capsnstems-blog

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A pair of enormous puffballs, which have already released their spores. My hand for scale.

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I found a spectral maitake at the base of a beech tree. I saw it from 100 feet away — like a burst of white feathers against the dark forest floor. A spectacular find!

These were fully mature, but the caps were smaller and less flat than ones I usually see this size. Also, the caps were very thick and dense; the texture was similar to the stem or heart of other maitakes. When I cooked this, it browned beautiful and was the best-tasting maitake I’ve had all season. It seemed particularly high in sugar? Not sure if that’s related to this phenotype or something else.

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I initially thought these were oysters, but the coloring was so odd — like a faded reishi — and their stems were stiff and tough. Plus, the caps were covered in a fine plush. 

I took a handful home and have since IDed them as Lentinellus ursinus, the bear lentinus. "Lentus" means pliable and tenacious, "ellus" is a diminuative, and "urs" means bear. Very appropriate.

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I went out this morning expressly to find oyster mushrooms! Not that this cluster is more than a mouthful. 

I think these may be angel wings, or Pleurocybella porrigens, rather than a true Pleurotus ostreatus. Angel wings have been implicated in deaths before (in elderly Japanese with compromised kidneys, who ate them in very large portions... but still).  

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I thought these might be baby Jack O’ Lanterns  (Omphalotus illudens)?

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Polypores galore!

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I was momentarily maitake’d out last weekend. I found four or five new-to-me maitake-producing oaks, the last of which was so heavily ringed with hens that I paced it three times in awe. By that time, though, my cup had already runneth over.

What an insane year for maitake! I’ve brought home 30 or 40 lbs. so far, and I’ve left hundreds more in the ground. I’m having a hard time processing it all — literally and figuratively. 

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I was so thrilled to see these phallic wonders! Mutinus elegans, or elegant stinkhorn — aka dog stinkhorn or the devil’s dipstick. 

Reminds me of an undersea tube worm, or, uh, other things.

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One Brooklyn stump, and a whole village of fungi. 

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Ganoderma sessile, past its prime. But still elegant, in a sort of battered way. 

I’m seeing reishi everywhere in Brooklyn. Trying to find more information on health risks of urban mushroom foraging — I know many kinds of mushrooms will take up heavy metals, like lead. I’ll only consume what I find from off-path parks and other quiet and less trafficked places, but I’m really curious about exactly how polluted mushrooms on residential streets might be. 

Also incredibly interested in learning more about mycoremediation! Mushrooms are friggin’ magic, y’all. 

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When it rains, it pours. A sycamore-trunkful of Ganoderma sessile.

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Quite a haul. The fridge is stuffed with cleaned maitake and sliced puffballs, and my reishi tincture is chillin’ on a shelf.

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Turkey tail, or Trametes versicolor. I’d like to experiment with tincturing this as well, but had run out of bags at this point in my foray.

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I found so, so many new maitake (Grifola frondosa) spots on my most recent foray -- five new-to-me trees, with a couple dozen baby hens spread across all of them! Will need to check back in 5-10 days to see how they do. I picked some of the larger specimens and brought home 8-10lbs.

I also found my first-ever maitake at the base of a maple (vs. oak). The maple-grown caps seemed flatter and thinner than I’m used to seeing, sort of like a Sparassis. 

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Giant puffballs, aka Calvatia gigantea. Always fun to find and ID, but not my favorite edible -- I find them kind of bland! Maybe I need to try a more exciting recipe, like this one for shio-koji-cured puffballs.

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Baby’s first reishi! I think this is Ganoderma sessile, based on the wrinkled cap and habitat. 

I’ve trimmed, cleaned, and sliced, and this is currently hanging out in a pint jar of Tito’s Vodka to become tincture.

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A bunch of unknowns. Top, ???. Second, russula? Third, some kind of bolete? Fourth, honey mushrooms?