Turkey Tail and False Morels. A "Semi-" Successful Mushroom Hunt.

Finding Non-Mushrooms in the
forest.

 Yesterday, it rained just enough to get a decent field capacity ( Soil Science term.) for the land around us.  Most of the heavier rains that had been predicted have either been south or north of us...  Leaving us high and dry.   But,  with that rain,  there was a hint of promise for a successful mushroom hunt.   For that reason, we waited until today to go out.  Weekends on the trails would most likely be crowded anyway.  And nothing keeps people away better than muddy hills, sharp prickers, wait-a-minute vines, and the ever present threat of Poison Ivy. Let's Go!

Common Ink Cap Mushroom.

Find the Bird in this Picture. 

We chose a different forested area than last Thursday;  The forest where we usually find a variety of mushrooms during the summer and fall.   We were encouraged on our evening walk around town last night when we found a large cluster of Ink Caps growing near the golf course.  (Edible... But DON'T drink any alcohol with them for 36 or more hours after.   You will wish you didn't!)   The spring rain was doing its job.

Beefsteak (false) Morel. 

We use to eat these... Opps!

Right away, we stumbled upon a large patch of Beefsteak Morels.  Also known as "False Brain Morels."  They are poisonous.   Or toxic.   But edible!  How do I know?  Because I have eaten MORE of these  than I care to admit  in the past!   We would find them while mushroom hunting and Mom would throw them in some Gravy or sauce...  We would eat them and ... Somehow, either by accident or luck or both... we survived.   Here is why.

The Inside.  These guys were fresh! . 

Not a very good component
of the Beefstake.

These mushrooms have a chemical that, when eaten, combines with your stomach acid to form formaldehyde. ( A "not-very-healthy" thing to consume... in case you did not know.)  However, if cooked properly... Meaning:  COOK AS LONG AS POSSIBLE!  The harmful chemical can evaporate off and they become semi-safe to eat.   I say "semi" because...  well, I'm alive.   But did I get any brain damage or kidney problems because of eating them?   Long term.   The jury may still be out on that one, but in the mean time,  we chose to take only their picture and leave them to the wild.  No point in taking a risk at this point in my life.  ( Still, it is kinda cool knowing that I have eaten a known poisonous mushroom and survived it...  just sayin'.)

A Cluster of Fresh Turkey Tail.

Even though it is soft, I still had to
use my knife to cut it off. 

A slight walk down the trail and we discovered a fresh batch of Turkey Tail! (Trametes versicolor)  I have been looking for these guys for a while now.   I certainly have found plenty of "old samples" on trees.   Quite frankly, Turkey Tail grows Everywhere!   But we always miss them when they are fresh.

So many uses!  For Medicine AND
paper!

See the Ultra-Small Pores?  I was
using a magnifying glass to get
the picure.

 This cluster was soft and leathery and it smells like fish.  ( More towards the "stinky" kind of fish, to be exact.)   There are LOTS of medicinal benefits to Turkey Tail.  With the Dehydrator available, I wanted to dry some out and grind it up to add to my coffee.   ( It is too tough to eat and has a very strong mushroom flavor..)  Add the grounds to tea or coffee and let it steep.  All that medicinal Mushroom goodness will come through.  "Like what?"You ask?  Research suggests anti-cancer and strong immune boosting properties.   The same mushrooms are in my "Mushroom Super Blend"  that I mix with my Hot Chocolate.   Why pay for it when I can find my own?

And lastly,  we found some other "False Morels" (Verpa conica) Known commonly as the "Bell Morel." or "Thimble Fungus."  We did not know exactly which one it was until we keyed it out.  We have found mushrooms similar to these before.

 They are edible, but should be cooked.  Flavor?  Neh?  Not terrible if you mix them with other morels. ( Real morels.)   We chose to simply ID them and add them to the garden.   An interesting find was that they have no gills nor pores on the underside of the cap.   It is always  fun to find something new.

Otherwise,  as for the target species:   It was a Bust!   No morels at all.  Perhaps we are simply in the wrong area, (I don't know... Like IOWA?!?!) because I thought the conditions would have been good. Perhaps they simply do not grow here in Iowa.   I have heard other people saying that they do.. But Cheryl and I have searched many times and have yet to find any.  Even in Habitat that is similar to places we have found them in Michigan.  You would think we would have at least "stumbled" upon them accidentally by now.   But alas... No Morels yet.

But the weather was pleasant and Cheryl suggested we try to enjoy it as much as possible.   we went out for a short 10 mile bike ride on the Kewash trail.  At least the Kewash trail in the farmland had fewer people.  While mushroom hunting this morning,  we were the only car in the parking lot.   By the time we finished,  the parking lot was completely filled!   Too many people itching to get outside makes for crowded nature walks.   But Kewash is fairly remote and has very little to offer folks trying to get a dose of Mother Nature.  Mostly it is just farm smells, tractor fumes, and bird noises.

Ok,  this post is way too long.  (This always happens when I dig up the Mushroom Experiences...)   Perhaps I should have been a teacher after all... But really,  I'm mostly just a nerd about biology.  And Mushrooms are my latest field of interest.   IF you are out hunting Morels...  Good luck!   And if you happen onto a cluster of Turkey Tail...  Maybe give them a bit of a soak in your Tea someday.  Your immune system might thank you.  Thanks for stopping in and suffering through my latest Mushroom "lesson".