Search this site

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? Loading... 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 Loading... 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 by Deb 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 Loading... 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 Loading... 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 Loading... Pressure canning is a process for canning mushrooms while not utilizing vinegar to create an acid environment. Pairing and Cooking Mushrooms with Wine Loading... 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?

Quick Mushroom Tempura If you’ve found some terrific edibles already, what should you do with them? (I suspect you already know the answer) but here is an idea! Tempura really works. by Richard Lyness Boletus edulis. © Darvin DeShazer (from mushroomobserver.org) Method Make the Tempura Wipe your mushrooms clean, and ensure they're bone-dry on the surface. Slice larger mushrooms about ½" thick. (If using small, store-bought chanterelles, leave them whole or slice lengthwise into chunky halves.) Follow tempura batter instructions to make batter. (Typically whisk with about ½ to ¾ cups of ice cold water for 5 oz. of batter mix, to create a thick batter.) Dip mushroom pieces in the batter, and deep fry per the batter mix instructions (e.g., 1 to 2 minutes at 350°F until the batter is light golden and crisp). Prepare at least two or three dipping sauces. Make the Dipping Sauces The quickest way is to buy dipping sauces from the store. If you want to try making your own sauces: Mix 3 Tbsp. soy sauce, 3 Tbs. mirin (or water with a pinch of sugar), and a splash of rice vinegar for a soy-based dip. Mix 2 Tbsp. sweet chili cause with 1 Tbsp. sriracha and a squeeze of lime juice for a chili sauce dip. Mix 3 Tbsp. mayonnaise, 1 Tbsp. horseradish (in a jar), and a few drops of soy sauce for a horseradish dip. Recipe contributed: November 2009 Objective: Side or first course Total Time: 30 mins Yield: 4 servings Suggested Mushrooms: Chanterelle (Cantharellus californicus, Cantharellus formosus, Cantharellus subalbidus) Porcini (Boletus edulis, Boletus regineus, Boletus rex-veris) Join FFSC or renew your membership to access the rest of this content. Join FFSC Login as an FFSC member to access the rest of this content. Login Ingredients 12 to 16 oz. porcini or chanterelles 5 oz. tempura batter mix (typically sold in 10 oz. packages at Asian markets, Costco or Safeway) Soy sauce Chili sauce Horseradish dip Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

Matsutake with Garlic and Ginger When guest speaker Gerry Miller was here in December 1984, he exhibited great excitement when told that matsutake occurs in the Santa Cruz Mountains. by Melanie Leuca Tricholoma murrillianum. © joe nudell (CC-BY-NC) (inaturalist.org, obs:196478327) Method Slice the matsutake very thinly. Slice and mince the garlic and the ginger. Sauté the garlic and ginger in butter until the garlic begins to taste sweet. Add the matsutake, and slowly sauté until limp. Add two to three dashes of soy sauce to the pan, and the dish is ready to eat. As an experiment, I tried adding a dash of dry white wine to the pan as a result, and was pleased with the result. Recipe contributed: January 1985 When asked how else he prepared them besides soups and broths, he gave a recipe for a simple and (here I can speak from personal experience) strongly addicting dish. The effect is that your taste buds are assaulted by many flavors simultaneously — garlic, ginger, matsutake, sugar, and salt — all proclaim their presence at once. Immediately after trying one matsutake this way, I cooked the other five and devoured them. I insist you try them this way if you get any matsutake! Objective: Side or first course Total Time: 30 mins Yield: Varies Suggested Mushrooms: Matsutake (Tricholoma magnivelare, Tricholoma matsutake, Tricholoma murrillianum) Join FFSC or renew your membership to access the rest of this content. Join FFSC Login as an FFSC member to access the rest of this content. Login Ingredients One 8" diameter matsutake 1 garlic clove about half the size of the end of your thumb Sweet, unsalted butter About half to a third as much fresh ginger as garlic Two to three dashes soy sauce A dash of dry white wine (optional) Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

Thea Chesney Thea Chesney is a lifelong Sierra Nevada foothill resident and naturalist. She has had an interest in mushrooms (and plants, and the rest of the natural world) since early childhood, which gradually became an obsession. She holds a B.S. in forestry from UC Berkeley. During her time at Berkeley, she spent plenty of time working and hanging out in the Berkeley mycology labs. She worked on a mushroom survey crew around Mt. Shasta for several seasons, which allowed her to become intimately familiar with the fungal inhabitants and ecology of the area. Since then, she has worked a variety of field jobs, primarily as a botanist. She teaches occasional workshops in mushroom and plant identification. Her fieldwork and her own studies of plants and fungi are centered in the Sierra Nevada and other mountains of California. 2026 Thea Chesney 2026 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Talks Buy Tickets Fungal Range Maps How We Build Them and Why They Matter Understanding where an organism lives, and why, is an essential part of understanding its life history and ecology, yet we have been lacking in… Show More Sunday, January 12, 2025 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM Room 3

Roasted Garlic and Portobello Sandwich This portobello sandwich from the turn of the 21st century is a classic! by Rene Seltzer Agaricus bisporus. © yashou10 (CC-BY-NC) (from inaturalist.org, obs. 61125717) Method Roasted Garlic Puree Preheat oven to 450°F. Lay the full head of garlic on a square of foil. Drizzle 1 tsp. of the olive oil over the top. Bring up the sides of the foil and wrap up the garlic. Roast garlic head until tender (about 40 minutes). In the meantime, prepare the mushrooms (below), and add them to the same oven so that they finish at about the same time. Prepare the Mushrooms Remove stems from portobellos, wipe caps clean with a moist paper towel. Rub the caps all over with 1 Tbsp. olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Lay them in an ovenproof pan, gill sides up. In a small bowl, combine the shallots, 1 clove chopped garlic, thyme, balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle the shallot mixture evenly over each portobello cap. Roast the filled portobellos until the mushrooms are tender and browned (20 to 30 minutes). Assemble and Serve Remove garlic from oven when done, and allow garlic head to cool to the touch. Squeeze the garlic pulp into a small bowl and mash. Remove the portobellos from the oven when done, and set the oven temperature to broil. Toast the bread slices on both sides under the broiler. Spread each slice with a portion of the roasted garlic puree. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Top four of the slices with a roasted portobello cap, and place them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle the cheese over each cap, and return them to the oven to melt the cheese. Top with parsley and another bread slice complete the sandwich. Recipe contributed: October 2000 This dish was inspired by a recipe in the Nov. 2000 issue of Fine Cooking . In this recipe, the portobello is served whole, like a hamburger. Editor's Note : Fine Cooking magazine ceased being published in 2022, and shut down its website shortly afterwards. Objective: Main course Total Time: About 1½ hours Yield: 4 servings Suggested Mushrooms: Portobello/portabella, champignon, cremini, button (Agaricus bisporus) Join FFSC or renew your membership to access the rest of this content. Join FFSC Login as an FFSC member to access the rest of this content. Login Ingredients 1 full head garlic, loose papery skins removed 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 1 Tbsp. olive oil 8 slices whole grain bread 4 medium portobellos (cap diameters about 1" wider than the bread)* Coarse salt 2 medium shallots, finely chopped (¼ cup) 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar Freshly ground black pepper ⅔ cups grated Monterey Jack cheese 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley * If your loaf is 4.5" wide, then 5.5" caps (raw) usually shrink down to fit nicely after cooking. If a cap is very large, slice it on the diagonal to fit the slices on the bread. If too small, use additional caps as needed. Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

Mushroom Poisoning If you suspect you have consumed a poisonous mushroom, call 911. Then go to the Emergency Department, and call Poison Control: 1-800.222.1222 Galerina marginata group. Photo by Christian Schwarz Emergency Procedures If you suspect you have consumed a poisonous mushroom: Call 911 Go to the Emergency Department Call Poison Control @ 1-800.222.1222 Call toll-free 24-hours a day, 365 days a year, with poison-related questions or help in California. Santa Cruz Area Hospitals Watsonville Community Hospital : (831) 724-4741 Dominican Hospital, Santa Cruz : (831) 462-7700 Dominican Hospital and Watsonville Hospital keep a list of contacts to help with identification of suspect fungi. Some hospitals have engaged in clinical trials for the immediate treatment of amatoxin mushroom poisonings. Call 911 and talk to a doctor to determine the best course of action if you suspect you or someone you know may have been poisoned. Bring the Mushroom With You If you believe a mushroom poisoning has occurred, the doctors will need to identify the mushroom so they can determine the most appropriate treatment. For an accurate identification, your best chance is to bring a sample of the mushroom with you. The more complete your specimen is, the better chance to ID it correctly. A complete specimen consists of the cap, stem, bottom of the mushroom and any roots or fluff that may have been part of the mushroom at one time. Store the specimen in a paper or waxed paper bag (not plastic) in the refrigerator until needed. Note where the mushrooms were collected in case of potential contamination by pesticides or heavy metals from lawns, roadsides or industrial areas. Non-Emergency Recommendations There is an old saying that “There are old mushroom hunters, and bold mushroom hunters. But there are no old, bold mushroom hunters.” Bit of exaggeration? Sure. But it’s critically important to know what you’re eating! Mushroom Identification The term "poisonous" refers to a wide range of toxicity, covering the range from mild nausea to allergic reactions to life-threatening illness. For general identification of mushrooms you’ve found (not a poisoning case) we encourage you to bring them to our Monthly Meeting or the annual Santa Cruz Fungus Fair . You can also send a Mushroom ID request to our FFSC community mailing list (our Google Group), or via the Contact FFSC page on this website. Pet Poisonings Pets, particularly dogs, eat wild mushrooms on occasion. While the majority of these mushrooms are not toxic, a highly toxic small percentage can cause illness and death in pets. Contact your veterinarian if you see your pet consume a wild mushroom and bring a sample of the mushrooms in the area. For more information see Mushroom Poisonings in Dogs and Cats on the North American Mycological Association (NAMA) website. Report All Poisonings NAMA (North American Mycological Association) tracks all mushroom poisoning incidents. It is important to file a report, even for a minor gastrointestinal upset. After the incident, help document mushroom poisonings by submitting an online report or mail-in report to the NAMA Poison Case Registry. Learn More about Mushroom Safety The California Poison Control System (CPCS) Bay Area Mycological Society: Mushroom Poisonings North American Mycology Association: Mushroom Poisonings Wikipedia: Mushroom Poisoning Members Only Content Login Join FFSC

Mushroom Dye Resources Has your artistic curiosity been piqued by the idea of mushroom-based pigments? Here are some resources to get you started with this fascinating process. Dyeing fabric with mushroom pigments at the Santa Cruz Fungus Fair One of our members has put together this short "how to" for beginners: Intro to Dyeing with Mushroom Pigments Below are some other resources you can use to learn more about dyeing with mushroom pigments. Books Mushrooms for Dyes, Paper, Pigments & Myco-Stix (Fungi Perfecti) By Miriam Rice and Dorothy Beebee The Rainbow Beneath My Feet: A Mushroom Dyer’s Field Guide (Amazon) by Arlene and Alan Bessette (Best feature IMO: Dye Duds section) The Mushroom Color Atlas: A guide to Dyes and Pigments Made from Fungi (Amazon) by Julie Beeler Websites IMDI – International Mushroom Dye Institute Mycopigments website by Alissa Allen Alissa Allen's beautiful and useful Facebook page Shroomworks Bloom & Dye The Mushroom Color Atlas (free online color guide) by Bloom & Dye Regional Palettes: A Closer Look at Northern California Dye Mushrooms Supplies Maiwa Natural Dyes Dharma Trading Company Members Only Content Login Join FFSC

Tender Chanterelle Salad Here's a dish you can make with those small, fresh chanterelles that you find in the vegetable aisle. by Deb Tender Chanterelle Salad. © Debbie Johnson Method In a medium saucepan (off the heat), whisk olive oil, vinegar, Dijon mustard, sliced shallot, and minced garlic until well combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place cleaned chanterelles into the saucepan, toss thoroughly until evenly coated in the aromatic mixture. Place the saucepan over medium-low heat and cover tightly with a lid. Let the mushrooms simmer gently for 12 to 15 minutes, releasing their liquid to blend with the oil and aromatics. Remove the lid. If still watery, turn the heat up to medium and simmer uncovered until the sauce slightly thickens and clings to the mushrooms (2 or 3 minutes). Remove the pan from heat. Stir in the chopped parsley and a generous squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Transfer the mushroom mixture to a shallow bowl. Let marinate at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice, if desired. **The original Bon Appétit recipe suggested placing the chanterelles in a steamer basket over a pot with 1" gently simmering water, and only steaming for about 5 minutes before beginning to marinate them. The FDA and USDA now consider that method undercooked. Instead, you can either dry sauté the mushrooms and then sear them with the aromatics before the marinade step; or braise them (as this recipe does) to achieve soft, plump, deeply infused mushrooms. Recipe contributed: September 2011 I found some beautiful small, fresh chanterelles the other day at Shopper’s Corner, after an interesting recipe had popped up in the September issue of Bon Appétit . It called for steaming the chanterelles, a new approach for me. I had tried raw shaved chanterelle salad in the past (I know, not a good idea. Raw chanterelles can be quite peppery, and we now know undercooked chanterelles can cause GI issues... Just call me McIlvaine*!) The Bon Appétit recipe turned out to be a nice, light accompaniment. But the mushrooms need to be small and fresh; our local large C. californicus wouldn’t be quite so delicate! The recipe below uses a braising approach, rather than steaming the mushrooms.** * Charles McIlvaine, a late 19th–early 20th century American mycologist, was known for his very personal inquiries into the edibility of various species, hence the name “Old Ironguts”. We are in his debt! Objective: Salad Total Time: 45 mins to 1 hour Yield: 4 to 6 servings Suggested Mushrooms: Chanterelle (Cantharellus californicus, Cantharellus formosus, Cantharellus subalbidus) Join FFSC or renew your membership to access the rest of this content. Join FFSC Login as an FFSC member to access the rest of this content. Login Ingredients 1 lb. fresh chanterelles, brushed clean and trimmed (halved or quartered if large) 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil 2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar 2 tsp. Dijon mustard 1 small shallot, thinly sliced 1 small garlic clove, minced ½ tsp. kosher salt (plus more to taste) ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper 2 Tbsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley Fresh lemon juice Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

News & Stories / Field Reports Time Lapsed Laetiporous Time lapse of chicken-of-the-woods growing over 11 days. Phil Carpenter • October 12, 2023 Day 11 (Laetiporus time lapse). Photo by Phil Carpenter I discovered this Laetiporus growing on one of my eucalyptus stumps. To record its growth, I took the same picture every day for 11 days, and sent them out to club members, so we could all watch its growth together. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Phil Carpenter receives Knighton Award at Appalachia NAMA 2023 Field Reports Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Field Reports Busted It was 25 years ago in May that I joined a foray to Yosemite, led by David Arora. Tony Dewey • May 16, 2016 Morels. Photo by Yevgeny Nyden Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Memories of Matsutake Field Reports Reality Check: Dispelling a Myth Field Reports Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / The Wood Wide Web (from the BBC) Most of us know many species of fungi form mycorrhyzal relatonships with plants... but it hasn't always been clear what exactly they are doing and who is benefiting from this relationship. Sue Labiste • November 18, 2014 At Eldorado National Forest (2016). Photo by Anne Dyari Discoveries about chemical warfare, defense communication, protection, food sharing and assistance are all outlined in this fascinating article as part of a "wood wide web" network. This article is written about the ongoing science without a lot of technical detail. So, for anyone who finds the scientific jargon or the myriad of papers difficult to wade through, this is fascinating light reading. This BBC article was suggested by Geary Lyons of BAMs. I hope you enjoy it. https://web.archive.org/web/20141112121629/http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20141111-plants-have-a-hidden-internet Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Microscopy of Gilled Mushrooms Chanterelle Look Alike Rewriting Evolutionary History Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Stewardship Culinary Event Updates: February 2000 What a great 1999 - 2000 fungal season for our culinary events. We started with the Holiday potluck in December, and then the Wine & Mushroom Dinner in January. Rene Seltzer • February 1, 2000 Pleurotus ostreatus. © Erica Fleniken (CC-BY-NC) (from inaturalist.org, obs. 328857308) We look forward first of all to the Tapas Tasting Party, Tuesday, February 8 at 7:00 p.m at Blacks Beach Cafe, featuring Chef Robert Morris. Blacks Beach Cafe is located at 15th and East Cliff Dr. in Santa Cruz. Tickets are $25.00 per person. Contact Marjorie Young for reservations. Next is the Wine and Mushroom Festival, Saturday, March 11, from 7:00 - 9:30 P.M. at the Louden Nelson Community Center, 300 Center St., Santa Cruz. The annual Wine & Mushroom festival takes place with your help and the help of our local wineries. It's a fun event, but we can't do it without you. If you plan to attend, fungal members and guests must bring huge quantities of food. Literally! Each person in yoμr party should plan on bringing enough finger food for 10 to 20 people. So if there are 4 people in your party, that's finger food for 40 to 80 people. It might sound like too much, but at the end of 2 1/2 hours and 130 people there won't be a morsel left. A few of the possible wineries participating will be: Santa Cruz Mountain, David Bruce, and Ridge wineries. The participating wineries will bring the wine and we will bring the food. Also coming up is the Continental Picnic, Sunday, April 16. The foray will start at 10:00 AM, and at 12:00 noon we will start the mushroom tasting, potluck and beer. I know a lot of Fungus Fed members are also members of the Sempervirens Fund, a public non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the natural character of California's Santa Cruz Mountains. Sempervirens has purchased an old camp, 6.5 miles up the road from Boulder Creek. The wooded site has tent cabins, an unheated swimming pool, and a volleyball court. Originally this event was held in April, but for the past few years 1t was held in June. We unanimously decided to return to the April schedule, because there's a better chance for finding mushrooms. The Home-Brew Club brings the beer, and Fungus Fed members provide the mushrooms and all the food. Plan to join us on April 16: it's a beautiful drive on a Sunday to the foray/picnic site. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article