Conifer Coral Hercium (Hericium abietis) and Lobster Mushroom (Hypomyces lactifluorum)

After stopping at the Coombs market, where I discovered several excellent olive oils, I went to a nearby forested area and found a Conifer Coral Hercium (Hericium abietis) and a Lobster Mushroom (Hypomyces lactifluorum).

The Lobster was actually still mostly underground. I removed the duff to expose it and took this photo:

Here is the habitat it was in:

See it there on the right adjacent to my pack?

Then about a kilometer away (yeah, I walked about 4 k today in some fairly steep terrain and found only two edible mushrooms) was this beauty:

I carefully sliced it off the log and brought it home.

 

Where I took a close-up video of it and the lobster.

Of course when I cut into the Hericium, it was full of worms. The Lobster was not, it was nice and clean. I carefully trimmed out some of the least wormy bits from the Hericium and cooked them up to have with supper. Somewhat similiar to the Hedgehogs in flavour and more toothy.Think it would be better in a soup with a long simmer.

Will try the lobster tomorrow night.

First Golden Chanterelles

While paddling in the Sayward Forest north of Campbell River on Saturday September 15th 2012 I decided to have a little look in a promising patch of forest in the hills above Brewster Lake. Seconds after stepping off the road I found these little lovelies.

Curiously I walked for 20 more minutes looking and did not find any more, but I cooked them up and ate them within a few hours of finding them. They were very firm and mild tasting. I walked in a forest in South Nanaimo on Sunday and did not see any sign of any mushrooms, so perhaps we have not had enough rain here to trigger the fruiting, but I'm sure we will be seeing them soon.