Fungal Foray Adel 2014

First fungal foray of the year. I had to postpone the next two scheduled walks due to unusually dry conditions and a lack of fungal diversity. Fortunately for the group and myself the fungi were playing out on this occasion. Here are some pictures of the day.

I like using Roger Phillips Mushrooms book as a way of showing some of the difficulties to be had when ascertaining the true id of certain fungi species. Here we are looking at the Russula family, many require close examination of spore prints for an accurate id.

Bay Bolete - Boletus badius. This edible and very tasty fungus exhibits a change in the colour of it's pores when handled/bruised. Excuse the almost manic look on my face, pictures are taken in real time and not posed for.

Employing the safe and appropriate use of and connecting with all our various senses when foraging (as well as in everyday life), is important. Not only does our experience become more enjoyable but our awareness of the natural world is enhanced on a myriad of levels too. Here we're familiarising ourselves with the feel of the cap of a Bay Bolete. Without stating the obvious (sherlock), it's dry state differs remarkably from that of it's wet state. Good to know these differences especially when foraging in various weather conditions.

Sulphur Tuft (Hypholoma fasisculare) a very common and gregarious fungi. A non-edible - reportedly very bitter with a taste similar to Quinine. Despite it's inedibility it, as with so many other fungi play a very important role in nature.

Fungals n fungis - always find time to have a laugh - yea, yea, I know...

Throughout the course of the walk we discovered and identified in excess of 20 species of fungi. We covered a distance of no more than half a mile. Fungi are everywhere and fungi are fab.

If you're interested in learning and discovering more about the amazing, complex and wonderful kingdom of fungi then keep an eye on my Events Calendar for seasonal walk updates, or if you would like to receive a quarterly newsletter with info, hints, tips etc... why not subscribe to Edible Leeds' newsletter in 2015. Email: edible.leeds@gmail.com and request newsletter.

Comments

Unripe Figs in Syrup

Preserved Unripe Figs. Batch #1 I recently acquired a copy of 'The New Wildcrafted Cuisine' by, Pascal Baudar (many thanks to Dominick Tekos for sending it me). Despite the fact that he resides in California, much of the books content is applicable with regards to techniques, philosophies, creativity and inspiration, and some of the wild plants, regardless of where in the world you reside. Understanding our native floras & faunas is the same the world over I guess. Climates, habitats, techniques, cultures etc do differ but I firmly believe we all have innate and transferable knowledge and practices, whether they be ancient or contemporary (some yet to be rekindled/discovered/attained even), and we can adapt them to our own wild plants, landscapes, seasons, resources and requirements. Now, moving swiftly on to the main theme of this post, the figs. Pascal has a recipe for preserving unripe figs in syrup, I'm aware of a

Fermented Japanese Quince Pickle

I love lime pickle but I love my Japanese Quince pickle even more! Lime pickle is great, it smacks your taste buds all over the place and I like that, it's salty, sour, tart, citrusy and then those spices come in to play with that amazing heat toward to the end. So after last years Japanese Quince harvest (end October, early November) an idea struck me, why not make a pickle akin to lime pickle, quince are tart and have that sour, citrus appeal but with a more delicious attit ude, so I set about making one. After chopping and removing the seeds, I salted the quince to start a short fermentation process, I later added a range of spices and have left it alone ever since (well, not quite true, I have had a few sneak previews to taste how it's been getting along, who wouldn't and besides, I'm making it :) ). The initially hard quince have softened nicely and they have become beautifully infused with the spices while retaining that distinctive quince flavour and aroma. Fe

Winter Fungi: Velvet Shank

Winter Fungi: Velvet Shank (Flammulina velutipes). Velvet Shank are the wild alternative to the cultivated form, 'Enokitake' that you find in shops (long tall slender stems with tiny white caps, usually sold in tall plastic sheaths) . This readily recognisable fungi is like a ray of golden sunshine amid the generally muted and darker hues of winter - camouflage is not it's strong point. This gregarious and social fungi can be found growing on dead/dying logs & stumps, on a variety of tree species including Beech, Sycamore & Horse Chestnut . Regarding edibility, in my opinion they are top notch & more appealingly so due to the time of year they are found, winter, the hardest season in the foraging calendar. They have a great mushroom flavour with a slight sweetness reminiscent of caramel. So, what can you do with them? Fresh, young ones are delightful raw , they can be gently fried in butter, added to broths, pickled & make a great mushroom pate, t

Edible Leeds - Wild Food Foraging Courses and 4 Wild Seasons Pop Up Dining Events

Search This Blog