August 12th, 2016

This weekend was the Oyster weekend. Certainly they are not hard to spot even from afar, but some are hidden under the logs and in the greenery. The color is white and size is small to medium, pointing to Summer Oyster (Pleurotus populinus). In every guide this one is a choice edible, and I do agree. Lately it can be found in some supermarkets as farmed mushroom, usually with bluish tones on the cap.


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There was quite a bit of animal damage, most probably snails and squirrels.  The bug infestation was minimal and I discarded only several mushrooms.

Some of the best specimens ended up cooked right away. Some where dried and some preserved in oil.

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The other find was Goldstalk Bolete (Retiboletus ornatipes).

[caption id="attachment_2255" align="alignnone" width="663"]DSCN4698 Cleaned and prepared for drying[/caption]

Some of the Russulae started to appear, including one of my favorites, Russula crustosa. It was too infested to be usable, but nice to see after couple of years of total absence.

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