Forged for centries in the Mountains of the Pacific Northwest the Wild Huckleberry is sought by many.Their unique sweet and tangy flavor is different from other berries.There are many varieties and colors of the Huckleberries along with many health benefits.If you research health benafits of Huckleberries you will be surprised how much of a punch this little berry can have in your over all health.Our Huckleberries are foraged from MT.St.Helens and Mt.Adams.The Wild Huckleberry season usually begins late July and last thru the month of September.I enjoy Huckleberries mostly fresh, but they need to be preserved soon after harvest. There are several ways to preserve these little berries. Once you have cleaned the berries freeze them in zip lock bags and use them anytime of the year to make Huckleberry jam, pie, muffins, smoothies or just grab a handful and pop in your mouth.Be careful they disappear quick.Enjoy!

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Boletus edulis

The King Bolete is a very popular mushroom and carries different names. It is one of the most sought after mushrooms, fresh or dried. This mushroom can be found in the late spring, during Morel season, and summer in higher elevations. They are found in lower elevations after the fall rains. The King Bolete has dense pores instead of gills under their cap. This can make the mushroom meatier if in good condition and dry. But if the pores are wet they can become mushy during cooking so need to be discarded. When drying King Boletes remove the pores and dry separately to use in soups and gravy’s when reconstituted. Make sure the stems are firm when selecting your King Boletes ,not hollow feeling or mushy, this can be a sign of worms. Cook your boletes well as they have been known to cause upset stomachs. When grilling, brush with butter or oil and make sure the cap is fully cooked. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese just before removing from the grill for added flavor.

To preserve King Boletes canning is alright but remove the pores under the cap first. Dry the pores separately from the cap and stems so you can reconstitute them separately. Soak your Bolete tubers over night, rinse thoroughly to remove any sand, strain the reconstituted liquid and use in your recipe. Wring your tubers out to get as much of the liquid as possible before tossing them out. To thicken the liquid use a roux and season with salt. You then have essence of edulis which you can dilute for sauces, gravy’s and soups.

The King Bolete mushroom cap can be sticky or dry, colored brown to yellow, red brown or dark red and bald. The underside of the cap is like a sponge or porous layer that is white when young turning yellowish, brown or olive when mature. The stalk is thick, with a bulb when young, white to brown but never yellow. The flesh is white, not staining blue or brown when cut. The taste of the King Bolete is mild and nutty, never bitter.

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Laetiporus sulphureus

Also known as Sulfer Shelf Mushroom. It is one of the easiest mushrooms to identify, but unless it is harvested at the right time it can be the least to make it to the dinner table. The Chicken of the Wood, when young and tender, can be compared to a succulent chicken breast in texture. But if this mushroom gets to mature it cannot be eaten. If you boil the Chicken of the Wood for 15 minutes and it does not tenderize, toss it.

The Chicken of the Wood can be spotted from across a clearing. Due to the bright yellow-orange color of the cap on this mushroom it is easily spotted. The underside of the cap is a sulfur yellow when fresh. It is shelf like and grows in overlapping masses on dead logs and stumps. Some can be so high up that unless you have a ladder, you have to walk away empty handed.

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Hypomyces lactifluorum

They call this mushroom the Lobster due to its coloring not its taste. Although it goes well with shellfish it does not have a seafood flavor. The Lobster mushroom has a pleasant mild odor and crunchy texture. The flesh is white and crisp when it is fresh. This mushroom should be sautéed. Use a combination of butter and olive oil with fresh thyme, chopped shallots, salt and pepper. The Lobster mushroom pairs nicely with eggs and sweeter varieties of seafood and works well with cream or milk based sauces.

The Lobster Mushroom is usually of the Russula species that has been parasitized by the genus (Hypomyces). This process is what causes the red to redish purple coloring and the smoothness of the gilled area to form. They make a nice colored dried mushroom with the white inside and red outside.

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The post Chanterelle Yellow Mushrooms appeared first on Pacific Northwest Wild Mushrooms.

Cantharellus subalbidus

The White Chanterelle is much the same as the Yellow Chanterelle except the color is white. It can be yellowed when bruised. This Chanterelle mushroom is not as prevalent as the Yellow Chanterelle but is sought after and may be more popular. The White Chanterelle is more common to the Pacific Northwest and Central California. Prepare the White Chanterelle as you would the Yellow Chanterelle. The white insides are delicious in either species.

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Yellow Foot Chanterelle is also known as the Winter Chanterelle or Funnel Chanterelle. This Chanterelle comes up in the winter when the classic Chanterelle season has ended. It is not as meaty as other Chanterelle species but has a good flavor. The caps loose their shape during cooking but the stem holds up well. The best way to preserve the Yellow Foot Chanterelle is by drying. Don’t expect the Yellow Foot Chanterelle to replace the classic Chanterelle mushroom as the flavor and shape are different when cooked.

The Yellow Foot Chanterelle is usually less than 2 inches in diameter with a central depression. The cap can be of dark brown to tan or dull orange. Their gills are widely spaced, blunt and run down the stalk, but not as far down as on the Yellow Chanterelle. The stalk is slender and often hollow, unless really young, and orange to yellow when fresh. It has no veil, ring or volva. The Yellow Foot Chanterelle may be found growing along side the Hedgehog mushroom.

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Craterellus cornucopioides

Also known as the Black Trumpet and Horns of Plenty

This trumpet like shaped mushroom is the most flavorful of the Chanterelles. They are great fresh with a buttery woodsy flavor but also hold up well when drying and reconstituting without loss of character. The dark liquid that is derived from the cooking process makes a satiny liquid that looks wonderful as a sauce for fish. The black color of the Black Chanterelle stands out well in omelets, pizzas and open faced sandwiches. The tough texture does require prolonged cooking. Usually boiling, simmering or sautéing for 10 or so minutes.

Due to the coloring of the Black Chanterelle it can be very hard to find in the dark forest in which they grow. Until you have a visual image you can pass right by them. It helps to visualize a wavy or frilly black or brown flower. They grow in fused clusters like a bouquet. Some say they look like a hole in the ground.

The Black Chanterelle has a trumpet shaped cap when young and more flowered shape as it ages. The flesh is dark, from black, when in moist areas to a brown when in dry areas. The cap is hollow extending down into the stalk and has a thin tough flesh. The underside of the cap is smooth, greyish in color, with no gills. Though it can be slightly wrinkled.

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Other names for the Hedgehog mushroom are Spreading Hedgehog and Sweet Tooth. This mushroom is a lot like a Yellow Chanterelle when cooking. Like the Yellow Foot Chanterelle the Hedgehog Chanterelle grows later in the winter to early spring sometimes right along side each other. But unlike the Yellow Foot Chanterelle it is more comparable to the Yellow Chanterelle as it holds its shape while cooking and can be preserved by pickling and drying. Sautéing the Hedgehog is the most desirable form of cooking. Dry sauté and then sauté in the left over grease of your fried meat with some rosemary, salt, pepper and toasted pine nuts. If you would rather not use meat drippings use olive oil instead and sauté all together. Remember to dry sauté your mushrooms first as it helps to remove the excess moisture from the mushroom  before adding to your recipe. You can always use the liquid to make a gravy or sauce to accompany the mushroom dish.

The Hedgehog mushroom has the same coloration of the Yellow Chanterelle. The cap can be white to pale orange or dull orange. The cap side is bald while the underside has a layer of spines or “teeth”. This is the Hedgehog mushrooms main difference from the Chanterelle mushroom. There is a smaller species, the Belly Button Hedgehog (Hydnum umbilicatum), that is usually slimmer and often has a small hole or “navel’ at the center of the cap. The Hedgehog has no poisonous look-alikes which is nice for the beginner forager.

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