2022 The Year of the Mushroom

Following on from our recent Newsletter and the discussion about this being a ‘Mast’ year. I just thought I’d do a little blog about the absolute wonder I have found in Fungi this year, a continuous joy of discovery and learning. We have discovered more edible varieties this year than ever before. Now I must clarify that none of them we have found have been particularly rare, but to discover them is no less a special and exciting moment.
Highlights have been the Giant Puffballs I found and my tastiest discovery the Honey Fungus.

Going out into the forest with Luna by my side, searching for these fungal gems has been a therapy and escape that has enabled a real connection to the season this year. In turn this has led to some striking observations.

Nuts! Conkers, Acorns and Horse Chestnuts. There is an absolute abundance of them. the floor seemingly carpeted in them in certain places.
At first I just thought I was lucky to have found a really good spot for Horse Chestnuts. This waned during our visit to the Peak District when it was clear there was an abundance of 'tree fruits'. Luckily I happened upon a post from one of the many wild food groups that I am in, that explained that this was a 'Mast' year.

Simply put, a mast year is a year when trees and other fruiting shrubs produce an abundance of fruit in an attempt to ensure continuation of the species. A quick Google will give a few varying theories as to why this happens, but this years weather has been a good indication of the theory that resonates with me. It has been a warm and very dry Summer and it is these conditions that apparently shock the plants into creating an abundance. Is this the same for Fungi? Is this why we have discovered so many this year? Literally every walk has resulted in finding something new whether edible or not.

Or could it be as simple as having calibrated my Fungi ‘eye’? Is the mycelial world now in focus? What do I mean by this? There are moments when I can be looking at the ground and there is seemingly nothing in front of me, but then i will notice something and then its as if a sheet is pulled to reveal a plethora of mushrooms. And then I have it, the world beneath me opens up to reveal all her bounty.

Some of my best finds this year have come from commuting or traveling to Mum’s house. Both require traveling country lanes and catching glimpses of these extraordinary structures in my peripheral vision while avoiding potholes and speeding SUV’s.

My first was this beautiful Parasol Mushroom, still in it’s infancy as the cap eventually flattens out into a large flat ‘plate’. But it was a beautiful specimen, and my very first Parasol mushroom find.

The next commuting treasure was the one that put most joy on my face. I had heard of these alien forms, and seen many examples online, but nothing prepared me for the incredible Giant Puffballs that I discovered. Literally just passing a field and there they were! All six of them! I only grabbed two, I never take everything, its usually a quarter of whats available. They were just amazing. There are lots of superlatives, other worldly, unbelievable, incomprehensible, outstanding and all are appropriate when talking of Giant Puffballs. The do not appear to be real.

Ironically, the same morning on the day I found them, I’d found my very first puffball on our regular dog walk. It was after a heavy rain the previous morning, but unfortunately it was to damaged to be good for the pot. I was burdened with regret for the rest of the day, feeling sure that this was my one and only chance this season to find one. How wrong was I. There are a couple of fields within a 2 mile radius of the mooring that look like they are singularly used for pasture. And this is exactly what the Giant puffballs need. The amount I have seen this year is in the double figures. Literally from zero to OMG!

Disappointingly in my excitement and subsequent forage, was immediately before going to work and this meant the aliens sat in the fridge for a couple of days. This resulted in the ‘flesh’ becoming a little discoloured and a super tasty stir fry being the only resulting meal. This has resulted in me being even more determined next year to forage, harvest and create much much more from my finds.

I have also taken a very lame attempt at cultivation. The Puffballs came with a little nub of mycelium and I have planted this in the field behind us in an area that isn’t usually touched. so I am keeping my fingers crossed that we may have our very own crop!

Another literal back doorstep find was the Beefsteak Fungus (Fistulina hepatica), another common but ‘new to me’ mushroom, growing on the stump of the oak tree that had fallen earlier in the year in storm Christoph. Looking as though the stump was pulling his tongue out at me, I was shocked to have found this gem so close to home. And what an unbelievable form this mushroom is. Once cut it looks exactly like a marbled piece of meat. This is when I realised finding these amazing foods is just the beginning. My knowledge of preparation and recipes is almost zero, and every find is just the beginning of another journey of learning and discovery.

Foxglove Barmouth.

Another incredible find this year has been the restaurant, the owners and the exquisite food at Foxglove in the beautiful Welsh seaside town of Barmouth. Researching vegan eateries when we stayed nearby in Bryn Y Gwin Farm Caravan & Campsite, we came across Foxglove. A bookings only restaurant with an a La Carte taster menu. Intrigued by the level of sophistication in a vegan restaurant in Barmouth, we booked for the following Saturday. Foxglove is extremely Dog friendly and it was both a lovely evening full of amazing (and I mean amazing) food, created and served by two beautiful souls. The particular joy in the Fowglove menu is that it shifts and alters based upon what the owners can forage. Explore the culinary treats here on their instagram. One of my grail mushrooms is Chicken of the Woods. Unable to find any in the wild this season it was here at Foxglove that I tasted my first, and it was everything I’d hope it would be.

Books

Lastly lets talk inspiration and identification. If any of this post intrigues you or foraging is something you’ve always wanted to try, Let me suggest two books that will be invaluable on your wild food journey.

The first is Merlin Sheldrakes, Entangled Life This book is a deep dive into Mushrooms, Mycelium and the incredible relationships they have with the world. It’s a wonder and revelation on every page and will build a foundation of knowledge and respect that you can take with you on your foraging trips. The second is what many foragers consider the Identification ‘bible’. It is Roger Phillips, Mushrooms and Other Fungi of Great Britain and Europe. No longer in print this definitive book is set apart by its illustrations. All of the photographs contained within are the actual mushroom, which is then accompanied by a description including taste, smell spore information and whether edible or not. I was lucky to find a second hand copy for a reasonable price.

So thats a brief summary of my amazing Autumn! I have learnt so much and witnessed things I’ve never seen before and feel both lucky, privileged and in awe of the nature around us and beneath are feet.

If you’ve been foraging this year leave a comment of your favourite find, I’d love to know….
Happy Foraging, Stay Afloat and Love Yourself

Chris x