Mushroom ID Thread

[Bigshooter]

Does it smell like cinnamon?

No, not really much of a smell at all.

Probably not a Matsutake then.

[pianoman9701]

proper ID of matsutake is particularly important as most of the look-alikes will kill you. Whenever you read an article of an Asian family dying from eating poisonous mushrooms, they thought they were matsutake and were not.

[Limhangerslayer]

How about these? Found on the side of the road in the Little Naches

[Bigshooter]

How about these? Found on the side of the road in the Little Naches

Jack o-lanterns.

[Goldeneye]

Looking for ID confirmation.   Is this chicken of the woods?

[pianoman9701]

Yes, nice chunk, too.

[Goldeneye]

Yes, nice chunk, too.

I'm in the woods until Saturday.   Would it be advisable to wait to pick so I get it home in the best possible shape?

[Bigshooter]

Yes, nice chunk, too.

I'm in the woods until Saturday.   Would it be advisable to wait to pick so I get it home in the best possible shape?

Looks old to me.

[pianoman9701]

Yes, nice chunk, too.

I'm in the woods until Saturday.   Would it be advisable to wait to pick so I get it home in the best possible shape?

Looks old to me.

Kind of hard to tell from a picture. It is moist and tender to touch? Try some of the inside leaves, too.

[Goldeneye]

This one looks different than the chicken of the woods I found.   It's growing out of the ground, not an old stump like the other one.   Any idea?

[pianoman9701]

it's chicken. There may be some moist ones in there but it looks "mature".

[jrebel]

I found my first chicken of the woods this elk season and was not impressed.  Maybe I didn't cook it the right way, but it was tasteless and had a bitter aftertaste.  Texture was ver similar to chicken....i.e. the name, but flavor was offputting.  They are safe in my neck of the woods.

[pianoman9701]

I found my first chicken of the woods this elk season and was not impressed.  Maybe I didn't cook it the right way, but it was tasteless and had a bitter aftertaste.  Texture was ver similar to chicken....i.e. the name, but flavor was offputting.  They are safe in my neck of the woods.

It takes a while to figure out which are edible and not. The tender moist leaves that don't break when you bend them and are heavy with water will be tender after cooking. And when you get some of the good ones and saute them in strips with olive oil, butter, and garlic, you'll be amazed how much they taste like chicken breast. Usually, not always, but usually the more tender specimens are lighter in color, like yellow to pinkish orange. And sometimes you'll find a cluster with a lot of dry "leaves", but there will be tender ones in among them.

[Bigshooter]

I found my first chicken of the woods this elk season and was not impressed.  Maybe I didn't cook it the right way, but it was tasteless and had a bitter aftertaste.  Texture was ver similar to chicken....i.e. the name, but flavor was offputting.  They are safe in my neck of the woods.

It reminds me of tofu. 

[LDennis24]

I've heard you can slice the parts off that are ready and it will continue to grow and produce longer without damaging the culture. Don't know if its true or not.