Foraging in the wild.

whitey

whitey

Member
Not sure how many others forage, but its pretty neat to learn about all the edible and medicinal plants and fungi thats in public parks, to your own backyard. I started out around 2018 foraging for 'choice' edible mushrooms, and dabbled a little bit into plants and fruits. Just last winter, i found 2 wild persimmon trees right off a paved walkway in a park i walk for excersise. I have mulberry trees in my back yard, garlic mustard in the neighbors fence line, and chickweed pops up anywhere weeds grow(ex:cracks in sidewalks, flowerbeds). Wine berries are also prevalent around maryland. As for mushrooms, i dont get too in depth with scientific names, but ive eaten probably a dozen different types ive found throughout the years. Lions mane, black trumpet, and morels being my favorites. Pic of some paw paws ive found and some ringed honey mushrooms from a few years back.
 

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I'm looking for photos. I'm not sure if everyone calls them by the same name.... I found a great patch of Ramps at a large park near me. I'd only heard about them before. My son and I were out for a light hike. When I spotted them I wasn't sure, but when I took a sniff I knew I had the real deal.

Ramps are a North American species of wild onion/garlic found in the north east. They're apparently difficult to find and are slow to reproduce. Doing some research it advised that I should never take more than 20% of a patch to ensure it doesn't deplete. I also learned that it's super-difficult to cultivate. I took a few in the native soil and tried to grow them at home. Every attempt was a fail. I have no idea why...

Here are a few stock pics

ramp1.jpgramp2.webp

They're delicious!
 
whitey said:
Not sure how many others forage, but its pretty neat to learn about all the edible and medicinal plants and fungi thats in public parks, to your own backyard. I started out around 2018 foraging for 'choice' edible mushrooms, and dabbled a little bit into plants and fruits. Just last winter, i found 2 wild persimmon trees right off a paved walkway in a park i walk for excersise. I have mulberry trees in my back yard, garlic mustard in the neighbors fence line, and chickweed pops up anywhere weeds grow(ex:cracks in sidewalks, flowerbeds). Wine berries are also prevalent around maryland. As for mushrooms, i dont get too in depth with scientific names, but ive eaten probably a dozen different types ive found throughout the years. Lions mane, black trumpet, and morels being my favorites. Pic of some paw paws ive found and some ringed honey mushrooms from a few years back.
Click to expand...

I love wild mushrooms but I don't trust myself enough yet to properly ID many of them. We have a lot of giant puffballs along the trails around my house. Occasionally I find oysters that I'm confident with... but that's about my limit currently
 
TorontoJoe said:
I'm looking for photos. I'm not sure if everyone calls them by the same name.... I found a great patch of Ramps at a large park near me. I'd only heard about them before. My son and I were out for a light hike. When I spotted them I wasn't sure, but when I took a sniff I knew I had the real deal.

Ramps are a North American species of wild onion/garlic found in the north east. They're apparently difficult to find and are slow to reproduce. Doing some research it advised that I should never take more than 20% of a patch to ensure it doesn't deplete. I also learned that it's super-difficult to cultivate. I took a few in the native soil and tried to grow them at home. Every attempt was a fail. I have no idea why...

Here are a few stock pics

View attachment 22965View attachment 22966

They're delicious!
Click to expand...
Ramps are a delicacy down here in the South. Its great with potatoes.
 
Ive never found ramps but i constantly look for them in the spring! I do know that they take years to grow. Usually, foragers will say to take only one or two leaves, and never the roots when picking.

The giant puffball mushroom...i ate it once, and i think theyre more fun to kick into oblivion then to eat, but dont take my word for it, get one and eat it(youll see)!

For mushrooms, you should always check two sources for key identification, to be on the safe side. Always cook wild mushrooms!

Giant puffball: safe to eat as long as they are completely white(not yellow, brown, black) on the inside. Once the interior turns colors, theyve started to spore out and theyre not safe to consume.
 
whitey said:
Ive never found ramps but i constantly look for them in the spring! I do know that they take years to grow. Usually, foragers will say to take only one or two leaves, and never the roots when picking.

The giant puffball mushroom...i ate it once, and i think theyre more fun to kick into oblivion then to eat, but dont take my word for it, get one and eat it(youll see)!

For mushrooms, you should always check two sources for key identification, to be on the safe side. Always cook wild mushrooms!

Giant puffball: safe to eat as long as they are completely white(not yellow, brown, black) on the inside. Once the interior turns colors, theyve started to spore out and theyre not safe to consume.
Click to expand...

They get the size of soccer balls here while still edible. Are they the tastiest? I kind of find they taste a lot like whatever I fry them in. Usually that's a lot of olive oil and garlic! :)
 
I used to forage...but since I've been here in Georgia I haven't.
Not even sure what types of stuff to look for here.
Except the usual mushrooms and berries.
 
NM is some of the world’s best foraging for mushrooms. Most of what I go after is porcini up around 10,000ft and up. On a really good day you can get tens of pounds of porcini.
 
shevitz said:
NM is some of the world’s best foraging for mushrooms. Most of what I go after is porcini up around 10,000ft and up. On a really good day you can get tens of pounds of porcini.
Click to expand...

I so wish they could be cultivated. My uncle in Calabria has a bunch "secret spots". He supplies all the restaurants in the area. When I'm there we'd get up at 4am and head up to the hills in his 4x4 Fiat Panda. (I'm family so he doesn't need to blindfold me... but I'm sworn to secrecy)

We come back with a bushel full and my aunt Marinella makes farfalle with olive oil and porcini..... It's glorious!
 
TorontoJoe said:
I so wish they could be cultivated. My uncle in Calabria has a bunch "secret spots". He supplies all the restaurants in the area. When I'm there we'd get up at 4am and head up to the hills in his 4x4 Fiat Panda. (I'm family so he doesn't need to blindfold me... but I'm sworn to secrecy)

We come back with a bushel full and my aunt Marinella makes farfalle with olive oil and porcini..... It's glorious!
Click to expand...
Sounds amazing and a great story!

Mushroom hunters are very covetous of their spots. Especially Eastern Europeans around here 🙂.

My best days have been 25-30 lbs. I’ve heard tales of people coming back with 100 lbs!

Pasta is definitely one of my favorite ways to used boletes. Cream sauce or olive oil and Parmesan are both magnificent! The Russians pickle them which are also great. Putting on pizza definitely levels it up! Omelets are also amazing. So many things…
 
FWIW, we also get spring morels, but I’ve never gone after them, chanterelles, hawk wings, oysters, and lobsters. But boletus edulis is definitely what most people are after around here.
 
What I have read is that since mushroom spores are microscopic, they are carried around the world in the upper atmosphere. So the same mushrooms are found everywhere on the planet conditions are right. We can grow the same mushrooms as Siberia🙂. Although, NM is claimed to have its own reddish species. Definitely can’t say the same for plants in general.
 
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