What Animal Eats Hen Of The Woods Mushrooms

A few weeks agone, our mushroom foraging friend, Rick brash our son, Will to keep an eye out for hen-of-the-woods mushrooms at the base of oak trees. Will, who is quite adept at spotting things, eventually establish a truly enormous i growing from the base of an oak tree at his grandma'southward business firm next door.

And then we went for a walk in the woods to call up it a few days agone.

Information technology was a beautiful, warm afternoon filled with the gilded low-cal of Fall. I am non at all religious but detect information technology impossible to call back nigh autumn'southward riotous colors and silent beauty in anything other than reverent terms - glorious, holy, hushful, brilliant, burning...

I wore my rain boots considering they give me the illusion of invincibility - like I can get anwhere and do anything without getting my socks wet or bitten by ticks or scratched past thorns.

Nosotros went a piddling ways downwardly the hill and Volition pointed out his find. The mushroom was Big. However, I've read that these mushrooms tin grow to at least 50 pounds so information technology's all relative.

Volition was very proud of his find. I was, too. Here he is with a trivial piece of the mushroom. I oftentimes enquire him, "Why are you lot so cute?" and he ever responds, "Because I'm yours," which has always impressed me since I think it basically sums it all up.

Hen-of-the-forest (Grifola frondosa) is native to the northeastern U.S. besides as Japan where information technology is known equally maitake - the "dancing mushroom" considering people were supposedly so happy to find it that they would dance for joy.

It's not poetic but it reminds me of a encephalon - peculiarly on the inside. And it was a surprise to find a few centipedes and a salamander curled upward in one of the mushroom's little cavities. Luckily, it was non hard to relocate these guests.

The flavour is fantastic - and so much depth and richness - it makes you realize that those white button mushrooms you lot become at the store taste similar absolutely nothing except what yous melt them with. Maitake is a pretty compact mushroom and tin can stand to long cooking. I like it cooked with some liquid to brand information technology more tender. Thus far, we have eaten it sauteed with butter, garlic, thyme and oregano (MWAH, so proficient!) and also in a mushroom risotto (too delish.) And there'south still quite a fleck to utilise. I may end up freezing some.

In improver to tasting skillful, this mushroom seems to accept both nutritional and medicinal benefits. Information technology's rich in potassium, calcium, and magnesium, vitamin B2, D2 and niacin and amino acids. Memorial Sloan Kettering has done some clinical trials that indicate the mushroom has the power to stimulate certain types of immune cells. Maitake also appears to help regulate glucose levels which can be helpful in managing and preventing Type II diabetes. Paul Stamets wrote an interesting article most maitakes which goes into a little more than depth.

Right now is a good fourth dimension to look for hen-of-the-woods as they like warm days and cool nights. Look at the base of operations of oaks, elms and maples (but generally oaks) in the woods. And you needn't exist afraid of accidentally poisoning yourself because there are no poisonous look-alikes. Which is e'er prissy.

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Source: https://www.thegardenofeating.org/2015/10/hen-of-the-woods-mushroom.html

Posted by: merrymanblene1972.blogspot.com