KNOW NATURE

A Forager’s Guide to Fungi

Still settling for those tasteless supermarket white button mushrooms? Expand your palate with these five ’shrooms that grow in forests across the U.S. By EMMA VEIDT

Wild mushrooms make a great addition to any backcountry meal, and if you know how to look, you can find them along your local forest trails. Start foraging with these tips from Beck Ferguson, professional mushroom hunter, grower, and owner of central Vermont’s Mansfield Mushroom Co.

Chicken of the Woods

when: Spring into fall where: At the bases and on the trunks dead, dying, and living hardwood trees

This porous, shelf-like mushroom stands out like, well, a chicken in the woods: Its clusters of bright orange and yellow can grow heavier than 50 pounds. When cooked properly, it often has a similar taste and texture to its eponymous poultry.

Golden Chanterelle

when: Early summer into fall where: On forest floors near living hardwood trees

This burst of sunshine is a great source of beta-carotene, hence its golden hue. It also has a flowery fragrance and apricot-like flavor. You can identify it from the wrinkles running down the stem from under the cap .

Lion’s Mane

when: Summer into fall where: In the abcesses of dead or dying hardwood trees

If you see Cousin Itt’s fungus relative growing on a tree, you’ve found a lion’s mane. This mushroom stands out for its mop of tiny, hairlike teeth (as opposed to pores or gills). When cooked, it has a similar texture to shellfish like crab and lobster, and as a bonus, it strengthens your immune system.

Morel

when: Spring where: Around the bases of dead or dying oak, elm, ash, and aspen trees

Morels are prized for their meaty flavor and easy identification. When you spot a morel, be sure to verify that your find isn’t a potentially poisonous lookalike: A true morel is completely hollow, and a false morel has inward-growing folds chambered inside.

Pheasant Back (a.k.a. Dryad’s Saddle)

when: Spring where: On dead or dying hardwood trees, particularly elms or oaks, and living maple trees

Whatever you call this mushroom, its name is very fitting: In Greek mythology, a dryad is a spirit that lives in the trees, and the pattern on the cream-colored, shelf-like cap is akin to the feathers on a pheasant’s back. When young, this mushroom’s taste is reminiscent of fresh watermelon or cucumber.

HOW TO HARVEST MUSHROOMS

Some mushrooms are hurmful when consumed: Cross-reference your harvest with at least two or three guidebooks to make sure you have identified everything correctly. Never eat anything you are not 100 percent sure of, and never identify a mushroom through taste. When harvesting, use scissors or a knife to cut the mushroom from the stem. This keeps the mycelium, the mushroom roots, healthy enough to continue propagating. “Always be respectful of the land and practice sustainable harvesting, ” Ferguson says. “Thank the land and never take more than you need. ” Always cook your mushrooms. They’re made of chitin, a fiber similar to cellulose, and we can only absorb its nutrients once broken down by heat.