chantrelle mushrooms

[twinwinds]

Did not want to high jack Renfrew thread....
But where does one look for these as i would like to try some...
Big timber areas? or out in the open? Mossy areas? do they like to grow under a certain type of timber? Going to look for a few when i head out to Port Renfrew for a few coho.What do they Taste similar to?

Cheers

 

[Island Fish Lifter]

They grow mostly in second growth areas. Hard to say what they taste like.. not too strong, quite pleasant. They retain a fair amount of water and shrink when cooked. I like them in soups or fried in butter served on a steak.

Fill the dam tub!

 

[wolf]

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH a man after my own heart I have picked these now coming up to close to 20 years and love them I dry them out in the oven after I have cleaned them draining all the water into a bowl to make homemade soup, then after all the water is gone they start to change color to a walnut color. then I freeze them on the baking sheet then package them in ziplocks lasts for about a year until i pick more.
when you "dry" them this way they kinda take on a oak/nut flavor all you need when you make a gravy is a tiny handfull as they are very powerful dried and awsome.

As for finding them they seem to like the nw side of hill where they get heat but not a lot of sun mostly in second growth about 20 years or so old they will grow in salal etc near streams and water mostly once you find them keep it to yourself as they grow every year in the same spot as they have a vein underground that keeps the spores in. so if you find a hill look up and down sometime they follow the contours.

When I was able to get into sooke there used to be awsome hills on the west leech river and we used to take out garbage buckets all the time but now all that timber has been cut down so have all the mushrooms I even used to get pines out of there. I would have to say with all this rain recentlly it will be a great crop, im going next week myself!!!

Good luck Wolf

Blue Wolf Charters
www.bluewolfcharters.com

 

[twinwinds]

Thanks for the input guys! I will let you know how i make out.

Cheers

 

[Captain Dudds]

One thing twinwinds, when you pick them, don't actually pull the mushroom out, like wolf said there is an underground network, and the mushroom is just the fruiting body. Pulling them out can disturb the network and jeopardize future picks. Instead, cut them off with a knife while being careful not to uproot them. Good luck!

 

[Hoochiebob]

Went to my hole near Shawnigan Lake yesterday but didn`t find a single shroom- edible or not.Think it might be too early still.
Anyone else striking out or is my sweet spot a bust?

Hooch

 

[Steelhead S2]

Struck out a couple of times now. Man, slow for me. Couple of lobsters today, but hardly any fungus around at all.

 

[Captain Dudds]

I went to a spot I did well at last year shawn area, but also nada. But, stumbled to a new spot and found a bunch of white chantrelles. Man those things are big, and thick thick stems!

Hoochie Have you found shawn area to be more of a late bloomer or do you normally pick around now?

 

[Dirtdog67]

It is a tad early for the south island.. The rains over the next few will most definately spark some growth.. It also matters how cool it gets at night.. They need a few nights of single digit temps for the mellicium to become active with the spores. Was on the north island last week and it was in full swing.. mmm-dirty

 

[Morty]

I tried picking some a few days ago at a couple of honeyholes I found last year(Sooke area) and could only find a few small ones-Looks like theyre just starting to come up.
Ive only ever picked the smaller 'newborns' because anything bigger seemed to have wormholes or bugs on/in them.Do you guys keep everything?Do you just wash them or cut the bug holes off too?

 

[Captain Dudds]

I actually haven't noticed sizeable bugholes on the bigger ones. As far as washing goes I brush them off with a toothbrush - getting them wet is not a good idea. I'm sure I end up eating a pine-needle here and there, but I've never noticed and its not going to harm me. I prefer the bigger ones because there is more to them and they are easier to brush off.

 

[Sitkaspruce]

They are out up here on the North Island.

A friend was out this week and picked ~10 lbs, from buttons to large. Took 3 lbs home the other day and have had them in tacos and omletes. There is a buyer here in McNeill who is paying $3.50/lbs fresh, not sure about dried.

It has been raining cats and dogs today, all the rivers are way up and some are over their banks, so the srooms will be a sprouting....

Cheers

SS

 

[Dirtdog67]

Do you think the salmon has busted it seam Sitka?? Heading up tomorrow and I am having troubles getting the hydrographs up.. Much appreciated in advance-dirty

 

[Sitkaspruce]

Sorry Dirty for the late reply

The wife just came back from CR and it was raining all the way. She said the Salmon was up, but not bursting the banks yet. Very off colour though. We have had a ton of rain today, and a few of the creeks were flowing torents tonight. ~30 mills fell today and another 20 is forcast tonight.

Cheers

SS

 

[adrianna3]

A few chanterelles out past the end of Lake Cowichan, but still a bit too dry. The ones we found were almost dehydrated. The mushroom buyers have their signs out in Lake Cowichan.

 

[Big Bob]

Twinwinds as it sounds like you are not very experienced I would suggest that you go with some one who is, so you can positively I.D. them. If you live in Victoria you might want to look into the Victoria Mycological Society( big words for mushroom club)

For an interesting taste treat take a chunk of smoke salmon , cover it with chopped chanterelles and a pint of whipping cream, cover with aluminum foil and bake in oven untill the cream is almost gone. YUM! It ia also great cold on crackers.

 

[Hoochiebob]

Actually Dudds,I usually find that picking chantrelles coincides with picking pumpkins.
I had thought that the crapload of rain on Labor Day might have brought them out early.
No such luck

Hooch

 

[adrianna3]

Nice haul there UNKNOWN. They're paying $2.50 a pound in Lake Cowichan right now, but that changes all the time.

 

[Steelhead S2]

Pretty sweet collection! I don't sell mine, but I got a bucketful to start things off. Also got into some lobsters and boletes. Does anyone else harvest a variety of species, or do people just focus on chanterelles? Personally, I focus on chanterelles, but I love to score some variety; like tagging a big bottom fish while targeting salmon!

 

[adrianna3]

If it's edible, and I find it, I'll try it. I've had lobsters, morells, shaggy manes, alchohol inky caps (not recommended), white and yellow chanterelles, white puffballs (good), and a few different boletes. Get a good book and get out there and try them.