“Beefsteak Mushroom” is a term that appears to be used to describe a few different types of wild mushrooms. One type can cause severe poisoning leading to kidney and liver failure. The one whose Latin name is “Gyromitra esculenta” is certainly poisonous (even though “esculenta” means “good to eat”); it’s also called “Beefsteak Morel.” These…
Wild Mushrooms
Blewit Mushrooms
Blewit Mushrooms © Denzil Green Blewit (aka “Bluefoot”) Mushrooms have broad caps and a mild taste. They are best cooked. Their colour disappears when they are cooked. There is some small-scale commercial farming of Blewits; they are sold in gourmet food stores. There are two types of Blewits. Field Blewits Field Blewits grow in grass…
Chanterelle Mushrooms
Chanterelle Mushrooms © Denzil Green There are many different varieties of chanterelle mushrooms. Though the most common variety is just called a “chanterelle” or “common chanterelle”, the rest are distinguished by various adjectives stuck on. Chanterelle mushrooms are shaped like the ends of trumpets, only with scalloped edges. The colour can be white, yellow, orange,…
Chicken-of-the-Woods Mushrooms
Chicken-of-the-Woods Mushrooms are more of an edible fungus than a mushroom. They have no stems or caps. They grow all over the world on tree stumps, particularly those of hardwood trees such as ash, elm, eucalyptus, and hickory trees. In size, they can from 2 to 10 inches wide (5 to 25 cm), and can…
False Morels
At a cursory glance, False Morels look similar to other Morels, though they are not even related. These wild mushrooms are not considered safe to eat. See Nutrition below. Nutrition Some people say they are safe to eat, but a great many people have very severe, toxic reactions which are often fatal. Some harvests of…
Field Mushrooms
Field Mushrooms are a wild mushroom. The name “Field Mushroom” isn’t particularly helpful, given that wild mushrooms grow in 1 or 2 places: in fields or in woods. It’s not as though any grow underwater or inside glaciers. The mushroom called “Field Mushroom” is very closely related to the White Button Mushrooms (Agaricus Mushrooms) sold…
Granulated Bolete Mushrooms
Granulated Bolete Mushrooms grow in Asia, Europe and North America. They grow from spring to autumn in France and Italy, but are particularly abundant in the early spring with the first rains, and more abundant again in the autumn. In the UK, they grow from August to October. They like to grow in spots sheltered…
Honey Mushrooms
Honey Mushrooms are common in Asia, Europe and North America. They grow in the autumn on wood. They don’t just grow on dead wood; they will kill the tree first and then digest it. They are harvested from the wild. The cap, which may be yellow or brown, ranges from 1 to 4 inches wide…
Horse Mushrooms
In the wild, Horse Mushrooms grow in open fields, verges and meadows. They are now also being cultivated. The caps are usually 4 1/2 to 6 inches wide (12 to 15 cm.) When the mushroom is very young, the cap is more like an oval knob than it is rounded. As the mushroom matures, the…
King Trumpet Mushrooms
King Trumpet Mushrooms © Denzil Green In the wild, King Trumpet Mushrooms grow off the roots of dead trees, near the surface. They prefer chestnut trees. They are now also cultivated, on sawdust. They have thick caps and stems. The caps are light brown, and 2 1/2 to 8 inches wide (7 to 20 cm.)…
Lobster Mushrooms
Lobster Mushrooms © Denzil Green Lobster Mushroom is a generic name used to describe mushrooms that have been infected by a parasitical fungus, called “Hypomyces Lactifluorum.” The fungus turns the infected mushrooms a bright orange, orangey-red, or even a purplish-red on the outside. The mushrooms also acquire a firm texture and a delicate, woody taste….
Matsutake Mushrooms
Matsutake Mushrooms grow under pine trees in Asia, in Mexico and even in the Pacific Northwest of North America. In the Pacific Northwest, they grow quantities large enough even to export to Japan, where they are very popular. The mushrooms have short stalks and can be white or brown, with rusty coloured blotches. They are…
Nametake Mushrooms
Nametake is the Japanese name for the wild version of Enoki Mushrooms. Nametake grow wild in Asia and North America on tree trunks and roots, live or dead. They can survive freezing and thawing and keep on growing. The caps will be 2 to 3 inches wide (5 to 7.5 cm), and instead of being…
Puff Ball Mushrooms
Puff Ball Mushroom © Michelle Mattern Puff Ball Mushroom is somewhat of a generic term, referring to three different types of fungi: Calbovista, Calvatia, and Lycoperdon. They are usually white and round, with no stem. They grow on the ground or on dead wood. They grow in many different sizes ranging from size from 2…
Slippery Jack Mushrooms
Slippery Jack Mushrooms are wild mushrooms that grow in symbiotic relationship with pine and spruce trees. They grow from mid-summer to early autumn. The caps are saffron coloured or yellowish-brown, though they can be a dark chestnut brown. As the mushroom ages, the cap flattens. The cap can be anywhere from 2 to 5 inches…
Stone Mushrooms
Stone Mushrooms start off looking like small rocks, then their caps become antler-shaped, then the caps open up into flattened funnel shapes. They grow from tubers. In the wild, they grow on parts of decaying trees in the ground. The tubers themselves are not edible (they contain dirt.) The tubers can be planted in pots…
Wine Cap Mushrooms
Wine Cap Mushrooms are grown in North America and in Europe. They were first brought over to France to be grown in home gardens. They began spreading as a “garden escape” and have now (2004) been spotted in places as diverse as the Munster Valley, Strasbourg and Brognard, thriving particularly in the mulch of garden…