# Mushroom Gathering Time



## Nicodemus (Jun 7, 2020)

Due to a cool spring down here, we`re getting a late start on our mushrooms. Chanterelles and Cinnabars are just now making an appearance. I`ll be gathering these in a few short days, finally. Been looking forward to them. All you South Georgia folks, start looking.


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## NCHillbilly (Jun 7, 2020)

Nicodemus said:


> Due to a cool spring down here, we`re getting a late start on our mushrooms. Chanterelles and Cinnabars are just now making an appearance. I`ll be gathering these in a few short days, finally. Been looking forward to them. All you South Georgia folks, start looking.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


It'll be about a month here. I can't wait.


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## antharper (Jun 8, 2020)

I see all kinds while I’m in the woods , a lot that I know I’ve seen on here that y’all are eating . I’m just not confident enough with them


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## Tomboy Boots (Jun 9, 2020)

To me, there doesn't seem much of a chance to guess wrong on chanterelles. The only real "look a likes" don't look like them to me. Once you have identified them you shouldn't have a problem. They are delicious battered and fried, sauteed, or added to an omelet. Just remember not to eat them raw, they need to be cooked.


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## GLS (Jun 9, 2020)

This is the weekend in the past  I begin finding them dependent on amount of rainfall.  So far, not much rain.  I expect the first rain will soak in fast and not flush them.  Here's a site that I use to monitor rain in my haunts:
https://www.iweathernet.com/total-rainfall-map-24-hours-to-72-hours


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## NCHillbilly (Jun 9, 2020)

Tomboy Boots said:


> To me, there doesn't seem much of a chance to guess wrong on chanterelles. The only real "look a likes" don't look like them to me. Once you have identified them you shouldn't have a problem. They are delicious battered and fried, sauteed, or added to an omelet. Just remember not to eat them raw, they need to be cooked.View attachment 1021115View attachment 1021116View attachment 1021117View attachment 1021118


Nice haul! I think I like chants even better than I like morels. And I like morels a lot.


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## Nicodemus (Jun 9, 2020)

This morning I checked the ones pictured in my first post, and they need another couple of days. I`m wanting to try your recipe with my first cutting, Debbie. It sounds good.


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## Tomboy Boots (Jun 9, 2020)

We have several ways we cook them. I wash them but not until immediately before we are going to cook them. Lay them on a paper towel as you wash them so they can drain. Mix up an egg or two with a little milk. Use a gallon zip lock to put some flour and garlic salt (or seasoning of your choice). Dip the mushrooms in the egg batter first then transfer to the flour. We fry them in a Fry Daddy for about 5 minutes or until light golden brown. Put them on a tray/pan lined with paper towels to drain. Absolutely my favorite way to cook them. We also like them sauteed in butter with vidalia onion and/or garlic. This is wonderful as a side dish or poured over rice. Both of these recipes are also excellent with oyster and lion's mane mushrooms! If I am adding chanterelles to an omelet I saute them first to make sure they are cooked. You shouldn't eat wild mushrooms raw because some of them might make you sick if not cooked.


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## Tomboy Boots (Jun 9, 2020)




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## NCHillbilly (Jun 9, 2020)

Tomboy Boots said:


> View attachment 1021145View attachment 1021146View attachment 1021147View attachment 1021148View attachment 1021149View attachment 1021150View attachment 1021151View attachment 1021152


I like those oysters, too!


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## CurLee (Jun 9, 2020)

Found some young Lions Mane at the edge of the woods this evening. Any ideas on how to cook besides frying? Im a morel lover and have sauteed oysters  but thats the extent of my wild mushroom experience.


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## GLS (Jun 10, 2020)

CurLee said:


> Found some young Lions Mane at the edge of the woods this evening. Any ideas on how to cook besides frying? Im a morel lover and have sauteed oysters  but thats the extent of my wild mushroom experience.



Do you have any photos?  Please describe what they were growing on.  Whether on ground, on a live or dead tree/log, etc.  I usually find lion's mane during the late fall and winter growing up and off the ground on a living oak in cool weather. Gil


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## CurLee (Jun 10, 2020)

If I can remember Ill get some pics this evening. Its on a living water oak, but the limb may be dead. Are there any lookalikes?


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## CurLee (Jun 10, 2020)

I cannot post pictures. Says file s too large.


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## GLS (Jun 10, 2020)

CurLee said:


> I cannot post pictures. Says file s too large.


go to this site and resize:
https://www.befunky.com/create/


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## Mexican Squealer (Jun 10, 2020)

Looking forward to covering some ground this weekend


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## CurLee (Jun 10, 2020)

Confirmed its a dead and rotten limb on a living water oak.


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## GLS (Jun 10, 2020)

In the flesh--Lions Mane.  I saute it in slabs.  They soak up a lot of water and it takes some time in the pan to remove it.


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## cowhornedspike (Jun 10, 2020)

GLS said:


> In the flesh--Lions Mane.  I saute it in slabs.  They soak up a lot of water and it takes some time in the pan to remove it.



You can ring it out like a dish rag...well not quite that well, but you can get most of the water out of it by squeezing it before slicing into slabs.


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## Tomboy Boots (Jun 10, 2020)

My favorite for Lion's Mane is sliced, battered, and fried. It is also delicious sauteed with vidalia onion and yellow or orange bell pepper then made into a gravy using part milk and heavy cream. I've fried deer cubed steak, drained the oil from the pan, sauteed the vegetables, then add milk and heavy cream for the gravy. You might be surprised how good it is. The only seasoning I use is salt, pepper, and garlic salt.


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## Para Bellum (Jun 11, 2020)

Like Gil said, strange time for Lion's Mane.  Weird.  Good for you though!  Chants are popping after this last storm here in ATL.  Gonna fill up some baskets soon.


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## CurLee (Jun 11, 2020)

Thanks all. What kind of conditions or environment do you find the chanterelles?


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## GLS (Jun 11, 2020)

I find them in a variety of habitats but not necessarily in all similar habitats.  One place is under drip lines of live oaks.  Another spot is along a roadway of mixed pines and hardwoods.  Other places are along swamp edges, but in the presence of hardwoods.  They are where you find them.  They can be spotted from a truck window on a slow drive on a woods road.  This time of the year their color makes them easier to spot.  I've found them growing in grassy areas near huckleberries.  They will hide in grass.  I don't have much luck in areas of burned woods the summer after the burn.  They eventually return.  The big factor is plenty of rain.  Gil


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## Impact97 (Jun 11, 2020)

CurLee said:


> Thanks all. What kind of conditions or environment do you find the chanterelles?


Also look in creek ditches or flood ditches in hard woods


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## Tomboy Boots (Jun 11, 2020)

I find them in hardwood bottoms, along the edges of sloughs near rivers and creeks, in and around palmetto's in these same area's. Rain is definitely the key. If you have found chanterelles there in the past, that is where you should start looking after you have a good rain. They will return multiple times in the same area's IF you have rain. They grow fast, and once the rain is gone a few days of dry weather and your chanterelles will be gone too.


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## GLS (Jun 11, 2020)

The strangest place I find them are on a woods road on top of a sandy hill surrounded by oaks.  The chants flush from the decaying oak leaf loam on top of the sand.  Downside to them is it tough to get the grit completely off of them.


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## CurLee (Jun 11, 2020)

Thanks, all. Ill have to take a ride around the back 40 this weekend and look for them. Sounds like Ive got the perfect habitat.


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## GLS (Jun 13, 2020)

First of the year.  I could see from the rain fall map that one of my spots had a good dosing over 72 hours and the proof was in the pudding.  Yesterday I found about a pound and made a couple of omelets for my wife and me for supper.


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## Hillbilly stalker (Jun 13, 2020)

GLS said:


> First of the year.  I could see from the rain fall map that one of my spots had a good dosing over 72 hours and the proof was in the pudding.  Yesterday I found about a pound and made a couple of omelets for my wife and me for supper.


Nice ! Even got the Opinel knife


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## blood on the ground (Jun 13, 2020)

GLS said:


> First of the year.  I could see from the rain fall map that one of my spots had a good dosing over 72 hours and the proof was in the pudding.  Yesterday I found about a pound and made a couple of omelets for my wife and me for supper.


What area are you located?


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## blood on the ground (Jun 13, 2020)

I drove through Cohutta last summer and spotted the biggest growth of chicken I had ever seen, almost looked like a hunters orange vest! Stopped the truck and headed down the mountain and cut two big chunks of it. Had grilled backstrap and sauteed chicken of the woods that night.


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## GLS (Jun 13, 2020)

I'm in the lowcountry of SE Ga.  The Opinel is special in that it was a gift from my daughter that she bought for me when she lived in France teaching high schoolers English for the French Ministry of Education.   She also taught this old dog new tricks in finding chants.  When she was at UGA, she worked in a restaurant with some serious foodies and mushroom foragers who taught her the ropes. Gil
P.S.  one her fellow foragers made a jar of stinging nettle pesto that was absolutely delicious.


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## ddd-shooter (Jun 13, 2020)

Think I'm gonna finally get in the mushroom game. Been threatening for years, especially with the way y'all enjoy chants. 
Best tip for a newb?


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## GLS (Jun 14, 2020)

Your best bet this time of the year is chanterelles. They are the zucchinis of the mushroom world and also, tops in flavor. Learn how to recognize them. The one mushroom that seems to be the one alleged to be the easiest to confuse with chants is the Jack O' Lantern which will make one sick. It grows in clusters on dead wood. Chants don't. While sometimes two or three chants will be clustered and connected, it's rarely a larger number. Don't expect anyone (in their right mind) to disclose a location.  Cut them from the ground rather than pull up.  Two reasons:  Preserves the underground system better and less dirt in the collecting bag making cleaning easier.  It doesn’t accelerate deterioration to wash them and refrigerate.  I’ve tried it both ways, stored in fridge unwashed and washed and haven’t noticed any difference in how long they stay fresh. Your thumb works great on the entire mushroom to remove grit and dirt.  I no longer use a small brush.  Let them dry on kitchen counter on a towel and store in something that can breathe and let moisture out.  A paper bag is good; a plastic bag isn’t.  A good way to store them is to saute them chopped in bits in butter and olive oil and vacuum bagged. I do it in .25 lb batches. I weigh out a 1/4 lb. and cook or a larger amount and divide. They will keep indefinitely frozen in butter. They don't do well frozen and uncooked. Some folks dehydrate them, but IMO, the result is inferior to cooking then freezing. You can woods walk or low speed cruise through wooded areas and look for them from your window. The color is obvious. I found these yesterday and all were spotted within 5-15' from my truck window. These were from better soil than the ones I found Friday. Here's what I saw from my truck:




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## Tomboy Boots (Jun 14, 2020)

ddd-shooter said:


> Think I'm gonna finally get in the mushroom game. Been threatening for years, especially with the way y'all enjoy chants.
> Best tip for a newb?



If you have access to some woods, especially if near a river or creek, look along the edges of old trails or woods roads. Also anywhere near hardwood bottoms or sloughs, especially around the edges and like Gil said, under/around big oak trees in the decaying leaves. I've even found them along the edge of the woods beside a paved road in a small town in south Georgia. The color really stands out.


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## Tomboy Boots (Jun 14, 2020)

This was made by cooking bacon, draining most of the grease off, sauteing oyster mushrooms, vidalia onions, and yellow bell pepper. I crumbled the cooked bacon and added it back to the pan. I used milk and heavy cream to make the gravy. You can do the same with any edible mushrooms (chanterelle, oyster, lion's mane, or even store bought sliced mushrooms).


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## Nicodemus (Jun 14, 2020)

Just gathered these a little while ago. The Cinnabars need another couple of days.


Debbie, that is a frying pan full of goodness!


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## northgeorgiasportsman (Jun 14, 2020)

Chants just starting to poke through the leaves here.


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## NCHillbilly (Jun 14, 2020)

I saw a couple of cinnibar pins while I was fishing yesterday.


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## Para Bellum (Jun 16, 2020)

I picked about a pound of em this morning before work.  Had a good rain Sunday but then it turned off cool again.


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## Buckman18 (Jun 16, 2020)

I've always wondered how folks ever originally learned the good mushrooms from the bad? That learning curve must've been rough!


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## Para Bellum (Jun 16, 2020)

Buckman18 said:


> I've always wondered how folks ever originally learned the good mushrooms from the bad? That learning curve must've been rough!


Right?!


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## Buckman18 (Jun 16, 2020)

Metro Trout said:


> Right?!



Looking good!


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## Para Bellum (Jun 16, 2020)

Buckman18 said:


> Looking good!



With some brown rice!


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## Mexican Squealer (Jun 16, 2020)

Been eating ‘em with about every meal this week and dried out a bunch more. Going to hit the honey hole again and freshen up the supply. Love ‘em!


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## Killer Kyle (Jun 19, 2020)

Y'all have got me fired up! I went out yesterday and covered some ground in a new hunting area. Found 3 pockets of chants each with maybe 30 or so in them. The majority were small, but supposedly we have some rain coming next week. Didn't find any motherboard, but found plenty enough for a few good meals. I can't wait to pick the first chants of the year!
Great pics guys and gals!


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## Killer Kyle (Jun 22, 2020)

If any of y'all are hunting chants in the Athens area, you ought to have a heap to pick from soon! I was up in the hills visiting my old stomping grounds in Union County earlier today. On my way back south to my current residence, I had to pass thru Athens. I drove through scattered thunderstorms most of the way, but it was a doggone deluge around Athens. I pulled over and got out the oars to row my way down 278. JK...But if y'all got spots in that area, be looking in a week or so. Athens got a drenching today.


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## scottyd917 (Jun 27, 2020)

Quick little walk around the yard this afternoon


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## scottyd917 (Jun 28, 2020)

Nice couple of hours in the woods this mornin!


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## Revizor (Jul 22, 2020)

I don’t understand anything about mushrooms, so I don’t collect them.


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## bfriendly (Aug 1, 2020)

Is it too late? Seems like it’s been so dry here til just lately. I’ve been looking every time out but so far nada!
I did find this Guy this am and am wondering if I should have taken it. My Seek app says it’s an Eastern cauliflower; a good edible.
There were a few bugs inside it, but 75% of it looked nice! I left it cause I got to go to work . Anyone eat these?


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## bfriendly (Aug 1, 2020)

Revizor said:


> I don’t understand anything about mushrooms, so I don’t collect them.


Yeah but wouldn’t it be fun to enjoy some after finding them? It’s kind of what a lot of outdoor folks do and I can’t wait til I find some.my wife and kid found some but didn’t collect.....they know better next time.


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## NCHillbilly (Aug 7, 2020)

Revizor said:


> I don’t understand anything about mushrooms, so I don’t collect them.


That's a good idea. Most of the common edibles are not any harder to identify for the most part than berries, but never eat a mushroom that you can't hang a specific name on with 100% certainty.



bfriendly said:


> Is it too late? Seems like it’s been so dry here til just lately. I’ve been looking every time out but so far nada!
> I did find this Guy this am and am wondering if I should have taken it. My Seek app says it’s an Eastern cauliflower; a good edible.
> There were a few bugs inside it, but 75% of it looked nice! I left it cause I got to go to work . Anyone eat these?
> View attachment 1030755


Yeah, the cauliflower mushrooms are good.


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