News & Stories / Fair News Fungus Fair – Well Done! Kudos to those who gave their time to volunteer for the Fungus Fair. At least 82 members put in time and effort to make yet another successful fair. Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Committee • February 2, 2008 Exhibit at the Fungus Fair. Photo by Hugh Smith Approximately 2000 people attended the fair. Over 250 species were logged. Thanks to Marje Young for her hard work as Fair Chair and Mushrooms 101 coodinator. Great job! Special thanks go out to the committee chairs who coordinated a lot of activity. Ken Sommers and company slogged through muck and duff to bring specimens for display, and Bill White and the setup crew got it all going. Of course, we all ate well, thanks to the food folks, coordinated by René Seltzer: Bob and Doreen Wynn, Bob Sellers, Jozseph Schultz, Todd Spanier, and Dan Brophy from Oregon. Marilyn Fenn placed the artwork, well, artfully and Vernetta McGuire and the culinary group set the stage for a wonderful Friday night reception. The ID table, under the able leadership of Phil Carpenter, kept it happening, with help from Marilyn Diamond. Dennis Nolan and Monise Sheehan did a great job coordinating Membership and Stores. The Kids’ Room was a great success, thanks to Cathy and Marty Newman. Richard Rammer led the cleanup effort and bagged a one hour record! Bob & Doreen fed the cleanup crew a fantastic dinner once again. Thanks to all of you—if you hadn’t turned out, this event wouldn’t come off. The Fair is a joint effort of the Fungus Fed and the Santa Cruz City Museum of Natural History, and we really do put the fungus in the fair. Apologies if your name was missed below; your efforts certainly made a difference! – The Fair Committee Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Rocks Fair News Fungus Fair 2009 — Better Than Ever! Fair News Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Morel Season Has Started! First morels of the year ... coming from a yard near you! Deb • March 2, 2008 Morchella esculenta in yard. Photo by Debbie Johnson My garden mulch of choice has always been shredded redwood gorilla hair. It’s tidy, doesn’t blow around and keeps the weeds down. Last fall I was convinced it was time to try someting else, so we used mini-nugget bark mulch along the side of the garage. I’m fairly sure it’s fir. Another Morchella esculenta in yard. Photo by Debbie Johnson On February 28th, we found eight Morchella esculenta , and will be watching for more. A nice little bonus; I’m liking this chunky bark just fine. Keep an eye out for newly landscaped areas, but be aware: pre-emergent pesticides are sometimes applied, and you don’t want to be eating more than you bargained for. Ask before you eat! Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Boletes are Up! Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Foraging in Alaska in 2008 Fred and I took a family trip to Alaska this summer and stayed at Bill & Gerri White’s lodge in Sterling. It was lots of fun. Bill has hosted groups from the FFSC in past years, and we hope he’ll think about doing it again. Deb • September 2, 2008 Fred Chin and Debbie Johnson picking lovely Agaricus silvicola. Photo by Kerry White Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts The Great Alaska Foray 2010 2009 Alaska Foray Travelogue Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Field Reports 2008 Spring Foray Species List Here is a species list for the May foray to the Eldorado Forest. The weekend was very light for 'shrooms, many people found nothing of any kind. Douglas Smith • September 1, 2008 Mycena abramsii. © Douglas Smith (from mushroomobserver.org) Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Albion I 2008 Recap Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Mushroom Photo Gallery Beautiful, interesting, awe-inspiring or just plain quirky mushroom images that our members have shared. Coprinus (inky cap). Photo by Stephanie Tucker Photography for ID Purposes You can also send us photos if you'd like help with identifying a mushroom you've found. Check out our tips on how to create photos for mushroom ID purposes. Many of our members explore the fields and forests with camera in hand, taking photos of mushrooms they find. We've collected a few of our favorites below. Browse our Featured Fungi pages, news articles and field reports, and social media channels for more photos from our members. Showcase a Photo Got a great shot? Whether it's coffee-table-book-beautiful, shows a field guide level of detail, or conveys the sheer joy of mushrooming, we'd love to see it!

Culinary Techniques Wild mushrooms possess an amazing range of flavors and aromas! Beautiful packages of umami, they can be rich and meaty, subtle and delicate, and redolent of almonds and spice. Learn how to properly clean, preserve and prepare your foraged finds to make the most of those flavors. Matsutakes (Albion). Photo by Katherine Elvin Generally speaking, the best mushrooms are fresh mushrooms. If you're not cooking your mushrooms in the field: Don't clean them (aside from removing larger dirt chunks) until you're ready to prepare or process them. Store them in the fridge in paper or waxed paper bags--never plastic, as mushrooms need to breathe. Plastic bags will yield mush rather than mush rooms . Preserving the balance for future enjoyment is rewarding, and the method chosen will vary with different mushrooms and your personal preferences. Explore some ideas below! When you're ready to cook them, check out these Recipes ! Filter by Mushroom Close To Brush or to Wash? ... Generally speaking, the best mushrooms are fresh mushrooms. Refrigerate as soon as you get home, and don’t wash until you’re ready to prepare or process them. Freezing Mushrooms ... Cooking and then freezing works well for certain types of mushrooms. You should either sauté or microwave the sliced-up mushrooms before freezing them, depending on how you plan to use them. Drying Mushrooms ... Did you know that mature boletes, craterellus, candy caps, morels, and several other mushrooms can actually taste even better after being dried and then reconstituted? Salt Pickled Mushrooms ... We are fortunate to have the following instructions for salt-preserving mushrooms come from Galina Plizga, a talented and experienced mushroom preserver. Vinegar Pickled Mushrooms ... Mushrooms that have been properly pickled in vinegar can last for years. They be eaten as an appetizer, or incorporated into other recipes. Pressure Canning Mushrooms ... Pressure canning is a process for canning mushrooms while not utilizing vinegar to create an acid environment. Pairing and Cooking Mushrooms with Wine ... Everyone knows drinking wine with wild mushroom dishes is a delight beyond compare. Can we go a step further and think about pairing styles of wine with a particular mushroom genus?

FFSC Website Support Where Did Things Go? In November 2025, we started moving this website to a new system. Here is a list of what is still being migrated. Learn More FFSC Account FAQs Having trouble entering info? Can't find your membership payment? We're here to help. Learn More FFSC Terms of Use This website is managed by the Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz , an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in the state of California in the United States of Amercia (EIN 77-0085878). Learn More FFSC Privacy Policy FFSC respects your privacy. We don't sell your personal data to other parties. Learn More Website Cookies What are cookies, how to delete them, and other FAQs Learn More FFSC Accessibility Statement This statement was last updated on August 12, 2025. We at the Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz are working to making the ffsc.us website accessible to people with disabilities. Learn More

Photography for ID Purposes When you can't bring in actual mushrooms for our taxonomists to ID, shown below are some tips on photographs and observations to send us, which will help the identifier answer your "what is this" question. Clitocybe odora. Photo by Christian Schwarz Perhaps you’ve noticed some mushrooms growing in your yard, or while you were on a hike? Maybe you were foraging for chanterelles and ended up with a few mystery mushrooms in your basket? Whatever you’ve found, our taxonomists will be happy to help you identify them, where possible. In the past few years, instead of bringing specimens to us in person, a growing number of people are taking cell phone photos for the purposes of mushroom identification. In general, it's more difficult for us to identify mushrooms solely from photographs. Often the taste, odor, staining reactions, tactile and/or other features and tests (as well as habitat details not visible in close-up photos) are often needed to correctly identify many species. Here are tips on how to take photographs for mushroom ID purposes, as well as observations to include with your photos. (These observations are also helpful when you bring certain specimens to us in person!) Photographs to Take in the Field When you first see a mushroom in the wild, even before you dig up the mushroom (or if you're in an area that doesn't permit collection), here are a few photos and observations to capture. Note: Your photos don't need to be beautiful. For identification, the more details we can see, the easier it will be for our taxonomists to identify distinguishing features. It may help if you support your camera on a tripod or a rock, or brace your body against something solid. Consider using a flash or a flashlight to illuminate darker areas if possible (without blowing out the image). If you'd like more tips on how to take better quality photos, check out our "Tem Tips for Taking Better Mushroom Photos" in our free FFSC Online Learning area. Show Us the Habitat Many mushrooms grow on or near specific trees or plants, at certain elevations, in certain temperatures, etc., or they tend to fruit at the same time as certain other plants. Take a few photos of what the mushroom is growing on, and the immediate area surrounding the mushroom(s), such as: The leaves, twigs, grass or dirt immediately surrounding it, or the log or tree (or leaf or bug) it's growing on Nearby trees (including burned or charred trees) One or two photos of the broader habitat, such as trees and plants in the general area Examples of immediately surrounding and broader habitat Try to photograph multiple examples of the same mushroom species that are nearby (or look-alikes if you're not sure). Show different age groups (some old-looking ones, some young-looking ones, etc.) Show us nearby mushrooms that seem similar, of different sizes If you're in the area for a few days, another option is to photograph the same mushroom(s) over time to show how it ages. Examples of the same mushrooms photographed over time Show Us Different Angles If you can't collect the mushroom, take close-up photos of it, and then move your camera to get shots of different sides of the mushroom. Set your camera on the ground to get low angles too. This helps our taxonomists examine the underside of the cap and the features of the stem. Low angles help the taxonomists see cap and stem features Show Us the Entire Mushroom If the area permits collection, dig up a specimen of the mushroom so that you can take photos of the entire mushroom. Take close-up photos (as clear/sharp as you can) showing: The whole top of the mushroom cap The bottom (underside) of the cap. Features of the stem, including the very bottom of the stem. Scratch or cut through the cap, to see if there are any color changes, and photograph what you see. Show Us the Mushroom's Size To help the identifier understand the size or dimensions of the mushroom, you can include another object, such as nearby pine needles, your shoe (keep it on), hand or fingers, or anything (or anyone) else with a recognizable size near the mushroom. (This can be done in the field or after collecting the specimen.) Photos that convey the relative size of a mushroom Observations to Include with Your Photos Many county and government-managed parks and forests do not permit mushroom collection, or you'll need to buy a collecting permit. Be sure to check the location's policies before digging up any mushrooms. Take Detailed Notes If you're not able to collect a specimen (or it won't survive until you're able to bring it in), write down (or photograph) the following details while in the field, and include them when you send in your mushroom photos: The habitat where your mushroom is growing. Is the mushroom on wood or the ground? If on wood, what kind? What tree species is it growing on (or what’s nearby)? (Nowadays many naturalist apps, websites, and even your phone's AI can help you identify trees based on their leaves.) Write down any distinctive aroma you notice while the mushroom is fresh – “mushroomy” is NOT a good descriptor! Create a spore print if time permits. It's easy! The sooner you can start the process, the better. See Part III of our free Learn about Wild Mushroom Identification tutorial for how to create a spore print, or search the Internet for similar tips. Do not eat an unidentified mushroom. If a mushroom ID specialist asks you to taste a mushroom to help them ID it remotely, just take a tiny bite and then spit it out and do not swallow any of it. Some people also prefer to rinse their mouth after tasting a mushroom for ID purposes. Bring Specimens in Person if Possible The most reliable way for our advisors to identify a mushroom is to see, touch, smell, and potentially taste it in person. If you’re coming to an FFSC event in person, we recommend that you store your specimens in a loose, breathable container, such as paper or wax paper bags (not plastic or glassine bags). You can place them on an ID table in a wicker basket, cardboard egg crate, or on a paper plate. People often bring specimens to our Monthly Speaker events , which are free and open to the public, and to our annual Santa Cruz Fungus Fair in January. Photos of specimens in baskets, on paper, etc. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC

News & Stories / Mycology & Art News King Stropharia Cultivation Success How Sweet it is…. The King Stropharia grown in our San Jose research garden, that is. We finally achieved success with the Garden Giant, Stropharia rugosoannulata after attending several lectures by Ken Litchfield of the MSSF. Jim Maley • September 2, 2010 Jim Maley with a cultivated Stropharia Now, Ken cultivates mushrooms in the damp weather of SF and the East Bay, but our San Jose summers are warmer and drier. After some meager attempts to cultivate various mushroom types in the summer garden, we asked “Why not grow mushrooms in a Winter Garden?”, and that we did. Stropharia bed. Photo by Jim Maley In November of 2009, we started a winter garden using a raised bed in one of our Master Gardener research facilities, which included cauliflower, cabbage and lettuce. In December, we acquired a 6 lb. bag of King Stropharia grain spawn from Mushroom Harvest of Athens, Ohio and were off with reckless abandon using memory notes from Ken and some phone consultation with the supplier. The first thing we did was to dig a trench in the center of the bed about two feet deep and about five feet long. In the bottom of the trench we added a layer of pasteurized alder wood chips and straw. Stropharia cultivation process. Photo by Jim Maley This pasteurization approach (90 minute water bath at 160°F) was indicated to be not absolutely necessary by our supplier, but was thought to give us an initial “leg up” on mold competition. We then added a layer of about 1.5 lbs. of spawn and covered it with more warm straw and chips. Two weeks later, we added another substrate layer of chips, straw and some leaf compost (unpasteurized), and another 1.5 lb. layer of spawn. Two weeks later still another layer of substrate was added, this time with no spawn. At this point we could see expansion of white mycelia. An estimated total of three pounds of spawn was in our trench. From then on we just waited, letting the ample rains of Santa Clara County keep the mushroom winter garden hydrated. With eager eyes, in March we looked for fruiting bodies to no avail. It was beginning to look like we would have a fine garden of winter vegetables, but no mushrooms. On April 10th it happened! Some small wine colored caps were appearing and it was an exhilarating feeling after previous fail-ures. They soon started getting bigger and coming up over the entire trench. I had heard of these getting up to three pounds or so. Maybe in moist climates, but we have harvested most of our mushrooms at between a half and three quarter pounds. They proved quite popular and delicious with a mild, sweet taste. At this point, we continue to feed “the giant”, this time with oak shavings and hydrating with drip irrigation. These mushrooms are very meaty and clean and well worth the effort. The King Stropharia is one of the most beautiful mushrooms I have seen. These mushrooms certainly live up to the name Wine Cap Stropharia, as they sometimes call it in the Midwest. King Stropharia (wine cap stropharia). Photo by Jim Maley Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts A Tale of Ozark Shiitake Growing Ain't No Cure for the Summertime Blues Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Gruyere, Wild Mushroom and Caramelized Onion Pizza Thanks to Cecilia Stipes for another great recipe! ... Morchella snyderi. © Alan Rockefeller (from mushroomobserver.org) Objective: Main Course Total Time: About an hour Yield: Serves 4 Suggested Mushrooms: See code Ingredients 2 onions, peeled and julienned 1/2 C olive oil 1/2 C veal stock (or chicken or vegetable stock) 1 pre-baked pizza shell (store-bought or homemade) 1/2 pound Gruyere cheese, grated 1 C wild mushrooms, sliced Salt and pepper to taste Method Preheat oven to 450°F. Heat a pizza stone or inverted cast iron skillet in the oven for at least 30 minutes (or longer). In the meantime, place onions in a preheated large sauté pan with half of the olive oil. Cook on medium flame until onions are caramelized. Add stock and allow to cook until liquid is reduced. Remove onions from pan, place pan back on heat and saute mushrooms in remaining oil until golden brown. Spread the onions and mushrooms on the pizza shell, top with grated cheese. Carefully slide the pizza onto the preheated stone or skillet, and then bake until cheese is melted, 5 to 10 minutes. Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

Support Information this Website Collects When you create an account, join FFSC, register for an event, purchase a product, or send us an email, we collect your email address and basic contact information as necessary for the transaction you've requested. Purchases are made through a third-party payment processor (currently PayPal). FFSC does not collect your credit card or other personal financial information. Information this Website Shares The following systems may obtain your necessary contact information when you perform certain tasks: Wix : This website's host, which stores your data PayPal : The payment processor we use when you make a purchase on this website Google and/or other email providers: When you contact us, or we send you important emails The Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History : The museum and FFSC jointly plan the Santa Cruz Fungus Fair. As such, if you purchase a ticket to or volunteer for the Fair, the museum also has access to the contact information you share as part of that purchase. In addition, when you create an account on this website, you have the option to show or hide certain information with other people who also have accounts on this website. You can also configure your profile privacy in your Account Info and Public Profile . FFSC Privacy Policy FFSC respects your privacy. We don't sell your personal data to other parties.

News & Stories / Mycology & Art News Relishing Medicinal Mushrooms Part III Part 3 of 3. Chef Zachary Mazi • May 1, 2013 Chanterelle. Photo by Yevgeny Nyden Chanterelle Chanterelle ( Cantharellus spp. ) mushrooms are among the most delicious of mushrooms available in the fall and the spring. In a talk at the 2012 North American Mycological Association annual event, David Arora introduced the audience to the fact that over 50 species of chanterelle mushrooms are harvested commercially in Zimbabwe. This mushroom is eaten and used as medicine worldwide, and has a wide variety of textures and flavors. For us at Food Is Medicine, these morsels are always a treat, especially when used in confections. Cal Stamenov, Chef of Bernardus Lodge in Carmel, CA combined this fragrant mushroom with caramelized white chocolate at the 39th annual Santa Cruz Fungus Fair…let your mental taste-buds feast on that! Chanterelles have all eight essential amino acids, are 21% protein when dried, and are a good source of iron and potassium. Because of its high content of both vitamin A and beta-carotene, this mushroom has been indicated for night blindness and eye inflammation in China, as well as a treatment for vitamin A deficiency. It is known to remove radioactivity from the body as well, though this property also holds true for the environment, so be sure of where you are picking your delicacies! In Tanzania, in combination with other mushrooms, Chanterelles are used in a powder prescribed to help combat the ravaging effects of HIV/AIDS with good results. The hot water extracts of this mushroom shows promise against many bacteria as well. Not a bad report card for a mushroom that would be as delicious even without these amazing properties. Oyster Next we turn our attention to the tree mushroom, Pleurotus ostreatus , or oyster mushrooms. There is significant research underway to find ways to access a compound in oyster mushrooms that mimics the opioid pathway for pain reduction, without the side effects or addiction associated with these popular pain medications. Oyster mushrooms are a nerve tonic, and some constituents reduce acute neuropathic pain quite effectively. In Finland, an over the counter medicine called Remesan, which is 2/3 dried oyster mushroom, is used internally for easing growing pains in children as well as used externally to get rid of warts and other skin blemishes and keep them away! Water extracts of oyster mushrooms showed significant inhibitory effects on tumor growth, preventing the DNA of tumor cells from repairing and causing cell death. Breast cancer and prostate cancer were inhibited by water extracts of these fungi; and in Robert Roger’s book The Fungal Pharmacy , he reports that in vitro studies of oyster mushrooms showed a 100% inhibition rate of sarcoma 180, a common cancer cell line used in laboratories to perform tests…100%!! (Rogers). Like shiitakes, oyster mushrooms can be used to lower serum cholesterol, acting as a natural statin drug with no contra-indications with alcohol consumption. Rats fed a diet of just 2% oyster mushrooms lost weight and increased the body’s ability to metabolize fats that had previously been stored in the adipose cells. In fact, these mushrooms prevented further adipose cells from forming while minimally part of a normal diet! While these mushrooms are available commercially as a nerve tonic, they are still not available for cholesterol reduction, despite their effectiveness. But you can use them in your kitchen without FDA approval. Morel Though perhaps not consumed in even near the volume of the first four mushrooms, the morel mushroom ( Morchella spp. ) is nevertheless one of the prizes for mushroom lovers. It is widely available commercially, but not nearly as easy to find and collect wild as perhaps the chanterelle. Nutritionally, morels have 17 unique amino acids, magnesium, and accumulate gold (as well as lead: picking morels in mining areas or polluted areas can be very hazardous). There is a mystique to the morel, and essence of the morel earned it many names, some vulgar (star-sore), and some just bizarre (‘molly moochers’ West Virgina), some consistent such as ‘dryland fish’ (Kentucky), and ‘land fish’ by the Mohawk. This mushroom was believed to be the work of the devil in Poland; called star sores, penis, ears, and land fish by various Native American tribes. This is a weird mushroom! Morel mushrooms are quite poisonous when raw, even lethal, containing more dangerous levels of hydrazines like the Agaricus suite. However most, if not all, the toxins are evaporated and removed by cooking through the air; to this end, when cooking larger batches of morels, proper ventilation is recommended. Despite this factor, certain extracts seem to exhibit kidney protective action against pharmaceutical toxicity associated with cisplatin, a cancer chemotherapy agent, and gentamicin, a potent antibiotic. No study has shown these medicines are effective in whole consumed mushrooms however, requiring extraction by methods not used in the kitchen (yet?)(6). Morels contain gastro-irritants when eaten raw, but they act as a digestive system tonic when properly prepared and eaten. They soothe the stomach and intestines with medicines that are sized to be delivered to the appropriate spot in the body, and take much longer to be absorbed. In addition, they contain compounds that act as red blood cell destroyers in their raw form (hemolysins), but these two are also destroyed in cooking, and the prepared mushrooms boost the immune system with polysaccharide actions similar to other fungi. The mushrooms have been used for a long time in Chinese medicine for regulating Qi , as well as decreasing phlegm and shortness of breath, and acute asthma (7). Regardless of the cure or nutrition, this is a case where flavor trumps all, and provides another delicious and healthy reason to get out in the woods in the spring and summer, and to pay attention at the farmer’s market! We hope covering the very basics of these five well-known mushrooms will stimulate the desire to explore medicine in the food you love even further. Amazingly, Food Is Medicine hasn’t come across an edible mushroom described that does not also have elsewhere a description of its medicinal value. Not one! Each specimen has its own strengths and weaknesses, and of course there are mushrooms more potent than others, but not one single mushroom that we eat had zero effect on our mind, body, or soul! It is no wonder we are more enthusiastic than ever about the scientific and clinical data being collected about these mushrooms than ever before… but more than likely, we have not yet realized the full benefits that we will receive worldwide when we choose to adopt these ancient medicines into our diets as a regular food. References 1. Rogers, Robert, RH. “The Fungal Pharmacy: The Complete Guide to Medicinal Mushrooms and Lichen of North America.” Norht Atlantic Books, Berkeley, CA. 2011 2. Wayne, R.R. PhD; “Growing mushrooms the easy way: Home cultivation with Hydrogen Peroxide.” 2010; Randall R. Wayne. http://www.mycomasters.com/ 3. Agricultural Research magazine, USDA; July 2010, “Researchers study benefits of white button mushrooms.” http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/jul10/immunity0710.htm 4. Tanis, David; “Not an exotic mushroom, but a satisfying one.” New York Times. January 11th, 2013; City Kitchen. 5. Stamets, Paul; Fungi Perfecti informational website. “Fungi Perfecti Host Defense Supporting Natural Immunity.” 2013; QN Organic. http://www.fungi.com 6. Nitha B, Janardhanan KK; “Aqueous-ethanolic extract of morel mushroom mycelium Morchella esculenta, protects cisplatin and gentamicin induced nephrotoxicity in mice.” Food Chem Toxicology 2008 Sep. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18692113 7. Haynold, Bernd. Sourced from Wikicommons. Found on http://healing-mushrooms.net/archives/morchella-esculenta.html August 2008. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Relishing Medicinal Mushrooms Part I Relishing Medicinal Mushrooms Part II Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article