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Is this chicken of the woods? (sh.itjust.works)
submitted 2 months ago by Kalcifer@sh.itjust.works to c/foraging@lemm.ee
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Found in Cascadia/PNW in mid-August.

If it is indeed chicken of the woods (ie laetiporus), I'm curious as to which species.

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[-] evasive_chimpanzee@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago

I'm sure I read it somewhere, but I just checked one of my books, and it doesn't say that, and reading online, I can't find anything with evidence either way. Seems like the main risk is of you don't clean them very well and get a lot of plant matter encased in it. Doesn't take much yew to make you sick.

Either way, though, thanks for calling me out! I don't live near any yews, so it's not something I've ever had to think about.

[-] Kalcifer@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 months ago

Seems like the main risk is of you don’t clean them very well and get a lot of plant matter encased in it. Doesn’t take much yew to make you sick.

I've heard that one is only supposed to eat the newest/youngest growth on chicken of the woods (the portion along the edge) [1.1][2]. The older/woodier growth towards the middle, and, by extension, the anchor to the substrate where the potentially troublesome plant matter might still be attached, shouldn't be eaten as it has a higher likelihood of causing gastric upset [1.2].

References

  1. "Foraging and Cooking Chicken of the Woods Mushrooms". Paul Stamets. YouTube. Published: 2020-09-06 (Accessed: 2024-08-19T00:38Z). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9K8HuTHTyP8
      • T00:00:44

        this mushroom is — it tastes like chicken […] especially on the first two inches of the margin.

      • T00:00:53

        [Chicken of the woods] sours with bacteria very quickly. And so I caution you not to eat the interiors or where it's discolored.

    2. T00:01:00

      here are signs of bacteria growing so this can cause GI upset

  2. "Chicken Of The Woods: A Guide To Sulphur Shelf Mushrooms in British Columbia". Vancouver Island Mushrooms. Published: 2024-03-25T09:54:59 (Accessed: 2024-08-19T00:47Z). https://www.westcoastforager.com/wild-edible-mushrooms/chicken-of-the-woods.

    • only the most tender parts of the mushroom near the margin should be eaten.

    • Starting at their base, chicken of the woods mushrooms become pale and the texture becomes more like cork as they get older.

this post was submitted on 14 Aug 2024
37 points (97.4% liked)

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