Autumn is a favourite time of year for me for "free" food. We have done well so far this year with chestnuts (see previous posts), walnuts and hazelnuts, but the mushrooms have been slow.
Last year was a bumper year for wild mushrooms, particularly cepes and bolets of many varieties. This year we have yet to see any in our wood - we hope it is because the conditions aren't right yet, but thieves cleared the wood 5 times to our knowledge last year, so it could also be a problem with the mycelium. Cepe development is apparently a mystery even to the experts, so we wait and see.
Today John did find a few Shaggy Ink-caps however, which he brought home for our lunch. Once picked, these lovely mushrooms have a shelf life of no more than about three quarters of an hour - fortunately he found them quite close to home! Gently fried in a bit of butter, they made a lovely lunch, and have fired our enthusiasm for seeking out more.
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