How to Safely Find Mushrooms in the Pacific Northwest

Many people fear wild mushrooms and avoid picking and eating them when they discover them in the forest. But, with just a little knowledge, a new world of culinary adventure opens for those who seek out one of nature's most delicious treasures.

Yes, there are some very dangerous mushrooms which grow in the forest, and they should be avoided at each opportunity. But how can you do that without years of experience and knowhow? By choosing only one very common, but very delicious member of the fungal family in the northwest - the chanterelle (Cantharellus cibarius). Once you can identify a chanterelle, pick only them! There are no poisonous chanterelle look-alikes in the forests of the northwest. But arm yourself with the first rule of mushroom picking, “When in doubt, toss it out”. And remember the old adage, “There are old mushroom pickers, and there are bold mushroom pickers, but there are no old, bold mushroom pickers”.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• a compass, and the knowledge of how to use it
• a trail map (if available)
• a whistle, to use if you get lost
• a basket or pail to put your mushrooms in (don't use plastic grocery bags!)
• a knife, if you are a “cutter”, and for emergencies
• lunch, snacks, and water
• comfortable clothes and good hiking shoes
• a good mushroom field guide; a basic one is “All That the Rain Promises, and More”, by David Arora
• a small backpack (optional), to carry all your gear
• a GPS unit (optional)

1. Learn what a chanterelle looks like.
   As you can see from the picture of the chanterelle, it is very flower-like in its shape, some say, vase-like. It is also one of nature's most colorful mushrooms, most often appearing as a vibrant yellow, orange, or shade of tan/brown. However, there is also a variety that is white. But perhaps the most distinctive feature of the chanterelle is the underside of the mushroom. When you find a mushroom you think may be a chanterelle, pick it gently at its base and turn it over so you can view it closely. Instead of the thin, blade-like gills of the grocery store mushrooms you are familiar with, a chanterelle will have many fewer, blunt gills, as if a sculptor had created it in clay, and then smoothed the gills with his hand. Often the gills will be intersecting rather than perfectly distinct and separate. No other mushroom looks like a chanterelle.

2. Check with an expert.
   If you live in an area where mushrooms can be found in abundance, there will be at least one mushroom buyer nearby. If there are no mushroom buyers, there are probably no mushrooms either. Ask around – mushroom buyers make seasonal appearances. In the northwest, chanterelle season is usually from September through December, give or take a few weeks. Stop in to say Hello to your local mushroom buyer, and to see first hand what chanterelles look like. There is a real mental imprint that occurs in the mind of a good mushroom picker, and there's no better place to develop that imprint than in a mushroom buyer's shack. These are friendly folk – if they weren't, they'd have no one to buy mushrooms from! And even though you are a beginner, you are still a potential supplier, as far as the mushroom buyer is concerned. So, don't be shy – this is your local expert, and he/she will be more than happy to help you learn. And later, if you decide to expand your edible mushroom knowledge base, you'll need an expert to guide you – nobody better than a mushroom buyer.

3. Get a good mushroom guide.
   Let me immediately tell you that using guidebook pictures of mushrooms for identity purposes is next to worthless. Too many mushrooms look similar and most have wide variations that defy visual identification. All experienced pickers soon realize this. But such guidebooks are still valuable for the rich source of descriptive data they contain, and for their identity keys. The use of a mushroom identity key is beyond the scope of this article, but each guidebook will contain an explanation of how to use them. My favorite comprehensive mushroom guidebook is “Mushrooms Demystified”, by David Arora.

4. Find a good potential forest area.
   Unless you live at the edge of a National Forest, finding mushrooms will usually mean getting in your car and driving into the woods. However, in the Pacific Northwest, no matter where you live, you are not far from a timber forest, most of which have excellent access via a network of logging roads. My favorites are BLM (Bureau of Land Management) tracts, National and State Forests, and forest preserves of any type. Most of these welcome visitors and have maps available to find your way in and out of these forest areas. It's a good idea to visit the closest office of any of these forests, find out what resources they offer, and ask a few questions, such as where you should look for chanterelles! They can give you a general idea of where to start. They will also tell you if any permits (usually free) are needed. Each forest seems to have their own rules, so make sure you either visit the nearby office, or check their website before you start 'shrooming in these forest areas.

5. Now find a few likely mushrooming “hot spots”.
   Once you've decided on an area to visit, you'll need to narrow down your search to those plots where you'll do your “heads down” looking. Look for a few key environmental characteristics – as a mushrooming newbie, you'll want a flat piece of ground. It's not easy climbing a steep hill and looking for mushrooms at the same time; and before you know it, you'll be dead tired! Try to find an area with fairly open access, and by that I mean, not too much undergrowth. Sometimes, the undergrowth in a forest can be so thick that movement is next to impossible, and you couldn't find a mushroom if it was there. Also look for conifers, like Douglas Fir, Spruce, Redwood, and Hemlock, for these trees are especially good hosts for the symbiotic mycorrhizal networks created by chanterelles – so when you see these trees, you'll know chanterelles are nearby. Don't worry about going to any area where no one else has been. As a beginner, it will be better to search out areas where other pickers are active. OK, it's not a good idea to intrude on someone else's spot, but if you see folks picking, go somewhere nearby, but out of the sight of others, and look there. And keep a notebook with maps of your good finds – use it each time you go out.

6. How to pick a chanterelle.
   With all your preparation, it'll be a thrilling moment when you find your first chanterelle. It's unlikely that it will be a solitary mushroom, because chanterelles most often are found in bunches. Now the question is, what's the best way to pick it? Purists will tell you that a knife should be used to cut the chanterelle out of its hole, but I prefer to slip my fingers into the root of the mushroom and find its true base – very often, chanterelles will develop in an open space under the forest duff, with a larger part of the stalk under the ground than above. Once the true base of the chanterelle is found, simply grab it with several fingers and twist the mushroom out of its hole. Don't pick chanterelles that are smaller than a quarter, and if they are abundant, move the minimum size up to a half-dollar or bigger! And always take a rigid container out with you – no grocery bags – chanterelles are rather delicate and easily broken. I like a five gallon plastic pail with a nice comfortable handle.

7. Avoid getting lost!
   Getting lost in the woods is almost as dangerous as eating every mushroom you find! Always carry a functioning compass, and use it when in the forest. Some mushroomers invest in a GPS unit, but unfortunately, they do not always work in the woods, due to thick forest cover. But if you have a GPS, take it in the woods with you, and set up the unit's back-tracking function – it may not find three satellites in the deep cover, but even one is helpful if you are lost. Keep a whistle in your pocket, and use it when your efforts to find a way out have failed. If you are unlucky enough to have to spend a night in the forest, use the whistle to signal searchers who may be looking for you. A good dog is another way to find your way out of the woods; dogs are much better than we at finding their own trail back out. And before you head out, always tell someone, or leave a note or email, where you are going to be picking.
   
   Hopefully, at day's end, you'll have enough chanterelles to make several delicious dishes that few others can duplicate without spending a Hamilton or two. But most of all, you'll have had a wonderful day communing with nature, and a lot of new experience you can now use to find mushrooms again and again!

[smilesatme1]

on 8/25/2008 Good article Thank you!