Search this site

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. by Galina Plizga Vinegar Pickled Mushrooms (stock photo) This preservation approach involves pickling with vinegar in boiling water bath. The acidic environment created by the use of vinegar prevents the growth of Clostridium botulinum , the bacterium responsible for botulism. Advantages of vinegar pickling May be stored in pantry if processed in a water bath. Can be flavored with different vinegars, herbs, etc. if desired. Mushrooms are pre-seasoned and ready to use as an appetizer or in recipes Works well for substantial mushrooms such as Bolete buttons, Chanterelles, Russula spp . Works well for mushrooms with bolder flavors. Disadvantages of vinegar pickling Pronounced vinegar flavor can overpower delicate mushrooms. Does not work well for less substantial mushrooms. Objective: Storage/Prep Total Time: Approx. 40 minutes Suggested Mushrooms: Boletus sp. (bolete) Cantharellus sp. (chanterelle) Russula cyanoxantha Equipment and/or Ingredients Equipment Canning pot and rack Sterilized canning jars and lids Ingredients IMPORTANT : The following recipe can be varied with regard to seasoning, but one must strictly observe the quantity of vinegar . Fresh mushrooms (I use very small porcini, chanterelles) boiled in salted water for 5 minutes Pickling Marinade, per liter: 1 liter water ¾ C vinegar 1 Tbl salt 1 tsp sugar Peppercorns Mustard seed Allspice Juniper berries Laurel leaves Method Boil water with vinegar. Add seasonings. Place the hot mushrooms in the hot sterilized jar, and pour the pickling marinade over them while still hot , ensuring that all the mushrooms are covered and leaving ½” headspace. Screw the lid shut. Pasteurize the mushrooms in a hot water canning bath to boil for 10 minutes (see the Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving if you’re not familiar with canning). Check jars for leakage by turning them upside down on a cloth until the next morning. If any leak, you can eat them in a day or so (keep in the refrigerator), but do not preserve for later . Intact (non-leaking) jars should then be placed in a cool, dark place, where they will keep for years. Special request : If you have pickled your own mushrooms in vinegar, would you be willing to send us a photo of your completed container? We'd love to replace the stock photo at the top of this page with a member's photo! See Showcase a Photo for information about how to submit a photo. Previous Technique All Techniques Next Technique

News & Stories / Stewardship Propagation of Propaganda Perpetuated... We extend our warm thanks to Roxann Hills, outgoing Minister of Propaganda. Roxann assumed editorship of this newsletter last fall and has done a wonderful job. Deb • April 1, 2003 April 2003 Duff Logo She has put in many hours to ensure that we are all up to date and informed. Personal circumstances have dictated that she pass the task along, and she will be missed! Roxann will be most sorely missed by the new propagandist, Debbie Johnson, as she sorts her way though new software and the mysteries of desktop publishing. The new editor asks for your patience and forbearance, as well as your input. In an effort to be Minister of Propaganda rather than of Misinformation, she would like to hear about what you’d like to see more of or less of in the Duff . Opinions, comments and letters to the Editor are most welcome! Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Letter from the Outgoing CEO Message From Our Incoming CEO 2009 Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Stewardship FFSC Members receive NAMA Awards and Honors in 2009 We're truly fortunate to have people like David Rust and Jennifer Krekes in our midst! Wendy Wells • December 1, 2009 David Rust David Rust, FFSC member and BAMS co-founder, was given the President’s Outstanding Service Award at the annual foray of the North American Mycological Association in Louisiana last month. The award is given to those who have been of outstanding service to NAMA. David follows in the footsteps of Ben Woo and Orson and Hope Miller, last year’s recipients. His biggest project was the complete revamping of the NAMA website, www.namyco.org. Take a look (view the archived version from 2009 ) — he did a fantastic job! Closer to home, David has created site specifically tailored to the Fungus Fair. So David is appreciated across North America, but particularly here in Northern California. Another bit of awards news from NAMA to the Bay Area: Jennifer Kerekes was the recipient of the 2009 NAMA Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $2000. Jennifer is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Plant and Microbial Biology at the University of California, Berkeley under the supervision of Dr. Tom Bruns. Her dissertation project is entitled Diversity and ecology of saprotrophic fungal communities in Californian grassland and forest ecosystems . Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Phil Carpenter receives Knighton Award at Appalachia NAMA 2023 Stewardship Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Chef John Paul Lechtenberg Executive Chef at Hollins House in Santa Cruz Chef JP grew up eating Filipino and German recipes. His multicultural background afforded an interesting view on the “similarities but complete differences” in his first food experiences. Chef John Paul Lechtenberg Upcoming Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Talks Buy Tickets Cooking Demonstration and Wine Pairing Saturday, January 13, 2018 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Room 3 Past Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Talks Cooking Demonstration and Wine Pairing Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Saturday, January 13, 2018 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Room 3

Mycology students are welcome to submit applications for funding for specific projects, classes or assistance. If you're an FFSC member who needs financial assistance to take special mycology classes or outside workshops, or to attend regional or national forays, you can also submit an application for assistance. Scholarship information and application forms for larger and smaller scholarships and grants can be found in the PDF document below. Those applying for smaller grants (books, microscopes, workshops) do not need to fill in the "Education" section of the form. Apply for a Scholarship or Grant FFSC Scholarshop and Grant Application .pdf Download PDF • 261KB To submit your request: Online : Use the Contact form at the bottom of the Contact FFSC page, choose "Scholarship Application" and then upload your PDF. Paper Copy : Mail your completed application to: Attn: FFSC Education Minister PO Box 82 Santa Cruz, CA 95063-0082 Past Funding Recipients Quotes from a couple of our past scholarship recipients: Julien Pometta Julien Pometta "I received my scholarship during my sophomore year of college at UC Santa Cruz. I applied for it because I was starting a project that attempted to capture a snapshot of the macrofungal diversity within the UCSC Arboretum. I documented observations on iNaturalist, collected specimens that are stored at the Norris Center for Natural History on campus, and even managed to sequence 25 of those specimens. At the end of the project, I compiled my findings into a book, Mushrooms of the UCSC Arboretum, An Annotated Checklist , which also served as my senior exit requirement for my major. "The scholarship made working on this project much more accessible; I was able to purchase the necessary equipment to properly collect specimens and towards the end, it helped cover the costs of publishing and printing copies of my book. Aside from the financial aid of the scholarship, it made me feel encouraged about my project at a time when I was still figuring out how I would get everything done. I am very grateful that I was able to pursue a project like this during college, the experience it gave me applies to many different types of environmental jobs. The sequencing experience helped me land at my current job where I work as a lab technician in a molecular ecology lab at UCSC." Peter Vahlberg Peter Vahlberg "I am happily studying Computer Science at Gonzaga University, and I’m hoping to get a PhD in a similar area of study. Despite my interest in technology, I’m still captivated by the world of fungi, and most other kinds of nature. Getting the scholarship meant a lot to me, particularly because it meant that I was taken seriously at a relatively young age. I feel like I was able to contribute something real to science, and I learned a lot from it. Just the other day I spied a Coprinellus (the genus that I studied) while driving, and I just had to go and see it." More examples: FFSC Scholarship Awarded to Christian Schwarz FFSC Scholarship Awarded to Alison McGregor FFSC Scholarship Awarded to Kristopher Hennig FFSC's mission statement also includes an outreach to the community here in Santa Cruz. To this end we are exploring the purchase of mycology books to be donated to the Santa Cruz Public Library; and we periodically donate resources to the library at UCSC. We also helped to fund their herbarium and several different fungal studies. "Now that's a hedgehog". Credit: Unknown Scholarships & Grants To aid in promoting education about mycology, we offer full and partial scholarships to members needing financial aid or who express a deep interest in mycology; students pursuing an interest in fungi; and grants to local educational institutions.

News & Stories / Notes from the CEO — March 2001 O craterellus You are hidden in plain sight One, two, then many! Deb • March 1, 2001 Stereum hirsutum. © Lisa Tesler (CC-BY-NC) (from inaturalist.org, obs. 341611905) I hope everyone has gone out and returned with full baskets at least once so far. The season has been a bit erratic In the rain department and we may not have had a great variety of species, but bolete, chanterelle and craterellus hunting have certainly been good. FFSC's second annual Black's Beach Cafe dinner on February 6th was a huge success! Chef Robert Morris orchestrated a great menu and the courses just kept on coming. Bob Wynn again made wonderful arrangements for the evening, and Marilyn Fenn (our official culinary concierge) handled the reservations beautifully. Bob Sellers observed that it's rare to be served a dish in which you find more craterellus than broccoli. Of course, Bob picked much of it himself! Many thanks to Bob Sellers. Bob Wynn. Phil Carpenter and Fred Chin, who donated fresh craterellus, hedgehogs, chanterelles and dried boletes. And thanks to our Minister of Culinary Events, Rene Seltzer, for her support and good cheer. The Albion II foray was a great success. Rain came down In buckets prior to the foray. While the Bay Area was being drenched, we happily picked mushrooms and basked in the sun. Horst Kuhlmann worked hard to maximize available spaces for the foray, which was again a sell-out. Well done, Horst! Don't miss the upcoming General Meetings. Phyllis Cole has arranged an outstanding slate of speakers, including Nancy Weber from Oregon State University speaking about "Mushrooms Around the House" for the March meeting; Ernst Both discussing Boletes in April; and Tom Volk covering fungal systematics in May. Meetings are also a good time to see what's coming up in the area and get an ID consult on mushrooms you've found. See you at the meeting, Debbie Johnson, CEO Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Notes from the CEO — April 2001 Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Mycology & Art News Stephen Axfords Macro Lens Photography This other-worldly view of fungi from New South Wales, Australia should not be missed. Cortinarius • May 20, 2014 These specimens look like oysters holding silver pearls. This image is hosted on www.dailymail.co.uk . © Stephen Axford/Hotspot Media Axford’s work is 12 years in the making, and worth a look. Much of his work allows us to see structure and detail otherwise invisible. The images are jaw dropping, crisp and colorful. Some are even glow-in-the-dark. For more, visit the website below. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2630349/Now-theyre-magic-mushrooms-Amazing-images-reveal-glow-dark-fungi-lighting-forests-alien-like-toadstools.html Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Forager's Feast Photo Album Mycology & Art News Mushroom Photo Exhibition Mycology & Art News Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Field Reports Albion I 2009 – A Great Time for All The Albion I foray was attended by 48 wonderful folks, including a first-time contingent of about ten from Russia. This great group of people really know how to work with mushrooms that we tend to kick instead of pick. Richard Rammer • January 1, 2010 Phil with a rare Plungeratus carpenteria verde from Albion. Photo by Lynn Williams Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Albion I, 2010 – A Great Time for All Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Writings FFSC 2026 Ministers Elections-Results Welcome our new slate of FFSC ministers elected at May 19, 2026 general meeting. Dan Tischler • May 20, 2026 Porcini and Coccora invited to dinner-photo by Dan Tischler We have a new slate of ministers with some new faces and veteran FFSC ministers. You can view the list at https://www.ffsc.us/info/ffsc-ministers . When you get a chance please welcome the new ministers and thank outgoing ministers for all their hard work. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Don't Forget Your Squirrel Permit... Monise and Peter Sheehan attended last year’s Spring Foray and returned the next weekend to continue their, ummmm, squirrel foray? Here is their story, as told by Monise. Monise Sheehan • May 1, 2010 Squirrel. By unknown (Creative Commons License) Yes, we went back up to Eldorado. There were more thunder showers which is great for the mushrooms and bad for the campers. On our way into the campground we stopped along the road and found a bolete or two. It seems as though the rangers are becoming a lot more aggressive about collecting permits. We ran into one while we were eating lunch and visiting with a friend (also from Watsonville). He was up there dirt biking. What were the odds of running into a friend out in the middle of the Sierras? I think he was put there just so that he could watch me tell my tall tale! (Continued for FFSC members below) Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Mycology & Art News Diesel Fuel From a Fungus? On November 2008, while the media were immersed in the news of a national election, a little-known story was released to the press in Bozeman, Montana. John Muñoz • December 1, 2008 Fungus Fueled FUV. llustration by John Munoz Dr. Gary Strobel from Montana State University released news of a novel fungus that makes diesel compounds directly from cellulose. The fungus has been discovered in the Patagonian rainforest of Southern Chile. Professor Strobel’s paper, published in the November issue of Microbiology , is based on his discovery of the unique properties of the Patagonian fungus Gliocladeum roseum , living in the tissue of the Ulmo tree. G. roseum is an endophyte (a plant that lives between the cells of another plant) that produces a number of different complex molecules made of hydrogen and carbon found in diesel. Strobel calls the fuel produced by the fungus "mycodiesel" and he acknowledges that although G. roseum produces only diesel fumes he and his team will try to identify exactly what is responsible for the production of the hydrocarbon vapors. Scott Strobel, a member of the team, is already attempting to isolate the genes responsible for G. roseum ’s diesel making properties. “If you can identify that, you can hopefully scale it up so you end up with better efficiency of production” said Scott Strobel. Ultimately, scientists in a variety of disci-plines may be able to combine their talents to optimize production and find a way to turn what is essentially a vapor into liquid fuel. Dr. Gary Strobel’s statement about G. roseum pronouncing that “this is the only organism that has ever been shown to produce such an important combination of fuel substances” should be taken with a grain of salt. Fuel termed biodiesel can be processed from algae and research in this process is currently underway. Algae has special appeal because the organism can reproductively double in 24 hours and readily converts sunlight and carbon dioxide into hydrocarbon fuel. Perhaps we should overlook Dr Srobels excitement and possible hyperbole as he expounds on the wonder and potential of Gliocladeum roseum . It’s quite a story. Equally or more interesting is the story of how Dr. Strobel initially discovered its special properties and the special and beneficial properties of many other endophytes that he and his colleagues have discovered over the years. To learn more: https://www.montana.edu/news/6417/msu-led-team-finds-new-type-of-fuel-in-patagonia-fungus https://www.montana.edu/news/7872/msu-receives-2-million-to-further-study-diesel-producing-south-american-fungus Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Will Mushrooms Make Styrofoam Obsolete? Mycology & Art News Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Stewardship The Wine & Mushroom Gala 2000 was a Success At least I had a great time, and it certainly seemed like everyone else was having a good time as well. Rene Seltzer • April 1, 2000 Morchella snyderi. © Andrew Abballo (CC-BY-NC) (from inaturalist.org, obs. 355409272) Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article