Last week I took on the photography color challenge adding an extra element by making it all about mushrooms. I promised that I would do a more in depth article at some point after, and that day has come. I'm going to start with the mushrooms that were not featured in the color challenge, then at the end I'll have the links to the challenge posts alongside the pictures.
For the most part the source I will be referencing is my husband, who has spent countless hours researching; and between books he owns and sites he's become a walking mushroom encyclopedia. If I'm referencing anything other than him I will put a link beside the information.
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: Foraging for mushrooms is a fun and rewarding experience, a lot like going on a scavenger hunt. HOWEVER, eating a mushroom that you are not one hundred percent sure of is DANGEROUS. And while I have taken some very nice photographs of different fungi, this article should be used as only one among many references, particularly since so many have toxic look-alikes.
All of the following mushrooms were found in the Finger Lakes Region of Upstate NY
Okay, now let's get started with two of the most incredible mushrooms on the planet, and by far the coolest ones we were able to find ourselves!
This first one has a name that not only represents the look of it, but also reflects the magnitude of its benefits:
The Hericium erinaceus or Lion's Mane is truly the Lion of mushrooms. Not one you're likely to find in a supermarket, so when the avid forager comes across this beauty in the woods it is much like stumbling onto a precious jewel.
For starters it is delicious! In fact it's considered to be gourmet, with a chewy texture (which I really like since it was the texture of most mushrooms that caused me to shun them for most of my life until recently) and a seafood taste. I also happen to love seafood, err, well I did until I gave up eating meat this past year. So this was an even bigger treat for me!
But that's just the tip of the iceberg for this baby.
There has been a great deal of research devoted to the Lion's Mane which has been dubbed the 'brain-boosting mushroom' in recent years- and the results are incredible! It's listed as an antibiotic, anticarcinogenic, antidiabetic, anti-fatigue, antihypertensive, anti-hyperlipodemic, anti-senescence [anti-aging], cardioprotective, hepatoprotective, nephroprotective, and neuroprotective, and improves anxiety, cognitive function, and depression. source for list If you're interested in learning more, and I strongly suggest you do, definitely check out that site!
And if that's enough to convince you of their magnificence, wikipedia had this to offer: Recently, mice were injected with neurotoxic peptides in an experiment to assess the effects of lion’s mane on the type of amyloid plaque formation seen in Alzheimer’s patients. The mice were then challenged in a standard “Y” maze, designed for testing memory. Mice fed with a normal diet were compared to those supplemented with lion’s mane mushrooms. As the peptide-induced plaque developed, the mice lost the ability to memorize the maze. When these memory-impaired mice were fed a diet containing 5 percent dried lion’s mane mushrooms for 23 days, the mice performed significantly better in the Y maze test. Interestingly, the mice regained another cognitive capacity, something comparable to curiosity, as measured by greater time spent exploring novel objects compared to familiar ones.
That is just awesome, am I right? Now gaze upon its beauty for a moment before moving on.
Next up we have another incredible fungi, the Pleurotus ostreatus or Oyster mushroom
This one is an edible that is found on hardwoods throughout the world in the spring and fall and smells a bit like licorice.... But its benefits as a food pale in comparison to its super fascinating use in Mycoremediation.
According to hubby, Mycoreremediation is the process of using mushrooms to decrease pollution levels in a given area! Apparently the mycelium of Oyster mushrooms is like a starving man whose just been presented with an all you can eat buffet- and its choice of food includes wood, paper, coffee grounds, and even petroleum products.
Imagine oil spills and pollution someday being decreased by mushrooms! Seriously!
I did a little reading on this one and found it's the subject of numerous studies in polluted areas.
According to an article on metroactive.com: The impressive skill of the oyster mushroom has gained substantial press in the wake of the Nov. 7 Cosco Busan oil spill in the San Francisco Bay, and many environmental activists believe that, if pursued by biotechnology developers, mycoremediation could completely rewrite the guidebooks on how to handle the aftermath of future spills.
Mycologists have been speculating for years on the possibility of someday employing oyster mushrooms—Pleurotus ostreotus—in toxic waste cleanup projects, and when the freighter Cosco Busan scraped the Bay Bridge and spilled 58,000 gallons of sludgy bunker fuel into the bay, mushroom biologists from Monterey to Seattle quickly mobilized. They partnered with San Francisco nonprofit Matter of Trust, secured a small plot of federal land in the Presidio near the Golden Gate Bridge and proceeded to spearhead a historical experiment of oil-hungry mushrooms that have attracted nationwide media scrutiny.
Read more about this amazing ongoing experiment (and its political hurdles) here
Okay, nothing from here on out is going to quite compare to those first two I'm afraid, but I will be able to tell you which ones are good to eat, which ones are not, and the pictures are pretty cool too;)
Amanita pantherina or Panther Cap
This is a poisonous mushroom, however it can contain the psychoactive chemical compounds ibotenic acid and muscimol as well as muscazone and muscarine. Because of this some foolhardy people have tried it in hopes that it will take them on a 'trip down the rabbit hole', and the results have led to things as serious as paralysis.
It is the psychoactive chemical compounds psilocybin and baeocystin that exist in what is commonly known as Magic Mushrooms. So if you're looking for a journey to the land of rainbows and unicorns, please do not attempt to make it with the Panther Cap!
Lactarius or Milk Caps.
A friend of ours insists these are good if cut into thin strips and grilled slowly with venison, particularly if they are young, however my husband who is one of the biggest mushroom lovers I know is not a big fan so we sent it home with said friend.
Stereum ostrea or False Turkey tail is technically edible but not particularly tasty and has no medicinal properties. It's look alike the Turkey Tail on the other hand is considered one of the most medicinal mushrooms on the planet. We did find some Turkey Tail this summer but unfortunately the photo of it seems to have disappeared.
Lycoperdon pyriforme or Pear shaped puffball
These are edible when they are young and white, so most of what you're seeing in this picture have passed the point of food. In my opinion they are not nearly as tasty as their giant cousins which happen to be the first mushrooms that I ever liked, not being a huge fan of fungi for most of my life. But big puffballs cut into slabs, coated in butter and flour then fried...yummmmm
Sarcodon imbricatus or Scaly/Shingled Hedgehog All my hubby had to say about these are that they were nothing special, however he's willing to give them another try down the road.
And these we weren't entirely sure about, though we think they are Boletes. However without being one hundred percent sure we weren't about to risk it.
You can find details on Bolete mushrooms in a link to the red color challenge post below.
And here (in the pics above and below) we come to my personal favorite of all mushrooms, the Maitake AKA Hen of the woods Maitakes in my opinion, taste almost like chicken but richer somehow. And if you are generally a mushroom hater due to the texture this is definitely the one that will become your exception. Delicate and almost feathery, with a rich flavor, please don't pass this up if you get the chance to try it.
Maitake and garlic fried in butter...just yum
Scaly hedgehogs surrounding a lone Lobster
A Lobster mushroom is another rare and therefore awesome find. They are named for their color, and according to hubby they're delicious. Just be sure they are completely white in the middle for the best flavor.
Their most interesting characteristic is they can be used for dyeing wool, and if ammonia is used then the wool will turn out somewhere between pink and red.
These next few we unfortunately never identified, so I'm basically just including them because I think they look cool- also in hopes that someone sees them who can tell me what they are.
And now we come to the Color Challenge Mushroom posts, starting with The Blewit
Quote from my post:
For you mushroom lovers out there, it's not tasty raw, and it has enough flavor to hold its own as long as you don't cook it with anything too overpowering.
Another one we never identified The violet fungi
And here we have The Bolete
Quote from my post:
They come in edible and toxic varieties. The way you can most easily tell if they're toxic is A: If they bruise or stain blue- Crush a corner or the underside to see if this occurs, discard if it does and B: Make sure they do NOT have bright red or yellow pores on the bottom or underside.
The Honey Mushroom and the Judas Ear
Quote from my post:
The Honey mushroom gets its name from its color (unfortunately it is not sweet, in fact it's quite bitter if eaten raw though it loses that bitterness when cooked) which can be yellowish, orange as you see here, or even brown.
Auricularia auricula-judae or Judas's ear, Wood Ear or Jelly Ear
An edible mushroom, but its bland taste and rubbery texture makes it unpopular for eating.
Smooth Chanterelle, jack o'lantern,
This beautiful specimen is the Smooth Chanterelle.*
Cousin of the True Chanterelle. Despite its lovely appearance most people do not find the Smooth quite as tasty as the True, though I personally couldn't tell the difference.
Generally when you think of the smell of a mushroom, fruit does not come to mind, nevertheless fruity is exactly the way I would describe the scent of these.
Ah, the Jack-o'lantern. This is a toxic mushroom that is considered a look alike for True Chanterelles, but if you've ever heard of these then you'll probably have heard that they glow in the dark.
Unfortunately based on our own attempts as well as a few other nay sayers online it appears to be a myth. I welcome hearing different, so if you've seen one of these guys glow don't hesitate to let me know!
And here are some more Honey Mushrooms, yellow rather than orange as you can see.
Unfortunately we have no idea what this one is, so again if anybody out there can fill us in we'd be most grateful. Especially since I've come to see it as something rather vulgar, particularly when paired with the next one on the list...
...** the Stinkhorn.**
It is in fact edible, but most people either find it disgusting, or not too bad. (That still makes me giggle like an adolescent.)
Well there you have it folks, I hope I was able to tell you at least one thing you didn't know before. Our summer of foraging has definitely been an education for me, and one I will be continuing next year with my children.
Oh, I almost forgot...
The Wild and Ravenous Ethanator
Aged 14 years this magnificent creature stands at just under five feet eleven inches tall.
With a foot size of fifteen, it is quite possible he is cousin to Bigfoot.
The only thing about him that is larger than his feet is his imagination... What? Oh yes, yes, his brain too..(and possibly his ego :)
"Only cool people forage for mushrooms."- Ethanator
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AHAHAHA!! That wild Ethanator had me in stitches at the end haha! I couldn't think of a more perfect way to cap this post off. I was supposed to ask if you if you got around to complete it because I don't recall seeing a blue one, or even a violet one.
I find the whole initiative very interesting, and I think even non-fungi loving people would derive some entertainment in reading them. Mushrooms aren't normally a popular draw, but I do believe that once people realize that it's a superfood on a whole other level apart from other superfoods, they would change their minds.
I didn't know the Lion's Mane before this, and now I can't wait to sample it. I hope I come across it some time. Oyster mushrooms are a favorite of mine, both in terms of eating and function. There are some mushrooms that are able to eat plastic, so that's definitely worth looking into in terms of pollution control.
All in all, great series sis! :D
I almost missed this, thank goodness for your all capital laughter lol! Yeah, that child of mine is a riot.
I did do the violet one, it's up there, the fungi I couldn't identify and the first lost shoe was with it. You're right though, no blue. The only picture I had from foraging that had blue in it was literally one that showed a lot of sky, and that's it. My plan actually was to do this post on the day I was supposed to do blue and use the sky picture as the first one, but a family matter came up and I didn't end up posting anything that day. I would be less vague if we were talking in chat ;)
I'm glad you enjoyed this, I definitely had fun scavenger hunting for them and even making the posts- surprised me because I'm not usually great on informative pieces lol.
Oh I thought the violet-ish one was indigo. My mistake. I was about to head out, but I decided to answer some replies before I go. The sky one would've been great. I haven't seen a blue mushroom before, so that might definitely be a rare find!
I fecking hate mushrooms. :( Scott should be interested in this post mthough. He's been telling me about plants that can control the population size of the animals that feed on them and other interesting related facts lately. :)
I know they're good for me but.... no thanks. :)
Great post and pictures.
I understand your distaste, I've spent the majority of my life disliking them too. There is something about foraging for your own food that makes you give things more of a chance, but to be honest there were still only a few that I liked- I will never like the common kind that you get from the store and even some of the fancier ones you get in restaurants. But puffballs and Maitake, whole different arena of mushroom :)
Dangnabit. So many mushies!! Some I have tried and some I have never heard of. I did have a slight giggle when I read the amazing blurb for lion's mane then when the picture came it looked like someone had been eating poo then vomited it up on the tree. Top donk!!
Hee hee, I wonder how many people gazed? Do you think they gazed? At the blob I mean? (What I had written before Howie identified it for me- Pink boogery blob)
I hope they gazed! Lol it's like something from ghostbusters! I was half hoping the mice would have gone wild and turned on one another till there was only one growling fierce lionesque one left
Ha, it is, and now I will have that theme stuck in my head the rest of the night! For the second time in two weeks cuz of stranger things.
These types of posts are not my forte man, the only non fiction I'm particularly good at is writing letters. And I am a wee bit sleep deprived ;)
ooooooo, have you finished it yet? It was awesomes. There was this bit where a giant leprechaun came to life in Buddy's room and he screamed BEJESUS!!
Oh no wait, that was another show
SHROOMERGY! Mushrooms are amazing and so is your post! I am resteeming it bc I love natural medicine and feel your post does a service to the steemit community! Upvoted, following and suggested for @originalworks upvote!
@dakini5d
The @OriginalWorks bot has determined this post by @dreemit to be original material and upvoted(1.5%) it!
To call @OriginalWorks, simply reply to any post with @originalworks or !originalworks in your message!
Thank you @dakini5d-- your name immediately makes me think of Val Kilmer as Madmartigan in the kid's movie Willow from eons ago :) I love natural medicine too and I love that you love it! Thanks for the other upvote, I hadn't heard of it actually :)
I have tried my whole life to eat mushrooms but at aged 50 I have failed. Even chopped up into the tiniest little pieces and disguised with other stuff my mouth has always detected and rejected them.
Knowing how important they are to one's health I recently discovered powdered mushrooms https://www.hyperionherbs.com/shop/category/reishi-mushroom-extract
Best I can do.
Excellent photos and Mushroom info, thanks.
I definitely understand. As I told my friend @tonyr I felt the same way. For years my husband was trying to change my mind, making me try this kind and that kind from his meals at restaurants etc. But something about finding and identifying one you can eat in the wild..I was determined to see if I could get past it. Basically I like the ones that don't have the normal mushroomy taste :)
Most excellent post. What an extravaganza of mushrooms. You all do well in the woods...and some of those are HUGE. I do like them a lot, but as you say, want to make sure you are with someone who knows what the heck they are doing. I value my liver..it's been with me for awhile now.
Thanks for taking us out for some impressive days of 'shroomin. I'd say you've had some successful hunts.
The mycoreremediation info was really interesting. I did not know about that. What a brilliant plan. Thanks for sharing your amazing catalogue of mushrooms with us. Very well done, and enjoyable. Have a nice night.
Why thank you my dear friend! Your comments are always so encouraging and positive, I love when you visit!
And I always greatly enjoy visiting. Have a nice Saturday.
Oh ⚡nice💲 and cute👌 post
Mushrooms look so gross to me, but at the same time I think they look so cool and they're majestical ... and some of them taste good lol
damm this is really freaking interesting
Good post, I am a photographer, it passes for my blog and sees my content, I hope that it should be of your taste, you have my vote :D greetings
I do need to try new things. I'll do it tomorrow. :) Always tomorrow. :) We've got some mushrooms growing in the woods nearby so maybe I'll take a bit more of a closer look. :)
Oh, be very very careful about eating any of them though! You must be absolutely positive you've got the right one to try it, and also know whether it can be eaten raw or not...there's a lot to it. It's much easier when you have a mate with encyclopedic knowledge of them, all I have to do is take pictures then pick them if I want and he'll let me know :)
;) I'll be very careful and make sure I've got the right ones for eating. I'll have to do the old 'hold the nose' trick though and just gulp them down. :)
I know that trick well, so well I've learned to clog my nasal passages without using my fingers. A particularly good skill to have when I have to pretend to like someone's cooking :)
Nyc Post!! I lyk your Post!!