The above chicken of the woods mushrooms were harvested at the community center along with red and gold chanterelles. After washing, the mushrooms were sliced, breaded and fried. They tasted like chicken fingers with a better texture. Plain or with BBQ sauce, they did not last long but were very filling.
David DeGerolamo
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Oh, I would love to have an expert here. We have wild mushrooms all over here and some which “look like” those in the photo. But how to make sure without an expert identification? I have heard such dreadful stories about people eating something they foraged which “looked like” something good.
It is not too hard to educate yourself on which mushrooms are good. Limit your search at first to
1. Red chanterelles
2. Gold chanterelles
3. Chicken of the woods
4. Hen of the woods
5. Turkey tail
My rule is, if you are only a beginner, eat just mushrooms with the sponge underside. Avoid gills.
But chanterelles are easy, so is chicken of the woods. My other rule is, learn from a person. I was taught by my grandparents.
I broke my rule this spring, when I had a whole swath of parasols on my neighbor’s land. They look different from european parasols, and so I was not sure. After asking my neighbors, nobody knew of a mushroom hunter in ourwhole little town. So I broke down and went by the internet. It worked out. But still… not recommended. It’s safer to live among mycophiles than mycophobes… nobody to teach you. Americans are mycophobes by and large. Too bad. Wild mushrooms are awesome.
Oh, and another safe choice is the giant puffball. Nothing like it. And delicious chicken-fried.
Highly recommend the book:
Mushrooms of West Virginia and the Central Appalachians
By William C. Roody
Those are fantastic! Guess I need to do a little scouting in the woods.