit from the bois d’arc tree. They are huge, round, knobby/bumpy. As far as I know they are not edible.
One year we had a few choice edible mushrooms in the yard. They were excellent and easily identifiable.
Nice selections of groceries ya got there! @Cabin Fever

Is that the same tree called Osage orange?. Fruir sure sounds like it

 

[Patchouli]

Yes, @Bacpacker
http://texastreeid.tamu.edu/content/TreeDetails/?id=61

 

[sonya123]

what's this one?

 

[Cabin Fever]

View attachment 165849


what's this one?

Looks like Fly Agaric. There are at least two varieties - red and white/yellow. Yours is white, of course, and can be poisonous.

 

[SoJer]

View attachment 165849


what's this one?

Mmmm.. Top-view of the 'Ivy Mike' shot?

jk..

@CF, yah, my Son / DIL are absolute *Phenoms* at 'shroom ID'ing / Hunting / Foraging...

(..that's #1 Granddaughter with a coupla Lobster Beauts.. I could Fill a Whole Page with shots from their Forest-ventures, but.. I won't.. Then, of course, they 'put them to Good Use', ie:

SO Prouda that Kid..

Mushrooms are *Absolutely* one of the 'Foraging Arts' that are Totally Worth every bit of the Time / Effort to learn to ID / Grow / Culture, even.. The 'ROI' / Health-benes, alone, are Triple-worth the 'price of admission'.

jd

 

[winds-of-change]

My wife calls those, "Osage Oranges."

We called them Osage oranges, too.

 

[joel]

Horse apples around here are the fruit from the bois d’arc tree. They are huge, round, knobby/bumpy. As far as I know they are not edible.
One year we had a few choice edible mushrooms in the yard. They were excellent and easily identifiable.
Nice selections of groceries ya got there! @Cabin Fever

Both of you are correct, But................................................... there is a real apple that is a Horse Apple also.

https://www.centuryfarmorchards.com/descripts/horse.html
Horse
Horse: A widely grown apple most likely originating in North Carolina before 1800. More than any other apple, most older southerners remember the Horse apple. There are several reasons for its widespread popularity. The tree is healthy, grows rapidly, produces large crops of big apples in the middle of summer, makes good cider, and cooks well. The Horse has a flavor unlike others. It is uniquely tart and will disappoint those who like sweet or hard apples. It is however, unforgettable. Fruit size is medium to large, yellow when ripe, possibly red on the sunny side. Flesh is yellow, soft (sometimes firm), and briskly subacid. Ripens late July into August.

 

[Patchouli]

@joel I want some horse apples!!!
They sound like they’d be absolutely delicious.

 

[Amish Heart]

Osage oranges we call hedge balls. They are not edible. Ha.
School kids waiting for the bus throw them at each other.

 

[ClemKadiddlehopper]

I wouldn't be asking for horse apples around here. They would definitely have a flavor unlike others.

 

[joel]

Is that the same tree called Osage orange?. Fruir sure sounds like it

The heart wood is yellow or orange.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/106572...D_BwE_k_&utm_custom2=21500568222&gad_source=1

 

[joel]

@joel I want some horse apples!!!
They sound like they’d be absolutely delicious.

I am buying 10 apple trees & one is a gift & one is a Horse, but it will not bear for four or five years.

 

[DrHenley]

Golden chanterelles are one of the most prized mushrooms after truffles and morels. A similar mushroom is jack o'lanterns but they always grow in dense groups at the base of trees. And jack o'lanterns are a darker orange color.
Once you know what to look for, the chanterelles will be obvious.
They are fragile so you will almost never see fresh chanterelles in a store or market. You need to cook them soon after picking.
After a rain in the summer, we look for them a couple of days later near oak trees.