Entry #4 Chanterelle Mushroom Picking

Today was quite cold today. We had rain/snow mix most of the day down here in the valley. I decided to drive up the mountain to find some snow to play in. About a 1/4 of the way up the rain was turning into snow, it was really exciting. Eventually we found a nice place to sled a little bit and play. Just as we were packing up to leave, I noticed something orangish/yellow color popping out of the forest floor, a Chanterelle mushroom! I had no intentions of going mushroom hunting, but to my surprise there were tons of them scattered underneath the forests canopy. The light dusting of snow under the trees made everything white, except the mushrooms, so they were extremely easy to find! In about 15 minutes I had already gotten 2-3 lbs of them with out even trying. So it ended up turning out to be a pretty fun day. With Thanksgiving coming up, they should make a nice addition to the menu. With all that said, I though I would talk a little bit about Chanterelle's.

 Cantharellus cibarius, better known as the chanterelle is a orangish/yellow vase shaped mushroom that grows in Europe, North America, Mexico and Asia. Some chanterelle's that grow on the west coast can weigh as much as two lbs!  They are mycorrhizal, meaning they form an important, symbiotic relationship with the roots of trees (usually coniferous). You can properly identify a chanterelle by these characteristics:

Vase shaped with a depressed cap
Lacks true gills
Apricot like smell
Grows in soil (not on trees)

A false chanterelle is poisonous and will have these characteristics:
More of a true orange color
Grows on, but isn't limited to, trees
Has true gills

 

Chanterelle

                                                                   False Chanterelle

 Mushroom hunting is definitely a exciting experience each and every time you go. The first couple times you go out I recommend going with someone that has a vast knowledge of mushrooms and can properly identify them for you before attempting to eat them. In not much time you will start to pick out chanterelle's left and right by yourself.  Expect to pay anywhere from $12 to $16 at the super market for these little golden wonders. It is a definite treat to have such a wonderful mushroom growing in the forest for us to enjoy with a little work at no cost!