Fall Foraging

In honor of National Mushroom Day (October 15th), we’ve put together a list of some of our favorite mushrooms to forage in autumn.

Four Types of Fall Mushrooms

1. Lion's Mane 

Lion’s mane are white, shaggy mushrooms that grow in hardwood forests and are perfect for beginner foragers since they do not have any lookalikes. Its flavor is often compared to that of seafood, thus making it the perfect substitute for vegetarian/vegan recipes

2. Chanterelles 
 

These orange/yellow funnel-shaped mushrooms are some of the most common edible mushrooms that can be found in hardwood forests throughout the continental United States. However, it should be noted that chanterelles have a handful of toxic look-alikes—such as the false chanterelle and the Jack O’Lantern.

3. Puffball

Puffballs are white, round mushrooms that are usually found in meadows and open fields, though they can also be found in the woods. These mushrooms have a handful of toxic lookalikes; in order to properly identify a “puffball,” it should be sliced in half vertically: the skin should be thin and soft, and the inside should be pure white

4. Chicken of the Woods & Hen of the Woods

Chicken of the woods and hen of the woods are two types of dense mushrooms—both with a meaty texture and taste, thus making them the perfect meat-substitute in any dish! Chicken of the woods grow in clusters of golden fan-shaped caps; hen of the woods grow in clusters of brown, fan-shaped, wavy caps. Both of these mushrooms can be found near the base of hardwood trees. However, both are quite rare and hard to come by

Foraging Safety

1. If foraging alone, always let people know where you’ll be foraging and when you plan on returning

2. If you’re a beginner forager, try to find a foraging group in your area

Experienced foragers will be able to help find the best locations for foraging, identify mushrooms, teach proper harvesting techniques, and other tips & tricks. 

3. Do not pick mushrooms unless you are 100% confident in your ability to identify them.

Double-checking your mushrooms with experienced foragers is ideal, but identification apps like Seek by iNaturalist and Shroomify are great options as well

4. Do not consume uncooked mushrooms

It is not recommended to consume raw mushrooms due to the toxins they contain. Instead, try incorporating your harvest into a delicious mushroom-based recipe—such as a stir-fry or pasta!

More Resources

For more information about foraging and identifying mushrooms, check out:

Mushrooming with Confidence
 

North American Mushrooms: A Field Guide to Edible and Inedible Fungi
 

Wild Mushrooming: A Guide for Foragers
 

How to Forage for Mushrooms without Dying: An Absolute Beginner's Guide to Identifying 29 Wild, Edible Mushrooms
 

Picture Mushroom - Mushroom ID on Google Play and the App Store