Bee Fungi- Grandmother Way to Healing
Mushrooms are my dream life, mushrooms are my hobby, I can never get tired of them because I can never find exactly the same one. They are my teachers and my medicine, I am honoured to learn from them and learning has no end. I don't think there is a person on this planet who saw, touched, discovered all the species in person.
Fungi are responsible for life on our Planet as we know now.
They are the earliest form of life diverged from other life around 1.5 billion years ago.
Fungi form the sister group to the animals and they should not be classified as vegetables.
The subject is huge and , too huge for one individual human being to discover and understand them all.
With gratitude and humble heart I am always student in that area.
Wast Kingdom of Fungi world fascinated me since early childhood. My beloved grandma introduced me to the world of mushrooms when I was 4 years old (nearly 36 years ago), since then every year I've been foraging wild mushrooms. I never thought of sharing what I was doing, for me it was obvious that everyone does it too. Turns out that many people still are not aware of the powerful healing medicine as mushrooms are. Our society injected in us fear of wild mushrooms, it was done for reason, no time to dwell on that.....
Now is the time for us, people to recognize Fungi as living medicine, that's what they are.
Foraging mushrooms not only gives you opportunity to spend time in the Nature, not only provides you with free food but most importantly consuming mushrooms brings you many health benefits.
In my opinion all mushrooms are medicinal.
And as someone joked: all are edible, but some only once.
PLEASE NOTE: It is important to know what type of mushrooms are you consuming. Don't take anyone world for proper identification. It is 100% your responsibility to do your own research before consuming any type of wild harvested mushrooms.
ALL THE INFORMATION ON THIS WEBSITE ARE ONLY MY OWN THOUGHTS BASED ON MANY YEARS OF DISCOVERY AND OBSERVATION. I DON'T TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY INCONVENIENT SITUATIONS OR BODY REACTION AFTER YOU CONSUMING ANY OF MUSHROOM SPECIES.
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Cep (Boletus edulis)
Other names: Porcini, King Bolete, Penny Bun. One of the most regarded mushrooms in the culinary field.
EDIBILITY
HABITAT
Edible, yummy
Birch and Beech
Sometimes Oaks, pines, spruces
SEASON
June- October
Bay Bolete (Xerocomus badius)
Other names: Imleria Badia, Boletus Badius. Second after Porcini the most valuable mushroom in culinary field, in fact difficult to say the difference in taste when you are blindfolded...
EDIBILITY
HABITAT
Edible, yummy
Pine & spruce forests.
Sometimes: oak, beech, chesnut trees
SEASON
August- November
Red Cracking Bolete (Xerocomellus chrysenteron)
INFREQUENT.....
EDIBILITY
HABITAT
Edible
conifers, beech
SEASON
July- November
Suede Bolete (Xerocomus subtomentosus)
Tricky one to identify, but with small ammonia test, this on's cap will turn mahogany red.....
EDIBILITY
HABITAT
Edible
Mycorrhizal, broadleaf parks, mixed woodland
SEASON
July- October
Slippery Jack (Suillus luteus)
Very slimy when wet, one of the boletes that has distinctive ring.
Picture credit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suillus_luteus#/media/File:Suillus_luteus_475376.jpg
EDIBILITY
HABITAT
Edible
pine
SEASON
August- November
Larch Bolete (Suillus grevillei)
One of the most abundant and most easy to find.............
EDIBILITY
HABITAT
Edible
larch trees and ecomycorrizal with
SEASON
July- October
Velvet Bolete (Suillus variegatus)
Has tubes and pores like all bolete species.
EDIBILITY
HABITAT
Edible
Pine, Heathers, acid loving plants, sandy soils
SEASON
Late Summer
Birch Bolete (Leccinum scabrum)
Other names: Scaber Stalk, commonly known as rough- stemmed bolete.
EDIBILITY
HABITAT
Edible, yummy
Birch trees only, mostly Silver Birch and Dawny Birch
SEASON
July- November
Scarletina Bolete (Neoboletus praestigiator)
Great when well cooked but this is not a mushroom for novice forager as can be easily mistaken with toxic Boletes, Devils Bolete. Toxic boletes have mesh pattern on the stem, Scarletina has red dots....
EDIBILITY
HABITAT
Edible, CAUTION: NOT TO MISTAKE WITH TOXIC BOLETES
Mostly: Beech, Oak, also can be found in coniferous and mixed woods.
SEASON
July- October
Dryad's Saddle (Cerioporus squamosus)
Other names: Polyporus Squamosus, Pheasant's Back Mushroom, Scaly Polypore. It is the largest cape mushroom in the UK, can grow up to 60cm in diameter. When young taste like watermelon.
EDIBILITY
HABITAT
Edible
Deciduous trees & stumps
SEASON
May- August
Orange Grisette (Amanita Crocea)
This interesting mushroom has no ring on the stem, stem has white zig-zag pattern of soft scales.
EDIBILITY
HABITAT
Edible, DON'T CONFUSE WITH DEADLY POISONOUS AMANITA SPECIES
Mossy woodland. Hardwood trees: Birch, Beech.
Sometimes:larches, pines, spruces
SEASON
July- October
Honey Fungus (Armillaria mellea)
Very common parasitic fungus. Honey fungus is bioluminescent- the gills glow in the dark (but the light is too weak to be visible to the human eye. Some literature do not recommend foraging honey fungus as they state that there were cases of poisoning.
EDIBILITY
HABITAT
Edible
on stumps and dead roots
SEASON
July- November
Hedgehog (Hydrum repandum)
Other names: Sweet Tooth, Wood Urhin, Pied du Mouton. Very tasty and safe to forage as is difficult to mistaken with other species
EDIBILITY
HABITAT
Edible
most woods
SEASON
August- October
Shaggy Ink Cap (Coprinus comatus)
Other name: Lawer's Wig. They are mostly to be found soon after rain.
EDIBILITY
HABITAT
Edible when young
grass, footpaths, lawns, open woodland
SEASON
April- November
Shaggy Parasol (Chlorophylum rhacodes, previously Lepiota rhacodes)
This large mushroom can be mistaken with Parasol Mushroom and also with poisonous Chlorophyllum molybdites when young.
EDIBILITY
HABITAT
Edible but can cause gastric upsets. NEEDS TO BE WELL COOKED
saprobic, all kinds of woods, prefers conifers, mostly SHADY areas
SEASON
June- November
Common Puffball (Lycoperdon perlatum)
Other name: warted puffball, gem- studded puffball, devil's snuff-box, wolf farts. Can be confused with very young amanitas.
EDIBILITY
HABITAT
Edible when young
mixed woodland, heaths, pasture
SEASON
July- November
Amethyst Deceiver (Laccaria amethystina)
This litle fella can be a great addition to any meal as it doesn't change colour when cooked.....
EDIBILITY
HABITAT
Edible but can absorb asrenic from the soil
mixed woods, mostly oak and beech
SEASON
June- November